Free Republic

Though Thursday's new economic figures indicated the nation's recession is technically over, there didn't seem to be anyone singing "Happy Days Are Here Again." Certainly not in the state's employment offices. "The crisis isn't over," said Annie Young as she filled out applications on-line at a Nebraska Workforce Development career center in Omaha. "We still have a long way to go." At the office of the state's laborers' union, the latest economic news was greeted by Tami Tietsort with a "Yeah, right." "I don't mean to be sarcastic, and I hope we're coming out of this," said Tietsort, a clerical...

The U.S. administration is furious over Israeli incitement against President Barack Obama, Democratic congressmen close to Obama told an Israeli source who returned from a visit to Washington this week. The congressmen even hinted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been personally involved. The source, who met in Washington with administration officials and members of Congress, told Haaretz he was stunned by the level of anger there over attempts to portray Obama to the American public as an enemy of Israel because of his efforts to restart peace talks and freeze settlement construction. "There are people here who are playing...

According to Janet Napolitano, who succeeded the metaphor-happy Michael Chertoff as United States Secretary of Homeland Security, the term 'global war on terror' did not describe accurately the nature of the 'terrorist threat to the US'. "One of the reasons the nomenclature is not used is that 'war' carries with it a relationship to nation-states in conflict with each other," she told the Financial Times, adding: "and of course terrorism is not necessarily derived from the nation-state relationship." Reflecting the careful attention devoted to this matter at the highest levels of government, Napolitano concluded: "In some respects 'war' is too...

MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - The U.S. navy handed over 17 suspected Somali pirates to Kenya on Wednesday, taking the number of such captives in prisons along the east African country's coast to 111. Kenyan police say the influx of suspected Somali pirates is clogging jails and congesting local courts and they would like foreign navies patrolling the shipping lanes off Somalia to start taking captives to other countries.

A solid majority of people in the major Western democracies expect a rise in political extremism in their countries as a result of the economic crisis, according to a new poll

If you want a bone to pick--or an economic argument to have--it should be about when the current recession actually began. The National Bureau of Economic Research, the U.S.'s semi-official recession arbiter, says it started in December 2007. But real gross domestic product grew at 1% annual rate from then through August 2008. That doesn't look like recession to us. Nonetheless, when Lehman Brothers ( LEHMQ ) collapsed and the $700-billion TARP plan was proposed, a very rare "panic" ensued. Monetary velocity collapsed. From September 2008 through March 2009, the economy shrank at a rate of 5.5%. That's why we...

Exxon Mobil has unseated Wal-Mart Stores to top the 2009 Fortune 500 list after a year the magazine called the worst ever for the country’s 500 largest publicly traded companies.

You've lost your job. But you don't immediately panic. After all, you have an undergraduate degree and perhaps an advanced degree. So you begin applying for jobs confident that you will land something soon paying the salary you've been accustomed to earning. But then you hear those dreadful words: "I'm sorry, you're overqualified."

Late today, Karl Rove's Electoral College projection changed from 311, McCain 160, toss-up 67 to Obama 338, McCain 200, no toss-ups. I’ve only been doing professional GOP politics for 18 years, and Karl is a lot smart than I am. But the only way I will agree with him is when the final vote is tallied. We all know John has a huge mountain to climb tomorrow, but all the battleground states races have greatly tightened up. - FlA Latest update.....

Howdy folks! I haven't visited my FReeper friends for a while but have been watching the election campaign as closely as anyone can on the other side of the earth. The Australian media is VERY biased against McCain/Palin so my view (I'm hoping...) may be distorted. It seems to me things are not looking good. In fect, they are looking decidedly bad. Please tell me I am wrong. Is there any realistic chance of John McCain winning next Tuesday or is the world doomed to 4 years of Jimmy Carter with a suntan?

