China, US simply decide oil market's trend - Focus discussion - People Forum

China, US simply decide oil market's trend - Focus discussion - People Forum: "The U.S. summer driving season starts next week amid predictions that gasoline consumption in the U.S. will be lower than last year as squeezed motorists cut back due to high prices.

The U.S. summer driving season starts next week amid predictions that gasoline consumption in the U.S. will be lower than last year as squeezed motorists cut back due to high prices. Fear that this phenomenon will diminish overall oil demand has been a big factor in the recent fall in international oil prices from their April high of $127 a barrel.

However on the other side of the world, industry observers see the opposite situation due to the threat of electricity shortages in China. If power supply is tightly rationed this summer and the Chinese turn to backup oil-fired generators as they have in the past, oil demand may be significantly higher than previous predictions."

Yemen: "Islamic Emirate" by AQAP? - Focus discussion - People Forum

Yemen: "Islamic Emirate" by AQAP? - Focus discussion - People Forum: "The international observers say the AQAP’s seizing the capital is not a surprise. Since the eruption of the four-month-long anti-government protests aimed at ousting Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power since 1978, the AQAP has launched sporadic heavy attacks on Zinjibar. Now they have the mature conditions to take up the city.

Zinjibar is the capital of Abyan province in south central Yemen. The impoverished state, which was the ancestral homeland of Osama bin Laden, has been wracked by violence amid protests to end President Ali Abdullah Saleh's near 33-year rule.


Washington considers al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - the Yemen-based al-Qaeda franchise - to be the world's most active terrorist cell."

Chinese central gov't vows to take lead in eliminating wasteful practices - People's Daily Online

Chinese central gov't vows to take lead in eliminating wasteful practices - People's Daily Online: "Chinese State councilor Ma Kai addresses a conference in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2011. Chinese central government departments and central organizations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a conference on Tuesday, where they pledged to set an example for the rest of the country by strictly controlling and reforming government spending. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Central government departments and central organizations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a conference on Tuesday, where they pledged to set an example for the rest of the country by strictly controlling and reforming government spending.

Premier Wen Jiabao sent a message to the meeting in which he said 'our goal is to create a clean and economical government.'"

Bloggers Note: Now coming from China, that just sounds smart. In the US, someone would be accused of cutting out important services that are essential for the poor.

However in truth there are all these little "juicy" tax incentive type things or all kinds of government spending ways, or creating tax loopholes or ease "environmental restrictions" that help politicians "pay back" their campaign supporters.

Opinion: America's dogfight over debt woes worsening - People's Daily Online

Opinion: America's dogfight over debt woes worsening - People's Daily Online: "The dogfight between the two major US political parties on whether to raise the federal deficit ceiling and avoid a default on American debts has just begun.

The stakes are high that, if no agreement comes out, the US would be sent to another financial crisis and the global economy would face the dim prospect of another great recession.

China, now holding more than 8 percent, or nearly $1.2 trillion US Treasury bonds, is certainly concerned about the quagmire, as the security of the debts repayment is on the line.

Currently， Chinese online chat-rooms are awash with ordinary people's demands for Beijing to draw down its purchase of American debts, and shift to other securer investments including buying more oil and resources as strategic reserves."

Libyan parties should move towards negotiations to solve crisis: UN official - People's Daily Online

Libyan parties should move towards negotiations to solve crisis: UN official - People's Daily Online: "At the Group of Eight (G-8) summit held in Deauville, France, on May 26-27, the secretary-general called for more humanitarian assistance to Libya and spoke with high-level officials.

'In their final declaration, G-8 leaders demanded the immediate cessation of the use of force against civilians b the Libyan regime forces as well as the end of all incitement to hostility and violence against the civilian population,' Pascoe said.

Al-Khatib will return to Tripoli this week to continue his work, Pascoe told the Security Council."

Hamas prevents youths from holding conference in Gaza - People's Daily Online

Hamas prevents youths from holding conference in Gaza - People's Daily Online: "Home>>World >> Middle East
Hamas prevents youths from holding conference in Gaza
08:25, June 01, 2011
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The Hamas police arrested two people on Tuesday and prevented a group of youths from holding a conference sponsored by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) , witnesses said.

The conference was aimed at supporting a national agreement that Egypt brokered between Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.

Dozens of policemen surrounded the hall where the conference was scheduled to be held, prevented people from entering, 'beat several organizers and arrested two of them,' said Ibrahim Al- Shatali, one of the organizers."

