tagged w/ International
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A Norwegian newspaper says it has obtained the entire trove of 250,000 uncensored U.S. diplomatic documents that WikiLeaks has been distributing. The announcement Thursday appears to make Aftenposten the first media organization outside WikiLeaks' five partners to obtain the material
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/International/69525A Norwegian newspaper says it has obtained the entire trove of 250,000 uncensored U.S.... more
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Rahm Emanuel is a resident of Chicago and eligible to run for mayor, city elections officials ruled Thursday, removing the primary obstacle to the former White House chief of staff's bid to lead the nation's third-largest city.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/National/69204Rahm Emanuel is a resident of Chicago and eligible to run for mayor, city elections... more
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At least 173 people have been killed in Ivory Coast in recent days following last month's disputed election, the U.N. said on Thursday, as international pressure grows on defiant leader Laurent Gbagbo to step down.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/reuters/International/69260At least 173 people have been killed in Ivory Coast in recent days following last... more
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His critics said the move turns the country into a near-dictatorship. It comes just two weeks before a new national assembly is sworn in with a larger opposition bloc that could have frustrated some of his plans to create a socialist state.
The firebrand leader had only asked his allies for the right to govern without referring to congress for a year. Instead, they handed him the powers for 18 months as proof of their "revolutionary commitment", said Cilia Flores, the national assembly president.
The official reason for the move was to allow Mr Chavez to deal with the devastating aftermath of weeks of floods by fast-tracking tax increases and funding for construction of new homes.
But amid a fresh wave of nationalisations of farms and businesses, he has already outlined a long list of new laws that extend far beyond relief and reconstruction.
He taunted the incoming opposition congressmen in a television address.
"You won't be able to make a single law, little Yankees," he said, deploying one of his favourite insults, which depicts his opponents as American stooges.
"We're going to see how you make laws now."
The 18-month period means the opposition will be blocked from any significant role in Venezuelan politics until just months before the 2012 presidential election.
The lame-duck parliament dominated by Chavez allies is also planning a revised "Social Responsibility Law" which would impose tough regulations on the internet and ban online messages "that could incite or promote hatred," create "anxiety" in the population or "disrespect public authorities". The country's broadcast media already faces similar controls.
The law granting presidential decree powers – for the fourth time in his nearly 12-year presidency – also will allow him to enact measures involving telecommunications, the banking system, information technology, the military, rural and urban land use and the country's "socio-economic system."
His foes accused him of taking advantage of the floods to stage a crude power grab by violating the constitution as he tried to impose a Cuban-style system.
Julio Borges, a recently-elected congressman, said the opposition will keep fighting and that "the Cuban project is going to fail."
The new congress takes office on Jan 5 with 67 of the 165 seats controlled by the opposition – which would have been enough to remove the two-thirds majority needed to approve some types of major legislation and to confirm Supreme Court justices.
Anticipating that shift, pro-Chavez lawmakers earlier this month appointed nine new Supreme Court justices, reinforcing the dominance of judges widely seen as friendly to his government.
Lawmakers on Friday also approved a separate law that describes banking as a "public service" and clears the way for increased state intervention in the sector. Venezuela's private banks make up about 70 per cent of the industry, while the government controls the rest.
The moves seem aimed at intimidating opponents and neutralising potential obstacles ahead of the presidential race. In September's parliamentary elections, the pro- and anti-Chavez camps emerged with a nearly even split of the popular vote.His critics said the move turns the country into a near-dictatorship. It comes just... more
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This year's death toll in drug-related violence in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, the hardest hit by Mexico's drug war, rose to 3,000 Tuesday after two men were shot dead on a street, authorities said.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/International/63481This year's death toll in drug-related violence in the border city of Ciudad... more
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Secret Santa II hit the streets Tuesday in a long-standing Kansas City tradition of handing out $100 bills - sometimes several at a time - to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters.
Some people gasped in surprise. Some wanted to know if the $100 bill the tall man in the red cap offered was fake. Others wept.Secret Santa II hit the streets Tuesday in a long-standing Kansas City tradition of... more
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In a new showdown, the House this week will take up a bill that would overturn the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays, Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/National/63469In a new showdown, the House this week will take up a bill that would overturn the... more
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez asked congress Tuesday to grant him special powers to enact laws by decree for one year, just before a new legislature takes office with a larger contingent of opposition lawmakers.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/International/63196Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez asked congress Tuesday to grant him special powers to... more
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A gunman calmly walked up to a podium, spray painted a red "V" with a circle around it on a wall and opened fire at school board members Tuesday, sending people scrambling and diving for cover. A security guard soon ran in, exchanged shots with and wounded the man who then killed himself, police said.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/National/63160A gunman calmly walked up to a podium, spray painted a red "V" with a circle... more
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Richard Holbrooke told his doctors before surgery on Friday he was too worried about Afghanistan and Pakistan to settle down, leading one to offer to solve the problem while he was anesthetized.
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http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/reuters/National/63171Richard Holbrooke told his doctors before surgery on Friday he was too worried about... more
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McDonald's Corp said on Monday hackers gained access to a database containing information such as the email addresses and birth dates of people who voluntarily signed up for its websites and promotions.
http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/reuters/Business/62681McDonald's Corp said on Monday hackers gained access to a database containing... more
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Health Library: Aortic dissection
Washington (CNN) -- U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke has died, a senior administration official told CNN Monday evening.
Holbrooke had undergone surgery in the past three days to repair a tear in his aorta, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday.
"He had a very serious medical emergency on Friday," Clinton said at a news conference in Quebec, Canada, with foreign ministers from Canada and Mexico. "He has received excellent care including many hours of surgery in the last three days. He is stable but still in very critical condition."
