Tuesday, 24 August 2010

News For August 24, 2010

Statement: Afghan Resistance
Regarding Petraeus’s Latest Remarks

By Qari Yousuf Ahmadi

It is incredible how Patraeus could claim such a sizeable victory at a stage where his soldiers in Sangin cannot abandon their bases by road out of fear and are forced to leave by helicopters at night. Continue

There Are No Heroes In Illegal And Immoral Wars

By Robert Jensen

Until we can tell the truth about U.S. foreign policy, and how the military is used to advance that policy in illegal and immoral ways, we will remain easy marks for the politicians and their propagandists. Continue

US Military 'Overwhelmed' by Mental Health Problems of Soldiers

By Gregg Zoroya

About every fourth soldier here, where 48,000 troops and their families are based, has been in counseling during the past year, according to the service's medical statistics. And the number of soldiers seeking help for combat stress, substance abuse, broken marriages or other emotional problems keeps increasing. Continue

Welcome To America
Man Mistaken for Muslim Harassed at NY Anti-Mosque Rally

Video

An African-American man who was mistakenly thought to be Muslim was harassed at an anti-mosque rally yesterday in New York City. Continue

Four Reasons Why Americans Should Oppose Zionism

By Steven Salaita

Zionism, by virtue of its exclusionary outlook and ethnocentric model of citizenship, is on its own a purveyor of fundamental violence. Continue

Housing Holocaust:
Existing Home Sales Plunge, Market Follows
        
By Mike Whitney:

Today's bleak housing numbers are not the result of a "cyclical downturn", but of a crime perpetrated on the American people. There must accountability. Someone's gotta pay! Continue

Stock Market Crash Omen Confirmed
Hindenburg Omen Tripped Again

By Steven Russolillo

The Omen has been behind every market crash since 1987, but significant stock-market declines have followed only 25% of the time. So there’s a high likelihood that the Omen could be nothing more than a false signal. Continue

Noam Chomsky: Power Hunger Tempered by Self-deception

Video

Professor Noam Chomsky explaining the 2008 bubble, democracy and neo-liberalism / corporatism i.e. the economic / monetary system, from an american perspective. Continue

Enough of the Myth of American Morality
Awakening the Global Slave

By Bill Noxid

It's Time for Americans to stop making false proclamations about this Country that only demonstrate their ignorance and unwillingness to face what happened yesterday, much less the historical truth of the United States. Continue

Banks Siding Against the Customer in Fraud Cases

By Naomi Wolf


I was stunned by what seemed from the emails to be a systemic practice. Why would a bank want to perpetuate bank fraud rather than fight it? Continue

