The US Senate has passed a sweeping healthcare reform bill, bringing Barack Obama a step closer to enacting one of his signature campaign promises and to meeting a goal sought by US presidents for decades.The early-morning vote in the first Christmas Eve session for decades came after months of intense negotiations by the president's allies in the Senate, who were forced to wrangle for every Democratic vote in the chamber to overcome Republican opposition.Obama welcomed the outcome, saying it brought decent healthcare closer to all Americans. "We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform," he said at the White House. "With today's vote, we are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality in this country. Our challenge then is to finish the job."The $871bn bill will be merged with similar legislation passed by the House of Representatives, with a final version expected to reach the president's desk by mid-February.
The US Senate has passed a sweeping healthcare reform bill, bringing Barack Obama a step closer to enacting one of his signature campaign promises and to meeting a goal sought by US presidents for decades.
The early-morning vote in the first Christmas Eve session for decades came after months of intense negotiations by the president's allies in the Senate, who were forced to wrangle for every Democratic vote in the chamber to overcome Republican opposition.
Obama welcomed the outcome, saying it brought decent healthcare closer to all Americans. "We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform," he said at the White House. "With today's vote, we are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality in this country. Our challenge then is to finish the job."
The $871bn bill will be merged with similar legislation passed by the House of Representatives, with a final version expected to reach the president's desk by mid-February.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate approved President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul on Thursday, backing sweeping changes in the medical insurance market and new coverage for tens of millions of uninsured Americans. On a party-line 60-39 vote, Senate Democrats supported the most dramatic shifts in health policy in four decades. The early-morning Christmas Eve vote followed months of political wrangling that consumed the U.S. Congress and put a dent in Obama's public approval ratings.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate approved President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare overhaul on Thursday, backing sweeping changes in the medical insurance market and new coverage for tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
On a party-line 60-39 vote, Senate Democrats supported the most dramatic shifts in health policy in four decades. The early-morning Christmas Eve vote followed months of political wrangling that consumed the U.S. Congress and put a dent in Obama's public approval ratings.
The Iranian authorities have clamped down on memorial services for a dissident cleric amid growing political unrest in the country.Pro-reform demonstrators mourning the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri clashed with security forces earlier this week and were planning to hold more ceremonies on Sunday to honour the seventh day of his passing, one of Shia Islam's ritual mourning milestones.
The Iranian authorities have clamped down on memorial services for a dissident cleric amid growing political unrest in the country.
Pro-reform demonstrators mourning the death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri clashed with security forces earlier this week and were planning to hold more ceremonies on Sunday to honour the seventh day of his passing, one of Shia Islam's ritual mourning milestones.
The Archbishop of York spoke out today against anti-homosexual laws being debated in Uganda.Dr John Sentamu, who was born in the country, branded the proposals as "victimising".A private member's bill is going through Uganda's parliament which would see gay and lesbian people sentenced to a minimum of life in prison if convicted of having sex.People who failed to report homosexual acts taking place would risk up to three years in prison while those convicted of having sex with a minor would receive the death penalty.Sentamu said that Uganda's current laws meant the bill's provisions were, in effect, already in place.
The Archbishop of York spoke out today against anti-homosexual laws being debated in Uganda.
Dr John Sentamu, who was born in the country, branded the proposals as "victimising".
A private member's bill is going through Uganda's parliament which would see gay and lesbian people sentenced to a minimum of life in prison if convicted of having sex.
People who failed to report homosexual acts taking place would risk up to three years in prison while those convicted of having sex with a minor would receive the death penalty.
Sentamu said that Uganda's current laws meant the bill's provisions were, in effect, already in place.
Violence across Iraq left at least 26 people dead today, most of them Shia pilgrims attending mourning ceremonies, prompting fears of further sectarian attacks as Shia Islam's most solemn occasion looms.The deaths came three days before the climax of Ashura, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converge on Kerbala to mourn the killing of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, in a battle in 680AD that sealed the split between Shia and Sunni.
Violence across Iraq left at least 26 people dead today, most of them Shia pilgrims attending mourning ceremonies, prompting fears of further sectarian attacks as Shia Islam's most solemn occasion looms.
