Sunday 31 October 2010

News For October 31, 2010

Friday’s Terror Nonsense
US Intelligence Trades On Fear

By Yvonne Ridley

We can not sacrifice our freedoms and liberties just because America wants to impose its own neurosis, hysteria and paranoia on the rest of the world. Continue

Playing The Sovereignty Card

By Lawrence Davidson

The majority of people are easily manipulated due to their wholly understandable but nonetheless dangerous ignorance of matters beyond their local sphere. How do you know that this or that out-group is dangerous? Continue

The Empire and the Right to Life of Human Beings

By Fidel Castro

"Those captured in Afghanistan are being executed on the battlefield," Hersh stated. Continue

Attn. All Flag-Wavers.
You Want War? Pay For It.

By Eric Margolis

A national frenzy has seized America. Fierce debate and name-calling has raged about job losses, the nation’s growing $12 trillion debt, mandatory health care, socialism – and even witchcraft. Sarah Palin, the patron saint of low IQ Americans, has hovered over this sordid contest like an evil Halloween wraith. Continue

How the Wars Are Sinking the Economy

By Linda Bilmes

We have already spent more than $1 trillion in Iraq… and weekly—yes, weekly—spending in Iraq and Afghanistan now comes to more than $3 billion. Continue

Road to Corporate Serfdom

By Ralph Nader

The giant corporate control of our country is so vast that people who call themselves anything politically—liberal, conservative, progressive, libertarian, independents or anarchist—should be banding together against the reckless Big Business steamroller. Continue

When Timidity is Treason.
Yes, Of Course They're Brownshirts. What The Hell Did You Expect?

By David Michael Green

Obama amply deserves the lashing and humiliation he's going to receive Tuesday, and then again two years later. The White House is no place for the cowardly. In normal times that would be an embarrassment. In a moment of national crisis, it's a sin. Continue


The Lesser Of Two Evils
US: Myth Of The Two Party System

By Cindy Sheehan

Would America look much different if Republican John McCain had beaten Democrat Barack Obama to become president? Continue

Who's Afraid of Shariah?

By Sumbul Ali-Karamali

Repeating a lie over and over again doesn't make it true; but it certainly results in people believing the lie. That's what the Islam-haters are counting on. That, and the ignorance about Islamic tenets. Continue

17 militants killed in S Afghanistan: Afghan and NATO- led troops killed 17 Taliban insurgents during a joint operation in Disho district of southern Helmand province, spokesman for provincial administration Daud Ahmadi said Sunday.
Karzai condemns Russian raid: Afghan leader says Moscow's involvement in joint anti-drugs operation "violated sovereignty".
US deal brings Russia to Afghanistan: It is not clear when and how many Russian troops have been deployed in Afghanistan. However, experts say up to hundreds of Russian troops have participated in the drug raid.
Russia's Afghan agenda: Gorbachev has valuable advice for the US on the war in Afghanistan that Putin would rather he keep to himself.
Seven hostages killed in Baghdad church: Seven worshippers were killed and at least 13 wounded in a rescue operation to end a hostage drama at a church in the Iraqi capital on Sunday, ministry officials said.
Six killed by car bomb in Baghdad: Six people were killed and four injured in a car bomb attack in northern Baghdad on Sunday, a police source said.
Guards killed at Baghdad stock exchange: Two guards at Baghdad's stock exchange were killed in clashes with gunmen trying to battle their way into the building on Sunday, an Iraqi interior ministry official said.
US must accept responsibility: The United States is a party to the United Nations Convention Against Torture. As such, it has accepted an obligation not to employ torture and also not to transfer captives to anyone who may be expected to torture them. To violate this obligation is to make the American commitment to human rights look like sheer hypocrisy.
Mr President we've lost control of FIFTY nuclear warheads: Obama told how his arsenal was hit by 45-minute computer glitch
Iran Not Ready for Nuclear Talks, Ahmadinejad Aide Says: "We will not be talking with the Western party about the nuclear energy issue in this round of the negotiations," Javanfekr said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Stranger than fiction: WashPost: War with Iran would rescue economy: The president, who is "much smarter" and "more inspirational" than any of his opponents, could benefit from a confrontation with Iran because it would strike up a war machine that would pull the US out of economic stagnation, Broder argues.
American professor invited to Israel 'humiliated' by El Al security personnel: Heather Bradshaw, a neuroscience professor invited to a conference at Hebrew University, says she was asked to remove clothing, board the aircraft with no luggage.
Yemeni officials free suspect in alledged Al Qaeda bomb plot: "During the questioning, the shipping agent was called in to identify the suspect and informed authorities that she wasn’t the individual that signed the shipping manifesto. Authorities concluded that this was a case of stolen identity by an individual who knew the detained suspect’s full name, address and telephone number," said the official.
Cargo plane bomb plot: Yemen doubts its link to the plot: The government of Yemen has expressed astonishment at the cargo plane bomb plots, claiming there were no UPS cargo planes that had taken off from Yemen
Rousseff wins Brazil election: The 62 year-old former guerilla leader will be sworn in as the country's president on January 1 after running a campaign that highlighted her links to outgoing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Bank Watch: Regulators Close Seven Banks: Regulators closed another seven banks in the past week, bringing the total number of failures for 2010 to 136 banks -- just four banks shy of the 140 closed in 2009.

Saturday 30 October 2010

News For October 30, 2010

Wikileaks Docs Underestimate Iraqi Dead

By John Tirman

For all their value, the newly leaked documents will, unfortunately, reinforce the lower estimates of Iraqi mortality. Continue

"Why Is Assange Still Alive?"
The Wretched Mind of the American Authoritarian

By Glenn Greenwald


The cavalier call for people's deaths, the demand for ultimate punishments without a shred of due process, the belief that the U.S. is entitled to do whatever it wants anywhere in the world without the slightest constraints, a wholesale rejection of basic Western liberties such as due process and a free press. Continue

Bring me the head of Silvino Herrera
"Us versus them" and other "modern" myths of war and civilization

By Daniel Patrick Welch

They behead – we do it with smart bombs. There is, of course, an ugly truth to this recently minted axiom: the horror of state terrorism is that the overwhelming machinery of death in the hands of all-powerful governments far outweighs individual atrocities by madmen, small groups and non-state entities. Continue

