Berlusconi Denies Escort Deal

Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi remains entangled in a controversy involving several call-girls who admit to entertaining Berlusconi in exchange for his assistance in resolving their business and legal problems.

Berlusconi denies any impropriety on his part and is adamant that the women involved are merely acquaintances and that his efforts in their behalf have nothing to do with his relationship with them.

Italian model, Patrizia D'Addario, stated that she had been paid more than $1,000 to attend a party in Berlusconi’s residence in Rome. Ms D'Addario claims that she was asked to return and eventually spent the night with the prime minister.

In an interview with Chi, one of Italy's most popular gossip magazines, Mr Berlusconi said he had never paid for sex. He added, “I never understood where the satisfaction is when you’re missing the pleasure of conquest.”

He attacked Ms D'Addario, saying she had been "extremely well paid" by someone to produce false accusations against him, an accusation which she denies. The prime minister said he could not be blamed for the bad behavior of others and there was nothing in his private life he should be ashamed of or should apologize for.

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Russia Drills For Oil Off Cuba

The Russian Federation entered into a contract with the Republic of Cuba to explore for oil in the Gulf of Mexico where it is predicted there could be as much as 20 billion barrels.

A term of the contract provides Cuba with $150 Million worth of equipment and agricultural supplies, tying in nicely with Raul Castro’s demand last week that Cuban’s begin cultivating the agricultural land that has remained barren for so many years.

Barren simply because there was no machinery available in Cuba or the ancient equipment owned by Cuban farmers could no longer be repaired.

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UBS Strikes Deal To Avoid Criminal Charges

Swiss banking giant, UBS AG, today entered into an agreement with the US government in which UBS will disclose the names of 52,000 Americans who hold secret bank accounts at UBS in order to avoid criminal indictment.

While Switzerland maintains banking secrecy as a matter of law, UBS violated both Swiss and US law by engaging in the practice of establishing fraudulent offshore companies through which they transferred US client’s funds to their bank, a practice commonly known as money laundering.

UBS still faces very heavy fines, possibly totaling $1 Billion dollars or more to avoid the criminal prosecution. In addition, UBS handed over a short-list of 250 names of American account holders who have substantial sums on deposit with the bank. The US Department of Justice is investigating the individuals named for possible prosecution.

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Insurance Industry Blocks Health Care Reform

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly made clear that the obstacle to providing health care for all Americans is the insurance industry itself.

Insurance companies have lobbied heavily to maintain the status quo, and deny health coverage for the majority of Americans, simply because it is hugely profitable to do so.

Insurance industry executives claim that the current system is the best despite the fact that health care is non-existent for most Americans. In essence, the industry would rather see most Americans in poor health in order to bolster the profits of insurance giants.

Pelosi is waging a war against the insurance industry and attempting to inform the American public of who the “real villains” are in the process of introducing public health care reform.
Pelosi stated that, “The current system works so well for insurers that they don't even want subsidies. They've had a good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people and the health of our country," she said, adding that it will be tough to keep them from getting their way. "This is the fight of our lives."

"I am for the strongest possible public option," Pelosi said. The Senate health committee bill "is one that I think would be okay. It's not my preference. My preference is a stronger bill. But it meets the test of having an effective public option."

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McKinnon Extradited To US For Hacking

Gary McKinnon allegedly hacked into 100 US government computers during 2001 and 2002, looking for evidence that the government was hiding information regarding UFO’s.

Instead of thanking McKinnon for exposing the absurd vulnerabilities of the US government’s database, the government has spent the past seven years trying to extradite him from the UK for the purposes of trying him as a criminal in the US.

Apparently, the government had failed to employ firewalls on its computer systems and McKinnon, with a little skill, was able to open computer files that he thought would reveal the government’s knowledge regarding UFO’s.

The US government claims that McKinnon did $1 Million dollars worth of damage to the computer systems but fails to explain how that is possible.

Characterizing McKinnon’s actions as the greatest military computer hack of all time, apparently to cover-up or mitigate the government’s own negligence, the efforts to extradite him have been considerable.

Exhausting all appeals regarding jurisdiction, McKinnon is now likely to be transported to the US to face trial despite the fact that he suffers from a permanent disability.

