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Students, troops clash in Venezuela over election

"National Guard troops are firing tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse students protesting the official results in Venezuela's disputed presidential election. The students are hurling chunks of concrete and stones back at the troops on a highway in the capital of Caracas. The students are trying to reach the western part of Caracas, where most of the government is headquartered and where Nicolas Maduro is being declared winner of Sunday's election to replace the deceased Hugo Chavez. Citizens around the capital also are banging pots and pans to protest the proclamation of Maduro as the victor." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudents, troops clash in Venezuela over election

Obama would rather look stupid than interfere with the flow of cash to drug-war profiteers

"The White House spends all year traveling around the country talking about their 'third way' and their '21st Century Drug Policy' — that the focus needs to be on treatment and that we can’t arrest our way out of drug problems. That there’s too much focus on incarceration. At the same time, they’re dealing with severe national budget pressures, so you’d think this would be the perfect excuse to actually significantly reduce spending on things like domestic drug law enforcement. Well, the budget for domestic drug law enforcement was 9.4 billion in 2012, and they’re asking for 9.5 billion in 2014." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama would rather look stupid than interfere with the flow of cash to drug-war profiteers

UN human rights chief slams failure to shut Guantanamo

"Washington is breaking international law by holding detainees indefinitely at Guantanamo and must honour a pledge to shut the controversial jail, the UN’s human rights chief said. 'The continuing indefinite incarceration of many of the detainees amounts to arbitrary detention and is in clear breach of international law. It severely undermines the United States’ stance that it is an upholder of human rights… When other countries breach these standards, the US — quite rightly — strongly criticises them for it.' The jail, in a US Navy base in Cuba, was opened in 2002 to hold prisoners taken in the 'War on Terror' waged by George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUN human rights chief slams failure to shut Guantanamo

Can New UK Health Czar Cure NHS’s ‘Enormous Sickness’?

"When industries and participants are not exposed to competition, there is no incentive to maintain performance. When this takes place within the context of health care, lives are at risk. Over time, there are needless deaths. Our prediction would be that NHS problems will get worse and worse and that the entire system will eventually be overturned. From what we can tell, the only reason the public tolerates it currently is because many of the problems associated with it are not reported." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCan New UK Health Czar Cure NHS’s ‘Enormous Sickness’?

Bank of Cyprus head fired under bailout deal

"The chief executive of the Bank of Cyprus, the island’s biggest lender, has been sacked by the central bank governor as part of an international bailout deal, state media said on Wednesday. Yiannis Kypri was fired on the instructions of the so-called troika of the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported. It said his departure was ordered as part of the restructuring of the Bank of Cyprus under the bailout deal, which involves the bank absorbing the remains of Laiki, the second biggest bank in Cyprus that has been wound down." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBank of Cyprus head fired under bailout deal

George W. Bush the costliest former US President at $1.3 million per year

"George W. Bush is costing taxpayers $1.3 million a year, the most of any ex-President, according to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Meanwhile, taxpayers are forking over nearly $3.7 million total to pay for the four remaining presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, George W. and Bill Clinton. That figure includes their $200,000 annual pension, compensation and benefits for a small staff, and funds for travel, office space, and postage. But it doesn't include the additional money spent on Secret Service protection, which is not made public, CNN wrote." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGeorge W. Bush the costliest former US President at $1.3 million per year

Ron Paul on the ‘Korean Threat’

"Tthe US and South Korea held a three day naval exercise last month that included, among many other warships, an American nuclear-powered submarine. This month, the US and South Korea are conducting another joint military exercise, this time with the US flying nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over the Korean peninsula. Much of the current escalation came after the US drew up yet another set of sanctions for the UN Security Council to impose on North Korea. The North Korean government retaliated against the new sanctions with bellicose threats to launch a nuclear first strike against the US. The US response to the threats has been entirely predictable." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul on the ‘Korean Threat’

Cyprus, lenders reach bailout deal; 40% deposit tax agreed

"Cyprus and its institutional lenders have reached a bailout deal, according to reports citing European Union officials. As part of the agreement the country will impose a 40% haircut on Bank of Cyprus depositors holding more than 100,000 euros ($129,760) in their accounts, Agence France Presse reported. The deal will now be put to the Eurogroup in Brussels for approval, the reports said. The weekend saw tense meetings between Cyprus and the Troika -- the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- to reach a deal before a Monday evening funding deadline." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCyprus, lenders reach bailout deal; 40% deposit tax agreed

Cypriot president ‘warned his friends to move money abroad’ before financial crisis hit

"Cypriot president Nikos Anastasiades 'warned' close friends of the financial crisis about to engulf his country so they could move their money abroad, it was claimed on Friday. The respected Cypriot newspaper Filelftheros made the allegation which was picked up eagerly by German media. The Cyprus newspaper did not say how much money was moved abroad but quoted sources saying the president 'knew about the possible closure of the banks' and tipped off close friends who were able to move vast sums abroad." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCypriot president ‘warned his friends to move money abroad’ before financial crisis hit

Popularity of French President Francois Hollande in Steep Decline

"Since taking office 10 months ago, Hollande has experienced the fastest drop in popularity ever seen in French presidential politics. In June of last year, those who said they had confidence in him numbered between 51 and 63 percent, depending on the polling institute. That number is now 30 to 37 percent, nearing the lowest approval rating of any French president on record: Nicolas Sarkozy in May 2011, at 20 percent. Hollande is struggling to find convicing counterarguments as unemployment has risen to 11 percent, economic data looks more dismal by the week, industrial output is taking a nosedive and a recovery is nowhere to be seen." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPopularity of French President Francois Hollande in Steep Decline