The News Crawler

The News Crawler
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Last Update: Wednesday, May 27, 2009

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Weekend blasts in Pakistan kill 16 children Four children and their parents were killed in a grenade blast in Pakistan's restive northwest, a day after 12 children were killed by a bomb hidden in a football. Report: 110,600 Iraqis killed since invasion Iraqi police: 60 dead in double bombing at shrine Back-to-back suicide bombings killed 60 people Friday outside the most important Shiite shrine in Baghdad, a day after the country was rocked by its most deadly violence in more than a year, police officials said. US Attorney OK'd GPS to track cell phones The American Civil Liberties Union says the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey under Christopher Christie, now a GOP gubernatorial candidate, tracked the whereabouts of citizens through their cell phones without warrants. Pentagon to release images of prisoner abuse The Defense Department will release a "substantial number" of photos depicting abuse of prisoners by U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American Civil Liberties Union said late Thursday. Sen. Webb puts pot legalization 'on the table'....Senator Webb: U.S. prisons are a national disgrace - Drug legalization should be "on the table". FDA So Understaffed It Inspects Less Than One Percent Of Imported Food 'Black Boxes' Track Your Car's Every Move Event Data Recorders are in a growing number of vehicles and record information like whether a driver was wearing a seat belt during a crash. But privacy-rights experts want to put the brakes on Bush FBI Director In 2008: Torture Didn't Foil Any Plots FBI Weren't the Only Ones Objecting to Torture in 2002 -- So Did the Army, Marines & Air Force	Offshore wind turbines get further boost from Obama administrationNew rules to be released by the Interior Department pave the way for projects along the Atlantic Coast -- including one on Nantucket Sound opposed by the Kennedys. Judge Rejects CIA Attempt To Withhold Records On Destroyed Interrogation Tapes A federal judge today rejected the CIA's attempt to withhold records relating to the agency's destruction of 92 videotapes that depicted the harsh interrogation of CIA prisoners. The ACLU is seeking disclosure of these records as part of its pending motion to hold the CIA in contempt for destroying the tapes which violated a court order requiring it to produce or identify records responsive to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records relating to the treatment of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas. AIG faces inquiry over medical care for U.S. contractors A lawmaker seeks to investigate whether the insurance giant and others denied treatment to civilian workers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan FBI: Key Sept. 11 Leads Obtained Without Torture The case of Abu Zubaydah is often held up as the quintessential example of why enhanced interrogation techniques are a necessary evil. But FBI agents and others involved say Zubaydah provided pivotal intelligence on the Sept. 11 plot before brutal tactics were ever used Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go? Tax Day 2009 With this publication, taxpayers can take stock of how the federal government spent each 2008 income tax dollar: 37.3 cents went towards military-related spending (military and military-related debt), while environment, energy and science-related spending split 2.8 cents. Income tax dollar spending is available for all states as well as over 200 cities and towns.
Connecticut
Gov. Rell (Connecticut) Signs Gay Marriage Bill Four years ago this week, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill allowing civil unions. Today, with the stroke of a pen, she abolished them. Rell Wants Answers From N.Y. Power Generators Gov. M. Jodi Rell asked the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday to investigate possible criminal violations in the payment of $85.8 million to New York power generators for electricity that she said they never intended to deliver. Police: 55 weapons missing from apartment Hartford police say they're looking for 30 handguns and 25 rifles that were stolen from a city resident's apartment. AT&T Workers Still Seeking Job Security Unions should organize unemployedElaine Bernard Pt5: To build a movement, unions need to organize unemployed workers to demand job Fishermen lose millions saving weakest fish stocks The winter flounder, a bottom-dweller with both eyes on the right side of its head, isn't the most profitable New England fish but it's suddenly become one of the most important- and fishermen say that's all wrong. Bill to tax plastic bags postponed A proposal to impose a nickel tax on all plastic and paper bags in Connecticut is now scheduled for a crucial committee vote on Monday. The vote was postponed today because of an intense lobbying effort against it.	4 Conn. towns removed from water advisory Blumenthal Calls For Measures To Curb Prostitution On Craigslist Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is calling for stricter measures to curb prostitution on craigslist as new information emerged Wednesday on the case of a medical student charged in Boston with