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NEWS MONDAY, FEBRUARY
6, 2012 NEWS
Bloomberg
Reloads In Push For Gun Control
Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda
during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far
more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas
Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid
like the plague: gun control. The two mayors, whose local teams face off
in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG),
the organization they co-founded in 2006. Murder has been on the decline
in New York and other major American cities for years, but the mayors say
they still see too many dead cops and teens. On Tuesday night, Bloomberg
was at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan visiting a New York police officer
who had just been shot in the face in Brooklyn. Reuters
VOA VIEW: Criminal care less about gun
control laws - they would not have prevented any gun related criminal act.
Colorado
Rocky For Republicans In 2012
Note to Republican presidential contenders: Colorado's political terrain
is as rocky as its mountains. Once solidly Republican, the state turned
just as solidly Democratic in the 2000s as the population swelled with
people moving into the state. Colorado's traditional bases of conservatism
_ evangelical Christians and Western individualists _ became less influential.
Democrats rolled up big victories statewide and, in 2008, Barack Obama
became the first Democrat in two decades to carry Colorado's nine electoral
votes. Las
Vegas Sun
Egypt
To Try 19 Americans In Case Straining Ties
Ignoring a U.S. threat to cut off aid, Egypt on Sunday referred 19
Americans and 24 other employees of nonprofit groups to trial before a
criminal court on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to foment
unrest in the country. Egypt's military rulers had already deeply strained
ties with Washington with their crackdown on U.S.-funded groups promoting
democracy and human rights. Newsday
VOA VIEW: There should be no aid to rogue
nations, or those who do not cooperate with the U.S.
Obama
Dinner To Mark End Of Iraq War
With U.S. forces still fighting in Afghanistan, the Obama administration
has chosen to mark the end of the Iraq War with something more modest than
a ticker-tape parade — a state-dinner-like event at the White House later
this month feting a select group of combat veterans and their spouses or
guests. The core theme is the common fighting man or woman, said Douglas
Wilson, Pentagon public affairs chief. The intent is for those invited
— with guests, numbering more than 200 — to represent the 1.5 million who
fought in a nine-year-war that left nearly 4,500 dead and 32,000 wounded,
he said. "The dining room that night will look like the America that served
in Iraq," Wilson said. "State dinners honor heads of state and I think
the feeling was that this type of dinner is an appropriate way to honor
men and women who … merit the same degree of respect as a head of state,"
he said. The black-tie White House event to be called "A Nation's Gratitude"
may be unprecedented, Wilson said. USA
Today
Obama
Seeks Diplomatic Resolution To Iran Crisis
President Barack Obama said Sunday he does not think Israel has decided
whether to attack Iran over its disputed nuclear program, a standoff that
has the Middle East on edge. The president sought to assure allies and
foes alike that the United States was working with Israel to solve the
crisis, "hopefully diplomatically." Obama's comments came as Israel's major
allies in the West are working hard to talk it out of a unilateral military
strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, arguing forcefully that an attack
ultimately would only strengthen the regime in Tehran. Detroit
News
VOA VIEW: Obama is a weak - there is no
diplomatic solution with Iran.
Giant
Step Giants’ Last-Minute Score Dooms Patriots Again
Eli Manning now can say he did not get lucky the first time around.
And Tom Coughlin now can be called a coach every bit as great as Bill Belichick,
whom he has beaten twice in the Super Bowl. The Giants, who squeaked into
the NFL playoffs, put a stamp on another miracle run through the postseason
with a 21-17 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday at Lucas Oil
Stadium. With the victory, the Giants became the first team that went 9-7
in the regular season to emerge as Super Bowl champion. And at 65, Coughlin
passed Dick Vermeil (63) as the oldest coach to win the Super Bowl. The
Patriots could not avenge their loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII,
when Manning pulled off the upset of the century with a game- winning drive
that ruined New England’s shot at a perfect season. Philadelphia
Inquirer
Just
Call Him Tax-Hike Mike
Pay up, America. Mayor Bloomberg took his call for the expiration of
the Bush tax cuts to the national stage yesterday, saying all Americans
— not just the wealthy — should pay to get the federal government out of
its fiscal hole. "We should all pony up and help close the deficit.” He
also called on elected officials to end rhetoric that he said is creating
“class warfare.” Hizzoner disagreed with President Obama, who has called
for higher taxes only on the very wealthy. “If you only raise taxes on
the rich, you don’t get that much money,” Bloomberg, a billionaire himself,
insisted. “The only way you get $4 trillion — which is half the deficit
that we need to close — is if you make sure the Bush tax cuts go away for
everybody.” He explained that the rich do pay their share — “but the bottom
line is there aren’t many of them.” He added that all Americans benefit
from the government. NY
Post
VOA VIEW: Cutting government spending
is the fastest and best deficit solution.
