Aug 1, 2012
Jordan opens new camp for Syrian refugees amid funding gaps
Jordan opens new camp for Syrian refugees amid funding gaps: Za'atri camp was set up in record time to move refugees from overcrowded border sites. The new camp was not foreseen in the US$193 million appeal that is severely under-funded.
High Commissioner Guterres visiting Burkina Faso, calls for more support to Mali refugees
High Commissioner Guterres visiting Burkina Faso, calls for more support to Mali refugees: Note to Palais media: You are invited to attend a joint press conference by High Commissioner Antonio Guterres and Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard on Friday, 03 August in 11:30...
More than 1,600 Liberians return in one day after refugee status ends
More than 1,600 Liberians return in one day after refugee status ends: A month after their refugee status ended, another 12,000 Liberians still need help to return to Liberia from the region.
INDONESIA: Low health awareness deadly for children
INDONESIA: Low health awareness deadly for children:
 | JAKARTA, 30 July 2012 (IRIN) - Poor knowledge of basic healthcare and lack of sanitation are contributing to the high number of deaths among children under the age of five in Indonesia. Among poorer households child deaths are more than three times higher than in richer ones. |
MAURITANIA: Funding shortfall affects refugee response
MAURITANIA: Funding shortfall affects refugee response:
 | M'BERA, 30 July 2012 (IRIN) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it is “woefully underfunded” to help Malians fleeing fighting who have sought refuge across the border in Mauritania's M'bera camp, and other neighbouring countries. |
THAILAND: Ambivalent about needle exchanges
THAILAND: Ambivalent about needle exchanges:
 | BANGKOK, 31 July 2012 (IRIN) - Needle exchanges for injecting drug users and the decriminalization of people who use drugs are the most effective ways of preventing HIV and hepatitis C infections in Thailand, say experts. |
WATER: Prepare to face shocks
WATER: Prepare to face shocks:
 | LONDON, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - Is the world ready to face water shocks? For water shocks are certainly coming; water shocks, in fact, are already here. |
REFUGEES: Resettlement still a last resort
REFUGEES: Resettlement still a last resort:
 | JOHANNESBURG, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - After five years of hoping and waiting, Marie*, her husband Simeon* and their three children, refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, finally received a phone call telling them to pack their bags; they would be leaving South Africa for Australia at the end of the month. |
TIMOR-LESTE: Alcohol-fuelled violence a growing concern
TIMOR-LESTE: Alcohol-fuelled violence a growing concern:
 | DILI, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - National police and NGOs in Timor-Leste have noted an uptick in alcohol-fuelled violence, especially among unemployed youths. |
Briefing: Why is Iraq still so dangerous?
Briefing: Why is Iraq still so dangerous?:
 | BAGHDAD, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - Assessments of security trends in Iraq vary wildly depending on who you speak to, how you count the statistics, and which period of time you study. But one thing is clear: bomb blasts, targeted killings or improvised explosive devices are still a daily occurrence in Iraq. |
UGANDA: New disarmament effort seeks community involvement
UGANDA: New disarmament effort seeks community involvement:
 | GULU, 1 August 2012 (IRIN) - The Ugandan government is making a fresh attempt to rid the northern region of illegally held arms, after an ultimatum to surrender such weapons was widely ignored earlier in 2012. |
Voter ID Issue Is One of Many for U.S. Voting Systems
Voter ID Issue Is One of Many for U.S. Voting Systems: Twelve years after a too-close-to-call presidential contest in Florida ended in a divisive Supreme Court ruling, the United States’ voting methods are as laden with problems as ever.
Ramadan Poses Challenges for Muslims at the Olympics
Ramadan Poses Challenges for Muslims at the Olympics: The arrival of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, has led to a variety of issues for the estimated 3,000 Muslim athletes and officials at the Olympic Games.
Syrian rebels seize rural territory while Assad forces focus on major cities
Syrian rebels seize rural territory while Assad forces focus on major cities:
AL-BAB, Syria — War came late to this little farming town set amid rolling hills in the Syrian countryside east of Aleppo, where the absence of upheaval was long construed as an implicit signal of support for the government led by President Bashar al-Assad.
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AL-BAB, Syria — War came late to this little farming town set amid rolling hills in the Syrian countryside east of Aleppo, where the absence of upheaval was long construed as an implicit signal of support for the government led by President Bashar al-Assad.
