WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will not be in Afghanistan eight years from now, the White House said on Wednesday, as President Barack Obama prepared to explain to Americans next week why he is expanding the war effort.
After months of deliberation and fending off Republican charges that he was dithering on Afghanistan while violence there surged, Obama will address the nation on Tuesday on the way forward in the costly and unpopular eight-year war.
He is expected to announce he is sending about 30,000 more troops as part of a new counterinsurgency strategy that will place greater emphasis on accelerating the training of Afghan security forces so that U.S. soldiers can eventually withdraw.
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26 Nov 2009
Man dies in Sweden from the flu shot - now 9 official deaths
Aftonbladet reports that a man in his fifties died after having received the poisonous Pandemrix "swine flu" shot. He had been through a heart transplant operation and the shot made his body reject the new heart. Authorities in Sweden are now afraid fewer will want to take the vaccine.
"- It can not be said it was wrong to vaccinate this man. We do write on our home page that people who have been through heart transplants belong to the risk group and should get vaccinated. But we have new knowledge now which we can learn from." says Ingemar Persson, case investigator at the Swedish Medical Products Agency. "- The vaccine is the direct or indirect cause of this mans death." he continues.
Several involved agencies and departments will hold a press conference today to try to calm down worried citizens and again claim that the vaccine is "tested and safe".
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"- It can not be said it was wrong to vaccinate this man. We do write on our home page that people who have been through heart transplants belong to the risk group and should get vaccinated. But we have new knowledge now which we can learn from." says Ingemar Persson, case investigator at the Swedish Medical Products Agency. "- The vaccine is the direct or indirect cause of this mans death." he continues.
Several involved agencies and departments will hold a press conference today to try to calm down worried citizens and again claim that the vaccine is "tested and safe".
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6 family members killed in Iraq
BAGHDAD — Assailants broke into a house and killed six family members before dawn Wednesday in an area north of Baghdad that was once a stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq, Iraqi officials said.
The dead included a couple and two daughters, and two brothers of the husband, according to a police officer in Tarmiyah, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of the capital. The throats of two women were slit, while the other four people were shot execution-style; two of the couple's other children were not harmed.
A motive for the attack was not immediately clear. The Tarmiyah officer and a police investigator said the Sunni Arab victims were not affiliated with Sunni militiamen, many of them former insurgents, who joined U.S. forces and turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.
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The dead included a couple and two daughters, and two brothers of the husband, according to a police officer in Tarmiyah, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of the capital. The throats of two women were slit, while the other four people were shot execution-style; two of the couple's other children were not harmed.
A motive for the attack was not immediately clear. The Tarmiyah officer and a police investigator said the Sunni Arab victims were not affiliated with Sunni militiamen, many of them former insurgents, who joined U.S. forces and turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.
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Afghanistan war annually costs $1 mn per soldier
The US burdens an enormous human and financial cost to fight the insurgency in Afghanistan, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs claims.Gibbs said that it costs about a million dollars per year for each deployed US soldier, beyond the expense of training and maintaining a security force.
Burdened by two wars, the American military already has more than 180,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and will have to draw on the handful of remaining brigades to carry out Obama's plan, expected to see the deployment of some 34,000 more troops in Afghanistan.
More than 800 American soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan, and October was the deadliest month since the start of the war in 2001 with 74 US soldiers killed.
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Another blast hits Pakistan's Peshawar
At least three people, including a head of a police station, have been injured in the latest bomb explosion in Pakistan, police say.
The blast occurred in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday morning, said Hakim Khan, a police officer at the scene of the attack.
Riaz Ulislam, the police station chief, was injured as he was passing by in his vehicle in a residential area of Peshawar near a school.
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The blast occurred in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Thursday morning, said Hakim Khan, a police officer at the scene of the attack.
Riaz Ulislam, the police station chief, was injured as he was passing by in his vehicle in a residential area of Peshawar near a school.
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25 Nov 2009
CEOs cashed in before Wall Street meltdown
The CEOs of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, the two investment banks that collapsed during last year's financial meltdown, walked away with hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation even as the company's shareholders lost everything, says a new report from Harvard Law School.