Ambassador
Rice: Egypt Must Release Americans
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is keeping up the Obama administration's
pressure on Egypt to release 19 Americans facing trial on allegations of
encouraging unrest in the country. Susan Rice tells the "CBS This Morning"
show the U.S. citizens involved in the dispute have been working with efforts
to build a more democratic society and "have done absolutely nothing wrong."
Her statement comes in the wake of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's
warning Saturday that Egypt could face a cutoff of U.S. financial aid because
of the problem. Asked about what efforts remain under way to resolve the
problem, Rice said Washington has been talking to Cairo constantly, including
"in the last days and hours." She also said the situation "has serious
consequences for our bilateral relationship." Houston
Chronicle
Congress
Appears To Be Trying To Get Around Earmark Ban
Members of Congress may no longer be able to direct federal money to
projects back home because of a moratorium on legislative earmarks, but
that has not stopped them from trying. A one-stop destination for the latest
political news — from The Times and other top sources. Plus opinion, polls,
campaign data and video. A coalition of budget watchdog groups says that
in the absence of the age-old practice of Congressional earmarks, the legislative
tools that let members attach pet projects to bills, lawmakers appear to
have found a backdoor method: special funds in spending and authorization
bills that allow them to direct money to projects in their states.
NY
Times
VOA VIEW: Reliability and prudence does
not exist in Congress.
Defense
Cuts Test Lawmakers Resolve On Deficits
Lawmakers who came to Washington demanding budget cuts face a tough
test now that President Barack Obama and military leaders want to shrink
the force, shut down bases and cancel weapons to achieve them. A new national
security strategy reflecting an end to decade-long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
offers the opportunity to reduce defense spending and government deficits
by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 10 years -- but at a cost
of thousands of jobs in lawmakers' states and districts. Democrats as well
as Republicans are resisting, looking to protect home turf from California,
where the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft is built, to Wisconsin, home to
speedy Littoral combat ships, to military installations all across the
country. Boston
Globe
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Israeli
Premier To Visit US To Address Lobby
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says he will visit
the U.S. next month for the annual conference of AIPAC, the pro-Israel
lobby. A statement by Netanyahu's office Sunday said the prime minister
would speak at the conference. It was not immediately clear if Netanyahu
would meet U.S. President Obama during his visit. The visit comes at a
time of deadlock in Israel-Palestinian talks and growing international
concern that Israel could soon launch an attack on Iran's nuclear program.
The U.S. has urged Israel not to attack, saying that economic sanctions
on Iran and international diplomacy should be given time to work. ABC
Romney
Latest Pol To Join Wait-Let-Me-Explain Club
Mitt Romney's remark that he's not worried about the very poor, the
latest gaffe in a campaign rich with blunders, joins a long list of wait-let-me-explain
episodes in presidential election history. It's been a banner year for
campaign misfires: Rick Perry had his "oops" moment when he forgot one
of the three government departments he wanted to eliminate. Herman Cain
only made things worse after he fumbled a question about Libya when he
explained that he had "all this stuff twirling around in my head." Michelle
Bachmann launched her campaign with a cringe-worthy misfire, declaring
that both she and actor John Wayne had lived in Waterloo, Iowa, when it
was actually serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr. who'd lived there. Atlanta
Journal
Pushing
Kagan Out Of The Healthcare Case
The clamor for Justice Clarence Thomas to withdraw from hearing the
challenge to President Obama's healthcare reform law appears to have died
down for the moment but the pressure on Justice Elena Kagan has been relentless.
The U.S. Supreme Court hears the challenge to the law, brought by 26 states,
in late March. Supporters of the law want the conservative Thomas to take
a hike. Opponents of the law want Kagan home watching college basketball
instead of sitting in the courtroom for the healthcare argument. The move
to pry Thomas from the case centers on his wife, who founded and received
income from a group dedicated to the repeal of the healthcare reform law.
UPI
VOA VIEW: There is a big difference between
direct and indirect bias - Kagan has direct bias - justices have many friends
who may have some indirect involvement with almost every case before the
court.