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For besieged Syrian dictator Assad, only exit may be body bag
For besieged Syrian dictator Assad, only exit may be body bag:
Even with rebel armies closing in, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is showing no hint of a willingness to cede power, raising the prospect of a long, bloody and potentially calamitous final chapter to the country’s civil war, U.S. officials and Middle East experts say.
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Even with rebel armies closing in, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is showing no hint of a willingness to cede power, raising the prospect of a long, bloody and potentially calamitous final chapter to the country’s civil war, U.S. officials and Middle East experts say.
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Michael Phelps leaves room for Mom while on top of the world
Michael Phelps leaves room for Mom while on top of the world:
LONDON — The race had been over for nearly an hour, the medal ceremony long finished. The four American swimmers smiled their telegenic grins and held their gold between their thumbs and forefingers for the cameras. But Michael Phelps wasn’t done. He still had a ritual to attend to, the one that began as a 7-year-old at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Find Mom.
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LONDON — The race had been over for nearly an hour, the medal ceremony long finished. The four American swimmers smiled their telegenic grins and held their gold between their thumbs and forefingers for the cameras. But Michael Phelps wasn’t done. He still had a ritual to attend to, the one that began as a 7-year-old at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Find Mom.
Read full article >>
Julian Castro, Latino mayor of San Antonio, to keynote DNC convention
Julian Castro, Latino mayor of San Antonio, to keynote DNC convention:
Eight summers ago, a fresh faced politician took to the podium for a keynote address at the Democratic convention that launched him onto the national stage and a path to the White House.
Among the viewers of then Sen. Barack Obama's national debut was Julian Castro, now mayor of San Antonio, who will follow in Obama’s footsteps as keynote speaker at the Democratic convention this year in Charlotte.
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Eight summers ago, a fresh faced politician took to the podium for a keynote address at the Democratic convention that launched him onto the national stage and a path to the White House.
Among the viewers of then Sen. Barack Obama's national debut was Julian Castro, now mayor of San Antonio, who will follow in Obama’s footsteps as keynote speaker at the Democratic convention this year in Charlotte.
Read full article >>
Wages aren’t stagnating, they’re plummeting
Wages aren’t stagnating, they’re plummeting:
Many economists have expressed concern that median wages have stagnated since the 1970s, as illustrated in the following chart from the Economic Policy Institute.
For workers in the 10th, 20th and 50th percentiles, median hourly wages haven’t grown much at all since the early 1970s. But a few economists have argued that this misses what’s really going on: Since the 1970s, women and racial minorities have become more integrated into the general workforce. So while white men, white women and racial minorities of both genders have all seen gains, the argument goes, the lower wages paid to women and racial minorities push down the median wage figure enough that these gains are disguised. Edward Conard’s new book “U
nintended Consequences” makes a case along these lines, using the following chart (via Evan Soltas).
Read full article >>
Many economists have expressed concern that median wages have stagnated since the 1970s, as illustrated in the following chart from the Economic Policy Institute.
For workers in the 10th, 20th and 50th percentiles, median hourly wages haven’t grown much at all since the early 1970s. But a few economists have argued that this misses what’s really going on: Since the 1970s, women and racial minorities have become more integrated into the general workforce. So while white men, white women and racial minorities of both genders have all seen gains, the argument goes, the lower wages paid to women and racial minorities push down the median wage figure enough that these gains are disguised. Edward Conard’s new book “U
nintended Consequences” makes a case along these lines, using the following chart (via Evan Soltas).
Read full article >>
New poll shows Obama with significant lead in swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania
New poll shows Obama with significant lead in swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania:
President Obama has cracked 50 percent and is leading presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney in a trio of key swing states, according to new polling.
The CBS News/New York Times/Quinnipiac University polls show Obama ahead of Romney in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all by at least six points. Obama is up in Florida 51 percent to 45 percent; in Ohio 50 percent to 44 percent; and in Pennsylvania by double digits — 53 percent to 42 percent .
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President Obama has cracked 50 percent and is leading presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney in a trio of key swing states, according to new polling.
The CBS News/New York Times/Quinnipiac University polls show Obama ahead of Romney in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all by at least six points. Obama is up in Florida 51 percent to 45 percent; in Ohio 50 percent to 44 percent; and in Pennsylvania by double digits — 53 percent to 42 percent .