The deaths came three days before the climax of Ashura, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converge on Kerbala to mourn the killing of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Imam Hussein, in a battle in 680AD that sealed the split between Shia and Sunni.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 23 people died in attacks across Iraq on Thursday, including a provincial leader and pilgrims observing a major Shi'ite religious ritual, police and officials said. Na'ma Jassim al-Bakri, a governing council member in the southern Babel province, was among 12 people killed in twin bomb attacks at a bus and taxi terminal in the provincial capital of Hilla, said Abu Ahmed al-Basri, another Babel councillor.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 23 people died in attacks across Iraq on Thursday, including a provincial leader and pilgrims observing a major Shi'ite religious ritual, police and officials said.
Na'ma Jassim al-Bakri, a governing council member in the southern Babel province, was among 12 people killed in twin bomb attacks at a bus and taxi terminal in the provincial capital of Hilla, said Abu Ahmed al-Basri, another Babel councillor.
Yemeni forces backed by US intelligence have struck a series of suspected al-Qaida hideouts, including a meeting of senior leaders, killing at least 30 militants, the government said.The air strikes on Christmas Eve were Yemen's second such assault on al-Qaida in a week, at a time when the US has dramatically increased aid to eliminate the expanding presence of the terror group.Washington fears al-Qaida could turn fragmented, unstable Yemen into a new Afghanistan-like safe haven in a highly strategic location on the border with oil-rich US-ally Saudi Arabia.
Yemeni forces backed by US intelligence have struck a series of suspected al-Qaida hideouts, including a meeting of senior leaders, killing at least 30 militants, the government said.
The air strikes on Christmas Eve were Yemen's second such assault on al-Qaida in a week, at a time when the US has dramatically increased aid to eliminate the expanding presence of the terror group.
Washington fears al-Qaida could turn fragmented, unstable Yemen into a new Afghanistan-like safe haven in a highly strategic location on the border with oil-rich US-ally Saudi Arabia.
He admitted that there is no ideological affinity between Al-Qa`idah and the South Yemeni movement, but he added that there is something common between them. They both oppose the government of Salih, he said. That is it. He found the link.
MANILA (Reuters) - A ferry collided with a fishing boat off the Philippines on Thursday killing three people and leaving about two dozen missing, an official said. Rescue boats picked up nearly 50 people from the ferry as it began to sink following the collision, coast guard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said. "Our search teams have found three bodies, but we continue to search for two dozen still missing," he told reporters.
MANILA (Reuters) - A ferry collided with a fishing boat off the Philippines on Thursday killing three people and leaving about two dozen missing, an official said.
Rescue boats picked up nearly 50 people from the ferry as it began to sink following the collision, coast guard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said.
"Our search teams have found three bodies, but we continue to search for two dozen still missing," he told reporters.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military in Iraq will scrap a policy early next year that has led to the punishment of some soldiers serving in Iraq for becoming pregnant, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said on Thursday. General Ray Odierno said the new, Iraq-wide guidelines would take effect beginning January 1, lifting rules enacted by the U.S. commander in northern Iraq, who reports to Odierno, that laid out possible punishments for pregnancy among his soldiers. The policy had been criticised by some women's advocates and on Tuesday four U.S. senators wrote to the secretary of the U.S. Army asking that it be rescinded.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military in Iraq will scrap a policy early next year that has led to the punishment of some soldiers serving in Iraq for becoming pregnant, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said on Thursday.
General Ray Odierno said the new, Iraq-wide guidelines would take effect beginning January 1, lifting rules enacted by the U.S. commander in northern Iraq, who reports to Odierno, that laid out possible punishments for pregnancy among his soldiers.
The policy had been criticised by some women's advocates and on Tuesday four U.S. senators wrote to the secretary of the U.S. Army asking that it be rescinded.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The central United States is expected to see a white but slick and blustery Christmas as snow will be coupled with blinding winds in western areas and freezing rain in the east, a forecaster predicted Thursday. "This is major winter storm continuing to gain intensity today and tomorrow, impacting a wide area," said Joel Burgio of DTN Meteorlogix. The forecast called for snowfall of 12 inches (30 cm) or more through Saturday, with blizzards in several northern areas.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The central United States is expected to see a white but slick and blustery Christmas as snow will be coupled with blinding winds in western areas and freezing rain in the east, a forecaster predicted Thursday.
"This is major winter storm continuing to gain intensity today and tomorrow, impacting a wide area," said Joel Burgio of DTN Meteorlogix.
The forecast called for snowfall of 12 inches (30 cm) or more through Saturday, with blizzards in several northern areas.
