Ukraine
Ukraine bans foreigners for ‘security reasons’ as protests continue
Published time: December 25, 2013 17:21
Edited time: December 26, 2013 03:12
Ukraine has temporarily banned a number of foreign citizens from entering its territory over “national security” concerns. The move comes amid ongoing mass rallies, with thousands of pro-EU demonstrators demanding the government’s resignation..
Source, full story: http://rt.com/news/ukraine-security-entry-ban-783/



Turkey
10 ministers of cabinet replaced and about 500 police officers sent to distance, are ensuing changes in the wake of probe.  Cessation of protests in Turkey has not lasted long.  Root causes, pathologies, to of the moment reasons for recent protests, are examined in a number of articles easily and readily accessible on the Internet.

Turkish protesters urge PM’s resignation as graft scandal shakes govt (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)
Published time: December 26, 2013 00:07
Edited time: December 26, 2013 15:02
"Thousands of demonstrators took to Turkey’s streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, amid a growing corruption scandal rattling his government. Clashes with police erupted in Istanbul, where protesters were teargased.

Over 5,000 people rallied in Istanbul, mainly in the Kadikoy district and in the Besiktas district on Wednesday night, according to AFP. Protests have also taken place in the capital of Ankara, as well as in Izmir and other cities"...

Source, full story: http://rt.com/news/thousands-protest-turkey-erdogan-804/

Population of Turkey: over 70 million, and possibly as much as 80 million, estimated

Turkey signs deal to let EU send back illegal immigrants
Visa restrictions for Turkish nationals are lifted in return, weeks after country resumed EU membership negotiations

    Associated Press in Turkey   
    theguardian.com, Monday 16 December 2013 09.46 EST   

Turkey has signed agreements to take back immigrants who illegally enter the EU from Turkish territory, in return for visa restrictions being lifted for their citizens travelling across Europe. The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called the deal a milestone.

Source and full story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/16/turkey-eu-illegal-immigrants-visa

Key terms:

• 'graft investigation'
• corruption/bribery probe

Armenia; Russia
Armenia-Russia agreement with implications relational to gas, names in consideration especially are, Gazprom and ARG

story: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/31577
Thursday, 19 December 2013, 13:46


  Africa
Tunisia
'Caretaker administration' slated to hold at least a temporary post as 'in charge'
Source: NY Times

Ideologies, allegiances, and principles of youth emerging as a growing concern
Helpful information: NY Times


Nigeria
Middle of December, President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan lost majority in the lower chamber House of Representatives, says BBC in a December 22, 2013 article.  Tensions exist between Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo,  PDP w.r.t. APC

Ghana
COYLIB, Coalition of Young Liberals, has reports about is, that it is asking current President, Mahama, to step down
A source among many: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=296240

In other news which may be separate from political, however concern warranting headline"
Ghana: Banker Manager Gunned Down
24 December 2013
Gunmen in the early hours of last Sunday shot and killed the Akosombo branch manager of Zenith Bank, Mr. Kwesi Sekye Prah, at his Tema Community 25 home.

Mr. Prah's killing brings to two the number of banking personnel who were killed in circumstances police suspected to be contract killing in one month.

It will be recalled that exactly a month ago, 21st November, 2013, a female staff of Stanbic Bank head office, Miss Rosemond Nyampong, was killed in her home at Baatsona Kotobabi Number Two, also at Tema.

Source and full story: http://allafrica.com/stories/201312260473.html


Mali
After a second round of elections, the first of which was in November, Keita party wins


Côte d'Ivoire, also known as, Ivory Coast
Tensions pertinent who fills the Presidential seat, namely between Alassane Ouattara, and Laurent Gbagbo
A source with information: BBC

Botswana
Talk of:

• upcoming elections
• new coins

Thailand
Cabinet reshuffling

Helpful information sources:
Thailand's Government Rejects Call for Election Postponement
VOA News
December 26, 2013
After clashes between police and anti-government protesters in Bangkok Thursday that left one officer dead and dozens injured, Thailand's government rejected a request from the election commission to postpone a February vote...