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Curbing the costs of high-tech health
Curbing the costs of high-tech health:
Advances in medical technology are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they have brought huge health gains to millions of Americans. Hip and knee replacements, heart operations, brain surgery, drugs — treating everything from high cholesterol to depression — have become routine when they were once considered exotic or unimaginable. The drawback is that these same breakthroughs have driven health spending upward, because they’re prone to misuse and overuse.
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Advances in medical technology are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they have brought huge health gains to millions of Americans. Hip and knee replacements, heart operations, brain surgery, drugs — treating everything from high cholesterol to depression — have become routine when they were once considered exotic or unimaginable. The drawback is that these same breakthroughs have driven health spending upward, because they’re prone to misuse and overuse.
Read full article >>
Study: Rich, poor Americans increasingly likely to live in separate neighborhoods
Study: Rich, poor Americans increasingly likely to live in separate neighborhoods:
Rising income inequality has led to a growing number of Americans clustering in neighborhoods in which most residents are like them, either similarly affluent or similarly low-income, according to a new study detailing the increasing isolation of the richest and the poorest.
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Rising income inequality has led to a growing number of Americans clustering in neighborhoods in which most residents are like them, either similarly affluent or similarly low-income, according to a new study detailing the increasing isolation of the richest and the poorest.
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Aging power grid on overload as U.S. demands more electricity
Aging power grid on overload as U.S. demands more electricity:
They began to bend in the roaring wind, then their steel girders snapped like twigs, the towers toppled and the lights went out.
Minutes before the windstorm arrived to pummel the Washington area on June 29, it swept east through West Virginia, crushing three electrical transmission towers that are a tiny part of an intricate power grid that’s supposed to keep the lights on in America.
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They began to bend in the roaring wind, then their steel girders snapped like twigs, the towers toppled and the lights went out.
Minutes before the windstorm arrived to pummel the Washington area on June 29, it swept east through West Virginia, crushing three electrical transmission towers that are a tiny part of an intricate power grid that’s supposed to keep the lights on in America.
Read full article >>
UBS: Facebook IPO Cost Us $350 Million
UBS: Facebook IPO Cost Us $350 Million: The Swiss bank said the loss on the Facebook IPO wiped out nearly half of its second-quarter profit, and it accused Nasdaq of a "gross mishandling" of the stock-market listing.
Backlash Builds Over Thai Rice Program
Backlash Builds Over Thai Rice Program: Thailand's government is under pressure to revise its programs to prop up international prices of rice and rubber, as the cost of those efforts spirals.
Saudi Woman Allowed to Compete in Headwear
Saudi Woman Allowed to Compete in Headwear: The International Olympic Committee said Saudi female judo athlete Wojdan Shaherkani will compete in the Olympic Games, resolving a dispute about whether she would be allowed to fight in headwear.
Microsoft Reboots Hotmail as Outlook.com
Microsoft Reboots Hotmail as Outlook.com: Microsoft is phasing out the email service Hotmail, a pioneer of electronic mail accessed on the Web, in favor of a new-but-old brand: Outlook.
More Signs of Asia Slowing
More Signs of Asia Slowing: Slower growth in China's manufacturing sector in July added to a broader ramp-down in the region, as slack demand in Europe and the U.S. continued to erode growth in Asia's export-driven economies.
So Many Devices, Few Ways to Share
So Many Devices, Few Ways to Share: The leading online file storage and sharing services are useful for anyone who wants to view documents on multiple devices or share them with others.
No Vacation From Tweeting
No Vacation From Tweeting: In this hyperconnected age, social media is along for the ride—even on vacation.
Facebook Flip: Fidelity Funds Exit Early
Facebook Flip: Fidelity Funds Exit Early: A year after they first started buying Facebook stock, many Fidelity Investments fund managers are shrinking their stakes.
US 'wasted' $200m on training Iraqi police
US 'wasted' $200m on training Iraqi police: Report from auditors finds that massive US programme to train Iraqi police was unwanted and led to 'de-facto waste'.
Mali unwed couple 'stoned to death'
Mali unwed couple 'stoned to death': Local officials say unmarried pair killed in public in Aguelhok, in the first reported sharia killing since occupation.
UN team to visit North Korea flood areas
UN team to visit North Korea flood areas: Two days of heavy rain submerged buildings, left tens of thousands homeless and damaged agricultural areas.
