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BREAKING NEWS

Capital Hill Review (March 8, 2010)

E-NewsBriefing Posted Below

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

To view the complete news and policy information of the day, visit the

E-NewsBriefing and Israeli-"Palestinian" Arab Conflict Section.

Ga. bill would outlaw abortion for race, sex (A Georgia bill that would outlaw abortions based on race, color or sex is fueling arguments over whether abortion providers are targeting black women.)

Stupak: There's No Deal, And I Won't Agree to a Promise to Fix the Bill in the Future (US Representative of Michigan Bart Stupak)

Pharmacist refuses to give mother, 38, contraceptive pills for period pain 'because of her religion' (Britain)

Stupak challenged for Democratic nomination (US Representative of Michigan Bart Stupak who could help bring down health care reform over an abortion provision, ... )

A policy change on abortion, but how radical?

Laws, Lies and the Abortion Debate

Trucker tells Michigan jury he killed 2 gentlemen  (A man who confessed to shooting a Michigan anti-abortion activist and a businessman has told a jury he deserves to die for killing them. ... )

Calls labeling him soft on abortion hound Santorum in Iowa ... (Former US Senator of Pennsylvania Rick Santorum (R )

Laws, Lies and the Abortion Debate

House committee advances abortion proposal (South Carolina)

The copycat who stopped live tweeting her abortion

Spring Break Abortion Protest  (Florida;  A group of pro-choice advocates hit the streets of Panama City Beach Tuesday wanting an end to abortions. You must agree to the Terms of Service to continue ... )

Bill Requires Written Consent For Abortion (Tennessee)

Nearly one million in Spain march for life, protest new abortion law

President's Faith-Based Group Fails to Mention Abortion

Healthcare Bill: Abortion Inclusion Will Cost Hundreds Per Taxpayer

Abortion debate wrongly focused

Afghan, coalition forces bridge doubts to make gains in Bala Murghab  (In Bala Murghab, a line of flags plots an unsung tale of battlefield victories, spanning the narrow midsection of the valley from west to east like the parting of a Taliban Red Sea in a region long devoid of government presence.)

Start Afghanistan peace talks now, UK tells Karzai  (Afghan President Hamid Karzai)

Marjah fears return of warlords

Taliban claim suicide attack on NATO-Afghan base

Somalia Food Aid Bypasses Needy, U.N. Study Finds

US 'regrets' Gathafi jibe, sends envoy to Libya (Libyan Dictator Muammar Gaddafi)

Ravaged Nigerian Village Is Haunted by Latest Massacre (After ethnic violence flared in January in Jos, the military patrolled the city, but neglected nearby villages where reprisals took place over the weekend.)

Imam's ghost stalks Arab summit  (This month's Arab League summit hosted by Libyan Dictator  Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli has hit a snag. Lebanon is threatening a boycott over the mysterious disappearance of a renowned Lebanese political and religious figure 32 years ago. The inscrutable Gaddafi may have skeletons in his cupboard on this controversy.)

Where Australia's sharks go to stay looking sharp  (Australian scientists have discovered that sharks regularly congregate at certain spots on the Great Barrier Reef to be groomed by smaller fish. )

Navy intercepts asylum-seeker boat  (A navy  patrol boat has intercepted an asylum-seeker boat in waters off Australia's northwest coast. )

Sharp fall in home loans (Number of loans plunges by 7.9 percent in biggest fall since 2000.)

Parental leave heat on leaders  (The federal government is under pressure from minor parties to expand its parental leave scheme after a pre-election bidding war erupted on family policy. )

Strong consumer confidence boosts dollar

Bullying by girl, 8, deadly serious  (An eight-year-old child is capable of threatening to kill and assaulting a classmate while showing clear intent, a Supreme Court judge has ruled. )

Shares close flat on housing data

Defence spending questioned  (Australia's former army chief has said we should consider cutting funding from the defense budget and redirecting it towards diplomacy and aid programs. )

US positive: military chief  (Australia's Defense Force chief says he had 'positive and constructive' discussions with the US general in command in Afghanistan at the weekend. )

Identity theft case grows as another Australian named

Childhood allergies a problem of 'epidemic proportions'  (Childhood allergy rates have hit 'epidemic proportions' in Australia, prompting health experts to broaden their efforts to combat the condition.)

Jobless swamp hotline after insulation rebate ends  (At least 1500 people have lost their jobs and are applying for government training programs because of the sudden suspension of the $2.45 billion insulation rebate. )

Terrorism convictions appealed  (An appeal by seven men convicted in a major terrorism case has heard that the trial judge erred in directing the jury. )

Weary from recalls, drivers find even a little shake can rattle (The recent Toyota and General Motors recalls, which number in the millions, have driven some people - even those who own other brands - to develop an unsettling hyper-awareness of what might be wrong with their cars. )

Toyotas Are Safe (Enough) (A closer look at the statistics on death from sudden acceleration reveals why there's little need to fear driving a Toyota.)