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Crowley Meets President Obama At The Whitehouse

The ‘teachable moment’ finally arrived today when Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Massachusetts police department met with President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, and Harvard University Professor Henry Gates at the Whitehouse.
Crowley arrested Gates last week for “loud and tumultuous conduct in a public space”, a charge often called disorderly conduct.

Gates was lawfully in his home and was understandably annoyed at Crowley’s attitude, which Gates described as having racist overtones. Crowley had responded to a possible breaking and entering incident. When questioned about the event during a press conference, President Obama described the incident as “stupid” under the circumstances.

In fact, Professor Gates was right to question the violation of his 4th Amendment right to freedom from search and seizure and his 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech, constitutional rights which Crowley either did not understand or had not learned in the police academy.

In an effort to placate everyone involved, President Obama invited Crowley and Gates to meet with him at the Whitehouse for a beer. Joe Biden joined in at the last moment.

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China Stops Enforcing Counterfeiting Laws

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Almost 90% of all counterfeit consumer goods originate in China with
international brand names such as Prada, Gucci, Apple, Microsoft, Rolex and thousands of others.


The Chinese government passed laws to criminalize counterfeiting and that acted as a deterrent, for a while. Since the economic downturn began late last year, the Chinese government has made it clear that they will no longer prosecute counterfeiters with less than $7,000 worth of products in their possession.

This opened the floodgates for counterfeiters who simply limited the quantity of goods they offered for sale. Prosecutions have ended and counterfeiting is big business in China once again.

Counterfeiters usually rely on their friendships or associations with employees of major corporations to borrow the latest invention for a day or two and reverse engineer the product.

This results in $500 cell phones being reproduced and retailed for $75.00 but often without the same quality component parts as the original.


Since economic conditions are difficult worldwide, there is less resistance from the consumer for counterfeit goods. As long as it works, and it is inexpensive, and looks like the original it’s good enough to purchase.

More than $250 Million in counterfeit goods were confiscated and destroyed by US Customs last year and this year the total could be much higher. Regardless, tons of merchandise stills makes it through and finds its way to the sidewalk merchants, flea markets and yard sales throughout the United States.


As one merchant stated, “If it works fine then who cares if it’s a copy. If the price is low, no one complains and these products have s short shelf life anyway. Brand-new today and next week there is another new model to replace it so these products don’t have to last for years. Quality is not that important anymore.”

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Microsoft & Yahoo = Google Competition

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Microsoft and Yahoo have finally joined forces, after 18 months of neogiations, to form a formidable competitior to Google’s Search Engine capability.

Microsoft will provide the search platform through it’s newly launched “Bing” Search engine while Yahoo provides the user traffic and advertising.

Yahoo’s former CEO, Jerry Yang, stepped down late last year to allow new CEO Carol Bartz full reign in the neogiations with Microsoft. The deal will provide Yahoo with an additional $500 Million in annual revenue and $200 Million in savings based on the negotiated terms of the deal which include Yahoo’s retention of 88% of the collective advertising revenue stream.

Google has approximately 75% of the internet search traffic and the new joint venture between Microsoft and Yahoo will target those users and advertisers by offering lower priced and equally effective advertising through the colorful “Bing” portal.

Carl Icahn, a major shareholder in Yahoo, expressed his approval of the joint venture, stating; “It is about time. I wondered if this joint venture would ever materialize given the difficulty with former management. Carol Bartz is the right person at the right time. Congratulations to both Microsoft and Yahoo.”

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China’s Stock Market Drops 8% Suddenly

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The Chinese stock market has seen an overall 90% gain in the past eight months but today there was a glitch in this stellar performance when the Chinese government announced that it will begin tightening the money supply through the Chinese banking system.


On the news, the Chinese Stock Index, the SSEC, fell as much as 8% at one point and later recovered at least temporarily to a total decline of 5% for the day.

Chinese stock investors are likely to remain wary over the next few weeks as they watch events play out before returning to the market.

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US Bank Failures Total 90 & Growing

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One of the first indicators of major trouble in the US economy last year was the failure of Washington Mutual Bank which seemingly occurred overnight.


As it turns out, Washington Mutual was only the first of many banks and thrift institutions to fail. The total now exceeds 90 banks and thrifts and is growing at a rapid rate with the potential to exceed 150 banks by the end of 2010.

