Mainstream News

Afghan customs fines hike cost of U.S. military pullout

"A customs dispute between the Afghan and US governments has disrupted the withdrawal of American military equipment, dramatically inflating the cost of the drawdown, defense officials said. With Afghan authorities insisting the United States owes millions of dollars in customs fines and trucks carrying hardware being blocked at border crossings, the Americans have started flying out most equipment by air at great cost. The Afghan government is insisting that US forces pay $1,000 for each shipping container leaving the country that lacks what it calls a valid customs form. And authorities now claim the Americans owe $70 million in fines." Continue reading →

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Al Qaeda militants flee Iraq’s Abu Ghraib in violent mass break-out

"Hundreds of convicts, including senior members of al Qaeda, broke out of Iraq's Abu Ghraib jail as comrades launched a military-style assault to free them, authorities said on Monday. The deadly raid on the high-security jail happened as Sunni Muslim militants are gaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government that came to power after the U.S. invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. Suicide bombers drove cars packed with explosives to the gates of the prison on the outskirts of Baghdad on Sunday night and blasted their way into the compound, while gunmen attacked guards with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAl Qaeda militants flee Iraq’s Abu Ghraib in violent mass break-out

Federal Reserve rethinks 2003 move allowing banks to trade physical commodities

"The U.S. Federal Reserve is 'reviewing' a landmark 2003 decision that first allowed regulated banks to trade in physical commodity markets, it said on Friday, a move that may send new shockwaves through Wall Street. While it is well known that the Fed is considering whether or not to allow banks including Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan to continue owning trading assets like oil storage tanks or metals warehouses, Friday's one-sentence statement suggests that it is also reconsidering the full scope of banks' activities in physical markets, which help generate billions in profits." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFederal Reserve rethinks 2003 move allowing banks to trade physical commodities

Dubai offers gold to fight obesity epidemic

"Dubai's government will pay residents in gold for losing those extra pounds as part of a government campaign to fight growing obesity in the Gulf Arab emirate. The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched on Friday to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours. For every kilogram dropped by Aug. 16, contestants who register from Friday can walk away with a gram of gold, currently worth about $42, Dubai's civic authority announced as part of its 'Your Weight in Gold' initiative." Continue reading →

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Indians urged to recycle stashed gold

"The All India Gem & Jewellery Trade Federation, representing about 300 000 gold manufacturers and retailers, was asking members to offer incentives to lure holders to recycle their old jewellery, chairman Haresh Soni said yesterday. Using more scrap and hoarded metal may further reduce Indian imports of gold, which are forecast to tumble 22 percent in the second half. Jewellers have suspended sales of coins and bars to retail buyers until the current account deficit has stabilised. On Tuesday Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram appealed to Indians to moderate their demand for the metal, while ruling out a complete ban on imports." Continue reading →

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Tax havens explained: How the rich hide money

"Recent leaks of secret banking information have helped authorities around the world crack down on tax cheats who go offshore, resulting in billions of dollars recovered for the public purse. Now, in one of the biggest ever leaks of financial data, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has released data on a whopping 120,000 secret offshore entities in 10 different jurisdictions. Read more about how unscrupulous investors hire high-priced lawyers and financial advisers to move money offshore in the interactive below. Select the blue button to make choices and move through each step." Continue reading →

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George Zimmerman Rescues Family of Four from Highway Crash

"George Zimmerman, who has been in hiding since he was acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, emerged to help rescue a family who was trapped in an overturned vehicle, police said today. Zimmerman was one of two men who came to the aid of a family of four -- two parents and two children -- trapped inside a blue Ford Explorer SUV that had rolled over. By the time police arrived, two people - including Zimmerman - had already helped the family get out of the overturned car, the sheriff's office said. No one was reported to be injured. Zimmerman was not a witness to the crash and left after speaking with the deputy, police said." Continue reading →

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Dutch woman arrested for ‘recruiting Syrian jihadists’ to fight alongside rebels

"Dutch authorities have arrested a 19-year-old woman suspected of recruiting jihadists to fight alongside radical Muslim rebels in Syria, a prosecution spokeswoman said on Monday. There is growing concern in the Netherlands about young Dutch Muslims being enlisted to fight in Syria, with a British study in April saying at least 107 Dutch citizens were fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in the war-torn country. Police arrested the woman in Zoetermeer, a small city just east of The Hague, on Wednesday after families filed complaints with the authorities that their relatives had gone to fight in Syria." Continue reading →

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Family of Egypt’s Morsi threaten legal action over ‘abduction’

"The family of Egypt’s ousted Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, said on Monday it would take legal action against the army for abducting him. Mursi has been held at an undisclosed military facility since the army deposed him on July 3 and suspended the constitution in the wake of huge street protests against his one-year rule. The army says Mursi is being held for his own safety. Mursi’s supporters are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil in a Cairo suburb, now in its third week. They say they will stay put until Mursi is returned to office." Continue reading →

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New ID rules would threaten citizens’ rights

"Any citizen wanting to take a job would face the regulation that his or her digitized high-resolution passport or driver's license photo be collected and stored centrally in a Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services database. The pictures in the national database would then need to be matched against the job applicant's government-issued 'enhanced' ID card, using a Homeland Security-mandated facial-recognition 'photo tool.' Only when those systems worked perfectly could the new hire take the job." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew ID rules would threaten citizens’ rights