Arab League Deadline in Syria

The Arab League has informed Syria that if they do not allow international observers into the country, more sanctions will be put in place against them. The deadline passed at midnight Sunday and Syria has not responded to the request. A state-run news agency in Syria has stated that the country could handle any sanctions the Arab League placed against them. Officials did meet in the Qatari capital Doha to discuss their upcoming move and top Syrian officials have had their assets frozen. They are also planning to reduce the number of flights in and out of Syria.

In early November Syria agreed to stop the violence, but "assaults by government troops and police have continued." It has been reported that 22 people were killed on Sunday alone. I wonder if Syria really will be able to withstand these sanctions or if they will be forced to allow observers into the country.

Senate Votes to Sanction Bank in Iran

Yesterday, the Senate has unanimously passes an economic sanction against a bank in Iran. Before the vote took place, the Senate was warned against this move by the Obama administration. Some believe that passing this sanction will do more harm than good. This sanction disallows all organizations that currently do business with financial institutions in Iran from having any financial accounts here in America. The reason for imposing these sanctions in Iran is to negatively impact their "nuclear ambitions." However, many people believe that the opposite will occur.

"There is absolutely a risk that in fact the price of oil would go up, which would mean that Iran would in fact have more money to fuel its nuclear ambitions, not less," said Wendy Sherman, the State Department's undersecretary for political affairs.

While the bill passed easily in the Senate, 93-7, it still needs to be approved by the House and signed by the President. It will be interesting to see if this bill will be passed, and what affect it will have.

UN Calls for Action in Syria

The United Nations Human Rights Council met in Geneva and voted to pass a resolution on Syria. This documents stated the the UN "strongly condemns the continued widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities, such as arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and persecution of protesters, human rights defenders and journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, including against children." They are urging other UN bodies to take action in order to avoid a potential civil war in the area.

So far at least 4,000 people have been killed and more than 14,000 people have been imprisoned for opposing the government. The violence and government crackdown began in March 2011 & has continued to worsen. Neighboring countries have already begun to pressure Syria by imposing sanctions on its people and entities.

Somalis Charged with Piracy go to Trial in France

Six Somali men are currently on trial in Paris for allegedly hijacking a sailboat in 2008. They held the husband & wife captive in order to obtain a multimillion dollar ransom. This is the first trial in France's history that involves accused pirates. The sailboat was later raided by French navy commandos. One man was killed & only six of approximately 20 men were captured. All six men are charged with taking the couple hostage & three are also charged with hijacking the vessel. If convicted, all six men could face life in prison.

The couple on the sailboat were headed from France to Australia when their boat was boarded on September 2, 2008. They will not be in attendance at the trial.

Spanish Judge Trial Set

Spanish judge, Baltasar Garzon, has been indicted for allegedly violating his jurisdiction by "probing the execution or disappearance of civilians at the hands of supporters of Gen. Francisco Franco during and after the 1936-39 war." The crimes committed by Franco were covered under an amnesty that was approved in 1977, however Judge Garzon investigated the charges anyways. He believed that the "executions and disappearances amounted to a systematic campaign to crush opponents and thus a crime against humanity that could not be amnestied." If convicted, Garzon could face a suspension of up to 20 years. He has also been indicted for alleged misconduct during a corruption probe he was handling as well as payments he received while on sabbatical in New York City.

Garzon has been hailed a hero by human rights lawyers for "pioneering use of the legal doctrine of universal jurisdiction -- the idea that some crimes are so heinous they can be prosecuted in countries other than those they were allegedly committed." He is set to go to trial on January 17, 2012.

South Korea Sues Google

The top Internet search engine in South Korea asked the country's antitrust regulator to investigate whether Google restricts competition in the mobile search market. NHN Corporation filed the complaint with South Korea's Fair Trade Commission. They claim that Google restricts competition by imposing restrictions on local mobile service providers and smartphone manufacturers that have adopted its Android operating system. Google claims that it has done nothing wrong and that companies it partners with are free to decide which services they wish to include on their phones.

I'm sure Google gets sued all the time, so they aren't too worried. I agree that companies can choose what services to use on their phones, and why wouldn't you use Google? The largest and most popular search engine would definitely be my choice!

Underground Illegals in Moscow

Today I read an article about an underground bomb shelter in Moscow that the police discovered full of illegal immigrants from Central Asia. In a 200 square meter shelter, there was around 110 people. That is not much space! The underground shelter had rooms, bathrooms, and even a prayer room. The people living down there were manufacturing blades and needles for sewing machines. The migrants will probably be deported and the owner of the sewing machine factory may be charged with organizing illegal migration.

It would be horrible to live in a bomb shelter! Being underground would not be fun! I wonder how they got down there. It must have been the factory owner, I guess. It is sad they are being deported, but living underground can't be great either.