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The start of the business week on Monday saw impacts of the “Black Friday” lunge at European creditworthiness, by a leading US credit ratings firm.
The company, Standard and Poor’s, down -graded nine members of the 17-member Eurozone group, in its Sovereigns Ratings List, on 13.1.12. … Read More »
Black Friday’s sinking of the huge cruise liner Costa Concordia (picture) off the Western Italian coast brought wonder that it happened, and wonder that the great majority of people on board survived. … Read More »
Silvio Berlusconi, the mercurial former Italian Prime Minister, forced from office under gathering clouds of scandal in mid-November, says he is “still on track”, not out of the political game. … Read More »
The Australian government announced this year (27.9.11) that women in the armed forces will be allowed to serve in any frontline combat roles by 2016.
While women are prominent in many roles already, as senior officers, crew members on warships, air force pilots, and soldiers in Afghanistan, the move excited debate over security and safety issues for all troops, with two sexes in the ranks. … Read More »
The resignation of the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (picture) on the weekend (12.11.11) brought passing satisfaction to the legion of opponents built up over a long period in office, heavily tempered by concern about settling problems ahead for the country. … Read More »
Plusses and minuses:
Julia Gillard (picture, left) back in Canberra welcomed the passage of her government’s climate change legislation, having just got back from the G20, and seeing the soldiers in Afghanistan …
Other Prime Ministers not managing quite so well: George Papandreou, in Greece, contemplates life out of office after agreeing to step down, and Silvio Berlusconi. In Italy, continues his rear-guard action against growing numbers who want him out …
Carlos the jackal, aka Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, terrorist and said one-time beneficiary of the late Muamar al-Gaddafi, faced court on fresh charges in Paris …
… while much more innocuously, Casey Stoner, Australian motorbike rider, savoured a difficult victory in the Valencia MotoGT event, underlining his supremacy as outright champion for the series. … Read More »
At week’s end the drive continues to provide relief for thousands in the bitter cold, after the earthquake on Sunday in Eastern Turkey.
Savage flash flooding in regions throughout Italy has taken at least nine lives. … Read More »