The Tariq Aziz Sentence
The Audacity, Bestiality and Venality of Victors

By Monish Chatterjee

Throughout my conscious years, I have witnessed with disbelief and increasing hopelessness the limitless human capacity for cruelty and barbarism- quite often comfortably cloaked in terms of righteousness and piety. Continue

Segregation of Jews and Arabs in 2010 Israel is Almost Absolute

By Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu

For those of us who live here, it is something we take for granted. But visitors from abroad cannot believe their eyes. Continue

About Those Packages
That "credible terrorist threat" — coming just before Election Day.
By Ann Althouse

I didn't know what to say as the story was unfolding yesterday. I had the thought — and I immediately censored myself — what does this have to do with Election Day? Continue

2010 Election:
Referendum on Reality, Racism, and Revisionist History

By Bill Noxid

Here is where we stand at the precipice of the 2010 midterm election. Further from reality, further from equality, and further from progress than we have ever been in my lifetime. While Obama keeps imagining the America he described in his Colonial Inaugural Address, the people are more in need a reality-based leader than ever. Continue

"C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy."

By Robert F. Kennedy, Jr

For decades in Washington, D.C., a secretive group known as The Family has been working behind the scenes to empower a few select politicians, and to influence the decisions that shape our country. Continue

Bernanke gets his "pink slip"

By Mike Whitney

Rather than push for more fiscal “pump priming” so households can continue to pay-down debts and rebuild their savings, the Fed chair is planning to flood emerging markets with hot money, increasing currency volatility and forcing trade partners to clamp down on capital controls so they don't drown in the surge of greenbacks fleeing the US. Continue

80 :Taliban" killed in failed attack: "Fresh information that we received from intelligence sources shows that 80 Taliban have been killed. The bodies of the militants were left on the battlefield," said Mukhlis Afghan, spokesman for the governor of eastern Paktika province.
Afghan president condemns US-Russia drugs operation : Afghanistan says US-Russia raid violated sovereignty
30 killed, 67 injured in suicide bombing attack on Iraqi cafe: The death toll from a suicide bombing that ripped through a crowded coffee shop in Iraq's Diyala province has reached 30, with more than 67 injured, police sources said Saturday.
Kurd bloc exits Iraq alliance: – A key Iraqi party with eight elected MPs said Saturday it has withdrawn from a Kurdish bloc, weakening an alliance whose support will decide who becomes the next prime minister.
Somalia: 10 Civilians Killed by Amisom Troops in Southern Somalia: At least 10 people were killed and more than 25 others wounded after pro-government forces fired mortars in two days fighting in Somali capital Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.
Girls killed by Islamist firing squad in Somalia: Victims reported to be 18 or younger were shot in front of hundreds of residents in Beledweyne, near border with Ethiopia
Somali forces sell weapons to Islamists: A former commander in the Somali military has admitted that government soldiers sell arms to insurgents seeking to topple western backed government. A former Chief of Staff of Somalia's Military, major general Yusuf Hussein Osman, says unpaid soldiers offered to sell their guns and ammunition to the enemy
Pakistan: Two soldiers killed in South Waziristan: Militants attacked a military check post on Saturday, killing two soldiers in the South Waziristan tribal region, a security official said.
12 "militants" killed in Pakistan attack : Since August 2008, approximately a thousand people have been killed in about 100 attacks by US drones in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Over 90 percent of the victims have been civilians.
FBI asks how subway bomb defendant was radicalized : FBI agents who ensnared a suburban father in a terrorism sting involving a fictional subway bomb plot have turned their attention to figuring out what may have made the Pakistani-born U.S. citizen turn against his adopted country.
Foiled or Faked: FBI 'entrapment' tactics fuel home-grown terror? A U.S. counter-terrorism official said there's no indication Ahmed was ever in touch with real militants. And as RT's Marina Portnaya found out, critics say the FBI is increasingly using tactics that amount to entrapment.
US official overstepped bounds with private spy ring: probe: A senior Pentagon official broke government rules and lied to superiors when he set up an "unauthorized" network of private contractors to spy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, an internal probe has found.
Palestinians to declare statehood in 2011: Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said plans are under way to declare an independent Palestinian state next year.
Turkey policy paper: Israel's actions threaten Mideast: Ankara's National Security Council names Israel as central threat to Turkey's security for first time since 1949, fails to mention Iran, Syria
Iran says it is ready to restart nuclear talks: – Iran notified the European Union Friday that it is willing to restart international negotiations over its nuclear program after Nov. 10, potentially reviving talks that foundered a year ago.
Iran to sue over European refusal to refuel planes: Iran is taking legal action in The Hague against global oil majors who are refusing to refuel its Europe-bound flights under US pressure, a top aviation official said on Saturday.
Iran's exports to US more than double in 1st half: Iran state television on Friday reported that exports to the United States more than doubled to $77 million in the first half of the Iranian calendar year.
'Europe Iran oil imports twice as 2008': The report added that according to the International Energy Agency in Paris, “Europe imports about 1.2 million barrels of Iranian crude per day, which is double the amount in 2008.”
Iran to help Bolivia build peaceful nuclear power plant: Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Friday that Bolivia and Iran will work together to build a nuclear power plant in Bolivia.
