In his first big press conference as French president, Nicolas Sarkozy announced a raft of new policies (1/08). The media were more interested in his plans for Carla Bruni, a Franco-Italian former supermodel. Mr Sarkozy admitted to a serious relationship but was cagey about early marriage plans. SB119980426606474885
Sarkozy in Love 1/10 SB119991437712578681 總統薩爾科齊2/02與做過模特兒的歌手女友布魯妮結婚。愛麗榭宮不肯評論。報道指，薩爾科齊上月(2007/12)已與布魯妮訂婚，當時送了一隻粉紅心形鑽戒給她。兩人相識不足一月。薩爾科齊曾離婚兩次，2007/10與第二任妻子塞西利亞離異。
1/21 A futures trader at France's Société Générale cost the bank USD7.2 billion through huge unauthorized trades.
U.K.'s Northern Rock Move Highlights Risk to Taxpayers 2/19 SB120333565998274891
Brown's Critics Seize on Takeover Of Northern Rock 2/19 SB120338450154975867
Northern Rock to Be Nationalized 2/18 SB120326502915274181
Virgin May Win Backing For Its Northern Rock Bid 2/16 SB120311458234072501
英國政府今日向國會提交法案將陷入財政困境的按揭銀行Northern Rock暫時國有化。首相白高敦表示會將銀行收歸國有直至金融市場穩定。財長戴理德指為確保對股東及納稅人雙方公平這是最佳決定。Northern Rock對政府放棄為銀行尋求私人買家表示非常失望，但相信做法符合股東利益。
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao touted the prospects for economic cooperation between their two countries, laying out targets for trade and investment links. 1/18 SB120064464377500365 Brown is the latest in a string of European leaders to beat a path to China looking for stronger commercial ties. 1/18 SB120059502709798169 英揆白高敦周五訪華 1/18-20
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's meeting with foreign oil companies (1/11) could end a standoff over the Kashagan oil field. Talks delayed SB119987965045277757 Kashagan Dispute Ends As State Doubles Stake 1/14 SB120027088257887261
The presidential election in Georgia on Saturday (2008/1/05) is a landmark in the history of the ex-communist world.
格魯吉亞總統選舉，票站調查顯示，前總統薩卡什維利得票率接近五成四，大幅拋離主要對手加切奇拉澤廿五個百分點。反對派指選舉舞弊，呼籲民眾上街示威。格魯吉亞政局去年底出現動盪，當時擔任總統的薩卡什維利宣布提前大選，並在十一月底辭去總統職務，參加選舉。
Georgia President Re-Elected; Foes Claim Fraud: Mikheil Saakashvili, a charismatic figure who has by turns dazzled and disappointed his many admirers at home and abroad, is battling both to be re-elected and to shore up his credibility as a reformer and friend of the West. SB119955468068570217
The U.S.-educated Saakashvili led mass street protests that ousted a Communist-era veteran from power following fraudulent elections in late 2003. He won a January 2004 election with more than 96% of the vote and set out to transform the bankrupt country into a modern European state. Now the Rose Revolution hero, who was much lauded in the West, is accused by his opponents at home of sidelining his critics and displaying an authoritarian bent. Saakashvili's opponents took to the streets in November, holding peaceful demonstrations for five days before police violently dispersed them. Saakashvili imposed a state of emergency that included banning independent TV news broadcasts. The violent crackdown angered many Georgians and called into question Saakashvili's commitment to democracy. Saakashvili defused the crisis by calling an early election, cutting short his own five-year term. Saakashvili's leading adversary is Levan Gachechiladze, a businessman representing nine opposition parties, who will certainly do well in Tbilisi. In the capital disappointment with Mr Saakashvili's high-handed personal style is especially keen—and was so even before the November crackdown.
Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, said he would support Dmitry Medvedev 第一副總理梅德韋杰夫, first deputy prime minister, as the presidential candidate for his United Russia party. That makes Mr Medvedev a near-certainty to take over. But he promptly disappointed those who hope he will be more liberal than his predecessor by inviting (2007/12/11) Mr Putin to become his prime minister if he is elected in March 2008, meaning that Mr Putin is likely to call the shots.
BOMB DEFUSED: British police forensic officers investigated a vehicle containing a suspected bomb near Piccadilly Circus in central London on Friday (6/29). A car packed with gasoline, cylinders and nails was manually disarmed in the early hours today in London's nightclub and theater district. Police are now looking to the cameras that line London's streets and forensic evidence from the car to provide clues. The Metropolitan Police Service said there had been no intelligence that such an attack was planned. "If the device had detonated, there could have been significant injury or loss of life," Mr. Clarke said. SB118310073654152844
Britain remained on its highest security-alert level after a string of attempted terrorist attacks over the weekend. The arrest of several suspects and TV surveillance footage are helping police uncover how the attacks were planned.
