Six In The Morning

Asia's free-trade bandwagons to nowhere

　Greater China

By Peter Lee
The United States has declared that its Trans Pacific Partnership free trade zone is not a vehicle for the economic isolation and containment of China. Per Reuters: US-led talks on a free trade pact in the Asia Pacific region are not an attempt to economically contain China ... "This is absolutely not a negotiation that's directed at China," Deputy US Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said … [1] And, straight from USTR chief Ron Kirk: The United States "would love nothing more" than to have China join the pact, Kirk said. [2] If this is truly the case, the TPP does not look like a very good deal for America's partners and China is wasting its time promoting the ASEAN + (China and every other Asian power) free trade zone, the RCEP or Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Although the details of the TPP negotiations are secret, the basic outlines of the deal appear to be clear: participating states are supposed to level the economic playing field to America's satisfaction and in return obtain privileged access to the markets of the United States and other TPP members.

Save the Children denies link to CIA raid on Bin Laden
Charity hits back after international staff have Pakistan visas denied

SAEED SHAH , SARAH CASSIDY ISLAMABAD FRIDAY 07 SEPTEMBER 2012
Save the Children last night denied that it had any links to the doctor who helped the CIA eliminate Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad last year, but admitted that rumours of an association may have contributed to its international staff being denied visas. Many international aid groups in Pakistan are working in an atmosphere of deep suspicion, with their work and movement severely restricted following the emergence of the news last year about the doctor, Shakil Afridi, who was used by the CIA in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

'Tunisia is in a phase full of contradictions'
Yadh Ben Achour is the winner of the 2012 International Democracy Award Bonn. The Tunisian lawyer and expert on constitutional law told Deutsche Welle how Islamist forces are gaining strength in his country.

Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle: Following the revolution against former dictator Ben Ali, you as an expert on public law were given the difficult task of setting the course for a democratic transition in Tunisia. What have you achieved? Yadh Ben Achour: A lot. For instance, we worked out a party law based on pluralism and the equality of sexes. We founded an independent election commission to ensure free and fair elections. We passed laws for the protection of the freedom of the press, based on principles of democratic pluralism. It's now been two years since the revolution. Did the "Jasmin revolution" also achieve its political goals?

Curfew imposed in Sudan's troubled Darfur
Authorities in Sudan's troubled Darfur region have imposed a curfew and placed two districts under military rule after a month of unrest, official media said on Thursday.

Sapa-AFP | 06 9月, 2012 14:19
The crackdown in the country's far west follows an attack on Tuesday against the top official of Kutum town, northwest of the North Darfur state capital El Fasher. Osman Yousif Kibir, the state governor, assigned Brigadier Mohammed Kamal Nour "to assume executive and administrative supervision in Kutum and Al-Waha" districts, the state SUNA news agency reported. Violence broke out in early August in Kutum when Abdelrahman Mohammed Eissa, the head of Al-Waha district, was shot dead during a carjacking attempt.

French Alps murders: 'Absolutely heartbreaking'
Two British girls, thought to be sisters, survived a shooting in the French Alps that killed four adults including those thought to be the children's parents. Police do not know the motive in the case.

By Vincent Fribault, Reuters
A four-year-old British girl spent eight hours cowering among the bodies of three adults, thought to be her mother, father and grandmother, who were shot dead in a car in the French Alps. The child, apparently on a family camping holiday from Britain, was found by police unhurt shortly before midnight on Wednesday huddled on the floor behind the front seats of the car, hidden under the legs and skirt of one of the dead women. A second girl of about eight, thought to be her sister, had been found earlier with serious injuries having been shot in the shoulder and severely beaten on the head.

Colombia rejects Farc call for ceasefire
Rebels seek pause in hostilities for Norway summit but president says military will keep up attacks until final deal is struck

Associated Press in Tolemaida guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 September 2012 03.21 BST
The Colombian president has rejected a ceasefire offered by the Farc rebels to coincide with Norway peace talks in October. Juan Manuel Santos said that instead the Colombian military and police would be stepping up their offensive against the rebels. Leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had said during a news conference in Cuba that their first item on the negotiation agenda would be to propose a truce in the half-century of fighting that has killed tens of thousands. "We will propose a ceasefire the moment we sit down at the table," said Mauricio Jaramillo, a spokesman and top Farc leader. "We are going to discuss it."