More encouraging actions from pragmatic Iran – Rupert Murdoch would not enjoy Argentina’s new law – Thousands of starving Syrians are allowed to flee the beleaguered town that was down to eating cats and dogs – And don’t mess with my Red Rooster.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog in Vienna held “very productive” talks with Iran and plans to do so again in Tehran in a month, according to a joint statement. It’s hoped the talks will get the world closer to resolving the international standoff over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which Tehran insists are only about generating power and conducting medical research. The International Atomic Energy Agency wants to send inspectors to Iran to make sure the program has no military dimensions.
Argentina’s Supreme Court ruled a law to break-up big media companies is constitutional. The court ruled that the government has a responsibility to prevent these companies from growing so large that they dominate and destroy public discourse (ahem Murdoch ahem, pardon me while I clear my throat, cough Murdoch cough). It’s a major victory for President Cristina Fernandez’ government, which had been pursuing antitrust legislation against the conservative Grupo Clarin media conglomerate.
Russian prosecutors filed new charges against prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, accusing him and his brother of defrauding more than A$800,000 from the French cosmetics firm Yves Rocher. Navalny says denies the new allegations s “nonsense”. Earlier this month, a court suspended a 5-year prison term handed down to him for his conviction on embezzlement charges, which he and his supporters say were trumped up by forces loyal to President Vladimir Putin.
The Syrian government relaxed a blockade on rebel-controlled suburb of Damascus, allowing thousands of starving people to leave. Earlier, Imams issued a fatwa allowing starving people to break dietary laws and eat stray dogs, cats, and donkeys, so bad was the starving. The UN and other aid agencies for months had asked for access to the suburbs to get food to starving people.
Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners, the second in four releases that will meet preconditions to get both sides to US-back peace talks. All were convicted of murders and had spent 19 to 29 years in prison – Five were released in Gaza, the rest were sent to the West Bank. Far right parties in Israel’s ruling coalition objected to the releases, and Hamas in Gaza isn’t too happy about the agreement bolstering its rivals in President Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority.
An al Qaeda affiliate in Niger has released four French hostages from three years of captivity. France insists no ransom was paid. They were seized in September, 2010 during insurgent raids targeting two French firms operating a uranium mine in Niger.
Francois Hollande has become the least popular French President in 32 years of polling data. Only 26 percent of the French voters have a positive opinion of him, that’s even lower than his unpopular predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. Respondents feel his policies are not efficient and not fairly applied.
A suburb of Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against the plant that makes one of the world’s most popular brand of Sriracha Sauce, that powerful blend of red peppers, garlic, and vinegar that may just be the greatest thing ever invented. Town fathers of Wimpyville – oops, I mean Irwindale – say the aroma from the Huy Fong Foods building is affecting the eyes of, irritating the throats of, and causing headaches for about 30 residents who don’t realize how completely awesome their neighbor is. Word that the bottles with the Red Rooster logo might disappear from stores has sparked a spate of panic buying of people stocking up.. just in case.