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Daily Update

Anti-government protests in Madagascar incite violence

Rival of ANC leader Zuma promises to reopen corruption case if elected

Waterboarding used 266 times on terror suspects by CIA

South Korea agrees to enter talks with North Korea

Mandela endorses Zuma and the ANC

Tamil Tigers breach no-fire zone, thousands flee

China targets consumers in balancing economy

Zimbabwe central bank raids private accounts to prop-up ministry

Somali pirates release cargo ship after ransom is paid

Citizens living in fear under military regime in Fiji

Daily Update

Charges against South Africa's ANC leader Jacob Zuma have been dropped

Calls for a cease-fire are ignored in Sri Lanka, where fighting continues

An devastating earthquake occurs in Italy

Big farms to save Africa?

No agreement on North Korea has been reached after an emergency UN Security Council meeting was called to discuss their recent rocket launch

With North Korea's recent rocket launch, people ask: is nuclear disarmament possible? Is it even desirable?

Japan announces new stimulus package

...and so does Russia, as described by Putin

One of the world's busiest shipping lanes continues to be threatened by Somali pirates as they seize even more ships

Zimbabwe's new coalition government aims to stabilize its relationship with the West

Weekly Events Update

Monday, April 6th

@ The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars 

The 3/11 Madrid Bombings: An Assessment after 5 Years 
Monday, April 06 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 
with Fernando Reinares, Professor of Political Science and Security Studies, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid and and Director of the Program on Global Terrorism, Elcano Royal Institute, Madrid 
Read More | 

 North Korean Attitudes Toward China: A Historical View of Contemporary Difficulties 
Monday, April 06 2009, 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
Jin Linbo, The Brookings Institution, John S. Park, United States Institute of Peace, James F. Person, the Woodrow Wilson Center's North Korea International Documentation Project, Amb. J. Stapleton Roy, the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, Bernd Schaefer, the Wilson Center's Cold War International History Project, Amb. Richard Solomon, United States Institute of Peace 
Read More | 

Tuesday, April 7th

@ The Wilson Center 

Ukraine, Dealing with the Financial Crisis 
Tuesday, April 07 2009, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. 
Edilberto Segura, Partner and Chief Economist, SigmaBleyzer/The Bleyzer Foundation 
Read More | 

Wednesday, April 8th 

@ The Center for National Policy (CNP)

Economic Crisis: Impact on Chinese Military Modernization 

Jacqueline Newmyer

Long Term Strategy Group

12:00 noon - 1:30 pm 

Center for National Policy 
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW 
3rd Floor, Suite 333 
Washington, DC 20001 

http://www.cnponline.org/ht/display/EventDetails/i/11962

@ The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

THE INFORMATIONAL CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING CLIMATE 

•   Current national and international adaptation efforts and challenges 
•    The national and international security implications of climate change 
•    The informational needs to implement mitigation policy 
•    Risk management for climate change 

Keynote Speaker:
The Honorable John W. Warner
Former U.S. Senator from Virginia 

http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_events/task,view/id,1980/

10:00 - 11:30 AM, B1 Conference Room 

News from G-20: Working Hard, or Hardly Working?

Development at the G-20 Leader's Summit:

U.S., U.K., and Japan call for immediate economic and fiscal stimulus to jumpstart the world economy, while European nations are less bullish, calling for tougher regulation of banks, financial markets, and potential sanctions on tax havens 

France and China seek to mend bilateral ties through high level envoys after 

China's Hu Jintao says China's $585  billion domestic stimulus package "is working" - seeks stabilization and regulation of world financial markets - led by other G-20 states, of course

See for yourself on http://www.g20.org/ !

