WORLD – HEADLINE GRABBERS THIS WEEK

Developments continue to happen across World but only a few hog the lime-light. One such big thing which caught the world by surprise and shock was the statement of Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistani President, while addressing a meeting of retired civil servants of his country, that the creation and nurture of militants and terrorists was by Pakistani rulers to achieve short-term tactical gains. But India, the neighbouring country of Pakistan took his revelation with a pinch of salt as India which bore the brunt of the machinations of Pakistan for years in the form of insurgency to Kashmir and widespread killings and destruction of property is used to such kinds of shedding of crocodile tears. And India is used to the confessions by the rulers of Pakistan followed by sudden volte-face by the leader himself who made the statement by playing innocence that he was misquoted or by the circles in the foreign affairs office. Therefore let us continue to believe that these kinds of statements will continue to pour in in future also, only to be contradicted by the same source the next day.

After concluding the visit to Russia, President Obama flew to L’Aquila, Italy to attend the G8 meeting.

His visit to Russia is described a grand success. George Walker Bush, the former President of USA knew only the language of muscle flexing hence the post-cold war enmity continued between two powerful nations and with the intrusion of Russian soldiers into Georgia to fight the Georgian militia for liberating South Ossetia from the clutches of Georgia which was successfully accomplished, the two nations came close to a full-scale war.

Russia’s offer of reduction of strategic arms reduction by the two countries was rejected by President Bush, his belligerent attitude led to a piling up of strategic weapons by both the nations.

With the assumption of power by Obama in White House, a favourable climate was created in the attitude of two nations, their yearning for a lasting solution to the problems nagging them for years. Peace-loving, enterprising, youthful as he is known across the world, his strong desire to “press the reset-button” by establishing a friendly climate for dialogue and finding lasting solutions is really laudable. One such attitude was reflected in his meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the youthful President of Russia.

Both of them met, discussed and arrived at amicable solutions in the matter of reduction of strategic arms, permission to USA to carry military flights to Afghanistan across Soviet Territory to fight the Al-quaida-Taliban elements thus to save transit charges and for non-stop discussions in the matters of missile defence, NATO expansion and bilateral trade pacts.

Peace-loving nations across the world and Russia and USA in particular can certainly derive happiness and satisfaction for arriving at paving for a congenial atmosphere for a better world in future.

On the matter of climate-change going by the turn of developments taking place at L’Aquila, the mountain hill city of Italy, the venue of G8 summit attended by USA, Britain, Germany, France, Russia, Canada, Italy, Japan and Indian Prime Minister ManMohanSingh and Chinese President Hu Jintao (he had to leave the venue in a hurry due to raging ethnic clashes in Urumqui but represented by Dai Binqua) attending as special invitees representing the developing countries it will be foolish to pin much hopes on a favourable outcome. While the developed nations insist on the developing nations to reduce carbon emissions, the developing nations reject those demands by the G8 and puts much blame on the developed nations and demanding in turn to set an example by reducing carbon emissions as they are squarely responsible for the alarming rise of emissions and ozone layer depletion.

The blame-game is unlikely to stop here and will have to wait for the Copenhagen summit to find a way out of this impasse.

One positive thing which emerged at L’Aquila anyhow is the determination of all nations to fight militancy at any cost, the menace which stares at each nation with its tentacles spread all across the world.

Uighur, first came to lime-light just before the days the 29th Olympics ceremony was about to be inaugurated and its celebration across China and all other nations across the world. In the frenzy of festive mood gradually conquering that nation Uighurs, a muslim minority group grew restive and fierce clashes broke-out between them and Han Chinese, the majority community. The embarrassed Chinese regime, before the clashes turning to a major one entered the scene and brutally suppressed it thus avoiding another Tian-an-men -Square. The seeds of rebellion lay dormant among the Uighurs, and last week their pent-up anger like a volcano eruption, broke-out led to bloody clashes between them and the majority Han Chinese. As is natural, the majority reigned supreme, here also  it was on these lines, the minority Uighurs suffered heavy casualties, 150 of them on a single day. Hu Jintao, Chinese President had to cut short his visit to L’ Aquila in Italy to attend G8 summit. As was the previous case, another course of repression may be on the wings. To find a lasting solution to a law and order problem is not to their liking and as long as everything is under their iron fist the problem is simple, quite simple.