Runaway Prius driver: Brakes were 'almost burned'

Feds pay to ferret out stimulus fraud (Probes eat up as much as 60 percent of IG budgets. Federal investigators have received more than 730 allegations of waste or fraud in stimulus act funding, canceled contracts of some bad actors and sent dozens ...)

 All Aboard The Red-Ink Express  (High-Speed Rail: The fantasy of 200-mph bullet trains speeding between American cities is heading for a collision with reality, with a cost explosion in California not far down the ...)

Stimulus or Sedative? (President Obama won't leave the economy alone long enough for it to recover. ...)

Losing Faith in the Feds

Census hiring blitz of 750,000 to cut jobless rate, offer boost to Obama  (Unemployment rate could drop by half a point and boost President Obama, but workers will only be on until June.…)

China has a Congo copper headache (China's US$9 billion barter deal to develop infrastructure in return for concessions on copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo was seen as a win-win for Chinese companies and the African nation. But the project has fallen foul to the impoverished but resource-rich country's Western creditors, setting China on a roller-coaster ride that could yet derail the "deal of the century.")

US-born panda Tai Shan greets public after arrival in China

China assesses its gold strategy  (A key issue addressed by Chinese leaders at the National People's Congress this week is whether to let the country's currency rise to help restructure the domestic economy and rebalance the global economy. An important factor will be the role gold will play within the basket of China's reserves.)

Beijing vows not to use U.S. debt for political gain

High-speed rail plan to link China to Europe  (China is in negotiations with 17 countries to build a high-speed rail network to India and Europe. )

Dalai Lama: China aims to annihilate Buddhism

Beijing seeks a shift in geopolitics  (Beijing is pushing hard to change the rules of the global geopolitical game, envisioning a more powerful role for China. Although its ongoing tussles with the United States over issues including Taiwan, Tibet and trade are nothing new, China wants Washington to know it won't be shy about playing hardball, given its much-enhanced global clout.)

Cuba's Healthcare Horror  (The mainstream media can no longer cover up Castro's atrocious record....)

North Korea has medium-range missile division

Health-care reform's sickeningly sweet deals (The health bill push is generating enough sweet deals to choke even Congress. )

AP Source: Health bill to affect part-time workers (A Democratic aide says a new provision in the health care bill will require businesses to count part-time workers when calculating penalties for failing to provide coverage.)

On health-care reform, Republicans target Democrats' division over reconciliation

Principles over Politics (Republicans should welcome Democratic converts on Obamacare.)

Democrats' full-court press on healthcare reform

JihadJane, an American woman, faces terrorism charges (American plotted terrorism, recruited online, prosecutors say.)

Clinton-era Filegate appears to have closed, 14 years on (Filegate, one of the many "-gates" of the Clinton administration, looks to be over -- after a 14-year run. It began after congressional Republicans found out in 1996 that the Clinton White House had sought the FBI file of Billy Ray Dale, who was fired as head of the White House travel office in the...)

Calif. jury recommends death for serial killer

A chilling early view of a murder suspect (A 2000 probation report on John Albert Gardner III depicts an erratic and violent young man. He is now charged with killing 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway.)

Ohio State Employee Kills Co-Worker, Then Self, Police Say

He's a charmer, but don't give him your room key (Thefts that depend on role-playing and charm point to a single suspect in hotel heists of jewelry and cash from sports teams, a salsa band and a sugar baron.)

The Devil Is in the Deficits

The Dems' Deafening Silence On Tax Cuts  (Who killed the economy? Those on the left want to frame the previous administration, with George Bush fronting every lineup and most scenarios implicating the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. This gives us the chance to play detective and prove not just the innocence of the tax cuts, but also their ... )

Harvard Poll of Young Voters Should Worry Democrats

Inspector Clouseau at DHS (Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is choosing to fight a battle of semantics and political correctness while ignoring the terrorist beast.)

Napolitano says suicide plane crash wasn't related to domestic terrorism (A suicide plane crash that killed the pilot and an Internal Revenue Service worker at an office building in Austin on February 18, 2010, was not a case of domestic terrorism, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday in a radio interview.)

Attacks on Detainee Lawyers Split Conservatives (Right-leaning legal scholars have bristled at a video, produced by a group that Liz Cheney runs, that questions the loyalty of lawyers who worked for terror detainees.)