8 MPs among 35 killed in Somalia: Al-Shabab vows 'massive' Somali war: Al-Shabab fighters have attacked a hotel in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, killing at least 35 people, a day after declaring a massive war. Members of al-Shabab, disguised as government security forces, launched the attack on Tuesday at the Muna Hotel, which is known to host many Somali government officials and politicians.
29 civilians killed in Mogadishu fighting: At least 29 Somali civilians were killed in fighting between insurgents and government troops backed by African Union forces in Mogadishu, medics said Tuesday.
Pakistan: At least 32 killed in attacks over past 24 hours: In the South Waziristan town of Wana, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a seminary run by Maulana Noor Mohammad, a former MP for Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), killing the cleric and 24 others, local people said.
US Attack Kills 20 People In Pakistan: Four women and three children were also among the dead.
How Pakistan Killed Taliban Peace Talks: Pakistanis Tell of Motive in Taliban Leader’s Arrest: They say they set out to capture Mr. Baradar, and used the C.I.A. to help them do it, because they wanted to shut down secret peace talks that Mr. Baradar had been conducting with the Afghan government that excluded Pakistan, the Taliban’s longtime backer.
Pakistani leader call for martial law: THE government of President Asif Ali Zardari has taken a further political battering after a leader of its largest coalition partner called for a military coup to tackle corruption and failures over the floods.
US support of Pakistan ‘strategic mistake’: Afghan: A senior Afghan official is urging the United States to re-evaluate its friendship with Pakistan, accusing the country of supporting Al-Qaeda and other Islamic extremists as it plays a double-game.
Pak rejects Afghan NSA's 'double faced' commitments against terror accusation: Addressing a regular briefing here, assistant US secretary of state for public affairs, Philip Crowley, said the White House is satisfied with efforts that Pakistan has taken to counter the threat and would continue to support that country.
Pakistan turns to IMF for help: Pakistani officials will reportedly press the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to loosen the terms of a $10 billion loan in an effort to cope with the worst floods in the country's history.
Afghanistan: Occupation forces kill 8 civilians: The district chief said that about a dozen other people, “all of them civilians,” were injured in the raids, which he said had lasted for “hours”.
2 Taliban militants, 2 Afghan soldiers killed: Afghan National Army (ANA) and NATO- led troops killed two Taliban militants and detained five other insurgents after joint forces launched two separate military operations against insurgents in Afghanistan's southern Uruzgan and eastern Khost provinces on Monday, Afghan Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday, Xinhua eported.
NATO occupation force soldier killed in Afghan attack: A NATO soldier was killed Tuesday while fighting insurgents in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said, taking to 12 the number of Western troops killed in Taliban attacks in the past three days.
One killed as US troops fire shots to disperse Afghan protesters: NATO said about 300 people surrounded a patrol and attacked vehicles with rocks and iron bars outside the massive coalition air base at Bagram, in Parwan province.
U.S. to spend $100 million on Afghan bases: The Pentagon says it plans to spend $100 million on air base expansions in Afghanistan with construction efforts continuing into at least 2011.
Afghan base expansion aimed at Iran?: One of the airbases is situated just north of the Afghan capital Kabul, while another airfield and a US marine base is to be set up in the southern province of Helmand.
Yemen: 18 "Al-Qaeda" fighters killed as civilians flee city: Yemen's military have killed 18 Al-Qaeda fighters in the city of Loder since an anti-militant operation began on Friday, according to the country's interior ministry.
Seven killed in Shiite rebels attack in N. Yemen: At least seven people were killed on Monday in an attack by Yemeni Shiite rebels against pro-government tribesmen in the north of the capital Sanaa, a local councilman said.
Seven workers killed in Iraq oil refinery raid: Seven employees of the Baiji oil refinery were shot dead and some 750 million dinars (640,000 dollars) in salary payments were stolen from them, Iraqi media reported Tuesday.
Two Iraq judges killed in violence claimed by Al-Qaeda: Al-Qaeda says avenging death sentences being handed down to Sunnis in Shiite prisons.
One soldier killed in western Iraq bombings: An Iraqi soldier was killed and six people injured in two bomb explosions in Iraq's western province of Anbar on Monday, a provincial police source said.
More than 5,000 airmen will remain in Iraq: More than 10 percent of U.S. forces left in Iraq when combat operations officially end Aug. 31 will be airmen conducting close-air support, airlift and intelligence-gathering missions, and working with Iraqi security forces.
Tony Blair's new book 'is like a love letter to George Bush: The former prime minister is wheeling out his wife Cherie and their four children to publicise the book, entitled A Journey, across the Atlantic.
Manufacturing Consent For Attack On Iran: Odierno: Iran Funding Extremists in Iraq: The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq says Iran is fueling instability in neighboring Iraq by funding and training Shi'ite extremist groups in the country.
Israel's choice is settlements or peace, say Palestinians: "The choice of the Israeli government is settlement or peace, they cannot have both," he said at a news conference in Ramallah, the political capital of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Blackwater Pays To Avoid Punishment: State Department details Blackwater violations of U.S. laws: The alleged violations were spelled out in documents released Monday by the State Department as part of a $42 million settlement with Blackwater that will allow the company, now known as Xe Services LLC, to continue receiving U.S. government contracts.
Force-feedings At Guantánamo: The guards strap hunger striker detainees into the force-feeding chair at night.
US admits human rights shortcomings in UN report: Those areas include inhumane prison conditions, racial disparities in death penalty cases, and abuses in the immigration detention system.
Outrage at UN decision to exonerate Shell for oil pollution in Niger delta: The $10m (£6.5m) investigation by the UN environment programme (UNEP), paid for by Shell, will say that only 10% of oil pollution in Ogoniland has been caused by equipment failures and company negligence, and concludes that the rest has come from local people illegally stealing oil and sabotaging company pipelines.
Venezuela, More Deadly Than Iraq: There have been 43,792 homicides in Venezuela since 2007, according to the violence observatory, compared with about 28,000 deaths from drug-related violence in Mexico since that country’s assault on cartels began in late 2006.
Computers that read minds are being developed by Intel: New technology could allow people to dictate letters and search the internet simply by thinking, according to researchers at Intel who are behind the project.
Steve Jobs Is Watching You: Apple Seeking to Patent Spyware: It looks like Apple, Inc., is exploring a new business opportunity: spyware and what we're calling "traitorware."
UK: Government urged to reveal 'true' national debt of £4.8 trillion: The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has calculated that the national debt is £4.8 trillion once state and public sector pension liabilities are included, or £78,000 for every person in the UK.
US July Existing Home Sales Plunge 27.2%: -Existing home sales plunged to their lowest level in 15 years in July as inventories soared, painting a grim picture for the housing market absent government support in a stubbornly sluggish economy.
Housing in 'Double-Dip': Economist Zandi: Home prices fell 5.1 percent in June to an annualized pace of 5.37 million homes, the weakest since March.
David Rosenberg: Prepare For Another 4-5 Million Job Cuts: Balance sheets, production, order books and staffing requirements are all rightsizing to this new semi- permanent landscape of reduced credit availability
Georgia's tax structure doesn't bring in enough money to pay for services: The report says Georgia will come up $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion short during each of the next five years. On top of this, the state is currently using $1.6 billion in federal stimulus money that runs out next July.

Sunday, 22 August 2010

News For August 23, 2010

What You Will Not Hear About Iraq

By Adil E. Shamoo

Iraq has between 25 and 50 percent unemployment, a dysfunctional parliament, rampant disease, an epidemic of mental illness, and sprawling slums. The killing of innocent people has become part of daily life. What a havoc the United States has wreaked in Iraq. Continue

U.S. Taxpayers -Funding Terrorist, Mafia-Like Activity

By Sam Stein

Afghanistan's embattled president Hamid Karzai said on Sunday that U.S. taxpayers were indirectly funding "mafia-like groups" and terrorist activities with the American government's support of private contractors inside his country. Continue

The Big Lie Technique Versus
The Reality Of Irans Nuclear Program

By Scott Horton On Russia Today

Scott Horton discusses the Iranian nuclear program on Russia Today. Continue

What a Waste
Donors Sending Expired Medicine to Gaza:

By Nicole Johnston

Men use their bare hands to push boxes of medicine off the back of a truck, into the dump. The stench is disgusting and flies are everywhere. Not only are donors sending expired medicine, the Health Ministry says most of the aid they receive is unsuitable, poor quality, and the wrong types of drugs. Continue

The Last US Combat Forces in Iraq?

Riz Khan Interviews John Pilger - Video

Who should be held accountable for the invasion and occupation that has left hundreds of thousands dead? Continue

"Is Assange the target of a U.S. smear campaign?"
Rape Claim Against Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Withdrawn

By Marcus Oscarsson in Stockholm and Colin Freeman

Julian Assange, the founder of the Wikileaks website, was at the centre of an extraordinary "dirty tricks" row today after the Swedish government issued and then withdrew an arrest warrant against him for rape. Continue

Beyond City Limits
The Age of Nations is Over. The New Urban Age Has Begun.

