News For June 30, 2010

Iraq War Legal Advice Published
Iraq inquiry publishes legal advice to Blair on war

BBC News

In a letter to the prime minister on 30 January, 2003, Lord Goldsmith said he "remained of the view that the correct legal interpretation of resolution 1441 is that it does not authorise the use of military force without a further determination by the Security Council". Continue

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Sinking Ship
The attack on the Gaza relief flotilla jeopardizes Israel itself.

By John J. Mearsheimer

Israel’s botched raid against the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla on May 31 is the latest sign that Israel is on a disastrous course that it seems incapable of reversing. The attack also highlights the extent to which Israel has become a strategic liability for the United States. Continue

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New Study Documents Media's Servitude to Government

By Glenn Greenwald

American newspapers are highly inclined to refer to waterboarding as "torture" when practiced by other nations, but will suddenly refuse to use the term when it's the U.S. employing that technique. Continue

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Unmanned Drones - Targeted Killing vs. "Collateral Murder"

By Thalif Deen

Whether they needlessly kill civilians or not, the remote-controlled drones, being guided mostly by computers located at the far-away headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Langley, Virginia, are the weapons of the future, say military analysts. Continue

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Court's Dual Standards on Free Speech

By Nat Parry

A majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court seems to believe in free speech for corporations when it comes to influencing elections, but not so much for actual people trying to end wars. Continue

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The GOP's Genetic Link to Big Oil

By Jim Hightower

If scientists were to compare the DNA of Republican congress-critters and of oil corporations, I'll bet they'd find that they match perfectly. After all, the two species have identical political instincts and seem to have a natural affinity for each other — so I'm pretty sure they sprang from the same genetic pool. Continue

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20 "militant" killed in northwest Pakistan: Fighter jets conducted strikes on alledged Taliban positions in the restive Orakzai tribal region in northwest Pakistan Wednesday, killing 20 "militants" and destroying six hideouts, officials said.

Blast targets security convoy in SW Pakistan; 5 feared killed: - More than five people were feared killed and about six rushed to hospitals in an explosion on Wednesday in a Southwestern Pakistani district, said police.

Four policemen, nine security guards killed in Afghanistan: Four policemen and nine private security guards were killed in roadside bombings and militant ambushes in southern and western Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

NATO says one soldier killed in eastern Afghanistan: A soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed in an insurgent small-arms attack in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the alliance said.

Taliban attacks Nato base: The Taliban have attacked a Nato base in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan to "send a message to David Petraeus," the general expected to take command of the US mission in the country.

Mullen: Omar could be part of Afghan settlement: The top U.S. military official said last night that Taliban leader Mullah Omar could conceivably be part of a political settlement in Afghanistan, which he called the only way to bring peace to the tortured central Asian nation, battered by three decades of war.

Petraeus And The Pashtuns: Minus the U.S., the Taliban are robbed of their legitimacy.

Iraq militants kill eight in attacks on police: Insurgents killed a police commander, his wife and a companion in western Iraq on Wednesday before claiming the lives of three policemen in a suicide bombing, and two more police died in a shooting in Baghdad, security officials said.

Six killed, two injured in clashes and suicide bombing in Iraq: A clash between police and gunmen in a crowded market in Heit, 130 kilometres west of Baghdad, left three policemen and two gunmen dead.

Suicide bomber blows himself up in Iraqi hospital: A suicide bomber who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a police patrol in western Iraq on Wednesday blew himself up in a hospital where he had been taken for treatment, wounding two people, police said.

Blair 'needed UN support' over Iraq: Jonathan Powell assured a meeting at 10 Downing Street three months before the war began that it was unlikely that America would proceed with the invasion alone.

Chilcot inquiry: Diplomat rejects Blair claim that France barred UN Iraq vote: Sir John Holmes, former ambassador to France, said France had wanted to give UN weapons inspectors more time

Ahmadinejad orders ban on Israeli goods: Iranian lawmakers agreed to task a committee with identifying Israeli companies and institutions to step up efforts for imposing a ban on Israeli products.

EU calls Israel 'obstacle to peace': Jewish "settlements and the demolition of homes are illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible", Ashton said.

West Bank poverty 'worse than Gaza': Children living in the poorest parts of the West Bank face significantly worse conditions than their counterparts in Gaza, a study conducted by an international youth charity has found.

Israel's useful idiot: Congresswoman Fears Hizbullah ‘Israel-Like Bombings’ in US: A Republican Congresswoman has warned that Hizbullah terrorists, hooked up with Mexican drug cartels, may be planning ”Israel-like bombings” against customs officials or National Guard units on the U.S. border.

You think the Congresswoman is crazy? Check this out! Is oil catastrophe fulfillment of Genesis prophecy?: Video suggests biblical tie with U.S. treatment of Israel, rig explosion

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Kagan explains Barak remarks: "The State of Israel has meant a lot to me and my family. And – and I admire Justice Barak for what he's done for the State of Israel and ensuring an independent judiciary."

Grassley Asks Kagan: Didn't God Give Us The Right To Bear Arms? (VIDEO): He wanted to know whether the right to carry man-made weapons actually came from a higher power.

Mexico state elections going ahead: Politicians in Mexico have said they will press ahead with state elections due on Sunday, despite the assassination of a leading candidate for governor of a northern border state.

Banks Financing Mexico Gangs Admitted in Wells Fargo Deal: This was no isolated incident. Wachovia, it turns out, had made a habit of helping move money for Mexican drug smugglers. Wells Fargo & Co., which bought Wachovia in 2008, has admitted in court that its unit failed to monitor and report suspected money laundering by narcotics traffickers -- including the cash used to buy four planes that shipped a total of 22 tons of cocaine.

Bangladesh garment protests spread to Dhaka streets: For four hours, a 15,000-strong crowd of garment workers, who sew clothes for top Western brands, blocked the city's main Rokeya highway, hurling rocks at riot police who responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon.

The High Cost of Cheap Fashion: What has been liberating for Western women is a system built literally on the backs of women in the developing world. How do Primark and its competitors in the West’s shopping malls and High Streets keep that cute frock so cheap? By starving and oppressing Bangladeshi, Chinese, Mexican, Haitian, and other women, that’s how.

