Current Event #5

http://www.economist.com/node/21551488

The campaigns for Mexico's upcoming presidential race have officially begun, with Enrique Peña Nieto showing a fierce lead. A little over a decade ago, the PRI was voted out of office and a new regime began finally, after 70 years of constant rule over the country.  This year's presidential election will take place on July 1st, and Peña, the PRI's candidate, is showing a 15 point lead over his opponents, suggesting a return to power for that party. Recent presidents Vincente Fox and Filipe Calderón have made widespread discontent with other parties easier to promote, for they were not effective and popular leaders. Peña pledges to bring back a “government that delivers," which has so far been a successful slogan for the disillusioned voters who need another change of pace.

However, although Peña has been extremely charismatic and rather popular, another candidate, Josefina Vázquez Mota, has closed the gap in the polls by half in the past half year. A PAN candidate, Vázquez promises to acknowledge other parties in her cabinet where Peña would have been partisan. Still, her vitality in the campaign is unknown, and the third party candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has loyal fans, but does not present a serious threat to either.

Current Event #4

http://www.economist.com/node/21551103

Northeast England has had to develop and morph its economy significantly in the past few decades-it has changed from coal-mining and steel manufacturing to businesses, added numerous public works projects, and improved schools. Nevertheless, unemployment rates in the area are 10.8% higher than that of the rest of England (which is already 8.4%), and some of the businesses that have come to help the area are considering leaving it to avoid greater losses. The thought that Scotland may secede from the United Kingdom has caused further issues, for now NE England worries that the businesses that struggle in that area are going to move to Scotland and hurt their economy even further.  In previous years, the two regions were fairly closely tied by similar economic and social issues, but now people of Northeast England are beginning to feel anxiety to their old allies. Understandably this is great cause for discontent and worry; there is much to be fixed about the current global economy. I believe that the businesses have to stay in order to help any situation, or it will simply continue to worsen, even more dramatically so in the future.

Current Event #3

http://www.economist.com/node/21550309

The removal of Bo Xilai as party chief of the south-western region of Chongqing revealed a window in the bureaucracy and inner workings of the party that is typically hidden from the public eye entirely. Bo was lined up to become the ninth member in the Standing Committee, and his father was a major member of the generation of Mao's Long March. Nearly everything was set up for him to become one of the next major players in Chinese politics, but his greatly unpopular policies (like going viciously after any political rivals and attacking them through "henchman" who were accused of extortion and torture). Bo also had a tremendous lean towards Communist Party members and state enterprises, rather than supporting small businessmen. His firing showed the twisted nature of the bureaucracy-how it is not truly smooth and effective, but can contain many injustices and certainly intricacies.

Current Event #2

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/41384-nigeria-will-overcome-boko-haram-says-us.html

Nigeria has had significant issues dealing with the Boko Haram, a terrorist group that ravages villages and families, bombing cities and setting fire to homes. Nigeria faces great separation between its northern and southern inhabitants-the North is mainly Muslim, while the South leans more towards Christianity; other religions are spread throughout. Additionally, food stores are not evenly spread throughout the country and often one place will find itself much more equipped than other regions. The United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs , Wendy Sherman, has stressed that the United States is planning to work with Nigeria in order to overcome the violent and horrifying efforts of the Boko Haram in hopes of uniting the country in a healthy and effective manner.  Although such an outcome is a far stretch, Sherman has begun to propose ideas of ameliorating the food crises and improving the regional economy, which will strengthen the nation overall.

Current Event #1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17251279

President Barack Obama says that should Iran continue on the path to obtain and develop nuclear weapons (for potential use against Israel or the US), he will take action in order to ensure the protection and safety of the United States, for the US and Iran have been on shaky terms for quite a while. Nevertheless, Obama would like to primarily remain more lax and diplomatic in his dealings with that country, for volatile conditions help no one (though the US has placed sanctions on some of Iran's oil companies).  Obama also plans to meet with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. Hopefully the two nations will not have to come head to head in upcoming events, for the recent wars with Iraq and Afghanistan have already caused significant deficits, and our country can withstand only so much further economic strife.