China constructs first pure-electric auto base - People's Daily Online

China constructs first pure-electric auto base - People's Daily Online: "Construction started on China's first pure-electric automobile industrial base in Hannan District of Wuhan City, Central China's Hubei Province on May 28.

This new-energy automobile base costs a total investment of 3.3 billion yuan and covers a total net area of more than 300,000 square meters. It will mainly produce environmentally-friendly batteries, capacitors and other components. The annual output of the base will reach 3,000 vehicles and 10,000 sets of core components, and the annual sales is expected to reach 11 billion yuan.

This new kind of energy vehicles 'do not use a drop of petrol,' but can run 250 to 300 kilometers after being charged for three hours."

China's first 6-megawatt wind turbine made public - People's Daily Online

China's first 6-megawatt wind turbine made public - People's Daily Online: "China's first six-megawatt wind turbine unit made its commercial debut in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd., maker of the turbine, said the unit was indigenously developed and has the largest single-machine capacity in China at the current time. Public files provided by an independent authority show this is the first 6-megawatt wind turbine in the world that has been put into commercial use.

Sinovel's new wind turbine unit has wide applications in generating power on the land, ocean and in the intertidal zone. The length of the turbine's paddle wheels reaches 128 meters, which helps to capture stronger wind force and increase energy efficiency. The turbine even could work normally in the extreme cold and set a record of 62.5 meters per second in the speed test."

Game Over for Gaddafi — The Israel Situation

Game Over for Gaddafi — The Israel Situation: "uprising that is sweeping the Middle East has reached Libya is not the surprise. Colonel Gaddafi’s authoritarian style was always going to be under attack as soon as his people had sufficient support and confidence to rebel against him. What has been most shocking for me is the way in which some of Gaddafi’s closest circle have rebelled against him without being pushed very hard.

First was the strange story of two Libyan Mirage fighter jets that arrived in Malta last week. We were led to understand that the pilots had defected from Libya with their planes after they were ordered to bomb protestors who had taken over Libya’s second-largest city, Benghazi. Considering that pilots are regarded amongst the elite of the elite of the Libyan military and Libyan society in general, I would imagine that pilots are screened to ensure their loyalty to Gaddafi and his regime. As such, they should not"

Libyan parties should move towards negotiations to solve crisis: UN official - People's Daily Online

Libyan parties should move towards negotiations to solve crisis: UN official - People's Daily Online: "At the Group of Eight (G-8) summit held in Deauville, France, on May 26-27, the secretary-general called for more humanitarian assistance to Libya and spoke with high-level officials.

'In their final declaration, G-8 leaders demanded the immediate cessation of the use of force against civilians b the Libyan regime forces as well as the end of all incitement to hostility and violence against the civilian population,' Pascoe said.

Al-Khatib will return to Tripoli this week to continue his work, Pascoe told the Security Council.

Meanwhile, the UN is currently working on contingency plans for post-conflict peace building in Libya. According to Pascoe, pre- assessment process for peace building has already been launched."

Libyan parties should move towards negotiations to solve crisis: UN official - People's Daily Online

Libyan parties should move towards negotiations to solve crisis: UN official - People's Daily Online: "'We believe that this process is crucial in our efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis, which responds to the legitimate demands of the Libyan people and corresponds with resolutions 1970 and 1973,' Pascoe said when he was briefing the UN Security Council on the current situation in Libya.

Resolutions 1970 and 1973 were passed by the Security Council earlier this year to deal with the conflict in Libya between the government forces of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and rebel forces opposing his rule. Resolution 1970 placed an arms embargo and sanctions on officials of the Gaddafi government, while Resolution 1973 authorized the creation of a no-fly zone over Libya that is currently enforced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)."

NATO - News: NATO Defence Ministers will discuss situation in Libya and longer term prospects in Middle East , 07-Mar.-2011

NATO - News: NATO Defence Ministers will discuss situation in Libya and longer term prospects in Middle East , 07-Mar.-2011: "This is a humanitarian crisis on our door-step that concerns us all. The civilian population in Libya is the target of systematic attacks by the regime. So we must remain vigilant ”, he stressed. “The whole world is watching events in Libya and the wider Middle East. Many of our Allies have been evacuating their nationals and helping other people in need. We strongly condemn the use of force against the Libyan people. The violation of human rights and international humanitarian law is outrageous.”
Looking further at the upcoming meeting of NATO Defence Ministers, the Secretary General said that discussions will take forward the decisions taken by NATO leaders in Lisbon on building capabilities to deal with emerging security challenges. Ministers will discuss a new NATO Cyber Defence Concept and arrangements for an Alliance-based missile defence capability."