Attacks on Detainee Lawyers Split Conservatives (Right-leaning legal scholars have bristled at a video, produced by a group that Liz Cheney runs, that questions the loyalty of lawyers who worked for terror detainees.)

World stocks little changed as China exports surge

Asia Mixed; Aurox Surges  (Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday, with stocks drifting as investors looked to cues later in the week. In Australia, Aurox Resources powered higher on news of a merger with Atlas Iron. )

O'Krugman's Keynesian Blarney (Economics: The columnist who worries about Washington not spending enough also blames the financial crisis on "free-market fundamentalism" and "letting bankers do what they want." When did Uncle Sam do that? In his new book "The Great Money Binge," legendary newspaper editor George Melloan...)

Stock futures signal higher open; Facet eyed

Economic recovery is emerging from U.S. factories (Manufacturing booms and factory payrolls have turned positive. But the sector's importance to the overall economy has diminished.)

The road to America's economic recovery starts in L.A. (Has the city come up with a way to aid the economy without boosting the deficit? )

Job prospects from Obamanomics (Democrats and the liberal media greeted Friday's announcement of a 9.7 percent unemployment rate as great news. Contrary to political propaganda designed to make the economy seem less troubled than it is, the real unemployment situation in America is becoming increasingly dire.)

Economic recovery is emerging from U.S. factories (Manufacturing booms and factory payrolls have turned positive. But the sector's importance to the overall economy has diminished.)

States experimenting with creating new jobs

A Push to Supplement Tuesday Voting With Weekends (In San Francisco, California,  electoral activists proposed a ballot measure that would add a second day to cast ballots.)

Oil drifts near $81 amid mixed US inventory data

East Africa's Oil and Gas: Drilling, Exploration Rising

California's Toxic Air Scare Machine (Private citizens taking on regulators who seek to impose unreasonable environmental demands.)

Fishermen's fear: Public's 'right to fish' shifting under Obama? (Sport fishermen worry about an eroding 'right to fish' as the Obama administration shifts fishing policy to include United Nations objectives. Proponents say fishermen have much to gain by zoning uses of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems. )

Hot Air on Greenhouse Gas  (President Obama EPA head Lisa Jackson misleads about "cap and trade" and greenhouse gas regulations. ...)

800-year-old shipwreck found in Baltic Sea  (A dozen shipwrecks that date back centuries – some of them unusually well preserved – have been found in the Baltic Sea by a gas company building an underwater pipeline between Russia and Germany. )

Fiscal issues hit euro, sterling; stocks flat

Italy: EU rules behind Litvinenko stance  (Official denies former Russian spy's family were denied status due to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin friendship .)

Dutch move for assisted suicide  (Organizers of a campaign to give elderly people in the Netherlands the right to assisted suicide says it has gathered more than 100,000 signatures. )

Financial Regulation: The Next Government Takeover (Democrats push for sweeping controls of the country's financial industry.)

FDA says Basic Food Flavors knew plant was contaminated with salmonella

Push to Cure Rare Diseases  (FDA staff members are doing something unusual. They are leaving Washington to help drug makers take a crucial step in developing drugs for rare diseases.)

Sarkozy and Bruni 'both having affairs'  (France was swirling with rumors on Tuesday about the relationship of President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla. )

2.5bn airport carries Berlin's hopes

Pope's brother slapped choirboys but denies role in German abuse scandal

California Greenin'  (Global Warming: Remember the promise that green jobs would flourish in California? Well, here's the reality: The cost of going green is actually lost jobs. When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Californians were told that their state would become a ... )

The Philosophic Roots of Eco-Theology (How did we ever get to the point where the global warming fraud was able to take over the scientific establishment?)

In Denial  (The meltdown of the climate campaign.) 

Romney to Tea Party movement: No third party bids (Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney)

Daniels Offers Advice to Republicans (Governor of Indiana  Mitch Daniels of Indiana counsels in an editorial board meeting that anger may not be a strategy.)

Poll: Republican resurgence among young adults (A new poll shows 18- to 29-year-old Republicans are more politically energized than young Democrats and are more inclined to vote in this fall's elections. Young adults are also extremely concerned about the economy. )

G.O.P. Sounds Out a Democrat for Governor (The Republican nomination for governor, which had for months seemed all but locked up by former USRepresentative Rick A. Lazio, became a more unsettled contest on Tuesday when top New York Republicans met with the Suffolk County executive, Steve Levy, as a potential challenger to Mr Lazio.)

Sarah's Canadian Outreach (Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin; So why condemn her for medical decisions her parents made when she was five?)

Greek leader seeks U.S. help (Top political leaders said on Tuesday that they were sympathetic to demands from Greece's prime minister for a crackdown on speculators who have been plaguing European financial markets.)

