Politics •

Terrorist Training Camp Attendee Arrested by Scotland Yard

October 22, 2014 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

We’ve seen the latest autopsy report on the body of Michael Brown that revealed the young boy was shot at close range and now it’s time for some more police-related news. It appears that U.K.’s Scotland Yard have arrested a man on suspicion of attending terrorist training camp, just hours after making another similar arrest.

Man Thought of Attending Terrorist Training Camp Arrested

Anti-terror officers arrested a man today in London who was thought by the Scotland Yard to have attended a Syrian terrorist training camp. Two London addresses were searched, which lead to the arrest.

The Scotland Yard have revealed that the man is 32-years old was detained in custody for being suspected of attending a terrorism training camp in Syria.

The man is set to be questioned soon and right now is being held in custody at a central London police station. Two addresses are involved in this investigations: one in west and one in south west London.

The 32-year-old man’s arrest comes only hours after a young woman was arrested in Bedforshire by anti-terror police. She was suspected of wanting to join jihadists in Syria and was help on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. The woman was still in the U.K. when she was arrested by the Scotland Yard, but reports claim that she was planning to head over to Syria as soon as possible.

A Metropolitan Police officer spoke to the press and revealed that:

Officers from SO15 Counter Terrorism Command have today arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of attending a place used for terrorist training contrary to section 8 of Terrorism Act 2006.He has been taken to a central London police station where he remains in custody. An address in west London and an address in south-west London are being searched as part of the investigation under the Terrorism Act. This investigation is Syria related.

Up until this date, 10 women and 38 men were arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of terrorism offences. The majority of these are related to the war-torn country of Syria.

Michael Brown Was Shot Within Close Range, Says Autopsy Report

October 22, 2014 By Troy Rubenson 1 Comment

Yesterday we reported on how important cadaver dog work has become to police officers and today we’ve got more news about a case that has potentially forever changed the way Americans view police. The young black man who was unarmed and shot by the police, Michael Brown was shot within close range, the latest autopsy report has disclosed.

Michael Brown Was Shot Within Close Range

Other autopsy reports have been made in the case of Ferguson native, Michael Brown and now another one has come to the attention of the media. The latest Michael Brown autopsy has revealed that Michael Brown was shot within close range, at least once.

Police officer, Darren Wilson, shot the 18-year-old six times: twice in the chest, once in his right thumb, once in the upper right arm, once in his forearm and once in his forehead. This is no news, as this piece of information was made public soon after the shooting.The killing of Michael Brown sparked heated protests in his town of Ferguson.

Now, following the most recent autopsy, it was revealed that Michael Brown was shot within close range in the right thumb. Experts were able to determine this after finding no powder burns around the wound. This usually happens when the bullet doesn’t travel too big of a distance.

New York City Chief Medical examiner, Dr. Michael Baden, performed his own private autopsy and his results were that Michael Brown wasn’t shot from close range, because the shots lacked stipple, as the doctor put it. The results of this recent autopsy only contradicts what Dr. Brown found.

It was only last week that Wilson, Brown’s killer, told investigators that the young man reached for his gun when they were fighting and that Brown had pushed him and punched his face. Brown’s tissue was found in Wilson’s car, which confirms Wilson’s statement.

The toxicology report that came with the autopsy results confirmed that Brown had pot in his system at the time of the incident.

We will provide more information about the Michael Brown case as soon as it becomes available.

Obama Wants to Increase Unionization Rates and Minimum Wage

September 2, 2014 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

The Conference of Mayors inequality report presented a couple of weeks ago sheds some light on the recent income distribution in the U.S. According to the report, while the productivity levels increased recently and the jobs lost during the recession have been gained back, the incomes have not. Compared to the income received by workers who lost their jobs during the recession, the newly created jobs have a 23 percent lower average income.