This has placed an enormous strain on the cash reserves at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) whose balance sheet currently shows that they are operating with reserves 75% below the mandated minimum.


In response to this situation, the major surviving banks are viewing this as an opportunity to purchase failed or failing banks and thrifts at pennies on the dollar.

Structured properly, some of the banks can be purchased with no cash whatsoever simply to ensure to the FDIC that the bank’s customers see continuity in the daily operation of the institution. Nothing would be politically more damaging than to have the banks shut their doors and deny customers access to their accounts.

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Iran Closes Prison After Official’s Son Murdered

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The Iranian government has imprisoned over 1,500 protesters or demonstrators following the civil unrest which resulted from the circumstances surrounding the June 12, 2009 presidential election.

Many of the people arrested apparently vanished without trace. Those that were imprisoned at the Kahrizak facility included the 25-year-old son of an assistant to Iranian Minister Mohsen Rezai, who was later found murdered in his cell.

The public outcry for release of the prisoners has taken on a new urgency as a result of the media coverage of the incident and today Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, ordered the center at Kahrizak closed because it failed to "preserve the rights of detainees".

All of the prisoners were transferred to Tehran’s Evin Prison creating a huge increase in the already overcrowded conditions existing in the facility. The Iranian media reports that a death occurs every day in Evin Prison, many of which are murders.

The Iranian Parliament has ordered an investigation and Iranian Courts are ordering the immediate processing of the criminal cases which resulted from the arrests following the presidential election, presumably to expeditiously release the prisoners.

Each subsequent event tied to the June 12th election has underscored the government’s incredibly poor judgment in the handling of the public’s discontent over the election results.

Instead of recounting votes to assure the public of the validity of the election results, the government acted with arrogance and belligerence in denying the public’s right to accountability which fueled massive protests in the streets of Tehran.

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SEC Files Suit: Defendant Commits Suicide

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The US Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Hazem Al-Braikan, a Kuwaiti citizen, who has at least twice this year engaged in the practice of announcing phony take-over bids for US companies causing the share prices to rise.

Al-Braikan would accumulate a companies stock and then send out a press-release indicating that the company was about to be purchased by an Arab consortium for twice the current value of its shares which would immediately cause the share price to increase on the New York Stock Exchange. Al-Braikan would then sell his shares at a substantial profit.


Today, Al-Braikan was found dead at his villa in Kuwait City, apparently a suicide with a single bullet to his head. Earlier in the day, Al-Braikan had announced that he had retained a law firm in New York to represent him in the litigation and would not comment further on the case.

The SEC motion to freeze Al-Braikan’s US bank accounts was granted by the District Court and it is unclear whether Al-Braikan had any other resources available to him to defend the lawsuit.

The Gulf region has had its share of financial disasters recently, all in the wake of the global economic meltdown. Many of the area’s financial institutions have failed and corporate leaders are being held responsible for the losses, which can dramatically affect their social standing. In a region known for its rigid social structure, the loss of face due to financial distress can have a devastating effect on individuals.
　
　

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American Cops Lack Skills & Ability

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The controversy over the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Gates Jr. at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts has excited pundits and politicians alike.

Gates was arrested at his home on suspicion of breaking and entering but formally charged only with “loud and tumultuous conduct in a public space” when Gates insisted that he owned the house, was not engaged in breaking and entering and had provided identification to prove his statement.

The cop involved in the arrest, Sgt. James Crowley, refuses to apologize to Gates for his actions and claims that the manner of investigation and arrest were exactly as he was taught. Further, the Cambridge police chief backed-up Crowley’s claim and went on to state that their methods meet the national standard for police departments.

In essence, the police chief is stating that if there is a problem with their police methods then there is a problem with the national standard, as he interprets it.

Gates rightly questions whether his 4th Amendment right to be free from search and seizure was violated and whether the statements he made openly on the front porch of his house were protected by the 1st Amendment right to free speech.

Crowley used the statements made by Gates as the basis for the criminal charge in that the statements were “loud, tumultuous and made in a public space”.

Clearly, Gates had a right to be in his home, had a right to enter his home in any manner, had a right to refuse to leave his home, had a right to protest his arrest, and had a right to make any statement he wished. But all of those rights are meaningless to American cops who are not taught fundamental or constitutional rights of the citizen as part of their police academy curriculum.