No exit  (Countries that make up the Group of 20 insist that there can be no exit from crisis-fighting policies until economic recovery has been fully established. But as these policies may have helped cause the problem, is escape from crisis possible with them still in place?)

Haitian president moves to shore up aid, new future

U.S. to Haiti: Don't delay elections

Thousands rally to support health-care reform in downtown Washington

Silver bullet from U.S. states kills 'mandatory' Obamacare (Thirty six legislatures fight for citizens' rights to opt out of health-coverage demand.)

The Great Prostate Mistake (Americans waste an enormous amount of money on an inaccurate test for prostate cancer.)

Bending the Cost Curve -- With a Crowbar (Do we really want to rein in medical costs? )

The gay anti-gay legislator (California State Senator  Roy Ashburn has come out of the closet, but his explanation for anti-gay votes rings hollow.)

Massa investigated for allegedly groping staffers (US Representative of New York Eric Massa)

Massa Drama: Democratic Congressman Muddles Rahm's Message  (US Representative of New York Eric Massa)

House Democrats seek to limit earmarks to show commitment to ethics

Massa Fumbles in Glenn Beck Interview (US Representative of New York Eric Massa)

Disconnect: Gibbs, Hoyer dispute vote  (House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) and the White House on Tuesday engaged in a rare public dispute… )

Massa flirts with the right, but Beck isn't tickled (US Representative of New York Eric Massa)

Hoyer pushes back at March 18 White House healthcare deadline (House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland)

Nancy Pelosi and the CIA: Who's Lying Now? (Once the full truth is known from the CIA memos, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) will be caught in a web of her own making.)

Whip Count: House Dems' positions on the healthcare reform bill (The Hill's survey/tracking of House Democrats' positions on healthcare reform legislation.…)

Kill The Bill (Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California)  is trying to make your member of Congress forget about the unpopularity of the healthcare bill in their districts. )

House Ways and Means Chairman Levin says job creation will be top priority (As he takes the reins of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee,  US Representative of Michigan Sander M Levin (D ) is vowing to raise the profile of a once-powerful panel that, in recent years, has been overshadowed by the ethics troubles of its previous chairman, US Representative of New York Charles B Rangel.)

Bipartisan Internet caucus launched  (Representatives Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) and David Wu (D-Oregon) on Tuesday announced the formation of a bipartisan Global Internet Freedom Caucus.…)

Business groups target lawmakers (Nearly a dozen business groups that oppose President Obama's health care overhaul bill are spending millions of dollars to put pressure on vulnerable, fence-sitting House members in their districts.)

Lawmakers insist shower run-ins like the one Massa alleges are far from norm (US Representative of New York Eric Massa)

Hoyer: Massa healthcare charges are 'absurd' and 'absolutely untrue' (House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland)

'Tea party' favorite set for rematch in N.Y. (Hoffman seeking GOP nod. Last year's underdog became this year's front-runner Tuesday when Doug Hoffman - whose 2009 congressional race became a rallying cry for the "tea party" movement ...)

Massa Resignation Drama Overshadows Healthcare Push (US Representative of New York Eric Massa (D) says he was sacrificed for healthcare bill; President Obama on the trail campaigning against insurance companies. )

Massa scandal explodes  (US Representative of New York Eric Massa (D)

Massachusetts Lawmaker 16^th  Democrat to Leave House (Does US Representative of Massachusetts William Delahunt's exit mean President Obama's fading?)

India's upper house passes bill reserving a third of legislative seats for women

4 students held for smearing colour on Mayawati's poster (Four students of a school in Lucknow have been arrested and sent to a juvenile home for allegedly smearing colour on UP chief minister Mayawati's posters during Holi. )

Sonia Gandhi hails historic vote on women (India's parliament has approved a historic bill that reserves one third of seats in the national and state legislatures for women.)

Uproar in India Over Female Lawmaker Quota (A plan to reserve a third of the seats in India's legislatures for women plunged Parliament into chaos and threatened the governing coalition.)

Indonesia militant 'was killed'  (Indonesia's President Yudhoyono confirms security forces killed terror suspect Dulmatin in raids in Jakarta on Tuesday. )

Iran blocking foreign, domestic Web sites to curb anti-government activists

Former FBI Agent Robert Levinson still missing in Iran (Today marks the third anniversary of the disappearance of former FBI agent Robert Levinson on Kish Island in Iran. )

Iran and Israel play cat and mouse (Iran has long threatened Israel with destruction, while Tel Aviv has not dismissed launching a pre-emptive strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities.)