The top five executives at Bear Stearns made a total of $1.4 billion from bonuses and equity sales between 2000 and 2008, while the top five executives at Lehman Brothers made around $1 billion during that same period -- the period during which the companies ran up the bad investments that would see them collapse in 2008, according to "The Wages of Failure" (PDF), a report from Harvard Law School's Program on Corporate Governance.
"The people who invested in these companies should feel betrayed," Nell Minow, a compensation expert at the Corporate Library, told NBC's Lisa Myers. "The whole idea of capitalism is that the people provide the capital and the executives take care of it for us. In this case, the people provided the capital, and the executives took it."
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The top five executives at Bear Stearns made a total of $1.4 billion from bonuses and equity sales between 2000 and 2008, while the top five executives at Lehman Brothers made around $1 billion during that same period -- the period during which the companies ran up the bad investments that would see them collapse in 2008, according to "The Wages of Failure" (PDF), a report from Harvard Law School's Program on Corporate Governance.
"The people who invested in these companies should feel betrayed," Nell Minow, a compensation expert at the Corporate Library, told NBC's Lisa Myers. "The whole idea of capitalism is that the people provide the capital and the executives take care of it for us. In this case, the people provided the capital, and the executives took it."
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Twin blasts kill dozens in Karbala
Two consecutive explosions have rocked the Iraqi holy city of Karbala, leaving 26 people killed in the shrine city and more than a score injured.The incident happened early Wednesday when two bombs within minutes of each other went off at a restaurant in the city.
Police officials said the first bomb targeted diners inside the restaurant in central Karbala around 9:00 am (0600 GMT), injuring several people.
But a second bomb minutes later struck after an ambulance and medics arrived to help the wounded, causing most of the casualties.
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'Secret talks on Iraq invasion began in 2001'
A former top British intelligence officer says British officials decided in 2001 against participating in talks with their US counterparts about regime change in Iraq.
Peter Ricketts, now permanent secretary at the Home Office, said Tuesday that British officials were aware months before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States that the Bush administration was pressing for the removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
US and British officials believed at the time that measures against Iraq were failing. The measures consisted of sanctions, an incentive to lift sanctions if Saddam allowed the United Nations weapons inspectors to return, and the 'no fly' zones over the north and south of Iraq.
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Peter Ricketts, now permanent secretary at the Home Office, said Tuesday that British officials were aware months before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States that the Bush administration was pressing for the removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
US and British officials believed at the time that measures against Iraq were failing. The measures consisted of sanctions, an incentive to lift sanctions if Saddam allowed the United Nations weapons inspectors to return, and the 'no fly' zones over the north and south of Iraq.
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Obama to announce Afghanistan surge of over 30,000
Early next week President Obama will announce a surge of more than 30,000 soldiers in the US occupation of Afghanistan. The increase sets the stage for a deepening of US military violence in Central and South Asia and for a confrontation with the US working class, which increasingly opposes the war.Citing anonymous Obama administration and military officials, media reports put the increase at between 32,000 and 35,000 soldiers, who will be deployed in waves beginning in March. It will be Obama’s second major escalation in Afghanistan. Soon after entering office he authorized an increase of 21,000 soldiers.
While not revealing details of the plan, Obama declared at a Tuesday joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he intends to “finish the job” in Afghanistan. “I feel very confident that when the American people hear a clear rationale for what we’re doing there and how we intend to achieve our goals, that they will be supportive,” Obama said.
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GlaxoSmithKline pulls swine flu vaccines in Canada
LONDON – Canadian doctors have been advised not to use a batch of 170,000 swine flu vaccines after six reports of serious allergic reactions among recipients, but there are no similar reports from other countries, pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Tuesday.
Authorities routinely monitor vaccines for any signals of problems, such as the allergic reactions that do occur, rarely, every year. Company spokeswoman Gwenan White said that GlaxoSmithKline advised medical staff in Canada ast week to refrain from using one batch of the vaccine while they look into reports that that it might have caused more allergic reactions than normal.
