World News // Current

DR Congo warlord will face trial

Former Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga will be tried in January at the International Criminal Court, seven months after... more

Apocalipstick
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The Guardian UK: Hillary to Accept the Secretary of State Post

According to The Guardian UK, Hillary Clinton would accept the secretary of state post if offered. Obama's advisers have... more

wlwatkins
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Hijacked supertanker anchors off Somali coast as pirates open talks over their $100m haul

Hijackers who seized a Saudi supertanker loaded with $100 million in crude oil have anchored the ship off a a notorious Somali... more

AndreaKnoll
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Can Mall Be Filled For an Inauguration? 4 Million May Try It.

District and federal officials are preparing for as many as 4 million people for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, a crowd that would be three or four times larger than previous big events on the Mall.

Only a fraction of those people will be close enough to get a good look at the action. But officials are planning extra JumboTrons at the Mall and along the inaugural parade route so that spectators can feel a part of the historic day.

"The Mall actually may be the best seat in the house. . . . It'll kind of be like the world's biggest stage and auditorium on January 20th," said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), adding that the crowd projections have emerged in briefings conducted by federal and local officials.

All plans are pending approval of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, to be set up by Obama, which determines the size and nature of the inaugural festivities, Fenty said. But District officials have met several times with the Secret Service and other agencies.

The Secret Service is taking the lead in overseeing security and other logistics. Even for a city that has hosted vast throngs for marches, protests, celebrations, funerals and inaugurations, this will be an unprecedented test of planning and resources. The question arises: Can the city handle it? Can millions of people fit downtown?

Or, could there be another Meltdown of '76?

That year, a million spectators were expected on the Mall to celebrate the Bicentennial. Transit officials urged people to take public transportation and promised special service. But there was nothing special about the Fourth of July traffic jam, which stranded cars and buses for hours.

District and federal officials blamed a flawed and smaller mass transit system for the 1976 embarrassment. They expressed confidence that they can handle this January's events. At the same time, they know that Inauguration Day 2009 will be one of a kind.

For example, Fenty said, officials expect people to camp overnight, starting Jan. 19, to get as close as possible to the swearing-in viewing area and parade route.

The next several weeks will be spent figuring out how to change the comprehensive playbook that has been used in the past.

"We have a great blueprint from years past, and we will follow that," the mayor said. "But we will start to make exceptions and deviations because, by everyone's estimation, we will have crowds that will be two, three, maybe even four times as large as the largest inaugural. . . . One of the biggest exceptions would be to open up the Mall."

Officials are talking about opening large sections of the Mall east of the Washington Monument, a space normally used for staging the many components of the inaugural parade, Fenty said. That would make the Mall a viewing area that experts said could accommodate several million people -- significantly more than in the past. Officials have not said where the parade groups will gather instead.

The changes would not affect the 240,000 people who will get free tickets in the space closest to the swearing-in ceremony.District and federal officials are preparing for as many as 4 million people for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama,... more

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18 hours ago

Iraqi cabinet accepts US agreement

Sabah al-Nasseri: Strong nationalist movement has mobilized against the agreement, and they have guns. Part 3

The Iraqi cabinet agreed by a vote of 27-1 on Sunday to approve the newest US draft of the Status of Forces Agreement between the two countries. The agreement speaks to a variety of issues concerning the occupation, including the complete withdrawal from Iraq of US forces by the end of 2011. Moreover, it includes a promise from the US to not use Iraqi territory as a launch pad to attack inside other Middle-eastern countries, as it did in late October during a raid on a village inside Syria. Sabah al-Nasseri believes that the Iraqi parliament will eventually turn down the agreement for political reasons, in the interests of securing one with Barack Obama when he comes to power in January. The timing is important as the Iraqi provincial elections, which are extremely significant given the power granted provinces under the Iraqi constitution, will take place on January 31. Sabah believes that the importance of faring well in those elections will force the parliament to reject an agreement which has received the rebuke of numerous groups, both religious and secular, who have organized massive protests over recent weeks. One piece of the agreement that very few people are talking about, which Sabah believes has angered many nationalists of all stripes, is the labeling of any armed resistance against occupation forces as terrorists, thereby criminalizing their activities under Iraqi law. Sabah believes that the most recent violence in Iraq was carried out by secular nationalists who are opposed to the deal, given that the targets of the attacks were all US and Iraqi government elements. Sabah, who was born and raised in the Southern Iraqi city of Basra, reiterates his support for an immediate withdrawal of all foreign occupiers, believing that the violence in Iraq stems from the occupation.