Cambodians beaten, raped and killed at illegal detention camp funded by UN: UN funding is being used to run a brutal internment camp for the destitute in Cambodia where detainees are held for months without trial, raped and beaten, sometimes to death, former inmates have told the Guardian.
Yemen says UPS planes never take off or land in it: No UPS cargo planes left Yemen to other countries in the last days and there are no direct flights from Yemen to the United Kingdom or the United States, a Yemeni official said, after allegations that British and U.S. officials had found suspicious packages on planes that originated in Yemen
Suspicious Package to U.S. not from Yemen; Yemenia Air Cargo Director: Air Cargo Director for Yemenia Airways said to Yemen Post, "No UPS cargo plane left Yemeni lands over the land 48 hours. These accusations are false and baseless." He added, "No UPS or DHL cargo packages heading to Chicago through Yemen took place in the last 48 hours as well.
Yemen arrests woman over parcel bombs sent to U.S. synagogues: Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh said earlier that security forces had surrounded a house at an undisclosed location where a woman believed to be involved in the apparent plan to attack targets in the United States was taking refuge.
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Yemen? Explosive package bore al-Qaida hallmarks, Dubai police say: A US-bound package intercepted on a plane in Dubai contained explosives and bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida, Dubai police said today as international security services continued to investigate the terrorist threat.
UK cargo plane device was bomb - British Government: "The target may have been an aircraft and, had it detonated, the aircraft could have been brought down," she said.
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Yemen? Explosive packages reflect new Yemen terror threat: The discovery of two explosive-laden packages sent from Yemen and aimed at U.S. and Western interests represents a new escalation in the terror threat emanating from this violence-wracked, poverty-stricken Mideast country.
TSA to phase in new pat-down procedures at airports nationwide: According to Fitzpatrick, a female screener ran her hands around her breasts, over her stomach, buttocks and her inner thighs, and briefly touched her crotch.
New pat-downs in airport security lines drawing ire: The Transportation Security Administration rolled out a new pat-down technique Friday aimed at boosting security, but it is drawing criticism already for being too intrusive.
European airlines say U.S. security goes overboard: European air officials accused the United States of imposing useless and overly intrusive travel security measures, calling Wednesday for the Obama administration to re-examine policies ranging from online security checks to X-raying shoes.
Police discredited over secret plan to spy on Muslims: A secret police counter-terrorism operation surveillance in two areas of Birmingham wasimplemented with virtually no consultation, oversight or regard for the law, a damning internal report has found.
Torture Is Finally Mentioned on the Last Day of Omar Khadr’s Sentencing Hearing at Guantánamo: Everything about the last week’s events at Guantánamo has been deeply disturbing.
Mexico: America's Drug Habit Is Killing Us: "They [the Americans] have a clear responsibility in this because they are providing the market for the drug dealers and the criminals," he said. "They need to do a lot more in terms of reducing the consumption of drugs and to stop the flow of weapons towards Mexico."
Nouriel Roubini: U.S. On Track For A 'Fiscal Train Wreck': The U.S. economy is a "fiscal train wreck" waiting to happen that risks ushering in a period of stagnation featuring by minimal growth, high unemployment and deflationary pressure, U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini wrote on Friday
Unemployment Offices To Add Armed Guards: The agency is merely being cautious with the approach of an early-December deadline when thousands of Indiana residents could see their unemployment benefits end after exhausting the maximum 99 weeks provided through multiple federal extension periods.
Idaho officials poised to cut $8 million in Medicaid services to mentally ill and disabled: News of the cuts have angered advocacy groups and organizations that provide services for hundreds of mentally ill and developmentally disabled clients who will be affected by the rules.
Q3 foreclosures up in 65% of country: Cities in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona once again accounted for all top 10 foreclosure rates in the third quarter among metropolitan areas with a population of 200,000 or more, according to a report from RealtyTrac Inc.
Sin City is still foreclosure central - RealtyTrac: One out of every 25 housing units -- more than 32,000 homes -- attracted some kind of foreclosure filing, including notices of default, auction notices and repossessions.
Foreclosures: More Evidence of Bogus Paperwork: America's foreclosure crisis is spreading far from the states like Florida and California where it began. In the Seattle area foreclosures are up 71 percent this year.
Wells Fargo Owns Up to Finding Errors in 55,000 Foreclosure Affidavits: Wells Fargo says it has identified instances where employees did not “strictly adhere” to the required legal procedures in conducting final reviews of the affidavits. The bank also says “some aspects of the notarization process” were not properly executed.
I was a robo-signer: It only took him a second to sign each foreclosure document. That's how good Tam Doan got at his job in Bank of America's pre-sale foreclosure department in Southern California.
With Millions of Foreclosures on Horizon, Should States Mandate Mods?: According to the Center for Responsible Lending, since the housing crisis took hold, 2.5 million homeowners have already lost their homes and another 5.7 million are at risk of foreclosure. It's projected that between 10 and 13 million foreclosures will have occurred by the time this crisis abate
Homeowners Get The Boot For Bad Paperwork While Banks Get Millions For Same: Mortgage companies enrolled in the Obama administration's signature foreclosure-prevention initiative may be receiving taxpayer funds despite not having a legal right to the home or to the mortgage, a top Treasury Department official revealed.