With just two weeks left before the election, John McCain faces a difficult test in overcoming the lead established by Barack Obama over the past month. An ever-growing number of national polls showed Obama with a lead last week of somewhere between 3 and 14 points--though few people outside the Obama camp gave much credit to the latter margin, reported in a CBS News/New York Times poll. Most polls were in a cluster with an estimated Obama lead of 5 to 7 points. The race thus remains surprisingly close, especially in view of the headwinds blowing against McCain from the...

Obama: "Lipstick on a pig, still a pig."

Two days before the Iowa caucuses — day 15 of his 17-day "hands down" bus tour — former senator Fred Thompson's campaign bus stood motionless in the snowy parking lot of a West Des Moines motel, across from a movie theater and a suburban strip mall. Thompson's campaign scheduled only one event for New Year's Day, a meet-and-greet at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, about an hour outside Des Moines. Thompson, R-Tenn., shunned the bus, emblazoned with his picture, for the relative comfort of a black Chevrolet Suburban. (snip) Thompson has staked his campaign's prospects to Iowa. In seeking...

A 21-year-old Sydney man has created the first known computer game based on the recent shooting spree at Virginia Tech university in the US, sparking a wave of criticism. The game follows Cho Seung-hui's killing spree at Virginia Tech in April, in which he killed 32 people before turning a gun on himself. The game's creator, Ryan Lambourn, who lives in Sydney's west, says he won't remove the game from his own website or seek to have it removed from amateur game sharing site Newgrounds.com.

LATE in 1996, while rehearsing for a production of “A Christmas Carol” in New York, Tony Randall was giddily anticipating becoming a father — at the age of 77. “What I look forward to,” he said during a break, “is when the kid is 15 and we go out in the yard to play ball. I’ll only be 90.” (He Died at 84) The news of Mr. Randall’s late fatherhood — and that of other celebrity SODs(Start over Dads) around the same time — evoked a fair amount of tut-tutting. Some joked that these creaky specimens wouldn’t be able to...

Brazilian plane lost over Amazon A Brazilian passenger plane with at least 140 people on board has gone missing in the Amazon region. Brazilian airline Gol said it was trying to locate the plane after it went missing from its radar screens. Globo news agency reported the Boeing 737 had struck an executive jet, which was then able to land in the Serra de Caximbo region of Para state. Flight 1907 left the city of Manaus on Friday afternoon, but failed to arrive as scheduled in Brasilia. Speaking to Brazilian radio station, CBN, the president of the country's aviation regulator...

US Laments Sudanese Inflexibility Over Darfur Force By David Gollust State Department 29 September 2006 The United States said Friday it is not abandoning its drive for a U.N. peacekeeping force to replace the African Union force in Darfur despite what it says is Sudanese intransigence on the issue. Sudan is also blocking a visit by the Bush administration's new envoy for Darfur, Andrew Natsios. Head of AU Commission Alpha Oumar Konare, right, inspects an honor guard during an arrival ceremony at AU headquarters at Darfur town of Al-Fasher (File photo - June 20, 2006) The Sudanese government has been...

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006 China quick to give Abe & Co. warning over Taiwan BEIJING (Kyodo) China has warned Japan's new government over its Taiwan policy, reiterating its opposition to including the island in the scope of the Japan-U.S. security alliance and urging Tokyo to act with caution over Taipei's invitation for former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to pay a visit. If the Japan-U.S. security alliance "exceeds the bilateral scope, it will trigger neighboring countries' worries and become a factor for instability and complexity in the regional security situation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday at a news...

Syria threat over Golan puts Israel on war alert By Harry de Quetteville in Jerusalem (Filed: 30/09/2006) Israel has gone on heightened alert over a possible war with Syria amid reports that President Bashar Assad may be considering military strikes to regain the Golan Heights. A signpost points out that Damascus is a mere 60kms from the Golan Heights For years Israeli military intelligence has down-played Syria's capacity to launch a meaningful attack against Israel, and the threat level has been kept "low". But Israeli reports have revealed that the threat level had been raised after intelligence assessments that Damascus...

