Russia has now completely cut oil supplies to Germany, Poland, and Ukraine after shutting down the Druzhba pipeline. Russia blames Belarus, who was illegally siphoning off the oil. Although this has no enormous effect on Europe’s imported oil supplies, it could have long term effects that invariably increase a rise in prices.
Belarus blames Russia for failure to pay the costly transit cost for moving oil through the country. For payment, Belarus took the liberty of taking portions of the transported oil. Russia does not abide by these payments stating them against the law. “Last week Belarus said it would charge Russia $45 (£23) per tonne of oil that passed through its country.” (BBC)
Germany is concerned that with the closure of the pipeline. The Druzhba pipeline running from Russian through Belarus and Eastern Europe may have a drastic effect on Germany, Poland, and Ukraine.
Image courtesy of CBC
Following the brutal and increasingly controversial execution of Saddam Husein in Iraq last week, many have debated over “Corporal Punishment” or physical punishment, as flogging, inflicted on the body of one convicted of a crime.
Italy, specifically, has proposed a global ban on execution to the UN. In the past, they have unsuccessfully had similar talks in 1994 and again a year later. According to BBC, “The leader of the current centre-left coalition [Prime Minister Romano Prodi] has said no crime can justify one person killing another.”
Now I don’t completely understand how Italy will try to even propose this ban for the third time, not to its own Italian people, but worldwide. Each nation and states within most nations have the right to their own government, therefore managing their own laws. The United States for example, will be against this proposal to a high extreme, not only because they are responsible for a big chuck of Saddam’s execution, but also because many states have the death penalty. These states strongly defend their right to have their own state laws without federal interference.
First of all, a global ban on execution is completely impossible due to the many nations, rogue or not, in the world that will be opposed because it effects their leadership, culture, religious beliefs, etc. Maybe Italy is trying to get a ban for UN nations, which would seem more possible, but still way out of reach. It is just like saying the UN is federal law, and all the countries under the UN are federally governed states. There will be much opposition, needless to say.
More from BBC:
“The Iraqi government has said that Italy has no right to criticise Saddam Hussein’s execution when, at the end of World War II, the fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, was killed by partisans and left hanging by his feet in a Milan square to the derision of crowds.
Mussolini’s granddaughter, Alessandra, a right-wing MP, joined in the argument, saying she found the killing of Saddam Hussein disgusting and shameful.”
Posted by Archaix
As the year 2006 draws to close, the world is still far from quiet. While Iraq executes a terrible dictator and Ethiopia helps government forces clear out Mogadishu in Somalia, the continent of Europe faces its own issues.
The main problem, of course, is Russia. Now, our readers may distrust Russia already, am I right? Unless you’re an indefaticable hardline Communist, or have somehow slept through the majority of the 20th century, Russia was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths during the Second World War and, much more internally, during the Cold War. Many thought this process had been reversed with the decline and fall of Communism from 1989 to 1991, but if anything, Putin is returning to the Old Ways.
Many of our European readers may recall the death of one Alexander Litveneko, who’s death (caused by radiation poisoning) was linked to Putin’s infamous intolerance of critisism. The trail for the killer/s led detectives from the UK to Germany and Russia.
Now it appears that Russia is ‘bullying’ the small vassal states surrounding her, by threatening to cut off the enormous amount of gas reserves if they do not accept a substantial rise in price. Currently, BBC News reports, Belarus is facing a 135% price rise, while Georgia now pays just over double. Last year, the Ukraine was starved of gas during the depths of winter for a short period following a smiliar dispute.
And all this leaves me feeling that Russia never really changed at all.
