SUMMARY - MISC

SUMMARY - MISC #China -- court jails Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti for life for separatism: lawyer [AFP] ... Gee, they didn't deliberate much on that decision ---------------------------------------- Putin wrote Fatty a love letter: #Ukraine's access 2 vital Russian markets if Kiev implements any part of trade agreement w/ #EU in 4 PAIN >> Hey, Fatty ... #Russia's got you by the TARIFFS !! LOL - I love politics & trade. http://tinyurl.com/kgobecp >> EU delayed implementing the trade accord until Dec. 31 2015 ... LOL it's a trick. Hit 'em with gas cut-off 4 winter >> Putin wants three-way negotiations to amend the EU's accord with #Kiev ... Awww, that's no fun/ EU says room 4 compromise. ---------------------------------------- #India MASSIVE >> private firms allotted coal blocks by govts b/w1993 & 2011 have lost their mining rights!! > http://tinyurl.com/n4mdvm7 > Hey, #Poland - India suffering from drastically LOW coal supplies! > Following dec'n govt free 2 auction or allot blocks WOW .. this is #India's Coalgate - 2012 auditor govt under-priced coal mines & gave away as much as $33 billion windfall !! #India - Shares in Indian power & steel producers tanked b/c India's coal decision - http://tinyurl.com/kmkmxpd  - will also impact on LENDERS >> a "complete de-allocation" of the coal blocks will inflate India's IMPORT bill by $3bn (£1.81bn, €2.27bn) >> - IBTimes ---------------------------------------- #Ghana - bans inland importation of rice / losing $22.5m annually - http://tinyurl.com/l4qeqp6      /     http://tinyurl.com/kr6a8d6  ... > large foreign importers get better deal b/c stored at 'bonded warehouses' & duty paid once SOLD / small pay duty on crossing ppl lobby 2 lift ban to support local traders / argue ban giving monopoly to foreign importers of rice, leading to price hikes ---------------------------------------- #Kazakhstan bilateral military cooperation amid concerns Islamic extremism / military mod ..freebies #Russia / http://tinyurl.com/l8526uz ----------------------------------------------- UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) - ratified by more than 50 countries & in force >> #Sweden attended event >> international law by 24 Dec 2014 >>> Haahahahaaaa   TheGuardian is selling it with "... can save lives" headline ... http://tinyurl.com/kkbwsgr ----------------------------------------------- Estonian conservative party to set up shop in Finland / http://tinyurl.com/lgylwvw  / est 100,000 Estonians live/work Fin / elections March 2015 ----------------------------------------------- #Finland - over Fennovoima nuclear project - Green Party votes unanimously to leave government | Yle Uutiset | yle.fi http://yle.fi/uutiset/7482977  COMMENT Random bits of info that caught my attention as I looked at this and that.   The most exciting thing for me at the time was India's 'Coalgate' because I'd looked at a bit of coal information in other regions and this slotted in very nicely.  Got worked up about Ukraine, only to find it's all down to negotiations and very boring -- I'm hanging for the gas cut-off pay-back.  Don't think there will be one, as Russia's a lot more civilised than I am. Estonians setting up a political party in Finland is bizarre, however many Fins they might have there.  Ghana sounds rather corrupt.  Something is going on there.  But I haven't looked at it beyond the above. The imprisonment in China is probably a big one for people who generally support human rights causes -- and for those who seek to exploit such causes or issues. I'm not in that mould.  On the whole, I tend to be emotionally remote from most things that happen on the planet.