BANGKOK, Thailand - The Thai military launched a coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday night, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of TV stations and declaring a provisional authority pledging loyalty to the king. The army commander took over the government and declared martial law. An announcement on Thai television declared that a "Council of Administrative Reform" with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as head of state had seized power in Bangkok and nearby provinces without any resistance. "The armed forces commander and the national police commander have successfully taken over Bangkok and the surrounding area in order to...

'Dirty' bomb fears over world's most insecure nuclear facility By Bojan Pancevski in Vienna (Filed: 17/09/2006) More than two tons of radioactive material stored in a rundown research facility in Serbia is an easy target for terrorists seeking to build a "dirty" bomb, according the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. Nuclear inspectors have branded the lightly-guarded store of highly enriched uranium, from a Communist-era reactor which closed 22 years ago, the world's most dangerous disused nuclear site – because of the potency of the material present, and because some is prone to leaking. Experts warn that the facility could be targeted...

Israeli general quits over conduct of Lebanon war Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem Wednesday September 13, 2006 The Guardian (UK) Major General Udi Adam with Israeli soldiers on the border with southern Lebanon during the war. Photograph: EPA A senior Israeli army officer resigned today, the first high-ranking figure to quit in the fallout after the war in Lebanon. Major General Udi Adam was head of Israel's Northern Command, a key role in the war with Hizbullah, but faced criticism in the press for being overly cautious and hesitant. During the 34-day conflict he was effectively sidelined when another general was...

BAGHDAD, Sep. 3, 2006 – Soldiers from 1st Iraqi Army Division assumed control of the Abu Ghraib prison here from U.S. Army Task Force 134 in a ceremony here Sept. 1. Iraqi soldiers will provide security for the facility – now vacant -- until the Ministry of Justice dispatches its own security detail. “Returning the empty prison to the control of the Ministry of Justice clearly says that enforcement of the rule of law is a cornerstone of the constitutional government of Iraq,” said Col. Monam Hashim Fahed, the Iraqi battalion commander. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental...

Iran Snubs Annan Over Nuclear Program Sunday September 3, 2006 9:46 PM By NASSER KARIMI Associated Press Writer TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The U.N. chief got little satisfaction Sunday at the close of his trip to Tehran, snubbed by Iran's leader over international demands to stop enriching uranium and ignored in warnings not to incite hatred by questioning the Holocaust. In a provocative move on the final day of Kofi Annan's two-day visit, Iran announced it would host a conference to examine what it called exaggerations about the Holocaust, during which more than 6 million Jews were killed by the...

Growing fears over North Korea nuclear test Jonathan Watts in Beijing Wednesday August 30, 2006 The Guardian (UK) Kim Jong-il. Photograph: AP International concerns about a possible North Korean nuclear test increased today with reports that Kim Jong-il may have crossed the border into China to explain his military provocations to uneasy allies in Beijing. According to the South Korean media, satellites have tracked a special North Korean train, the usual form of transport for Mr Kim, entering Chinese territory. If confirmed, it would be his second trip to Beijing in less than a year - an unheard-of flurry of...

Education Minister (Labor) Yuli Tamir announced her decision on Monday to fund long school days at kindergartens in public schools – but not in the hareidi preschool system. Tamir told the Knesset Education Committee that the public school system would take priority over non-governmental education associations, most of which are hareidi Orthodox schools. United Torah Judaism (UTJ) Knesset member Rabbi Moshe Gafne responded angrily to the decision, accusing Tamir of declaring “war against the hareidi Orthodox education system.” “The former education minister didn’t do this, [Meretz education ministers Shulamit] Aloni and [Yossi] Sarid didn’t do this,” noted Gafne. He asked...

Pakistan is divided over rape law reform By Isambard Wilkinson and Ashraf Ali in Peshawar (Filed: 29/08/2006) Both sides in Pakistan's bitter controversy over its rape laws took to the streets over the weekend, either to accuse President Pervez Musharraf of betraying Islam or commend him as the saviour of women. The issue has inflamed the political scene since Gen Musharraf announced last week that he would amend the existing laws that place an almost impossible burden of proof on women bringing a case of rape. Supporters of the Muthidda Quami Movement at a rally in Karachi, protesting against opposition...