In America, there are no fundamental or constitutional rights on the street. It appears those rights exist only in a courtroom and then only if a judge is willing to acknowledge the existence of those rights. Too frequently, the judge is actually the instrumentality of the wrongful police conduct, upholding arrests which are clearly in violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights.

Though the individual states have ratified the United States Constitution, and adopted it as their own state constitution, the states through their law enforcement agencies continually ignore the rights of their citizens.

Cops act with impunity to quash the ordinary conduct of citizens, all under the color of authority. Where is the support from the judiciary for the rights that apply to all Americans?

The cops claim that they cannot follow the rules and have to circumvent them in a slithering snake-like manner to accomplish their goals. The fact is that there is not one American cop who has any comprehension of the fundamental or constitutional rights that apply to citizens, simply because they have never been taught these rules.

They have never been taught these rules because they are viewed as incapable of understanding and applying them. In America, cops are not highly educated, often taking the job because they cannot qualify for anything else. They receive no training in the rights of citizens because that is deemed to be a lawyer’s job.

Additionally, cops are viewed as having limited skills and abilities and are not capable of applying constitutional rights correctly in confrontational situations. Or more specifically, not capable of good judgment under stress so why cloud their decision-making process with legal theory.

President Barack Obama correctly labeled the police action as stupid under the circumstances, however, that has raised the hackles of the racist majority who fail to understand that their rights were also violated that day in Cambridge. Every time a cop is allowed to exceed his constitutionally limited authority there is a domino effect that undermines the rights of all Americans.

While the Constitution forms the rules which apply to the government’s contract with Americans, there can be no easing of those rules for cops simply because they do not understand them. Raise the standard for cop’s education or accept that there will be instances of regrettable, even deadly, conduct by cops on a frequent basis.

If there was ever a time for reform in America, it is now. Now is the time to modify the conduct of America’s institutions including its criminal justice system.

While Professor Gates claims that he will not drop the matter, the fact is that he experienced the tip of the iceberg with regard to police conduct. Outraged as he is over the events occurring at his house, the fact is that thousands of Americans will be subjected to far worse police action today, and every day, in every city in America.
　
　
　
　

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US Banks Walk Away From Foreclosed Homes

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With over 20 million empty homes in the United States, the Banks that
foreclosed on these properties are overwhelmed with the additional costs associated with the re-sale of the properties and have chosen to walk-away from the properties altogether.


This leaves the foreclosed former homeowner liable for all property taxes and property upkeep even though they no longer live in the house. Because the banks will not conduct a sale of the property, the original borrower remains responsible for all of the costs associated with home-ownership though many have not lived in the house for several months.

Former owners are receiving payment demands from municipalities for property taxes, property repairs, and even demolition costs. These costs can amount to thousands of dollars and if unpaid will add another strike to the credit-record of the former homeowner.


The Banks are indifferent to the problems they have caused mortgage borrowers and homeowners and simply refuse to spend any funds whatsoever on the property once they have foreclosed. Entire neighborhoods have become dilapidated as a result of the Bank’s policies.

In response, some municipalities have taken to demolition of the empty houses, often a dozen at a time, and are attempting to cover the land with grass to improve the appearance

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Alleged: Palestinian Authority Conspired With Israel To Murder Arafat

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Al-Jazerra Television broadcast an interview with Farouk al-Kaddoumi, Secretary-General of Fatah’s Central Committee and the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s political department in Tunisia, in which al-Kaddoumi alleged that Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas had met with Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to orchestrate the assassination or murder of Yasser Arafat.


Al-Kaddoumi alleged that he was in possession of a transcript of a conversation between Sharon and Abbas in which the two leaders discussed the most efficient method of eliminating Arafat.

This followed Arafat’s complete indifference to the events of September 11, 2001 when it became obvious that Arafat had no interest in resolving conflicts between Israel and Palestine but instead sought to continue the war to his financial benefit.

Despite repeated statements by Arafat that he wanted peace in the region, in fact he was capitalizing on the state of war and profiting enormously even going so far as to purchase a mansion in Paris, France. Arafat traveled between Paris and Palestine continuously to create the appearance that he lived in Palestine, but in fact as soon as media coverage ceased he would immediately leave Palestine for his home in Paris.