BY PARAG KHANNA

The 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by the city. In an age that appears increasingly unmanageable, cities rather than states are becoming the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built. Continue

Presidential Porn
Gerald Celente: The Recession is Heading Toward Depression

By Daniel Tencer

“What Obama’s doing out there is he’s hustling a confidence game. It really is presidential porn, that if you just wait until election day and have confidence, they’ll be an economic orgasm at the end of the day.” Continue

Obama's "Recovery Summer" Hits a Snag   

By Mike Whitney

Barack Obama's "Recovery Summer" tour has turned into a public relations disaster.  The whole idea of claiming "mission accomplished" over the recession was wacky from the very beginning. It just shows how out of touch with reality Obama's economics team really is. Continue

On the Way Down
The Erosion of America's Middle Class

By Thomas Schulz

Finley calls them "the new poor." "That is a different category of people that I think we're seeing," he says. "They are people who never in their wildest imaginations thought they would be homeless." They're people who had enough money -- a lot of money, in some cases -- until recently. Continue

Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

Many borrowers have complained that the government program is a bureaucratic nightmare. They say banks often lose their documents and then claim borrowers did not send back the necessary paperwork. Continue

12 Killed In Yemen: Yemeni Defense Ministry said on Sunday that military and security forces have killed seven more al- Qaida militants in continuing clashes in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, increasing the death toll of al-Qaida militants since last Friday to 12.
14 killed in Afghan clashes: A roadside bomb struck a vehicle in the western province of Faryab, killing a local commander and four others, the Afghan interior ministry said.
Four US occupation force troops killed in Afghan war: Two American soldiers died in a gun battle with Taliban militants in the east of the country, while the other two were killed in separate incidents in the south, the spokesman added.
US Attack Kills 6 People In Pakistan: Meanwhile, five members of an anti-Taliban militia and a security personnel died when the vehicle they were travelling in hit a landmine in Mohmand agency.
Pakistanis Say Taliban Was Seized to Hurt Peace Effort: Pakistani officials are telling a very different story. They say they set out to capture Mr. Baradar, and used the C.I.A. to help them do it, because they wanted to shut down secret peace talks that Mr. Baradar had been conducting with the Afghan government that excluded Pakistan, the Taliban’s longtime backer.
Senior UN official attacks response to Pakistan floods: A senior United Nations official has called on the global community to urgently step up its response to the floods that have struck Pakistan.
Two killed in Baghdad : : Two civilans were killed and eight others injured when a bomb exploded in a public market in Al-Museeb area, placed in an electronic store.
US solider killed in rocket attack in Iraq: An American solider was killed in a rocket attack in southern Iraq on Sunday, the U.S. military said, marking the first American fatality since the last combat unit in Iraq pulled out of the country.
16 wounded in violent demo over Iraq power rationing: Dozens of Iraqis violently protested in the southern city of Nasiriyah to demand better power supplies, wounding 16 people including 10 policemen, witnesses and officials said on Sunday
Iraqi bishop says U.S. betrayed country, Christians suffer most: The Americans leave behind “an Iraq worse off than the one they found seven years ago,” said Warduni, who’s widely regarded as the most charismatic voice among the Iraqi bishops.
Allawi, Iraqi Shiite cleric to visit Damascus: The Head of the Iraqia List Ayad Allawi and the Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will pay a visit to Damascus soon, Iraqia List's official Fattah al Sheikh told Xinhua over the phone on Sunday.
Iran hopes Russia's next step be delivery of S-300 missiles system: MP: Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi hailed Russia's move on Bushehr nuclear plant fuelling and expressed hope Russia's next step would be the delivery of S-300 missile system to Iran, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Saturday.
Iran to supply Lebanon with anti-missile system: report: Iran is expected to make the offer to Lebanon during Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's upcoming visit to Beirut shortly after the holy month of Ramadan. Iran would also offer to supply some other weapons during his visit, said the report.
Iran unveils long-range bomber drone: Iran unveiled a prototype long-range unmanned bomber today, the latest in a stream of announcements of new Iranian-made military hardware as tension mounts over its nuclear program.
Bahrain: We won't let US attack Iran from our territory: Bahraini Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said Saturday that his country will not allow the United States to use its military base to attack Iran.
Rights groups urge Bahrain to release activists: Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on Bahrain either to release or formally charge eight activists, including clerics, the groups said the Gulf kingdom has arrested.
Abbas: End of settlement freeze would end direct peace talks: In letters to Obama, Medvedev and Ashton, PA president warns that newly-launched peace negotiations will fail if Israel does not extend settlement freeze, due to expire on September 26.
Aid ship Mariam now looks to set sail from Greece: A Lebanese aid ship for Gaza was postponed on Sunday to await a green light from a third country as a transit point for the mission to the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory.
Kelly pathologist demands inquest: ':The Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, will examine 'important new evidence' about the death of Dr David Kelly after the pathologist who examined his body called yesterday for a full inquest.
David Kelly’s death a ‘textbook’ suicide case: The death of Dr David Kelly was a ‘textbook’ suicide, the pathologist who performed the post-mortem examination has said amid growing calls for a full inquest.
Australia PM aims to form coalition: Julia Gillard, Australia's prime minister, has begun negotiations to form a coalition, after her ruling Australian Labor Party and the opposition failed to win a majority of seats in general elections.
New Yorkers rally over mosque plan: Hundreds of supporters and opponents of the proposed Islamic cultural centre near the World Trade Centre site in New York have staged rallies, kept apart by police and barricades.
The Money Behind the "Mosque": In recent days, critics of the proposal to build a mosque and Islamic center near ground zero have linked the plan to everyone from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Islamist organizations Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. But the plan's real fundraising effort, thus far, is much more innocuous: a PayPal account with less than $9,000 in it, mostly from New Yorkers, raised by a group of Muslim moms in Manhattan whose original aim was to host a peace march.
Rising temperatures reducing ability of plants to absorb carbon, study warns: Research shows warming over past decade caused droughts that reduced number of plants available to soak up carbon dioxide
Now Atlantic is found to have huge 'garbage patch': A huge expanse of floating plastic debris has been documented for the first time in the North Atlantic Ocean. The size of the affected area rivals the "great Pacific garbage patch" in the world's other great ocean basin, which generated an outcry over the effects of plastic waste on marine wildlife.
Dogs more humane than Denver police officers? :
Pay Up: Got a blog that makes no money? To Bess, her website is a hobby. To the city of Philadelphia, it's a potential moneymaker, and the city wants its cut.
High-tech carts will tell on Cleveland residents who don't recycle ... and they face $100 fine: It would be a stretch to say that Big Brother will hang out in Clevelanders' trash cans, but the city plans to sort through curbside trash to make sure residents are recycling -- and fine them $100 if they don't.
America Won the Cold War But Now Is Turning Into the USSR, Gerald Celente Says: There's a lot of talk these days about America being an empire in decline. Gerald Celente, director of the Trends Research Institute, goes a step further, arguing America is following a similar path as the former Soviet Union.
It Looks Like U.S. Government Bonds Aren't Supported By China Anymore: It should be noted that China's U.S. debt ownership has fallen to $843.7 billion in June from $938.3 billion in September 200,9 according to U.S. Treasury Department released Monday. This equates to nearly an 11% reduction by China.
More Bankrupt Banks: Eight Banks Fail in Four States: Eight banks were shuttered by regulators Friday, bringing the 2010 tally of U.S. bank failures to 118.
40 Bizarre Statistics That Reveal The Horrifying Truth About The Collapse Of The U.S. Economy: Most Americans still appear to be operating under the delusion that the "recession" will soon pass and that things will get back to "normal" very soon.