Obama wants to increase unionization rates, as his said during a speech in Milwaukee on Labor Day in front of 6.000 union members. His main message reflects the discontent with the present situation. While the U.S economy is recovering, the benefits get concentrated in fewer hands. So Obama emphatically argues that it is time to resolve the unfair situation. The message is clear, “There is no denying the simple truth: America deserves a raise,” Obama put it bluntly in his Milwaukee speech.

Even if Republicans enjoy opposing his policy, Obama’s mind is set. “I want an economy where your hard work pays off with higher wages and higher income and fair pay for women and workplace flexibility for parents and affordable health insurance and decent retirement benefits,” Obama said. “I’m not asking for the moon, I just want a good deal for American workers.”

Longer working days without adequate payment may increase unionization rates

The speech comes just after a Gallup report says that Americans work for almost one extra-day during a single week. So instead of a 40 hours work week, the average worker works for much longer. A staggering 39 percent of the workers work for more than 50 hours per week, the same report notes. Only a meager 8 percent of the employees work for less than 40 hours per week.

Obama delivered a strong call to action during his speech in Milwaukee. “If I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my job, I’d join a union,” the President said, followed by vigorous applauses. “If I were busting my butt in the service industry and wanted an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, I’d join a union.”

His message is more politicized than ever, as Obama wants to leave behind a rich legacy. Now there is a need for actions, as the message to increase unionization rates has been delivered.

Obama Promised Veterans Better Healthcare, Lower Mortgage Interest Rates

August 26, 2014 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

During a speech delivered in North Carolina, Obama promised veterans that two crucial aspects of their lives will be improved. The quality of veterans’ lives is more precarious than we would like to admit. The horrors of war take their toll and veterans face problems upon returning as they attempt to readjust. Besides, administrative misconduct can easily add up to the situation.

The American Legion held a convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The president used the occasion to touch two problems. One is related to the veterans’ access to healthcare and the second to their home loan issues. After the president’s discourse, the White House announced a total number of 19 policy changes aiming to improve veterans’ lives.

Obama will take executive action to ensure that veterans and their families will benefit from lower interest rates. “We’re going to help more of our military troops and their families own their own home without a crushing debt,” the president said. The action will involve cooperation with banks such as Wells Fargo & Co and Bank of America. Mortgage servicers will approach veterans to offer them more advantageous refinancing offers, Reuters reports.

Major purchases, such as houses, are an issue at the moment for many Americans. A recent FED consumer survey revealed that although economic indicators show a recovery, the signs of recession are still visible.

Obama promised veterans that mental health care will be improved

The second issue addressed by the president is related to healthcare. The Department of Veterans Affairs was recently involved in a scandal when it was revealed that healthcare for veterans was delayed. The head of the department, Eric Shinseki, was ousted as it was discovered that the delays were covered up.

“Misconduct we’ve seen at too many facilities with long wait times and folks cooking the books is outrageous and inexcusable,” Obama said. “What I want you to know directly from me, is we are going to get to the bottom of these problems, we are going to fix what is wrong, we are going to do right by your families.” Obama promised veterans that healthcare will be improved as the new VA secretary, Robert McDonald, “is instituting a new culture of accountability. Bob doesn’t play,” Washington Post reports.

Suicide rates are high among veterans. The National Institute of Health and the Pentagon will perform a study on early detection of suicide risks and post-traumatic stress disorder. In the meantime, the Department of Veteran Affairs will conduct a national clinical trial on suicide prevention. VA will invest $34.4 million and 1.800 veterans will be included in the trial that will take place in 29 hospitals.

Greece Rating Position Increased by Moody’s

August 1, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

It’s great to see some positive news after a couple of years when news covering the recession were rather bleak. The U.S. faces some serious, even though fragile, signs of economic recovery. Some minimum wages increased while the inflation stays in target.

After many years of continuous struggling, Greece sees the light of day economically speaking. The recession that started in 2008 hit Greece more than most other countries. Right now, Greece still struggles with a debt accounting for around 175 percent of the country’s GDP. Following strikes and popular revolts, the latest conservative government seems to please the rating agencies. Greece rating position increased, Moody’s announced on Friday. From Caa3, Moody’s raised the ratings by two stages up to Caa1.