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European Union investigators raided drug companies in several countries as the bloc's powerful antitrust regulator set its sights on possible anticompetitive behavior in the pharmaceutical industry. 1/18 SB120048256196094295
Europe's economies show signs of slowing significantly even as inflation rates rise, introducing the word 'stagflation' into the scenarios that some economists are sketching out for 2008. 1/16 SB120043586207092433
'New Silk Route' Rail Plan: China and five other countries have agreed to collaborate on a train service between Asia and Europe that is expected to transport cargo twice as quickly as by sea. The countries included in the agreement are China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany. They will simplify customs and border checks to minimise the time for trains to cross boundaries. Linking Beijing and Hamburg, the 'fast freight' line is expected to boost trade and cargo flows between the two continents by taking less than 20 days to transport goods from China to Germany. Shipping goods between the two destinations takes about 40 days. A test-run lugging 100 containers of toys, electrical goods and industrial products left Beijing Wednesday (1/09), overseen by Chinese Transport Minister Liu Zhijun and German railways Deutsche Bahn President Hartmut Mehdorn.
The euro zone expanded to 15 countries as Malta and Greek Cyprus adopted Europe's single currency. Most East European countries that wish to follow suit will have to wait because their inflation rates are too high. But Denmark is expected to have a referendum within the next 18 months on whether to be the 16th member of the euro zone.
Slovenia becomes (2008/1/01) the first of the ten new East European members of the European Union to take over the club's six-monthly rotating presidency, and one of its hardest tasks will be to co-ordinate the EU's response to Kosovo's likely declaration of independence from Serbia. Kosovo's legislators are sworn in at the first session of a new parliament that is expected to declare independence from Serbia.
A December 10th deadline for a United Nations report on Kosovo's future came and went without incident. Kosovo is still expected to declare unilateral independence from Serbia early next year.
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EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson 欧盟贸易委员曼德尔森 attacked China's 'rampant counterfeiting' as a ball and chain that is dragging down Europe.
BT-CO-20061113-717402 EU, US Coordinating WTO Probe On India Alcohol Tariffs
BT-CO-20061111-700091 Mandelson: Some Chinese Gaps In Trade Commitments
SB116310727079418953 EU to Challenge High India Tariffs On Spirits at WTO
BT-CO-20061108-700902 Mandelson Appeals To China To Fight Piracy 曼德尔森与薄熙来共同主持召开中欧经贸混委会
SB116288714101515433 China, EU Sign Copyright-Enforcement Pact
BT-CO-20061107-708921 EU Trade Chief Calls On China To Open Markets
BT-CO-20061106-718622 EU Trade Chief Visits Beijing, To Press China To Open Mkt
BT-CO-20061103-710527 EU To Push China For Mkt Access, Stronger IP Protection
BT-CO-20061026-704615 Chirac, Hu Express Concern Over N Korea Nuclear Test
SB116180510748003721 France Looks to Expand China Ties
BT-CO-20061025-700825 EU Urges China To Open Mkts Wider Ahead Of Chirac's Visit
SB116165222141801528 EU Gets Tough With China on Trade (2006/10/24) 《欧盟-中国：伙伴关系与责任共进》《竞争与伙伴关系：欧盟-中国贸易与投资政策》两份文件。
SB116162894754301069 EU to Get Tougher on China Trade
BT-CO-20061024-708094 Mandelson Launches Direct Approach On Trade With China
BT-CO-20061024-704612 EU Drops Antidumping Probe Into Chinese Blank DVD Imports
SB116102793560594210 China, EU Target Fake Drugs
SB116188130964504818 WTO to Examine China's Tariffs on Auto Parts
SB115995506156182283 EU Levies Tariffs on China, Vietnam
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George W Bush makes his first visit to Israel and the West Bank as president (1/08-16), visiting seven Mideast countries in his effort to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians and to rally Gulf Arabs against Iran. The president promised the Saudis and other Gulf countries more arms, while praising their modest progress towards giving their people more of a democratic say. War in Iraq
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Organizers canceled the 5,760-mile Dakar Rally, citing security concerns. It was the first time the North African automobile, motrobike and truck race has been called off in its 30-year history.
Kenya crisis over a disputed vote: The electoral commission had named President Mwai Kibaki winner of the 12/27 vote, even though his party was heavily defeated in the parliamentary election. Rival Raila Odinga alleged fraud. The result stirred tribal rivalries and provoked bloody protests across the country, leaving hundreds dead.
A declaration that concluded the first summit in seven years between the European Union and the renamed African Union mentioned trade, governance and global warming but was silent on Darfur and Zimbabwe, whose leader, Robert Mugabe, attended. Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, stayed away in protest. Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, and three other European leaders openly criticised Mr Mugabe.
South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) said it would elect a leader at a conference starting on December 16th. The choice is between the incumbent, Thabo Mbeki, who is both the ANC's and the country's president, and Jacob Zuma, the party's vice-president.
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Africa Almanac: The World covers African stories on a regular basis.
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