Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Eurasia Review: News & Analysis

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• Will Bout Be Extradited To Russia? – OpEd
• Germany: Criminal Charges Filed Against Rabbi For Performing Circumcision
• Turkey: President Calls Bombing ‘Crime Against Humanity’
• The Paradox Of Cross-Border Attacks In Afghanistan And Pakistan – Analysis
• TV Comedy “The Office” To End On US Television In 2013
• The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Free Trade At What Costs? – Analysis
• Mitt’s Big Secret – OpEd
• US Alliances With The Philippines And Thailand: Partnerships Or Interests? – Analysis
• Obama, Panetta, Karzai Discuss Murder Of US Soldiers By Afghan Forces – OpEd
• Hope And Despair For Lebanon’s Palestinians – OpEd
• (South China) Sea Of Problems – Analysis
• Angola: Total To Sell An Interest In Block 14 To INPEX
• The Missing Option To Defuse Iran Threat – OpEd
• Skype Releases Update For iPhone, iPad Apps
• Self-Charging Power Cell Converts And Stores Energy In Single Unit
• ‘Electronic Nose’ Prototype Developed
• Russia To Become 156th WTO Member
• Obama Threatens Assad With Military Action In Syria
• Egypt To Use Tanks, Warplanes In Sinai For First Time Since 1973 War
• Ecuador’s Correa Says Storming Embassy To Seize Assange Would Be UK’s ‘Political Suicide’
• Russia: Pussy Riot To Appeal Sentence Next Week
• Ethiopia: Meles Death Confirmed, Deputy PM Takes Over
• Iran: Bushehr Power Plant To Reach Full Capacity By End Of Month
• Iraq Denies Being Conduit For Iranian Oil
• Ron Paul: Stop Nation Building And Cut Military Spending To Keep Us Free And Safe – OpEd
• Romania: Court Allows President To Resume Post
• Patrick Buchanan: The New World Disorder – OpEd
• India: Phone Services Cut For Four Hours In Kashmir Valley
• The Outsourcing Debate In US Elections – Analysis

Will Bout Be Extradited To Russia? – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 10:58 PM PDT By Vladimir Gladkov The Russian authorities want to appeal to the US Department of Justice with a request to extradite the imprisoned Russian businessman Victor Bout to Russia. Mr. Bout himself agrees to that. Victor Bout has been sentenced by a US court to 25 years in prison on charges of weapons smuggling and plotting [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Germany: Criminal Charges Filed Against Rabbi For Performing Circumcision Posted: 21 Aug 2012 10:55 PM PDT A German Rabbi has become the first person to face criminal charges after performing a circumcision. The charges come less than two months after a Cologne court ruled that the religious act causes bodily harm to newborn babies. Rabbi David Goldberg was sued by a German doctor on Tuesday, for inflicting “physical harm” by circumcising [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Turkey: President Calls Bombing ‘Crime Against Humanity’ Posted: 21 Aug 2012 10:53 PM PDT Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul has called a fatal bomb attack on the town of Gaziantep a “crime against humanity” and lamented the deaths of the nine victims, including four children. Gul said in a statement Tuesday that he shares the pain of the families who lost loved ones. He said he condemns those responsible for [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Paradox Of Cross-Border Attacks In Afghanistan And Pakistan – Analysis Posted: 21 Aug 2012 10:36 PM PDT By Farhad Peikar Last week the two Islamic South-Asia neighbours — Afghanistan and Pakistan — celebrated their Independence Day with leaders from both nations delivering emotional speeches about the heroism of their ancestors, while ordinary citizens danced to the tone of national rhythms and waved flags. However, the people in both countries know that being [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

