Fourth Briefing
North America
The Montreal Gazette is reporting that the Greens of Canada are considering using the courts to have their Party leader, Elizabeth May, included in televised debates for Federal elections. This comes at the same time as the Green Party in the US attempts to have presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney treated as a realistic candidate by the media and the two main parties, and also seeks a viable voter demographic.
Europe
Bulgaria is charging ahead to a brilliant atomic future with the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Belene. The project has strong backing from the European Commission, as part of a move to “low carbon” energy systems.
The European Parliament has supported the introduction of a mandatory organic label for produce sold within the Union. The initiative still has to gain support from the Council of Ministers, and it may be worth hiring a marketing agency before putting out any more radio ads. Have a listen.
The EP has also supported the EC’s plans to promote development of hydrogen cars, but has called for a network of hydrogen filling stations to be established across Europe.
In Sweden, the Green party, Miljöpartiet, is reconsidering its approach to the EU, with the possibility of dropping a section of their manifesto which calls for Sweden’s withdrawal from the Union. This follows from calls by the leader of Vänsterpartiet for green and left party co-operation in the 2010 general election.
There is a possibility that Serbia may be granted EU candidate status in 2009, if it catches war-crimes suspects and continues reforms.
Third Briefing
Europe & Russia
Recent events in Georgia have led European media to widely discuss the possibility of a second Cold War. Café Babel has an interview with Georgi Khaidrava, a former minister in the Georgian government. The Euranet radio partnership also covers the similarities of the present situation to Cold War rhetoric. Euractiv also carries an interview with Andrew Stroehlein, of the International Crisis Group.
Regional News
Turkey
Turkish police are reported to have used oppressive tactics against a legal environmental gathering, Ecotopia.
Sweden
The leader of Vänsterpartiet has called for co-operation between his party and the Greens and Socialdemokraterna (Social Democrats) in the run-up to the 2010 election, with the possibility of an alliance.
Germany
Electricity companies, RWE and E.ON are lobbying the government to cancel its planned phase-out of nuclear power.
Baltic Sea Region
Baltic states have been criticised in a report by WWF for failing to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea.
Global
United Nations climate talks are underway in Accra, Ghana. Friends of the Earth International has warned of flaws in the carbon trading system, and of the risk of land-rights abuses from the inclusion of forests in carbon markets. The UN has stated that “modest progress” has been made in the talks.
And Finally...
An elderly woman is reported to have placed herself on the luggage belt at Stockholm Airport, believing she was correctly checking in to her flight. It is not reported if she was flying Ryanair, in which case, she may have been right.