Dispute over candidate disqualifications could mar Iraqi vote's legitimacy

Saddam Hussein weighed nuclear 'package' deal in 1990, documents show (Hussein couldn't mount serious bid for bomb after 1991, papers show.  As troops massed on his border near the start of the Persian Gulf War, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein weighed the purchase of a $150 million nuclear "package" deal that included not only weapons designs but also production plants and foreign experts to supervise the building of a nuclear bomb, ...)

Both sides claim victory in Iraq elections

Kurds set to be Iraq election kingmakers  (Kurdish alliance set to play prominent role in coalition government despite Gorran group breaking away .)

Mission accomplished, indeed

Iraqi Officials to Begin Releasing Vote Tallies on Wednesday (The partial results of parliamentary elections will provide an incomplete picture of the vote that will nevertheless provide the broad outlines of the country's political landscape.)

Muslims Terrorizing Christian Girls in Iraq

It's Up to Iraqis Now. Good Luck. (The elections were a good step forward, but now Iraq must prove that it wants a more democratic future.)

America's True Heroes  (The non-Muslim women who went undercover inside the Muslim Brotherhood...)

Pilgrim Non Grata in Mecca (After no journey to Mecca, learning about Islam from a seat in Washington.)

U.S. condemns Israel's plans to build housing in east Jerusalem

Obama Aims to Impose a Solution on Israel (Why did US President Barack Obama repudiate former US President George W Bush letter which his man, US Middle East Envoy George J Mitchell Mitchell, had two months earlier endorsed in his name? )

Jews to world: 'Help non-Muslims pray on Temple Mount' (International awareness day calls for activism to ensure universal rights on holy site.)

Checkpoint misery: Palestinians grind to reach jobs (The Qalandia crossing, the Israelis say, is where potential attackers are filtered out before they can reach Jerusalem. Palestinians say it's a daily humiliation they must endure to reach jobs, family, medical appointments and schools.)

Yishai: Sorry for distress over East Jerusalem plan

An Eviction Stirs Old Ghosts in a Contested City (The removal of a “Palestinian” family has touched two nerves: the fate of East Jerusalem and the grievances of refugees from the 1948 war.)

When Israelis degrade Israel by humiliating Joe Biden  (US Vice-President Joseph R. Biden Jr )

UN, US slam new Israeli settlement expansion

On East Jerusalem, Israel's left-wing acts before it thinks

As Biden Visits, Israel Unveils Plan for New Settlements (The plan to build 1,600 new homes in Jerusalem is likely to complicate relations with the US as US Vice-President Joseph R. Biden Jr tours the region.)

IDF Chief of Staff: All options on Iran should remain open  (Israel Defense Forces)

Sick boy to nurse: My mom tried to kill me

UN bomb disposal unit to enter Gaza to neutralize ordnance

Ashkenazi: We shall triumph over those who seek our demise  (Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi declared Tuesday in New York that Israel will triumph over those who seek to destroy it with the courage of its soldiers and their moral compass.)

Jewish lobbying sways EU against support of Goldstone Gaza report

UN chief: East Jerusalem housing plan undermines peace efforts

Study: Thousands of Israeli kids incorrectly prescribed Ritalin

PM demanded no surprises from Yishai during Biden visit (US Vice-President Joseph R. Biden Jr )

Israel to soon publish 'Palestinian incitement index'

77 Fatah men taken off wanted list

Half million Israeli homes not linked to sewage system

Mother arrested for attempted euthanasia

Mishaps galore as Israel tries to welcome U.S. Vice President

'Jews for Jesus baker not kosher'

Group calls for left-wing radio to counter new East Jerusalem station

'Don't open front against Diaspora Jews'

  Japan reveals secret Cold War pacts on US nuclear weapons

Japan Says It Allowed U.S. Nuclear Ships to Port

Lebanon's defence strategy meets dead end  (Analysts: talks between Lebanon's rival political parties focused on arms not to succeed.)

Malaysian turtles face extinction - WWF

Journalists' Tweets Show Their Liberal Bias (Why would today's journalists need a boss to pat on the shoulder to remind them social media outbursts can strain their objectivity?)

Syria wants civilian nuclear energy

Man in police uniform arrested for ‘homosexuality' (Saudi Arabia)

Abu Dhabi is future base for News Corp: Murdoch (News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch announced on Tuesday that the Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi is to become the headquarters of his global media empire in the Middle East.)

UAE economy to grow 3.2 percent in 2010

Qatar, Iran sign pact on security

Saleh: no to Yemen south separatists, but yes to talks  (Yemen president warns south against independence but offers talks over other demands. )

Top Sunni cleric Tantawi dies of heart attack  (Saudi Arabia)

Marines say fixes to Haiti's environmental woes only temporary (US Marines say the help they are giving Haitians to overcome some of the environmental issues the country faces are only short-term fixes for problems that plagued the country long before January's earthquake. The Marines, from the 22^nd    Marine Expeditionary Unit, are helping Haitians in Carrefour with problems related to flooding, trash, sanitation and overcrowding in camps for an estimated 250,000 homeless people.)

