The News Crawler

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

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Taliban: How Many Times Do We Have To Say We’re Not Going To Negotiate? I have to admit: I didn’t think it would take less than a full working day for Taliban spokesmen to deny reports that Mullah Omar was willing to negotiate an end to the war with the Karzai government. Iranian drone 'shot down in Iraq' US forces shot down an Iranian drone aircraft 60 miles (100km) north of Baghdad last month, the US military says. Whistleblower exposes insider trading program at JP Morgan US opens secret labs to Germany New science, tech treaty will give German scientists unprecedented access.	Rep. Frank wants to see if AIG bonuses recoverable U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on Sunday the government needs to determine if millions in employee bonuses at American International Group Inc can be recovered. BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE: DEMS, REPUBLICANS SLAM AIG OVER BONUSES Secret Red Cross 2007 report: CIA threw captives into walls by necks...Secret Report Implies That U.S. Violated International Law Countries With the Longest Life Expectancy The United States didn’t even make the top 20
Connecticut
Conn. considers ways to preserve Dial-a-Ride funds Several Connecticut lawmakers want to use $8 million from a special transportation fund to help preserve Dial-a-Ride services over the next two years. Company to pay CT for toxic discharges A Branford company is facing sentencing over toxic discharges released into the Branford River and Long Island Sound. Simmons to run against Conn. Sen. Christopher Dodd Former Republican Rep. Rob Simmons said Sunday that he plans to run against Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd. 10-Digit Dialing Coming December 1 Beginning Dec. 1, Connecticut residents will have to dial 10 digits for all calls, even across the street. Proposed Fishing Rules Too Harsh for Commercial Fishermen	Northeast US to suffer most from future sea rise The northeastern U.S. coast is likely to see the world's biggest sea level rise from man-made global warming, a new study predicts. Conn. lawmakers review 111 obsolete laws Connecticut lawmakers plan to do a bit of house cleaning by reviewing more than 100 state laws that are considered obsolete. New England surpasses West Coast as least religious region in America, study finds Big unions team up for casino pacts in 4 states (AP) The council will concentrate on dragged-out contract talks in Atlantic City but will also try to revive stalled negotiations in Nevada, Indiana and Connecticut.
United States
Living in U.S., rejecting its laws, targeted as terrorists For the past couple of years, the back room of Sami V’s Signs has been home to the “Sovereign People’s Court for the United States,” the main local gathering place for the sovereign citizens movement. Most Immigrants In Detention Did Not Have Criminal Record WATCH: Paul O'Neill: Order Big Banks To Post Assets' Value Online To Weed Out Toxic Ones Shoppers will know more about origins of food Shoppers will have more information about where their food comes from under a new policy starting Monday. Old cases may mean new trials for Gitmo detainees Old terror case files are being dusted off as the Obama administration considers prosecuting high-profile Guantanamo Bay detainees in civilian courts, focusing on crimes allegedly committed before Sept. 11, 2001. It's a tactic that could allow the government to limit testimony about harsh, more recent interrogations and to avoid revealing sensitive intelligence about al-Qaida. US opens secret labs to Germany New science, tech treaty will give German scientists unprecedented access. Countries With the Longest Life Expectancy The United States didn’t even make the top 20 How the U.S. Military Is Trying to Cut Its Enormous Energy Appetite A Gay-Marriage Solution: End Marriage? Seeking a way out of the marriage equality conundrum, two Pepperdine professors suggest the federal government get out of the business altogether Survey Finds More Americans Unable to Recover from ID Theft in Tough Economy U.S. Challenged On Sealing of Detainee Files	Watch Police Evicting Families From Their Homes Want to Stop Bullying? Help the Bullies DC HIV/AIDS Rate Soars, Considered 'Severe' Epidemic Secret Red Cross 2007 report: CIA threw captives into walls by necks...Secret Report Implies That U.S. Violated International Law AIG names recipients of its bailout money Army Robots: Will Humans Still Be in Control? Your Credit Score and How It's Determined Priest practicing Christianity, Islam criticized An Episcopal priest in Seattle is fighting attempts by Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf to defrock her for practicing Islam and Christianity at the