Gingrich:
Super Tuesday Is The Goal
Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich on Sunday brushed off
his loss to Mitt Romney a day earlier in Nevada’s Republican caucuses,
saying his campaign will go forward and he is looking ahead to Super Tuesday.
“Our goal is to get to Super Tuesday, where we’re in much more favorable
territory,” Mr. Gingrich, a former House speaker, said in an interview
on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The March 6 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses
will include contests in 10 states, including Georgia, where Mr. Gingrich
once served as a congressman. Washington
Times
Gingrich
Suggests Covert Action In Syria
The day after a government-directed assault allegedly left more than
200 people dead in Syria, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich
called for the U.S. to supply covert weapons and assistance there, as well
as to put together a coalition to "get rid" of Syrian President Bashar
Assad. In an interview with CBS' Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation," Gingrich
said he thinks there's "a lot of things we could do covertly" in Syria,
such as "supplying weapons... helping people in the region supply advisers.
The former House Speaker said he didn't think it would be necessary to
send in U.S. troops, but rather, "I think you can put together a coalition
to get rid of him." CBS
U.S.
Trade Gap Likely Widened As Imports Grew
The trade deficit in the U.S. probably widened in December to a six-month
high as imports climbed faster than exports, economists said a report this
week will show. The gap grew to $48.5 billion from the $47.8 billion shortfall
in November, according to the median of 61 estimates in a Bloomberg News
survey ahead of Commerce Department figures on Feb. 10. Consumer sentiment
held close to a one-year high and firings were little changed, other reports
may show. Imports will probably keep rising as an improving job market
underpins consumer spending, and businesses rebuild inventories and replace
outdated equipment. At the same time, demand from emerging markets is boosting
sales at companies like General Electric Co. (GE) and Caterpillar Inc.
(CAT), buffering the fallout from Europe’s debt crisis and helping to sustain
exports. Bloomberg
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Chevron
Rig Burns Off Nigeria As Damage Hits Shore
As a fire at a Chevron Corp. gas rig off Nigeria's coast continues
to burn, locals say they're seeing signs of its effects on the environment
and the health of those living nearby. A nearby 12-bed clinic remains overrun
with patients and swarms of dead fish have surfaced around the polluted
waters that feed Ikebiri Creek in Nigeria's Bayelsa state. Meanwhile, Chevron
officials decline to give an estimate of when the fire will stop as residents
say the flames threaten their livelihood. The fire began Jan. 16 from a
shallow-water gas well for Chevron's Nigerian subsidiary near its North
Apoi oil platform. It destroyed the rig and a nearby support vessel, causing
tens of millions of dollars in damage. Seattle
Times
Romney
Leaves Las Vegas Holding All The Cards
He may be a non-gambler, but Mitt Romney had a good night in Vegas.
He left town as the night's big winner, capturing his second strong victory
in a row. The result was no surprise; but the blocs he won on his way to
a majority of the vote were. This is a state where nearly half of Republicans
describe themselves as not just conservative, but "very conservative."
It's also a closed primary, where the only voters weighing in are part
of the Republican base. But Romney decisively captured conservatives, tea
partiers and evangelicals on his way to a win. Just how big was Romney's
win? It was so dominant he drew more support than the rest of the field
combined. A quarter of Saturday's voters were Mormon, and 9 in 10 of those
voters backed Romney. CNN
VOA VIEW: There would not have been a
so-called major victory without the block Mormon vote.
US,
Japan Agree To Partial Marine Transfer From Okinawa
The United States and Japan have agreed to tweak a six-year-old agreement
on Marines based on the southern island of Okinawa, allowing Washington
to deploy forces to the Pacific island of Guam regardless of the debate
over moving a disputed airbase. The Guam deployment had been held hostage
by a political stalemate in Japan over the shifting of the Futenma base
to another site on Okinawa, an issue given added importance in recent years
by China's growing military might in the region. Japanese newspapers said
the new plan would allow Washington to shrink the expensive Guam relocation
plan at a time when it is under pressure to cut defense spending because
of deficit woes even as it turns its attention to China. Reuters
Fla.