Drones and Terrorism (Drones have compiled an impressive record, taking out a number of high-ranking al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders. But the technology will not be an American monopoly forever.)

Defense Secretary Gates greets troops, tours Afghan 'city that had been dead' (Secretary of Defense Robert Gates)

Investigators seek data on Camp Lejeune water contamination  (Congressional investigators late Tuesday requested detailed documents from Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and a private contractor involved in the testing and cleanup of contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, NC, over the past two decades.)

Burma junta reveals new laws ahead of long-awaited elections

Myanmar Bars Democracy Advocate From Election (The ruling military junta announced a new election law that would likely prevent Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from participating in coming elections.)

Obama's plans for NASA changes met with harsh criticism

Militants kill charity worker

Pakistan court stalls on US terror suspects

Militants storm US charity building in Pak, 5 killed

At least five killed as gunmen attack NGO in Mansehra

Economy back on the path of stability and progress: PM Gilani

Upset by U.S. Security, Pakistanis Return as Heroes (A US tour arranged by the State Department ended in a public relations fiasco when the group of Pakistani legislators refused to submit to extra airport screening.)

Pakistan risks IMF's $1.2bn  (Disagreement between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over who should be Pakistan's finance minister, more than two weeks after Shaukat Tarin resigned from the post, may force the International Monetary Fund to hold back US$1.2 billion the government desperately needs to plug widening deficits.)

Mail call (Congress is running out of time to save the Postal Service.)

 New at L.A. County Jail: inmates serve half sentences (California)

Radio legend to run for president? (Coast to Coast AM radio talk-show host George Noory)

Many Americans risking their retirement  (The number of US workers who have saved virtually nothing for retirement is growing.)

Polish Magazine Faces Extremism Charges (Moscow prosecutors may slap extremism charges against a Polish literary magazine in a case that threatens to strain Polish-Russian relations just a month before Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with his Polish counterpart for a historic meeting.)

Putin's vision of a Eurasian empire (Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has his eye on a return to the Kremlin wants a single economic market with Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine.)

Putin to Push Arms, Energy in India (Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will push India to double its payment for renovations on a long-delayed aircraft carrier, while also trying to conclude other deals for arms, nuclear energy and communications during a two-day visit beginning Thursday.)

King of Jordan to arrive in Moscow to discuss Middle East

Ruble Continues Rally To 14-Month Heights

Delay on Arms Pact Slows Reset of U.S.- Russia Relations (After months of delay and discord, negotiators are making a fresh effort to wrap up a long-delayed arms control treaty.)

Police in Human Shield Probe (Moscow traffic police are investigating the complaint of a driver who said police used his car as an impromptu roadblock in an unsuccessful attempt to catch a suspect last week.)

Dozen same-sex couples tie knot in DC

 Gay marriages expected to create wedding-related jobs in D.C.

'Tame' virus could prove prostate cancer weapon (A ''tame'' virus could prove to be a future weapon against prostate cancer, early research suggests. )

Scientists get closer to real-life Jurassic Park after extracting DNA from fossilised eggshells

Reconciliation bill will be hard for GOP to derail

Banking On Corruption In The Windy City  (Politics: Another bank failure is nothing new these days — except if the bank is run by the family of a US Senate candidate who profited handsomely and lent millions to a ... )

Senate votes 100-0 to highlight spending  (The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to tell the public when it isn't paying for new spending or tax cuts…)

Bunning doesn't bunt (''Have you no sense of decency?" Those words rang out through the halls of Congress 56 years ago when Army attorney Joseph Welch hit back at Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The same words could be directed at today's Congress by  US Senator of Kentucky Jim Bunning (R)  who discovered that the Senate is composed of cowards and hypocrites who piously say one thing and cavalierly do something else entirely.)

House changes to jobs bill could risk Republican support in the Senate  (Republican Senate support for the jobs bill could be dwindling thanks to changes the lower chamber made to the legislation…)

Lincoln opposes fast-track health bill (US Senator of Arkansas  Blanche Lincoln (D)

McCain endorses Pentagon process on tanker bid as legitimate  (US Senator of Arizona John McCain  (R) endorsed the Pentagon's bidding process for a $35 billion tanker contract as “legitimate” on Tuesday…)

Commander: More NATO trainers needed  (US lawmakers expressed frustration Tuesday that NATO countries were not offering more personnel to train the Afghan army. Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee grilled the alliance's top military leader, Admiral James Stavridis, during his visit to Capitol Hill.)

