Current Events for the Week of 19 December 2011

Current Events for Monday, 19 December 2011

• Filippino government mulling mass graves for Typhoon Washi dead, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) puts deathtoll at 652
• North Korea state media report Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il dead, Great Successor Kim Jong-un named new leader
• Secret Afghan Taliban, U.S. talks reach turning point
• Anti-Communist leader of the “Velvet Revolution,” former Czech President Vaclav Havel dies
• Reuters poll: gold to drop below $1,500 in first quarter (Q1) of 2012
• Russian drilling rig capsizes off Sakhalin Island, at least 50 dead
• Indonesian boat sinks on way to Australia, at least 217 dead
• Egyptian protesters, security forces clash anew in Cairo
• Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri calls new protests “counter-revolution”
• World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting ends with no move on Doha talks
• U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk: U.S. not in trade war with China, troubled by that nation’s reaction to WTO cases
• Republican Party (GOP) front-runner, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R., GA) claims $1.6 million in consulting payments from mortgage giant Freddie Mac went to his company’s overhead, not his wallet
• Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani: Arab League may take Syrian plan to U.N. Security Council (UNSECO) this week
• Moody’s Investor Services (Moody’s) downgrades Belgian credit rating by two notches
• Former U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) player Barry Bonds escapes jail in steroids probe
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to let states select basic set of medical benefits offered in new exchanges
• U.S. regulators sue six former top Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac executives with fraud
• Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, his Kingdom Holding Co. invests $300 million in Twitter
• Nigerian forces arrest key Islamist group Boko Haram leader Muhammed “Hamza” Aliyu
• University of London researchers: sun exposure may stop spreading of chickenpox
• Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez unveils diamond-, pearl-encrusted new coffin for independence hero Simón Bolívar
• Angry protesters rally in Kazakh oil-rich region Zhanaozen, government declares state of emergency and calls-in security forces
• University of Bristol computer scientists develop software that can spot next “most popular” song
• Florida medical examiner rules Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (Florida A&M) marching band hazing death homicide
• UNSECO lifts sanctions of Libyan central bank
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Supreme Court confirms President Joseph Kabila’s reelection
• E.U., International Monetary Fund (IMF) call-off unofficial talks with Hungary
• Microsoft Inc. announces it will begin to “silently” upgrades users’ Internet Explorer (IE)
• Zynga shares fall 5% in first day of trading
• U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D., OR) vows to filibuster S.968, Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PROTECT IP Act)
• GOP presidential hopeful, U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (R., MN): nuclear attack should not be taken off-table as response to Iranian nuclear program
• Israel frees 550 Palestinian prisoners in second phase of deal which freed Gilad Shalit earlier this year after five years in captivity
• German President Christian Wulff admits to using government villas for private business partners
• Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) airs “confession” of Iranian man detained for allegations of working with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• Iraqi political infighting reignites as U.S. pulls-out last combat troops
• Arab League officials express hope Syria is nearing approval of plan designed to have Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step-down
• The Keene Sentinel, The Valley News formally endorse low-tier Republican presidential hopeful former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman
• Eurozone announces measures to push-on with crisis-curing steps, Fitch Ratings doubts outcome
• Exxon Mobile Corp. mulling $10.9 billion buy-out of Kurdistan-focused explorer Gulf Keystone Petroleum
• U.S. Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax holiday extension U.S. Senate bill in-doubt as U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R., OH) announces opposition, vote set for today

Current Events for Tuesday, 20 December 2011

• North Korea seals border, insulates during mourning for Dear Leader Kim
• North Korea test-fires several missiles with differing ranges
• American citizen who spent 15 years in Peruvian prison for aiding Marxist insurgents coming home
• Nikkei: Olympus Corp. will seek $1.3 billion in new capital through new shares
• U.S. House freshman GOP holds-line against temporary FICA tax holiday extension
• Eurozone ministers agree to boost IMF resources by €150 billion, target of €200 billion unlikely after British pull-out
• Japan chooses Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II over other, proven rival jets
• Iraqi authorities issue arrest warrant for Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi on suspected ties to assassinations, bombings
• AT&T Inc. drops controversial $39 billion bid for T-Mobile USA, Inc.
• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) investigating 13,000 gallon Gulf of Mexico oil spill at rig leased to Royal Dutch Shell plc
• Arab League announces it will send “advance party” to Syria in last-ditch effort to solve political crisis
• Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll shows former U.S. House Speaker Gingrich fading in Iowa, nationally
• Prosecutors draw line between U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Article 32 hearing
• Apple Inc. wins limited ruling in U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) decision against HTC Corp.
• Saab Automobile AB officially files for bankruptcy protection
• Indian deathtoll from cold wave hits 39
• U.S. Department of State formally requests Iran free alleged U.S. CIA spy Amir Mirzai Hekmati
• U.S. President Barack Obama (D.) criticizes Venezuela of threatening democratic values ahead of elections, ties to Cuba and Iran
• BT Group plc sues Google Inc. claiming Android system, search, other services violate its intellectual properties
• Explosion near world’s largest refugee camp in Kenya, Dadaab, kills at least one police officer, officials blame Somali Islamist group al-Shabab
• Incoming Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy promises deep spending cuts, corporate tax breaks
• Cairo clashes enter fourth day
• Congolese opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba calls on security forces to stop obeying orders issued by President Kabila, declares himself president
• Former Florida Governor John “Jeb” Bush (R.) writes The Washington Post op-ed