same time. 14 Anti-Coal Activists Arrested in Tennessee Court reinstates case over Chase interest rate hike No long-term nuke waste solution Burying waste a temporary solution as proposals for new plants arise. Reports question defense system $100B to develop missile defense, system proposed for EU may still fail. Meghan McCain: "Kiss My Fat Ass" Meghan McCain took a swipe at radio talk show host Laura Ingraham for calling her "plus sized" last week by telling the outspoken host to "kiss my fat ass." New generation of power stations 'risk terrorist anarchy', warns expert Plans for more nuclear power stations increases the risk of terrorists seizing plutonium, report warns Stations must warn if new TV signals lack reach TV stations must alert viewers if their new digital signals don't reach areas covered by their soon-to-be-defunct analog broadcasts, the Federal Communications Commission has ruled. Censored New Scientist article: How to spot a hidden religious agenda, 28 Feb 2009 Citi CEO Pandit Caught In Double-Talk: Earned $10.8M In 2008 But Claimed He Made Only $1M
Madoffed
Feds Fear Ruth Madoff Will Flee Country With $93 Million Prosecutors Will Seek Madoff's Wife's Money Too Mortgage fraud reports up 26 percent IRS seeks $227 million in back taxes from Stanford Whistleblower exposes insider trading program at JP Morgan

Science
Therapy to suppress peanut allergies is reported By administering small but increasing doses of the food, four children can now freely eat items containing peanuts, an allergist tells colleagues in presenting the results of two clinical trials.	Discovery Nears Space Station as Debris Nears, Too Astronauts race to space station as old Soviet satellite debris means station may have to move
Politics
Rep. Frank wants to see if AIG bonuses recoverable U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on Sunday the government needs to determine if millions in employee bonuses at American International Group Inc can be recovered. BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE: DEMS, REPUBLICANS SLAM AIG OVER BONUSES Arlen Specter faces GOP ultimatum over union-rights bill If the Pennsylvania senator votes for the Employee Free Choice Act, some of his supporters -- angry at him for backing the economic stimulus package -- say they won't back his reelection next year. White House rejects S.C. stimulus waiver request The White House has rejected South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's request to use a portion of the state's allotted federal stimulus funds to pay off state debt instead of spending it on government services or programs. Foreign purchases of U.S. debt rise Foreign purchases of U.S. debt increased in the first month of 2009, according to a Treasury report released Monday, easing some concerns that overseas investors have lost their appetite for U.S. debt. Congressman: Probe 'Cheney assassin ring' Murtha's Earmarks Questioned Documents show Pa. firm that received $250M in funding through congressman channeled portion of money to companies among campaign backers. Florida Legislator wants random drug tests for unemployed... Peter Paying Paul? AIG Says Taxpayer Money Went to Other Banks AIG says over $90B of its bailout went to other banks, some already bailed out.	Enough of the puff: tax may cut smoking rates A big hike in the federal tax on cigarettes taking effect on April 1 may prompt 1 million U.S. smokers to quit, according to public health experts. GOP to provide alternative budget to Obama's The No. 2 House Republican says the president's budget plan doesn't address the needs of small businesses and that the GOP will put forward an alternative. Treasury close to bank rules proposal U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will soon propose an overhaul of the financial regulatory system that is expected to give the Federal Reserve powers to monitor broad economic risks, a Treasury spokesman confirmed on Monday. Capitalism needs a revived Glass-Steagall That capitalism has been shown, in practice, to be endemically flawed should come as no surprise. That is the nature of mankind. Wells Fargo chair flays TARP, "asinine" stress test Wells Fargo & Co's chairman lambasted the U.S. government for imposing new curbs on lenders that receive federal bailout money, and called the federal plan to subject big banks to stress tests "asinine." Michael Steele: Global Warming ‘Is Part of the Cooling Process’ “We are cooling. We are not warming. The warming you see out there, the supposed warming, and I am using my finger quotation marks here, is part of the cooling process. Greenland, which is now covered in ice, it was once called Greenland for a reason, right? Iceland, which is now green. Oh I love this. Like we know what this planet is all about. How long have we been here? How long? Not very long.”