American Democracy: Pro-Israel Tweedledum and Tweedledee

By Maidhc Ó Cathail

In a district which includes the affluent northern suburbs of Chicago along the shore of Lake Michigan, the central issue is not the two wars—or is it now three?—the country is fighting, nor is it the tanking economy, in great part caused by those debt-inducing wars. No, the burning issue here is… who cares more about Israel? Continue

Democracy's Price Tag: Only $4.2 Billion?

By Robert Reich

In this midterm election, campaign contributions have reached a record $4.2 billion, thanks largely to the Supreme Court's decision to lift many contribution restrictions. Continue

The Tea Party Movement:
Deluded and Inspired by Billionaires

By George Monbiot

By funding numerous rightwing organisations, the mega-rich Koch brothers have duped millions into supporting big business. Continue

American Job Loss Is Permanent

By Paul Craig Roberts

The major cause of the US trade deficit with China is “globalism” or the practice, enforced by Wall Street and Wal-Mart, of US corporations offshoring their production for US markets to China in order to improve the bottom line by lowering labor costs. Continue

17 "Taliban fighters" killed in Pak's tribal areas: Seventeen "Taliban fighters" were killed and 16 more injured in air strikes by helicopter gunships and a clash between militants and security forces in Pakistan's restive tribal belt near the Afghan border on Thursday, officials said.
US Kills 11 People In Pakistan: At least 11 "suspected militants" have been killed in drone strikes in north-west Pakistan in the past 24 hours, local officials say.
Pakistan: Four shia traders gunned down in Quetta: A gunman, on Thursday, shot dead four Shias in Balochistan, police said. The shooting took place in Quetta, the provincial capital.
Indian Author Arundhati Roy Faces Arrest for Questioning India’s Claim on Kashmir: Video and transcript: The award-winning Indian author Arundhati Roy is facing possible arrest in India on sedition charges after publicly advocating for Kashmir independence and challenging India’s claim that Kashmir is an "integral part of India."
Bomb attack in southern Afghanistan kills 3 police: A roadside bomb targeting the car of a district police chief killed three police officers Thursday in southern Afghanistan
Billions missing in US Afghan fund: The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has announced that nearly 18 billion dollars received by thousands of firms to rebuild Afghanistan remain unaccounted for.
Karzai delays shutdown of private security firms in Afghanistan: It took a series of high-level diplomatic meetings over the weekend and a personal call from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to win an agreement from Karzai to delay by two months the implementation of his decree
Afghan warlord's private army trained in Australia : SENIOR militia fighters loyal to a notorious Afghan warlord have been flown to Australia to train with elite special forces as part of a covert strategy to strengthen military operations against the Taliban.
At Least 3 Killed in Iraq Bombings: Investigators say a suicide bombing outside of the federal police headquarters in the city of Mosul killed two police officers and left at least eight people wounded.
Netanyahu: Settlement building won't affect final status peace deal: PM comment comes as Palestinians consider UN Security Council vote on unilateral declaration of statehood if Israel does not cease its recently resumed settlement constructing.
Israeli lawmaker calls for arrest of US war criminals: An Israeli Knesset member on Monday sought to turn the tables on the US (and the wider Western world) by calling for an international investigation into American military activities in Iraq and the arrest of American “war criminals.”
E.U. rules let Iran import, export oil, creating possible split from U.S. policy: The United States and Europe have worked cooperatively on Iran policy since President Obama took office, but a small crack might have begun to open over sanctions that are beginning to pinch ordinary Iranians.
Hezbollah: STL spied for West, Israel: Hezbollah says the UN tribunal, investigating the former Lebanese premier's assassination, has been channeling data on the country to the West and Israel.
Hezbollah urges Hariri case boycott: "Any further co-operation with the tribunal is equal to an attack on the resistance," Nasrallah said, referring to his predominatly Shia Muslim movement.
Battle for Mogadishu escalates: It was a fairly typical Thursday in Mogadishu. By mid-morning, the fighting had already reached a fever pitch.
Obama waiver allows U.S. aid to 4 countries using child soldiers: President Obama has granted a waiver allowing four countries to continue receiving U.S. military aid even though they use child soldiers, officials said Wednesday.
Guantanamo inmate Khadr 'sorry': Canadian-born detainee apologises to widow of US soldier he killed in Afghanistan in his first remarks to trial.
Why ARE so many modern British career women converting to Islam?: Tony Blair’s sister-in-law announced her conversion to Islam last weekend.- She is just one of a growing number of modern British career women to do so. Here, writer EVE AHMED, who was raised as a Muslim before rejecting the faith, explores the reasons why.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

News For October 27, 2010

War Should Be an Election Issue

By Amy Goodman

The WikiLeaks release, dubbed “The Iraq War Logs,” has been topping the headlines in Europe. But in the U.S., it barely warranted a mention on the agenda-setting Sunday talk shows. Continue

Senate Report Concludes
Private Security Contractors in Afghanistan Fueling the Taliban

By Scott Horton

To meet their security concerns, the contractors have turned to “warlords and strongmen linked to murder, kidnapping [and] bribery.” The report also documents incidents in which contractors have tendered payments to the Taliban. Continue

Mikhail Gorbachev: Victory in Afghanistan is 'Impossible'

By The Telegraph

Mr Gorbachev, who pulled Russian troops out of Afghanistan in 1989 after a 10-year war, said the US had no alternative but to withdraw troops. Continue

High Time Progressives Support the Insurgency and End this War
As Ground is Laid for Resource Plunder

By Younus Abdullah Muhammad

It is the latest attempt to implement the neoliberal economic policies that are the norms of  'globalization' as America, on behalf of the corporations and international elite it serves, tries to turn a profit and sustain control of the corporatist world order. Continue

WikiLeaks Should be Declared 'Enemy Combatants

By Sam Jones

A Fox News contributor and former state department adviser has accused WikiLeaks of conducting "political warfare against the US" and called for those behind the whistleblowing website to be declared "enemy combatants" so they can be subjected to "non-judicial actions". Continue

WikiLeaks Founder Lashes out at New York Times

By Christopher Alessi

"Is it that only journalists with bad character work for the Times?" he added, before quickly shifting gears to argue that that the paper is beholden to the US military-industrial complex and, as a result, too often confuses a false sense of balance with accuracy. Continue

America Has Sown Chaos Across The Globe: President Assad

By The Associated Press

"Is Afghanistan stable? Is Somalia stable? Did they bring stability to Lebanon in 1983?" Assad asked, referring to U.S. intervention in Lebanon's 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. Continue

Report: Western Presence Fuels Yemen, Somalia Insecurity

By Selah Hennessy

A new report says Western security measures in Yemen and Somalia are fueling militancy because local populations see it as a form of aggression. Continue

Dear Jon, Sane People Protest Crazy Wars

By Medea Benjamin

It's too bad that Jon Stewart, the liberal comedian, is putting anti-war activists, tea partiers and black bloc anarchists in the same bag. And it's sad that he's telling his audience -- many of whom are young progressive thinkers -- that activism is crazy. Continue

The Supreme Court Sold Out Our Democracy
How to Fight the Corporate Takeover of Our Elections

By Joshua Holland

Election 2010 is being fought on a wave of campaign dollars unleashed on the American people by the Supreme Court in its Citizens United v. FEC decision. The court, led by a majority of staunch right-wingers, struck down limits on third-party “electioneering” ads based on a tortured interpretation of the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Continue

Airport Security Checks are Completely Redundant, BA Chairman says

By Peter Hutchison

Passengers are needlessly removing their shoes and having their laptops inspected due to pointless security checks at airports, the chairman of British Airways has claimed. Continue

Bernanke's Dilemma

By Mike Whitney

Congress must get involved and threaten to levy import duties and tariffs on China if they refuse to let their currency appreciate. Continue