Arafat’s self-interest prevented any advancement in the peace process and it is entirely plausible that a conversation between Sharon and Abbas did occur in which they discussed efficient methods of terminating Arafat’s dominance over the Palestinian people.

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Iran Imprisons Dozens Of Civil Rights Lawyers

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In a continuing display of the Government’s utter stupidity, Iran has arrested at least two dozen, or more, prominent civil rights lawyers and incarcerated them at Evin Prison in Tehran.


In each case, the lawyers were kidnapped from their office, home, or in plain view on the street, and dragged into a waiting vehicle by undercover agents of Iran’s government security service.

Isolated pockets of protesters continue to assemble in Tehran and they are routinely subjected to beatings and kidnappings orchestrated by the police.

Some demonstrators have been locked into the trunks of unmarked cars and driven away with no information given as to their destination or whereabouts.


Iran’s government believes that if the instigators are removed from society that a forcibly subdued peace will return when in fact it is the demands of the citizens that spur the media and civil rights activists into action.

The Iranian government is apparently convinced that the actions they are taking are appropriate when in fact their actions continue to underscore, and demonstrate to the world, the lack of fundamental rights for all of its citizens.


A better course of action would have been to engage in recounts of votes and instigate measures to protect future elections from acts of fraud.

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Quiet Crackdown Drains Iran Dissidents

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Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices or face arrest. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

The Iranian government has seized and detained several hundred activists, journalists and students across the nation, in one of the most extensive crackdowns on key dissidents since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Even as unprecedented protests broke out on the streets after the June 12 disputed presidential election, the most stinging backlash from authorities has come through roundups and targeted arrests, according to witnesses and human rights organizations. They say plainclothes security agents have also put dozens of the country's most experienced pro-reform leaders behind bars and are harassing dissident politicians while they are at prayer services.

The purpose is to prevent dissidents and their factions from any type of peaceful assembly or communication. Merely meeting an alleged dissident for lunch is a sufficient basis for arrest or detention. The Iranian government continues to expound the belief that the protests and demonstrations were the product of foreign interference in Iranian affairs, apparently unwilling to admit that they made an enormous strategic error in denying the election recount.

All of the present turmoil in Iran could have been avoided simply by conducting a recount of the votes collected in the Presidential election. Even a quasi recount could have been sufficient to satisfy the citizens that their votes were not discarded or destroyed.

Instead Iranian authorities behaved with arrogance and belligerence in denying the Iranian citizens their fundamental right to fair elections and ignored the repeated requests for a recount.

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Journalist, Lawyer, Activist: A Short Life In Russia

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The most dangerous careers in Russia are Journalist, Lawyer, and Activist. Feared for the power of the pen, and the power to persuade and expose, Natalia Estemirova a Russian journalist and activist who managed the Chechen division of ‘Memorial’ a Russian human-rights group was kidnapped at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning as she left her home.

Her body was found several hours later in a forested area of the city of Nazran in Ingushetia. She had been shot at least twice in the head and chest.

Estemirova indicated that she was about to expose the criminal acts of the Chechen security services which included kidnapping, torture, murder and the deliberate arson of private homes.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed "outrage" at the murder, and ordered an investigation, the common practice whenever an activist is murdered in Russia.

Medvedev’s “outrage” is the standard response from the Russian government and, thereafter, typically results in silence or a total black-out regarding information about the murder. Eventually, the incident is largely forgotten and the case buried away in a file.

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Attorney Marc Dreier Sentenced 20 Years For Fraud

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New York attorney Marc Dreier was sentenced today to 20 years in a federal penitentiary for the fraud he perpetrated by selling fictional promissory notes allegedly issued in behalf of two major corporations.


The losses to his investors exceeded $400 Million, a pittance compared to Bernie Madoff’s alleged $65 Billion swindle. Both schemes operated along the same lines although independently of each other. Dreier was not in business with Madoff but his investment scheme operated and unraveled in the same manner.

Dreier converted his clients funds to purchase lavish homes and rare oil paintings valued in excess of $700 Million which the U.S. Marshals have confiscated, or taken possession of, and which can be sold to reimburse investors, at least partially.