Bill Would Ban Buying Sweets With Food Stamps
Florida's poor can use food stamps to buy staples like milk, vegetables,
fruits and meat. But they can also use them to buy sweets like cakes, cookies
and Jell-O and snack foods like chips, something a state senator wants
stopped. Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, also wants to limit other welfare
funds, known as Temporary Assistance For Needy Families, from being used
at ATMs in casinos and strip clubs and anywhere out of state. The bill
comes after reports that the debit cards welfare recipients now receive
were used in those places, as well as locations in Las Vegas and the Virgin
Islands in a small percentage of cases, but the state does not track what
items were purchased. The bill recently passed a committee. A companion
bill in the state House companion is being considered by a subcommittee.
MSNBC
VOA VIEW: Good proposed laws.
Obama:
US Has 'Very Good' Intelligence On Iran
President Barack Obama says the U.S. has a "very good estimate" of
when Iran could complete work on a nuclear weapon. However, Obama says
there are still many unanswered questions about the internal dynamics in
Iran, including who in the Islamic republic is making decisions. Obama
says the U.S. has done extensive planning and preparation on all potential
options for combatting Iran's nuclear program. While the White House says
no options are off the table when it comes to dealing with Iran, Obama
says he still wants to solve the conflict through diplomacy. Obama spoke
during an interview with NBC. San
Diego Union
YOU can speak
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Colleges
Caught In Obsession Over Rankings
When US News & World Report debuted its list of "America's Best
Colleges" nearly 30 years ago, the magazine hoped its college rankings
would be a game-changer for students and families. But arguably, they've
had a much bigger effect on colleges themselves. Yes, students and families
still buy the guide and its less famous competitors by the hundreds of
thousands, and still care about a college's reputation. But it isn't students
who obsess over every incremental shift on the rankings scoreboard, and
who regularly embarrass themselves in the process. It's colleges. It's
colleges that have spent billions on financial aid for high-scoring students
who don't actually need the money, motivated at least partly by the quest
for rankings glory. MSNBC
Stocks:
Let The Good Times Roll?
Stocks surged last week to their highest levels in years, but there
are few key economic reports slated for the week ahead to sustain the rally.
The big news last week was Friday's report from the U.S. Labor Department,
which showed a much larger-than-expected increase in hiring and a surprise
drop in the unemployment rate. Investors cheered the jobs data, which came
on the heels of upbeat reports on auto sales, construction spending and
manufacturing activity. The Dow rose 1.6% last week, ending at its highest
point since May 2008. The Nasdaq jumped 3.2% over the last five trading
days, climbing to its highest level since December 2000, and the S&P
500 added 2.2%. Next week, investors will take in reports on consumer sentiment
and the nation's trade balance, both coming on Friday. CNN
VOA VIEW: Don't be fooled - figures lie,
and liars figure.
Hunted
Hackers Spy On FBI, Scotland Yard
Hackers being hunted by police worldwide eavesdropped on FBI and Scotland
Yard officers investigating them. The Internet outlaws, part of a loose
coalition called Anonymous, got access to a telephone conference call between
U.S. and British investigators and then posted a recording of their conversation
on Friday. “The FBI might be curious how we’re able to continuously read
their internal comm[unication]s for some time now,” boasted Anonymous in
a tweet last week. In the 16-minute conference call, FBI agents, including
one from the Los Angeles field office, and officers from Scotland Yard’s
Internet crimes unit discuss confidential and sensitive details of their
ongoing investigation into Anonymous. On the Jan. 17 call, investigators
briefly refer to their work developing a possible informant in the ranks
of Anonymous, the loose international coalition of pranksters, anarchists
and free-floating radicals that repeatedly have embarrassed American law
enforcement agencies. Washington
Times
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Bigger
US Role Against Companies' Cyberthreats?
A developing Senate plan that would bolster the government's ability
to regulate the computer security of companies that run critical industries
is drawing strong opposition from businesses that say it goes too far and
security experts who believe it should have even more teeth. Legislation
set to come out in the days ahead is intended to ensure that computer systems
running power plants and other essential parts of the country's infrastructure
are protected from hackers, terrorists or other criminals. The Department
of Homeland Security, with input from businesses, would select which companies
to regulate; the agency would have the power to require better computer
security, according to officials who described the bill. They spoke on
condition of anonymity because lawmakers have not finalized all the details.