Friday, 20 August 2010

News For August 21, 2010

A Disaster of Daunting Magnitude

By Miami Herald

The eyes see. The ears hear. Yet, somehow, the mind struggles to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe. Almost 20 million people need shelter, food and emergency care. That is more than the entire population hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake, Cyclone Nargis and the earthquake in Haiti -- combined. Continue

Some US Troops Say Goodbye to Iraq
Torture. Corruption. Civil war. America has certainly left its mark

By Robert Fisk

They are busy re-writing the narrative now. Up to a million Iraqis are dead. Blair cares nothing about them – they do not feature, please note, in his royalties generosity. And nor do most of the American soldiers. They came. They saw. They lost. And now they say they've won. Continue

Why The Wars Can't Be Won

By Prof. John Kozy

Americans are foolishly assuming that the peoples of the Middle East will change their attitudes if enough force is imposed for a long enough time and enough promises of a better future are made. History belies this assumption. Continue

Fox News Comes Out of the Closet

By Cenk Uygur

They don't just have a perspective, they have an agenda. And they drive that agenda until their political goals are met. Continue

U.S. Soldiers Punished For Not Attending Christian Concert

By Chris Rodda

Do the recently announced plans of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to trim defense spending include any trimming of the military's outrageous spending on the promoting of religion and evangelizing of our troops? This alone could save the DoD untold millions every year, and go a long way towards upholding our Constitution at the same time. Continue

Guns and Cameras.
A Case of Decency Deficit – An Analysis

By Professor Lawrence Davidson

Many Israelis are convinced that the Palestinians are barbarians, "beasts walking on two legs," who want to "push the Jews into the sea." The answer to this alleged threat is to convince the Palestinians that they are "a defeated people." Continue

Brazil and Venezuela:
Two Turning Point Elections this Fall

By James Petras

If Brazil “goes Right”, it will immeasurably strengthen US influence in the region, and eliminate an independent voice. Continue

Russia, Pakistan Show Need for Climate Action

By Simon Butler

If you are not at least a little bit scared about the Russian heatwave or the huge floods in Pakistan, then you really should be. Continue

Frozen in the Headlights
The Economy is in Big Trouble  

By Mike Whitney

As the stimulus runs out, unemployment will edge upwards, deleveraging and debt liquidation will gain momentum, and the economy will succumb to another vicious contraction. Continue

The Banksters Strike Again:
Chase Bank and Obama's "Make Home Affordable" Scam

By Ted Rall

would like to express my unvarnished admiration for the ruthless cynicism that led the executives at Chase Home Finance to conceive of a fake lending branch entirely dedicated to increasing foreclosures, improving their public image, and driving distressed homeowners crazy. Continue