murder and robbery after allegedly meeting two women through the Internet site. Dodd Took In $22,900 From Payday Loaners State leads in personal income On the basis of per capita personal income, Connecticut ranked No. 1 at both ends of the 1997-2007 decade, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. Lieberman: Don't prosecute Bush lawyers U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., urged President Barack Obama against prosecuting Bush administration lawyers who constructed the legal defense for CIA torture of suspected al-Qaida terrorists. Rell edges towards tax hike inevitability Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell edged a bit closer Friday morning to acknowledging she is open to some tax increases to address the state's rising budget deficit. Dodd Wants to Freeze Credit Card Interest Rates
United States
Bush FBI Director In 2008: Torture Didn't Foil Any Plots FBI Weren't the Only Ones Objecting to Torture in 2002 -- So Did the Army, Marines & Air Force Pharmacy Made Mistake In Horse Drug That Killed 21 Pastor Says Border Patrol Beat Him Copyright Fray Looms for Docs Who Google Some physicians are pushing for free access to online medical journals. ACLU: Court backed tracking citizens via GPS, sans warrant If Torture Works, Why Did We Have to Waterboard Someone 183 Times? US charges Somali teen under old piracy law When US prosecutors brought piracy charges against a teenager from Somalia, they dusted off a law that has been on the books since George Washington was president and used only sparingly since then. Parents claim police beat autistic boy Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go? Tax Day 2009 With this publication, taxpayers can take stock of how the federal government spent each 2008 income tax dollar: 37.3 cents went towards military-related spending (military and military-related debt), while environment, energy and science-related spending split 2.8 cents. Income tax dollar spending is available for all states as well as over 200 cities and towns. COURT RULES GITMO DETAINEES NOT 'PERSONS' 2 Cases Confirmed In Kansas... 8 Students In New York City Probably Have Flu... Other Cases Have Been Reported In Texas, California... Mexico May Isolate Flu Patients, Inspect Homes... As Many As 68 Killed In Mexico... More Than 1,000 Sickened... WHO Chief: Swine Flu Has "Pandemic Potential" Swine flu strain responds to medicines Churches that staged protest wait for IRS response Nearly seven months after defying a prohibition on endorsing candidates from the pulpit, 33 churches across the country are still waiting to learn whether the Internal Revenue Service will take action against them. 'Black Boxes' Track Your Car's Every Move Event Data Recorders are in a growing number of vehicles and record information like whether a driver was wearing a seat belt during a crash. But privacy-rights experts want to put the brakes on Economic View: Before Tea, Thank Your Lucky Stars An economist says wealthy tax protesters might first consider how enormously fortunate they are. Conficker virus begins to attack PCs: experts A malicious software program known as Conficker that many feared would wreak havoc on April 1 is slowly being activated, weeks after being dismissed as a false alarm, security experts said. Craigslist founder isn't closing 'erotic' section New California Fuel Standard Has Oil Companies Worried Police caught on tape trying to recruit 'Plane Stupid' protester as spy FDA So Understaffed It Inspects Less Than One Percent Of Imported Food Freed Pirate Hostage Accuses Limbaugh Of 'Hate Speecn	Medicare says it won’t help seniors overcharged by prescription program Energy Regulatory Chief Says New Coal, Nuclear Plants May Be Unnecessary Hispanics victimized in U.S. South Low-income Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. South are routinely targeted for wage theft, racial profiling and other abuses, Appeals Court Rules In Favor Of (Cindy) Sheehan Protesters The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday upheld a ruling that two protesters should not have been arrested Professor O'Reilly Revises History, Claims Nixon Never Met With Mao The Panic of 1873 On Wall Street, the Panic of 1873 was more like brute terror. U.S. plans to accept several Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Army: 3 missing disease samples likely destroyed An investigation of three disease samples missing from a Fort Detrick lab found that the samples were likely destroyed, according to Army officials. RIGHTS-US: Dozens of CIA "Ghost Prisoners" Missing At least three dozen detainees who were held in the CIA's secret prisons overseas appear to be missing – and efforts by human rights organisations to track their whereabouts have been unsuccessful. Robert F. Kennedy Urged Lifting Travel Ban to Cuba in '63 Documents Record First Internal Debate to Lift Ban Report: New Orleans levees still too weak New Gitmo? Montana town has this empty jail President Barack Obama has 240 terrorism suspects he has said will be moved out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year. The city of Hardin has a brand-new empty jail. Newsweek: Despite economy, immigration steady The latest media storyline has shifted, to focus on immigrants who are voluntarily leaving or avoiding America because the global financial crisis has tarnished its reputation as a land of growth and opportunity. But the numbers tell a different story. FBI: Key Sept. 11 Leads Obtained Without Torture The case of Abu Zubaydah is often held up as the quintessential example of why enhanced interrogation techniques are a necessary evil. But FBI agents and others involved say Zubaydah provided pivotal intelligence on the Sept. 11 plot before brutal tactics were ever used Was Critical Note Muzzled By Bush White House? A former State Department lawyer tells NPR he believes the Bush administration sought to collect and destroyed all copies of a 2005 memo he wrote arguing against harsh interrogation techniques. 