Born in Basra, Iraq, Sabah al-Nasseri is Professor of Political Science (Middle East Politics) at York University, Toronto. Prior to that he was a Lecturer of Political Science at the J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt. Currently he is working on an article, “Understanding Iraq.”

See Part 1 at: http://current.com/items/89534152/un_mandate_for_us_troops_in_iraq_running_out.htm

See Part 2 at: http://current.com/items/89534210/be_careful_what_you_wish_for.htmSabah al-Nasseri: Strong nationalist movement has mobilized against the agreement, and they have guns. Part 3 The Iraqi cabinet... more

Vierotchka
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19 hours ago

Crisis in Congo

Shashank Bengali: The threat of violence is ever-present in Congo. Part 1 Despite Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda’s... more

Vierotchka
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5 responses

19 hours ago

Serena Williams Helping To Educate African Children

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22 hours ago

Citigroup says it will slash 52,000 jobs

NEW YORK: Vikram Pandit-led financial services giant Citigroup has said that it will cut more than 52,000 jobs in the coming... more

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23 hours ago

Fears spy may have betrayed U.K. and U.S. secrets to Russia for more than a decade

A high-ranking spy known as 'The Spaniard' operating at the heart of Nato is feared to have betrayed British and US... more

Vierotchka
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8 responses

1 day ago

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi: West should know the truth

The truth about South Ossetian war should be revealed - Berlusconi
The West should know the truth about the war in South Ossetia, said the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. Solutions to tackling the global financial crisis were another important issue on the agenda between the two.

During the talks the sides agreed that a new financial architecture with collective decision-making should be a proper response to the global financial crisis.

Dmitry Medvedev said: "Certainly, we spoke of the global financial crisis as well. Here we are unanimous in our view: we all need a new financial architecture. The one that exists today is not meeting its goals. The result of it is the capital planetary financial-economic disruption which occurred and which is still continuing today."

"The main thing is to adopt proper collective mechanisms and to establish joint responsibility for the circulation, for the operation of global finance."

Another important issue was Russia-EU relations after the war in South Ossetia in August.

Medvedev said the conflict in the Caucuses should not affect the cooperation between Russia and the European Union.

Silvio Berlusconi replied that he also sees no obstacles for signing the new Russia-EU deal.

The Italian PM stressed that the West should be told the truth about the war in South Ossetia.

He said: “I thank President Medvedev for appreciating Italy’s position concerning the Ossetian conflict. This position was based on knowledge of the facts. And I think these facts should help the international community understand what really happened and overcome the disinformation that took opinion far from reality.”

The sides also discussed the current U.S. elections and the victory of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

"We hope the new U.S. president will be a successful leader capable of building proper domestic and foreign policy and lay solid foundations for relations between Russia and the U.S.," Dmitry Medvedev said.

Meanwhile the Italian PM described Obama as “young, handsome,” and with a “good tan”.The truth about South Ossetian war should be revealed - Berlusconi The West should know the truth about the war in South Ossetia,... more

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1 day ago

Medvedev's speech at US Council on Foreign Relations

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev believes theres a good chance to fully restore relations with the US under Barack Obama. He made... more

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1 day ago

Evictions here, evictions there, evictions everywhere

Here, its for failure to pay back loans. There, its for being Arab in a city that is trying to raise its Jewish residency.

oblivious
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1 response

1 day ago

Obama advisers: Bush era war criminals will walk free

Even as President-elect Obama vowed "to regain America's moral stature in the world" during Sunday's 60... more

GonzoMuckraker
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1 day ago

Stopping Foreclosures With the Right to Rent: One More Time

by: Dean Baker, t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Politicians often prefer complex solutions to simple problems. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the long list of complicated and convoluted proposals to address the country's foreclosure crisis.

Millions of people face the loss of their homes over the next few years. While the politicians in Congress have developed a wide variety of complex schemes in order to hold back this flood of foreclosures, including one passed into law last summer that provided up to $300 billion guarantees for new mortgages on homes facing foreclosure, none have had much impact thus far.