18 Killed in Yemen Attack: : Fifteen soldiers and three Al Qaeda militants were killed in clashes in southern Yemen Friday, Xinhua reported.
Taliban kill 30 "security guards": Afghan police said Friday that 30 security guards had been killed in a day-long clash with Taliban fighters in one of the most volatile regions of the war-ravaged country.
Soldier, civilian woman killed in Afghanistan: NATO: The soldier was operating under NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and died following an Taliban-style bomb attack in the south of the country.
Two Australian occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: The Defence Force has confirmed two Australian soldiers have been killed and two others wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
Family, U.S. offer differing versions of deadly Afghan raid: Aman lay bleeding in his family guest room, alongside two of his brothers, all shot dead by U.S. special forces who were on the hunt for a Taliban leader.
Sniper in Afghan Town Puts Marines on Edge: Somewhere in this dusty town, concealed among the cornfields, irrigation canals and mud-walled compounds, is a man the Marines particularly want to kill.
Poll: Nearly 6 In 10 Oppose War In Afghanistan: A majority of Americans see no end in sight in Afghanistan, and nearly six in 10 oppose the nine-year-old war as President Barack Obama sends tens of thousands more troops to the fight, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
Pakistan: 9 killed in Orakzai clashes: Eight militants and a soldier were killed in clashes that ensued after militants attacked security forces’ base with rockets and heavy machineguns in Tapo Kalley area of Orakzai Agency on Friday, official sources said.
Pakistan to clamp down on Islamist militant charities: Pakistan said on Friday it will clamp down on charities linked to Islamist militants amid fears their involvement in flood relief could exploit anger against the government and undermine the fight against groups like the Taliban.
Next days are critical for Pakistani city of 1.5 million: Hyderabad braced as flooding continued to surge from the north to Pakistan's plains in the center and south.
An Estimated 20 Million Pakistanis in Desperate Need: Why So Little Media Attention?: Even more depressing is the fact that the number of people affected by the Pakistani floods is already far greater when compared to other recent major natural disasters; it is more than three times that of Haiti's earthquake or more than 10 times that of Hurricane Katrina.[1]
18 Killed in Yemen Attack: : Fifteen soldiers and three Al Qaeda militants were killed in clashes in southern Yemen Friday, Xinhua reported.
Iraq war was illegal, repeats Clegg: Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today restated his view that the Iraq War was illegal, saying: "I don't think the legality of that invasion has been proven."
"Dr Kelly could not have bled to death": The Kelly Affair: Anatomy of a conspiracy theory: Claims that we have not been told the full truth about the death of Dr David Kelly have been circulating for years. This week, the fog of rumour thickened.
Prosecutors Eye WikiLeaks Charges: Pentagon lawyers believe that online whistleblower group WikiLeaks acted illegally in disclosing thousands of classified Afghanistan war reports and other material, and federal prosecutors are exploring possible criminal charges, officials familiar with the matter said.
See : New York Times Co. v. United States: The Supreme Court's decision legitimated the media's assaults against governmental secrecy and its self-assumed status as the people's paladin against official wrongdoing.
Mississippi Lawyer Drawn Into WikiLeaks Intrigue: A civil litigation attorney in Mississippi who has lent advice to WikiLeaks on occasion has found himself embroiled in intrigue and headlines after initiating conversation with the government over the secret-spilling site.
Filmmaker Moore gives to fund for Wikileaks accused: Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has donated $5,000 (£3,900) to help defend Army Spc Bradley Manning, the man suspected of giving classified documents to the website Wikileaks.
Exposing War Crimes Is Not A Crime!: 10 Ways You Can Help Save Bradley Manning:
Cyberactivists Unblock Wikileaks For Thai Netizens: A group of anonymous Internet activists has set up a website to display information about Thailand that comes from the whistle-blower site Wikileaks, which is blocked to some viewers in the Southeast Asian country.
Iran says it may halt high-level fuel enrichment: President Ahmadinejad tells Japanese newspaper that Iran would stop enriching uranium to 20 percent if it is assured of nuclear fuel supplies for research reactor.
Russia: Israel need not fear reactor: Israelis should not be concerned about the uranium fueling of a Russian-built nuclear reactor in the southern Iranian city of Bushehr that is set to take place on Saturday, diplomatic officials at the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv told The Jerusalem Post.
Iran test fires new surface-to-surface missile : - Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that the country on Friday test fired a new surface-to-surface missile named Qiam-1.
Clinton announces direct talks will resume on Sept. 2: Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resume direct negotiations in Washington early next month, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday, with a goal of two sovereign states existing side by side in peace.
Settlements 'may halt' direct talks: The Palestinian Authority has accepted an invitation from the United States to resume direct negotiations with Israel, but warned that it will withdraw if Israel builds more settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Negotiations under false pretenses : No one has been able to apply significant pressure on the Israeli government to continue the full settlement building freeze beyond the initial 10 months. It appears that it is much easier to apply pressure on the Palestinian side.
Fatah accepts Haniyeh unity invite: - Fatah officials, in Gaza to offer condolences to family members of a former PA intelligence chief, will begin meetings with Hamas officials to discuss Palestinian unity, sources confirmed Friday.
Is one-state solution an answer to Greater Israel dreams?: For the new Greater Israel proponents of a one-state solution, the 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, which they opposed vehemently, suddenly has become a strategic game-changer.
PLO defends Abbas statements on Jewish rights: "We regard this announcement, which adopts a central tenet of Zionism, as a grave betrayal of the collective rights of the Palestinian people. It is tantamount to a surrender of the right of Palestinian citizens," the letter said. "
Cyprus says will not allow Gaza-bound aid ship: Cyprus will not allow a ship carrying women activists and aid for the blockaded Palestinian territory of Gaza to sail from its ports, the island's police said on Friday.
Lebanon snubs Israel's aid ship threat: The Lebanese transport minister has ignored the latest threat of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak for stopping a Lebanese aid ship bound for Ga
Palestinians: Arab states are not paying: Arab states have cut financial aid to the Palestinian Authority so far this year, according to PA figures seen by Reuters, and the United Nations has warned of a looming Palestinian cash crisis.
Gilad Atzmon: "Zionist editing".: United Against Knowledge: The Guardian reported today that two Israeli groups have set up training courses in subversive Wikipedia editing aiming to 'show the other side' of the Jewish State.
Australian politicians vie for family vote: . Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday promised two weeks’ paid leave for new fathers, matching her opponent Tony Abbott’s earlier promise.
Bolivia declares fires emergency: Evo Morales, the Bolivian president, has declared a state of emergency as firefighters contend with 25,000 separate blazes across the Andean country.
18-nation military maneuvers focus on Panama Canal security: Participants aside from host Panama and the U.S. Southern Command include Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

Thursday, 19 August 2010

News For August 20, 2010

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Philippines Police 'Torture' Video
Torture video outrage in the Philippines

By Al Jazeera

A cell-phone video, showing a suspected robber screaming in pain as an alleged police chief yanks on a rope tied to the victim's genitals, has sparked outrage in the Philippines. Continue

Other Countries Probing Bush-era Torture — Why Aren't We?

By Shashank Bengali

Judges in Great Britain, Spain, Australia, Poland and Lithuania are preparing to hear allegations that their governments helped the CIA run secret prisons on their soil or cooperated in illegal U.S. treatment of terrorism suspects. Continue

Last of the Combat Troops Leaving Iraq?
Only in your Dreams

By Bill Noxid

So there are no delusions of the reality we have left for the Iraqi people, please watch the short videos. Continue

Declassified: Massive Israeli Manipulation of US Media Exposed

By Russia Today

Files declassified in America have revealed covert public relations and lobbying activities of Israel in the U.S. They suggest Israel has been trying to shape media coverage of issues it regards as important. Continue

How to Manipulate the Masses
Propaganda

Must Read By Edward Bernays

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. Continue

Part Tinker Bell, Part Predator Drone:
The Fantasy of the Presidency as Deus ex Machina

By Phil Rockstroh


The devices employed in US election cycles and its national politics, in general, are akin to the dramatic conventions of children's theatre. Every two to four years, voters are instructed to clap their hands and believe in Tinker Bell. Continue

America Has Disgraced Itself

By Peter Beinart

Conservative fury over the “ground zero” mosque shows that when it comes to the battle for freedom and religious liberty, the U.S. has thrown in the towel. And why are Jews so thrilled to be in lockstep with the heirs of Pat Robertson? Continue

It's Not About The "Mosque"!
It's America's War On "the Other."