LONDON (Reuters) - China looks set to ignore an appeal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown not to execute a British man convicted of drug smuggling. A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in London said on Thursday that Britain's concerns had been noted, but added Akmal Shaikh had been convicted and sentenced to death for a serious drug trafficking offence based on "solid evidence." "All cases of drug trafficking are dealt with according to law, regardless of nationality," he added in a statement.
LONDON (Reuters) - China looks set to ignore an appeal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown not to execute a British man convicted of drug smuggling.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in London said on Thursday that Britain's concerns had been noted, but added Akmal Shaikh had been convicted and sentenced to death for a serious drug trafficking offence based on "solid evidence."
"All cases of drug trafficking are dealt with according to law, regardless of nationality," he added in a statement.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed eight Afghan civilians on Thursday when he detonated his explosives outside a guest house frequented by foreigners in southern Kandahar city, a police official said. "Police spotted the suicide bomber and fired at him but he managed to detonate his explosives. As a result eight people were martyred," senior police officer Fazl Ahmad Sherzai told reporters in Kandahar.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed eight Afghan civilians on Thursday when he detonated his explosives outside a guest house frequented by foreigners in southern Kandahar city, a police official said.
"Police spotted the suicide bomber and fired at him but he managed to detonate his explosives. As a result eight people were martyred," senior police officer Fazl Ahmad Sherzai told reporters in Kandahar.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was hospitalized late last week and treated for facial fractures, broken ribs and a collapsed lung, a Raleigh, North Carolina television station reported on its Web site on Thursday. The injuries, the station reported, citing unidentified sources, were consistent with an assault. Madoff, 71, was treated at Duke University hospital late last week, and was discharged earlier this week, the station reported.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was hospitalized late last week and treated for facial fractures, broken ribs and a collapsed lung, a Raleigh, North Carolina television station reported on its Web site on Thursday.
The injuries, the station reported, citing unidentified sources, were consistent with an assault.
Madoff, 71, was treated at Duke University hospital late last week, and was discharged earlier this week, the station reported.
A Human rights group has accused Unesco of gross hypocrisy for its collaboration with Equatorial Guinea's dictator of 30 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Global Witness called on the UN body to cancel a $300,000 prize, named after the African president which is due to be awarded for the first time next year in recognition of scientific research that leads to "improving the quality of human life". Activists have accused the president of enriching himself, his family and his cronies with oil money while his people become more impoverished. Last month he was declared the winner of the award with 95 per cent of the votes in an election that opponents and international human rights groups denounced as a fraud.
A Human rights group has accused Unesco of gross hypocrisy for its collaboration with Equatorial Guinea's dictator of 30 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
Global Witness called on the UN body to cancel a $300,000 prize, named after the African president which is due to be awarded for the first time next year in recognition of scientific research that leads to "improving the quality of human life".
Activists have accused the president of enriching himself, his family and his cronies with oil money while his people become more impoverished. Last month he was declared the winner of the award with 95 per cent of the votes in an election that opponents and international human rights groups denounced as a fraud.
Now that's irony. keep to the Fen Causeway
AFP - People displaced by an erupting volcano braced for a "White Christmas" of a different kind on Thursday as Mount Mayon sprayed ash and politicians bearing gifts descended on crowded evacuation centres. Rains ceased and the skies cleared on Christmas Eve for the first time in five days as tens of thousands forced to flee by the restive volcano weighed up whether they could return home to celebrate with the traditional midnight meal. However authorities were warning them to stay put and not venture within eight kilometres (five miles) of the crater because of the hazards posed by scalding ash and red-hot lava flowing down its flanks. "I advise the evacuees to stay at the evacuation centres for their own safety, rather than going home for Christmas," governor Joey Salceda said in a television broadcast to the people of Albay province.
AFP - People displaced by an erupting volcano braced for a "White Christmas" of a different kind on Thursday as Mount Mayon sprayed ash and politicians bearing gifts descended on crowded evacuation centres.
Rains ceased and the skies cleared on Christmas Eve for the first time in five days as tens of thousands forced to flee by the restive volcano weighed up whether they could return home to celebrate with the traditional midnight meal.
However authorities were warning them to stay put and not venture within eight kilometres (five miles) of the crater because of the hazards posed by scalding ash and red-hot lava flowing down its flanks.
"I advise the evacuees to stay at the evacuation centres for their own safety, rather than going home for Christmas," governor Joey Salceda said in a television broadcast to the people of Albay province.
