Thursday, October 29, 2009
china confidential
French Website Promotes Luxury Labels in China
Russia, Ecuador Sign Arms and Energy Deals
Ecuador Breaks Big Pharma's Grip
Angola Condemns 'Angolagate' Arms Trial
Angola says the high-profile arms trial--dubbed "Angolagate" by the French media--was biased and unjust.
AFP reports:Angola on Wednesday condemned the outcome of a high-profile arms smuggling trial in a French court, which convicted all but six of the 42 defendants, including the son of an ex-president.
"This trial was unbalanced and unjust, tied up with political considerations and motives," said a Luanda government statement published by the state news agency Angop.
The court in Paris Tuesday sentenced the main players in a network that flouted an international embargo and shipped arms to Angola during its civil war in the 1990s, including a former government minister and a son of the late President Francois Mitterrand.
The French court also convicted Russian-Israeli tycoon Arkady Gaydamak in absentia for organising the arms sales to the formerly Marxist regime led by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who is still in power.
The Angolan government said it was "stupefied" by the conviction of "French citizens who helped our country to uphold the state and the democratic process, threatened by an armed subversion."
Continue here.Germany to Use Israeli Drones in Afghanistan
Iran Supreme Leader: Challenging Vote No. 1 Crime
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that questioning the results of the controversial Iranian presidential election in June presidential was “the biggest crime.” Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, did not go so far as to order the arrest of opposition leaders, but his words signaled the regime could take stronger action if the criticism of the ballot continues.
"The day after the election, some people, without logic or reason, called the glorious election a lie," Iranian television quoted Khamenei as saying.
Although the street protests died down months ago, leading opposition figures have refused to silence their protests. Khamenei said he sent private messages to those who continue to question the election telling them they may not be able to control the future direction of events – an implied threat of additional government action if they fail to cease their activities.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband urged Iran to overturn a four-year prison sentence given to a local employee of the British embassy in Tehran. Hossein Rassam, 44, was arrested in June at the time of massive street protests over the disputed presidential election. The Iranian, who worked as the embassy's chief political analyst, was accused of spying and inciting unrest. In a statement, Miliband called the reported sentence "wholly unjustified."
-World Jewish CongressChina Investigating GM and Ford
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thursday, 29 October 2009
The site, http://www.ccolbert.cn/, reflects Chinese hunger for luxury goods. Seventy French firms are represented. Click here for the story.
The Monroe Doctrine is clearly dead. Russia is deepening its ties in Latin America, as shown by newly announced arms and energy deals. Click here for the story.
An extraordinary story. Read all about it here.
Germany joins Australia and Canada in leasing Israeli drones for use in Afghanistan. Clickhere for the story.
China is investigating GM and Ford--a reprisal for the Obama administration's imposition last month of nearly $2 billion in import duties on Chinese-made tires. Click here for the story.
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