Dem leaders jockey on filibuster reform  (Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Charles Schumer (D-New York) are each considering proposals to rein in the minority's power to filibuster.…)

O'Donnell to run for Senate seat in Delaware (Christine O'Donnell is preparing to formally launch her Republican primary campaign for the US Senate. )

Reconciliation and the Senate Bill (Why are the Republicans not using the strongest point available to prevent the reconciliation process?)

Facing Dismal Poll Numbers, Reid Welcomes Third-Party Candidates in Senate Race (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada)

Senate hopeful has WWE in her corner (When Linda McMahon resigned her job last year running World Wrestling Entertainment in hopes of filling the seat of retiring US Senator of Connecticut Christopher J Dodd (D)she told voters she was no longer active ... )

More Bad News for Democrats  (Former US Representative of Ohio Rob Portman (R ) looks like a formidable candidate for Ohio's open Senate seat.)

Brown calls his election ‘a message' against health bill (US Senator of Massachusetts Scott Brown)

A Consumer Bill Gives Exemption on Payday Loans (US Senator of Tennessee  Bob Corker (R) wants a proposed bank agency to be more lenient toward nonbank companies, but some advocates say that would hurt consumers.)

Argentina's claim to the Falklands is neither logical nor valid

Empty Promises Repeated Over Rape Prevention (The governing party called for a prompt passage of a bill, Tuesday, which would allow retroactive punishment for pedophiles with a criminal record.)

Russian Envoy Called In Over Attacks on S. Koreans

Spanish snow leaves 250,000 without power

Irritable Baby Syndrome? Doctors mistook woman's pregnancy for IBS... until THREE HOURS before she gave birth

Is the NFL 'Socialistic'? (With the threat of an NFL player walkout in the news, the Boston Globe editorial board grabbed the opportunity to bring up the fatuous argument that football is a socialist enterprise.)

In Illinois, Democrats Widen the Net (After scandal forced the nominee for lieutenant governor out, Democrats in Illinois are letting citizens apply online to run.)

 Lawmakers angered by jobless benefits for ex-councilman (California)

Florida Ponders Tax as Tool to Aid Family-Values Films (Some fear a proposed change to a film incentive program would discriminate against productions with homosexual  characters.)

Patrick gets unions huffing and puffing (Labor leaders are in a lather. So deep runs their indignation that Governor of Massachusetts Patrick canceled an appearance at a recent AFL-CIO conference because attendees were ready to snub their invited guest and join police officers protesting outside while he spoke.)

Schwarzenegger orders change in parole file policy (Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger (R )

Paterson's No. 2 Sets Broad Plan on New York Fiscal Crisis (Lieutenant

Governor of New York Richard Ravitch will unveil a plan that includes borrowing billions and imposing curbs on future spending. )

Chief Justice John Roberts found State of the Union scene 'troubling' (Chief Justice John G Roberts Jr. said Tuesday that the scene at President Obama's State of the Union address was "very troubling" and that the annual speech has "degenerated to a political pep rally.")

Bias by the numbers (Is an employment test unfair if it doesn't produce a racially balanced result? A case before the US Supreme Court deals with this question. The plaintiffs in Lewis v. Chicago claim that the city violated federal civil rights law because a disproportionate number of blacks failed a written exam for firefighting jobs.)

Taiwan less corrupt than last year: survey

Taiwan's job prospects among world's best: poll

IBM makes Earth-friendly plastic from plants  (IBM researchers on Tuesday said they have discovered a way to make Earth-friendly plastic from plants that could replace petroleum-based products tough on the environment.)

Al-Qaeda Reeling  (The latest Adam Gadahn video suggests that the terrorists are on the run....)

They Call It 'Trade'  (Commerce: For an administration that touts "export-led growth," it's a bad sign to see huge markets in Europe and Brazil pulling up the drawbridges over the one-sided US policy. ... )

Google cheers move to allow exports of blogging tools to Iran, Sudan, Cuba  (Google on Tuesday heralded the Treasury Department's decision to lift federal restrictions on Web communication exports to Iran, Sudan and…)

Rebuilding begins in Turkey's quake-hit region

Briton fined for insulting Turkish prime minister

Turkish and Belgian ministers to seek more cooperation

Saudi awards Turkey's Erdogan for 'service to Islam' (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan)

Swine flu over, but may return in winter, say experts

Erdogan hopeful of reviving Israeli-Syrian talks  (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says has not yet endorsed Syria's proposal of Ankara as interlocutor in their frozen peace talks.)

Turkish minister cancels US trip following House panel vote

Medical records go online without consent  (Patients' confidential medical records are being placed on a controversial NHS database without their knowledge. )

Trade deficit widens as exports fall

Ex-MI5 head: US hid torture tactics from UK (The US was "very keen" to prevent Britain discovering how they were getting vital intelligence.)