Court says Namibia illegally sterilised women
Court says Namibia illegally sterilised women: Judge rules state coerced three HIV-positive women into operation by forcing them to sign forms they did not understand.
Deaths in Sudan's biggest price protests
Deaths in Sudan's biggest price protests: Eight people killed and 20 injured in anti-austerity rally in Darfur, with police accused of using live ammunition.
India restores power after historic blackouts
India restores power after historic blackouts: Factories and shops reopen after two days of power outages left an estimated 620 million people without electricity.
Pakistan's new intelligence chief visits US
Pakistan's new intelligence chief visits US: Visit of Zaheer ul-Islam signals thawed relations with Washington after Islamabad agreed to reopen NATO supply routes.
Blast and jailbreak rock Libya's Benghazi
Blast and jailbreak rock Libya's Benghazi: Bomb shakes city's military intelligence office and break-in at prison frees suspected killer of former rebel chief.
Somali assembly endorses draft constitution
Somali assembly endorses draft constitution: Two suicide bombers killed outside the building where leaders voted to support the UN-backed plan.
Assad praises troops as planes pound Aleppo
Assad praises troops as planes pound Aleppo: President says fate of nation at stake in fight against rebels, as rights group reports brutal crackdown on dissidents.
Israel's ultra-Orthodox to face army draft
Israel's ultra-Orthodox to face army draft: Defence minister orders army to prepare conscription for men from conservative community previously exempt from duty.
Jakarta is 'world's most active Twitter city'
Jakarta is 'world's most active Twitter city': Indonesian capital narrowly beats Tokyo for top spot, as study shows 93 per cent rise in use of site in Saudi Arabia.
Rebels 'execute' regime loyalists in Aleppo
Rebels 'execute' regime loyalists in Aleppo: Video from Syria appears to show men accused of being shabiha lined up and shot at point blank range.
Thirteen States and D.C. Give Obama Majority Approval
Thirteen States and D.C. Give Obama Majority Approval: President Obama's approval rating was above 50% in 13 states and the District of Columbia in the first half of 2012. Residents of Hawaii and Rhode Island were most approving, while those in Utah, Wyoming, and Alaska were least.
Jul 30, 2012
As Syrian War Drags On, Jihad Gains Foothold
As Syrian War Drags On, Jihad Gains Foothold: Syrians involved in the uprising say it is becoming more radicalized: homegrown Muslim jihadists, as well fighters from Al Qaeda, are demanding a say in running the resistance.
Drone Pilots, Waiting for a Kill Shot 7,000 Miles Away
Drone Pilots, Waiting for a Kill Shot 7,000 Miles Away: Drones are not only revolutionizing American warfare but are also changing in profound ways the lives of the people who fly them.
Laura Lang Rethinks Magazines for Time Inc.’s Digital Audience
Laura Lang Rethinks Magazines for Time Inc.’s Digital Audience: In her first couple months Laura Lang has convened senior executives to review each magazine and assess what each needs to thrive in a digital world.
The Caucus: Romney’s Remarks About Palestinians Draw Criticism
The Caucus: Romney’s Remarks About Palestinians Draw Criticism: Mitt Romney’s remarks at a fund-raiser suggesting cultural differences accounted for disparities between the per capita incomes of Israel and the Palestinians, have drawn criticism.
The Caucus: Democrats Move to Put Gay Marriage in Party Platform
The Caucus: Democrats Move to Put Gay Marriage in Party Platform: The Democratic Party’s embracing of same-sex marriage comes more than two months after President Obama backed the rights of gay couples to wed.
As Americans embrace Ethiopian cuisine, its farmers grow more teff
As Americans embrace Ethiopian cuisine, its farmers grow more teff:
It’s almost midnight, but Zelalem Injera, an Ethiopian bread factory housed in a cavelike Northeast Washington warehouse, is wide awake. As its 30-foot-long injera machine hums, Ethiopian American businessman Kassahun Maru, 61, proudly explains that it cranks out 1,000 of the fermented Frisbee-shaped discs every hour for the region’s growing number of ethnic grocery stores, health food boutiques and Ethiopian restaurants.
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It’s almost midnight, but Zelalem Injera, an Ethiopian bread factory housed in a cavelike Northeast Washington warehouse, is wide awake. As its 30-foot-long injera machine hums, Ethiopian American businessman Kassahun Maru, 61, proudly explains that it cranks out 1,000 of the fermented Frisbee-shaped discs every hour for the region’s growing number of ethnic grocery stores, health food boutiques and Ethiopian restaurants.