Dreier was the managing partner of Dreier LLP in Manhattan which employed in excess of 200 lawyers. The charges against Dreier included securities fraud, conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering.

In sentencing Dreier, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff stated "When you turn to the facts of the crime that Mr. Dreier committed, one must still be appalled, as it is a huge fraud by any standard, other than the Madoff standard."
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Cheney’s Covert CIA Death Squad

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Former Vice-President Dick Cheney allegedly attempted to create a covert group of CIA operatives, termed “The Crew”, responsible for the assassination of Al-Queda members, and others.

The CIA “Crew” would be invisible to Congress and all other branches of government and report through a senior CIA official directly to Cheney without supervision or external direction.

Funding would be clandestine with the monies diverted from other quasi-programs presently in the budget. The slush fund would be operated externally from the CIA itself so that no audits would uncover the operation.

This type of activity is not unique to CIA operations, however, for a vice-president to intentionally hide its creation from Congress poses substantial ethical and legal questions which may result in an action being taken against Cheney personally.

Cheney’s actions can be construed to be outside the scope or limits of his official responsibilities and thus expose him to personal liability.

In totality, Cheney’s actions while vice-president have accumulated in such a manner as to raise issues about his integrity and intent while in office.

While Cheney maintains that he acted in the best interests of the country it is the nature of the actions themselves which create a problem and underscore what may be construed as exceptionally poor judgment on his part.
　
　
　

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Cheney Again Implicated In Falsifying Data

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Former US Vice-President under the Bush Administration, Dick Cheney, is again implicated in the falsification of data, documents, and information with regard to the counter-terrorism programs instituted in the US following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The New York Times today disclosed that their investigation had obtained information from two unidentified sources who disclosed that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta had revealed, in closed briefings to congressional intelligence committees late last month,
Cheney’s involvement in a secret counter-terrorist program that has been in operation for the past eight years in the US.

Leon Panetta was named by President Barack Obama to head the CIA earlier this year and has since investigated every aspect of the governments involvement in alleged counter-terrorist activities. Panetta terminated the secret program on June 23, 2009 immediately on learning of its existence.

Intelligence and congressional officials told the New York Times that the CIA began the program after the September 11, 2001 attacks and now claim that the program “…never became operational and did not involve CIA interrogation programs or domestic intelligence activities”.

CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said it was not the agency's practice to discuss classified briefings. "When a CIA unit brought this matter to Director Panetta's attention, it was with the recommendation that it be shared appropriately with Congress. That was also his view, and he took swift, decisive action to put it into effect," Gimigliano said, declining to comment further.
　

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Standing Ovation For Obama In Ghana

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Today in Accra Ghana, US President Barack Obama addressed the Parliament of Ghana and primarily spoke about the need for ethics and professional responsibility in government.

While inspirational, it was apparent from the smirks and smiles on the faces of many Parliamentarians that Obama's speech will do nothing to eradicate the graft and corruption which is endemic in Ghana's culture.

Obama drew a comparison between the opportunity for African-Americans in the United States and the potential for the same results in Africa if Ghana's government will support an open democracy and implement reforms.

Unquestionably motivational, Obama faces a larger obstacle in Africa than anywhere else on the globe simply because he cannot create a sufficient and ongoing basis for governments commitment to the change necessary to bring African business into the 21st century.

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Tamil Death Toll ‘1,400 A Week’ At Manik Farm Camp In Sri Lanka

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About 1,400 people are dying every week at the giant Manik Farm internment camp set up in Sri Lanka to detain Tamil refugees from the nation’s bloody civil war, senior international aid sources have told The Times.

The death toll will add to concerns that the Sri Lankan Government has failed to halt a humanitarian catastrophe after announcing victory over the Tamil Tiger terrorist organisation in May. It may also lend credence to allegations that the Government, which has termed the internment sites “welfare villages”, has actually constructed concentration camps to house 300,000 people.

Mangala Samaraweera, the former Foreign Minister and now an opposition MP, said: “There are allegations that the Government is attempting to change the ethnic balance of the area. Influential people close to the Government have argued for such a solution.”

