This week we’ve had the world powers of the G20 and the UN General Assembly hitting the headlines. Except, only one of these two institutions is making any sense.
G8
G20: present at the Ruddation
It won’t get any better than this for Rudd: he may have inherited the G20 from his predecessor, but it will now forever be linked to his name in Australian foreign policy.
Mungo MacCallum: Make no mistake, this is a new world order
The acceptance of the G20 as a rule-maker for the conduct of the world’s financial systems quite literally ushers in a new world economic order: a genuine democratisation that directly includes two-thirds of the world’s population and indirectly gives a voice to the rest.
Reforestation: the conversation the G8 didn’t have
REDD is a controversial UN program whereby developing nations and companies are financially rewarded for keeping their forests intact rather than cutting them down. So amongst all the climate-change chatter at the recent G8 conference, why didn’t it even garner a mention?
The Obama perve that wasn’t
In a photo that made its way around the world, Obama appears to check out a woman with a lovely behind at the G8. It wasn’t really a true moment (as video later showed) but that didn’t stop news outlets.
Testing the outcomes of Rudd’s clean coal pledge
Based on the best case scenarios when it comes to the full implementation of clean coal technology — let’s look at what the G8 leaders are applauding.
Mungo MacCallum: Kevin07 G8 success will not stop climate change
Last week the crusading Kevin07 re-emerged to take what the real heavies (Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and Al Gore) described as a leading role in the campaign.
Did Obama ogle or not?
Hanna Rosin examines the video evidence to ascertain whether President Obama checked out a woman’s bottom — and is left strangely disappointed.
Rudd scores global coup on carbon capture
If the world turned its back on coal because of carbon emissions, Australia would sustain significant economic damage, Bernard Keane explains the significance of carbon capture and storage for our nation.
Political snippets: John and Jeanette at the Ashes
John Howard found time to take in the Ashes, surely Kevin Rudd could have taken time out from his world tour?
Rudd tells G8 of his carbon capture plan
Barack Obama gave Kevin Rudd the floor saying he had “significant announcement”. The PM told of his Australia’s global carbon capture and storage institute, “to get … projects done around the world, not just talked about.”
VIDEO: The G8 jamboree
Berlusconi in a golf cart, Malia Obama’s t-shirt… the Guardian looks at the real news from the G8 conference.
Political snippets: Wine powder: for when a cask is just too classy
Meaty chunks from Richard Farmer on Indonesia’s elections, innovation in the wine industry, casualties in Afghanistan and more.
Guy Rundle: A farce in an earthquake zone, run by a lunatic
With a few days to go before the G8 summit started it was clear that the thing was turning into as much of a debacle as anything associated with Berlusconi.
G8 2009: “why bother”
This year’s Group of Eight talks in Italy have been unfolding – or unravelling, if you prefer – since yesterday. Crikey intern Sophie Tarr takes a look at what’s been happening.
Where’s the urgency: G8 gridlock on climate change?
So G8 leaders are already deadlocked over climate change. So where’s the sense of urgency here? asks Andrew Glikson.
G8: it’s no G20
Leaders of the Group of Eight nations have met in L’Aquila to tackle issues like the GFC, climate change, hunger and poverty — but apart from Obama and Sarkozy, it’s hardly a star-studded line-up.
More coverage
Silvio says: “a colossal blunder by a small newspaper”
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has fought back against The Guardian’s report that the country’s G8 preparation is so chaotic the group is considering expelling Italy.
The superpowers are burning
The world’s two most powerful nations are heading in the opposite direction to that which the G8 Italia 2009 communiqué drafters will write, says Alan Kohler.
Gordon Brown: No-one in the world should go hungry
The world must act now on our moral duty to eliminate hunger from the earth, writes British PM Gordon Brown in The Independent.
Morning Market Report: Dow’s worst session in a month
The Dow closed down 187, the worst session in a month, while the market is down 40.
G8 does little to address the ills of Europe’s banks
There is growing concern — for growing reason — over the health of Europe’s banks.
Doing the G8 wrap
We’re not sure what a Chaud-froid is, but we do know that the G8 climate change agreement has been met with pretty underwhelmed sighs, writes Sophie Black and Jane Nethercote.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
Brendan Nelson should get with the program and stop trying to milk ignorance and the moment.