Source and full story:
http://www.voanews.com/content/thai-government-rejects-early-elections-amid-strife/1817861.html

Learn Thai: King endorses Yingluck 3
"Cabinet changes are a regular part of Thai politics and all require endorsement from His Majesty the King. Here is an introduction to a story on the most recent cabinet reshuffle."
November 2012   
http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/319131/learn-thai-king-endorses-yingluck-3



This article intended to be cleaned up for neatness after technical challenges overcome

It might have gone unnoticed by too many, or flew under the radar screen.  A 6th sense by many knew that something was amiss somewhere, while media attention went to covering the loss and mourning of a former president of a nation, the referent to South Africa.  Where was the chaos?  It was 'right under your nose' almost, in a perspective that can be held, violence was taking place on the continent of Africa, north of South Africa.  It seemed that violence in the C.A. Republic had a lull just recently, and thence the suspect that there would be violence to the extent of what was reported had commensurately lessened.  The C.A.R. region is a hotbed of concerns.  Allegiances to what army, military group, rebel group, or gang, is based off a set of ideologies and beliefs that are deep in some aspects and analyzed to be very superficial and fleeting, by others; this in combination that people are fleeing the region, in what might be a chaotic scene.  The potentiality that the violence emanating from the Central African Republic could spread to other areas, might be consistent with the theory that if ideologies are carried with people fleeing the area, and fighting erupts amongst them before they left, they could possibly fight in the areas they go to.

To outline a few of the key concerns and key words pertinent Central African Republic:

• child soldiers
• between 250 and 400 persons reported dead in the past 5 days, thereabout
• Seleka to ex-Seleka/former Seleka fighters, or those that lay claim to being them, and matters of some of these persons activities not authorized by the government of Central African Republic
  
• Seleka was formally disbanded at direction of Central African Republic government
  
• Burundi troops
• African Union Troops
• Is the an absolute 0% non-issue of African Union Troops in regard to what the realities are when they interface with fighters on either or any sides in the Central African Republic, such as biases, and who is loyal to who?
  
• history of France in the area
• thousands reported to be fleeing the C.A.R.
• NY Times says that those fleeing the region are going to DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• U.S. has some presence in the area, militarily
• France has some kind of presence in the area militarily, and influencing decisions regarding military actions
• This might be viewed as 'stepping out of bounds or place' a bit, however, concerns might be arising that in regions in sub-Saharan and central African areas, U.S. decisions regarding the area are being made to appear to be subservient to the decisions, views, and positions France has taken or takes upon the region.  This being presented after the situation that took place in Mali about a year ago, where as it seemed in media reports, France acted as the top key as the intervening spearhead, and the U.S. was nearing course whilst a path was trodden, insofar involvement in the region.  Recent announcements on media stories about movement of Burundi troops, looks strikingly similar to almost a repeat of what happened in Mali last year, in the aspect of France making recommendations for intervention, and that the action is on a region where France historically has had colonization.  It may well be, that France is the 'expert in the regional area', from Europe countries and the U.S., partially because of their past experience in the region.  Britain and Portugal, amongst others, historically have been in the general region, or in areas surrounding, as well.  British troops currently in Africa, are not too far off geographically.
• 2 French troops were killed within recent hours, as of 3:00am E.S.T. December 10, 2013
• Masajid, plural for Masjid, place of Muslim worship, have been getting looted, it appears to be from fire bombings of people, taking place in Bangui, especially in the District of Fouh
• The United Nations, U.N., making decisions influencing what goes on in the area
• houses are being looted
• Bangui is the capital, and a main focus of occurring violence of current
• Bangui, in the southwestern part of the country, sits just west of the border of the DRC
• Bossangoa, the city in the prefecture of Ouham, is also at the forefront of areas focused undergoing violence
• Muslim persons being 'hacked to death' outside of Imam, leader of Muslim prayer, house; reported to be in location of Bossangoa
• Over 2,000 troops recently authorized by the U.N. Security Council, according to NY Times
• Area might requiring more clarity is the strengthening of 1600 French troops authorized by the U.N., was this recent weeks, or about this time last year, just now taking effect, or two sets of 1600 troops one from last year and one from this year?
• France24 discusses some of the position Hollande has taken up on the Central African Republic events
• Central African Republic is surrounded geographically by 5 officially recognized countries, Sudan and South Sudan if these are considered 2, would make the list of surrounding countries 6
• Force of M. C. Africa, in the region
• What exactly is 'Anti-Balaka' or 'anti-Balaka', in the context of troops?
• Based on a collection of articles on the subject of strife in C.A.R., anti-Balaka refers to troops, troops in this instance, being used as word for loosely description, for group of persons gathered, forming, and fighting, that have formed to fight against Muslim population in the region.  Anti-Balaka depending on the colloquialisms in the region, might not necessarily be an official name for a group, rather an ideology, or general attitude. In the Sango language, Anti-Balaka, means, or translates to, anti-machete, says irinnews.  Summarily, that is what those fighters or rebels are being called.
  
• One of the definitions or names of Balaka is a place in Malawi, which is many miles southeast of the C.A.R., distinguishing from what it is anti-Balaka persons are revolting against
• Anti-balaka fighters in Bossangoa have been shooting persons with homemade guns
  
• Officially recognized current leader of Central African Republic Michel Djotodia
  

Right click map and open in new window for larger picture.

