World Politics Central

As Zimbabwe waits for the official result of the Presidential Vote, Time was able to secure an interview with the Presidential Candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai. His party, Movement for Democratic Change (M.D.C.), says he has won with a 50.3% vote. Mugabe’s party, Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), expectedly demanded for a recount. 

Below are just some of the highlights in the interview: 

Time: What lies in the future for Zimbabwe?
Tsvangirai: We’ll manage to get Mugabe out. Mugabe is being deserted. No one wants to touch Mugabe in the region now. Eventually, we will ease him out. After that, we need to set the country in a new direction, giving people freedom, dignity and opportunity. Zimbabwe has potential. With all our resources, mineral and human, we are well positioned to be a prosperous country. 

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Since his last comments on Pennsylvanians, Obama has been attacked by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Although he expected it from McCain, he was surprised that Clinton got on it as well.

“I expected this out of John McCain,” Obama said. “But I’ve got to say, I’m a little disappointed when I start hearing the exact same talking points coming out of my Democratic colleague Hillary Clinton. She knows better.”

So what did Hillary have to say about it? She said that Obama’s remarks were “elitist, out of touch and frankly, patronizing.” McCain mirrored the same sentiments as well.

Obama then went on the offensive against Clinton by mocking her support for gun rights and at one point saying, “Shame on her.” He also mentioned that his comments earlier were “subject to be twisted,” but added, “It sounds like some politics being played.”

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Just as Bush and Putin are about to meet up on a previously hot topic: the missile system in Central Europe, two Russian Bear long-range bombers were discovered flying in an air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska. The US states that the air exclusion zone off Alaska and bars unidentified planes that fly over that area.

The US Air Force notices the bombers and immediately sends out two F-15s to check it out. Both Russian bomber planes were escorted out of the zone without any trouble, officials said.

According to Russia, the planes were just training, while the US says that it was not a concern, and that it was just Russia’s way of showing its presence.

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With the US Presidential Elections coming up on November, and Russia’s new president taking office this May, the meeting between both Bush and Putin on April will most likely be the last time. It will be on the missile system the US wants to place in Central Europe. It includes 10 interceptor missiles to be placed in Poland, and a radar system in the Czech Republic.

According to Bush, it will protect Europe from possible missile attacks from Iran, Putin says that the missile system’s intent is to weaken Russia’s nuclear deterrent. Initially the reaction was negative, but in recent months it has cooled down and now Bush wants to convince Putin again before the new President, Dmitry Medvedev , steps into office.

We will provide you with an updated result as soon as we get it.

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Taiwan’s newly-elected President, Ma Ying-jeou, wants to improve relations with China. This seems to be a drastic change from previous Presidents wherein they wanted to establish Taiwan as a separate state from China. He won by a landslide, 58% to 42% of his rival Frank Hsieh of the Democratic Party.

He proposes the following:

• Launch direct transportation links with the mainland
• Lift restrictions on Taiwan businessmen to operate in China
• Open Taiwan to Chinese tourists and investors

Will this mean that China bites the lure? The business sector hopes that the new President’s policies will entice the Mainland to help boost the economy.

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In the examination of a British military expert, the recent missile launch of Iran means that it is developing a long-range missile.  In addition, Iran is developing a space center, which requires an identical technology to these missiles’ capability.  The report also stated that the capability and size of Iran’s arsenal has been found similar to the facilities of North Korea.

It looks like the new Hillary Clinton movie will have to wait. The US Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of a conservative group, Citizens United, who wanted to show an ad painting the Senator under a bad light.

According to the said group, the ad was more akin to expose reporting like “60 minutes” or “Nova” rather a smear campaign against Clinton. This however was rejected both by the Lower and Supreme Court. According to the 2002 McFain-Feinhold law, electioneering communication broadcasting during the election or primaries is not allowed.

On the Citizen United’s side, they say that they’re freedom of speech rights are being violated and therefore the ad needs to be shown immediately. They’re now planning on making an ad regarding the other Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

Nevertheless, the ad will be shown in nine theaters and can be viewed in the internet through their site.

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The US and India are proposing that both the Dalai Lama and his supporters have a dialogue with China to resolve the continuing protests in Tibet.

According to India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, “We do hope it will be possible to resolve the issue through peaceful dialogue between the parties concerned.” Condoleezza Rice commented that.” We believe that the Dalai Lama can play a very favourable role given his belief in non-violence, given his stated position that he does not seek political independence for Tibet, and given his unassailable authoritative moral stature, not just with the people of Tibet but with people from around the world,”

This was spurred on after there were reports of mass unrest after the 49^th anniversary of the uprising of Tibet against China.

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Upon conclusion of Pentagon’s review of Iraqi documents, it has been found that there are no evidence to connect Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.  There were 600,000 documents seized after the invasion of 2003 to investigate a direct operational link.  The Institute for Defense Analyses has done this study, and now it is undergoing a declassification review.

There was an official from the U.S. Defense Department who has pleaded officially guilty for an espionage charge in passing defense information to China.  Acting assistant attorney general Patrick Rowan has said that the official – Greg William Bergersen – has betrayed his own oath to serve and protect the nation.  He could receive up to 10 years of prison term when he is sentenced a few months from now.