Read full article >>
Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma
Health insurance mandate faces huge resistance in Oklahoma:
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Supreme Court may have declared that the government can order Americans to get health insurance, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up.
Nowhere is that more evident than Oklahoma, a conservative state with an independent streak and a disdain for the strong arm of government. The state cannot even get residents to comply with car insurance laws; roughly a quarter of the drivers here lack it, one of the highest rates in the country.
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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Supreme Court may have declared that the government can order Americans to get health insurance, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up.
Nowhere is that more evident than Oklahoma, a conservative state with an independent streak and a disdain for the strong arm of government. The state cannot even get residents to comply with car insurance laws; roughly a quarter of the drivers here lack it, one of the highest rates in the country.
Read full article >>
Lebanese worry that Syrian army might escalate attacks
Lebanese worry that Syrian army might escalate attacks:
ON THE LEBANON-SYRIA BORDER — As the fighting in Syria intensifies, many Lebanese fear that the conflict could spill over the border, upending the fragile sectarian balance holding their country together and sparking another bloody internal conflict fueled by regional powers.
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ON THE LEBANON-SYRIA BORDER — As the fighting in Syria intensifies, many Lebanese fear that the conflict could spill over the border, upending the fragile sectarian balance holding their country together and sparking another bloody internal conflict fueled by regional powers.
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U.S. construction projects in Afghanistan challenged by inspector general’s report
U.S. construction projects in Afghanistan challenged by inspector general’s report:
A U.S. initiative to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on construction projects in Afghanistan, originally pitched as a vital tool in the military campaign against the Taliban, is running so far behind schedule that it will not yield benefits until most U.S. combat forces have departed the country, according to a government inspection report to be released Monday.
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A U.S. initiative to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on construction projects in Afghanistan, originally pitched as a vital tool in the military campaign against the Taliban, is running so far behind schedule that it will not yield benefits until most U.S. combat forces have departed the country, according to a government inspection report to be released Monday.
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Report: In India’s Maoist conflict, human rights workers kept in fear
Report: In India’s Maoist conflict, human rights workers kept in fear:
In the bloody war between Maoist guerrillas and Indian security
forces that has killed more than 3,000 people since 2008, it is the grassroots development and human rights workers who face the fear of the gun too.
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In the bloody war between Maoist guerrillas and Indian security
forces that has killed more than 3,000 people since 2008, it is the grassroots development and human rights workers who face the fear of the gun too.
Read full article >>
Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defects, while thousands flee Aleppo fighting
Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defects, while thousands flee Aleppo fighting:
BEIRUT -- Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defected on Monday, according to the British Foreign Office, striking a blow against the beleaguered government of President Bashar al-Assad as tens of thousands fled heavy fighting in Aleppo, the most populous city in the country and its commercial capital.
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BEIRUT -- Syria’s top diplomat to Britain defected on Monday, according to the British Foreign Office, striking a blow against the beleaguered government of President Bashar al-Assad as tens of thousands fled heavy fighting in Aleppo, the most populous city in the country and its commercial capital.
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Tea party retools itself, pushing Republicans toward more strident conservative positions
Tea party retools itself, pushing Republicans toward more strident conservative positions:
FORT WORTH — For much of the past year, things looked bad for the tea party: Polls showed little new interest from voters, and its favorite presidential contenders flopped in the face of Mitt Romney, who was denounced in the movement. But the final days of the Republican Senate primary runoff here suggest that the tea party may be reshaping itself into a political operation with long-term viability.
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FORT WORTH — For much of the past year, things looked bad for the tea party: Polls showed little new interest from voters, and its favorite presidential contenders flopped in the face of Mitt Romney, who was denounced in the movement. But the final days of the Republican Senate primary runoff here suggest that the tea party may be reshaping itself into a political operation with long-term viability.
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Power Blackout Hits Northern India
Power Blackout Hits Northern India: Northern India's worst power failure in 10 years created chaos Monday, leaving hundreds of millions of people without power for several hours and highlighting India's woeful efforts to boost its power infrastructure.
North-South Divide Marks Euro's Struggle
North-South Divide Marks Euro's Struggle: Though Finland and Portugal share a common currency, their divergent economic outlooks echo the divide between the euro-zone's strongest and weakest members.
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