| China starts work on a $2.6bn (£1.6bn) Bahamas-based holiday resort as its state-owned firms expand their economic reach. |
Israel and Chile collaborated to spy on Iran and Venezuela. Korean spies broke into Indonesian delegation's hotel room. High-ranking Libyan pilots defect to Malta. Continue reading →  |
| Scientists at the UK's Institute of Cancer Research have prevented cancers spreading in mice by blocking an enzyme. |
| UN-Sicherheitsrat berät über Libyen Flugzeuge gegen Demonstranten Der Aufstand weitet sich aus In Bengasi seien seit Beginn der Proteste vor fünf Tagen rund 400 Menschen getötet worden, sagte ein Vertreter von Militärangehörigen, die sich den Aufständischen in der zweitgrößten libyschen Stadt angeschlossen hatten. Neben Bengasi würden die Aufständischen mittlerweile auch Sirte und das nordostlibysche Agedabia kontrollieren. |
| Es ist das erst Mal seit über 30 Jahren, dass iranische Kriegsschiffe den Suez-Kanal durchqueren. Wie die amtliche iranische Nachrichtenagentur Fars mitteilte, handelt es sich bei den Schiffen um eine Fregatte und einen Versorger. Die Durchfahrt dauert in der Regel zwischen 12 und 14 Stunden. |
| Bashar al-Assad zeigte sich in seiner Position ziemlich sicher und tatsächlich misslang der Aufruf zu einem Tag des Zorns in Damaskus. Die Menschen waren argwöhnisch und sahen eher einen Test des Regimes hinter dem Aufruf über Facebook als einen wirklichen Ansporn zur Revolte. Tatsächlich ist das syrische Volk noch eher zurückhaltend. Die verschiedenen Konfessionen, die unter al-Assads Hand friedlich miteinander leben, lassen zweifeln, ob es nach einem Sturz genauso weitergehen würde. |
| Israel hat es zurzeit überhaupt nicht einfach. Nun, nachdem der Tyrann Husni Mubarak weg ist und die Ägypter nach Demokratie streben, dürften Netanjahus Argumentationen, Israel sei die einzige Demokratie, bedeutungslos werden. |
| Anglo-Australian miner BHP Billiton agrees to buy shale gas assets from US firm Chesapeake Energy for $4.75bn. |
| Wichtigster Grund für die ausufernden Schulden sind die Bad Banks: Allein die Stützung der Hypo Real Estate und der WestLB trieben den Schuldenstand um 232,2 Milliarden Euro in die Höhe. Vor allem der Bund und die Länder mussten die Zusatzbelastungen tragen: Beim Bund stiegen die Schulden um mehr als ein Fünftel auf 1284,1 Milliarden Euro, bei den Ländern lag der Anstieg bei 13 Prozent auf 595,3 Milliarden Euro. |
| The U.S. Empire includes 750-1,000 military bases in more than 130 countries. The reality of that extensive military empire has come to the forefront in Bahrain, where the authoritarian government in that country is cracking down on protestors with round-ups, jail, torture, and even extra-judicial execution. |
| The public accounts were in surplus in January after a strong rise in income tax receipts, according to official figures. |
| Der UN-Sicherheitsrat berät über die Demokratiebewegung in Libyen. Das Treffen am 22 Februar um (15.00 Uhr MEZ) sei vom stellvertretenden libyschen UN-Botschafter Ibrahim Dabbaschi beantragt worden. Dabbaschi und andere UN-Diplomaten des nordafrikanischen Landes hatten sich am Montag von Staatschef Muammar Gaddafi losgesagt. Sie stellten sich auf die Seite der Demokratiebewegung und riefen zum Sturz Gaddafis auf. |
| Thousands of Bahrainis attend the funeral of a Shia protester, a day after King Hamad orders that a number of political prisoners be freed. |
| Anonymous said calls for it to attack the website of controversial anti-gay Westboro Bapist Church were a hoax. |
| Several European countries send planes to evacuate their citizens from strife-torn Libya as continuing violence threatens economic projects. |
| Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announces a cross-party inquiry into a telecoms scandal which is believed to have cost the nation up to $40bn (£24.5bn). |
| Key leaders of Thailand's opposition red-shirt movement are freed on bail nine months after being detained, but say protests will continue. |
| At least 65 people have died after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island, Prime Minister John Key says, with fears that the toll will rise. |
| Store military secrets in the cloud? Float that idea in the Pentagon, and you'd be called crazy or worse. Until now. |
Nearly all of Libya's foreign diplomats (including the Libyan ambassador to the U.S.) are urging nations to impose a no-fly zone in Libya to stop Gaddafi from attacking civilians with jets & helicopters.