Palestinians attack al-Jazeera ‘distorted’ talks leaks | bdtodaynews.com

Palestinians attack al-Jazeera ‘distorted’ talks leaks | bdtodaynews.com: "Among the leaked papers, the reported offers relating to East Jerusalem are the most controversial, as the issue has been a huge stumbling block in peace talks. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967, establishing close to 500,000 Jews in more than 100 settlements.

According to al-Jazeera, in May 2008 Ahmed Qurei, the lead Palestinian negotiator at the time, proposed that Israel annex all Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem except Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim), in a bid to reach a final deal.

“This is the first time in history that we make such a proposition,” he reportedly said, pointing out that this was a bigger concession than that made at Camp David talks in 2000.

“We are offering you the biggest Yerushalayim in Jewish history,” negotiator Saeb Erekat was quoted as saying, using the Hebrew word for Jerusalem."

Nato air strikes kill 52, claim Afghans authorities | bdtodaynews.com

Nato air strikes kill 52, claim Afghans authorities | bdtodaynews.com: "Written on May 29, 2011 at 3:13 pm by emu
Nato air strikes kill 52, claim Afghans authorities
Filed under Afghanistan, Internationalno comments
Ref: Afghan authorities said Sunday Nato had killed 52 people, mostly civilians, in air strikes against insurgents as violence picked up in recent weeks with the start of the fighting season.

In the southern province of Helmand, local authorities said at least 14 civilians, including women and children, were killed and six injured in an air raid Saturday."

Serbia braces for Mladic extradition protests | bdtodaynews.com

Serbia braces for Mladic extradition protests | bdtodaynews.com: "Written on May 29, 2011 at 8:53 am by cu
Serbia braces for Mladic extradition protests
Filed under Internationalno comments
Ref: Serb authorities have tightened security ahead of protests by supporters of Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb general awaiting extradition to the Hague to face war crimes charges.



Extreme right-wing groups urged their supporters, mostly soccer hooligans, to join Sunday’s planned rally in front of parliament in downtown Belgrade, the capital.

The rally, organised organised by the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party, is seen as a test about whether Mladic still enjoys popular support after 16 years as a fugitive.

A Serbian judge ruled on Friday the 69-year-old had a medical commission “which has determined he is fit for further proceedings”.

Police officials said they had turned attention to groups planning the protests.

“Additional attention has been focused on the extremist groups these days,” said Ivica Dacic, Serbia’s police chief. “We are taking measures to prevent the escalation of extremist behavior."

Record carbon emissions tear into climate | bdtodaynews.com

Record carbon emissions tear into climate | bdtodaynews.com: "Record carbon emissions tear into climate
Filed under Internationalno comments
Ref: Greenhouse gas emissions increased by a record amount last year, to the highest carbon output in history, putting hopes of holding global warming to safe levels all but out of reach, according to unpublished estimates from the International Energy Agency.

The shock rise means the goal of preventing a temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius – which scientists say is the threshold for potentially “dangerous climate change” – is likely to be just “a nice Utopia”, Fatih Birol, chief economist of the IEA told The Guardian."

26 dead as bus plunges into pond in India | bdtodaynews.com

26 dead as bus plunges into pond in India | bdtodaynews.com: "Written on May 31, 2011 at 4:07 am by emu
26 dead as bus plunges into pond in India
Filed under India, Internationalno comments
Ref: A bus carrying a wedding party plunged into a large pond in India’s remote northeast, killing at least 26 people, an official said Tuesday.

The bus was crossing a wooden bridge over the pond when it gave way and fell more than 15 feet (4.5 meters) into the water below, local magistrate"

South African president :Gadhafi ready for truce | bdtodaynews.com

South African president :Gadhafi ready for truce | bdtodaynews.com: "Written on May 31, 2011 at 4:07 am by emu
South African president :Gadhafi ready for truce
Filed under International, Libyano comments
Ref: Moammar Gadhafi is ready for a truce to stop the fighting in his country, visiting South African president said Monday after meeting the Libyan ruler, but he listed familiar Gadhafi conditions that have scuttled previous cease-fire efforts. Rebels quickly rejected the offer.