Six people in Canada had suffered an allergic reaction, said Tim Vail, the spokesman for Canada's health minister. The batch contained about 170,000 doses. It was not immediately clear how many had been administered, although Vail said the majority had been.
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Authorities routinely monitor vaccines for any signals of problems, such as the allergic reactions that do occur, rarely, every year. Company spokeswoman Gwenan White said that GlaxoSmithKline advised medical staff in Canada ast week to refrain from using one batch of the vaccine while they look into reports that that it might have caused more allergic reactions than normal.
Six people in Canada had suffered an allergic reaction, said Tim Vail, the spokesman for Canada's health minister. The batch contained about 170,000 doses. It was not immediately clear how many had been administered, although Vail said the majority had been.
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24 Nov 2009
Israel holds over 370 Palestinian children captive
The media liaison at the Palestinian ministry in charge of prisoners' affairs says that Israel is currently holding captive more than 370 child detainees; all under the age of 18."Child detainees are sent to courts that prosecute cases of adult detainees. This is a flagrant violation of International Law. Dozens of detained Palestinian children undergo a series of harsh trials under a legal system that treats them the same as apprehended adults," Riyadh al-Ashqar told the official Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV network on Monday.
Al-Ashqar went on to note that the child detainees are not immune to 'egregious abuses', adding mistreatment and torture in Israeli detention facilities are not uncommon.
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US suicide rate rises as recession continues
New alarming statistics suggest that the number of suicides in the US has increased with the effects of the recession.
The latest surveys show the number of Americans killing themselves because of issues related with the economy may be climbing in the recessionary year of 2008 compared with that of 2007.
“Suicide among families for financial breakdown is of great importance and certainly preventable. However, it leaves incurable scars in families with such financial situation,” an American psychologist and Press TV contributor Mala Coleman King says.
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The latest surveys show the number of Americans killing themselves because of issues related with the economy may be climbing in the recessionary year of 2008 compared with that of 2007.
“Suicide among families for financial breakdown is of great importance and certainly preventable. However, it leaves incurable scars in families with such financial situation,” an American psychologist and Press TV contributor Mala Coleman King says.
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Ukraine virus update - flu deaths rise to 354, but Ukraine Health Officials plan to lift quarantine
The Ukraine virus, which is similar to the swine flu, according to the World Health Organization, has now claimed the lives of 354 people since the beginning of October. According to recent reports, the Ukraine government intends to lift the quarantines and other protective measures put in place to protect against the spread of the Ukraine flu.Ukraine flu outbreak symptoms
The Ukraine flu results in a total breakdown of the lungs, according to Doctor Victor Bachinsky. This flu virus causes bleeding in the lungs, which results in the blackened lungs that have caused alarm in witnesses to Ukraine flu victims.
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2 killed, 4 injured in Israeli attack on Gaza
At least two Palestinians have been killed and four others wounded in an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.
Gaza hospital sources announced the reception of two bodies late on Monday, along with four other victims who had received medium to critical injuries, after an Israeli tank shelled the eastern Gaza city neighborhood of Shejaeya.
The shelling caused serious damage in the densely populated area, reports say, but there are no more details on the incident.
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Gaza hospital sources announced the reception of two bodies late on Monday, along with four other victims who had received medium to critical injuries, after an Israeli tank shelled the eastern Gaza city neighborhood of Shejaeya.
The shelling caused serious damage in the densely populated area, reports say, but there are no more details on the incident.
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UK: The DNA snatchers: Police arresting innocents just to grab genetic details for Big Brother database
Police are arresting innocent people in order to get their hands on as many DNA samples as possible, senior Government advisers revealed last night.
The Human Genetics Commission said the Big Brother tactic was creating a 'spiral of suspicion' among the public.
The panel - which contains some of Britain's leading scientists and academics - said officers should no longer routinely take samples at the point of arresting a suspect.
They also called for all police - including support staff - to place their own DNA on the national database in a show of solidarity with a public being routinely placed under suspicion.
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The Human Genetics Commission said the Big Brother tactic was creating a 'spiral of suspicion' among the public.
