Malta's contribution in overseas development aid was superior to that provided by many countries which joined the EU during the same enlargement with Malta. Deputy Minister Tonio Borg told Parliament yesterday that Malta's contribution at 0.19 per cent of the Gross National Income (GNI) for 2008 was far superior to the contribution made by Estonia, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. The aid for 2009 amounted to 0.17 per cent of the GNI. The aid was both in cash and in kind.

Haiti's president handed out medals to celebrities, aid-group directors and politicians for post-earthquake work Monday in a ceremony designed to beat back criticism of an uneven recovery that has left 1.6 million people homeless and destitute six months to the day since the disaster.

In late June, The Washington Post had an article highlighting efforts by the American Embassy in Islamabad to correct the record when inaccuracies about the United States appear in the Pakistani press. Then, last Friday, the weekly public radio show On the Media had an interview with the lead spokesman for the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Larry Schwartz to discuss the effort reported in The Washington Post’s earlier article.

A new federal program to support the Russian language abroad will appear in 2011, the head of the Agency for the CIS Affairs and Compatriots Living Abroad Farit Mukhametshin told Russia’s prime minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Moscow.

Youth Business Trust, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy Belmopan and Georgetown University’s Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED) in Washington, DC, is coordinating a Youth Ambassadors Program for young Belizeans. This program is financed by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by CIED.

Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari has reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to become a knowledge-based economy. The minister said Saudi universities have established partnerships with leading institutions of higher learning in the world, including those in Japan, to develop a knowledge-based society. “We want greater cooperation with Japan in this respect,” he added.

On the margins of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, I joined John Beyrle, U.S. Ambassador to Russia, for a meeting with a dynamic group of about 20 young Russian entrepreneurs to discuss their role in and expectations for Russia's economic transformation and modernization.

Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer is threatening to sabotage the bill banning fur imports, following pressure from foreign ambassadors. Ben-Eliezer said the bill would damage Israel's trade ties with many countries and could cause a diplomatic crisis: Some states fear that Israel's far-reaching legislation would make other countries follow its lead.