Earlier, a State Department official said Holbrooke was "absolutely fighting in an unbelievable way." Holbrooke remains unconscious after an additional procedure to aid circulation following the initial surgery on his aorta, the main artery of the body, the State Department said.
At a holiday reception for U.S. diplomats later Monday, President Barack Obama praised Holbrooke as "simply one of the giants of American foreign policy" who has served the nation "with distinction for nearly 50 years," including his work in negotiating the 1995 Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnian war in the former Yugoslavia.
"As anyone who has ever worked with him knows -- or had the clear disadvantage of negotiating across the table from him -- Richard is relentless," Obama said. "He never stops. He never quits. Because he's always believed that if we stay focused, if we act on our mutual interests, that progress is possible. Wars can end. Peace can be forged."Health Library: Aortic dissection
Washington (CNN) -- U.S. diplomat Richard... more
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Back in April, we looked at an ambitious European plan to simulate the entire planet. The idea is to exploit the huge amounts of data generated by financial markets, health records, social media and climate monitoring to model the planet's climate, societies and economy. The vision is that a system like this can help to understand and predict crises before they occur so that governments can take appropriate measures in advance. There are numerous challenges here. Nobody yet has the computing power necessary for such a task, neither are there models that will can accurately model even much smaller systems. But before any of that is possible, researchers must gather the economic, social and technological data needed to feed this machine http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/free-stuff/15028-the-70-online-databases-that-define-our-planetBack in April, we looked at an ambitious European plan to simulate the entire planet.... more
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International firefighting teams were on Friday helping Israel battle a huge forest fire close to the port city of Haifa that has killed at least 42 people and forced mass evacuations.
European planes and helicopters repeatedly swooped over the Israeli woodland, dumping tones of sea water onto the flames, but officials conceded that the blaze was still out of control more than 24 hours after it started.
The largest fire in Israel's history scorched more than 7,000 acres of drought-afflicted land, destroyed houses and revealed dramatic shortcomings in the country's ability to tackle such an emergency.
The blaze took hold on Thursday morning and Israel launched an international appeal for help just hours later when it became apparent its own ill-equipped fire service could not cope.
At least 16 countries swiftly heeded the call, including Turkey, which set aside recent diplomatic rows to send two firefighting planes.
"I think this symbolizes an unprecedented response to our request for international help," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after chairing an emergency meeting of his cabinet in Tel Aviv.
The prime minister took time out of the rescue operation to thank his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan for sending help. It was believed to be the first time the pair had spoken in person since Netanyahu took office 18 months ago.
Once-solid relations with Turkey have turned sour in recent months, hitting a low point in May when 9 Turkish activists died after Israeli commandos stormed their boat that had been seeking to beat an Israeli no-go zone and enter the Gaza Strip.
"I told Erdogan that we appreciate the major efforts during this time and I am sure that this will be a gateway to improving relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.
FUNERALS
Fire service spokesman Shahar Perry said fire crews were operating on five fronts, with 20 planes operating and bigger aircraft on the way. "We cannot estimate yet how long the firefighting efforts will continue," he said.
The blaze was visible from the Mediterranean shore during the day and authorities told Haifa residents to shut their doors and windows to keep out the thick smoke.
Police also ordered the evacuation of 17,000 people from the Carmel Ridge, where the fire was focused, forcibly removing some locals who refused to leave their property.
Most of the victims were prison service officer trainees, who died on Thursday when their bus was engulfed in flames as they headed toward a prison to help evacuate 500 inmates.
The first of the dead, many of them young men and women, were buried on Friday, Israeli flags draped over their coffins........International firefighting teams were on Friday helping Israel battle a huge forest... more
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Then-US Ambassador William Brownfield wrote that Cuban spies had "direct access" to President Hugo Chavez.
Another cable sent in 2010 said Cuban agents controlled spying operations against the US embassy in Caracas.
The left-wing governments of Cuba and Venezuela are close allies and outspoken opponents of the US.
The secret diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks were published by the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.
Similar allegations of Cuban intelligence influence in Venezuela have been made by Venezuelan opposition groups, but US officials have not publicly expressed such concerns.
The leaked cable from Ambassador Brownfield says the ties between Cuban and Venezuelan intelligence are so close that the two countries agencies "appear to be competing with each other for the Venezuelan government's attention".
Indoctrination
The ambassador wrote that Cuban spies were so close to President Chavez that they provided him with intelligence unvetted by Venezuelan officers.
"Cuban agents train Venezuelans on both Cuba and Venezuela, providing both political indoctrination and operational instruction".
The ambassador concludes that the Cuban involvement could impact US interests directly.
"Venezuelan intelligence services are among the most hostile towards the United States in the hemisphere, but they lack the expertise that Cuban services can provide".
The level of Cuban involvement in other agencies of the Venezuelan government was harder to confirm, he wrote.
The embassy "had received no credible reports of extensive Cuban involvement in the Venezuelan military", but there were reports that Cubans were training Mr Chavez's bodyguard.
But Cubans were likely to be involved "to a great extent" in agricultural policy, as well as in an identity card scheme.
The ambassador added that it was impossible to tell how many Cubans were working in Venezuela.
Cuba's biggest and most public involvement in Venezuela is in the provision of tens of thousands of doctors and nurses who provide basic health services in poor areas.
In return, Venezuela provides Cuba with subsidized oil.Then-US Ambassador William Brownfield wrote that Cuban spies had "direct... more
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A Qantas superjumbo has taken off from Sydney on the first passenger flight for the airline's A380s since a midair engine explosion earlier this month.
The flight marks the resumption of A380 services for the Australian airline, which grounded its fleet of six superjumbos after the engine disintegration shortly after one took off from Singapore on Nov. 4.
http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/ap/Business/50969A Qantas superjumbo has taken off from Sydney on the first passenger flight for the... more
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