The panel - which contains some of Britain's leading scientists and academics - said officers should no longer routinely take samples at the point of arresting a suspect.
They also called for all police - including support staff - to place their own DNA on the national database in a show of solidarity with a public being routinely placed under suspicion.
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23 Nov 2009
US military loses another GI in Iraq
Another US soldier has been killed in Iraq.
"A Multi-National Division South soldier was killed in action," according to a US Army statement issued on Sunday. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.
The latest casualty brings the death toll for US troops in Iraq to nine for the month of November and 145 so far this year.
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"A Multi-National Division South soldier was killed in action," according to a US Army statement issued on Sunday. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.
The latest casualty brings the death toll for US troops in Iraq to nine for the month of November and 145 so far this year.
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4 US soldiers killed in 24 hours in Afghanistan
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)says that four American soldiers have been killed in the past 24 hours in Afghanistan.
The military said on Monday that the soldiers were killed in separate attacks in the war-ravaged country.
Two US soldiers were killed in a homemade bomb blast in the south, where another soldier was killed in a militant attack on Sunday, ISAF said in a statement.
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The military said on Monday that the soldiers were killed in separate attacks in the war-ravaged country.
Two US soldiers were killed in a homemade bomb blast in the south, where another soldier was killed in a militant attack on Sunday, ISAF said in a statement.
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22 Nov 2009
CIA 'ran secret prison for al-Qaeda' in Lithuanian riding school
A former horse riding school in the tiny Baltic state of Lithuania was used as a secret CIA prison to hold and interrogate top al-Qaeda terrorists, it has been claimed.
The allegations have sparked a parliamentary inquiry after President Dalia Grybauskaite said she harboured "indirect suspicions" that such a facility existed.
According to unnamed former intelligence operatives quoted by ABC News, the CIA built the secret jail in 2004 and used it for more than a year, flying in at least eight suspected al-Qaeda terrorists from Afghanistan.
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The allegations have sparked a parliamentary inquiry after President Dalia Grybauskaite said she harboured "indirect suspicions" that such a facility existed.
According to unnamed former intelligence operatives quoted by ABC News, the CIA built the secret jail in 2004 and used it for more than a year, flying in at least eight suspected al-Qaeda terrorists from Afghanistan.
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Obama Threatens Iran with New Sanctions
PARIS — Senior officials from Western powers discussed the possibility of new sanctions on Iran on Friday for flouting the United Nations Security Council’s demands and expressed disappointment that Iran had not yet accepted a draft agreement to export most of its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.
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France - Monsanto Guilty Of Lying About Round-Up
France's highest court has ruled that U.S. agrochemical giant Monsanto had not told the truth about the safety of its best-selling weed-killer, Roundup. The court confirmed an earlier judgment that Monsanto had falsely advertised its herbicide as "biodegradable" and claimed it "left the soil clean." Roundup is the world's best-selling herbicide.
French environmental groups had brought the case in 2001 on the basis that glyphosate, Roundup's main ingredient, is classed as "dangerous for the environment" by the European Union.
In the latest ruling, France's Supreme Court upheld two earlier convictions against Monsanto by the Lyon criminal court in 2007, and the Lyon court of appeal in 2008, the AFP news agency reports.
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French environmental groups had brought the case in 2001 on the basis that glyphosate, Roundup's main ingredient, is classed as "dangerous for the environment" by the European Union.
In the latest ruling, France's Supreme Court upheld two earlier convictions against Monsanto by the Lyon criminal court in 2007, and the Lyon court of appeal in 2008, the AFP news agency reports.
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'2009 was bloodiest year for Israeli war machine'
Israeli aggression has resulted in the death of more Palestinians this year than in any other year over the past two decades, says an Israeli rights group.The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B'Tselem, published a report notifying that Israeli aggression had killed 1,387 Palestinians including more than 300 children so far this year.
Most of the deaths occurred after Tel Aviv ordered three weeks of unabated aerial and artillery bombardment of the Gaza Strip at the turn of the year.
Medical sources put the number of deaths from the attacks at more than 1,400.
