World Buzz

EU New Member

Ireland has joined forces with the Lisbon Treaty Nations. Irish voters have strongly endorsed the decision, 16 months after their first vote rejecting it ,which had plunged EU reforms into deadlock. Around 67% voted "Yes", official referendum results showed. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen hailed a "clear and resounding" endorsement. Political leaders across the EU have also welcomed the result.

"It was a great day for Europe", said the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, who also urged the leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic - the only other countries yet to ratify Lisbon - to sign the treaty as soon as possible.

A new leader

-Ireland's vote to ratify the European Union's Lisbon Treaty has finally cleared the way for the creation of a powerful new president, intended to elevate the 27-nation bloc's standing on the global stage.

-But do European leaders actually want one? Ahead lies a difficult discussion about how much power and influence a new European Union president should have and whether the post should fall to a political star — like former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain — or one of his old school technocratic rivals.

-The leaders of member countries will decide, probably this month, and their decision could determine whether the union really seeks the bigger role it says it needs, to try to match the influence of the United States and that of rising powers like China, Russia, India and Brazil.

What is ahead of us?

1 - La Vitrine Politique - The Lisbon Treaty, which aims to streamline decision-making and reform the bloc's structures, lays down a two-and-a-half-year term for a full-time president of the European Council, the body that represents member nations.

2 - Key roles and media time - The treaty, if finally ratified by the Poles and Czechs, also mandates a single new foreign affairs chief, in charge of both policy and aid money, and a new European diplomatic corps. Both new jobs would be subordinate to the leaders of member countries. The position of commission president, held by José Manuel Barroso of Portugal, continues.

Sure Thing

Those to fill the two new posts will have a considerable chance to carve out significant roles for themselves, since they will be the most prominent faces of a collective Europe. Remember, we live a quite particular moment: both financial and natural.

- The northern hemisphere tries yet to recover from a major crisis, a delicate moment. Financial policies and aid would act like a compass needle pointing out to safe waters.

- Mother nature shows its rage in south east Asia, where aid is needed and reconstruction must take place. EU has history in the area, ans help will be sent. As seen for the past months, temperature images in the Pacific indicate we are presently at a prelude of an El Niño year - predicted to be as strong as that of 1998 - while the water at the equator line in the African coast gets colder.

Apart from the financial recovery in progress ,we are in for severe, short period climate changes all over the globe due to El Niño. And the Old World must prepare for the months ahead, which will demand aid in different local areas as a wetter, cloudier winter in Northern Europe and a milder, drier winter in the Mediterranean Sea region might just repeat itself.

Add to that, the threat of the A1H1 virus...

We live changing times indeed, be it in politics, finance or nature!

Rio de Janeiro to host 2016 Olympics

Rio de Janeiro was chosen Friday as the host site of the 2016 Olympic Games, brushing aside an unprecedented personal appeal from President Obama and the first lady on behalf of their home town of Chicago, also McDonald's headquarters, whose budgets adds up to 900 million dollars for next Olympics in London. Strong lobby indeed.

The Carnaval city beat in the last round the surprise finalist Madrid. Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting at the meeting of the IOC in Copenhagen, and Tokyo was eliminated in the second one. In awarding Olympic bids, the IOC holds rounds of voting until one city receives a majority.

Rio, first-time-ever South American city to be chosen to host the games. This victory continues a welcome trend of acknowledging the growing importance of developing countries. The World Cup next year will be hosted by South Africa and in 2014 it will be held in Brazil.

2016 represents a tremendous opportunity for Terra Brasilis. The Olympics will give Brazilians a huge shot of self-confidence and boost the country’s tourism industry and Rio’s public transportation system. It’s also an opportunity to counter the violent imagery of drug lords, gang murders and grinding poverty realistically captured in films such as “City of God” (2002) and "Tropa de Elite"(2007). Those scenes have replaced postcard images of beaches and mountains that used to seduce people around the world.

Lula must defeat Rio de Janeiro's violent crime, which residents call it the biggest cloud over their city's postcard-perfect shot. When the world’s attention is on them, Brazilians don’t take chances. During these types of events, law enforcement is shifted from the local police, who don’t exactly enjoy a reputation for moral rectitude.

Instead, Brazil’s military runs security, sporting assault weapons and tanks. If you think Rio’s drug kingpins are crazy enough to conduct business as usual under those conditions, think it again. As 2012 host city of London has to be prepared and cope with possible terrorist attacks for the its games, Rio will have to work out the drug dealing issue. For the moment, the city will take a good look at what's being done for the London games, besides the exchange of security knowledge for large events with France.

Six and a half years of hard work will show whether COI's choice was indeed the good one - or not.

Sources: Folha de São Paulo, Wikipedia, Climatempo.com.br , Aviso.oceanobs.com, associated press, new york times, le monde, newsmap, migalhas.com, the telegraph, irishnews.