“The first factor behind the upgrade of Greece’s rating is Moody’s strengthened expectation that the general government debt to GDP ratio will start declining in 2015, after peaking this year according to Moody’s estimates at around 179 percent of (gross domestic product),” the agency said. “Moody’s considers that Greece’s fiscal outlook is more resilient than in the past.”

Greece rating position increased but the country still faces financial problems

Greece was bailed out in 2010 with about $308 billion by the EU and the IMF. But this is not the end for Greece’s problems. Another loan is expected to be contracted in the fall, because the debt level remains too elevated.

Right now the Greek government has to follow the international lenders’ instructions in order to walk on the safe path. If there was a time for radical solutions, the momentum is lost. More so because Alexis Tsipras, the European Left candidate for the presidency of the EU did not manage to win the elections.

Two other rating agencies, Fitch and Standard&Poor’s, maintain Greece’s credit ratings in the junk area. For Moody’s, politics is interfering with numbers. The rating agency is concerned about the prospect of early elections in Greece. Moody’s refrained from awarding a higher rating to Greece as a consequence.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the conservative president-elect of the European Commission will pay Greece his first visit next week. He will meet Antonio Samaras, the Greek Prime-Minister and fellow conservative to talk about fiscal discipline in the public sector. The money given by the EU and IMF came with strings attached. Greece had to undertake drastic budget cuts which lead to increasing unemployment and overall poverty levels. Greece rating position increased by the notches, although the country has to borrow money again in the fall.

Administration to Adapt Contraception Coverage after Wheaton College Case

July 23, 2014 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

Obamacare faces new challenges, although not insurmountable ones, as it will have to adapt contraception coverage. After the Hobby Lobby case determined important changes in how the Affordable Care Act obliges employers to cover the contraception costs for female employees, another case reflecting religious opposition on the matter will lead to further policy adaptation.

Religious non-profits declining to offer contraceptives through insurance coverage can opt-out by filling a Form 700. But the final decision of the Supreme Court regarding the Wheaton College case is about to change that. The Illinois based Wheaton College is an evangelical institution which legally complained against the procedure. The reason was that by filling a form, they acknowledge a system contravening their religious principles, even if third-parties would manage the affair.

Recently, after the Hobby Lobby case, the State of New York decided to solve the matter at state level. After noticing that three out of five pregnancies are unplanned, the state administration decide to cover post-birth contraception costs.

The government will adapt contraception coverage within a month

The Supreme Court agreed with Wheaton College and concluded that the religious non-profits do not have to fill the required form. Instead, they will have to simply inform the administration about their religious views. According to the Washington Post, the three female court judges harshly criticized the decision. Judge Sonia Sotomayor is discontent with the Court’s decision. “After expressly relying on the availability of the religious-nonprofit accommodation to hold that the contraceptive coverage requirement violates RFRA as applied to closely held for-profit corporations, the court now . . . retreats from that position,”, she stated on Thursday.

Now, the Obama administration has to find another way to make sure that employees have access to contraceptives while taking into consideration the Supreme Court’s latest decision. The Hobby Lobby case leaves marks in the Affordable Care Act. “The administration believes the accommodation is legally sound but in light of the Supreme Court order regarding Wheaton College, the Departments intend to augment their regulations to provide an alternative way for objecting non-profit religious organizations to provide notification, while ensuring that enrollees in plans of such organizations receive separate coverage of contraceptive services without cost sharing,” a White House official stated, The Hill notes. The administration decided to take action, even if the Wheaton Case injunction does not determine the Supreme Court to oblige the government to take a certain action. No further details were stated on how exactly the administration will adapt contraception coverage in the light of the court’s decision.