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Israeli jets attack Gaza, 7 Palestinians injured
Israeli jets have carried out air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip, injuring seven Palestinians.
On Sunday, Palestinian medical workers and witnesses said other areas targeted by Israeli planes included a caravan in the northern Gaza Strip and smuggling tunnels in the south under the border with Egypt, the New York Times reported.
In addition, the Press TV correspondent in Gaza reported that Israeli gunboats were approaching the coast of Gaza.
The attacks occurred one day after Hamas said it had reached an agreement with smaller armed groups in the territory to halt sporadic rocket fire toward Israel.
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On Sunday, Palestinian medical workers and witnesses said other areas targeted by Israeli planes included a caravan in the northern Gaza Strip and smuggling tunnels in the south under the border with Egypt, the New York Times reported.
In addition, the Press TV correspondent in Gaza reported that Israeli gunboats were approaching the coast of Gaza.
The attacks occurred one day after Hamas said it had reached an agreement with smaller armed groups in the territory to halt sporadic rocket fire toward Israel.
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Blast kills five Afghan border guards
A roadside bomb explosion has killed at least five Afghan border guards in the southern province of Kandahar, according to police.
Provincial border police commander General Abdul Raziq said the blast happened in the Spin Boldak district bordering Pakistan during a pre-dawn patrol on Sunday.
"In an explosion this morning all five border policemen were killed when their vehicle was hit," the general told AFP.
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Provincial border police commander General Abdul Raziq said the blast happened in the Spin Boldak district bordering Pakistan during a pre-dawn patrol on Sunday.
"In an explosion this morning all five border policemen were killed when their vehicle was hit," the general told AFP.
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Aspirin kills 400% more people than H1N1 swine flu
(NaturalNews) The CDC now reports that nearly 4,000 Americans have been killed by H1N1 swine flu. This number is supposed to sound big and scary, motivating millions of people to go out and pay good money to be injected with untested, unproven H1N1 vaccines. But let's put the number in perspective: Did you know that more than four times as many people are killed each year by common NSAID painkillers like aspirin?
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Iraq report: Secret plans for war, no plans for peace
Today’s leaked documents shed no new light on the most oft-rehearsed of those charges – that he lied about, or exaggerated, the threat from Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. But they will make uncomfortable reading for the former prime minister in the light of some of his other claims.
In President George W Bush’s January 2002 State of the Union address, fresh from what then looked like a victory in Afghanistan, he ratcheted up the rhetoric against Saddam Hussein. He named Iraq as one of three states in an “axis of evil”, promising: “I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer.”
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In President George W Bush’s January 2002 State of the Union address, fresh from what then looked like a victory in Afghanistan, he ratcheted up the rhetoric against Saddam Hussein. He named Iraq as one of three states in an “axis of evil”, promising: “I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer.”
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Venezuela blows up border bridges with Colombia
Venezuela has blown up two pedestrian bridges on its border with Colombia in the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the Andean neighbours.
Soldiers destroyed the walkways because they were being used by illegal militia and drug traffickers, said Eusebio Aguero, an army general based in the border state of Táchira.
"They are two foot bridges that paramilitary fighters used, where gasoline and drug precursors were smuggled, subversive groups entered. They are not considered in any international treaty."
However Colombia denounced the action as a violation of international law that would worsen the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
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Soldiers destroyed the walkways because they were being used by illegal militia and drug traffickers, said Eusebio Aguero, an army general based in the border state of Táchira.
"They are two foot bridges that paramilitary fighters used, where gasoline and drug precursors were smuggled, subversive groups entered. They are not considered in any international treaty."
However Colombia denounced the action as a violation of international law that would worsen the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
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20 Nov 2009
US missile strike leaves 10 dead in Waziristan
A US unmanned drone aircraft has fired several missiles into a Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan, killing at least ten people and injuring several others.
The strike took place in the restive North Waziristan tribal district on Friday.
The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured were said to be in critical condition. The attack took place in an area where people do not have access to urgent medical assistance.
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The strike took place in the restive North Waziristan tribal district on Friday.
The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured were said to be in critical condition. The attack took place in an area where people do not have access to urgent medical assistance.