Musharraf faces bitter clash over rape law reforms By Isambard Wilkinson in Peshawar (Filed: 25/08/2006) President Pervez Musharraf has opened a new and especially bitter confrontation with radical Islam by trying to rewrite Pakistan's controversial rape laws. These place an almost impossible burden of proof on women by compelling them to produce four "pious" male witnesses to prove rape or risk being convicted of adultery and face 100 lashes or death by stoning. This law, known as the Hudood Ordinance, has been regarded as untouchable since its passage 27 years ago. It also sets no minimum age for sex...

Israeli reserve soldiers accuse government of 'cold feet' over conflict · Brigade signs letter calling for Lebanon inquiry· Newspaper demands general's resignation Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem Tuesday August 22, 2006 The Guardian (UK) A brigade of reserve soldiers angrily accused the Israeli government yesterday of fighting a war with "indecision" and "cold feet" as criticism mounted over the handling of the conflict in Lebanon. In the most outspoken acknowledgment of Israel's failings in the war, one retiring senior army officer also admitted that the military felt "a certain sense of failure" after 34 days of combat. Brigadier Yossi Heiman, head...

Jet scare over Asian men 'helps terrorists' By Sally Pook (Filed: 21/08/2006) An airline yesterday stood by its decision to remove two Asian men from a holiday jet bound for Britain despite criticism from a Muslim group. The two passengers were asked to leave Monarch flight ZB613 from Malaga to Manchester, apparently because other passengers became alarmed that the men were wearing heavy clothing and kept checking their watches. Cabin crew informed the Spanish authorities of the passengers' fears and the men were taken off the flight. One of the passengers told a Sunday newspaper: "Some of the older children,...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2006 – U.S. European Command will assume command of U.S. military forces operating off the coast of Lebanon and in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the organization’s commander said here today. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, speaking at a Pentagon news conference, said European Command elements will assume command of the operations in that area from U.S. Central Command Aug. 23. European Command has supported U.S. Central Command in the effort. Central Command originally received the mission because Lebanon is in that organization’s assigned area of operations. But Central Command also is responsible for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan...

Cameron attacks Blair over terrorism fight By George Jones and Graeme Wilson (Filed: 16/08/2006) The united front in the battle against terrorism was shattered yesterday as David Cameron accused the Government of not doing enough to fight Islamic extremism. Ministers immediately accused him of "playing politics" with national security. The Conservative leader, making his first political intervention since returning from holiday, launched an outspoken attack on the Government's security record in the wake of the alleged attempt to blow up transatlantic passenger jets. He praised the police and security services but called for an urgent rethink of the "bizarre" decision...

MPs revolt over plan to put asylum seekers on an island By Nick Squires in Sydney (Filed: 11/08/2006) Australia's prime minister, John Howard, suffered the biggest parliamentary revolt of his decade in power yesterday over a proposal to send asylum seekers to remote island detention centres while their claims are processed. Three members of his Liberal Party voted against the Bill and one abstained. It was the worst breach of party loyalty confronted by Mr Howard since he won office from the Labour prime minister Paul Keating in 1996. John Howard shrugged off the party rebellion Despite the MPs' rebellion,...

Pakistan arrests over bomb plot The arrest of militants in Pakistan is said to have provided a lead Pakistan has made a number of arrests in connection with an alleged UK plot to blow up planes flying to the US. "There were some arrests in Pakistan which were co-ordinated with arrests in the UK," said Tasnim Aslam, spokeswoman for Pakistan's foreign ministry. Pakistan had played a very important role in the investigation, she added. UK police are questioning 24 people over the alleged plot, which is said to have involved smuggling liquid explosives onto planes in hand luggage. Sources told...