The South African president. Jacob Zuma, said Gadhafi is ready to accept an African Union initiative for a cease-fire that would stop all hostilities, including NATO airstrikes in support of rebel forces. “He is ready to implement the road map,” Zuma said."

Worldandnation: Golan families dream of reunion

Worldandnation: Golan families dream of reunion: "'Why can I not see them any more?' he wondered.

In the four decades since, the 20,000 Druze of the Golan Heights have found advantages and drawbacks to their 'unidentified nationality' - as it says on their Israeli-issued travel documents.

Druze and Jews get along well. Hundreds work together at the Mount Hermon ski resort or on farms and kibbutzim, growing the apples and other fruits for which the Golan is famous.

Druze also appreciate their freedom of speech in Israel, far different from autocratic Syria where 'the only time you open your mouth is at the dentist,' Salih jokes.

But he and most other Druze in the Golan rejected Israel's offer of citizenship, fearing Syria might punish them if the area ever returned to Syrian control. For that reason, they don't serve in the Israeli army, either.

'It would be so difficult to take a gun and tank and kill my uncles in Syria,' said Salih, a former teacher who owns a guest house near Mount Hermon."

2011 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics by World Hunger Education Service

2011 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics by World Hunger Education Service: "Geographically, more than 70 percent of malnourished children live in Asia, 26 percent in Africa and 4 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean. In many cases, their plight began even before birth with a malnourished mother. Under-nutrition among pregnant women in developing countries leads to 1 out of 6 infants born with low birth weight. This is not only a risk factor for neonatal deaths, but also causes learning disabilities, mental, retardation, poor health, blindness and premature death."

Gaza War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gaza War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "During the last week of the offensive (from 12 January), Israel mostly hit targets it had damaged previously and struck Palestinian rocket-launching units.[14] Hamas intensified its rocket and mortar attacks against Southern Israel, reaching the major cities of Beersheba and Ashdod for the first time during the conflict.[41][42][43] Israeli politicians ultimately decided against striking deeper within Gaza amidst concerns of higher casualties on both sides and increasing international criticism. The war ended on January 18, when Israel first declared a unilateral ceasefire, followed by Hamas' announcing a one-week ceasefire twelve hours later.[4][5] Israel completed its withdrawal on January 21.[44]"

Moshe Dayan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moshe Dayan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "His parents were Shmuel and Devorah, Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. He was the second child to be born on the kibbutz (after Gideon Baratz). He was named Moshe after Moshe Barsky, the first member of the kibbutz to be killed in an Arab attack.[2] Soon after, his parents moved to Nahalal, the first Moshav to be established. He attended the Agricultural School there. At the age of 14, he joined the newly formed Jewish militia known as the Haganah. In 1938 he joined the Palestine Supernumerary Police and became a motorized patrol ('MAN') commander.One of his military heroes was the British pro-Zionist officer Orde Wingate, under whom he served in several Special Night Squads operations.

On 3 October 1939 he was the commanding instructor for Haganah Leader's courses held at Yavniel when two British Palestine Police Officers discovered a quantity of illegal rifles. Haganah HQ ordered the camp to be evacuated. Leading a group of 43 men through Wadi Bira, early the following morning, they were arrested by 12 to 15 Arab members of the Transjordan Frontier Force. Questions were asked about why such a large force were arrested by a much smaller one. Moshe Carmel, the groups deputy commander, was also critical of Dayan's willingness to talk to his interrogators in Acre prison. On 30 October 1939 most of the group were sentenced to ten years in prison. Seven"

Mustafa Barzani - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mustafa Barzani - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "urdish Republic of Mahabad was declared by the Kurds in Eastern Kurdistan, which was under Soviet military control. Mustafa Barzani was appointed as the Minister of Defense and commander of the Kurdish army in the Republic of Mahabad.
In May 1946 the Soviet troops were withdrawn from Iran, in accordance with the Yalta Agreement, and in December Mahabad was overrun by Iranian troops. The President of the Republic of Mahabad was hanged in public in the 'Çar Çira' square in Mahabad city, and many others were massacred.[4] Mala Mustafa refused to surrender to the Iranian army and along with"