6 years in prison for airing Hezbollah TV in NYC A Pakistani immigrant described by prosecutors as "Hezbollah's man in New York City" was sentenced Thursday to nearly six years in prison for airing the militant group's television station. Miss. companies deny mistreating foreign workers A federal lawsuit that claims two Mississippi companies lured foreign workers to the United States with false promises of good jobs then forced them to live in storage buildings is "unfounded and false," a company president said. Opium EconomicsHow does Heroin get to the world?
Madoffed
Trustee wants Madoff investors’ profit back The trustee unraveling Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme is threatening legal action to recover $735 million from investors who unwittingly made money off the swindle.

Science
'Quiet Sun' baffling astronomers Cow genome 'to transform farming' The full sequence of a cow's genome has been published, revealing coded secrets that could revolutionise agriculture. The 'space blob' baffling astronomers A cosmic blob, as big as a galaxy and from way back in the Universe's history, has space scientists puzzled. A moon mystery solved at last? By analyzing his Apollo program tapes, a physicist has concluded that moon dust's stickiness is influenced by the angle of the sun's rays. The finding could help protect future colonists from a health hazard World first for strange molecule	Fossil find suggests ancient seal walked on land The earliest known fossil of a seal-type mammal suggests the family evolved in the Arctic and walked on land. Study: Pollution helps plants absorb C02 Plants absorbed carbon dioxide more efficiently under polluted skies than they would have done in a cleaner atmosphere, according to new findings published this week in Nature magazine. Electric 'fart' machine stores energy It sounds like a gag gift instead of serious science, but a new electrical farting machine could improve fuel cell technology by turning C02 in the atmosphere into methane. Scientists grow blood vessels for patients Scientists have grown blood vessels for kidney patients from their own cells, making it easier and safer for them to use dialysis machines, a new study says.
Politics
Palin To Announce Creation Of Legal Defense Fund...Fund Trustee Is Childhood Friend Who Was Embroiled In Dairy Scandal Holder Says He Will Not Permit the Criminalization of Policy Differences As lawmakers call for hearings and debate brews over forming commissions to examine the Bush administration's policies on harsh interrogation DOJ May Dismiss Spy Case Against AIPAC Lobbyists Allegations that Rep. Jane Harman promised them leniency still linger. More US cash for GM and Chrysl ACLU: Pentagon to release images of prisoner abuse The Defense Department will release a "substantial number" of photos depicting abuse of prisoners by U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American Civil Liberties Union said late Thursday. Lawsuit: Detainee was tortured by US in late '01 A Tunisian man detained after the Sept. 11 attacks was tortured at CIA-operated secret prisons in Afghanistan months before a Justice Department memo sanctioned the practices, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. ACLU: US Attorney OK'd GPS to track cell phones The American Civil Liberties Union says the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Jersey under Christopher Christie, now a GOP gubernatorial candidate, tracked the whereabouts of citizens through their cell phones without warrants. Senate wants $5M to study financial crisis The Senate has agreed to spend $5 million to investigate the cause of the economic crisis as it moves toward passing a $245 million bill that would substantially increase the number of FBI agents and prosecutors working mortgage fraud.... MILITARY AGENCY CALLED HARSH INTERROGATION TACTICS "TORTURE" IN 2002 Said It Would Produce "Unreliable Information" The Soldier Who Killed Herself -- After Refusing to Take Part In Torture Torture may have produced false terror alerts... Senate discloses existence of secret legal memos Five previously unacknowledged secret memos revealing new information about the Bush administration's interrogation policies remain hidden in government file cabinets, a Senate report disclosed CIA official: no proof harsh techniques stopped terror attacks We're Torturing Ourselves Five reasons why the president doesn’t want to prosecute N.C. Sen. Burr delays vote on Iraq veteran's confirmation Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina is delaying the nomination vote and swearing-in of injured Iraq veteran