Democrats agonise over anti-war stance By Alec Russell in Goshen, Connecticut (Filed: 07/08/2006) A political earthquake is threatening the foundations of the Democratic Party as a liberal anti-war movement prepares to topple one of its best-known senators. The drama, which has the potential to tilt the party to the Left, poses an acute dilemma for its centrist leaders, in particular Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the 2008 presidential nomination. Left-wing, anti-war Democrats have traditionally been trounced when running for the White House. The centre of events is in leafy Goshen, Connecticut, where Joe Lieberman, the party's vice-presidential candidate in 2000,...

U.S. Targets 7 Companies Over Iran Friday August 4, 2006 7:01 PM By GEORGE GEDDA Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration has imposed sanctions against seven foreign companies, including two from India and two from Russia, for business dealings with Iran involving sensitive technology, according to an announcement Friday. Also subject to sanctions were two companies from North Korea and one from Cuba. All seven were found to be in violation of the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. The announcement in the Federal Register, which reports on official actions by the U.S. government, said the two Indian...

WASHINGTON, August 3, 2006 – Coalition forces captured a wanted terrorist along with two others during a raid near Bayji, Iraq, yesterday, U.S. military officials reported. The raid is one of a series of successful operations targeting a terrorist cell involved in aiding foreign terrorists throughout central Iraq. The raid occurred without incident. Coalition forces have been effectively dismantling this group, which has reportedly orchestrated attacks, kidnappings and bombings of civilians, officials said. In addition, Iraqi and coalition forces announced that a recently captured foreign terrorist would be turned over to the Iraqi government for prosecution under the Iraqi justice...

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces announce they’ve turned over to the Iraqi government an al-Qaida in Iraq leader that has admitted to conducting terrorist activity since 2004. The terrorist will now be prosecuted by the Iraqi government under the Iraqi justice system. The terrorist leader held multiple leadership positions within al-Qaida and was appointed by Abu Mus’ab al Zarqawi and Abu Ayyub al Masri to two of the positions he held. At one time, he coordinated and oversaw the operations of five different terrorist cells at one time. The Iraqi admitted to coordinating over ten death squad attacks, personally participating...

Terror raid victim faces arrest over child porn images By John Steele, Crime Correspondent (Filed: 31/07/2006) A man shot in an anti-terrorist raid faces questioning over the alleged discovery of child pornography images on a computer seized by police. Mohammed Abul Kahar, 23, was wounded when police officers looking for a chemical bomb entered his home in Forest Gate, east London. It is believed that he could be arrested this week. He is expected to be asked about what are said to be "extremely disturbing" images of children. The move follows forensic tests on the computer. The Crown Prosecution Service...

Hamza wins go-ahead to appeal over 'unfair' trial By Duncan Gardham (Filed: 29/07/2006) The radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza was given leave to appeal yesterday against his conviction for soliciting to murder on the grounds of the bad publicity he had received before and during the trial. Hamza's lawyers claimed he was unable to get a fair trial because he had become the most notorious person in Britain after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and July 7, 2005. Abu Hamza: ‘adverse publicity’ Edward Fitzgerald, QC, said putting Hamza on trial six years after the last of the speeches was...

Java tsunami death toll over 300 12:25 18 July 2006 NewScientist.com news service Damian Carrington The tsunami that struck the south coast of Java in Indonesia on Monday is now reported to have killed at least 300 people, with another 140 missing and over 50,000 displaced. The earthquake that generated the wave struck at 1519 local time (0819 GMT), 245 kilometres south of Java's coast. As more seismological data has been collated, its magnitude has been upgraded from 7.2 to 7.7. The logarithmic scale used means this signifies a fivefold increase in energy from the previous estimate. The earthquake's depth...

PM accuses Pakistan over Mumbai bombs Randeep Ramesh in Delhi Friday July 14, 2006 The Guardian (UK) One of the trains targeted in the attacks on Mumbai rail network. Photograph: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images India's prime minister pointed the finger of blame for the blasts in Mumbai across the border to Pakistan today, saying that promises to rein in terrorism had not been kept and effectively stalling the peace process between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Manmohan Singh, who was in Mumbai to console survivors of Tuesday's train explosions, which killed 198 people, said Pakistan's failure to clamp down on bombers had endangered...