Israel–Uganda relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Israel–Uganda relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Operation Entebbe was a counter-terrorism hostage-rescue mission carried out by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on the night of 3 July and early morning of 4 July 1976.[4] In the wake of the hijacking of Air France Flight 139 and the hijackers' threats to kill the hostages if their prisoner release demands were not met, a plan was drawn up to airlift the hostages to safety.[5] These plans took into account the likelihood of armed resistance from Ugandan military troops.[6] Originally codenamed Operation Thunderball by the IDF, the operation was retroactively renamed Operation Yonatan in memory of the Sayeret Matkal commander Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan 'Yoni' Netanyahu, who was killed by a Ugandan sniper.[7] Three hostages and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed. In addition to the death of Netanyahu, five other Israeli commandos were wounded.[8] A fourth hostage was killed by Ugandan army officers at a nearby hospital.[9"

Israel–Uganda relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Israel–Uganda relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Jews of Uganda

The Abayudaya are analogous to Children of Israel and are a Baganda community in eastern Uganda near the town of Mbale who practice Judaism. Although they are not genetically or historically related to other ethnic Jews, they are devout in their practice of the religion, keeping their version of kashruth, and observing Shabbat. There are several different villages where the Ugandan Jews live. Most of these are recognized by the Reform and Conservative sects of Judaism. However, the villagers of Putti are still seeking an Orthodox conversion and practice strict Rabbinical Judaism.[3] Their population is estimated at approximately 1,100, having once been as large as 3,000 (prior to the persecutions of the Idi Amin regime); like their neighbors, they are subsistence farmers."

Algeria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Algeria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Algeria (i /ælˈdʒɪəriə/; Arabic: الجزائر‎, al-Jazā’ir; Berber: Dzayer or Ldzayer), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria),[10][11][12][13] is a country in the Maghreb. In terms of land area, it is the largest country on the Mediterranean Sea, the largest in the Arab world and second-largest on the African continent[14] after Sudan, and the 11th-largest country in the world.[15] It will become the largest African country once the secession of Southern Sudan from Sudan takes place on 9 July 2011.
Algeria is bordered in the northeast by Tunisia, in the east by Libya, in the west by Morocco, in the southwest by Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Mali, in the southeast by Niger,"

Maldives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maldives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "lso referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka and (250 mi) south-west of India. During the colonial era, the Dutch referred to the country as 'Maldivische Eilanden' in their documentation, while 'Maldive Islands' is the anglicised version of the local name used by the British, which later came to be written 'Maldives"

Nouakchott - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nouakchott - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "History

A tiny fishing town until 1958, Nouakchott was mentioned little during pre-colonial and colonial history. It is possible that the Berber Muslim Almoravids were originally from the area. Despite its name, based on a Berber expression meaning 'place of the winds',[1] the city was selected as the capital city for its moderate climate and central location within the country.[2] It did, however, sit on one of the most valuable trade routes to West Africa.[1]"

Transnistria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Transnistria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine. Since its declaration of independence in 1990, and especially after the War of Transnistria in 1992, it is governed de facto as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR, also known as 'Pridnestrovie'), an unrecognized state which claims the territory to the east of the river Dniester, the city of Bender and its surrounding localities located on the west bank. The Republic of Moldova does not recognize the secession and considers territories controlled by the PMR to be part of Moldova's autonomous region of Stînga Nistrului ('Left Bank of the Dniester').[2][3][4] Transnistria's sovereignty is unrecognized by any United Nations member state and it has no diplomatic relations with any of them."

Northern Cyprus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Northern Cyprus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Tensions between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot populations culminated in 1974 with a coup d'état, an attempt to annex the island to Greece and a military invasion by Turkey in response. All these factors resulted in a partitioning of the island,[7][8][9][10] the resettlement of many of its inhabitants, and a unilateral declaration of independence by the north in 1983. Northern Cyprus has received diplomatic recognition only from Turkey,[11][12][13][14] upon which it is dependent for economic, political and military support. The rest of the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, recognises the de jure sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the entire island."

United Nations Security Council Resolution 338 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Nations Security Council Resolution 338 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The continued fighting despite the terms called for by the resolution, brought Resolution 339 which resulted in a cease fire.
The resolution states:
The Security Council,
Calls upon all parties to present fighting to cease all firing and terminate all military activity immediately, no later than 12 hours after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions they now occupy; Calls upon all parties concerned to start immediately after the cease-fire the implementation of Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) in all of its parts;"