News of the death rate came as the International Committee of the Red Cross revealed that it had been asked to scale down its operations by the Sri Lankan authorities, which insist that they "have the situation under control."- quoted from the Timeslonline news paper.

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10,000 Homes Destroyed In Chinese Earthquake

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At least 10,000 homes were destroyed today in China's Yunnan Province when a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck at 7:17 P.M. local time.

An additional eight after-shocks caused damage to another 30,000 structures, injuring 500 and killing more than 50 people.

The Chinese government has ordered thousands of troops into the area with emergency supplies including food, medicine and tents.

The epicenter is thought to be in the mountains of Yaoan county in south-western China.

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Russian Army Downs Russian Airforce Planes

The current issue of the Moscow Defense Brief contains an article entitled
‘Russian Air Losses in the Five-Day War Against Georgia’ in which it is alleged that the Russian Airforce lost 6 aircraft in the war against Georgia last year and that at least 3 of the aircraft were shot down by the Russian Army.

Apparently, the problem arises from the rivalry between the Army and Airforce who staged entirely separate campaigns in Georgia without regard for the common objective. This resulted in the Russian Army shooting at everything in sight, including clearly marked Russian Airforce planes.

This begs the question as to whether the Russian armed forces can competently engage in any military action without committing self-destruction. Ordinarily, this concern is leveled against third-world nations whose military is largely untrained or unsupervised.

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Europe Responds To Obama’s Intellectual Approach

The G8 Leaders expressed their high regard for US President Barack Obama citing his “intelligence, openness, and vitality” and collectively suggested that dealing with President Obama is a refreshing change from the “typical politicians we receive from America”.

Encouraged by President Obama’s optimism and direction, the G8 Leaders mutually agreed to a 50% reduction in global emissions by 2050, and a potential reduction of up to 80% by the developed nations in the same period.

The G8 meeting is being held in the Italian town of L’Aquila which was devastated by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake last April. Joining President Obama are the leaders of Italy, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Canada and Great Britain. Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the summit but returned home Wednesday to deal with the Uighur and Han ethnic clashes in China's western Xinjiang province.

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California Banks Decline State IOU’s “Sell Them On Ebay”

The three banks that advertised they would accept California IOU’s from their customers for deposit have indicated that their offer expires on July 10, 2009. No California IOU’s or warrants will be accepted after July 10th.

This leaves hundreds of thousands of State employees and suppliers without a means to convert the IOU’s to cash. In response, California suggests that employees try to “…cash them through Check-Cashing stores or offer them for sale on eBay.”

State employees were stunned by the news. Without a means of cashing the IOU’s they have no method of paying their rent or mortgage, or other expenses. Clearly, the State is unconcerned about their employees and the consequences those employees face in the coming weeks and months.

The hardship on State employees is further compounded by the three unpaid days that they are required to take off work each month. Meanwhile, California’s budget deficit continues to grow and without a quick resolution the State will require employees to take further unpaid leave each month.

As many employees’ state, “….there are no other jobs or we would have resigned last month. How long can we last without income? And why should we work at all if they can’t pay us with real money?”
　
　
　

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Honduran Zelaya Demands US End Exile

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Honduran exiled President Manuel Zelaya is expected to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington tomorrow where he will demand that the United States assist in ending his exile and re-instating his Presidency.

Zelaya attempted to return by air to Honduras yesterday but military vehicles blocked the runway at the main airport preventing the aircraft from landing.

Although Zelaya has mustered the support of several nations in his bid to resume the Presidency, he requires the consent and assistance of the US to make it a reality.

Apparently, no Central American or South American nations are willing to test the sovereignty of Honduras by a military action and therefore Zelaya will have to rely on US monetary sanctions in an effort to coerce the Honduran government. Such a ploy is unlikely to be successful since new Presidential elections are due to be held in November 2009.

The shortness of time before the new elections works against Zelaya who is unlikely to accomplish much within the next few weeks.

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LAPD Detective Pleads Not Guilty To Murder

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At her arraignment today in Los Angeles Superior Court, Stephanie Lazarus, also known as Stephanie Young, pled not guilty to all charges stemming from the 1986 murder of her former boy-friend's new wife.

LAPD detectives discovered a match between the DNA found in the bite-marks on the victim and the DNA recovered from the styrofoam coffee cups that Lazarus discarded at LAPD headquarters.