Obama
Obama to unveil proposals to help small businesses Amid misgivings over his spending blueprint, President Barack Obama has decided to provide billions of dollars in federal lending aid aimed at struggling small business owners. Obama: Gitmo captives have 'no constitutional rights' The Freeman Affair Because one man, conceding defeat, didn't issue the typical statement indicating that he preferred to spend more time with his family, and instead launched a frontal attack on those who had attacked him, the foreign policy equation in Washington might have changed in discernible ways last week.	Obama needs time to buy bad bank assets Give the White House some time to develop a plan to buy banks' toxic assets. Obama plans small-business lending boost Barack Obama drops 'war on drugs' rhetoric for needle exchanges OBAMA CALLS FOR LEGAL AVENUES TO RECOVER AIG BONUSES...
Economy
Opec keeps oil output unchanged American Express card defaults rise in February Wall Street opens higher, building on 4-day rally	Oil Falls to Near $44 as OPEC Doesn't Cut Supply Industrial Output Drops in February Industrial output drops for 4th straight month as factory operating rate falls to record low

Iraq	Map of Iraq
Iraqi footballer shot dead by fan A spectator shoots dead an Iraqi footballer, as he is about to score an equalizing goal in the last minute of a match Iraq: U.S. troops to stay in insecure areas U.S. troops will not be removed from areas of Iraq that are not completely secure or where there is a high probability that attacks could resume after the Americans leave, Iraq's prime minister said Sunday Iranian drone 'shot down in Iraq' US forces shot down an Iranian drone aircraft 60 miles (100km) north of Baghdad last month, the US military says. Last Iraqi detainee held by multinational forces to be released in August 2009 Senior Iraqi Shi'ite Official Rejects Ba'th Party's Return To Politics Iraqi Human Rights Activist: Underage Iraqi Girls Sold Into Sexual Exploitation, Then Slavery, In Gulf Countries Court deliberates 'family unification' Four petitions challenge law that bans Palestinians married to Israelis from living within Green Line U.S. plans hardware withdrawal from Iraq The Pentagon says military equipment withdrawn from Iraq will be shipped to Afghanistan and to huge U.S.-run warehouses throughout the Middle East.Troop withdrawals from Iraq mark the beginning of an enormous relocation of hardware but not much of it will return to the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.Some of the equipment will remain with Iraqi security forces	Sunday: 6 Iraqis, 4 PKK rebels Killed Pentagon: No decision yet for use of Turkey in Iraq pullout A spokesperson for the Pentagon has praised bilateral military relations between NATO allies Turkey and the United States while also noting that Washington has not yet made any decision to request from Turkey that it allow the use its territory in the US forces' withdrawal from neighboring Iraq. Iraq authorities bury 40 unidentified bodies A car bomb in Al Ghazaliya District killed oil expert Abdul Latif Saleh. Meanwhile, police found three bodies of men with gunshot wounds in Daquq in southern Kirkuk. Moreover, funerals were held for the brother of head of awakening councils patrols chief Jamal Al Luhaibi Iraqi Kurdish Newspaper Fined 13 Million Dinar For Insulting President Kamal Rauf, editor of the Iraqi Kurdish paper Al-Watani, said on March 15 that following the lawsuit by Iraqi President Jalal Al-Talabani against the paper for publishing an article criticizing him US military says Iraqi girl killed in US shooting FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, March 16 Iraq wants a say in U.S. troop removal Three bodies found in Iraq
Middle East
Turkey's investigation of alleged coup plot widens The allegations in Turkey's biggest legal case are the stuff of a dark thriller: mysterious murders, hit lists, stashed grenades, a plot to topple the government and, behind it all, a network of conspirators with links to the state as well as organized crime. Two Israeli policemen die in West Bank shooting Two Israeli police officers died Sunday evening from gunshots wounds sustained while on patrol near the settlement of Masu'a, in the northern West Bank. Claims of British collusion in torture spread to Egypt Israel hunts West Bank attackers Israeli forces search for the attackers believed to be behind the fatal shooting of two Israeli policemen in the West Bank. Iran's Khatami won't run for president Iran's moderate former president will not challenge President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the upcoming presidential election, the state-run Fars news agency said Monday.	Four dead in explosion in Yemen An explosion at a tourist site in Yemen kills four tourists, believed to be South Korean, local security officials say. Hamas and Fatah agree to hold elections by January 2010 Khatami to quit Iran presidency race Iran's reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami is considering withdrawing from the June presidential election, local news agencies Fars and Mehr reported on Sunday. Al Qaeda blamed for Yemen attack Pentagon chief: Israeli attack on Iran would endanger Mideast Lebanon opens its first embassy in Syria Lebanon on Monday opened its first-ever embassy in Syria in another sign of improving ties between the long-feuding neighbors
