A brief list of news for the day:
Scottish autonomy and independence back on the agenda. According to the latest polls, the nationalist SNP is leading Labour by 8 points during the Scotland’s parliamentary election campaign. Labour calls on a cross-party alliance with the Tories and Liberal Democrats to defeat the SNP. >> News at: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2496669.ece
Pressure mounts for Olmert to resign as he becomes increasingly isolated after an official inquiry accuses him of “severe failure” during last summer’s war in Lebanon. >> News at: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2496689.ece and http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/853705.html
Rafsanjani, once derided as an enemy of the US is now being lumped with Iranian democrats and reformists. It’s amazing how quickly an enemy can turn into a positive figure and how the media can forget previous ill will in favour of a clean slate. Rafasanjani is leading a coalition to topple Ahmadinejad in the next election. As mentioned in the Guardian, “Parliament last week voted to curtail Mr Ahmadinejad’s term by holding presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously next year.” >> News at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2068648,00.html
US report blames Iraqis for failing reconstruction. >> News at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2068500,00.html
Iraq’s new oil law will increase violence. The leaked oil law had exact text from from a foreign contractor’s report, and establishes foreign oil companies as decision-makers by placing them on board of the Federal Oil and Gas Council, while simultaneously failing to allow representation from mainly Sunni provinces. >> News at: http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2007/04/new-oil-law-will-increase-violence-in.html
“Canada’s ALCAN ruling: a move to privatize resources. The privatization of Canada’s energy resources has taken a big leap forward with a BC Supreme Court ruling that awards multinational aluminum giant Alcan the right to sell electricity to BC Hydro.” >> News at: http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/5199/1/256/
“Hamas chief issues intifada warning. Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas leader, has told Israel that it could face another Palestinian uprising unless conditions in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank improve.” >> News at: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A2E6AC62-503B-4B62-BA14-492389021F44.htm
“Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, is to address the nation as a row rages over a presidential election that has pitted secularists, including the army, against his government.” >> News at: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FCEF7DF6-B180-4AFB-B3D5-553900A87C30.htm
“Pakistan: the Taliban takeover. Taliban-style militias are spreading rapidly out from provinces in the far north-west.” >> News at: http://newstatesman.com/200704300025
“The evisceration of a disarmament body. The chemical-weapons convention came into force on 29 April 1997. But the political manipulation of its lead organisation makes it hard for Bob Rigg, a former insider, to celebrate.” >> News at: http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/multilateral_disarmament_4567.jsp
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