US Attack Kills 7 People In Pakistan: There have now been at least 19 suspected US missile strikes in Pakistan this month, many of them in North Waziristan. There were 21 such attacks in September, nearly double the previous monthly record.
184 US Attacks Have killed 1,863 People In Pakistan Since June ’04: Statistics show a total of 53 drone attacks were carried out in Pakistan by the unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) of US during the last year killing 709 people, mostly innocent tribesmen including women and children.
Three killed in Quetta blast: Three people, including a policeman, were killed and nine others were injured in a grenade attack in Pakistan's Quetta city Wednesday, a media report said
5 Taliban militants killed in northern Afghan province: Official: Security forces raided Taliban hideouts in northern Baghlan province eliminating five insurgents early Wednesday, provincial governor Munshi Abdul Majid said
Coalition occupation force soldier killed in Afghan attack: : A coalition service member was killed after a bomb blast in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.
Afghan civilians killed by British forces: The Guardian newspaper obtained documents from the Ministry of Defence under the UK’s freedom of information legislation. The files show three British military units killed or wounded civilians on 21 occasions.
9 Nato Supply Vehicles Torched in Afghanistan: The incident occurred when a convoy of Nato supply vehicles was on its way from Kandahar to Herat, a police official told TOLOnews reporter on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
Russian military could be drawn back into Afghanistan: Nato officials explore joint initiatives ahead of landmark alliance summit, which is to include President Medvedev
No Russian soldiers in Afghanistan - Rogozin: In the Ambassador’s words, Moscow is not planning to supply Afghanistan with “cannon fodder” and “Russian soldiers will be where they are to be, that is on the territory of the Russian Federation”.
We've been in Afghanistan, we didn't like it - Russia's NATO envoy: Russia's envoy to NATO on Wednesday dismissed reports that Russian troops could be sent back to Afghanistan two decades after the Soviet Union's Red Army was forced out by U.S.-backed mujahedeen.
Private Security Contractors in Afghanistan Fueling the Taliban: To meet their security concerns, the contractors have turned to “warlords and strongmen linked to murder, kidnapping [and] bribery.” The report also documents incidents in which contractors have tendered payments to the Taliban.
US concerned over Afghan ban of security contractors: "We're not aware that any U.S.-funded projects have stopped operating, but without clarity our partners are making plans for the possibility they are unable to continue their work here," said Caitlin Hayden, the U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Kabul.
Afghan contractor deadline delayed: President Karzai expected to allow private security contractors to operate in the country until next March.
UN urge stepped-up supervision of US contractors in Afghanistan: The findings of the report by the US Senate Committee on Armed Services are consistent with that of the experts following their visit to Afghanistan last April, said Alexander Nikitin, the chairperson of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries.
Report: Iraq, Afghanistan among most corrupt: An international watchdog group says Afghanistan remains the world's second most corrupt country, and Iraq is not far behind.
4 killed, 10 wounded in Baghdad violence: An explosive charge planted near the Sunni Endowment office in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Sabie Abkar, detonated in the morning, killing two guards and wounding four others, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Sticky bomb kills, wounds 2 civilians in Baghdad: One civilian was killed and another one was wounded by a sticky bomb in southern Baghdad on Wednesday, according to a security source.
UN urges Iraq not to execute to Tareq Aziz: The United Nations on Wednesday urged Iraq to spare the life of Tareq Aziz, the former deputy premier and aid to Saddam Hussein who has been sentenced to die.
Bushehr activities under IAEA safeguards: UN nuclear chief: Both Iran and Russia say Bushehr poses no nuclear risk of nuclear weapons proliferation. Amano said potential negotiations were among the issues he discussed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran Obama aide: Iran prefers defiance and secrecy to transparency and peace: United States President's special assistant Dennis Ross, who served as a special Middle East coordinator under former U.S. President Bill Clinton, spoke to attendees of the AIPAC National Summit in Hollywood, Florida.
Ross warns Israel failed talks could imperil its security: Top White House adviser tells AIPAC all options remain on the table in dealing with Iran; real progress in peace talks needed.
Netanyahu 'salutes' commandos who killed activists on Gaza flotilla: PM tours top-security Shayetet 13 base in show of defiance against international censure of raid on Mavi Marmara.
U.N. envoy demands Israel act against settler attacks: A senior U.N. official condemned attacks by Jewish "settler extremists" on Palestinians' olive trees in the occupied West Bank and called on Israel to "combat violence and terror by Israelis.
27 Killed as Somali forces 'foil al-Shabab raid': Civilians reportedly among the 27 people killed after al-Shabab launched attempt to retake town near Kenyan border.
Yemen under U.S. pressure to hit al-Qaida: Yemen's government, under intense U.S. pressure to step up its campaign against al-Qaida, is recruiting tribesmen to hunt jihadists the CIA says pose a greater danger to the United States than al-Qaida Central in Pakistan.
Terrorism suspect given 'victim' status by Polish legal authorities: The status gives credence to allegations by Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi citizen suspected by the US of involvement in the bombing of the warship USS Cole in 2000, that he was held at an airfield in Poland and subjected to harsh interrogation tactics, including being threatened with an electric drill, by American intelligence officers in 2002.
Mikhail Gorbachev: 'Russian democracy has problems': He has accused the ruling party, led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, of deviating from democracy to try to stay in power.
UN assembly calls for end to US embargo on Cuba: The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Tuesday for a resolution calling on the United States to end its five-decade old embargo of Cuba.
Pentagon says WikiLeaks has more secret documents: Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told reporters Tuesday the Pentagon suspects the group may have even more classified U.S. data than previously reported, but declined to characterize it.
Character assassination? 'You should be ashamed': WikiLeaks boss blasts astonished Larry King : ‘It’s not right to bring in sensational and, in fact, false claims, a relatively trivial matter compared to the deaths of 109,000 people.
Pack Assange off to Guantanamo, US conservatives tell Obama: The White House and the Pentagon have failed to confront and contain the threat to national security posed by WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange who should be arrested as an "enemy combatant", voices on the US conservative right insisted yesterday.
Tea Party Nation Founder: ‘A majority of Tea Party members…are not fans of Islam’: Tea Party members ought to “seriously consider” whether they should vote for a candidate who adheres to Islam.
From Pakistan to Paris: How The Rest Of The World Views The Tea Party: The US elections are a big story elsewhere in the world. And the Tea Party movement has not gone unnoticed in other countries.
France approves pension reform: France's parliament has given its final approval to a bill that will raise the age of retirement from 60 to 62, a reform that has sparked weeks of strikes and protests.
Vote threatens Romania's government: Thousands of people take to streets to support no-confidence motion over spending cuts and tax rises.
Congress debates Web ‘kill switch' for Obama: The executive branch already tracks and surveils Internet users and it can demand and obtain records from Internet and communications companies without court orders, with cursory court orders and with actual warrants, she said.
BP dispersants 'causing sickness' : "The dispersants are being added to the water and are causing chemical compounds to become water soluble, which is then given off into the air, so it is coming down as rain, in addition to being in the water and beaches of these areas of the Gulf," Naman added.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