Tammy Duckworth for a top post in the Veterans Affairs administration. Businesses see employment upside with carbon cap One question was on everyone's mind during hearings this week on a new U.S. energy policy: What would it do to the country's jobs and the American lifestyle? Prosecuting 'torture memo' authors called 'a real stretch' Legal experts say prosecutors would have to show that the Bush administration lawyers intentionally misstated the law against torture. Bill in US to protect 'informer' citizens Contending that alert citizens are the ''first line of defence'' against Mumbai-like terror attacks, two powerful US Senators have introduced a bill aimed at protecting individuals who provide information of suspected terrorist activity from frivolous lawsuits. FEC nixes Obama campaign complaint The FEC dismisses a complaint against a 527 group that aired negative Obama ads during the primary. Ron Paul Didn't Expect This Response From Hillary Clinton - CA Dem Party Will Pass Resolution of Impeachment Inquiry Into Bybee Today---UPDATE: Passed Homeland Security replacing intel official The head of the Homeland Security agency responsible for a controversial report that suggested veterans were being recruited to commit terrorist acts in the U.S. is being replaced by a former FBI and CIA official.	Lewis Testified That U.S. Urged Silence on Merrill Deal: Report US Said to Prepare Filing for Chrysler Bankruptcy Rep. Jane Harman Tried to Kill NSA Wiretapping Story -- May Have Swayed 2004 Election The New York Times has confirmed Harman tried to keep the paper from publishing an article exposing warrantless wiretapping. Sen. Webb puts pot legalization 'on the table'....Senator Webb: U.S. prisons are a national disgrace - Drug legalization should be "on the table". Kerry: Detainee Photos Could Be Terrorist Propaganda, But Truth Is Important Feds to end some newspaper, magazine subscriptions The Homeland Security Department is dropping some newspaper and magazine subscriptions to save money. The agency has told its employees to cancel subscriptions to general interest newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post and to magazines such as Newsweek and Time by April 27. Minn. high court won't hear Senate case until June Minnesota will head into June without a second U.S. senator under the Supreme Court's schedule for hearing Republican Norm Coleman's appeal. Report: CIA Prisoners Still Missing McCain Repeats False Claim That Sept. 11 Hijackers Entered U.S. From Canada Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., makes the dubious claim that Sept. 11 hijackers entered the United States through Canada -- just days after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano came under fire for saying the same thing. AIG faces inquiry over medical care for U.S. contractors A lawmaker seeks to investigate whether the insurance giant and others denied treatment to civilian workers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. College Board steps into the immigration debate The College Board is supporting legislation that would offer some undocumented youths a path to citizenship through college or the military. BofA chief reveals threats from feds on Merrill Lynch deal Kenneth Lewis, the bank's chief executive, said Paulson and Bernanke vowed to oust him and the board if the purchase of Merrill was aborted. What Would You Ask New Pecora Hearings to Investigate?... This week, the U.S. Senate voted to support a new commission to investigate wrongdoing in the lead-up to the economic crisis. Bill Moyers asked economist Simon Johnson and legal scholar Michael Perino what they would want such a commission to investigate Judge Rejects CIA Attempt To Withhold Records On Destroyed Interrogation Tapes A federal judge today rejected the CIA's attempt to withhold records relating to the agency's destruction of 92 videotapes that depicted the harsh interrogation of CIA prisoners. The ACLU is seeking disclosure of these records as part of its pending motion to hold the CIA in contempt for destroying the tapes which violated a court order requiring it to produce or identify records responsive to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records relating to the treatment of prisoners held in U.S. custody overseas. Fed Stress-Test Methods Stop Short of Signaling U.S. Banks' Capital Needs The Federal Reserve released the methods it used to conduct stress tests of the biggest U.S. banks, while stopping short of any details that signaled how much new capital regulators will demand. Republicans need to say no to big business For years, voters have assumed that the Republican Party was in bed with corporate America. Perhaps that is because for years they were. That torrid love affair was fueled in part by the GOP's belief that supporting the world's largest corporations was the same as championing free enterprise. But conservatives learned too late that what is good for Wall Street is not always good for capitalism. Judge wants investigated prosecutor off trial A federal judge wants to keep a prosecutor already under investigation for his role in the Ted Stevens case out of a separate congressional corruption trial. Without Superfund Tax, Stimulus Aids Cleanups The Superfund program has been underfinanced since a tax expired in 1995.