Europe approves US mass data grab: Europe has signed a deal to hand over all bank transaction data to the US in order to help the ongoing war on terrorism.

ACLU mounts first legal challenge to no-fly list: The American Civil Liberties Union plans to sue the U.S. government Wednesday on behalf of 10 citizens or legal permanent residents who have been placed on a no-fly list and, in some cases, stranded abroad.

Exclusive: Congressman wants Attorney General to explain $12 million settlement for $100 million energy fraud: A proposed anti-trust settlement between the U.S. Justice Department and a subsidiary of energy giant National Grid is under fire for allegedly being too lenient to the power company -- and critics say it's just another sign of a dysfunctional regulatory climate.

‘Not enough money in world’ to pay every spill claim: oil fund czar: The prominent US lawyer managing BP's 20-billion-dollar oil disaster fund said Wednesday not all claimants will be paid, especially some of those seeking compensation for falling houses prices.

BP oil spill: Barack Obama and David Cameron agree BP must not collapse: BP must not be allowed to implode in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, Barack Obama and David Cameron have declared, as the company starts the week with its shares at a 14-year low.

Red tape keeps prized oil-fighting skimmers from Gulf, coastline: Just weeks after the oil spill crisis began to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico, the French foreign minister volunteered a fleet of oil skimming boats from a French company, Ecoceane. A month later, in early June, Ecoceane Chief Executive Eric Vial met with BP and Coast Guard officials to present the idea.
Ancient Fossils Show Arctic Now Near Climate Tipping Point: Current levels of Earth's atmospheric carbon dioxide may be high enough to bring about "irreversible" shifts in Arctic ecosystems, according to new research published today by scientists from the United States, Canada and The Netherlands.
Germany Warns US Not to Become 'Addicted to Borrowing': The US has heavily criticized German austerity measures in recent days. Now, Germany's finance minister has fired back, warning against becoming addicted to deficit spending and noting that history has made the country extremely wary of national debt and inflation.
Fannie-Freddie Bailout Could Cost Taxpayers $1 Trillion: According to the Congressional Budget Office, the losses could balloon to $400 billion. And if housing prices fall further, some experts caution, the cost to the taxpayer could hit as much as $1 trillion.
Top Republican: Raise Social Security's retirement age to 70: Boehner, the top Republican lawmaker in the House, said raising the retirement age by five years, indexing benefits to the rate of inflation and means-testing benefits would make the massive entitlement program more solvent.

News For June 29, 2010

Warning Of War
Discovering The Truth In Time

By Fidel Castro

I do not harbor the slightest doubt that as soon as the warships of the United States and Israel take up their positions – together with the rest of the U.S. military vessels located in the vicinity of the Iranian coasts – and attempt to inspect that country’s first merchant ship, a rain of missiles will be unleashed in both directions. That will be the precise moment when that terrible war will begin. Continue

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The Iranian Threat

By Noam Chomsky

“They are gearing up totally for the destruction of Iran,” according to Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London. “US bombers and long range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours,” he said. “The firepower of US forces has quadrupled since 2003,” accelerating under Obama. Continue

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John Pilger: There Is a War on Journalism

Decmocracy Now! Interview With John Pilger:

"The reason we don’t see the war on civilians, the war that has caused the most extraordinary devastation, human and cultural and structural devastation in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is because of what is almost laughingly called the mainstream media." Continue

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Lara Logan, You Suck

By Matt Taibbi

Anyone who wants to know why network television news hasn't mattered since the seventies just needs to check out this appearance by Logan. Here's CBS's chief foreign correspondent saying out loud on TV that when the man running a war that's killing thousands of young men and women every year steps on his own dick in front of a journalist, that journalist is supposed to eat the story so as not to embarrass the flag. Continue

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The Moral Burden of War
Holding America's Soldiers Accountable

By John Grant

Is it a good time to ask whether the antiwar movement should stop using the slogan: “Support the troops, not the war”? More to the point, if our current wars amount to misguided policy helping to bankrupt the country in economic hard times, at what point does a share of the moral burden of this fall on the volunteer soldiers doing the fighting? Continue

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In Case You Missed It
Iraq: The Hidden War

Video

Iraq: The Hidden Story shows the footage used by TV news broadcasts, and compares it with the devastatingly powerful uncensored footage of the aftermath of the carnage that is becoming a part of the fabric of life in Iraq. Continue

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In Case You Missed It
Sir! No Sir!

The Suppressed Story of The GI Movement to end the war in Viet Nam

Video

A "must-see" documentary which seeks to return to the historical record the pivotal story of the GI anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. Continue

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Leader of Death Squads Wins Colombian Election
A Great Victory For Democracy?

By Prof. James Petras

Juan Manuel Santos, notorious Defense Minister in the regime of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe and closely identified with high crimes against humanity “won” the recent Presidential elections in Colombia, June 2010. Continue

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Adapt and Survive:
A Final Warning