TV Comedy “The Office” To End On US Television In 2013 Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:59 PM PDT Award-winning TV comedy “The Office” will end its run on U.S. television in 2013 after eight years on the air, executive producer Greg Daniels said on Tuesday, Aug 21. According to Reuters, Daniels told reporters in a conference call that the ninth season, starting in September, will be the last for NBC’s mockumentary workplace comedy. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Free Trade At What Costs? – Analysis Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:56 PM PDT By Eric Stadius and Elizabeth Briggs In November 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Washington’s official pivot to Asia. Outlining a vision for an Asia-Pacific Century, Secretary Clinton described a desired symbiotic and unfettered relationship between the two regions that will provide “unprecedented opportunities for investment, trade, and access to cutting-edge technology.”[1] Washington hopes [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Mitt’s Big Secret – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:48 PM PDT A lot of theories have been put forward to try and explain why Romney has allowed his campaign to become bedeviled by charges of tax dodging, but what if what he is hiding is felonious tax fraud? Okay, so he’s taken the legal option of delaying filing his 2011 taxes, which every taxpayer is entitled [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US Alliances With The Philippines And Thailand: Partnerships Or Interests? – Analysis Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:44 PM PDT While both the Philippines and Thailand are treaty allies of the US in Southeast Asia, they exhibit different levels of support to the US renewed focus on the Asia-Pacific. The vibrancy of Washington’s ties with Manila and Bangkok is influenced by perception of a common security threat as well as domestic political and economic concerns. [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama, Panetta, Karzai Discuss Murder Of US Soldiers By Afghan Forces – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:40 PM PDT President Barack Obama on Monday acknowledged a growing number of Americans are being murdered by the Afghans they are training to fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban. During a weekend telephone conversation between U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai they addressed the recent killings of U.S. servicemen by members of the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Hope And Despair For Lebanon’s Palestinians – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:34 PM PDT Remarkably, this Ramadan holiday season in Lebanon designees from both the Shia Higher Islamic Shiites Council and the Sunni Dar el Fatwa, figuratively speaking, pointed their binoculars deep into the eastern sky and in almost unheard of unison, proclaimed that Eid al Fitr this year was to be August 19th. It was a good omen [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

(South China) Sea Of Problems – Analysis Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:26 PM PDT By Hemant Sreeraman Apart from the overlapping lines drawn on the map, contours of confrontation are beginning to appear in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea (“SCS”). The dispute, careening towards a military flashpoint that potentially threatens to destabilise the region, revolves around considerations of energy security overlapped on China’s longer-term aspirations of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Angola: Total To Sell An Interest In Block 14 To INPEX Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:11 PM PDT Total today announced that it has agreed to sell to INPEX CORPORATION a 9.99% indirect interest in offshore Angola Block 14. The transaction remains subject to the approval of Angolan authorities. Block 14 Block 14 is located approximately 100 km offshore from Cabinda in Angola and covers approximately 4,094 km2 with a water depth ranging [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Missing Option To Defuse Iran Threat – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:07 PM PDT By Nicola Nasser To keep “all options on the table” in the U.S. – Israel plans to change the incumbent Syrian and Iranian regimes and neutralize what both countries perceive as an imminent “threat” is a formula missing the only feasible option to defuse their perceived threat peacefully, which is obviously much cheaper in money [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Skype Releases Update For iPhone, iPad Apps Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:04 PM PDT Skype released an update to its iPhone and iPad apps that brings photo sharing and improved performance, according to AllThingsD. A “frequently requested feature,” Photo Share allows users to send photos with no size limit on the files. In addition, Skype says, the app will consume less power and load contacts faster. Skype for iPhone [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Self-Charging Power Cell Converts And Stores Energy In Single Unit Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:02 PM PDT Researchers have developed a self-charging power cell that directly converts mechanical energy to chemical energy, storing the power until it is released as electrical current. By eliminating the need to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy for charging a battery, the new hybrid generator-storage cell utilizes mechanical energy more efficiently than systems using separate generators [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