AFP - Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked centrist opposition leader and former foreign minister Tzipi Livni on Thursday to join his government, his office said. "The prime minister asked Mrs Livni to join a national unity government ... in the face of the national and international challenges facing Israel today," a statement said. Livni's Kadima party, the largest in the 120-member parliament, has been rocked in recent days by reports that Netanyahu pressed several of its MPs to break away and join his coalition.
Ghana's president has refused to accept Christmas gifts from individuals and businesses in a move aimed at highlighting his attempts to stamp out corruption. John Atta Mills will this year not accept Christmas hampers, the giving of which has become a common practice in Ghana, it was announced on Thursday. "He has made it clear that it was not his disposition to accept Christmas hampers and other gifts," Mahama Ayariga, a presidential spokesman, said. He said that Mills was concerned "that you never know what is in the mind of the giver of the gift, so it's always better not to accept them".
John Atta Mills will this year not accept Christmas hampers, the giving of which has become a common practice in Ghana, it was announced on Thursday.
"He has made it clear that it was not his disposition to accept Christmas hampers and other gifts," Mahama Ayariga, a presidential spokesman, said.
He said that Mills was concerned "that you never know what is in the mind of the giver of the gift, so it's always better not to accept them".
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has told car companies they must share their technology with local businesses or leave the country.Mr Chavez gave the ultimatum to Toyota, Ford, General Motors and Fiat during a public address. If the demand isn't met, he said: "I invite you to pack up your belongings and leave. I'll bring in the Russians, the Belorusians, the Chinese." Venezuela has nationalised most of the oil, metal and coffee industries. Mr Chavez attacked Toyota in particular, saying it was not producing enough four-wheel drive vehicles, which are used for public transport, and ordered an investigation.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has told car companies they must share their technology with local businesses or leave the country.
Mr Chavez gave the ultimatum to Toyota, Ford, General Motors and Fiat during a public address.
If the demand isn't met, he said: "I invite you to pack up your belongings and leave. I'll bring in the Russians, the Belorusians, the Chinese."
Venezuela has nationalised most of the oil, metal and coffee industries.
Mr Chavez attacked Toyota in particular, saying it was not producing enough four-wheel drive vehicles, which are used for public transport, and ordered an investigation.
Venezuela's Chavez threatens to oust Toyota | Reuters
Spokesmen for Toyota's Venezuelan unit, which operates an assembly plant in the eastern state of Sucre, were not available to comment on Thursday. But a source at the company said Toyota had stopped assembling the model in question -- which he identified as Land Cruiser 70 -- in 2007, with the government's full knowledge. It planned to import instead, but had not received the necessary license, he added. "The government was informed, it can't be a surprise," the source said, adding that most Toyota managers were on holiday but were communicating with each other about Chavez's speech. In addition to Toyota, Japan's Mitsubishi as well as Hyundai and General Motors have assembly plants in South America's top oil-exporting nation, whose people are known for their love of cars.
Spokesmen for Toyota's Venezuelan unit, which operates an assembly plant in the eastern state of Sucre, were not available to comment on Thursday.
But a source at the company said Toyota had stopped assembling the model in question -- which he identified as Land Cruiser 70 -- in 2007, with the government's full knowledge.
It planned to import instead, but had not received the necessary license, he added.
"The government was informed, it can't be a surprise," the source said, adding that most Toyota managers were on holiday but were communicating with each other about Chavez's speech.
In addition to Toyota, Japan's Mitsubishi as well as Hyundai and General Motors have assembly plants in South America's top oil-exporting nation, whose people are known for their love of cars.
And this:
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has told car companies they must share their technology with local businesses
Does not entirely compute. These days, a car assembly plant is never built without a local - as in next-door or even on the plant premises - supplier infrastructure (which is where a lot of the technology, particularly advanced technology, comes from). Which means local workshare is easy to latch onto when the plant goes in, if the government shows any inclination to make a point. The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
Obama should have one goal only Restore the safety net. This should have been his priority from day one. Instead he wasted over a trillion dollars on banks which should have been shut down. The bankers could have turned to the soup kitchens and used food stamps like everyone else if the administration had devoted government resources to helping people, not megabanks, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance companies. Colonel Girdle's story tells of a small business collapse that is feeding on itself, dragging down gas stations, beauty salons, accountants, restaurants, clothing stores, lawyers, building contractors, even ministers and their churches. The comments to his article on The Smirking Chimp tell the same story again and again by different people. I certainly don't read this story in the business press. On Wall Street, everything is good news. Jobs are about to be created according to Bondad (this month or next for sure), industrial production is up, the housing market has bottomed, prices are stable along with wages, exports are booming, the recession ended months ago. Big businesses are doing splendidly because they were able to cut costs savagely to survive, and they can rely on cheap overseas workers. We seem to have parallel universes and realities underway in our economy. Wall Street and the government are confident boom times are just around the corner. It sure doesn't sound like it, though, reading about small businesses collapsing and so many individuals flirting with bankruptcy and desperation. Numerian
Restore the safety net. This should have been his priority from day one. Instead he wasted over a trillion dollars on banks which should have been shut down. The bankers could have turned to the soup kitchens and used food stamps like everyone else if the administration had devoted government resources to helping people, not megabanks, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance companies.