Lazarus was not previously considered a suspect in the crime because a similar crime occurred in the area within three weeks of the murder and LAPD detectives assumed that the murder must have been committed by the same persons.

Lazarus was mentioned in the case file and LAPD detectives in the office across the hall from her decided to check out her DNA for the possibility of a match with the saliva found in bite marks on the murder victim.

Lazarus is married to Los Angeles police officer Scott Young who denies any knowledge of the events surrounding his wife's arrest.

Lazarus, who remains in custody, will return to court on July 21, 2009 for a hearing on the prosecution's motion to obtain dental impressions from Lazarus. In addition, Lazarus will appear for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to bind her over for trial.

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Riots Kill 155 in China

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155 people were killed, over 1000 injured, and hundreds more arrested in China’s far west Xinjiang region on Sunday.

The violence started as a peaceful Sunday protest by 1,000 to 3,000 Uighurs, who are ethnic Muslims, but there’s little indication of how things spiraled out of control. The protest was organized in response to the death of two Uighur factory workers during a fight with Han Chinese coworkers last month.

Initially, 20 female police officers were assigned to control the peaceful crowd but Chinese troops moved in shortly after and then the crowd, apparently provoked by the appearance and demeanor of the troops, began to respond with escalating violence resulting in serious injuries amongst the Uighurs.

In Chinese culture there is a hierarchy of ethnicity that places the Uighers at the low end of the scale. Often ridiculed for their religion and their culture, the Uigurs typically respond with peaceful protests but Sunday's actions proved their willingness to respond with violence if provoked.

Clearly, moving troops into the area was unwarranted and only served to create tension amongst the Uigurs. Subsequently, the Chinese government placed the blame for the resulting riots on "foreign influences" as though the entire event was orchestrated from outside China.

The actions and finger-pointing of the Chinese government eerily emulate those of the Iranian government in response to the brutality they reigned on the people of Tehran following the elections on June 12th.

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Newsweek Journalist Forced To Confess Working Against Iran

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Maziar Bahari, a 42 year old Canadian-Iranian reporter working for Newsweek Magazine, was forced by Iranian police to admit to a charge of "working for foreign governments while in Iran".

Bahari is one of the many journalists arrested in Iran while covering the election, and subsequent protests, and has confessed to "filing false reports for Newsweek Magazine" during the Iranian elections.

Bahari previously worked for the BBC and the ITN's 'Channel 4 News' in the UK and has gained a reputation for professionalism throughout his career.

In addition, the Iranian government is now proclaiming that anyone who is reporting for a satellite news service will be prosecuted for a criminal act. In an official statement printed in the pro-reform newspaper Hamshahri;

"The individuals, who in any way collaborate with these networks or are entrenched in the nucleus of organizations which are active through Internet sites, must be adequately and properly subject to legal actions. It is imperative that this phenomenon be seriously dealt with by all judicial authorities of the country as well as by provincial judicial authorities," Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi said in his published order.

The ayatollah called on local judicial heads to work with investigators to determine "intentions, objectives and their sources of financial, political and intelligence support" of individuals who "operate against the system," according to the Hamshahri report.

In essence, the Iranian government is now at war with media throughout the world including internet news reporters. This action underscores the exceptionally poor judgment shown by the Iranian government following the June 12th election. Had they acted to recount ballots to satisfy the voters curiosity it is likely that none of the subsequent events would have occurred.

Every effort has been made by the Iranian government to place blame for their obstinate and unthinking response to citizens demands on numerous foreign states, foreign journalists, the CIA, and terrorists, amongst many others.

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Dozens Killed In Vietnam Floods

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At least 62 people in northern Vietnam have been killed by flash floods and landslides caused by a tropical storm.

Dozens of people are missing and entire villages have been cut off in Lao Cai, the worst-affected province.

A rescue effort led by the army is under way but is being hampered by the severe weather.

Tropical storm Kammuri, which came in from the Gulf of Tonkin and made landfall on Friday, hit China with rain and winds earlier in the week.

Officials in the mountainous province of Lao Cai, which borders China, told news agencies that tens of thousands of people had been stranded after roads were washed away.

Further landslides have been predicted, sparking fears that the death toll could rise.

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