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Osama bin Laden’s son wants to work for UN
In an interview with the New Statesman, the fourth eldest son of the world's most wanted man said that he "passionately wants to try to stop violence".
Asked whether he plans to enter politics or public life, Mr bin Laden said: "I do not believe that I would be a good politician – I have a habit of speaking the truth, even when it does not serve me well. But I would like to be in a position to promote peace. I believe that the United Nations would be ideal for me."
He said he ended contact with his father in April 2001 but that he was once asked to take up arms at a meeting with his fighters.
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Asked whether he plans to enter politics or public life, Mr bin Laden said: "I do not believe that I would be a good politician – I have a habit of speaking the truth, even when it does not serve me well. But I would like to be in a position to promote peace. I believe that the United Nations would be ideal for me."
He said he ended contact with his father in April 2001 but that he was once asked to take up arms at a meeting with his fighters.
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Diplomats say EU choose Belgian as new president
BRUSSELS — Diplomats say EU leaders have opted for little-known compromise candidate Belgian Premier Herman Van Rompuy to become the bloc’s first full-time president.Envoys added that the 27 leaders have also agreed to appoint Britain’s EU commissioner Catherine Ashton as the bloc’s new foreign policy chief, replacing Spaniard Javier Solana.
Ashton has been the EU’s trade commissioner since last year.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been formally announced at summit talks Thursday.
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Six transported to hospital after getting swine flu vaccine
Paramedics were called to Sacred Hearts Academy today after about a dozen people appeared to have a reaction to the H1N1 swine flu vaccine.
Officials say the apparent reactions could have a lot to do with anxiety rather than the vaccine itself.
Approximately 300 students and 100 faculty at Sacred Hearts Academy got armed against the H1N1 swine flu Monday morning in the State's school vaccination clinic.
Kindergartener Tai Martinez was one of those students
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Officials say the apparent reactions could have a lot to do with anxiety rather than the vaccine itself.
Approximately 300 students and 100 faculty at Sacred Hearts Academy got armed against the H1N1 swine flu Monday morning in the State's school vaccination clinic.
Kindergartener Tai Martinez was one of those students
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19 Nov 2009
Transparency International: Afghanistan 2nd most corrupt nation
KABUL: Afghanistan, a recipient of billions of dollars in international aid, achieved another dubious distinction on Tuesday when an influential global watchdog ranked it as the second most corrupt nation of the world.
The Berlin-based Transparency International said in its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) Somalia stayed the world's most corrupt country, followed by conflict-torn Afghanistan and Iraq.
As the world economy begins to register a tentative recovery and some nations continue to wrestle with ongoing conflict and insecurity, it is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption.
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The Berlin-based Transparency International said in its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) Somalia stayed the world's most corrupt country, followed by conflict-torn Afghanistan and Iraq.
As the world economy begins to register a tentative recovery and some nations continue to wrestle with ongoing conflict and insecurity, it is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption.
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Two women lose babies after swine flu jab in Portugal
A pregnant woman who took the swine flu jab on Friday was rushed to the CUF Descobertas on Monday but lost her baby, according to the Jose de Mello, a Portuguese health official.
TV42.pt reports that the 34-year-old woman is still in hospital and has yet to give birth to the lifeless fetus.
Conceca Talhado, the head of the gynaecology department at CUF Descobertas said that an autopsy would be needed to establish whether there was a link between the swine flu vaccine and the death of the fetus.
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TV42.pt reports that the 34-year-old woman is still in hospital and has yet to give birth to the lifeless fetus.
Conceca Talhado, the head of the gynaecology department at CUF Descobertas said that an autopsy would be needed to establish whether there was a link between the swine flu vaccine and the death of the fetus.
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Obama popularity below 50 percent for first time: poll
WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama's job approval rating has dipped below 50 percent nationally for the first time, as Americans worry about the war in Afghanistan, a new poll released Wednesday found.
The Quinnipiac University poll showed 48 percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president, compared to 42 percent who disapprove.
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The Quinnipiac University poll showed 48 percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president, compared to 42 percent who disapprove.