| Tens of thousands of South Asian workers in Libya prepare to flee the country as clashes continue between protesters and the security forces. |
| Mit unvorstellbarer Härte geht Gaddafi gegen die Menschen des eigenen Landes vor. Bis letzte Woche wurde er aber noch von der westlichen Politik - insbesondere der EU und Frankreich - hoffiert. |
| Siemens, RWE und Wintershall stützten jahrelang "Revolutionsführer" Muammar al-Gaddafi. Nun sind sie auf der Flucht. Ölpreis erreicht wegen befürchteter Lieferengpässe neuen Rekordpreis.Von Nick Reimer |
| Deutsche Bank becomes the first financial company in the UK to be fined for "irresponsible" mortgage lending. |
| The Mexican economy grew by 5.5% last year, its fastest annual growth in 10 years, official figures show. |
| Two Iranian warships have entered the Suez Canal to make a passage to the Mediterranean Sea, canal officials say. |
| Eine Delegation von drei Indigenen aus dem Amazonasgebiet bereist derzeit Europa, um gegen den Bau von Staudämmen in ihrer Heimat zu protestieren. Die Dämme gefährden das Land und Leben tausender Indigener. |
Reddit, support the revolution [link]
While many travelers have been frustrated by the TSA's security policies, one Alaska state lawmaker took a stand, returning home from Seattle via boat to avoid an airport patdown. "I had the choice to say no, this twisted policy did not have to be the price of flying to Juneau," explained state Rep. Sharon Cissna.
A new tell-all memoir from an embittered former aide to Sarah Palin portrays her as "nearly obsessed with her political adversaries and consumed with every slight, real or perceived" against her in the media. The unpublished manuscript reveals, among other things, that Palin penned letters-to-the-editor in praise of herself, only to be sent under other names .
Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi continues to face massive pro-democracy protests, as large parts of the country have been taken over by opposition protesters. After Qaddafi responded by using the military against demonstrators, numerous Libyan diplomats have resigned, including the Libyan ambassadors in Tunis and France and the envoy to the United States.
Meanwhile, a key hard-line Shiite leader in Bahrain has called for an end of the country's ruling monarchy, escalating tensions there. Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh rejected calls for his resignation. And in Egypt, military and civilian leaders took " high-profile " steps yesterday to assure Egyptians that the move to civilian rule would be rapid.
Wisconsin Republicans are pledging to go forward with their agenda in the absence of Senate Democrats, who fled the state last week to stop a vote that would cripple the state's public employee unions. The legislature can take up any bill that isn't a fiscal measure, and they will not make any attempt to pass the controversial bill.
As the Indiana legislature debates "right-to-work" legislation that would gut the ability of unions to organize, thousands of "steelworkers, auto workers and others" protested at the state capitol. Some Democratic legislators are now debating doing a Wisconsin-style walkout in order to protect collective bargaining in the state.
Taliban members have said that war weariness and recent defeats are "creating fissures between the Taliban's top leadership based in Pakistan and midlevel field commanders." "I have talked to some commanders, and they are reluctant to fight," said one unnamed Taliban commander, adding, "Definitely there is disagreement between the field commanders and the leaders over their demands to go and fight ."
