Breffni O'Rourke

Also by Breffni O'Rourke

• January 26, 2005

  Europe: Council Of Europe Report Says Organized Crime Poses Threat To Democracy

  The Council of Europe, the body that promotes democracy and human rights throughout Europe, has issued its latest report on organized crime on the continent. The document traces the spread of criminal activity in the region and warns that, like ivy, which will eventually smother a healthy tree, organized crime is damaging societies in the region. The report finds that economic crime is the most prevalent form of cross-border criminal activity.

• January 24, 2005

  Middle East: Abbas Optimistic Palestinian Militants Will Accept Cease-Fire

  Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas has said he expects to secure a deal soon in which militants will agree to halt attacks on Israelis -- a key step toward resumption of peace negotiations. The new Palestinian Authority president is holding talks with leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other militant factions. For its part, Israel says it is willing to respond to calm in equal measure. Is this the start at last of a more hopeful post-Arafat era?

• January 20, 2005

  EU: Row With U.S., Japan, Looms As Union Seeks To Lift Arms Embargo On China

  British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is starting a visit to China amid a brewing row between the European Union, the United States and Japan over arms sales to China. Straw has said the EU's arms embargo on China could be lifted within six months. EU leaders last month agreed to work toward lifting the embargo, which the union imposed 15 years ago after China's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square. Washington is pushing for the EU not to lift the ban, fearing an escalation of tension between China and Taiwan. Tokyo is also worried about regional stability.

• January 17, 2005

  Middle East: Peace Hopes Sink As Israel, Palestinians At Loggerheads Again

  Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas (file photo) The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has again flared just as signs seemed to point toward a chance for peace. Only a week ago, Mahmud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen) was elected Palestinian Authority president on pledges of renewed dialogue with Israel. But the goodwill between the two sides has already broken down, with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon freezing all contacts following a bloody attack by Palestinian militants.

• January 13, 2005

  Ukraine: European Court Of Human Rights May Tackle Leadership Issue

  Ukraine's former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych is carrying his electoral struggle for the presidency into the international arena. He says that if his latest appeal to the Ukraine Supreme Court fails, he's prepared to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights. Yanukovych is seeking to overturn the election win of his rival, Viktor Yushchenko. But what exactly is the European Court of Human Rights? And does it have the power to decide an issue that could be of historic importance to Ukraine?

• January 12, 2005

  EU: Union Again Seeks To Introduce Legal Immigration Policy

  The European Union's top official dealing with migration says he wants to streamline immigration rules across the 25-member bloc to end shortages of skilled labor that is slowing economic growth. Franco Frattini has launched an initiative for common rules on legal immigration. But the plan is controversial and potentially divisive. Many EU citizens would feel threatened by a large influx of foreigners.

• January 11, 2005

  Middle East: New Hopes For Palestinian-Israeli Peace, But Pitfalls Remain

  President Mahmud Abbas World leaders are congratulating Mahmud Abbas amid hopes that his election as Palestinian president can lend fresh impetus to the peace process. At the same time, a broad-based Israeli government has been sworn in, with the express intent of withdrawing Israeli forces from occupied Gaza. But despite the promising circumstances, the old stumbling blocks remain -- including extremists on both sides who seem bent on perpetuating the conflict.

• January 10, 2005

  World: Is The Freak Weather Random Or A Dangerous Pattern?

  What is happening to the weather? It's supposed to be deep midwinter in the northern hemisphere, but much of Central Europe is basking in spring temperatures. Meanwhile, fierce storms have caused havoc in Northern Europe from Ireland, across Scandinavia, through Belarus and on to Russia. Parts of Kazakhstan are overwhelmed with snow, and further afield, California is struggling against snow and flash floods. South Africa has flooding amid a drought -- and it's even been snowing in the parched deserts of the United Arab Emirates.

• January 05, 2005

  Asia: U.S. Tsunami-Aid Effort Seen As Partly Aimed At Winning Muslim Friends

  The United States has taken on a high-profile role in delivering relief to the Indian Ocean countries devastated by the tsunami disaster, particularly the worst hit area -- Indonesia's Aceh province on the island of Sumatra. While the United States has a long tradition of generously responding to people in need, Washington also appears to view the tragedy as a chance to improve its image among Muslims -- an image that has been tarnished by the Iraq conflict and the war on terror.