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UK: Secret CCTV cameras fitted INSIDE people's homes to spy on neighbours outside
CCTV cameras are being fitted inside family homes by council 'snoopers' to spy on neighbours in the street outside, it was revealed today.
The £1,000 security cameras have been placed inside properties but are trained on the streets to gather evidence of anti-social behaviour.
Each device is linked to a laptop computer and accessible online by police and council officials 24 hours a day.
But the trial inside two homes by Croydon council in south London has sparked new fears about invasion of privacy and Britain's ‘surveillance society’.
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The £1,000 security cameras have been placed inside properties but are trained on the streets to gather evidence of anti-social behaviour.
Each device is linked to a laptop computer and accessible online by police and council officials 24 hours a day.
But the trial inside two homes by Croydon council in south London has sparked new fears about invasion of privacy and Britain's ‘surveillance society’.
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UN abandons hunger reduction target
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations abandoned its hunger reduction targets in advance of the World Food Summit on Food Security that opened in Rome on November 16. Instead, it has substituted a vague phrase. From now on, it will aim “to take action towards sustainably eradicating hunger at the earliest possible date.”
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18 Nov 2009
'US military suicides will hit new high in 2009'
A US general says that suicides in the US military will rise to a new high this year.
“We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year,” General Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, told a Pentagon briefing. “This is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way.”
Chiarelli said the causes of the suicides were still unclear and noted that roughly a third of the soldiers who took their own lives had never been deployed abroad.
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“We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year,” General Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, told a Pentagon briefing. “This is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way.”
Chiarelli said the causes of the suicides were still unclear and noted that roughly a third of the soldiers who took their own lives had never been deployed abroad.
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Italian doctors reject swine flu vaccine
Italian family physicians refuse to prescribe the A/H1N1 vaccine for their patients, claiming that the risks of the vaccine outweigh its benefits.
Latest figures revealed that swine flu has infected more than 540,000 individuals, claiming the lives of 30 in Italy.
The country has ordered some 48 million doses of the A/H1N1 vaccine, enough to immunize 24 million of its population, and plans to start a mass vaccination program in the coming weeks.
Italian media outlets have, however, claimed that many of these vaccines would be useless as the majority of Italians including the Deputy Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio and the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno have decided against vaccination.
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Latest figures revealed that swine flu has infected more than 540,000 individuals, claiming the lives of 30 in Italy.
The country has ordered some 48 million doses of the A/H1N1 vaccine, enough to immunize 24 million of its population, and plans to start a mass vaccination program in the coming weeks.
Italian media outlets have, however, claimed that many of these vaccines would be useless as the majority of Italians including the Deputy Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio and the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno have decided against vaccination.
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17 Nov 2009
Israel approves 900 settler homes
The Israeli interior ministry has approved planning applications for 900 new housing units at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.
The planning and construction committee authorised the expansion of Gilo, which is built on land captured in 1967 and annexed to the Jerusalem municipality.
The project still faces review and the public will be able to make objections.
Settlements on occupied territory are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
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The planning and construction committee authorised the expansion of Gilo, which is built on land captured in 1967 and annexed to the Jerusalem municipality.
The project still faces review and the public will be able to make objections.
Settlements on occupied territory are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
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At Least 12 Afghan Civilians Killed in Failed Assassination of French General
Fresh off of yesterday’s announcement that some 700 French soldiers were marching into the Tagab Valley to try to seize control over it away from the Taliban, the militants have struck.
A pair of rockets were fired against a meeting being held between a local tribal shura and French Brigadier General Marcel Druart. Gen. Druart was not hurt, but at least 12 civilians were killed and another 38 wounded.
French officials say that despite the killings, the meeting continued, and Gen. Druart says the Taliban will not be allowed to disrupt his plans for the restive valley.
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A pair of rockets were fired against a meeting being held between a local tribal shura and French Brigadier General Marcel Druart. Gen. Druart was not hurt, but at least 12 civilians were killed and another 38 wounded.
French officials say that despite the killings, the meeting continued, and Gen. Druart says the Taliban will not be allowed to disrupt his plans for the restive valley.