Obama
Obama: Truth commission is a mistake Aide says Obama doesn't want a "witch hunt." Offshore wind turbines get further boost from Obama administrationNew rules to be released by the Interior Department pave the way for projects along the Atlantic Coast -- including one on Nantucket Sound opposed by the Kennedys. Obama Disappoints Civil Libertarians By Seeking To Limit Defendants' Rights Obama touts plan to change college loan system Senior Justice Dept. nominee faces GOP roadblock in Senate President Barack Obama's nomination of an Indiana University law professor to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel is meeting stiff resistance in the Senate, stalled for a month by Republicans who say she's a polarizing figure because she aggressively criticized the Bush administration's legal rationale on torturing terrorism suspects and radical in her views on abortion rights.	OBAMA, REID OPPOSE TORTURE PROBE Pentagon plan won't echo Obama no-nukes pledge The Pentagon is starting work on a nuclear mission statement that envisions the U.S. maintaining its atomic weapons stockpile for the next five to 10 years, a far more cautious stance than President Barack Obama's dream of a nuclear-free future. Obama Tactic Shields Health Care Bill From a Filibuster Obama lays out plan for 'fiscal discipline' President Obama on Saturday proposed more detailed plans to save money within federal agencies, returning to a theme he tried to focus on at the beginning of a week consumed by the interrogation debate. In his weekly video and radio address, the president laid out four ways he wants to trim the federal budget, calling it his effort to "restore fiscal discipline" and eliminate "wasteful inefficiency." Mr. Obama called on Congress to pass a pay-as-you-go law, known as PAYGO, which would require tax increases or spending cuts for every spending hike or tax cut
Economy
Japan reports rare trade deficit... Volkswagen profits plunge by 74%....Morgan Stanley hit by big losses....Boeing sees profits fall by 50%....Strong sales boost for McDonald's...Wells Fargo seals record profit Nine G20 members restricting trade: Zoellick World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Thursday nearly half of the Group of 20 nations are considering or have taken measures to restrict trade in the face of an economic downturn. IMF will sell bonds to raise money for loans Crude continues to buck traditional market basics Oil prices appeared again to buck traditional market fundamentals, rising for the third straight day Friday despite a huge surplus and weak global demand. New jobless claims rise more than expected to 640K New jobless claims rose more than expected last week, while the number of workers continuing to filing claims for unemployment benefits topped 6.1 million. Meltdown 101: How do bank 'stress tests' work?	UPS sees profits slump by a half United Parcel Service (UPS) announces a drop in profits for the first three months of this year of more than 50% Geithner to G7: Don't count on U.S. consumer anymore U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will tell fellow finance chiefs from rich countries on Friday that they can no longer rely on a free-spending U.S. consumer to fuel global expansion GM to Eliminate Pontiac, Keep GMC as Cost Cuts Accelerated to Win U.S. Aid Four More U.S. Banks Seized by Regulators, Bringing Tally This Year to 29 Regulators seized banks in Georgia, Michigan, California and Idaho with total assets of $2.3 billion, bringing the tally of failures in the U.S. this year to 29, exceeding the total for all of 2008. American Express Profit Falls 63 Percent Treasury lends $2 billion more to General Motors

Iraq	Map of Iraq