By Will Bunch

This country has long had its Know-Nothings and its Birchers and its McCarthyites, but it never had gizmos like Fox News or Sarah Palin's Twitter feed to fuel toxic ideas so far so fast. It's time we admit these seemingly disconnected battles over "anchor babies, mosques, and a black man in the Oval Office are all part of the same war against "the Other," and that we are in the fight of a lifetime.  Continue

Tensions Rise in Greece as Austerity Measures Backfire:

By Corinna Jessen in Athens

The austerity measures that were supposed to fix Greece's problems are dragging down the country's economy. Stores are closing, tax revenues are falling and unemployment has hit an unbelievable 70 percent in some places. Frustrated workers are threatening to strike back. Continue

Homeowners' Rebellion:
Could 62 Million Homes Be Foreclosure-Proof?

By Ellen Brown

The financial juggling that helped cause the 2008 crisis may be coming back to haunt banks—and help homeowners. Continue

The Transformation of Latin America is a Global Advance

By Seumas Milne

Nearly two centuries after it won nominal independence and Washington declared it a backyard, Latin America is standing up. The tide of progressive change that has swept the continent for the past decade has brought to power a string of social democratic and radical socialist governments that have attacked social and racial privilege, rejected neoliberal orthodoxy and challenged imperial domination of the region. Continue

US Attack on Taliban Prison Leaves 18 Dead: At least 13 Taliban militants and 5 hostages were killed following a US-led attack on a Taliban prison in Helmand Province, Afghan officials say
Taliban commander, 11 militants killed in Afghanistan's Logar province: an air weapons team engaged the group, killing nine insurgents," it stated, adding " Coalition forces then conducted a precision air strike and air assault on the objective location killing three more insurgents
3 US occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: Two US soldiers were killed in a clash with Taliban militants in Logar province. The Taliban say eight American soldiers died in the fighting.
The Secret Killers : Assassination in Afghanistan and Task Force 373
Eight militants killed in NW Pakistan: At least eight militants were killed and three others injured in a military operation launched on Thursday by the Pakistani army in the country's northwest tribal area of Upper Orakzai, reported local media.
UN calls for more Pakistan help: Pakistan's flooding crisis is a "slow-motion tsunami", the UN secretary general tells an emergency fund-raising session in New York.
Why the unfolding disaster in Pakistan should concern you: This is bizarre and shameful. We’re spending over $100 billion this year on military maneuvers to defeat the Taliban in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. Over 200 helicopters are deployed in that effort. And we’re spending $2 billion in military aid to Pakistan. More must be done for flood victims, immediately.
Pak's Shahbaz Air Base 'Controlled' by US: Lashari: Pakistan's Shahbaz air force base in southern Sindh province, which is home to the country's newest F-16 jets, is "controlled by the US", a senior official has said, triggering a denial from America which described the remarks as "completely false."
Five killed, seven injured in Iraqi attacks : A policeman was killed by a bomb that had been placed in his car in the city of Fallujah, 60 kilometres west of Baghdad. Two Iraqi soldiers were also killed by gunmen in separate attacks in the suburbs of the northern city of Mosul, security sources said.
Withdrawal Reports Anger Families and Soldiers Fighting in Iraq: Recent reports have been touting the end of combat operations in Iraq, saying the last of the combat troops have left, but the reports are angering some of the tens of thousands of troops who are still there and will remain there.
Not the End: What about the 50,000 troops who are staying behind? They didn’t exactly send their M-16s and sidearms out with that Stryker brigade. And they’re not going to transform themselves into the Peace Corps overnight. In truth, the last combat unit leaving Iraq is really a nonevent.
Up to 7K U.S. Contractors For Iraq: Only 50,000 American soldiers are to remain in the country : The officials who spoke to The Times, on condition of anonymity, said that as the Pentagon pulls out of Iraq, the State Department is going in -- in force
Gunmen kill two soldiers in south Yemen clash: Gunmen killed two soldiers and wounded two others in a clash in the Abyan province of southern Yemen on Thursday, a local official said.
Woman killed, 8 police wounded in Yemen attacks: A Yemeni woman was killed and eight policemen wounded in two separate attacks in south Yemen, security officials said on Thursday.
Steinitz demands ultimatum for Iran: Raising the stakes: Finance minister says America must warn Tehran of military strike within weeks; ‘Time has come for whole world, under US leadership, to present Iran with unequivocal ultimatum,’ he says
Russia: Iran entitled to peaceful nuclear energy: Russian nuclear chief: When Iran's Bushehr reactor goes live it will prove Russia honors its obligations.
'Intl. law forbids attack on nuclear sites': "According to Resolution 533 of the IAEA, attacking or threatening to attack operational or under-construction nuclear facilities is a blatant violation of the UN charter, IAEA statute and international regulations," Ali Asghar Soltanieh.
Exclusive: : Al Qaeda Plans Response for Israeli War on Iran: The terror group's arm in Yemen is ordering jihadists across the region to ready themselves for a war "by the Jews against Iran" that will spread across the globe, according to a new audio message
Saudi arms deal set for smooth US passage: One of the largest arms deals in US history, involving the sale of weaponry worth some $60bn to Saudi Arabia, is likely to go through Congress without significant objections. People knowledgeable about the deal say a big factor smoothing its passage is Israel’s relatively relaxed position
US to Fund Israeli Purchase of 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters: Israel is one step closer to purchasing twenty F-35 Joint Strike Fighter warplanes built by Lockheed Martin. The $2.75 billion arms deal will be paid for by American taxpayers as part of the US military aid package to Israel.
Declassified Senate Investigation Files Reveal Clandestine Israeli PR Campaign in America: The subpoenaed documents reveal Israel's clandestine programs for "cultivation of editors," the "stimulation and placement of suitable articles in the major consumer magazines" as well as U.S. reporting about sensitive subjects such as the Dimona nuclear weapons facility.
In case you missed it: How American News Media Works In Favor Of Israel
In case you missed it: The Israel Lobby: Does the United States in fact keep Israel on its feet? And how long will it continue to do so?
Netanyahu rejects peace talks based on 1967 borders: Prime ministers rebuffs Palestinian 'precondition' as talks with U.S. envoy George Mitchell end in failure.
UN report: IDF barring Gazans' access to farms, fishing zones: Humanitarian affairs office: Israel restricts entry to 17% of Gaza lands, 85% of beachfront zone, enforces restrictions with live fire.
U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows: Survey conducted by U.S.-Jewish group the Israel Project asked Americans and Europeans about their views on Israel.
No 'reset' with Venezuela soon: After a clumsy row over a diplomatic appointment, we have to ask: does the US really want better relations with Hugo Chávez?
Brazil court upholds $3m 'slave labour' fine on firm: A Brazilian court has upheld a fine of nearly $3m (£1.93m) on a company accused of keeping people as slave labourers on its ranches for years.
US Gulag: U.S. still holds detainee Pentagon wanted freed in 2004: An emotionally ill detainee still being held at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was first recommended for release by the Pentagon in 2004, according to a federal judge whose ruling ordering that the man be freed was made public this week.
ACLU sues over detention in United Arab Emirates: Rights group sues CIA, FBI over American citizen's detention in United Arab Emirates
France sends Roma Gypsies back to Romania: Rights groups say the Roma are being demonised, and Romania has warned France against "xenophobic reactions".
On the frontline of climate change: It's the burning issue Australia's leaders dare not confront, even on the eve of a general election
Oil 'plume' threatens Gulf waters: Scientists have found a 35km-long plume of oil deep in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, despite US government claims that most of the oil from a ruptured well had dispersed.
US National Guard troops deployed at Mexico border: Immigration has become a central issue ahead of important national elections in November.
More Americans think Obama is Muslim: Pew Research Center has conducted a new national survey showing that nearly one-in-five Americans, or 18 percent, think Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009.
US jobless claims jump to 500,000; nine-month high: The number of Americans filing new weekly claims for jobless benefits jumped unexpectedly to 500,000, the highest level in nine months, the government said Thursday, threatening recovery hopes.
Connecticut may have just a week's worth of cash: "Conceivably, the State may run out of funds for capital expenses that have already been authorized, allocated and incurred, such as school construction projects," she added.
California Threatens To Pay Workers With IOUs As Deficit Soars: California state contractors and others could find their paychecks replaced by IOUs this September, as legislative disputes over the state's $19 billion deficit threaten to stall the passage of a budget.
City of Phoenix moving closer to 4-day work week: A three-day weekend and a four-day workweek may become the norm for City of Phoenix workers, making it the largest city in the nation with a reduced work day week.
Paychecks to Shrink Because of Higher Health Premiums, U.S. Companies Say: Workers will pay more for their health care next year as U.S. companies prepare for provisions of the overhaul signed into law by President Barack Obama, according to a survey released today.