News For October 26, 2010

US Puppet Outlives Usefulness
Karzai Rails Against America in Diatribe

By ALISSA J. RUBIN

It was the latest chapter of a bitter battle between the president and his allies in the war against the Taliban that has taken on an increasingly anti-Western tone. Continue

Karzai Presidency Approaching Expiration Date?
Afghan President Confirms Large Cash Payments by Iran and US

By Laura King

Hamid Karzai says his office receives about $2 million annually from Iran, but that the cash is a donation and covers governmental operating costs. The U.S. also makes such payments, he says.Continue

WikiLeaks Exposes Rumsfeld's Lies

By Ellen Knickmeye

Recent revelations by WikiLeaks show how top American leaders lied, knowingly, to the American public, to American troops, and to the world. Ellen Knickmeyer on the carnage she saw as Baghdad bureau chief. Continue

A Worse Record Than Saddam's

By Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Fewer and fewer global citizens now believe the rapturous anthems and sombre panegyrics of God's own America. Continue

Israel is Relieved Not to be The Only War Criminal

By Gideon Levy

The voice of joy, the voice of rejoicing is heard in Israel: The Americans and British have also committed for war crimes, not only us. Continue

Believe It Or Not?
Pentagon in Charge of Aid to Israel?

By Yitzhak Benhorin

Republicans considering transferring Israeli security aid budget from State Department to Pentagon, in order to ensure it continues while enabling them to stop money flow to other countries. Continue

Israel Ranks Among Western World's Most Corrupt Countries:

By Lior Dattel and Reuters

Receiving a score of 6.1 out of 10 Israel is in 22nd place out of 33 OECD members; meanwhile, U.S. drops out of top 20 least corrupt countries. Continue

Tea Party backing Candidate Who Allegedly Shot Unarmed Iraqis 60 Times

By Eric W. Dolan

A Tea Party-backed candidate who allegedly murdered two unarmed Iraqis could win a seat in the House of Representatives. Continue

Algorithms and Red Wine
Is the 'digital hive' a soft totalitarian state?

By Joe Bageant

I ask myself, what chance does America’s far less informed, and purposefully misled public stand against all this? One shudders. Continue

Legalized Bribery.
The Real Reason Obama Has Let Us All Down

By Johann Hari

On the night he won, I too shed a little tear; but the people weeping today are those having their homes repossessed. Continue

Coming Soon to America: Big Push for Austerity

By Roger Bybee

While big crusades for austerity—reserved for workers only, of course—are being waged in France and Great Britain, working people in the United States can also look forward to a major push for cutbacks in social spending and a longer wait before retirement. Continue

Socialism? What a Joke!

By Bill Quigley

The rich and their paid false prophets are doing a bang up job deceiving the poor and middle class. They have convinced many that an evil socialism is alive in the land and it is taking their fair share. But the deception cannot last - facts say otherwise. Continue

Four police officers killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan: A district police chief and three officers were killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan, a provincial government spokesman said.
Taliban shadow district governor among 3 killed in NE. Afghanistan: "Troops raided Taliban hideout in Kohna Shakh village of Khaja Bahawdin district on Monday afternoon, killing three Taliban rebels, including Qari Omar the shadowy district governor," Tawhidi told Xinhua.
Stryker unit sought to defend killing at heart of Afghan murder probe: Three days after they killed an Afghan cleric named Mullah Adahdad, members of a U.S. Army platoon returned to his village. Tribal elders had complained to Army officers that the cleric had been unarmed and that the May 2 shooting was a setup.
Karzai confirms report of cash payments from Iran: He said his chief of staff, Umar Daudzai, "is receiving the money on my instructions".
11 Taliban, One soldier killed in Pak clashes: A soldier and 11 Taliban fighters were killed during operations by security forces in the volatile tribal belt in northwest Pakistan today, security officials said.
Deaths in Pakistan shrine attack: At least five people killed in a bomb blast after dawn prayers at famous Sufi shrine in eastern Punjab province.
Seven killed in Iraq blasts: An Iraqi officer with the rank of captain and five soldiers were killed in a blast that targeted their patrol to the north of Baghdad in Diyala province, police sources told the Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Tariq Aziz sentenced to death: "Aziz's lawyers have 30 days to present an appeal. The court then has another 30 days to look into that appeal," Rageh said. "Assuming his appeal is turned down there are 30 more days before the death penalty would be carried out."
'US troops beheaded Iraqi detainee',: American forces decapitated an Iraqi last year on the order of their higher-up, show recently-exposed US military documents.
UN rights chief urges US, Iraq to probe WikiLeaks evidence: "The US and Iraqi authorities should take necessary measures to investigate all allegations made in these reports and to bring to justice those responsible for unlawful killings, summary executions, torture and other serious human rights abuses," her office said in a statement.
Baghdad Will Ask United States to Extend Its Military Role: Former ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker (2007-2009) says that in spite of Iran's clout in Iraq, the next Iraqi government -- led once again by Prime Minister Maliki -- will ask the US to stay on past 2011, says Robert Dreyfuss
Anti-war protester hurls shoes at ex-Australian prime minister John Howard on live TV: 'That's for the Iraqi dead!' Mr Gray shouted as he flung the shoes during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's live Q&A programme. The shoes missed their target and Mr Gray was escorted from the studio.
Tony Blair 'to be called back' to Iraq war inquiry to answer questions about 'gaps' in his evidence: The former Prime Minister is likely to be asked to clarify the political build-up to the 2003 American-led invasion. He is also expected to further explain the legality of Britain's participation in the controversial war.
Israel hails commandoes killing activists: Israeli leaders have praised soldiers who killed pro-Palestinian activists on board an international aid ship bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip.
UN envoy demands Israel act against "settler" attacks: UN Mieast peace coordinator 'appalled at acts of destruction of olive trees and farmlands, desecration of mosques and violence against civilians'.
Israel: Shin Bet supports revoking citizenship of Israelis convicted of terror: Interior Minister Eli Yishai's proposal has been presented as a method of deterring potential criminals from embarking on terrorist activities, seen as targeting Israeli Arabs in particular
Iran begins fueling nuclear plant: Nearly 160 fuel rods loaded into core of the country's first nuclear reactor in a "key stage" towards producing energy.
Report: Israel planned explosion at Iranian missile site: An explosion that killed 18 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on October 12 was ordered by the Mossad, French newspaper Le Figaro suggested on Monday.
Sixty thousand Somalis flee battle by Kenya border: UNHCR: About 60,000 Somalis have fled heavy fighting close to Somalia's border with Kenya over the past week, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.
Sedition charges: Arundhati Roy speaks on justice: Pity the nation that has to silence its writers for speaking their minds. Pity the nation that needs to jail those who ask for justice, while communal killers,
UK army 'defied Geneva conventions': British newspaper says military has been training interrogators in techniques that appear to breach Geneva rules.
A Child Soldier Makes a Deal: It is hard to see how the Khadr saga has served anyone well. It has certainly not done much for America’s moral standing. Khadr has said that he was physically abused in our custody, particularly at Bagram; one of his interrogators admitted telling him he might be gang-raped by “a bunch of big black guys and big Nazis” if his answers were disappointing
Steven Emerson has 3,390,000 reasons to fear Muslims.: That's how many dollars Emerson's for-profit company — Washington-based SAE Productions — collected in 2008. - The payment came from the Investigative Project on Terrorism Foundation, which solicits money by telling donors they're in imminent danger from Muslims.
Dollar at Risk of Becoming 'Toxic Waste': Charts: The dollar's slump could get far worse if the dollar index takes out last year's low, Robin Griffiths, technical strategist at Cazenove Capital, told CNBC.
Bankrupt banks: Regulators Shut Seven Banks : Regulators closed seven small lenders on Friday, raising the total number of bank failures this year to 139, nearly as many as in all of 2009.
What? Treasury Hid A.I.G. Loss, Report Says: The United States Treasury concealed $40 billion in likely taxpayer losses on the bailout of the American International Group earlier this month, when it abandoned its usual method for valuing investments, according to a report by the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Home prices are weakening around U.S.: The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday fell 0.2 percent in August from July. Fifteen of the cities showed monthly price declines. Prices are expected to drop further in the coming months.
Owners Seek to Sell at Loss as Banks Push Foreclosure: In Arizona, thousands of homeowners have turned to short sales to avoid foreclosures, and many end up running a daunting procedural gantlet.