Iraqi insurgent leader captured-state television Iraqi police: 60 dead in double bombing at shrine Back-to-back suicide bombings killed 60 people Friday outside the most important Shiite shrine in Baghdad, a day after the country was rocked by its most deadly violence in more than a year, police officials said. AP IMPACT: Secret tally has 87,215 Iraqis dead Tuesday: 4 Iraqis Killed, 12 Wounded Wednesday: 1 US Soldier, 10 Iraqis Killed; 30 Iraqis Wounded Thursday: 1 Marine, 96 Killed; 157 Wounded in Iraq Artificial Forests to Be Rehabilitated in Anbar The State Plantation Department in Anbar province on Thursday announced the launch of a project to rehabilitate artificial forests in the areas of al-Qaem and Haditha. Iraqi Army Spokesman Announces Capture of Emir of the Islamic State of Iraq Report: 110,600 Iraqis killed since invasion Political Instability Fuels Iraq Blasts In Iraq, suicide bombers have killed scores of people, mostly Shiites, in attacks over the past two days. Analysts say the attacks appear to be aimed at re-igniting the sectarian violence that brought the country to the verge of civil war. Iraq's Shahristani says oil at $70 'acceptable' (AFP) Iraq says Qaeda boss captured as dozens killed (AFP) Marines reject plea to drop Iraq murder charge (AP) The Marines are sticking with their decision to court-martial a sergeant accused of murdering an unarmed detainee in Iraq, despite the acquittal of two Marines in the same case. Iraq: US raid 'crime' that breaks security pact Iraq's prime minister denounced a deadly U.S. raid on Sunday as a "crime" that violated the security pact with Washington and demanded American commanders hand over those responsible to face possible trial in Iraqi courts.	Car bomb targets Pehmerga headquarters A car bomb explosion targeted Peshmerga Forces headquarters in Zimar region in western Mosul, security sources reported. Another car bomb explosion targeted a leader of Peshmerga forces as he was passing in the same region without reporting any casualties in both blasts. In Al Duluiya, four ... Iran says pipeline agreement reached with Iraq Pentagon Can’t Confirm Arrest of Al-Qaeda Leader in Iraq The Pentagon on Thursday was unable to confirm reports of the capture of the head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, a spokesman said. Martyrs of the Iraqi Marshes One of the few successes of the Iraqi governments since the fall of Saddam Hussein has been reversing one of his great crimes: the draining of the marshes of southern Iraq and the destruction of the unique water-born civilisation which had survived there for thousands of years. Kurdish-Arab tensions continue to grow in northern Iraq In another sign of the growing tension between Iraqi Kurds and Arabs, a Kurdish political coalition in one northern province is boycotting provincial council meetings until the main Arab party there cedes council leadership positions. Iraq Resists Pleas by U.S. to Placate Hussein’s Party Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has refused to reconcile with officials of Saddam Hussein’s party, which he blames for some recent bombings. Foreigners Filling Jobs That Iraqis Often Shun Baghdad is the destination of choice for a rising number of Asians and Africans, one more sign that the city may be on the cusp of returning to normal. Security problems uncovered at US bases in Iraq A commission investigating waste and fraud in wartime spending has found serious deficiencies in training and equipment for hundreds of Ugandan guards hired to protect U.S. military bases in Iraq Raid involving US forces kills woman in Iraq Iraq detains its own commanders after US raid
Middle East
US policy on Hamas 'unchanged' Secretary of state says US wants group to meet conditions before deals can be made. Israeli companies continue to trade with firms tied to Iran German firms to attend Teheran oil show Conflicting reports on German funding of exhibition; foreign attendance reportedly up 25% from last year. 'Hamas-licensed bank opens in Gaza' Yemen Dispute Slows Closing of Guantánamo The Obama administration is skeptical of Yemen’s ability to adequately rehabilitate and protect returned prisoners. Turkey says Obama's comments on 1915 incidents "unacceptable"	Jailed Journalist Goes on Hunger Strike Roxana Saberi's parents say she is protesting, despite their objections. 4 Palestinians hurt in exchange of fire with Yitzhar residents Three men from West Bank settlement's security squad lightly wounded after Palestinians infiltrate vineyard; demonstrator hurt at Nil'in protest. Seven journalists wounded by Israeli forces Seven journalists have been injured in recent weeks at the hands of Israeli soldiers, according to the international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders. In a letter to Israel's defence minister Ehud Barak last week it listed the incidents in which journalists have been wounded while going about their work
