Maldives Cabinet meets underwater

The government of the Maldives held a cabinet meeting about five meters (16ft) underwater to highlight the threat of global warming. President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet signed a document calling for global cuts in carbon emissions. Ministers spent half an hour on the sea bed and communicated with white boards and hand signals. Three of the 14 cabinet ministers missed the underwater meeting because two were not given medical permission and another was abroad, officials said. The Maldives stand an average of 2.1 meters (7ft) above sea level, and the government says they face being wiped out if oceans rise.

Pakistan forces to take on Taliban

The Pakistani political and military leadership have decided in principle to launch an operation against Taliban fighters in their South Waziristan stronghold, local media reports said. The reports on Saturday came after four-hour crisis talks after continued bomb attacks in the country, and the offensive could begin within the next 24-hours. Hundreds of residents in the South Waziristan have been moving out of the area in anticipation of the military offensive. The UN has said that they expect the number of refugees to rise significantly once the operation starts. A curfew was imposed in South Wazaristan on Saturday, ahead of any offensive. Mohammad Khalid Khan, a senior government official, said: "The curfew is for the protection of military convoys [moving toward Taliban strongholds] and it is on the roads. The bazaars are opened." The government said on Friday that a ground offensive against the Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan was imminent and the army has been stepping up its air and artillery attacks in recent days to soften up their defences. Pakistani forces attacked the Taliban in South Waziristan on the same day with aircraft and artillery.

Dollar to hit 50 Yen next year

The dollar may drop to 50 yen next year and eventually lose its role as the global reserve currency. According to Japan’s Mitsui Bank report, “The dollar’s fall won’t stop until there’s a change to the global currency system, the US economy will deteriorate into 2011 as the effects of excess consumption and the financial bubble linger”. The dollar last week dropped to the lowest in almost a year against the yen while the gauge is about five points away from its record low in March 2008, and the dollar is 2.5 percent away from a 14-year low against the yen. It is also said in the report that Dow Johns Industrial value will sink below at 7,000 points. Major countries this year called for a replacement to the dollar as the main reserve currency.