Mainstream News

Why Police Lie Under Oath

"Are police officers necessarily more trustworthy than alleged criminals? I think not. Not just because the police have a special inclination toward confabulation, but because, disturbingly, they have an incentive to lie. In this era of mass incarceration, the police shouldn’t be trusted any more than any other witness, perhaps less so. Agencies receive cash rewards for arresting high numbers of people for drug offenses, no matter how minor the offenses or how weak the evidence. Law enforcement has increasingly become a numbers game. And as it has, police officers’ tendency to regard procedural rules as optional and to lie and distort the facts has grown as well." Continue reading →

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Sheriff denies cabin intentionally burnt down with Chris Dorner inside

"San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon on Wednesday denied that California police had intentionally set a cabin on fire with fugitive ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner inside. 'I can tell you that it was not on purpose, we did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out. The tear gas canisters that we used — first off we used a presence when we showed up, a cold tear gas, then the next tear gas was pyrotechnic, which does generate a lot of heat. We introduced those canisters into the residence and a fire arose.' The charred remains found in the Big Bear cabin had not yet been confirmed to be Dorner, but the manhunt had been called off." Continue reading →

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Rising incomes fuel India’s growing appetite for meat

"India’s booming middle-class is driving the demand for meat in a country with a traditionally low intake — a survey in 2006 showed that 40 percent of the population were vegetarian. Members of the Jain faith and some groups within India’s majority Hindu religion hold vegetarianism as an ideal. Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi espoused a meat-free diet as part of his non-violent philosophy. But fewer of the younger generation appear to feel the same. With chicken a favourite meat, the rapid rise of the domestic poultry market is a good indication of changing diets." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRising incomes fuel India’s growing appetite for meat

Vietnam attempts to address ‘long illness’ of public sector

"State-owned enterprises have racked up some $61 billion of debt which represents more than half of total public debt in Vietnam. Several of the SOEs have already collapsed in spectacular fashion, including shipping giants Vinashin — which ran up $4.4 billion of losses — and Vinalines, which has defaulted on payments of some $1.1 billion. Experts say the SOEs have become expert at hiding their debts, have incomprehensible strategies, hazardous investments in non-core sectors which are cunningly designed to circumvent government regulations. The top officials running the companies frequently flaunt lifestyles incompatible with their official remuneration." Continue reading →

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Vietnam jails 22 activists for subversion

"The 22 were accused of running a 'reactionary' group disguised as an eco-tourism operator, which produced documents 'slandering' the regime and distorting its guidelines and policies, according to state media. Dozens of activists have been jailed since Vietnam — a one-party state that forbids political debate — began a new crackdown on free expression in late 2009. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered a new crackdown on online dissent, telling authorities to fight against anyone using the Internet to 'defame and spread propaganda against the party and state'. Vietnam bans private media and all newspapers and television channels are state-run." Continue reading →

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Taiwanese billionaire launches Asian ‘Nobel prize’

"One of Taiwan’s richest men on Monday launched what has been widely touted as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Samuel Yin, head of the sprawling Ruentex business empire, said that by donating Tw$3 billion ($101 million) for the Tang Prize he had fulfilled one of his biggest dreams. 'I hope that the prize will encourage more research that is beneficial to the world and humankind, promote Chinese culture and make the world a better place,' he said. Beginning in 2014 prizes will be awarded every two years in four different categories — sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, sinology and the 'rule of law' — to individuals, regardless of nationality." Continue reading →

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Scotland’s independence could see descendants worldwide eligible for passport

"Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond told ONE News he would want to offer citizenship to an independent Scotland to as many descendants as possible. The offer could also allow citizens to live and work anywhere in the European Union. 'I think like Ireland, Scotland would want to use its global reach in the most effective way and make that sort of inclusive statement,' said Salmond. Salmond's Scottish National Party swept to power on the back of a promise to hold a referendum on independence. 'Scotland's a country of five and quarter million people, we have a reach internationally, across the world we'd want maximum entitlement to citizenship,' said Salmond." Continue reading →

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The Italian Patient: Resisting Berlusconi’s Charms

"Other populists are also gathering votes in the race to the finish line. One of them is Beppe Grillo of the protest movement 'Movimento 5 Stelle.' Grillo travels around the country on a 'tsunami tour,' hates Merkel, doesn't want to repay a cent of debt and is seriously calling upon Al-Qaida to bomb the parliament in Rome, saying that he would even provide the terrorists with the necessary coordinates. Polls estimate that Grillo has the potential to capture 20 percent of the vote. He could become the third-strongest force by securing the support of the sizable number of undecided Italians who are weary of politics." Continue reading →

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Chief Greek Statistician Threatened with Jail For Revealing True Size of Deficit

"At a time when the rest of the world was furious that Greece had artificially improved the country's budget statistics, Greek prosecutors are accusing Georgiou of doing the opposite. Prosecutors acted after a 15-month investigation into allegations made by a former ELSTAT board member. If found guilty, Georgiou faces five to 10 years in prison. Some argue that the technocrat Georgiou was serving his former superiors at the IMF and the European statistics agency Eurostat, which is led by a German. This theory holds that Greece was to be brought to its knees by imposing harsh austerity measures based on bloated deficit figures." Continue reading →

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TARP: The bailout success story that wasn’t

"The idea that TARP is somehow a wash because a few banks repaid the bailouts with interest is misleading. The reality is that bailed-out firms essentially wrote off their losses on taxes. As of Dec. 30, TARP was still owed $67.3 billion, including $27 billion in realized losses — which is to say, that money is gone and is never coming back. Now, TARP is losing money as it tries to exit the programs. A new report by SNL Financial shows the Treasury Department is taking a beating in auctions of the Capital Purchase Program, one of the pipelines through which bailout money flowed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTARP: The bailout success story that wasn’t