ABC
Summers
Says U.S. Economy On ‘Right Road’
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said the latest jobs
report shows the economy is “on the right road” while Glenn Hubbard, an
adviser to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said he’s skeptical
about the meaning of the January numbers. “Unlike many of the favorable
past reports, if you look beneath the surface of this one almost every
indicator within it is favorable,” Summers said today on ABC’s “This Week,”
where he appeared with Hubbard, dean of the Columbia Business School. Employers
added 243,000 jobs in January, the biggest gain in nine months, and the
unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent in December,
the Labor Department reported last week in Washington. The improvement
exceeded the most optimistic forecasts in a Bloomberg News survey of economists.
Summers, director of the National Economic Council under Democratic President
Barack Obama until last year, said the administration needs to build on
the momentum of the easing unemployment. Bloomberg
VOA VIEW: Summers is either an inept fool
or liar, or both.
Lawmakers
Reach Agreement On $63 Billion FAA Bill
An agreement on a bill to provide operating authority for the Federal
Aviation Administration over the next four years and to boost the agency's
air traffic modernization effort was reached Tuesday by House and Senate
negotiators, culminating a five-year struggle that included a partial shutdown
of the agency. The bill authorizes $63 billion for the FAA through the
2015 budget year. It includes compromises on several difficult issues that
divided lawmakers along party lines and by region, including air service
subsidies for rural communities, safety regulation of cargo shipments of
lithium batteries, and rules governing the formation of airline and railroad
unions. The last details of the agreement were hammered out behind closed
doors over the past week. Negotiators met Tuesday afternoon to congratulate
each other on reaching what they said was a major victory, and to receive
a copy of the final bill. Las
Vegas Sun
As
Debit Card Fees Disappear, Banks Look For Ways To Recoup Revenue
Three months after banks scrapped plans for debit-card fees, it's becoming
clearer how they intend to recoup money lost in the Dodd-Frank financial
reform law. Instead of one new fee, prepare to be sold more products, offered
new service packages, lose debit rewards and face more fees in general.
Banks' fourth-quarter earnings provided the first definitive look at what
they lost after a cap took effect on the fees merchants pay banks when
you use your debit card. Combined, Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo
& Co. reported losing nearly $800 million in swipe-fee revenue in the
fourth quarter. Regional banks felt a deep impact as well.
Banks were on pace to lose the $6 billion that had been predicted.
McClatchy
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Egypt's
Hosni Mubarak To Be Moved To Prison For First Time
Egyptian officials say Hosni Mubarak will shortly be moved to a prison
hospital as soon as the facility is upgraded to house the 83-year-old former
president. The officials said Sunday the hospital in Tora prison in Cairo
will be upgraded in "record time," but that there is no set date for the
move. Since his arrest last April, Mubarak has been held in custody first
at a hospital in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh and later at
a military hospital outside Cairo. The officials said nearly 50 stalwarts
of Mubarak's regime held at Tora would also be dispersed to five different
jails in the Cairo area. They include Mubarak's two sons. Fox
News
TSA
Trains Super Bowl Vendors To Spot Terror Threats
Thousands of stadium workers set to serve at Super Bowl XLVI have been
trained by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to spot terror
threats at Sunday's big game, The New York Post reports. From parking-lot
attendants to hot-dog sellers, the government has put some 8,000 employees
and volunteers at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through their First
Observer training program. . Fox
News
Lack
Of Demand, Not Regulations, Holding Businesses Back
We've all heard the arguments: Regulations are strangling U.S. businesses.
It's been a staple in the Republican playbook for years. But a funny thing
happened last week. The American Sustainable Business Council, the Main
Street Alliance and the Small Business Majority released a survey blaming
the stagnant economy not on onerous regulations but on weak consumer demand.
"The level of government regulation came in [way below] weak demand. When
asked what they believe would do the most to create jobs, the majority
cited eliminating incentives for employers to move jobs overseas. Next
was cutting taxes and then increasing consumer purchasing power. Reducing
regulations ranked fifth on their list, behind improving infrastructure,"
the survey's executive summary said. UPI
VOA VIEW: Most consumers don't understand
or comprehend the impact of government regulations.
Hearing
To Determine Tucson Suspect's Competency
A federal judge is set to determine whether the suspect in the Tucson
shooting rampage that killed six people and wounded several others, including
then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, should remain at a federal prison facility
where officials are forcibly medicating him. U.S. District Court Judge
Larry Burns said in his court filing that he is inclined to extend the
suspect's stay after learning the chief federal psychologist of Jared Lee
Loughner believes the 23-year-old is still not competent to stand trial.