In other news:

U.S. - Russia rekindle the joy of nuclear disarmament as Obama and Medvedev meet 

Saudi Arabia hosts Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court; Bashir is conducting a minor religious pilgrimage to Jeddah and Mecca 

Army Man: Gen. Petraeus requests for an additional 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan for 2010; says Israel could launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear program 

Protests continue to rock Thailand, stalling government economic stimulus packages 

Weekly Events Update

Monday, March 30th

@ The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Water and Agriculture Implications for Development and Growth
March 30, 2009 The conference will convene international leaders—from government, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and academia—to share their expertise in realms of water, agriculture and global development. Discussions will focus on the impact of these global resource trends on smallholder farmers, assessing strategies to increase both financial incomes and health outcomes in an effort to reduce poverty and improve smallholder farmer livelihood. Ultimately, the event will build awareness about agricultural and water issues, suggest key research initiatives relevant to future policy, and contribute to the ongoing debate about the nature and structure of U.S. development policy and U.S. international water policy.

9:30 am - 4:00 pm (Conference)

Rajeev Venkayya: Global Health Delivery Systems
March 30, 2009 The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center cordially invites you to hear Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, Director for Global Health Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He will concentrate his presentation on strategies for improving the delivery of essential health technologies and services in developing countries.

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Tuesday, March 31st

@ The Wilson Center

Can the G-20 Save the World Economy from Deeper Crisis and Protectionism?
March 31, 2009 As President Obama and world leaders travel to the April 2nd London Summit on the global economic crisis, CSIS’s Scholl Chair in International Business Steven Schrage invites you to a roundtable discussion examining the potential impact of the G-20 on critical issues facing the global economy.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, B1

@ CSIS

Islam(s) in Post-Soviet Eurasia: One or Many?
John Schoeberlein, Lecturer on Central Asia, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University. Read More

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., 6th floor conference room

Wednesday, April 1st 

@ The Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, Georgetown University 

The Future of NATO
  
a discussion with 
  
His Excellency
José María Aznar 
Distinguished Scholar in the Practice of Global Leadership, Georgetown University
President of the Government of Spain (1996-2004) 

and

The Honorable
John R. Bolton
United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2005-2006)

and

Mr. Fred Kempe
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Atlantic Council

moderated by   
  
Dr. Angela Stent
Professor of Government and Foreign Service and 
Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies 
in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University

10:30 AM @ the Intercultural Center Auditorium

Click Here to RSVP

Thursday, April 2nd - Friday, April 3rd 

CCAS 2009 Annual Symposium: 
Palestine and the Palestinians Today

Held at: 
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Day 1, April 2, 2009: 

·  Changing Conceptions of Palestinian Nationalism

·  Politics and Leadership: The Changing Trajectory of Governance and Resistance

·  Economics and Development in Palestine

·  Human Rights and the Rule of Law

A reception for all conference speakers and guests will immediately follow the conclusion of Day 1 of the conference.

RSVP for Day 1 here

Day 2, April 3, 2009

·  Local Institutions and Issues: Health, Water and Culture

·  Palestinians and Israeli Policies

·  U.S. Policy Toward Palestine and Palestinians

·  Political Solutions for Palestine/Israel

RSVP for Day 2 here

Thursday Highlights

Don’t believe all the hype – despite the unavoidable frenzy over Secretary of the Treasury Time Geithner’s proposal for “comprehensive reform” that will come to smite the financial services industry in order to reduce systemic risk the reality may be less radical than what is being reported.

Your correspondent was there for the entirety of the hearing and the statements and questions between the Secretary and the members of House Financial Services Committee indicated much more moderation, caution and consensus than the soundbites may indicate. Incidentally, the Dow closed 175 points higher. Lesson here: Don’t believe the news, believe in results.

Asia, but not as you know it (anymore) – China is engaging in military development that is upsetting the delicate balance of power in Asia and this will lead to regional instability, a more assertive PRC and cause general uncertainty for all involved, according to a recent Pentagon report to Congress.

China has accused the Pentagon of “Cold War thinking”. And the dance of diplomacy continues.

Hating the world, one summit at a time – Big global summits are notorious for attracting all manner of anti-globalization protesters and have a long tradition of turning violent. In anticipation of “unprecedented” protests London police are taking extra precautions to control the situation. Hard to pick who to bet on.