The unavoidable problem with these schemes is that it is difficult to design a plan that aids families facing foreclosure without giving an incentive to other homeowners to also default on their mortgage. In addition, it is hard to justify taxing the people who are struggling to keep up with their own mortgages in order to help those who default. It is even harder to justify taxing ordinary people to help out the bank executives, who issued hundreds of billions of dollars of bad loans.

As a result, to date these programs have not prevented a tidal wave of foreclosures and evictions. The number of foreclosure filings (there are typically two or more filing for every actual foreclosure) is now approaching 300,000 per month.

For those not offended by simplicity, there is an easy solution. Congress can temporarily modify the rules on foreclosure to give families facing foreclosure the right to rent their homes at the market rate for a substantial period of time. Rep. Raul Grijalva proposed such a change in the Saving Family Homes Act, which would allow homeowners the option to remain as renters for up to 20 years following a foreclosure.

This bill would immediately give families security in their home, so that if they like the home, the neighborhood, the school for their kids, they would have the option to stay in the house for a substantial period of time. This also has the great benefit for the neighborhood that homes will remain occupied.

Perhaps more importantly, this change in foreclosure rules will give banks a real incentive to negotiate conditions under which homeowners can stay in their homes as owners. Banks do not want to become landlords. The bank will own the house after a foreclosure, but a house with a renter is worth much less to them than a house over which it has complete control.
contby: Dean Baker, t r u t h o u t | Perspective Politicians often prefer complex solutions to simple problems. Nowhere is this... more

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1 day ago

16-year-old becomes first female professional baseball player in Japan

16-year-old Eri Yoshida has been drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, becoming the first woman in Japan to play professional baseball... more

sumrgurl
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15 responses

1 day ago

IRAQ: NGOs Concerned about Detainees’ Rights |

BAGHDAD, 17 November 2008 (IRIN) - Local NGOs are concerned about the rights of detainees in US military custody due to be... more

wlwatkins
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1 day ago

IRAQ: Nuclear contamination in northern province of Ninevah?

BAGHDAD, 16 November 2008 (IRIN) - Fears are growing in the northern province of Ninevah, about 400km north of Baghdad, of a leak... more

wlwatkins
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3 responses

1 day ago

A Lame-Duck Economic Summit

Though President George W. Bush extended the invitation, the problem is that the world leaders would prefer to discuss the future... more

wlwatkins
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1 day ago

U.S. Ban on Ski Masks Upsets Iraqi Interpreters

BAGHDAD -- The U.S. military has barred Iraqi interpreters working with American troops in Baghdad from wearing ski masks to... more

wlwatkins
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1 day ago

Mini Nuclear Power Plants Could Power 20,000 Homes

Underground nuclear power plants no bigger than a hot tub may soon provide electricity for communities around the world. Measuring about 1.5 meters across, the mini reactors can each power about 20,000 homes.

The small energy modules were originally designed by Otis "Pete" Peterson and other scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Now, the technology is being commercially developed by Hyperion Power Generation, which recently announced that it has taken its first orders and plans to start mass production within five years.

"Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. "[The nuclear plants] will cost approximately $25 million each. For a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $2,500 per home."

Because of their small size, the mini power plants can be assembled relatively quickly and transported by truck, rail or ship to remote locations, even places that currently do not have electricity. The power plants provide an alternative to current nuclear plants, which are large, expensive, and take about 10 years to build. Also, large-scale power plants don´t fit the needs of small populations or areas without available land. Hyperion´s modules can be connected together to provide energy for larger populations, as well.

In addition, the Hyperion modules have no moving parts to wear down, and never need to be opened on site.

The reactors need to be refueled about every seven to ten years. After five years of generating power, Hyperion says that the module produces a total waste of about the size of a softball, which could be a candidate for fuel recycling.

Hyperion now has more than 100 orders for its modules, mostly from the oil and electricity industries. The first order came from a Czech infrastructure company called TES, which specializes in water plants and power plants. TES ordered six modules and optioned another 12, with the first planned to be located in Romania.Underground nuclear power plants no bigger than a hot tub may soon provide electricity for communities around the world. Measuring... more