By Stephan Harding

Within decades billions of people will lose their lives. Continue

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As many as 150 "insurgents" killed as U.S. and Afghan forces launch major assault : A force of about 700 U.S. and Afghan troops launched a major assault along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan in an attempt to destroy a growing insurgent haven and blunt rising violence in the area, senior Army officials said Monday.
Ten US invaders killed in clash with Mujahideen in Kunar: In a bloody fight which started in the morning hours of Sunday and was still continuing till late afternoon hours of the day, killed about about 10 US invaders when the enemy's ground forces backed up by aerial support wanted to carry out operation in the Marwari district of Kunar.
23 killed in string of Afghan attacks: Sixteen people including civilians and policemen have been killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan blamed on the Taliban over the past 24 hours, police said on Tuesday. Seven Taliban fighters were also killed after ambushing a police convoy in western Afghanistan, provincial police said.
US attack kills three Afghan civilians: The civilians were killed in a US attack in the northeastern Afghan province of Kunar on Tuesday.
NATO's June death toll in Afghanistan nears 100: The death toll for foreign soldiers in Afghanistan neared the grim milestone of 100 for June alone Monday as the CIA chief warned the anti-Taliban war would be tougher and longer than expected.
Report: U.S. overestimates ability of Afghan military: The U.S. has often overestimated the ability of Afghan military and police units to fight on their own, according to an independent report released Monday that calls into question the strategy to win the war and bring troops home.
With Command Shift in Afghanistan, Talk Turns to Withdrawal: The July 2011 deadline he set was intended to “begin a process of transition,” he said, but “that doesn’t mean we suddenly turn off the lights and let the door close behind us.”
US begins scaling back ambitions for Afghan occupation: Nearly nine years into the Afghan war, the United States has begun scaling back its ambitions, searching for an acceptable way out that avoids defeat.
German Defence Minister questions role of Nato in Afghanistan war: Germany is arguing for the aims of Nato's operations in Afghanistan to be significantly scaled down and wants the alliance to adopt criteria to ensure that it never commits itself to a similarly open-ended mission in future.
Angry US House lawmaker cuts aid to Afghanistan: A key U.S. House of Representatives Democrat said on Monday she is cutting billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan from spending legislation because she is outraged over reports of corruption and donor aid being flown out the country.
US Kills 10 People In Pakistan: : US missiles hit a house today in a Pakistani tribal region along the Afghan border, killing at least 10 suspected militants including a possible al Qaida operative, intelligence officials said.
8 killed in Kashmir fight; India locks down cities: Violence continued to spiral in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday as five suspected insurgents and three Indian soldiers were killed in a fierce gunbattle and two people were killed as government troops fired on anti-India protesters, officials said.
'Fake killings' return to Kashmir: Police discovered that the men had been killed in a staged gun battle in a frontier area. The probe also revealed that a senior officer of the Indian army - a major - had the three men kidnapped by offering them jobs as porters.
Twelve killed in Iraq attacks, suicide bombing: A suicide bomber killed five people in northern Iraq on Tuesday as bombs in Baghdad and other deadly attacks raised the toll to 12 dead, including an Iraqi general, security officials told AFP.
Iraq's Maliki, Allawi to Meet in Effort to End Deadlock on Next Government: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived at the office of former premier Ayad Allawi at around 6:15 p.m. local time today, the state-sponsored al-Iraqiyah television reported.
Iraqi exiles plot fall of Maliki from Damascus: SEVEN YEARS after the fall of Iraq’s Baathist regime, Baathist, Arab nationalist and independent dissidents based here are plotting the downfall of the its replacement.
Iran to enrich fuel only on needs-basis: Mottaki reiterated Tuesday that the 20-precent enrichment will only take place based on fuel needs of the Tehran Research Reactor which produces radio medicine for cancer patients, IRNA reports.
If CIA has new info on Iran’s nuclear plans, Russia interested in details – Lavrov: “If the CIA has information proving that Iran has actually started to enrich its uranium to a weapon-grade level, this information is new and we are interested to look into it in detail.”
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: G8 condemns Iran, North Korea as "serious threats" to global security: The communique states that nations “cannot be complacent about the grave threat posed to the security of present and future generations by the proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
Israel and US allegedly preparing military strike on Iran: According to Egyptian sources, an American fleet made its way through the Suez Canal. Eyewitnesses say the fleet had eleven frigates and an air carrier. They add there was also an Israeli frigate among the ships.
Military strike on Iran will destabilize region: Mullen: The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said it would be "incredibly dangerous" for Iran to achieve nuclear weapons, and that there's "no reason to trust" Iran's assurances that it is only pursuing a peaceful nuclear program, especially after the discovery of the secret nuclear facility in Qum
US Military Chief: Doesn’t Trust Iran but Israel, US “in Synch”: He shot down the idea that Israel would stage a military strike to delay or destroy Iran’s nuclear development, saying that Israel is “in synch” with the American thinking. He acknowledged that the biggest problem for the United States is how much it does not know about Iran’s nuclear program.
7 Potential Economic Effects Of A War With Iran: Are you ready to pay 8 or 10 dollars for a gallon of gasoline? What do you think that would do to the U.S. economy?
Leader promises Iran is ready to retaliate: Iran is ready to retaliate if its vessels are searched and will postpone nuclear talks with major powers until the end of August in response to new international sanctions, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday.
Western oil firms stop business with Iran: Iran faced growing economic pressure on Monday after two Western oil firms halted business with it, and the UAE, seen as a trade lifeline for Tehran, moved to freeze some Iranian-linked bank accounts.
Total halts petrol sales to Iran: In taking the decision, Total was following action by BP, Royal Dutch Shell and all the major global oil traders, it said.
Russia complains about German seizure of Iran items: Russia had previously told members of the council's Iran sanctions committee it was furious about Germany's seizure of technology bound for the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran and the questioning of several men connected with the deal, U.N. diplomats told Reuters.
Iran's Intelligence Ministry Urges Moving Away From Russia: He said lawmakers favor reducing ties with Russia as well as China because of their support for the June 9 UN resolution that imposed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its sensitive nuclear activities
Obama to meet Saudi King Abdullah at White House: Abdullah, 86, will be at the White House just a week before Obama is due to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israel Foreign Minister: 'No Chance' For Palestinian State By 2012: The comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman drew swift Palestinian condemnations and could put Israel at odds with the international community, which has set a 2012 target for brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
Gaza aid victims shot more than once - report: The examinations carried out in Turkey found five of the nine died from bullet wounds to the head and that the nine volunteers were shot a total of 31 times. One of the lawyers for the families of the victims, Yasin Divrak, says the findings make it clear the Israeli forces shot to kill the activists
Children in West Bank facing worse conditions than in Gaza: Areas of the West Bank under complete Israeli control have plummeted into a humanitarian crisis worse than Gaza, Save the Children warns.
UN summer camp in Gaza vandalised: A group of armed men has vandalised a UN summer camp in the Gaza Strip, the second such attack in just over one month
Russia sending armored vehicles to West Bank: "We have sent the Palestinians 50 armored vehicles, they have arrived in Jordan, and we hope that they will arrive here in the next few days," Lavrov told reporters in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.
U.S. Charges 11 in Russian Spy Case: Federal prosecutors alleged 11 people were spies living secret lives in American communities, from Seattle to Washington D.C., sent years ago to infiltrate U.S. society and glean its secrets.
Russian spy ring: 11th suspect arrested in Cyprus; Moscow calls spy claims 'baseless and improper': Ten suspects were recently arrested and held without bail, five of them in New York.
Russian spy case reveals old espionage tricks: Bureau agents put “microphone-type listening devices in certain of the defendants' residences.” They “surreptitiously entered certain of the defendants' residences; photographed evidence and copied electronic media while inside; and then left the residence in question,” its affidavit said.
Russian Spy Ring: Son of Yonkers Couple Says Charges ‘Preposterous’: In an interview Tuesday outside the Yonkers home of Vicky Pelaez and Juan Lazaro, Waldo Mariscal said his mother and stepfather are being unfairly accused of espionage. They have no ties to Russia and have never visited the country, he said.
EU states 'use outsourced torture': Britain, France and Germany must stop using intelligence obtained through torture in third-party countries, a report from Human Rights Watch has said.
EU, US to share banking data in terror probes: The five-year agreement is due to take effect within weeks. It allows U.S. officials to request financial data from European banks if they suspect accounts are being used by individuals with terrorist links. The U.S. can keep that information for five years.
Court's Chicago Ruling Challenges Gun Restrictions Across U.S.: The justices, voting 5-4 in a challenge to Chicago’s handgun ban, ruled that the city went too far in prohibiting guns even for self-defense in a home, though the court left room for some restrictions.
Ex-Chicago policeman guilty of lying about torture: A retired Chicago police commander suspected of using electric shocks, suffocation and mock executions to force suspects to confess was found guilty on Monday of lying about the brutality.
BP oil spill costs hit $100 million/day: The figures, which BP released in a statement on Monday, include the cost of trying to cap the well, clean up the environmental damage caused by the leaking crude and pay compensation to those affected by the spill.
70 percent of Louisiana businesses applying for oil spill loans, state complains: In an eerie repeat of difficulties after Hurricane Katrina, the Small Business Administration is turning down more than two-thirds of Louisiana companies seeking Gulf oil spill relief loans, according to a top state official's complaint to the federal agency Thursday.
Clashes break out at Greek protest: Riot police fired tear gas at activists chanting "burn parliament" on Tuesday, just hours before politicians were to begin debating a pension reform to tackle the nation's debt crisis.
RBS tells clients to prepare for 'monster' money-printing by the Federal Reserve: As recovery starts to stall in the US and Europe with echoes of mid-1931, bond experts are once again dusting off a speech by Ben Bernanke given eight years ago as a freshman governor at the Federal Reserve.
States of Crisis for 46 Governments Facing Greek-Style Deficits: The Golden State, with a $1.8 trillion economy that’s larger than Russia’s, is sinking deeper into its financial funk. And it’s not alone.