" Under pressure to address racial issues swirling around a potential presidential bid," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) finally said he won't sign a bill to honor a former KKK leader with a state-issued license plate. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee had defended his fellow Republican on the issue this weekend before Barbour backed down.
| Das Imperium der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika umfasst 750 - 1.000 Militärbasen in über 130 Ländern. Die Realität dieses ausgedehnten militärischen Imperiums ist in Bahrain zum Vorschein gekommen, wo die autoritäre Regierung gegen Oppositionelle mit Verhaftungen, Gefängnis, Folter und sogar Mord vorgeht. |
| Dass die USA eine Verurteilung des israelischen Siedlungsbaus durch die UNO verhinderten, zeige einmal mehr, wie kurzfristig die Amerikaner denken, sagt «New York Times»- Korrespondent und Bestseller-Autor Stephen Kinzer. |
| The London School of Economics reconsiders its links with Libya "as a matter of urgency", after former student Saif al-Islam Gaddafi defends the regime. |
| Group of army officers have also issued a statement urging fellow soldiers to "join the people" and help remove Gaddafi. |
| Die Schuldenuhr des Bundes der Steuerzahler berücksichtigt ab heute auch die öffentlichen Schulden, die aus den neu gegründeten staatlichen "Bad Banks" resultieren. Der BdSt folgt damit einer Entscheidung des Statistischen Bundesamts. |
| The Italian Foreign minister has condemned the events in Libya, saying: "I strongly deplore, all violence against the demonstrators and the deaths of civilians in Libya.. I call for, as does the Council of the European Union, an immediate end to the use of force against the demonstrators. And I underscore that the Libyan authorities must respond, through dialogue, to the legitimate aspirations and demands for reform voiced by the people. A dialogue that must be open, full, significant and national, and which must lead to a constructive future for the country and for its people." The country's defence minister, Ignazio La Russa, has also denied the news reported on some blogs and social networking sites of alleged raids by Italian fighter planes in Libya. He said: "I can deny the allegations in the firmest manner. Somebody is clearly not aware of the ethics of the Italian Government and Armed Forces" |
| Seit mehr als vier Wochen befinden sich in Griechenland etwa 300 Migranten im Hungerstreik. Die meist aus Nordafrika stammenden Hungerstreikenden fordern die Legalisierung aller MigrantInnen und Flüchtlinge in Griechenland. Meistens langjährig in der griechischen Landwirtschaft beschäftigt haben sie dennoch nur minimale Aufenthaltsrechte - wenn überhaupt. |
| Vor der Mittelmeerinsel Malta ist ein libysches Marineschiff aufgetaucht. Der libysche Staatschef Ghadhafi soll noch heute im Staatsfernsehen sprechen. |
| Der Kleriker Yusuf al-Qaradawi hat eine Fatwa gegen den libyschen Revolutionsführer gesprochen. Libyen solle sich von Ghadhafi befreien. |
People pay attention when others make sacrifices. Tim DeCristopher faces up to 10 years in prison for disrupting a federal auction so that oil and gas companies could not destroy one of the most beautiful and unique areas on the planet. Pleas support him if you can. [link]
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The last time Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) went after public sector unions it had " disastrous results " for him and for taxpayers. As Milwaukee County Executive in 2009, Walker tried to get rid of the unionized security guards at the county courthouse and replace them with contractors, which he promised would save the county money. The County Board rejected the idea, but in March of 2010 Walker " unilaterally ordered it ," claiming there was a budget emergency. Walker hired the British security contractor Wackenhut - of Kabul Embassy sex scandal fame - to replace the guards. Unfortunately for Walker and Milwaukee taxpayers, an arbiter later ruled that Walker had overstepped his authority, and ordered the county to reinstate the unionized workers, pay backwages, and pay tens of thousands of dollars in arbiter fees. As MSNBC's Rachel Maddow pointed out last night, Walker's "dress rehersal" for his current union busting effort may end up costing Milwaukee taxpayers an extra half a million dollars.
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While his anti-union crusade proved to be a boondagle for Milwaukee County, Walker had escaped in time to wash his hands clean of it, as the arbiter's ruling against didn't come down until last month - after Walker had been sworn in as governor. Maddow also notes that the man put in charge of Wackenhut's security at the courthouse had a criminal record and had served prison time.