Current Events for Wednesday, 21 December 2011

• Anonymous source: North Korean military has sworn allegiance to Kim Jong-un, will shift to collective rule with Kim Jong-il’s heir at the head of the ruling coterie
• China calls on U.S., other Western nations to help stabilize North Korea
• Japanese prosecutors raid Olympus Corp. offices, home of former executive
• Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: Idlib deathtoll at 53
• Thirteen more protesters die in Cairo clashes, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issues stinging rebuke for government
• Posthumous video of U.S.-born al-Qaeda militant Anwar al-Awlaki airs calling-on American Muslims to join militant Islamist groups
• Iraqi Sunna leaders condemn Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s “witchhunt” against Vice-President Hashemi
• Commanding General of U.S. Forces—Iraq U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin comes-home, brings U.S. President Obama Baghdad flag
• U.S. housing starts, building permits jumped to one-and-one-half year high in November, pointing to recovery
• Deutsche Telekom AG now eyeing deal with Sprint-Nextel Corp. after AT&T Inc. fall-through
• British officials postpone General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) after it emerges some questions may have been revealed to seminar of teachers
• Mercado Común del Sur (Mercosur, Common Southern Market) partnership announces it will close its ports to ships flying the Falkland Islands flag
• Japanese exports fell again in November
• Hong Kong announces cull of 17,000 chickens after three died from Influenza A virus subtype H5N1
• U.S. Federal Reserve proposes new rules to govern biggest U.S. banks
• Regional, political UN Security Council (UNSEC) groupings—i.e., the E.U., Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab Group, IBSA—condemn Israeli settlement building in Palestinian territories
• Cuban banks permitted to issue personal loans in latest step towards a free market
• Massachusetts court convicts Tarek Mehanna of conspiring to support al-Qaeda
• Djibouti announces it will send troops to A.U. force fighting al-Shabab Islamist militants in Somalia
• Turkish President Abdullah Gül urges France to scrap plans for law to make denial of 1915-1916 mass killings of Armenians by Turkish forces as genocide
• 30,000 French women who received potentially defecting breast implants will be told this week to have them removed
• Charities Aid Foundation“s World Giving Index top five:
1. U.S.
2. Irish Republic
3. Australia
4. New Zealand
5. U.K.
• The Wall Street Journal: Chinese hackers breached U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• European Central Bank (ECB) offers European banks three-year loans to shore-up investor confidence
• Lousiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R.) stumps for Texas Governor Rick Perry (R.) in Iowa, overshadows
• Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson (R.) to drop-out of GOP primaries to run on Libertarian Party ticket
• U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta: Iranian nuclear program could be operational “soon”
• Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R.): it’s not too late for “folks” to run

