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Top Story: Late yesterday evening in Brussels, leaders from the European Union named Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton to two top posts created by the Lisbon Treaty -- president and high representative for foreign policy, respectively. Both accepted the appointments, which were decided unanimously; numerous other EU and European Central Bank posts will be filled in the next weeks.
Already, the appointments have caused considerable controversy, given that the two posts, hashed out over the course of eight years of negotiations, were designed to give the EU a bigger voice in international affairs and Van Rompuy and Ashton are relatively staid leaders and relatively unknown abroad.
Belgian rift?: Van Rompuy’s acceptance of the EU post has raised questions that the country’s French-Flemish rift might widen.
Already, the appointments have caused considerable controversy, given that the two posts, hashed out over the course of eight years of negotiations, were designed to give the EU a bigger voice in international affairs and Van Rompuy and Ashton are relatively staid leaders and relatively unknown abroad.
Belgian rift?: Van Rompuy’s acceptance of the EU post has raised questions that the country’s French-Flemish rift might widen.
Middle East
- Palestinian leaders said Israel's building of 900 new housing units in East Jerusalem might kill the peace process.
- As six-party talks on sanctioning Iran commence, the International Atomic Energy agency is pressing Iran to accept U.N.-brokered terms for its uranium.
- Israel continued airstrikes on tunnels between its territory and the Gaza Strip.
Europe
- Today, Italian prosecutors are expected to complete their closing arguments against American student Amanda Knox, indicted for murdering her roommate.
- Russia agreed to a gas deal with Ukraine, easing European fears over disruptions.
- FIFA has denied an Irish request for a replay of a World Cup qualifying soccer game against France, in which the game-winning goal appears to be a hand-ball.
Asia
- 15 died in a suicide attack via motorcycle in southwestern Afghanistan.
- During U.S. President Barack Obama's trip to Seoul, South Korean leaders indicated the country would not agree to a free-trade pact with the United States.
- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet with Obama in Washington next week.
Americas
- Honduran President Roberto Micheletti will temporarily step down during the country's Nov. 29 presidential election.
- U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman bashed the press criticism of Obama's China trip.
- Venezuela has destroyed its bridges to Colombia.
Africa
- An Egyptian protest at the Algerian embassy over the latter country's World Cup-qualifying soccer win turned violent; Egypt has also recalled its Algerian ambassador.
- The European Union has agreed to a $1 billion pact with Nigeria to fight corruption.
- Nearly 50 have died in clashes over livestock in a violence- and poverty-stricken area of southern Sudan.
GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images
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