News for June 28, 2010

Report: US Warships Stationed Off Iranian Coast

By Daniel Tencer

As unconfirmed reports of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities pick up steam in the Middle Eastern media, a US-based strategic intelligence company has released a chart showing US naval carriers massing near Iranian waters. Continue

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Another Of Israel's Useful Idiots
Palin: Obama administration selling out Israel

By Yitzhak Benhorin, AP

Sarah Palin on Sunday painted President Barack Obama's administration as a cowering giant intent on surrendering the nation's mantle as a superpower and willing to sell out its allies. Continue

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The Last Post:
McChrystal's Bleak Outlook

By Jonathan Owen and Brian Brady

President Obama lost patience with Runaway General's failed strategy: Continue

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Why Petraeus Won't Salvage This War

By Gareth Porter

Pro-war Republicans, led by John McCain, are hoping that Petraeus will now insist that the July 2011 time frame be eliminated, creating an open-ended commitment to a high and perhaps even rising level of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. Continue

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Corruption Suspected in Airlift of Billions in Cash From Kabul

By Matthew Rosenberg

U.S. investigators believe top Afghan officials and their associates are sending billions of diverted U.S. aid and logistics dollars and drug money to financial safe havens abroad. Continue

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Honduras Resistance Strong Despite US-Supported Coup

By Bill Quigley and Laura Raymond

One year ago, on June 28, 2009, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was awakened by gunfire. A coup was carried out by US-trained military officers, including graduates of the infamous US Army School of the Americas (WHINSEC) in Georgia. President Zelaya was illegally taken to Costa Rica. Continue

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The Third Depression

By Paul Krugman

We are now, I fear, in the early stages of a third depression. It will probably look more like the Long Depression than the much more severe Great Depression. But the cost — to the world economy and, above all, to the millions of lives blighted by the absence of jobs — will nonetheless be immense. Continue

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Live from Planet Norte
America's Totalitarian Democracy and the Politics of Plunder

By Joe Bageant

The uniformity on Planet Norte is striking. Each person is a unit, installed in life support boxes in the suburbs and cities; all are fed, clothed by the same closed-loop corporate industrial system. Everywhere you look, inhabitants are plugged in at the brainstem to screens downloading their state approved daily consciousness updates. Continue

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When Companies Place Profit Before People