Monday 25 October 2010

News For October 25, 2010

Torture, Killing, Children Shot
How the US Tried to Keep it all Quiet

Reports by Emily Dugan, Nina Lakhani, David Randall, Victoria Richards and Rachel Shields

Today, seven and a half years on from the order to invade, the largest leak in history has shown, far more than has been hitherto known, just what was unleashed by that declaration of war. The Iraqi security services tortured hundreds, and the US military watched, noted and emailed, but rarely intervened. Continue

The Shaming of America

By Robert Fisk

As usual, the Arabs knew. They knew all about the mass torture, the promiscuous shooting of civilians, the outrageous use of air power against family homes, the vicious American and British mercenaries, the cemeteries of the innocent dead. All of Iraq knew. Because they were the victims. Continue

WikiLeaks and Assange Honored

By Ray McGovern

You are not likely to learn this from the “mainstream media,” but WikiLeaks and its leader Julian Assange have received the 2010 Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence (SAAII) award for their resourcefulness in making available secret U.S. military documents on the Iraq and Afghan wars. Continue

The Bush Lie

By David Michael Green

The Boy King's memoir is soon to be released, and we can certainly expect a lot more of these attempts at reviving the stinking corpse of his wrecking ball presidency. Continue

The Politics of Class in the US

By Joe Bageant

Representing the 'hillbilly' class as a minority, Bageant laments 'the piece of the rainbow pie' promised to the working class of his forefathers, which never materialized. Continue