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

News For August 19, 2010

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Israelis kill Palestinian man in Gaza: Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian in the southern Gaza Strip, claiming they were heading off an attempted bomb attack near the border with Israel.
Bushehr fuel to be loaded Sep 16: A senior Iranian lawmaker says nuclear fuel will be loaded into the long-delayed Bushehr power plant on September 16 to make the nuclear reactor operational.
Iran warns US of military retaliation: A senior Iranian commander warns the US of retaliation in case of an attack on Iran, saying if Washington begins the war, it would not be able to put an end to it.
Obama warns Turkish PM over stance on Israel, Iran: report: President Barack Obama has warned the Turkish prime minister that Ankara's position on Israel and Iran could lessen its chances of obtaining US weapons, a report said Monday.
Dr Kelly: Just one in five believes it was suicide: The survey also reveals that eight out of ten people want a full inquest. With senior MPs making the same demand, the Coalition is under strong pressure to act.
Disease risk for Pakistani children: Millions of children in Pakistan are at high risk from deadly water-borne diseases in the wake of the country's worst flooding in living memory, the UN has warned.
Donate to Pakistan's flood victims: Over 1600 people have already been killed in the Pakistan floods and there seems to be no sign that weather conditions are improving.
France's debt of dishonour to Haiti: After Haiti won independence, France extorted compensation for its slave-owning colonists. Now Nicolas Sarkozy must repay it
How Greed Begets Hunger: The heatwave, forest fires and drought in Russia and central Asia may be unprecedented in recent times. But there is something familiar about the ensuing food crisis, as the price of wheat remains 50% higher than just six weeks ago.
How the US economy is being 'Japanised': Federal Reserve policy is taking a worrying turn towards monetarism. This can only result in an American 'lost decade'
US 'Virtually Certain' to Fall Into A New Recession: Rosenberg: The US economy is almost certainly headed back into a double dip recession, and economists aren't seeing it because they're using "the old rules of thumb" that don't apply this time, well-known economist David Rosenberg told CNBC
Economic Growth Prospects Dim in U.S. After Retail Sales, Trade Reports: Prospects for U.S. economic growth took a hit this week after reports showed the trade deficit swelled and consumers reined in spending.
Banks to benefit most from White House program to help fight foreclosures: Nevada, Arizona and Florida posted the worst foreclosure rates in July, with Nevada reporting the nation's highest foreclosure rate for the 43rd straight month.
Pension check may not be in the mail: Illinois public employees who think the state constitution guarantees that they'll get all their pension benefits may have another think coming.

August 16, 2010
What Should A Poor Warmongering Neoconservative Do?

By Juan Cole

This political grouping includes WASPS such as former CIA director James Woolsey and former UN ambassor John Bolton, but at its core is politically active and extremely wealthy Jewish former Democrats who broke with their party in the 1980s to become war hawks in Republican administrations, and most of whom are rooted in Rightwing Zionism as exemplified in the thought of prominent fascist theorist Vladimir Jabotinsky. Continue

US Death Squads Roam The Globe
Secret Assault on "Terrorism" Widens on Two Continents

By SCOTT SHANE, MARK MAZZETTI and ROBERT F. WORTH

As American counterterrorism operations spread beyond war zones into territory hostile to the military, private contractors have taken on a prominent role, raising concerns that the United States has outsourced some of its most important missions to a sometimes unaccountable private army. Continue

They Can't Cage A Song
Punishing the WikiLeaker Misses the Point

By Eric Margolis

A true journalist’s job is to expose government wrongdoing and propaganda, skewer hypocrites, and speak for those with no voice. And wage war against mankind’s two worst scourges: Nationalism and religious bigotry. Not to lick the boots of government. Continue

By Noam Chomsky

The CIA memorandum should remind us that states have an internal enemy: their own population, which must be controlled when state policy is opposed by the public.
Continue

Crisis. What Crisis? Profits Soar!