Current Events for Thursday, 22 December 2011

• Rash of Baghdad bombings kill 57 as religious sectarian violence rises
• Toyota Motor Corp. announces 2012 forecast: increase of 20% in sales, 8.48 million vehicles
• #OccupyBerkley protesters brace for imminent eviction
• DoubleLine Capital chief executive officer (CEO) Jeffrey Gundlach: European sovereign debt crisis likely to reach “crescendo” in 2012
• Yahoo! Inc. shopping its prized Asian assets in complicated package with an estimated worth of $17 billion
• Bank of America Corp.’s Countrywide Financial unit settles civil case, to pay $335 million in damages for discriminating against minority homebuyers
• Reporters San Frontières (RSF, Reporters Without Borders): 66 journalists killed globally in 2011
• The New York Times CEO Janet Robinson to be paid $15 million serverance package
• Fitch Ratings again warns U.S. of possible rating downgrade because of debt burden
• U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) unveils new timeframe for union elections
• Mehr News Agency (MNA): five Iranians kidnapped in Syria
• European banks gobble-up €490 billion in cheap, three-year ECB loans easing immediate credit crunch fears
• Brazilian police seek official charges against Chevron Corp., Transocean Ltd. for oil spill
• Russian Federation President Dimitry Medvedev announces far-reaching political reform plan
• Abdelbaset al Megrahi gives “last interview,” again denies any involvement in Lockerbie bombing
• International Airlines Group (IAG) to buy British Midland International (BMI) from Deutsche Lufthansa AG for $270.84 million
• Chinese scientist Huang Kexue sentences to seven years in-prison by U.S. court for stealing trade secrets from two agricultural companies
• Human Rights Watch (HRW): Congolese police killed 24 since last month’s disputed presidential election
• Malaysian government announces it will open its banking sector to foreign investment to boost economic growth
• Finland impounds Isle of Man-flagged ship bound for China with 69 MIM-104 Patriot missiles on-board
• Mexican Maya communities begin countdown to “end of an era,” insist there is no impending apocalypse
• Cambodia, Thailand agree to withdraw troops from disputed Preah Vihear temple
• Royal Dutch Shell plc closes Nigerian Bonga oil field after 40,000 barrels spill into ocean during tanker transfer
• U.N.-backed International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) convicts two former Rwandan officials of war crimes, sentences them to life-in-prison
• Google Inc. renews deal with Mozilla Foundation to remain default search engine in Firefox browser
• Italian economy shrunk by 0.2% in September
• Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki requests Kurds to turn-over fugitive Vice-President Hashemi
• U.S. “strongly objects“ to E.U. plans for airline emissions tax
• International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) criticizes Google Inc. over failing to deliver on promises to tackle illegal file-sharing
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolls-out new mercury limits for coal-fired power plants

Current Events for Friday, 23 December 2011

• U.S. economy shows strong signs of recovery, pace will pick-up with global economic health
• Gallup International “End of Year” survey has France as “most pessimistic” country about economic outlook, Nigeria “most optimistic”
• Seemingly reinvigorated candidate Governor Romney hits trail in New Hampshire
• Direct-mail solicitation for U.S. Representative Ron Pau’sl (R., TX) political, investment newsletters warned of “coming race war in our big cities,” “federal-homosexual cover-up” to play-down impact of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• U.S. intelligence agencies warned U.S. military of impending strife after pullout
• U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser: next U.S. Federal Reserve committee meeting is a “good time” for discussion about rate forecast
• U.S. Department of State announces $10 million reward for information leading to Yasin al-Suri, an al-Qaeda financier believed to be operating out of Iran
• U.S. jobless claims fell to 1-1/2-year low last week
• Anonymous sources: Pakistani military wants President Asif Ali Zardari out of power, but not by means of a coup d’etat
• Two explosions heard in Damascus, state television claims terrorist attacks on security installations
• Filippino government: 1,079 people still missing from Typhoon Washi’s flood waters
• North Korea to permit South Korean “mourners” to visit
• Chinese writer Chen Wei sentenced to nine years in jail for “inciting subversion” through pro-democracy essays
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recalls powdered infant formula from some 3,000 U.S. stores after baby dies of rare infection from bacterium Cronobacter sakazakii
• Chinese province Sichuan raises minimum wage by 23% to attract more workers
• Minor injuries, damage reported after strong 5.8-magnitude earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand
• Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush (R.): Governor Romney “best choice” for GOP nomination
• U.N. asked to investigate recent turn of violence in Kazakh oil region
• U.S. House Speaker Boehner bows to internal, external pressure and changes stance on short-term FICA tax holiday extension
• U.S. economic growth revised down to 1.8% for third quarter (Q3)
• U.S. Peace Corps to pull volunteers out of Honduras, review role in Guatemala and El Salvador amid security concerns
• Italian Senate passes severe austerity measures
• At least 20 dead, hundreds displaced in Dar es Salaam flooding
• Former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D., NC) requests trial delay for undisclosed medical condition
• New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R.) opens door to vice-presidential position
• Ipsos/Telemundo poll shows U.S. President Obama has lost 30 percentage points of approval from Hispanic voters
• Article 32 hearing ends for U.S. Army Pfc. Manning, defense claims he was “overcharged”
• Israel Defense Minister, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak: U.S. President Obama “makes good on what he believes in,” a true “leader”
• CNN/Opinion Research Corp. (ORC) International poll: U.S. President Obama politically “untouchable” on Iraq