Australian TV Report

60 Minutes BP Oil Spill Video. Continue

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Police official says: NATO Force Kill 8 Civilians: An Afghan police official said on Monday that eight civilians were killed in a NATO raid in the southern province of Kandahar, but the alliance claimed the victims were Taliban fighters.
8 Civilians Killed in Roadside Bombing in Afghanistan: A roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan has killed eight civilians. Officials say women and children were among the victims of Monday's blast in Ghazni province.
Britain will not defeat Taliban and should open talks, says head of Army: -General Sir David Richards said he believed the time had come for negotiations with Nato’s enemies to pave the way for the eventual withdrawal of troops.
Four Pakistani soldiers killed in Taliban attack': Armed militants attacked the troops during a patrol in the border town of Kharaki, 25 kilometres (16 miles) north of the lawless region's main town Khar, local administration chief Mohammad Jamil told AFP.
Eight killed in Baghdad attacks: Eight people have died in a shooting and a bombing attacks in Iraq, including two teenage girls suspected of prostitution who were killed by gunmen in a raid on their Baghdad home, Iraqi police said.
Turkish warplanes bomb northern Iraq: Turkish warplanes bombed northern Iraq on Monday, the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and an Iraqi Kurdish official said, as Ankara stepped up its riposte to increased fighting with the rebels.
Sen. Robert Byrd dies at 92: The West Virginia lawmaker was the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history and cast more votes than any other member since taking office in 1959.
Robert Byrd's prescient Iraq war speeches: The outcome was already apparent when the Senate began its official debate over the authorization of the Iraq war in October 2002.
Iran freezes nuclear talks for two months: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that Iran will penalise world powers by freezing nuclear talks for two months as he laid down several conditions for resuming the negotiations.
Russia alarmed by CIA view of Iran's weapons: "As to this information -- it needs to be checked," Medvedev told reporters in Toronto, where he was attending the Group of 20 summit of rich and emerging nations.
US 'waging psycho war against Iran': Iran says the US allegation about the military nature of Tehran's nuclear program is "a psychological war" aimed at creating a negative attitude towards the country.
'Iran will retaliate if ships inspected': "We reserve the right of retaliation for ourselves... we are able to defend our rights," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a Monday press conference, when asked about the possible inspection of Iranian ships under new UN sanctions against the country.
Massive Iranian military reinforcement near the Gulf region: Informed Iranian sources were quoted as saying on Monday that Tehran reinforced the presence of the army and the Revolutionary Guards near the coast of the Persian Gulf, following the U.N. decision to impose tougher sanctions, including the threat of international inspections of Iranian vessels.
'G8 in no position to lecture Iran': Larijani went on to blast the group's reference to the issue of human rights in Iran and highlighted the civilian death toll of the US-led war in Afghanistan as well as the notorious US prisons in Iraq and Cuba.
Turkey closes skies to Israeli military: Amid tense relations prompted by Israel's deadly attack on a Turkish-flagged aid convoy, the government in Ankara takes a step to impose certain restrictive measures against the Israeli military.
Israeli air strike kills a member of Palestinian resistance: Palestinian medics said the latest strike struck near the Jebalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, and that the man killed was active with the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a militant group.
Conflicting reports on Iran ship: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Reza Shibani said Sunday that Iran will send a ship with humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, denying reports that the Iranian flotilla had been canceled, Israel Radio reported.
Russia warns Kyrgyzstan could implode after vote : Kyrgyzstan voted on Sunday in a landmark referendum aimed at creating Central Asia's first parliamentary democracy, only two weeks after an explosion of ethnic bloodshed killed hundreds. The country's leader said voters approved the change.
Honduran president 'fears new coup': A year after the coup that ousted Honduras' former president, Manual Zelaya's successor has expressed concerns that he too could be toppled.
Noriega goes on trial for laundering Colombian drug moneyi n France: Noriegia has denied taking money from the cocaine dealers and claims the funds were from his brother's inheritance, his wife's fortune and payments made to him by the CIA.
As Canada's Democracy Trembles, a New Global Architecture Emerges: Nearly 600 people were arrested as global leaders and elites met behind a fortified perimetre during the G8 and G20 Summits in Huntsville and Toronto this weekend.
Ohio 6-Year-Old Turns Up on Terror Watch List: Transportation Security Administration,used to check only international passengers' names against the no-fly list, but since earlier this month has been checking domestic passengers as well.
The Devil Is In The Details: Department of Howeland Security Monitoring Web : DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said that in the future there will be "increased" Internet monitoring of U.S. citizens due to the dangers of homegrown terrorism. Napolitano remarked on how "wrong" it is to believe that if "security" is embraced, that liberty will be sacrificed.
US Supreme Court deals pedophilia blow for Vatican: Allowing a federal appeals court ruling to stand, the decision means Vatican officials including theoretically Pope Benedict XVI could face questioning under oath related to a litany of child sex abuse cases.
Illinois inmate bleeds to death as guards ignore him, offer no medication at all for weeks: For days before he died from internal bleeding in a federal prison, Adam Montoya pleaded with guards to be taken to a doctor, pressing a panic button in his cell over and over to summon help that never came.
IRS wants taxes from BP payments for lost wages": The Internal Revenue Service says oil spill victims who receive BP payments for lost wages will have to pay up come tax time.
Huge tent city takes root: Homeless camps cover 50 acres, from Waipio Point, around Middle Loch to Pearl City
Governments ranked as having the highest percentage probabilities of defaulting on payments to bondholders: Illinois is perceived as such a risk of default that we're having to squander millions in additional interest payments to get people to buy our bonds.

News For June 27, 2010

Afghanistan: Worse Than a Nightmare

By BOB HERBERT

We’re like a compulsive gambler plunging ever more deeply into debt in order to wager on a rigged game. There is no victory to be had in Afghanistan, only grief. We’re bulldozing Detroit while at the same time trying to establish model metropolises in Kabul and Kandahar. We’re spending endless billions on this wretched war but can’t extend the unemployment benefits of Americans suffering from the wretched economy here at home. Continue

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How Many US Citizens are Targeted for Assassination?