• January 05, 2005

  Middle East: Palestinian Presidential Election Seen As Chance For New Start

  Palestinians go to the polls on 9 January to elect a new leader to replace the late Yasser Arafat. The election is viewed as a key opportunity for reviving the Arab-Israeli peace process. But as the vote approaches, violence is escalating, with Palestinian attacks on Israelis followed by large-scale Israeli raids into Gaza. And the election campaigning is deteriorating into hard-line rhetoric.

• December 20, 2004

  Russia/Germany: Schroeder Faces Difficulty In Maintaining 'Best Pal' Approach To Putin

  Better days Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Germany today and tomorrow for a visit expected to have a more sober atmosphere than his previous contacts with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. On earlier meetings, Schroeder has gone out of his way to express personal friendliness to the Russian leader, bear hugs and all. But this time, sharp differences over democratic processes in Ukraine are likely to dampen the atmosphere, as well the controversy surrounding the forced breakup of the Russian oil giant Yukos.

• December 10, 2004

  EU: Poland Says Ukraine Crisis Proves Merit Of EU's New Eastern Members

  Polish President Kwasniewski played a key role in international mediation efforts in Ukraine (file photo) Poland is saying that progress made so far on resolving the Ukraine crisis shows the value of the new Eastern member states to the European Union. The presidents of two new members -- Poland and Lithuania -- are serving on the international team that has successfully mediated talks between rival Ukrainian leaders. According to Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, the Easterners are bringing unique insights to the crisis, and boosting the EU's capabilities in the process.

• December 08, 2004

  OSCE: Blunt Russian Criticism Raises Specter Of Crisis

  Russia has sharply criticized the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and has warned that it is considering withholding its budget contributions unless the OSCE overhauls its work methods. The Russian criticism came at a stormy foreign ministers' meeting in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and follows previous complaints by a number of former Soviet states. Does this herald a crisis of confidence in the 55-nation east-west security body?

• December 07, 2004

  Saudi Arabia: Jiddah Consulate Attack Shows Militants Still Active Despite Saudi Crackdown

  Smoke over the U.S. consulate in Jiddah The terrorist attack yesterday on the U.S. consulate in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jiddah, which killed at least nine people, shows that Saudi authorities are not in complete control of the security situation in their country. The Jiddah assault was the first terrorist attack on a foreign diplomatic mission in the kingdom, and adds to a string of attacks aimed at driving foreigners out of Saudi Arabia.

• November 25, 2004

  Iran: IAEA Meeting Set For Key Decision On Tehran's Nuclear Program

  IAEA head Muhammad el-Baradei The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) begins what could be a decisive meeting in Vienna today in the long-running dispute over whether Iran is trying to develop nuclear arms. The IAEA Board of Governors could refer Tehran to the UN Security Council for possible sanction over its nuclear program. Washington accuses Tehran of secretly seeking nuclear arms, but Iran says its program is peaceful.

• November 24, 2004

  EU: Union Gains UN Approval For Bosnia Mission, Seeks To Develop Military Arm

  The United Nations Security Council has approved a resolution handing over stabilization efforts in Bosnia to the European Union. At the same time, EU defense ministers have committed the union to forming 13 battle groups of 1,500 soldiers each that will be ready to provide stabilization troops in crises around the world. Taken together, these two developments illustrate the progress the EU is making in developing its military capability. What is lacking so far however, is a strong policy-making arm to direct this expanding capability.

• November 04, 2004

  World: What Will Four More Years Of Bush Mean For The Economy?

  George W. Bush With U.S. President George W. Bush re-elected to office, the financial world is turning its attention to what his new four-year term means for the global economy. Will the dollar continue to weaken, and will oil prices continue their steep rise?

• November 03, 2004

  U.S.: Financial World Upbeat Despite Uncertainty In Election

  Uncertainty is one of the things most hated by businessmen -- and the current U.S. presidential election is creating exactly that. While incumbent George W. Bush was ahead in the count, a decisive victory hoped for by both sides after yesterday's election failed to materialize.

• November 03, 2004

  U.S.: World Sacrifices Sleep To Follow Election Results

  Around the world, interest in the U.S. presidential election has rarely been so intense. From Asia to Europe, people have been glued to radio and television sets or at all-night parties, nervously awaiting the outcome of what may be the most important U.S. election in decades. Important, that is, for the entire world, as the winner will play a lead role in shaping international political and economic life.

• November 02, 2004

  Middle East: Tel Aviv 'Child Bombing' Highlights Conflict's Growing Inhumanity

  The cycle of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rages on. Yesterday, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy blew himself up in an open-air market in Tel Aviv, killing three Israelis and wounding many others. The bombing has again focused attention on the lack of efforts to find a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict.

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