He said that the psychologist noted, however, that his mental state has
made "measurable progress" during the roughly six months he has been at
the facility in Springfield, Mo., and she believes he will continue to
improve. Charlotte
Observer
Syrian
Forces Bombard Restive City
Government forces shelled the central Syrian city of Homs on Monday,
striking a makeshift medical clinic and residential areas and killing at
least 17 people in the third day of a new assault on the epicenter of the
country's uprising, activists said. The government denied shelling the
city, however, and said "armed terrorist groups" were attacking civilians
and police in several neighborhoods. The state-run news agency also said
Monday that gunmen killed three soldiers and captured others at a checkpoint
in the Jabal al-Zawiyah region of Idlib province, which borders Turkey.
Syria has blocked access to trouble spots in the country and prevented
independent reporting, making it nearly impossible to verify accounts from
either side as the conflict spirals out of control and turns increasingly
violent. Indy
Star
Too
Many Kids Breathe Secondhand Smoke In Cars
Texting while driving, speeding and back-seat hanky-panky aren't all
that parents need to worry about when their kids are in cars: Add secondhand
smoke to the list. In the first national estimate of its kind, a report
from government researchers says more than 1 in 5 high school students
and middle schoolers ride in cars while others are smoking. This kind of
secondhand smoke exposure has been linked with breathing problems and allergy
symptoms, and more restrictions are needed to prevent it, the report says.
With widespread crackdowns on smoking in public, private places including
homes and cars are where people encounter secondhand smoke these days.
Anti-smoking advocates have zeroed in on cars because of research showing
they're potentially more dangerous than smoke-filled bars and other less
confined areas. Tampa
Tribune
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China,
Russia Responsible For Syrian Bloodshed
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad must step down and China and Russia,
with their veto against a U.N. resolution pressing a regime change, are
responsible for continued bloodshed, a German government spokesman said
on Monday. "President Assad has no business being at the helm of his country
anymore. We urge him to free up the way to a peaceful transformation in
Syria," the spokesman told a regular news conference. "With this (veto),
both countries take on the responsibility for violence and bloodshed continuing
unchecked." Sun
Sentinel
China
Stresses Need To Keep Tibet Stable
China on Monday warned government officials in Tibet that failing to
maintain stability could result in job loss or criminal prosecution, the
latest sign of heightened ethnic tensions in the remote Himalayan region.
The warning comes four years after deadly riots erupted in Tibet's capital,
Lhasa, and as China enters a politically sensitive period with the top
leaders of the ruling Communist Party changing by the end of the year.
There has also been a recent wave of unrest in ethnic Tibetan areas of
Sichuan, a province adjoining Tibet, with more than a dozen monks and nuns
setting themselves of fire over the last year and clashes erupting between
Tibetans and security forces in recent weeks. Miami
Herald
Putin
Promises Russians Bigger Say In Politics
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is running for a third term
as president, on Monday promised Russians a bigger say in politics amid
the growing public discontent with his dominance of power. In a campaign
article published in the Kommersant daily on Monday, Putin said the government
must turn around its institutions to accommodate the increasingly vocal
grass roots. "The quality of our public governance is lagging behind the
willingness of civil society to take part in it," he said. Putin, who was
Russia's president in 2000-2008, is facing a wave of public discontent
over widespread election fraud in the Dec. 4 parliamentary election. Tens
of thousands of people have rallied in Russian cities since December. Sunday's
protest in Moscow drew as many as 120,000 people despite temperatures plummeting
to 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius). SF
Gate
In
Breakthrough For Reconciliation, Palestinian Rivals Choose Abbas To Head
Unity Government
The main Palestinian political rivals took a major step Monday toward
healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections
in the West Bank and Gaza. The agreement, brokered by Qatar, was signed
by Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, chief of the Islamic militant Hamas. Both
leaders said they are serious about moving forward. “We promise our people
to implement this agreement as soon as possible,” Abbas said. “We inform
our people that we are serious about healing the wounds ... to reunite
our people on the foundation of a political partnership, in order to devote
our effort to resisting the (Israeli) occupation,” added Mashaal. Washington
Post
VOA VIEW: A unity government would further
complicate any peace accord.
Justice
Ministry Closes Nabi Salih Protest File
The Justice Ministry has closed its investigation into the actions
of Border police officers during a demonstration a May 13th demonstration
in the West Bank Palestinian village of Nabi Salih, in which activists
were injured by tear gas projectiles. A letter to this effect was sent
Sunday to activists who had pressed charges against the police. The secretary
of the division which investigates such complains wrote that following
an initial inquiry, it was determined that there was not enough evidence
to press criminal charges, and as a result, the matter had been closed.
