Current World Event #4: Thousands march against Putin in St. Petersburg

Today around 3500 people marched against the current prime minister, Vladimir Putin, in St. Petersburg. It's about a week before the election that will probably put Putin back in the Kremlin. 

Even though the rally had official sanction, there were police forces present, though no one was arrested, despite slogans like "Putin is a thief" being yelled. However, this rally has been one of the smallest since those before the (most likely rigged) Parliamentary elections. It's looking incredibly probable that Putin will win the March 4th election and become president again, despite the two term limit that he served before the current president, Dimitri Medvedev. 

Even though Putin has been extremely successful in bringing Russia back to the global power it once was, Russia's population has been increasingly disillusioned to the corrupt government. The change in Duma representation has worked to Putin's advantage, though if he was forced into a second round of voting, it would severely weaken his momentum. 

Some opposing political party leaders are calling for protest if a second round of voting does not begin. 

I think with the increased dissatisfaction in the government, it wouldn't be surprising if a second round of voting did take place. However, if there isn't, there's also a high chance that the elections were rigged by Putin. I doubt that there's going to be any Arab Spring type of movement since the power that the government wields over its people is too great, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more protests. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/thousnads-march-against-putin-in-st-petersburg-a-week-before-presidential-election/2012/02/25/gIQAx1sZZR_story.html

Current World Event #3: Rupert Murdoch Facing Scrutiny

Rupert Murdoch, the founder, chairman, and CEO of News Corporation (second largest media conglomerate in the world), is talking to his British staff today after staff revolts, U.K. police investigations, and misconduct by his journalists. In Britain, he owns the Times, the Sun, and the Sunday Times. Last week, five of his senior staff members were arrested for bribing police officials and defense workers for information. Ten have been arrested in total, but none of them have been charged as of yet.
     In addition to the bribes, Murdoch's companies are admist a phone-hacking scandal from July by his News of the World staff. They routinely eavesdropped on private conversations of celebrities, sports figures, politicians and other well-known people. News of the World was immediately closed down, and sixty victims of the phone-tapping have sued. Many citizens and staff members of The Sun are concerned that Murdoch will close down the tabloid (the most popular paper in the U.K.), which would cost many jobs and remove a popular source of news.
     The police investigation has continued since July, and will continue. Many are criticizing the police for unfairly targeting the media. Because of the scandal, famous executives, journalists, and police officers have been arrested.
      Hopefully the scandal will wrap up soon, because I think that too much time is being spent dwelling on the subject, even though it is a serious offense. Murdoch certainly shouldn't close down the Sun, because I feel as if many would become uninformed quite easily. The scandal helps bring up the question of whether the press is overextending its freedoms and where the line is drawn on personal freedoms.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/rupert-murdoch-arrives-in-uk-to-address-staff-amid-ongoing-police-investigation-into-tabloids/2012/02/16/gIQAdmzOIR_story.html

Current World Event #2: Travel Warnings Updated in Mexico due to Drug Raid

Fourteen of Mexico's thirty-one states were just deemed by the U.S. State Department so dangerous that tourists should avoid them at all costs. Four others were said to be visited with extreme caution, the reason being that the Mexican government just announced that 15 tons of pure meth were seized in a town just outside Guadalajara, Mexico's second most populous municipality.

Most of the states that were deemed ill-advised to travel in are along the U.S./Mexico border (which means that a U.S. citizen has no safe driving route from the border to Mexico City). The recent escalated violence is attributed to the rise of powerful drug cartels within Mexico. Not only are the drug cartels dangerous, but even more so are the Mexican government's efforts to eradicate these TCO's (transnational criminal organizations). The lack of response is also overwhelming; Mexico is run by many wealthy families who don't want the drug trade to end.

With the state department's warning, this means that Mexico will face significant losses in revenue from tourism, which usually peaks around this time of year for spring break travel.

It'll be interesting to see whether this event will cause damage in the world economy. Because many maquiladoras are stationed along the U.S./Mexico border, I'm curious as to whether transnational corporations will approach factory business with increased caution or not.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/us-updates-travel-warning-for-mexico/2012/02/09/gIQAwdGR2Q_story.html

Current World Event #1: Russia and China veto U.N. resolution on Syria

Today Russia and China vetoed a Western and Arab sponsored UN resolution that condemned Syria's use of violence against anti-government protestors.

Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, has been using violence to counter a ten-month uprising against government protestors. Many say that Syria is the latest country in the Arab Spring movement, and the European Union, United States, and the Arab League are all trying to get al-Assad to step down from power so that a path for free elections and a democracy can be paved.

Russia is the only country left on the UN Security council that stands behind Syria. The remaining members want Syria to open itself to foreign investigation, so that UN human rights investigators and foreign journalists may gain access to the country.

Russia's representative on the Security Council claimed that the West is promoting revolution and an armed and violent regime change. Russia claimed that passing the resolution would sponsor more extremist groups to take control of the government if a coup were to take place, and also that passing the resolution wouldn't make Syrian troops withdraw from cities any faster.

The U.S. countered by saying that by vetoing the resolution, Russia is claiming moral responsibility for the violence and bloodshed that has, and will continue, to take place. France and Germany agreed with this statement.

I think that Russia should have gone along and passed the resolution. Although the Russian representative on the Security Council did have a point, I feel as if it doesn't hurt to pass the resolution. Although it might not save every persecuted Syrian's life, I feel as if it could save at the very least one. It's true that a resolution can't force al-Assad to step down, and that democratization isn't a fast process (just look at Egypt), but the people of Syria need a government that won't deliberately harm its people.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/russia-china-veto-un-resolution-on-syria/2012/02/04/gIQAxvVhpQ_story.html