England step up security over bugging

Girl, 3, thought loaded gun was Wii controller  (A three-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed herself after mistaking a handgun for a Nintendo Wii video game controller. )

Microsoft rolls out video-on-demand service across the UK

Britain's AAA credit rating in jeopardy, warns agency  (Fitch calls for 'credible' plan to tackle deficit as trade gap hits 17-month high of £8 billion.)

Facebook 'putting children at risk' by snubbing paedophile panic button

Soldiers unlawfully killed after 'inadequate' training  (Four soldiers including Corporal Sarah Bryant, the first female to die in Afghanistan, were given "inadequate" training, a coroner has ruled. )

Public sector pay has risen 15% more than private since Labour came to power

Inmate reoffending 'costs £10bn' (Reoffending by thousands of criminals serving short sentences in England and Wales costs up to £10bn a year, says a report. )

Dog insurance scheme could penalise responsible owners

Economic storm not over, says PM  (Gordon Brown is expected to say he has guided the economy through a "storm" and is best-placed to secure its recovery.)

String of protests to US over Falklands row (Details of British complaints emerged as conservatives in Washington described US handling of the dispute as offensive.)

The speed camera trap on the M6 that's racing towards record £3m haul in fines  (In little more than five weeks, this three-mile length of road in the scenic borderlands of North-West England has smashed the British record for speed camera victims.)

Baby P rules 'may increase risks'  (Rules to improve child protection after the Baby P case may leave children more vulnerable to harm, council leaders warn. )

Labour's latest public menace: Mothers with baby buggies on the bus   (Officials have identified parents with prams, passengers who drink or smoke and inconsiderate bus drivers as targets in a campaign to improve the public transport experience. )

US tanker contracts could spark trade war (Lord Mandelson has written to US President Obama expressing concerns over the handling of a US Air Force tender process.)

Pakistani men arrested 'within days of massive Al Qaeda terror attack on Britain'

£10m to get students into sport  (Universities are to be given £10m of National Lottery money to encourage more students to get involved in sport.)

Pound falls below $1.50 again as credit agency warns that efforts to cut deficit are moving at 'pedestrian pace'

Online bank fraud surges 16% putting millions of accounts at risk

Seven Muslims arrested for 'cartoonist death plot' (Irish police hold 7 suspected of planning to kill Lars Vilks, Swedish artist who depicted Prophet Mohammed as a dog.)

Try the less is more diet: Study says little changes have the biggest impact  (Experts say around 20,000 lives a year could be saved if Britons simply tweaked their diet to include one gram less of salt a day, an extra piece of fruit and less saturated fat. )

More schools likely to be failed  (More schools in England are being judged as inadequate in Ofsted's new-style inspections, figures are expected to show. )

FTSE 100 shares slip in early trade

U.K. honors British Holocaust heroes with new awards

UK's Brown paves way for election with budget date  (Britain's economic recovery remains fragile, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Wednesday, as he paved the way for a national election by announcing the government's budget would be published in two weeks.)

David Cameron's Avatar Problem (Tory leader David Cameron; Did the Tory shoo-in peak too early? )

 Israel seeks a stronger stance on Iran from U.N. Security Council and U.S.

China, India give nod to Copenhagen climate change accord (Communist China joined India on Tuesday in giving qualified approval to the Copenhagen climate accord calling for voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions.)

Build America Bonds Pay Off on Wall Street  (Bond underwriters handling the Obama administration-backed Build America bonds have collected more than $1 billion in fees so far.)

Venezuela: Despite the oil wealth there is a downside

White House laughs off Emanuel's naked lobbying

CBS poll: Obama flunks 1st year (6 in 10 give him 'F'; another 25 percent grade him with 'D')

At White House: 14 senators discuss climate-energy legislation (The White House hosted a meeting Tuesday with 14 key senators, many from coal- and oil-producing states, who oppose curbs on carbon emissions. President Obama appears to be making a big push to win Senate passage of revamped climate-energy legislation. )

What happened to Obama's middle path on health reform? (Even if health care passes, the damage is done. The squandered moment on health reform cost the president his chance to unify.)

Rasmussen and Schoen: Why Obama Can't Move the Health-Care Numbers

Rahm Emanuel controversy: White House fights image of turmoil (Is White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel a shrewd tactician or an official who should get the boot? The competing story lines have spun out in the press. Now, his name is also coming up in the mess involving just-resigned US Representative of New York Eric Massa (D )

Health Care's Obstacle: No Will to Cut (President Obama's health reform plan is a mixed bag, but it may be the only program passed.)

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