Eurozone officially in recession

The euro zone is in its first ever technical recession after the economy contracted for the second time in a row quarter-on-quarter in the July-September period, an official estimate showed on Friday.

The European Union's statistics office, Eurostat, estimated that the economy of the 15 countries using the euro shrank 0.2 percent in July-September against the previous quarter after contracting by the same amount in April-June.

Germany and Spain declined for the second straight quarter, while France was one bit of good news, it's economy expanded in the third quarter.

News from Around the World

I have not blogged on any world news lately, and there are some really interesting stories out there.

6000 Muslim Clerics Endorse Fatwa against terrorism:

Over 6,000 Islamic clerics from around India endorsed a fatwa (religious legal ruling) that condemned terrorism. Over the last few years there have been many such endorsements, but they do not get enough press in the American press. A lot of people do not realize it, but of India's roughly 1.1 billion population, about 147 million or 13.4% are followers of Islam, giving India the fourth-largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

There have been a number terrorist bombings and attacks by radical Muslim groups in India over the last decade, some times targeting Shiite or moderate Muslims, but Indian Muslims have also been targeted by Hindu extremist groups. It is important to report when the moderates of Islam speak out against the radicals.

EU to resume key talks with Russia:

European Union foreign ministers agreed on Monday that frozen talks on a new strategic pact with Russia should restart, despite Lithuanian opposition, with the negotiations expected to begin within weeks. The EU which is dependent on Russia for much of its energy, decided it is time to resume major economic and political negotiations with Moscow that were frozen after the invasion of Georgia.

Russia sees hope of missile progress with Obama:

Russia hopes for constructive talks with the next U.S. administration on Washington's planned missile defense system in Europe, Russian media quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Sunday. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko is also reported to have said that Russia will deploy it's Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad only if the U.S. goes ahead with plans to build a defensive shield in Europe. President Medvedev made news last week when he stated that Russia would station missles close to the border of Poland in response to the U.S. Missle shield, the day after the U.S. Presidential election.

What the World is Reading

It was often said, the world was watching last night. This is what they are reading.

World News Round Up

Iraq Government takes over 'Sons of Iraq'

The Iraqi government of PM Nuri al-Maliki takes over responsibility for 50,000 Sunni Arab fighters, in what are called 'Awakening Councils', whom the US has been paying $300 a month. The Shiite government is suspicious of these fighters, many of whom had earlier been guerrillas in cells attacking US troops and Iraqi police. Al-Maliki has been reluctant to accept them into the the formal army or police. The Awakening Council members are suspicious that al-Maliki plans to disarm and demobilize them, and to arrest and try many of them for their earlier guerrilla operations.

Turkey's Top Foreign Policy Aide Worries about False Optimism in Iraq

Ahmet Davutoglu, the chief foreign policy aide to Turkey’s prime minister, warned that recent optimism on Iraq in the United States overlooks significant, dangerous problems which remain unresolved and set out a viewpoint that says Iraq should be seen as a Yugoslavia on the verge of breakdown.

Spanish report ties Pakistan spy agency to Taliban

A report marked confidential and bearing the official seal of Spain's Defense Ministry charges that Pakistan's spy service was helping arm Taliban insurgents in 2005 for assassination plots against the Afghan government.

US Envoy takes New Nuclear Proposal to North Korea

Washington's top nuclear negotiator took a new proposal to North Korea on Wednesday to try to salvage a derailed disarmament pact amid reported signs of activity around the communist country's nuclear test site.

Fatah politicos consider launching third intifada

There are concerns in Israel that Fatah's political faction may wish to reconcile with Hamas and redirect Palestinian anger at Israel. Anger is risng over continued incidents between extremist settlers and Palestinians coupled with lack of progress in the peace talks, and continued construction in the settlements.

Irannian Influence in Iraq

Suspected US missile strike kills 6 in Pakistan

A missile strike by a suspected U.S. drone killed at least six people in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border, two Pakistani intelligence officials said Wednesday. American forces recently ramped up cross-border operations against Taliban and al-Qaida militants in Pakistan's wild border zone, a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden.

Solar powered cars race in South Africa

Africa's first-ever solar-powered car race is underway in South Africa to raise awareness about alternative energy and promote science and technology, organisers said Wednesday.

World News Round Up

Iraq PM Comments on US deal

In an interview with the Associated Press, PM Nuri al-Maliki warned that the future is dark if Iraq and the US do not agree on a security pact. And without a pact, he said, all the security progress made in the last year would be at risk. He points out that the alternative is to go back to the UN security council for an extension of Chapter 7 authorization of foreign troops in Iraq, and that UNSC approval is no longer assured because Russia may be in a bad mood. PM al-Maliki still insists that US troops who are off base and not on a military mission, who commit crimes in Iraq, must be tried in Iraqi courts. Al-Maliki also wants a timetable for US withdrawal by the end of 2010.

Jews and Muslims Share Holy Season in Jerusalem

Once again, Iraq's Ramadan Ends In Violence

Sunday's bombings in Baghdad, and the killing of nearly 100 civilians in Baghdad during Ramadan, raise questions for Iraqis. Is this increase in violence a secular trend, a sign of deterioration, or is it just that guerrillas have more spare time during the month of fasting (when typically people do not work full work days, and lots of people circulate for dinner (i.e. breaking-the-fast) parties. Although this Ramadan was 40% less deadly than last year, it was also more deadly than July and August.

EU Georgia monitors fully deployed; Meet with Russians

EU mission to monitor the ceasefire in Georgia is fully deployed and has met
Russian forces to discuss their pullback from positions deep inside the Caucasus
country. Under a deal brokered by France after last month's Russia-Georgia war,
Russian forces are due to withdraw from two "security zones" adjacent to
breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Oct. 10.

Flawed Victory for 'Last Dictator' Lukashenko as Belarus Elections Denounced

Western monitors denounced the Belarussian parliamentary elections — in which all the President's men swept to victory — as flawed. “Voting was generally well conducted but the process deteriorated considerably during the vote count,” said the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in a statement.

Mikhail Gorbachev Returns to Russian Politics

Mikhail Gorbachev has announced he is making an unlikely political comeback almost 17 years after stepping down as the Soviet Union's last leader. Mikhail Gorbachev, now 77, revealed that he and business partner Alexander Lebedev, a maverick ex-KGB officer turned billionaire banker, would form a political party to contest parliamentary elections in 2011. He and Mr Lebedev described the Independent Democratic Party of Russia, the working title of the new movement, as an opposition group.

US Navy Watches Seized Ship With Sudan-Bound Tanks

U.S. helicopters on Monday buzzed a hijacked Ukrainian cargo ship carrying 33
Soviet-designed tanks and other weapons that officials fear could end up in the
hands of al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia if the pirates are allowed to
escape. The pirates aboard the blue-and-white Ukrainian-operated freighter are
demanding $20 million to release the ship, its 21 crew members, one of whom has
died of an apparent heart attack, and its cargo of T-72 tanks, rifles and
ammunition. The ship, now anchored off Somalia's coast near the central town of
Hobyo, apparently was destined for Sudan when armed pirates overtook it, likely
from a speedboat, and climbed up the side of the ship.