Afghanistan	Map of Afghanistan
Bombers kill 5 in Afghan governor's compound Three suicide bombers penetrated the governor's compound in Afghanistan's largest southern city yesterday, killing at least five police officers in the latest multi-pronged attack in the Taliban's spiritual birthplace 14 people killed in Afghan violence Fourteen people, including 11 policemen, were killed in shootings and explosions across insurgency-plagued Afghanistan, authorities said yesterday. A roadside bomb blast killed five policemen and two civilians in the Zhari district of southern Kandahar yesterday, the interior ministry said.	US lacks civilians for Afghan 'civilian surge' Turkish wing of al-Qaeda at odds with leadership, says report A report by the Security General Directorate has stated that there is discord between Turkish al-Qaeda militants based along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and the terrorist organization’s high-level factions. Afghan police kill Iranian guard Another Iranian officer held in custody after men cross into Afghan territory. Canadian woman soldier found dead (in her room at a military base) in Afghanistan
Pakistan	Map of Pakistan
Pakistan sends troops to Taliban-heavy area Pakistani authorities have deployed paramilitary troops to a district only 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad, where Taliban militants appeared to be consolidating their hold after this week's land grab. The takeover of Buner brings the Taliban closer to Islamabad than it has been since the insurgency started. Taliban Attack, Kill Christians in Pakistan Town Masked Taliban militants attacked and killed at least one Christian and injured dozens of others this past week in a Christian colony in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, according to local media. .Weekend blasts in Pakistan kill 16 children Four children and their parents were killed in a grenade blast in Pakistan's restive northwest, a day after 12 children were killed by a bomb hidden in a football. Pakistan launches offensive against Taliban militants Pakistan on Sunday launched a new offensive against Taliban militants in its northwest after coming under heavy US pressure to halt advancing extremists, jolting a shaky peace deal	Taliban pulls back to Swat stronghold Taliban militants who had seized a district just 60 miles from Pakistan's capital began pulling out Friday after the government warned it would use force to evict them. 300 Taliban suicide bombers on way to Islamabad,' claim Pakistan officials 300 suicide bombers are on their way to Islamabad, Pakistan and plan to attack the city and and certain local officials of foreign embassies there, Interior Ministry sources said. Reports: At least 4 killed in Pakistan blast An explosion in a vehicle killed at least four people in a militant stronghold in northwest Pakistan, a witness and local media reported Sunday, while concern grew over Taliban encroachments elsewhere in the volatile region
Asia
Civilian Casualties Rising Rapidly in Sri Lanka 121 infiltrators entered India, says Pak terrorist The Pakistani terrorists, who was arrested during the Gurez (Jammu and Kashmir) encounter in March, revealed in a press conference held by the Army in Srinagar that 121 Pakistani infiltrators have entered India crossing the LoC. Kazakhstan Bank Stops Repaying Foreign Debt The bank, BTA, said it would only pay interest to foreign creditors, who lavished the country with loans during the commodity boom.	Indian Maoists free seized train North Korea Says It Has Restarted Nuclear Work Senior Tibetan Cleric Faces Prison in China The abbot of two convents in a Tibetan region of western China is expected to be sentenced on charges of weapons possession and embezzlement, according to his lawyers. US Marine leaves Philippines after court acquittal A U.S. Marine whose rape conviction was overturned by the Philippine appeals court has left the country, the U.S. Embassy said Friday.