A number of videos of the incident posted on YouTube, however, show extensive
scenes in which the Border Police appear to be shooting tear gas at peaceful
protesters and assaulting them. In one instance an officer can be seen
hitting a demonstrator with his baton as the man sat on the ground. Jerusalem
Post
Hague
Attacks China And Russia Over UN Syria Veto
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has said China and Russia will be
"held responsible" for violence in Syria after vetoing a UN resolution
condemning government repression. He said the countries were making a "great
mistake" which would damage their standing in the Middle East. The document
was rejected hours after activists accused troops of killing at least 55
people in the city of Homs. But Russia and China said the proposed draft
was "unbalanced". Violence is continuing to escalate in Syria, with the
government attempting to stifle an ongoing rebellion. The struggle has
claimed at least 5,400 lives, according to the UN. BBC
Panama
Ex-Leader Manuel Noriega Taken To Hospital
Former military leader of Panama Gen Manuel Noriega has been moved
from his prison cell near Panama City to a hospital. Police said Noriega
had hypertension, and had possibly had a stroke. Noriega, 77, is serving
a 20-year prison sentence for the murder of political opponents. He led
the country for six years before being removed from power when the United
States invaded Panama in 1989. He was extradited to Panama in December
after serving lengthy sentences in France and the United States for money
laundering and drug trafficking. BBC
Greece's
Economic Future In Balance As 'Razor's Edge' Talks Try To Avert Default
Greece's economic future hung in the balance on Sunday as the debt-laden
country's technocrat prime minister, Lucas Papademos, met party leaders
in a last-ditch effort to rally support for the stringent reforms Athens
must enact in return for aid. With at least one political leader in the
coalition government publicly refusing to endorse the rescue package, it
was far from sure whether Papademos would win the backing to keep bankruptcy
at bay. Before the meeting, the Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos,
described negotiations with foreign lenders as being "on a razor's edge".
To avert a disorderly default Greece must secure financial support by 20
March when it faces €14.5bn (£12bn) of loan repayments. Guardian
Obama-Appointed
US Trade Adviser Linked To Illegal Deal In Congolese Gold
A US trade adviser appointed by Barack Obama orchestrated a deal to
buy gold worth millions of dollars from a wanted Congolese warlord, according
to a UN report. Kase Lawal, a Nigerian-born US oil tycoon, transferred
millions of dollars to the notorious rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda between
December 2010 and February 2011 as part of the deal, the report by the
UN's Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) states.
If true, this would be a contravention of UN resolutions banning individuals
or organisations from financing illegal armed groups in the wartorn eastern
DRC. The UN report says Lawal, the chairman and chief executive of the
Houston-based oil firm Camac, was aware he was paying Ntaganda. Guardian
Two
Glasses Of Wine A Night Triples Risk Of Mouth Cancer, Government Warns
Television adverts which start running on Sunday evening will say that
drinking "just a little bit more" than recommended daily limits for alcohol
increases the risk of serious health problems. Government advice states
that men should drink no more than four units a day and women should have
no more than three. A large 250ml glass of wine is classed as three units,
as is a pint of continental lager. The adverts will say that those who
regularly drink six units in a day double their chance of high blood pressure
and triple the risk of developing mouth cancer. Mouth cancer is diagnosed
in more than 5,000 people a year, leading to about 1,800 deaths, while
about 12 million people have high blood pressure, increasing their chances
of strokes and heart attacks. Telegraph
Falkland
Manoeuvres Are 'Entirely Routine'
The Foreign Secretary said that the decision to send the Navy's most
powerful warship, HMS Dauntless, to the Islands was not provocative, but
rather part of "entirely routine military movements. "They are entirely
routine – of course our ships regularly visit the South Atlantic. We don't
normally make any comment on the deployment of our nuclear submarines.
"But our Naval vessels regularly visit the South Atlantic." Mr Hague also
commented on the deployment of Prince William, saying the tour of duty
to the Falklands "is part of his job". Flight Lieutenant Wales, as Prince
William is known, will be spending six weeks on the islands as a RAF helicopter
pilot, in a tour of duty which the Ministry of Defence insists is a routine
deployment. Telegraph
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