Politics Around The Globe

The Middle East has always been a volatile region. But it has become especially volatile over the last few months because of the pro-democracy rallies that have been sprouting up in many countries in the region.
Just recently, Egypt pro-democracy rallyists succeeded in ousting President Hosni Mubarak from office after more than thirty years of rule. The country is now in the midst of building a new government. Recently, it is Libya that is getting the world’s attention as rallies and demonstrations in the country has risen to a fever pitch. Only time will tell if the Libyan demonstrations will achieve the same success as the demonstrations in Egypt.

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) — The Olympic torch arrived Thursday morning in India, the heart of the world’s largest Tibetan exile community, sparking the first of what officials fear may be a string of protests during the torch’s relay of the country.

Tibetan protesters shout anti China slogans, as they are detained by Indian police. Police dragged several protesters into vans as they chanted anti-China slogans outside a luxury hotel near Rajpath. Olympic officials are keeping the torch there before the start of the 4 p.m. (6:30 ET) relay. Officers detained another 32 protesters even before the torch touched down on Indian soil, according to a state-run news agency, the Press Trust of India. Tibetan exiles had blocked a road near an army hospital in southwest Delhi, the agency said. Tibet activists groups have said they will do what is necessary to get their voices heard during the torch’s stay in India.

(Source:CNN)

(Photo Source: Yahoo News)
ROME (AFP) – Conservative billionaire Silvio Berlusconi won Italy’s general elections by an unexpectedly wide margin on Monday, securing a third term as prime minister but warning of tough times ahead for the country in the grip of an economic downturn.Berlusconi will return to the prime minister’s office for the third time since 1994, the year after he burst onto the political stage with his party of the time, Forza Italia! (Go Italy!). The Piepoli polling institute predicted Berlusconi’s coalition would win 162 of the Senate’s 315 seats, giving him six more than the minimum needed for an absolute majority.

HONG KONG, April 15 (Reuters) – Investors jostled for position on Tuesday as stockmarkets braced for a slew of earnings from U.S. banks, with some heading for the refuge of bonds and gold and others betting that the worst is already priced in. Oil prices hit a record high, helped by a weak dollar, which has given up gains made on supportive remarks from the Group of Seven nations at the weekend. The dollar dithered in a narrow range in cautious Asian trade, standing at 101.23 yen by 0410 GMT, while the euro traded at $1.583, barely changed from Monday’s close.
(Source:Yahoo News)

(Photo Source:Yahoo News)
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia’s struggling leader faced a new and serious challenge Tuesday after opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim’s dramatic claim that he is supported by enough government defectors to seize power. Analysts said turmoil in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s ruling coalition could hasten an exodus of lawmakers and propel Anwar to power after last month’s stunning general election gains by the opposition alliance. Anwar, the former deputy prime minister who was sacked and jailed a decade ago, said at a rally late Monday that he had enough support to form a government but would not act until he had a more comfortable majority.

Syria is holding its first Arab Summit this weekend amidst the boycott that plagues this event. Prime leaders from several countries refuse to attend the summit to express their anger over Damascus’ supposed role in the political crisis that Lebanon is currently facing. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco will all be sending lower level officials to represent their respective countries in the summit. The political crisis in Lebanon has left the country with no successor since November of last year.

The Arab Summit that is taking place this weekend is expected to be attended by the 55 members of the Arab League.

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The three other types of power aside from incentive power and coercive power are legitimate power, referent power and expert power.

Legitimate power is the power held by a police officer or a referee. This is a kind of power that is given to some individual by an established authority to impose principles and standards of behavior.

Referent power is the power given to individual as a merit of attitude or accomplishment. This is similar to being a hero or a celebrity. This is incentive power as one rewards himself.

Expert power is the power one can get from experience. For example, when you have health problems, an advice from a medical doctor is more reliable than an advice from a college Linguist professor.

Illinois Senator and another Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is having a dinner date with a 44-year old single mother from Indianapolis. The woman named Bonnie Locchetta, who donated $25 on one of Obama’s fundraising event titled “Intimate Dinner with Barack,” was among the four guests who were chosen to spend some time with the presidential candidate.

Kevin Griffis, Obama’s spokesman in Indiana, said that they chose Locchetta because she was one of the first-time donors and that the note that came along with her donation caught their attention. Griffis added that the dinner with Locchetta would give Obama an opportunity to talk to someone from Indiana.

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former US President Bill Clinton’s only child, Chelsea Clinton, has been a staunch supporter of the Democratic presidential candidate. She has been campaigning in almost 70 college campuses and joining fund raising activities to gather financial support for her mother’s presidential campaign.

In a fundraiser event that took place in a concert hall just two blocks away from the White House, Chelsea welcomed Hillary’s supporters. She introduced her mother by highlighting Hillary’s achievements and revealed her plans of boosting the economy and ending the war in Iraq.

Hillary Clinton is reported to have raised a net of $3 million from fundraising events at the end of last month.

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton is set to make history if she gets elected to be the first woman president of the United State of America. She first enjoyed the spotlight as USA�s First Lady when her husband William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton became the forty-second President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. When she moved to New York, she was elected U.S. Senator in 2000. And by the year 2006, she did not have a hard time winning re-election. At this point, she has a very strong chance and always a front runner in national polls as Democratic Candidate in 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.