Sunnis wage online war over killings By Jim Muir, in Baghdad (Filed: 08/07/2006) A heated internet debate has developed among militant Sunnis over the tactic of murdering large numbers of Shia civilians. The outcome of the website exchanges could be crucial in deciding whether Iraq can pull back from the brink of civil war. The discussions were prompted by a bomb attack last Saturday that killed at least 66 people in the Baghdad slum district of Sadr City. A statement claiming responsibility gave a sense of the bitterness felt by many Sunnis, now an angry minority in a country they...

Italian spy chiefs held over investigation into CIA rendition of terror suspect By Malcolm Moore in Rome (Filed: 06/07/2006) Two Italian spy chiefs were arrested yesterday on suspicion of helping the CIA to snatch an imam in Milan and fly him out of the country. Marco Mancini, the head of counter-espionage at the military intelligence agency Sismi, and Gustavo Pignero, the agency's chief official in the north of the country, were placed under investigation to examine whether they will face kidnapping charges. They are suspected of assisting American agents three years ago when they abducted Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also...

UN envoy attacks Israel over Gaza Israel has ordered its army to widen its operations An emergency meeting of the UN's new human rights body on the Gaza crisis has heard condemnation of Israeli policy and its effects on civilians. Israel was violating in Gaza the "most fundamental norms of humanitarian law and human rights law", UN envoy John Dugard told the special session. But Israel, which threatens to broaden military action, said the Human Rights Council was ignoring its concerns. The meeting was called by Muslim states with support from Russia and others. UN aid agencies warn of a...

Gaza on brink over hostage soldier By Patrick Bishop in Beit Hanoun and Harry de Quetteville in Gaza City (Filed: 04/07/2006) Hopes for a peaceful resolution of the crisis caused by the seizure of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants were fading last night as a deadline set by his captors approached with no sign of compromise. An Israeli tank returns after a mission in Gaza The three groups holding Cpl Gilad Shalit, 19, said Israel would suffer unnamed "consequences" if a substantial release of Palestinian prisoners had not begun by 4am British time today. But the office of Israeli...

Honeymoon is over as coalition turns on Merkel By Kate Connolly in Berlin (Filed: 01/07/2006) Angela Merkel is facing a revolt from within her grand coalition government just seven months after she became Germany's first woman premier. While the Chancellor has been basking in the success of staging the World Cup finals, cracks have begun showing in the government reforms seen as vital to the country's economic stability, but which have split the ruling parties. Angela Merkel has said Germany is in 'dire need of restructuring' The revolt burst into the open when Peter Struck, the parliamentary leader of the...

Argentina renews campaign over Falklands claim By Jeremy McDermott, Latin America Correspondent (Filed: 30/06/2006) Argentina sought yesterday to rally international support for its claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and to isolate Britain in world opinion when it launched an aggressive campaign to win control of the distant outpost in the south Atlantic. The parliament in Buenos Aires established a special commission with a brief to "Malvinise" the country's political agenda in a concerted effort to force Britain to surrender its sovereignty over the islands known in Argentina as the Malvinas. A row over fishing licences has reignited Argentine...

BALTIMORE - A long-standing feud over house rules at a seniors' high rise led one octogenarian resident to shoot and kill another, police said. The shooting on Monday apparently occurred after an 86-year-old desk clerk at the building refused to allow an 80-year-old resident's granddaughter to board an elevator without a visitor's pass, police said. Thomas Batty, 86, was shot once in the head as he sat behind the front desk, and Clyde Lewis, 80, was charged with murder. Both lived on the building's 12th floor. A bail hearing for Lewis was set for Tuesday afternoon. Police Officer Troy Harris...

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2006 – Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq has become a major factor in a "quite complex" security environment, the commander of ground forces in Iraq told Pentagon reporters today. Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq, pointed to Iranian support for Shiia insurgents as a problem in what he said has become a constantly changing security environment. The environment hasn't necessarily worsened, but has increased in complexity since Iraq's December elections and the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra in February, he said. "We are quite confident that the Iranians, through...