US airstrike kills 50 Afghan civilians: At least 50 civilians, mostly women and children, have been killed in a US airstrike in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, the Taliban have announced.
25 killed in Nato air strike in Afghanistan, official claims: Fazal Bari, the head of Helmand's provincial council, said local officials had told him that 25 people had been killed but that the casualty figures could rise because many bodies were still buried in the rubble.
Journalists banned from major Afghan offensive: The Pentagon brass knows that they need to conceal the deaths of innocent Afghan civilians and American GIs to bolster popular support for the war. They knew that this operation would involve especially large numbers of both and decided that they could not take the risk.
9 Taliban militants killed in S. Afghanistan: official: Nine Taliban fighters, including two commanders, were killed as security forces stormed their hideout in Kandahar province, south of Afghanistan, Zalmai Ayubi, spokesman for provincial administration, said Saturday, Xinhua reported.
US-led strike kills four Afghan civilians: Local witnesses say at least four people, including an Afghan child, were killed in the US-led airstrike in the central province of Wardak.
Two Afghan students killed by NATO occupation troops: Afghan officials accused NATO-led troops of killing two schoolboys in central Afghanistan on Saturday after a patrol came under fire by Taliban insurgents, but foreign troops said the circumstances were unclear.
Afghans hold anti-US : Afghan people have staged an anti-US rally after American troops killed two students and injured another one in Maidan Wardak province in central Afghanistan.
Danish occupation force soldier killed in Afghanistan: The soldier was wounded when a Danish patrol was engaged by gunfire near the Danish base of Bridzar.
Bomb kills US-led occupation force soldier in Afghanistan: A bomb attack has killed a US-led soldier in southern Afghanistan, bringing the death toll of US-led soldiers in the war-torn country closer to 600 so far this year.
Taliban peace talks with Hamid Karzai are 'mostly hype': Observers say encounters exaggerated to reinforce impression that Nato and Afghan forces are making strategic gains
Holbrooke: No 'pure' Afghan victory: Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, is downplaying news reports of American “peace talks” with Taliban leaders, but he acknowledges that a “pure military victory” in Afghanistan “is not possible.”
'Iran pays Afghan president's chief of staff': Afghan President Hamid Karzai's chief of staff, Umar Daudzai, has been receiving regular cash payment from Iran, which is trying to expand its interests in the Afghan presidential palace, The New York Times reported late on Saturday.
23 militants killed in Pakistan: Troops backed by helicopter gunships on Saturday targeted militant positions in different areas of Orakzai Agency, destroying several hideouts, Dawn News reported. According to sources, 18 militants were killed and 12 injured in the shelling.
US could have avoided Afghan war: Musharraf: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has said that the US could have avoided the nine-year long war in Afghanistan, had it recognised the then Taliban regime there.
Pakistani clerics issue death decree against Musharraf: The decree holds Musharraf, who is currently living in self-exile in London, as a “criminal of Islam and Pakistan” liable to be killed by any Muslim whosoever finds him.
US Seeks Wider CIA Role in Pakistan: The Wall Street Journal reported late Friday the U.S. has asked Pakistan in recent weeks to allow more CIA officers and special operations military trainers into the country to participate in Washington's efforts step up pressure on militants.
Pakistan's Defense Minister Urges US to Respect Pakistan's Borders: Defense Minister Ahmad Mukhtar called on Washington to order the US troops to avoid violating Pakistan's borders and show respect for the Muslim state's sovereignty.
Sunday: 4 killed, 10 injured in northern Iraq car bombing: At least four people were killed and some 10 others wounded Sunday in a car bomb explosion outside a medical complex in Mosul, the capital city of Nineveh province, a provincial police source said.
Saturday: At least eight killed in Iraq attacks: At least eight people, including two Iraqi soldiers, were killed and 16 injured Saturday in various attacks around Iraq, according to security sources.
Iraqi Parliament Ordered to Resume: Iraq's highest court on Sunday ordered parliament back to work after a seven-month political impasse that has blocked the formation of a new government. Iraq's federal Supreme Court called the delay unconstitutional.
Iraqi PM personally ran secret army squad: report: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been running a "detention squad" that exists outside the military command structure and may be cracking down on Sunni Muslims who oppose the Shia Muslim leader, according to an analysis of documents in the WikiLeaks release.
Iraq war logs: Battle for Samarra killed dozens of innocent people: Blow-by-blow files say nothing about 48 or more civilians killed in Operation Baton Roug
Iraq war logs: How civilians have paid heaviest price: Leaked military files analysed by the Guardian reveal secret US tally of Iraqi deaths
Iraq war logs: Apache helicopters kill 14 civilians in hunt for insurgents: US Apache helicopters killed at least 14 unarmed civilians in a series of previously unreported "gun runs" in eastern Baghdad only four days after the notorious killing of two journalists and 10 other civilians that was captured on a leaked cockpit video released in April.
Iraq war logs: Secret order that let US ignore abuse: Mistreatment of helpless prisoners by Iraqi security forces included beatings, burning, electrocution and rape
UN calls for probe into US inaction on torture: The United Nations' point man on torture is calling on the Obama administration to open a full investigation into newly-released documents that suggest the US may have turned a blind eye to torture in Iraq.
Iraq war logs: Operation Steel Curtain and its 25 ignored civilian casualties: Military trumpeted Husaybah campaign as victory over foreign fighters but didn't mention the innocents lying in the rubble
Lawyer claims Brit soldier killed Iraqi girl while she played : A lawyer representing several Iraqi clients has controversially revealed that a British soldier killed an eight-year-old Iraqi girl while she was playing on a street.
Iraq war logs: UN calls on Obama to investigate human rights abuses: The call, by the UN's chief investigator on torture, Manfred Nowak, came as Phil Shiner, human rights specialist at Public Interest Lawyers in the UK, warned that some of the deaths documented in the Iraq war logs could have involved British forces and would be pursued through the UK courts
Investigate: Iraq War Logs 2004 - 2009 -
The final reasons for going to war are being swept away: The leaked files expose a cavalier attitude towards international law with regard to the treatment of enemy soldiers and disgraceful tolerance of civilian casualties.
’Child cancer skyrocketing in Iraqi city’: A suspected source of the afflictions is the depleted uranium (DU) used by the invading forces. It is reported that the United States and Britain used up to 2,000 tons of DU during the Iraq war.
Abbas discusses UN-approved Palestinian statehood with Saudi King: President Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi King Abdullah discussed plans to persuade the United States to accept a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, a regional daily said Saturday.
Vatican Calls for End of Israeli Occupation of Arab Lands: Awareness of Israel's ongoing aggressions against the native population of Palestine has led to a demand from the Vatican in Rome, that Israel accept U.N. resolutions and end its unlawful occupation of Arab lands.
Bishops Urge Israel to End Its Occupation of Palestinian Territories: The bishops also urged Israel not to use the Bible “to wrongly justify injustices,” apparently referring to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
The Bible: A Manual for Genocide : 2 Minute Video
Haiti cholera death toll exceeds 250: The death toll from a cholera epidemic in Haiti topped 250 on Sunday amid fears it may spread in the country's crowded, earthquake-ravaged capital.
In pictures: : Haiti cholera outbreak: A woman screams in agony in the back of a transport truck for the loss of her husband outside of St. Nicolas Hospital
Google admits copying computer data: Internet search engine Google has admitted copying household computer passwords and emails, it has been revealed.
One Quarter of French Gas Stations Without Fuel Amid Strikes, Blockades: The refiners’ group Union Francaise des Industries Petrolieres said shortages may worsen tomorrow as truck drivers transporting fuel couldn’t make deliveries today, Agence-France Presse reported today citing the UFIP.
France's Sarkozy approval at record low: French President Nicolas Sarkozy's approval rating has sunk to its lowest level yet, a poll reported Sunday, as protests over his pension reforms left the country struggling with gas shortages, travel chaos and school shutdowns.
Retired and broke: Why retirees are declaring bankruptcy: An elderly couple makes stroll outside a home for the elderly in this file photo. REUTERS/Christian Charisius For more and more seniors, retirement doesn’t mean a debt-free life of leisure. An increasing number of Americans aged 65 and older are declaring bankruptcy, according to a recent study by John Pottow, professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School.
FDIC Called On To Put Bank Of America Into Receivership: "We should remove the senior leadership of the banks and replace them with experienced bankers with a reputation for integrity and competence, i.e., the honest officers that quit or were fired because they refused to engage in fraud," Black and Wray write.
Foreclosure Mess Scares Away Investors as 'Fear Has Taken Hold': Investors who have been snapping up foreclosed homes are backing off in the wake of the U.S. foreclosure fiasco, driven off by sagging inventory and fears over legal title.