| Retail giant Wal-Mart reports a seventh straight quarterly decline in underlying sales at its US stores as it loses out to competitors. |
| Will Arab protests push oil and gas prices to new levels? |
Oil prices will surely shoot up even higher that is for sure but what else would come from total chaos in the KSA? [link]
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| Oil prices rise in the UK and US after continued unrest in Libya and worries about the country's crude exports. |
| MI5 received intelligence four months before 7/7 which could have identified ringleader Mohammed Sidique Khan as an extremist, the inquests have heard. |
| "History is sweeping" through the Middle East and North Africa, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said in a speech to the Kuwaiti Parliament. |
| Tawny owls turn brown to survive in warmer climates, say scientists, with the once dominant grey feathers becoming a thing of the past. |
| Libya's Col Muammar Gaddafi has condemned anti-government protests and refused to cede power, in his first major speech since unrest began. |
| Cuba's ex-leader Fidel Castro uses an article in Cuban media to accuse the US of being ready to order an invasion of Libya. |
Priorities? GOP Governors Shift Burden To Poor, Middle Class To Pay For Tax Breaks For Rich, Corporations
| It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. |
| NASA will launch Glory at Vandenberg Air Force Base early tomorrow morning. The scientists behind the mission state that we need to get much more familiar with these aerosols in order to know what and who they affect, and how. |
| The parent company of a search engine which accused Google of anti-competitive practices has issued fresh complaints. |
| Labour activists in Wisconsin and two other US states are taking to the streets to protest against pending anti-union legislation. |
| Convicted rapist Robert Greens launches a bid in the European Court to get prisoners the vote in time for May's elections. |
Is Scott Walker Cutting Off Internet Access To Thwart Protesters? Yesterday, however, the Wifi connection mysteriously ended and it's not clear exactly why. Whatever the reason, the TAA Wifi connection ending has made it more difficult for TAA organizers to coordinate actions and movements throughout the Capitol.
Walker's decision to take steps to block certain types of internet access to protestors comes as a new poll shows that public support for Walker is plummeting. A poll of Wisconsin voters, conducted by Democratic pollster GQR Research for the AFL-CIO between Feb. 16 and 20, shows support for organized labor in Wisconsin as high while support for Governor Walker is plummeting.
The poll showed that only 39% of respondents had a favorable view of Walker, while 49% had an unfavorable view of him. This is a tremendous drop of a support for a Governor who was elected with just 52% of support just a few months ago. While support for Governor Walker is dramatically dropping, the poll showed that 62% of Wisconsin voters agree with the protestors at the Wisconsin State Capitol.If you are in the Capitol attempting to access the internet from a free wifi connection labeled "guest," you cannot access the site defendwisconsin.org.
| The use of genetically modified crops continues to spread; cumulatively, more than a billion hectares have been planted in the last 15 years. |
| Algeria's state of emergency is to be lifted imminently under an order adopted by the government, the country's official news agency reports. |
| A big U.S. "reaction force" tracking a hijacked vessel discovered the pirates aboard had shot their four U.S. hostages, so the U.S. used deadly force in response. |
Joining Wisconsin, Montanans Protest Tea Party Assault On Workers And Environment Protests over the radical Tea Party agenda have spilled over from Wisconsin into Montana, where hundreds rallied on the state capitol steps on Monday. Republicans gained control over both chambers of the state legislature in 2010, and, like their colleagues in other states, are challenging Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) with budgetary plans to cut health, environmental, and labor programs in order to pay for corporate tax cuts. Supporters of a safe and healthy middle class rallied in Helena yesterday to protest the "unprecedented GOP attacks on public services and education and laws that protect land, air, water and wildlife":
Conservationists, sportsmen, firefighters, teachers, correctional officers and others gathered for a pair of rallies on the Capitol's north lawn and demanded that Republicans focus more on creating jobs and less on ramming through controversial bills and budget cuts aimed at slashing government employees and rolling back bedrock environmental laws.
Internet 'kill switch' bill revised, name changed to include the phrase "Internet freedom." The 221-page bill hands Homeland Security the power to issue decrees to certain privately owned computer systems after the president declares a "national cyber-emergency." [link]
This brave guy goes to tea party events and speaks truth that the crowd agrees with, then turns the tables on them. [link]
| What constitutes driving while high? The medical marijuana boom in Colorado has led to a debate in the Legislature of driving while under the influence of pot. |
| Featureless gray-brown haze is so dense that much of eastern China is hidden in this photo-like image acquired on February 20, 2011. Reducing the emissions that cause such haze could cut global warming in half over the next 40 years. |
High Schooler Crushes FoxNews On Wisconsin Protests: Fox: Do you have any ideas how to solve the budget crises in your state? Highschooler: Yes, I do. I think we should really consider raising taxes on the rich..." [link]
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