By Glenn Greenwald

The Washington Times' Eli Lake has an interview with Obama's top Terrorism adviser John Brennan in which Brennan strongly suggests that the number of U.S. citizens targeted for assassination could actually be "dozens" Continue

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Europe's Fiscal Dystopia:
The "New Austerity" Road

By Michael Hudson

Europe is committing fiscal suicide – and will have little trouble finding allies at this weekend’s G-20 meetings in Toronto. Continue

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Taliban commander among eight "militants" killed by U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan: June has become the deadliest month of the occupation for NATO troops with at least 91 killed, 54 of them American. For U.S. troops, the deadliest month was October 2009, with a toll of 59 dead.
Two Canadian soldiers and medics killed in Afghan Occupation: Two Canadian occupation force soldiers and medics were killed in Afghanistan when their armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device
2 US Occupation Force Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan: International forces in Afghanistan say two U.S. service members died Sunday following a gun attack by militants in eastern Afghanistan.
Karzai holds secret talks with Taliban: Afghan president Hamid Karzai has reportedly met with the Taliban's most senior commander Serja-eddin Haggani in Kabul as UK calls for peace with the militants.
Taliban switch to long-range fire in fight against UK troops: "We are all vulnerable to IEDs [improvised explosive devices], but the insurgents are increasingly using long-distance small arms." Major General Gordon Messenger, the Ministry of Defence's chief military spokesman, said Taliban-led insurgents were resorting to what he described as an "increasing use of single shots at range".
CIA: At most, 50-100 Al Qaeda in Afghanistan: “I think the estimate on the number of Al Qaeda is actually relatively small,” Panetta said. “At most, we’re looking at 50 to 100, maybe less. It’s in that vicinity.
US Gen. fired for 'grim' war assessment: US General Stanley McChrystal issued a very critical assessment of the war in Afghanistan just days before he was relieved of his command, a report says.
The Islamic View of McChrystal’s Firing: "History is evident of more powerful and experienced generals than General McChrystal and empires mightier than the United States of America being surrendered and bowed down before the Afghans."
Quagmire? Nine years on, Americans grow weary of war in Afghanistan: A plurality of 48 percent now say ending the war in Afghanistan is a more important goal than winning it.
UK may have to cut 30,000 from armed forces-think tank: Britain may have to reduce its military personnel by 30,000 to achieve estimated defence budget cuts of 15 percent over the next four years, an influential think tank said on Friday.
Pakistan: Eight suspected militants killed in Orakzai: Security forces claim to have killed eight suspected militants during fresh military operations in Orakzai Agency on Sunday.
Five militants killed during Swat operation Five militants were killed in a fresh military operation in Swat on Sunday.
US kills 5 people in Pakistan: Sunday: Noor Ahmed, a senior government official in North Waziristan, says Sunday's attack occurred near Miramshah, the main town in the rugged tribal area. He says tribesmen have recovered five bodies so far.
US kills two in NW Pakistan: Saturday: The drone reportedly targeted on Saturday a house near Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region.
Civilian killed in Baghdad bombings: A civilian was killed and four others injured in three bomb attacks in Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
Iraqi policeman killed in Mosul bombing: A roadside bomb explosion in Iraq has left at least one police officer dead and five other policemen wounded in the northern city of Mosul, Press TV reported.
Israel "Plots Tehran Raid" Preparations are underway to launch the military attack from Azerbaijan and Georgia, reports our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej, quoting military sources.
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: 'The U.S. will have to confront Iran or give up the Middle East': Amitai Etzioni, professor of International Relations at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., believes the only option available to contain Iran's atomic ambitions is a series of assaults on its non-nuclear facilities.
CIA's Panetta: Iran has enough uranium for 2 bombs: CIA Director Leon Panetta says Iran probably has enough low-enriched uranium for two nuclear weapons, but that it likely would take two years to build the bombs.
G-8 'fully believes' Israel will attack Iran, says Italy PM: World leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent the latter from acquiring nuclear weapons, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday.
Sen. Kerry in Israel: Praise for Israel, Worried over Iran: U.S. Senator John Kerry, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visited President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Sunday and said, “Iran has not left anybody very much choice but to move down the road that we are going.”
G8 leaders welcome Turkish, Brazilian efforts for solution to Iran's nuclear issue: Referring to uranium swap deal Turkey and Brazil signed with Iran, the declaration welcomed all diplomatic efforts to find a solution to Iran's nuclear issue, saying "we also welcome and commend all diplomatic efforts in this regard, including those made recently by Brazil and Turkey on the specific issue of the Tehran Research Reactor."
US: Turkey must show commitment: The United States is warning Turkey that it is alienating US supporters and needs to demonstrate its commitment to partnership with the West.
We will not apologize to Turkey over Gaza flotilla killings: Top official in Foreign Ministry says Turkish demand for an official apology was mainly an excuse to allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's to cut diplomatic ties with Israel.
Iranian official denies reports that flotilla postponed: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Reza Shibani said Sunday that Iran will send a ship with humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, denying reports that the Iranian flotilla had been canceled, Israel Radio reported.
Iran says Egypt barring Gaza aid ship from Suez Canal : The Iranian Red Crescent said on Sunday that in addition to restrictions imposed by Israel, Egypt had barred a Gaza-bound aid ship from entering the Suez Canal, leading to the trip being postponed.
Ethnic cleansing: Israeli foreign minister wants Palestinians stripped of citizenship and relocated: Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s far-right foreign minister, set out this week what he called a “blueprint for a resolution to the conflict” with the Palestinians that demands most of the country’s large Palestinian minority be stripped of citizenship and relocated outside Israel’s future borders.
Hamas official facing expulsion: I won't leave my ancestral home: Four Hamas politicians facing expulsion from Jerusalem received support last week from an unexpected quarter - PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Beyond depraved : Israel prevents delivery of oxygen to hospitals: Seven oxygen machines donated to the Palestinain Authority by a Norwegian development agency were seized by Israeli officials en route to hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza, the Ramallah-based health ministry said.
American Jews Who Reject Zionism : “We are Americans by nationality and Jews by religion. And while we wish Israel well, we don’t view it as our homeland.”
Venezuela's Chavez meets with Syrian President Bashar Assad: "Arab civilization and our civilization, the Latin American one, are being summoned in this new century to play the fundamental role of liberating the world, saving the world from the imperialism and capitalist hegemony that threaten the human species," Chavez said
Inter-American court faults Colombia in slaying of lawmaker: The verdict this week was a milestone: A distant court affiliated with the Washington-based Organization of American States held the Colombian government responsible for the 1994 assassination of a prominent senator.
Obama Internet kill switch plan approved by US Senate: A US Senate committee has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that some critics have suggested would give the US president the authority to shut down parts of the Internet during a cyberattack.
Dozens of Americans believed to have joined terrorists: Dozens of Americans have joined terrorist groups and are posing a threat to the United States and its interests abroad, the president's most senior adviser on counterterrorism and homeland security said Thursday.
Parents of young NJ man accused of trying to join terrorists argue he was steered by FBI: Mahmood and Nadia Alessa told The Record newspaper their 20-year-old son, Mohamed, had been monitored by the FBI since age 16 and was encouraged by an undercover agent to act like a terrorist
Playing the racist card: : Most illegal immigrants smuggling drugs: Gov. Jan Brewer said Friday that most illegal immigrants entering Arizona are being used to transport drugs across the border, an assertion that critics painted as exaggerated and racist
Gulf Oil Spill Time-Lapse Video From NASA Satellites Is Haunting
Taylor views oil, calls response ‘an effort in futility’: U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor said, “It’s criminal what’s going on out there. This doesn’t have to happen.”
La. Police Doing BP's Dirty Work: Officer: "Let me explain: BP doesn't want any filming. So all I can really do is strongly suggest that you not film anything right now. If that makes any sense."
The BP Oil Spill Makes Landfall in Florida: The Sunshine State's luck turned to muck this week when a mat of oil, weathered but still thicker than a sheen, began to blanket popular Pensacola Beach, prompting Florida's first spill-related beach closures
Report: Toronto police rough up journalists, arrest peaceful protesters at G20: More than 500 people have been arrested in Toronto after a night of rioting that saw police cars burned in the financial district and storefront windows broken as leaders of the world's largest economies gathered in the city for the G20 summit.
G8-G20 Police Protest Photos
When police stick to phony script: Information warfare. This starts weeks before the event. Protesters are criminalized and dehumanized, and described as dangerous “anarchists” and “terrorists” the city needs to defend against.
G20 summit: Rifts in Toronto as US warns EU of double-dip recession risk: Divisions add to financial market jitters, with David Cameron praised by Canadian counterpart for budget to slash deficit
Greece starts putting island land up for sale to save economy: Desperate attempt to repay debts also driven by inability to find funds to develop infrastructure on islands
400k unemployed in MI to lose benefits: More than 400,000 unemployed Michigan workers will lose their employment benefits by the end of the year as a result of the US Senate's failure Thursday to pass an extension of Federal emergency help, according to Michigan unemployment officials.
Defeat of jobs bill in Senate costly to California: Some 200,000 jobless Californians have already lost their unemployment benefits, and that figure is expected to rise to 1.5 million by the end of the year without an extension from Congress. California's unemployment rate stands at 12.4 percent, among the highest in the nation.