‘Electronic Nose’ Prototype Developed Posted: 21 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT By Sean Nealon Research by Nosang Myung, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, Bourns College of Engineering, has enabled a Riverside company to develop an “electronic nose” prototype that can detect small quantities of harmful airborne substances. Nano Engineered Applications, Inc., an Innovation Economy Corporation company, has completed the prototype which is based [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Russia To Become 156th WTO Member Posted: 21 Aug 2012 06:58 PM PDT The protocol on Russia’s accession to the Marrakesh Agreement, the foundation document for the World Trade Organization (WTO), enters into force on Wednesday. The document, which makes Russia the global trade body’s 156th member, was signed in Geneva on December 16, 2011 after 18 years of negotiations. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a federal law [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Obama Threatens Assad With Military Action In Syria Posted: 21 Aug 2012 04:20 PM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama has threatened a military strike against Syria, should the regime of Bashar al-Assad use chemical weapons or prepare their transfer to another party. Until now, the American leader did not resort to a military involvement in the Syrian conflict, but Obama said there would have “enormous consequences if we see the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Egypt To Use Tanks, Warplanes In Sinai For First Time Since 1973 War Posted: 21 Aug 2012 04:18 PM PDT Egypt is ready to use its air force and tanks in the Sinai for the first time since the 1973 war to crush Islamist gunmen active on the Israeli border, security officials said. The plans to intensify the operation are being considered by the new Defense Minister, General Abdel Fattah al Sissi, who made Monday [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Ecuador’s Correa Says Storming Embassy To Seize Assange Would Be UK’s ‘Political Suicide’ Posted: 21 Aug 2012 03:10 PM PDT The Ecuadorian president has warned Britain not to enter the country’s embassy to seize Julian Assange. Rafael Correa said that doing so would be an act of “political suicide” that would leave UK embassies vulnerable the world over. Correa said that if British authorities forced their way into embassy to arrest the WikiLeaks founder, then [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Russia: Pussy Riot To Appeal Sentence Next Week Posted: 21 Aug 2012 02:56 PM PDT The defense team will appeal the two-year prison sentence for members of punk group Pussy Riot next week, lawyer Nikolai Polozov told the RAPSI news agency on Tuesday. “Today we received the copy of the court judgment, we will study it and appeal the verdict. We definitely won’t be able to complete it this week [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Ethiopia: Meles Death Confirmed, Deputy PM Takes Over Posted: 21 Aug 2012 02:53 PM PDT Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegne, has become the country’s acting leader after the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. He is the first Protestant Christian head of government in the history of Ethiopia, and one of few southern region politicians in the Cabinet. The 47-year-old politician was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran: Bushehr Power Plant To Reach Full Capacity By End Of Month Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:41 PM PDT Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant will reach full capacity by the end of August, a spokesman for the plant’s Russian contractors said. Interfax reports that one of the contractors of the Russian company Atomestroy Export, the chief builders of the power plant, reported on Monday that the plant’s schedule remains unchanged. The report indicates that [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iraq Denies Being Conduit For Iranian Oil Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:38 PM PDT Ali Mousavi, the spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maleki has rejected claims by an American newspaper that Iraq is assisting Iran to circumvent U.S. sanctions. AFP reports that Ali Mousavi said on Monday that Iraq’s commercial dealings with Iran are much less than one would expect between two neighbouring countries and The New York [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Ron Paul: Stop Nation Building And Cut Military Spending To Keep Us Free And Safe – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:35 PM PDT Grover Norquist, the influential conservative activist, recently made some very frank and sobering remarks about the U.S. military budget. Unlike many conservatives, Mr. Norquist understands that American national security interests are not served by the interventionist foreign policy mindset that has dominated both political parties in recent decades. He also understands that there is nothing [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Romania: Court Allows President To Resume Post Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:30 PM PDT By Marian Chiriac Romania’s Constitutional Court has decided by six votes to three that the result of an impeachment referendum against President Traian Basescu was invalid. By a majority of six votes to three, the judges of the court decided that the July 29 referendum on the President’s future was not valid because turnout did [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Patrick Buchanan: The New World Disorder – OpEd Posted: 21 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled. The Soviet Union was disintegrating. Francis Fukuyama was writing of “The End of History.” Savants [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India: Phone Services Cut For Four Hours In Kashmir Valley Posted: 21 Aug 2012 11:57 AM PDT Reporters Without Borders reiterates its condemnation of India’s readiness to restrict freedom of information, seen again when telecommunications were temporarily suspended in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir on 15 August, preventing journalists from gathering or reporting news and information. On the state government’s orders, phone companies suspended services in the Kashmir Valley for [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Outsourcing Debate In US Elections – Analysis Posted: 21 Aug 2012 11:54 AM PDT By Uma Purushothaman In the US presidential election, dominated by domestic issues and with little focus on foreign policy, outsourcing has emerged as a point of discussion. India is one of the top countries to which the US outsource work. About 60 percent of the revenues of Indian IT software and services companies is from [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.