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Around 50 million Americans go hungry
A new US government report indicates that one out of seven Americans suffer from hunger amid the escalating woes of the latest economic downturn.
The findings of a recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) research study show that 14.6 percent of US households -- about 50 million people -- have been struggling to feed themselves due to the lowering food security standards exacerbated by the 2007 economic recession.
According to the USDA report, over five million children have joined the underfed young over the past year, raising the total number of hungry American kids to 17 million.
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The findings of a recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) research study show that 14.6 percent of US households -- about 50 million people -- have been struggling to feed themselves due to the lowering food security standards exacerbated by the 2007 economic recession.
According to the USDA report, over five million children have joined the underfed young over the past year, raising the total number of hungry American kids to 17 million.
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NATO backs 5,000 more Afghanistan troops
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says British Premier Gordon Brown's prediction that 5,000 more non-US allied troops would be needed in Afghanistan is 'realistic'.
Speaking to European Union officials in Brussels on Monday, Rasmussen gave his support to the British call for additional troops in Afghanistan, but said it was premature to make a final assessment.
The secretary general said the members of the European military alliance are currently engaged in intense consultations on future troop commitments and that 'very important decisions' would be made in the next few weeks.
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Speaking to European Union officials in Brussels on Monday, Rasmussen gave his support to the British call for additional troops in Afghanistan, but said it was premature to make a final assessment.
The secretary general said the members of the European military alliance are currently engaged in intense consultations on future troop commitments and that 'very important decisions' would be made in the next few weeks.
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EU against recognizing Palestinian state
The European Union says it will discuss Palestine's demand to be recognized by the UN as an independent state, but has described the proposal as “premature”.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, told reporters in Brussels that EU foreign ministers would discuss more support for the Palestinians at a meeting on Tuesday but said it was premature to discuss the recognition of a Palestinian state.
"I hope we would be in a position to recognize a Palestinian state but there has to be one first. So I think that is a bit premature... We would be ready to recognize a Palestinian state but conditions are not there as of yet," Bildt said.
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Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, told reporters in Brussels that EU foreign ministers would discuss more support for the Palestinians at a meeting on Tuesday but said it was premature to discuss the recognition of a Palestinian state.
"I hope we would be in a position to recognize a Palestinian state but there has to be one first. So I think that is a bit premature... We would be ready to recognize a Palestinian state but conditions are not there as of yet," Bildt said.
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Over 1.2 billion people suffering from hunger
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has declared that over 1.2 billion people across the globe are starving.A three-day UN summit on world food security, held in Rome, announced that more than 1.2 billion people, or one in six of human population, are starving due to regional wars, global financial crisis, rising energy prices and food costs.
The 'Hunger Summit' was attended by Pope Benedict XVI and some 60 heads of state to endorse a new strategy to fight hunger, focusing on the need for increased investments in agricultural development in poor countries.
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16 Nov 2009
US blocks release of Iraq, Afghanistan torture photos
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has blocked the release of new photographs showing prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq being abused by their Americans captors.
Gates said that public disclosure of the photos would endanger US citizens, US armed forces, and employees of the US government deployed outside the US.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had sued for the release of 21 color photos under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Obama administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court late Friday saying that Gates has invoked new powers blocking the release of the photos.
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Gates said that public disclosure of the photos would endanger US citizens, US armed forces, and employees of the US government deployed outside the US.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had sued for the release of 21 color photos under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Obama administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court late Friday saying that Gates has invoked new powers blocking the release of the photos.
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Afghan troop surge to cost up to $54 bn per year
The cost of sending 40,000 additional American troops to Afghanistan is estimated to be between $40 billion to $54 billion annually, a new report says.
The New York Times cited top administration officials on Saturday that budget projections for the Afghan war will cost US taxpayers at least $1 million per soldier, per year.
"Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House ... appears almost constant," the Times reported.
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The New York Times cited top administration officials on Saturday that budget projections for the Afghan war will cost US taxpayers at least $1 million per soldier, per year.
"Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House ... appears almost constant," the Times reported.
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