News For June 25, 2010

Obama Misses the Afghan Exit Ramp

By Ray McGovern

Is President Barack Obama so dense that he could not see why Gen. Stanley McChrystal might actually have wanted to be fired — and rescued from the current March of Folly in Afghanistan, a mess much of his own making? Continue

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'Kill TV' and Dark Arts of Special Ops Led McChrystal to the Edge

By Kim Sengupta

From watching 'Kill TV' to leading undercover night raids, the two-star general was on a brutal, bleak journey. Continue

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‘Let Them Eat Coriander!’
Blockade ‘eased’ as Gaza starves more slowly

By Jonathan Cook in Nazareth

For the overwhelming majority of Palestinians in Gaza, mired in poverty, the new list of permissible items – including coriander – will remain nothing more than an aspiration. Continue

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The Gaza Blokade
Countering Israeli Propaganda

Must Watch Video Interview

Kenneth O'Keefe talks about the attack on the MV Mavi Marmara that was trying to run the blockade on Gaza. Continue

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Beyond Stupidity: Another Of Israel's Useful Idiots
Congresswoman Raises Red Flag on Hezbollah-Cartel Nexus on U.S. Border

By Fox News

She said "Iranian agents and members of Hezbollah" are thought to be learning Spanish in Hugo Chavez-run Venezuela before trying to obtain false documents to enter the United States as purported Mexicans. She said Hezbollah, known for its tunnel-digging skill, could be receiving drug money from cartel operations in exchange for help forging better tunnels across the U.S. border for trafficking. Continue

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"Learned Helplessness."
In Dire Straits, Americans Whimper Instead

By Ted Rall

Americans are running around aimlessly, veering between two parties that differ only in their degree of harm. Republicans are evil; Democrats enable it. Continue

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Top to Bottom
We Need a Real Populist Movement

By Jim Hightower

Right to left is political theory; top to bottom is the reality we actually experience in our lives every day--and the vast majority of Americans know that they're not even within shouting distance of the moneyed powers that rule from the top of both systems, whether those elites call themselves conservatives or liberals. Continue

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It's Unstoppable?
Oil Well Blowout May Never End

By Washington's Blog

The likelihood of a complete collapse is difficult to assess, in part, engineers and legislators say, because BP hasn’t shared enough information to evaluate the situation. But a handful of clues suggest that the company is concerned. On Friday, BP spokesperson Toby Odone acknowledged that the 45-ton stack of the blowout preventer was tilting noticeably, but said the company could not attribute it to down-hole leaks. Continue

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BP Welcomes You to the Apocalypse

By Mark Morford

Toxic rain and supersonic tsunamis, the end of North America as we know it. Done. Finished. Certainly, one of those two scenarios is guaranteed to come to pass, right? Maybe, if we're really lucky, even both? Continue

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Man Indicted for Using Right to Free Speech

By Nat Hentoff

This is a story that should be a warning to Americans, regardless of political party, because it dramatically illustrates what pre-eminent civil liberties attorney Harvey Silverglate documents in his book, "Three Felonies A Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent" Continue

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"Taliban" behead 11 Afghan civilians: police: The headless bodies of 11 Afghan civilians allegedly decapitated by Taliban insurgents have been found in central Afghanistan, police said Friday.

10 Taliban militants killed in clash': Ten Taliban fighters, including two Pakistanis, and a police commander of a check-post were killed in a gun battle that lasted several hours in southwestern Nimroz province, an official said on Friday, cited by Pajhwok Afghan News.

3 US Occupation Force Troops Killed: A U.S. service member was killed in an insurgent attack Friday in eastern Afghanistan and another American died following a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan on Thursday. A third service member died in an explosion Friday in southern Afghanistan, NATO said.