By James Petras

While progressives and leftists write about the “crises of capitalism”, manufacturers, petroleum companies, bankers and most other major corporations on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific coast are chuckling all the way to the bank. Continue

Jobless Millions Signal Death of the American Dream for Many

By Paul Harris

Whether it's the poor of Camden or Colorado Springs or Atlanta, or among the growing throngs of the 99ers, millions of Americans are discovering that working hard, doing the right thing and obeying the rules are no longer enough. Continue

Extrajudicial Killing --- US attack kills 18 people in Pakistan: Two separate US attacks in one day in North and South Waziristan have killed 18 people, Geo News reported on Sunday.
100 US attacks in Pak in 18 months under Obama compared to 45 in entire Bush term: Over 700 people have been killed in such attacks under Obama, compared to 200 under, George W. Bush.
16 people killed in Pakistan violence: At least 16 people, including five security personnel, have been killed in two separate attacks in Pakistan's troubled south-western province of Balochistan.
3 killed in attack on Afghan police: Insurgents led by an Uzbek militant group attacked an Afghan police station killing one policeman, with two militants later killed in a NATO air strike, officials said Sunday.
NATO Acknowledges Killing Civilians: NATO acknowledged on Sunday that five Afghan civilians appeared to have been killed by one of its air strikes. The strike was carried out on Thursday
60% of foreign military deaths in Afghanistan are Americans: 2002 troops have been killed since 2001, 1,226 of them Americans. British losses total 331, with the remaining 445 shared among the other 44 Nato partners in the International Security Assistance Force.
Petraeus stresses that July 2011 drawdown is 'conditions-based': Gen. David Petraeus on Sunday stressed that the July 2011 Afghanistan withdrawal date is a target to spur progress and not necessarily a pullout event.
Media Failing to Ask Tough Questions on Afghanistan War…Again: General Petraeus is on a media tour to sell the idea that the U.S. military is “making progress” in Afghanistan, a well-worn message aimed at convincing elites to extend this brutal, futile war. So far, it looks like the mainstream media is buying it, hook, line, and sinker.
Petraeus denounces 'reprehensible' Wikileaks: The top US military commander in Afghanistan on Sunday blasted as "reprehensible" the release of Afghan war documents, saying that US partners named in them have been put at risk.
WikiLeaks to shift base to friendly Sweden: Julian Assange said he would apply for a Swedish publishing license this week in order to maximize legal protections for the sources who provide WikiLeaks with documents that some governments don't want released to the public.
Bradley Manning's guilt — and ours: The accused leaker to WikiLeaks appears to have acted out of idealism. Now that we've seen the results of our wars, can we say the same?
11 people killed, 29 wounded in Iraq's violence: Up to 11 Iraqis were killed and 29 others were wounded in gunfire and a series of bomb attacks across the country on late Saturday and Sunday, the police said.
Killing the unborn: Iraqi child cancer 'linked to US weapons': Video Report: Stories are now emerging of increased deformities in the country's newborn babies as well as a dramatic rise in the number of children with cancer
Iraq: Al-Dawa Party 'Unanimously' Vote to Drop Al-Maliki: Al-Hakim's alliance stopped its negotiations with Al-Maliki's coalition over a week ago and demanded changing Al-Maliki and submitting a candidate who is acceptable by the components of the National Alliance, particularly the Al-Sadr Trend and the other blocs as a condition for resuming the talks.
Dr David Kelly was on a hitlist, says UN weapons expert: A leading UN weapons inspector last night added his voice to the growing clamour for a full inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly.
Neocon: John Bolton: Russia's Loading of Nuke Fuel Into Iran Plant Means Aug. 21 Deadline for Israeli Attack: "If they're going to do it that's the window that they have," Bolton declared. "Otherwise as I said before, once the rods are in the reactor, if you attack the reactor you're going to open it up and radiation will escape at least into the atmosphere and possibly into the waters of the Persian Gulf.
Nuclear inspection of Israel sought: In a letter sent ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting scheduled for September, the Arab League also sought support for a resolution that calls on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
U.S.-Saudi Arms Plan Grows to Record Size: Addition of Apaches, Black Hawks Swells Deal to $60 Billion
Al-Qaeda tirade against Turkey: "The Turkish government shows sympathy with the Palestinians through statements or sending some relief aid, but actually recognises Israel, engages in trade, carries out military training and shares information with it," the Egyptian-born al-Zawahiri said.
20 Million Made Homeless in Pakistan by Floods; Cholera Outbreak Feared: Impact of Pakistan floods as bad as 1947 partition, says prime minister
Hunger kills five children in flood-stricken Pakistan: Five children have died of malnutrition in the north-western region of Pakistan hit hard by the floods currently plaguing the country, a media report said on Sunday
UN chief: Pakistan needs more aid: Ban Ki-moon says floods are the worst disaster he has ever seen after visiting flooded areas.
China mourns landslide victims: China has been observing a national day of mourning for the more than 1,200 people who died after a torrent of mud swept through a town in the country's remote northwest.
Climate Scientists in Race to Predict Where Natural Disaster Will Strike Next: The world's leading climate scientists will gather this week in the United States to hammer out plans to set up an early warning system that would predict future meteorological disasters caused by global warming.
In Weather Chaos, a Case for Global Warming: “The climate is changing,” said Jay Lawrimore, chief of climate analysis at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. “Extreme events are occurring with greater frequency, and in many cases with greater intensity.”
'Half of Niger's population hungry': Niger is facing the worst hunger crisis in its history, with almost half of the population (or 7.3 million people) in desperate need of food, the UN's World Food (WFP) Program says.
Wheat is the new gold in time of plenty for America’s breadbasket: As fires wreck Russia's harvests and poor countries brace for shortages, it's boom time for Kansas farmers.