JORDAN

JORDAN
The Jordan Times, Dec. 17: After a week of near silence during a worsening internal situation, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has finally taken some decisive action.
Unfortunately, his call to hold early elections is exactly the wrong way to go. It is likely to exacerbate, rather than ease, tensions and constitutes a major gamble on his behalf.
Indeed, it could not come at a worse time.
Yasser Arafat repeatedly delayed presidential and parliamentary elections the last parliament sat for 10 years, six more than the four-year-term intended but it was a sore issue with many Palestinians. Arafat could get away with it, partly because of his status and partly because Hamas, the biggest opposition group, then showed little interest in contesting such elections.
Hamas' victory
These conditions no longer exist. Abbas does not have anywhere near the popular legitimacy that Arafat had, while Hamas not only contested elections when they were held after Arafat's death, but won them hands down.
Thus, with at best dubious legal grounds and a public deeply divided, Abbas has not only left himself open to accusations of attempting a coup against his own government, accusations Hamas has already levelled at him, but has very possibly opened the door to civil war.
JAPAN
Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, Dec. 19: A two-day "strategic economic dialogue" was held between the United States and China last week. It was the first such session ever held to exchange views on the two countries' respective economic management and systems.
Underlying this move is the idea that while trade problems do exist, the relationship between China and the United States could be stabilized through greater mutual economic dependence, and that this could also improve their security relations.
For stability and prosperity in East Asia, we heartily welcome a Beijing-Washington dialogue. But is there sufficient dialogue between Tokyo and Washington, and Tokyo and Beijing?
Economic pipelines
A vice-ministerial meeting of Japanese and American officials was recently held to discuss economic issues, but the talks never delved into long-range strategy. And the economic pipelines that exist between Japan and China are still predominantly in the private sector, and these can hardly be called solid.
INDIA
Hindustan Times, Delhi, Dec. 20: It sounds highly flattering, but when Time magazine puts you on the cover, do consider the possibility of journalistic laziness as a reason for the news magazine bestowing you the honour. For you to beat the likes of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and former American Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld could lead to a skewed understanding of how important you have been in the global scheme of things over the last one year. But then, making a character from the Axis of Evil-Plus get the coveted spot sends out even more dangerous signals these days.
Americans
But there could be another reason why you get to be on this year's cover. Since 1995, all of Time's Persons of the Year have been Americans, starting from former U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich right down to last year's trinity of Bono (he's as Irish as M Night Shyamalan is Indian) and Bill and Melinda Gates.
Making an easily recognisable (for the American subscriber, that is) non-American the Person of the Year can be devilishly difficult. This is usually worked around by putting Aishwarya Rai et al on the cover of the Asian edition of the magazine. While this gives every Time reader in India the idea that an Indian has finally become the global toast, that Ms. Rais' photograph doesn't adorn a tabletop in Houston or in Zurich tells the real, smart picture. But you don't, you can't localise a Person of the Year. So it had to be you, anonymous blogger or user of sites like YouTube. But you don't feel that feted, do you?
BRITAIN
The Guardian, London, Dec. 20: Libya's criminal justice system does not normally attract much attention abroad, but the case of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for allegedly infecting hundreds of children with the HIV virus is an extraordinary and troubling one. International condemnation yesterday was entirely justified after a travesty of a trial which ignored both the expert scientific opinion that discredited the charges, and credible claims that the defendants confessed after being tortured.
The story is of course foremost a tragedy for the more than 50 Libyan children who have already died of AIDS and the 370 other families who still face terrible uncertainty. But it is unfortunate that a group representing the victims claims the nurses infected the children at the bidding of foreign intelligence agencies. Libya's unfree press, persecution of dissidents and troubled relations with the west may go some way to explaining such a bizarre accusation. But this episode is all the more regrettable because those relations are changing fast.
Coming in from the cold
In recent years Libya has been coming in from the cold. It ended its support for terrorism by surrendering the Lockerbie bombing suspects for trial and paying compensation to the relatives of its victims and to those killed in another attack on a French plane. In 2003 it surrendered the weapons of mass destruction it still had. Since then western leaders, including Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac, have beaten a path to Colonel Gadafy's tent door. The US is grateful for his help in fighting the "war on terror". This one-time pariah was feted in Brussels and the EU seeks his cooperation in controlling migration. His reformist son and heir apparent has studied in London. Oil and gas companies are investing heavily in Libya again.
Bulgaria's position has been strengthened by the coincidence that it is about to join the EU and can expect solidarity from fellow member states over this sordid affair. Condemnation of the trial should be a signal to Tripoli to drop the death sentences, discuss offers of financial assistance for the families - and prove that the new Libya fully respects the rule of law.