Afghanistan	Map of Afghanistan
Six NATO soldiers among 17 killed in Afghanistan Five NATO-led soldiers, three Afghan civilians, two Afghan police officers and five Taliban militants were killed in the latest series of blasts and clashes in Afghanistan, while a sixth NATO soldier died in a traffic accident, officials said Sunday. In Afghanistan, Four Al-Qaeda Militants Killed Former Friend Of Osama Bin Laden: Mullah Omar Has Given Green Light For Peace Talks Taliban: How Many Times Do We Have To Say We’re Not Going To Negotiate? I have to admit: I didn’t think it would take less than a full working day for Taliban spokesmen to deny reports that Mullah Omar was willing to negotiate an end to the war with the Karzai government.	Taliban threaten to kill aid workers as spies A top Taliban commander issues a new threat to foreign aid workers, saying that under the insurgent group's new "constitution" they will execute them as spies or hold them in exchange for the release of Taliban fighters. 9 Killed in Suicide Attack in Afghanistan Hospital official: 9 people killed, 24 wounded after suicide attack in southern Afghanistan Taliban Kill Police Commander By Poisoning Two soldiers killed in Afghanistan explosion Roadside Bomb Kills 4 US Soldiers In Afghanistan Afghan reality French troops face fierce Taleban - and opposition at home
Pakistan	Map of Pakistan
NATO supply terminal attacked in Pakistan Suspected militants attacked a Pakistani transport terminal from which supplies are sent to NATO troops in Afghanistan, burning dozens of vehicles and shipping containers, police said. Osama hiding in Pak's Hindu Kush mountains: Report Pakistani judge sacked by Musharraf to return Amid massive protests demanding that Pakistan's government reinstate judges sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf, the seat of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will be restored, a spokesman for the prime minister said Sunday. Pakistan police clash with rioters and seal off capital All key roads into Islamabad were blocked with shipping containers and trucks and the army was put on alert as what has been described as "the long march" by lawyers and opposition figures in the country centred on the city. Pakistan's Sharif calls off "long march" protest Pakistan's opposition party chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday called off the "long march" demonstration after the government announced the restoration of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Top judges reinstated 'to avoid military coup' Top judges reinstated 'to avoid military coup' (AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Pakistan's leaders have been forced to resolve their differences with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and reinstate sacked top judges, after the threat of a military takeover by the army chief general Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani, unnamed sources told Adnkronos International (AKI)	Sharif defies house arrest order Protesters clash with Pakistani opposition leader's supporters in Lahore as political crisis intensifies. Top Pak govt officers resign to join Sharif's protest march Pak orders house arrest of Sharif brothers, Imran Khan Suspected U.S. Strike Kills 5 In Pakistan A suspected U.S. missile strike killed two Arabs and three other people in northwest Pakistan, intelligence officials said, in the latest in a barrage of American attacks on suspected militant targets in the region. Taliban targets Nato lorries Fighters in Pakistan launch second attack in two days on Nato supply depot. Pakistan takes a turn to the right In the early hours of Monday morning, the Pakistani government capitulated in the face of escalating street protests. All of the lawyers sacked in 2007 will be reinstated and the bans on key opposition figures will be reviewed. The abrupt decision is a stinging setback to the United States' influence in the country, and marks a decisive victory for the right wing. The troubles of the government of President Asif Ali Zardari are far from over Pakistan suicide bomber kills eight: police A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a restaurant in Pakistan's garrison city of Rawalpindi on Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding 17 others, police said.
