Italy - make believers

While the new Pope, Benedict XVI, has had his first encyclical letter described in the media as being the kind of thing a theologian would produce, it's unclear how many of the faithful in Italy are paying close attention to the Catholic Churches instructions.

Although often assumed to be increasingly secular a recent survey suggests that there seem to actually be more believers than ever, it's just that they may not be keen on all the Churches teachings.

The letter does not go into great detail about dogma, more from the Corriere Della Sera... but the same paper also lists the results of a survey claiming the majority of believers back civil unions and divorce, while only a third go to mass on Sunday.

There's also a mention for the 8% who only go to Church three times in their whole lives - by car, still more from Corriere Della Sera...

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US - Shanks' pony

A revolutionary new trend in modern living is sweeping the Golden State, apparently, reshaping the very fabric of everyday life. Walking. Where California leads surely the world must follow.

Cheap shots aside, the fact that as car centred a culture as Southern California could even consider using cars less is news, more from the LA Times... Although some sceptics noted that it handily allowed new suburban developments to be much denser

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Japan - recent history

As the Japanese Foreign Minister calls for the Emperor to visit the controversial Yakuzuni Shrine it makes the uninformed observer wonder why he's not visited it before. Perhaps what looks like an historic dispute has more recent roots.

While describing the story the BBC notes that the Emperor used to visit the shrine until 1978 when some new additions where made - 14 'Class A' war criminals more from the BBC...

After the war the American occupation forces gave the shrine the choice of becoming part of the Japanese secular state or to be established as a separate religious foundation. By choosing the latter the shrine escapes direct instruction from the state - so any changes (like moving the war criminals to another shrine) must be voluntary more from Wikipedia...

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Georgia - in the pipeline

Why bother with strange stunts like blowing up pipelines ? Georgia may be feeling the strong arm of a game of energy monopoly.

The Georgian President has claimed he's being blackmailed into selling Gazprom the pipelines that run through his country. more from EurasiaNet...

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Turkey - dropping insults

The case against Orhan Pamuk, brought for the crime of insulting the Turkish state, has been dropped because of what looks like a technicality. That solves the problem - but only for now.

The new penal code still includes something of the same ban so the issue will resurface more from Zaman Daily...

EU representatives, like Olli Rehn, have welcomed the news but have called for these 'loopholes' in the law to be filled more from Turkish Press...

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Mongolia - resigned to dispute

Mongolia's coalition government seems to be on the verge of breaking up as the old communist party, the MPRP, withdraws it's members from the cabinet. With a bit of mild disorder thrown in Mongolia makes the headlines.

Despite a growing economy many remain in poverty, up to a third by some estimates, and it's this that the MPRP claim is the reason for their action. Other commentators say it's an attempt to seize power from the opposition

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Kazakhstan - electioneering

Recent Presidential elections in Kazakhstan were, unsurprisingly, ruled unfair by Western monitors - so why do the more 'managed' democracies bother letting them in ?, and do they have any effect ?

It may be that each country will be different, more from EurasiaNet...

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Georgia - the hard sell

The economic impact of the closure of Russian bases in Georgia was meant to be offset by increased state spending. It hasn't happened on the scale expected and the obstacles to trade say a lot about just how hard it is to create new markets in the ex-Soviet states.

The Georgian army can't replace the buying power of the old Soviet state and, until new road and rail links are put in, nor can the free market, more from the IWPR...

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Greece - wise monkeys

The scale of corruption in the Greek judiciary has reached 'Third World' levels, according to a top lawyer, due to years of weak oversight of judges decisions. Trial fixing, especially where drug money is involved, is a deeper problem than previously thought.

After over a year of these sorts of stories featuring in the press many think confidence in the fairness of the Judiciary has slumped more from the Kathimerini Daily...

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Spain - the military and the Republic

Suggesting the army would intervene if Catalonia gained too much independence from Spain was not likely to endear Lieutenant-General Jose Mena Aguado to the Spanish Government. It did make a lot of headlines though.

Acres news coverage have been devoted to saying this is not the old Republic and that in modern Spain the army is just like any other European army and takes it's orders from the politicians, not the other way round more from El Pais (via IHT)...still more from the BBC...

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US - global baby fashion

An Au Pair has often been seen as a kind of status symbol but the wealthy elites of New York may be taking things a bit further when the little mites are learning Mandarin from the Chinese Nannie. Der Spiegal seems to think this is a hot scoop - that the latest New York fashion item is a Chinese (Mandarin speaking only) Nannie, all the better to prepare ones child for the global power balance of the future, more from Der Spiegal.... Other services provided by the melting pot Nannies are more controversial - like 'Gripe Water' type recipies for colic ...each as varied as the cultures that appear in the service industry. The Cayenne Pepper mixture sounds a winner, more from the New York Times...

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Japan - enshrined

There no chance of improved ties with China and South Korea while Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi continues to visit the Yasukuni Shrine. Recent comments in the Japanese media suggest he will continue to view such visits as a "personal spiritual issue". That leaves a gloomy outlook for improved relations any time soon more from the Daily Yomiuri...

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China - the price of coal

China has been attempting to shut down it's most dangerous mines as they're accounting for some 5,000 deaths a year. Officials are punished and the price of 'safety bonds' for miners is increased, but as the price of coal keeps rising there is always a temptation for mine owners to take risks.

Without a large safety inspectorate to enforce regulations it's often the small village pits that escape any official notice. Since many farmers are looking to alternative employment to make ends meet it's these small operations where the death toll is mounting more from the San Diego Tribune...

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Kyrgyzstan - the colour of money

The most pressing issues facing Kyrgyzstan in the coming year include increasing corruption, organised crime and a bitter North / South divide. Not the best time for President Bakiyev to start giving senior diplomatic posts to his family.

The public is starting to think nothing has changed with the colour revolution last March except the family in charge. At the same time Russia will be pressing for the US military base to be removed - although rent amounts to 10% of GDP more from EurasiaNet...

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Russia - gas bypass

While Russia's gas customers fret over the rights and wrongs of the Ukraine price dispute Gazprom is planning a way round the problem - literally.

Building bigger pipelines to Europe would avoid any chance of the Ukraine siphoning of Europe's supply. The Blue Stream pipeline already passes under the Black Sea to Turkey and Southern Europe while another takes gas North through Poland to Germany more from Kommersant...

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Greece - to Russia with love

Russia's tough gas price dispute with Ukraine has alarmed many in the EU but not the more conservative sections of the Greek press. Not being all that dependant on Russian gas helps but there are other more political reasons for a warmer view of Putin's new state.

Despite being rather authoritarian just not being the US seems to be a plus. Supporting the Greek government position on Cyprus is a bonus too but the potential for positively influencing key states next door in the Balkans must be the biggest reason to grin and bear it more from the Kathimerini Daily...

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