Europe
U Pirate Bay judge under fire for conflict of interest New grab for hidden offshore cash A campaign to squeeze tens of millions of pounds in unpaid tax from people with offshore bank accounts is launched. Czech police detain former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke Czech police detained former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke in Prague on Friday on suspicion of supporting or denying the Holocaust, the Czech news agency CTK reported Czech Police Expel Ex-Leader of Klan David Duke was visiting the Czech Republic at the invitation of an extremist group and was to have given lectures in Prague and Brno. British examine police actions at G-20 summit protests Thousands of people were held against their will. Pleading didn't work, neither did shouts or tears. Penned in for hours, some were forced to urinate in public. Others phoned spouses and bosses in mounting frustration as police ignored their requests to be allowed to leave.	Russia warns on spending splurge Russia's finance minister calls for spending cutbacks - saying it is using a foreign currency reserve fund too quickly. Racism talks protesters expelled The UN expels three groups from an anti-racism conference in connection with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech. 4 Serbs found guilty of Kosovo massacre Europe: Russia: 3 Soldiers Killed in Chechnya The attack on the soldiers on Tuesday underscored that while violence has declined, the separatists have not been completely defeated Gazprom Seeks a Gas Pipeline to Bypass Ukraine Russia's Kudrin received U.S. court subpoena: spokesman (Reuters) Russia's Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin received a U.S. federal court subpoena on Friday while on a visit to Washington, Kudrin's spokesman Pavel Kuznetsov said in an e-mailed statement on Saturday.
Africa
Darfur rebels sentenced to death Sudanese court orders 11 members of Justice and Equality Movement to be hanged. The West Turns to Kenya as Piracy Criminal Court Piracy suspects are being sent to Mombasa, where officials are eager to mete out justice. Pirates Seize German Ship Pirates free Filipinos after five months	Ethiopia arrests 35 for coup plot The Ethiopian government has arrested 35 people suspected of a coup attempt allegedly backed by an Ethiopian economist now teaching at a Pennsylvania university, a government spokesman said Saturday. Pa. prof denies leading alleged Ethiopia coup plot An economics professor at a Pennsylvania university said Saturday he supports efforts to spread democracy in his native Ethiopia, but denied backing an alleged coup attempt there that led to the arrests of 35 people by the government.
The Americas
Jamaica deploys Army ahead of tax hikes Venezuela says Interpol has warrant for Chavez foe Government backs 2Mbps broadband The UK government signals its backing for universal availability of two megabit per second broadband by 2012 Bolivia leader backs plot probe Bolivia's president says he would welcome an international investigation into an alleged plot by Europeans to assassinate him. Bolivian policemen close local Chabad house Two Israeli guests arrested in Rurrenabaque; official: MKs working to intervene with local authorities. Paraguayan leader accused of fathering 3rd illegitimate child Fernando Lugo, the Roman Catholic bishop turned president of Paraguay, risked becoming a soap opera caricature after a third woman emerged Wednesday claiming that he's the father of her child. Mexican Prosecutors Train in U.S. for Changes in Their Legal System In what experts say is nothing short of a revolution, Mexico is starting to abandon its centuries-old Napoleonic system of closed-door, written inquisitions. World Bank tried to "blackmail" Bolivia: Morales Bolivian President Evo Morales on Wednesday accused the World Bank of trying to "blackmail" his country several years ago by demanding free-market reforms in exchange for aid loans.	Colombia drug lord 'funded Uribe' Diego Murillo, leader of a Colombian right-wing paramilitary group, claims he funded the Colombian president's election campaign. Colombian drug lord jailed in US Diego Murillo, leader of a Colombian right-wing paramilitary group, is jailed for 31 years in the US for drug trafficking. Mexico sees U.S. acting quickly on truck dispute U.S. President Barack Obama has promised to move quickly to open U.S. roads to Mexican trucks in order to halt Mexico's retaliation on $2.4 billion of U.S. exports, a Mexican official said on Thursday. Venezuela's Chavez offers to take Guantanamo detainees President Hugo Chavez has a well-honed habit of insulting U.S. presidents and decrying U.S. capitalism. Brazil court frees suspect in US nun's killing A Brazilian court has freed an Amazon rancher accused of masterminding the 2005 murder of a U.S. nun and rain forest activist. Mexico City cancels all public events for 10 days Mexico City is suspending all public events for 10 days as officials try to contain an outbreak of a deadly new swine flu.