Change... What change? Obama: No hasty Afghan exit: A day after replacing the top American general in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said Thursday that U.S. troops could remain in significant numbers in the country well after his withdrawal timeline begins next summer.

Pakistan: At least 10 militants killed in fresh clash in NW Pakistan: At least 10 militants were killed Friday morning in retaliation of Pakistani security forces in troubled Lower Orakzai tribal area, northwest Pakistan, local media reported.

11 Killed as Yemen Forces Clash with "al-Qaeda" : Yemen's security forces have clashed with suspected members of al-Qaeda as they hunted fighters behind a deadly attack on a government intelligence compound in the southern city of Aden.

10 killed in attacks targeting Iraqi forces: A spate of attacks targeting Iraqi security forces and their allies killed at least 10 people yesterday, half in suicide bombings in the northern city of Mosul, officials said.

Iraq announces exceptional measures to improve electricity : 'We have decided to remove all emergency lines for officials and rich citizens, in cooperation with the security forces, and we have started from the Green Zone in central Baghdad,' al-Shahristani told reporters.

Somalia: 8 Killed in Mogadishu: At least eight people, mostly civilians caught in the crossfire, have been killed and over a dozen are wounded.

Israeli Attack Kills 2 In Gaza: Officials in Gaza have retrieved the bodies of two Palestinians killed in Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press news agency has reported.

British trade union calls for boycott: One of UK's largest unions votes for boycott, expelling Israeli envoy.

Iran wimps out? Iran activists cancel Gaza aid flotilla 'due to Israeli threats': Separate Iranian ship heads to Gaza via Caspian Sea after Egypt denies Israel request to prevent vessels in Suez Canal.

IRAN: Attempt to break Israeli blockade of Gaza called off: According to a Persian-language report by Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency, an Iranian foreign ministry official told reporters that an Iranian aid flotilla destined for Gaza this weekend has been called off.

Peres to Austrian chancellor: Terror groups overtook Gaza flotillas: "Israel will not allow entry to ships carrying missiles and armaments arriving directly from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon," said Peres to the chancellor.

US says Gaza flotillas 'irresponsible': State Department urges parties to avoid 'unnecessary confrontations', says, 'Mechanisms exist for transfer of aid to Gaza, delivery by sea neither appropriate, nor effective'

Likud votes on new settlements: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party approves a plan to continue illegal settlement expansion on occupied Palestinian lands.
Fact or fiction? Hamas says asked by US to keep silent on talks: Islamist group source says senior American officials request contacts remain secret 'so as not to rouse Jewish lobby'
New Australian PM supportive of Israel: Jewish leaders welcomed the appointment of Australia’s first female prime minister, who has been supportive of Israel. - But she “stood like a rock during the Gaza incursion [in 2009], reiterating again and again that Hamas began the conflict by rocketing Israel,” said Michael Danby, a Jewish lawmaker in the Labor government.

US Approves New Iran Sanctions: The United States Senate has voted 99-0 to approve new, tougher sanctions on Iran. The vote in the House of Representatives was 408-8. Like previous sanctions, the latest move aims to discourage Iran's nuclear program.

Jewish groups praise Iran sanctions passage: My email inbox today has been chock full of statements from Jewish organizations and Capitol Hill politicians lauding final passage of the new, tougher Iran sanctions bill, and groups like AIPAC deserve a pat on the back for getting the legislation through a largely gridlocked Congress.

Iran sanctions must not hit Russian business: envoy: Russia's cooperation with Europe in the Iranian nuclear standoff could be curbed if unilateral EU sanctions on Tehran hit Russian companies, a top envoy said Friday.

U.S. Military Surrounds Iran: Chances of Israeli Bombing Increase

Egyptians protest police abuse: Opposition leader ElBaradei says demonstrations 'clear-cut message to regime that Egyptian people are sick and tired of practices that are inhumane
Venezuela to nationalize U.S. firm's oil rigs: The 11 drilling rigs have been idled for months following a dispute over pending payments by the OPEC member's state oil company PDVSA. Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said on Wednesday the rigs, the Oklahoma-based company's entire Venezuelan fleet, were being nationalized to bring them back into production.
BP Has Built An Artificial Island To Get Around Offshore Drilling Ban In Alaska: BP plans to begin drilling two miles under the sea just miles away from a delicate wildlife reserve in Alaska. The company will get around the deep-water moratorium by constructing an artificial island -- 31 acres of gravel -- and registering as an onshore rig. Not exactly the safest operation, reports Rolling Stone:
Vast amounts of methane in Gulf spill pose threat: Vast amounts of natural gas contained in crude escaping from the blown Gulf of Mexico oil well could pose a serious threat to marine life by creating "dead zones" where oxygen is so depleted that nothing lives.
Report: Toxins found in whales bode ill for humans: Sperm whales feeding even in the most remote reaches of Earth's oceans have built up stunningly high levels of toxic and heavy metals, according to American scientists who say the findings spell danger not only for marine life but for the millions of humans who depend on seafood.
Vatican anger over Belgium raids: Church "astonished" at searches, including of two bishop's graves, over child abuse claims.
ACLU: Consumers' privacy at risk in Internet tax case: The American Civil Liberties Union contends that North Carolina's efforts to collect sales taxes from online retailers could lead to government snooping on consumers' online shopping habits.
Homeland Security to use drones along border: The department said Wednesday it has obtained Federal Aviation Administration permission to operate unmanned planes along the Texas border and throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Canada: Police powers expanded for G20: Under the new regulations, anyone who comes within five metres of the security area is obliged to give police their name and state the purpose of their visit on request. Anyone who fails to provide identification or explain why they are near the security zone can be searched and arrested.
G20 split over global recovery plan: Leaders meeting in Canada divided on whether to cut or spend their way towards recovery.
Italians strike over austerity plan: Union stages action in latest string of protests across Europe over budget cuts.
Banks ‘Dodged a Bullet’ as Congress Dilutes Rules: Legislation to overhaul financial regulation will help curb risk-taking and boost capital buffers. What it won’t do is fundamentally reshape Wall Street’s biggest banks or prevent another crisis, analysts said.