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Saudis plan to export more oil
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is planning to increase its output next month by about a half-million barrels a day, according to analysts and oil traders who have been briefed by Saudi officials
The increase could bring Saudi output to a production level of 10 million barrels a day, which, if sustained, would be the kingdom’s highest ever. The move was seen as a sign that the Saudis are becoming increasingly nervous about both the political and economic effect of high oil prices. In recent weeks, soaring fuel costs have incited demonstrations and protests from Italy to Indonesia.
Saudi Arabia is currently pumping 9.45 million barrels a day, which is an increase of about 300,000 barrels from last month.
While they are reaping record profits, the Saudis are concerned that today’s record prices might eventually damp economic growth and lead to lower oil demand, as is already happening in the United States and other developed countries. The current prices are also making alternative fuels more viable, threatening the long-term prospects of the oil-based economy.
President Bush visited Saudi Arabia twice this year, pleading with King Abdullah to step up production. While the Saudis resisted the calls then, arguing that the markets were well supplied, they seem to have since concluded that they needed to disrupt the momentum that has been building in commodity markets, sending prices higher.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is planning to increase its output next month by about a half-million barrels a day, a... more -
Myanmar says US aid can't be trusted
There are so many valid reasons to be this suspicious of U.S. intentions. How many lives will be lost over this distrust?
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UN plan to increase food supplies
Global food production must be doubled by 2030 and farmers in poor countries better supported, a UN summit on the current food crisis has concluded.
Leaders from 181 countries made the commitment in Rome at the close of a three-day summit on food shortages.
They also agreed to bolster humanitarian interventions to help deal with shortages and soaring prices.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned up to $20bn (£10.2bn) a year was needed to alleviate the crisis.
Government representatives and aid agencies welcomed the concluding statement as a signal that agriculture - particularly the support of small farmers in the developing world - was now firmly back on the agenda.
"For the first time agriculture has been put at the centre of the world stage. For years it has been on the periphery," South Africa's Agriculture Minister Lulu Xingwana told the BBC.
The summit participants stated that the reality of 862 million people worldwide continuing to be malnourished was wholly unacceptable given the resources available.
SUMMIT OUTCOME
Target doubling of global food production by 2030
Focus on aid to small farmers in developing world
Give an extra $1.2bn (£613m) in food aid to 75 million people in 60 nations
No agreement on possible need to limit biofuel production
Biofuel high on agenda
Lesotho tackles crisis
Tortilla prices put pressure on poor
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, said the adoption of a final declaration was "a sign that the international community is speaking with one voice".
But the summit, which was threatened to be overshadowed by the controversial presence of invited heads of state including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, was not without its critics, says the BBC's Stephanie Holmes in Rome.
Representatives from non-governmental organisations complained they were excluded from discussions.
ActionAid's food and hunger policy adviser, Magda Kropiwnicka, said the concluding statement lacked concrete proposals.
"There are no quantifiable financial commitments. Apart from the existing UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) funds, no money has been given to address the key problem of boosting capacity," she said.
But Oxfam's Alexander Woolcombe told the BBC News wesite that the very recognition of agriculture's role is a vital step.
"There needs to be more focus on agriculture, not less, and we finally seem to be getting recognition of that."
Global food production must be doubled by 2030 and farmers in poor countries better supported, a UN summit on the current food crisis ... more -
McCain's Lobbying Pals
From Veracifier's TPMtv:
John McCain's got so much experience in dealing with rogue regimes that he's got the rogue regimes' lobbyists running his campaign.
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Veracifier is a Next New Networks property.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
From Veracifier's TPMtv: ... more -
Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic
"In his new book, CIA analyst, distinguished scholar, and best-selling author Chalmers Johnson argues that US military and economic overreach may actually lead to the nation’s collapse as a constitutional republic. It’s the last volume in his Blowback trilogy, following the best-selling 'Blowback' and 'The Sorrows of Empire.' In those two, Johnson argued American clandestine and military activity has led to un-intended, but direct disaster here in the United States.
Chalmers Johnson is a retired professor of international relations at the University of California, San Diego. He is also President of the Japan Policy Research Institute. Johnson has written for several publications including Los Angeles Times, the London Review of Books, Harper’s Magazine, and The Nation. In 2005, he was featured prominently in the award-winning documentary film, 'Why We Fight.'"
Amy Goodman // democracynow.org
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/
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The clip is from "Speeking Freely Volume 4: Chalmers Johnson on American Hegemony."
>> "Blowback" was one of the four books that Ron Paul recommended to Rudy Giuliani for an introduction to foreign policy. "In his new book, CIA analyst, distinguished scholar, and best-selling author Chalmers Johnson argues that US military and economic ov... more -
A Civil War Ends?
In northern Uganda, a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army has been fighting the government since the mid-1980s in what has become Africa's longest civil war. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people have died in the war and thousands of children have been abducted. But in recent years, thousands of rebels have come out of bush to take advantage of amnesty offer by the Ugandan government. Now thousands of former rebels, including some of its top leaders, live side by side with victims. In northern Uganda, a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army has been fighting the government since the mid-1980s in what has b... more
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Congress asks Big Oil to justify big profits
Ha! Asking someone to change their ways of getting hard, blooded and cold cash it is never been easy. The fact is that this is sooo late. These guys should have been acting on this issue back in 1980's and they should have something better to offer by now to the American People. What I mean, they are sucking from the economy for so long and seating in their comfortable chairs for so long and have not come up with an alternative to their blooded worldwide mess. You got to read the whole article and see how these big fat cats gets away with murder. Ha! Asking someone to change their ways of getting hard, blooded and cold cash it is never been easy. The fact is that this is sooo la... more
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Informational details about the collapse of the US dollar, or more fear-inducing p...
This argument feels a little slanted, but the no one can argue with the amassing debt the US accrues to keep things going.
What are your thoughts? This argument feels a little slanted, but the no one can argue with the amassing debt the US accrues to keep things going. ... more -
Obama says No to Chinese Toys
Obama suggested the US ban all toys from China during an economic forum in New Hampshire. Lead and other safety concerns motivated the Senator's comments. The Chinese offered a typically twisted interpretation of the news, "'Americans are only picking on us because our economy is doing well and we're getting the Olympics," said Chen Xuehua, 35, who was selling toys on Christmas Eve at Hongqiao market."
Obama suggested the US ban all toys from China during an economic forum in New Hampshire. Lead and other safety concerns motivated th... more -
Frontline Story on Iran US relations
What a surprise. Fox news failed to inform us of the whole story, Fair and Balanced my A#@.
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Americans deserve more protection
Congress has failed to exercise its responsibility to make sure the Executive Branch is doing what it's supposed to.
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It's the Resistance, stupid
The ultimate nightmare for White House/Pentagon designs on Middle East energy resources is not Iran after all: it's a unified Iraqi resistance, comprising not only Sunnis but also Shi'ites. The intimate connection means there's no way for Washington to control Iraq's oil without protecting it with a string of sprawling
military "super-bases". The ultimate nightmare for White House/Pentagon designs on Middle East energy resources is not Iran after all: it's a unified Iraqi re... more
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