Colonel Girdle's story tells of a small business collapse that is feeding on itself, dragging down gas stations, beauty salons, accountants, restaurants, clothing stores, lawyers, building contractors, even ministers and their churches. The comments to his article on The Smirking Chimp tell the same story again and again by different people.
I certainly don't read this story in the business press. On Wall Street, everything is good news. Jobs are about to be created according to Bondad (this month or next for sure), industrial production is up, the housing market has bottomed, prices are stable along with wages, exports are booming, the recession ended months ago. Big businesses are doing splendidly because they were able to cut costs savagely to survive, and they can rely on cheap overseas workers.
We seem to have parallel universes and realities underway in our economy. Wall Street and the government are confident boom times are just around the corner. It sure doesn't sound like it, though, reading about small businesses collapsing and so many individuals flirting with bankruptcy and desperation. Numerian
Courtesy of the US Treasury, Americans were informed on Christmas Day that they had added a whopping big gift under their Christmas tree for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants that are now wards of the state. The gift is truly one that keeps on giving: it has no price tag because the Treasury defines it as an "unlimited" promise to cover any losses these two companies may experience. How big could this gift be? Fannie and Freddie have issued or guaranteed over $6 trillion worth of mortgage securities. If the losses were this big next year, we would have to fork over about 40% of the wealth built up in the US in 2010 to keep Fannie and Freddie solvent. Fortunately, most of the mortgage securities guaranteed by these mortgage companies are the pre-2004, fixed rate varieties that are still performing as required. That is, assuming these homeowners still have a home value greater than the mortgage due. If not, they may be tempted in the next few years to walk away - to "strategically default" - to do a Morgan Stanley - and turn the losses back on to Fannie and Freddie. It makes you think the Treasury is just a little bit worried about the behavior of the American homeowner. What if they started to behave like corporations do, and walk away from their mortgage debts without a moral care in the world? Right now, about 25% of all homes are underwater, with mortgage debt exceeding what the home is worth in the market. If these homeowners strategically defaulted, the Fannie/Freddie losses could easily exceed $2 trillion. I looked to see under what authority you, the taxpayer, through your representatives in Congress, gave the US Treasury to issue unlimited guaranties of any sort.
Courtesy of the US Treasury, Americans were informed on Christmas Day that they had added a whopping big gift under their Christmas tree for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants that are now wards of the state. The gift is truly one that keeps on giving: it has no price tag because the Treasury defines it as an "unlimited" promise to cover any losses these two companies may experience.
How big could this gift be? Fannie and Freddie have issued or guaranteed over $6 trillion worth of mortgage securities. If the losses were this big next year, we would have to fork over about 40% of the wealth built up in the US in 2010 to keep Fannie and Freddie solvent. Fortunately, most of the mortgage securities guaranteed by these mortgage companies are the pre-2004, fixed rate varieties that are still performing as required. That is, assuming these homeowners still have a home value greater than the mortgage due. If not, they may be tempted in the next few years to walk away - to "strategically default" - to do a Morgan Stanley - and turn the losses back on to Fannie and Freddie.
It makes you think the Treasury is just a little bit worried about the behavior of the American homeowner. What if they started to behave like corporations do, and walk away from their mortgage debts without a moral care in the world? Right now, about 25% of all homes are underwater, with mortgage debt exceeding what the home is worth in the market. If these homeowners strategically defaulted, the Fannie/Freddie losses could easily exceed $2 trillion.
I looked to see under what authority you, the taxpayer, through your representatives in Congress, gave the US Treasury to issue unlimited guaranties of any sort.