Further readings, helpful sources:

Central African Republic's Michel Djotodia: I can't control fighters

Two French soldiers killed in Central African Republic

NY Times source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/africa/stopping-bloodshed-in-the-central-african-republic-amid-ghosts-of-genocide.html?_r=0

The rush is on to, stabilize a budget deal everyone can live with, agree on, find respectable,... the appropriate catch-phrase might change from person to person.

The situation that emerged last October had a bad odor by the time it was all over and done with.  It can probably be safely said, that there are some that do not want to see history repeat itself of those kinds of events.

Procrastination is not something that is ideal, in the matter of large and very broad based budget shape-ups.  Every dot counts, and could count big.

A bit different than October, the buzzwords at the forefront of many media stories covering budget solutions scheduled to be crystallized for this upcoming week, are sequestration, and not as much an Obamacare if-you-do, as the leveraging factor.  Political leaders receiving a large share of media attention insofar who is primarily the driving force of the directions of the budgetary solutions, might also be moved around.

Albeit, December has partly the cause of its transition, from October.  Without the month of November passing, December does not show.

Not only as a basic rule of exponents in mathematical formulas applicable to huge amounts of money, reference, budgetary fiscal shape, additional reasons include in making sure everything that needs to be established is done so timely, incidentals that may arise could also factor.  Witnessed in recent months are web platform mechanisms blamed for the efficiency levels of the online healthcare website, and in recent days, weather conditions that do not exactly help keeping a flourishing business and commerce atmosphere when it is happening.

All of the aspects of sequestration, both historically in the context of U.S. government, and every dimension of budgetary needs of current, might not be readily understood in a capsule that can swallowed down in one bite by everybody.  A basic idea of what sequester means in the context of finance and government, and what it refers to, are:

• Sequester generally is to take possession of a monetary sum, effectively preventing it from being used for something else.
• Sequester December 2013, consensus has, in terms of what it refers to, is, supercommittee sequestration, an outgrowth, perhaps there are better words, of the Budget Control Act of 2011.

Other concerns:

• job retention/cuts
• defense spending, expand/cuts
• is negative toned criticism about the current government actually exacerbating aspects of what is being criticized?  This may also refer to inordinate, inappropriate, and possibly illegal criticism.
• programs and commerce related to food, and potentialities of food health and quality
  

Names at the forefront that might not have been as comparatively popular in the mainstream media to other politicians in the budget deal arena a few months ago:

• Ryan
• Murray

Nelson Mandela.
Renown.
Condolences.

In the wake of the train derailment that occurred this past Sunday in New York, considering that the physics involved in the incident are strikingly similar to the train derailment that occurred about 5 months back, July of 2013 in Spain, the question presents itself, are automatic overrides that prevent rail trains from surpassing certain speeds when approaching curved areas, an implementation necessary, or set for experiment?

To skilled engineers, auto-overrides have good and bad aspects.  However, in-depth study to an effective solution is probably worthwhile.

Article at <http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/02/metro-north-train-was-traveling-at-more-than-80-mph-at-time-fatal-crash-ntsb/> references the New York train attaining speeds of over 80mph on a curved area of track designed for speeds about 30.

What is really the safe speed, what are the realities, from the view inside, and on paper, are all amongst a set of fluid questions.
Further research that reflect scientific advances might affect the answers to these, overlapping the speed auto-override concept.

A YouTube video of the referent Santiago, Galicia, Spain train crash:



"Two "black box" data recorders recovered from the wreckage of the Renfe train that crashed in north-west Spain last week, killing 79 people, show that the driver was on the phone and travelling at 95mph (153kph) – almost twice the speed limit – when the vehicle derailed, according to the preliminary findings of a court investigating the crash.

The train had been going as fast as 119mph shortly before the derailment, and the driver activated the brakes "seconds before the crash", said a written statement from the court in Santiago de Compostela, near where the disaster happened. The speed limit on that section of track was 50-mph."
Source: <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/spain-train-crash-driver-on-phone>


References:
<http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/02/metro-north-train-was-traveling-at-more-than-80-mph-at-time-fatal-crash-ntsb/>
Engineer in fatal train NY wreck reportedly told probers he was falling asleep
Published December 03, 2013
FoxNews.com

YouTube train crash video:
Caught on Tape: Deadly Train Crash in Spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-ZtCFqf7UI

<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/30/spain-train-crash-driver-on-phone>
Spanish train driver on phone to Renfe official at moment of crash, court says

    Associated Press in Madrid
    theguardian.com, Tuesday 30 July 2013 13.13 EDT