Asia
Japanese navy on pirate patrol despite pacifist constitution U.S. OKs record $2.1 billion arms sale to India (Reuters) President Barack Obama's administration has cleared a $2.1 billion sale to India of eight Boeing Co P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, the largest U.S. arms transfer to India to date.	China: Importers need to share blame for emissions Countries importing Chinese goods should be responsible for the heat-trapping gases released during manufacturing, NKorea lets stranded SKoreans return home
Europe
Russia Wants to Become Permanent OPEC Observer Russia wants to send permanent observer to OPEC, but membership unlikely Hizbullah spokesman denied entry to UK Home Office rejects visa application of Moussawi, who was to speak at a conference on political Islam Police car blown up in Georgia Claims of British collusion in torture spread to Egypt Briton claims UK colluded in his torture in Egypt. Detainee says he was hooded and beaten over five days	The far right is on the march again: the rise of fascism in Austria Anti-government protests in Hungary Several thousand people held anti-government protests in the Hungarian capital during a national holiday on Sunday, and police detained 35 people. Russian leader Medvedev to reveal his income Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday that he will publicly declare his income and encouraged other officials to fight corruption by disclosing relatives' incomes and assets.
Africa
Uganda begins to withdraw troops from Congo Uganda began withdrawing troops hunting brutal Lord's Resistance Army rebels in neighboring Congo after the deadline for them to leave expired Sunday, an army spokesman said UN Official Says 3 Employees Kidnapped in Somalia Sudan wants all aid groups out within a year	Rival Islamist groups clash in Somalia, 11 killed AU condemns "coup d'etat" attempt in Madagascar The African Union said on Monday that a push by the opposition in Madagascar to remove the president was an attempted coup d'etat and called on the people of the Indian Ocean island to respect their constitution.
The Americas
Chávez says yes to Russian base Russia is planning to open an airbase for its strategic nuclear bombers in Venezuela in a snub to the United States that taints a promised rapprochement between Moscow and Washington.Chavez: Russia jets welcome, but no Venezuela base Mexico slaps additional tariffs on 90 US products Mexico says it will increase tariffs on about 90 U.S. products in retaliation for last week's decision to cancel a pilot program that allowed some Mexican trucks to transport goods within the United States. Press freedom deteriorated in Americas Freedom of the press has deteriorated in the Americas, with Mexico among the most dangerous countries in the region to be a journalist, the Inter American Press Association said Monday.	Salvadoran ex-rebels win presidency for first time A leftist television journalist has won El Salvador's presidential election, bringing a party of former guerrillas to power for the first time since a bloody civil war and ending two decades of conservative rule. Navy deployed to Venezuela's seaports President Hugo Chavez deployed the navy to Venezuela's seaports on Sunday, and he said state governors who challenge new legislation bringing transportation hubs under federal control could end up in prison. The coup plot against Cuba's Fidel and Raul Castro COLOMBIA VP: End US anti-drug ops.