Federal Judge Rules Out GOP Senator Johnson Case against Obamacare

July 22, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

U.S. Republican Senator of Wisconsin Ron Johnson sued Obama administration on the grounds of how the Affordable Care Act is applied. Senator Johnson Case against Obamacare claimed that Congress members must not enjoy preferential treatment in what regards health insurances. Congress subsidies its members’ premiums and Johnson attempted to change it by filling a case to the Federal Court in January 2014. Senator Johnson’s action comes after Office of Personnel Management decided that lawmakers and their teams should continue to enjoy their previous insurances and covered around 75 percent of their premium costs.

Federal Judge William C. Griesbach, appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, had not found any reasons to take the case further. “I conclude that any injury traceable to the contested regulation is too speculative and undeveloped to constitute a redressable injury,” Judge Griesbach stated.

The Affordable Care Act is still under attack. A short while ago, the Hobby Lobby case at the Federal Court ended with a win for the closely held corporations. According to the decision, corporation owners can refuse to cover birth control insurance costs.

Senator Johnson Case against Obamacare might continue with an appeal

Senator Johnson is not happy with the result. “I believe that this executive action by the Obama administration is unlawful and unfair, and that it is only one of many examples of this president’s abuse of his constitutional duty,” Republican Senator Ron Johnson said. “Unfortunately, those actions will go unchallenged for now, because the district court granted the administration’s motion to dismiss based on the legal technicality of standing.” Johnson wanted to avoid a potential conflict arising at the workplace, because the law obliged him to choose who qualifies for subsidized insurance.

Earlier this month, Johnson said he assigned ‘a majority’ of his circa 40 people staff to use the small-business exchanges, even though he considers the move illegal. Senator Johnson considers Judge Griesbach’s decision unfair as the case was ruled out because of a technicality. Senator Johnson was concerned that the law obliges him to act in a way which will make his voters view him negatively. The Federal Judge declared Johnson did not provide any proof to support the claims. At the moment, Senator Johnson Case against Obamacare might continue with an appeal, after consultations with lawyers.

The case is Johnson v. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 14-cv-00009, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (Green Bay).

BRICS Development Bank Founded at Brazilian Summit

July 16, 2014 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

A BRICS Development Bank is a clear indicator that the bi-polar political world is long gone. The Washington Consensus ruled the world for long decades, even if it was somewhat countered by the Soviet bloc. The global political power relations used to be based on mirroring asymmetrical economic power. But as the economic production sites moved overseas, the recipient countries gained legitimate leverage in financial management. The IMF and the World Bank have been the financial arms of the developed world – the U.S. and Western Europe. The banking institutions operated in the developing world by offering assistance and money for cash needing states. Financial help did not arrive with no strings attached. The recipient Governments were forced to obey strict public finances readjustments.

BRICS is a group of five powerful states. ‘Emerging’ is not an adequate descriptive term anymore. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are among the biggest markets and biggest producers in the world. The first four states decided in 2006 to form an economic association and South Africa joined the alliance during the next year. South Africa might need support soon, because the recent mass strikes will probably influence the GPD.

What gathers the five powerful states together is a strong discontent with how the banking institutions are organized. The U.S. have a disproportionate power in deciding how the world financial matters should be handled. Each year the group gathers in one of the member’s country. This year the event took place in Fortaleza, Brazil. “International governance structures designed within a different power configuration show increasingly evident signs of losing legitimacy and effectiveness,” the BRICS group stated on Tuesday in the Fortaleza declaration.

BRICS Development Bank as an alternative to the present financial structure

The summit takes place annually in a different member state. This year’s meeting took place for the first time in Brazil, thus ending a full round. BRICS 2.0, as it is called by Marcos Troyjo, professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University in LAtimes.com, will start by assembling an institutional framework. The five political leaders signed an agreement to create a new development bank. The starting capital will be $50 billion, but the members are following to double the sum after a while. The capital will function as a “Contingency Reserve Arrangement” for developing countries. The headquarters of the new banking institutions will be in Shanghai and the first president will be Indian. It remains to be seen how the World Bank will adapt its policies after finding itself in the same field with a competitor, BRICS Development Bank.

Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers Detained on Australian Vessel

July 8, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

The Australian authorities captured 153 Sri Lankan asylum seekers as they were attempting to reach Australian soil. For the moment, the authorities decided to keep the passengers on board while they are working towards solving the case. After mounting criticism overwhelmed the Australian immigration authorities, they decided to give the asylum seekers a three day notice to depart back to Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital. The whereabouts of the ship are unknown to the general public. The U.S. face similar problems, illegal migrants from Central America are provoking the limits of the immigration system.

Right now, the passengers are trapped in a fierce political battle between the conservatives and the humanitarians, according to Heraldsun Australia. The main problem is how the asylum seekers are portrayed. There is a difference between ‘genuine asylum seekers’ and economic migrants in the discourse. How could we then justly assess the situation for the people in need? The economical context differs by country and poverty is present in Australia as well as everywhere else. The asylum seekers are allegedly coming from India, where they are not under the immediate threat they would be in Sri Lanka. The chronological closeness to death or torture prevails in the minds and actions of Australian politicians, as for most politicians around the globe.

Will the Sri Lankan asylum seekers be moved on soil?

“We will of course abide by our undertakings to the court and we await the outcome, but the Australian Government has made it clear from the outset that we intend to disrupt the people smuggling trades,” Julie Bishop, the Australian Foreign Minister declared, ABC Australia posted.

Justice Susan Crennan said the court will most probably listen to the case, but that might be 21 days from now. It is not yet known if the asylum seekers will have to stay on board until then.

Sri Lanka’s high commissioner to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe clearly stated that the passengers will not be accepted by Sri Lanka, because they allegedly departed from an Indian port. The Australian Human Rights Commission declared that probably all Sri Lankan asylum seekers will be placed on soil for case processing.

The human rights representative brings a core principle into discussion. According to the Refugee Convention from 1951, states must comply with the principle of ‘non-refoulement’, that is not to refuse a refugee without a hearing. Australia will be supervised by a UN committee to determine if the principle has been breached.

On Monday, another group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers had a hearing at a Melbourne court, out of which 27 were returned to their country of origin.

Germany Accuses US of Spying Again

July 7, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

If the allegations are true, they might worsen the U.S. – Germany relation. The secret documents revealed by Snowden last year already negatively impacted the inter-country relations. According to the information from last year, the US secret services were spying on millions of Germans, among which one of them was Chancellor Merkel. The cringe inducing situation appeared to have been partially resolved after the U.S. authorities declared they will stop tapping the Chancellor’s phone. However, they did not agree to a wider pact against spying and now Germany accuses US of spying once more. The Snowden leaks proved to be a barrier in developing political relations with Russia as well.

Germany accuses US in another political spying scandal

So another scandal just broke out. On Monday, the Karlsruhe-based Federal Prosecutor of Germany announced with no further details that a 31 years old man has been charged with spying accusations. The accused works for Germany’s foreign intelligence services. Initially, he was charged with the accusation that he works for Russia, but he later admitted to be working for the U.S.

Reuters declares based on unidentified sources that the CIA is involved in the matter by recruiting the spy. The Cold-War-like situation obliged the Chief of the CIA, John Brennan, to ask for a meeting with ‘key members of the US Congress’ to brief them on the matter.

“The relationship that the United States has with Germany is incredibly important. This is a very close partnership that we have on a range of security issues, including some intelligence issues,” Earnest Josh, the White House Press Secretary said. “All of those things are high priorities not just to this administration, but to this country. So we’re going to work with the Germans to resolve this situation appropriately.”

Merkel is right on on the other part of the world visiting China. She was interrogated by reporters during the official meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and diplomatically declared “If the reports are correct it would be a serious case,”. “If the allegations are true, it would be for me a clear contradiction as to what I consider to be trusting cooperation between agencies and partners,”. We would really like to know what the two leaders discussed after coming back to their meeting, after clearly Germany accuses US of impolitely snooping once more.

This case just adds insult to injury for Germany, as another case was revealed last week by German media. Allegedly, the NSA was spying on a privacy advocate working to enhance the privacy of Internet users against NSA spying.