Thursday, February 18, 2010

Political News – Newsletter for February 17, 2010

Wednesday, February 17, 2010


Terrorism has increased in Jammu and Kashmir: Chidambaram (Second Lead)

JAMMU – While commending the role of security forces in combating terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday admitted that there has been an increase in terrorism-related incidents in the state.
Sixty five terrorist incidents have taken place in the state in the first 45 days of this year, Chidambaram said … Read more »».

Toyota looks into Corolla steering problems, president not attending US Congress hearing

Toyota looks into Corolla woes, considers recall

TOKYO – Toyota is looking into possible power steering problems with the hot-selling Corolla subcompact while its president said Wednesday he won’t be attending the U.S. Congressional hearing on the automaker’s safety lapses.
“I trust that our officials in the U.S. will amply answer the questions,” Toyota Motor Corp. President …. Source article  : Toyota looks into Corolla steering problems, president not attending US Congress hearing.

Ill. Republicans say stars are aligned for victory, as Dems contend with Blagojevich, deficit

Illinois Republicans see unique chance for victory
CHICAGO – The last decade was lousy for Illinois Republicans but they’re giddy about their chances to claim President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat and the governor’s mansion.
Democrats control every statewide office and the Legislature in Illinois. But Republican Scott Brown’s recent surprise win in the Massachusetts …. Source article  : Ill. Republicans say stars are aligned for victory, as Dems contend with Blagojevich, deficit.

Gadkari to open Maulana Azad seminar
NAGPUR – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari will open a two-day seminar here Feb 21 to mark Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s 52nd death anniversary, the organisers said Wednesday.

The seminar has been organised by the New Delhi-based Friends for Education and the United Students Association of Nagpur.
Scholars from all over India will converge …. Read the original article  : Gadkari to open Maulana Azad seminar.

Republicans see potential political gain in health care summit even with Obama running show

GOP sees possible upside in health care summit
WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans see a chance for political gain in President Barack Obama’s televised health care summit next week, even though the president will be running the show.
Obama and the Democrats are certain to highlight a crucial element of their health care plan – extending … Read more >>>.

Government employees in Madhya Pradesh asked to declare assets
BHOPAL – The Madhya Pradesh government has asked all government officials to put up details of their immovable property on the website of their respective departments by April 30 or else face disciplinary action, officials said Wednesday.

“The general administration department (GAD) has issued directive to all heads of departments, collectors and chief executive officers in …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Government employees in Madhya Pradesh asked to declare assets.

BJP leadership meet begins amid tight security
INDORE – The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national executive met here Wednesday amid tight security in the wake of the weekend Pune bombing that killed 11 people.

The party’s top and second-rung leaders gathered in a tented accommodation called Kushabhau Thakre Nagar. The first to speak was outgoing president Rajnath Singh.
Attending the conclave are … Read : BJP leadership meet begins amid tight security.

Snakes threaten BJP meet
INDORE – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing a unique problem at the venue of its three-day leadership meeting: snakes.

On Wednesday, snake charmers trapped three of them at the sprawling tented venue where some 5,000 delegates have gathered.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the host, says all is well. “There is nothing …. Source article  : Snakes threaten BJP meet.

Gilani ‘breaks ice’ with Chief Justice Chaudhry over govt- judiciary standoff
ISLAMABAD – In an apparent bid to deescalate the heightened tension between the executive and the judiciary in the country, Pakistan Prime Minister has invited Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in order to iron out their differences.

Gilani met Chaudhry at a banquet hosted in the honour of Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, who retired recently as …. Original article  : Gilani ‘breaks ice’ with Chief Justice Chaudhry over govt- judiciary standoff.

Jayalalitha writes to Dr Singh, criticises Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi

NEW DELHI – All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary J Jayalalitha on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, criticising Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his government for reducing the state from being a front-runner hardly four years ago to a virtual non-performer in …. Read the original article  : here.

BJP conclave begins in Indore
INDORE – A three-day meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s National Council and National Executive has begun in Indore from today.

The Indore conclave is significant for the BJP as it is expected to mark the beginning of a new strategy for the main opposition. The party has suffered two consecutive defeats in the Lok …. Read the original article  : here.

52 percent Americans say Obama doesn’t deserve re-election: CNN poll

WASHINGTON – A year after President Barack Obama’s landslide victory, more than half of Americans say he doesn’t deserve re-election in 2012, according to a new poll.
Only 44 percent of all Americans said they would vote to re-elect the president in two and a half years, eight percentage points less than the …. Original source  : 52 percent Americans say Obama doesn’t deserve re-election: CNN poll.

BJP meet to begin with Gadkari’s speech
INDORE – The three-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national convention begins here Wednesday with a meeting of the national executive and newly appointed president Nitin Gadkari delivering his first address to the party.

The national executive meeting is slated to begin with a speech by outgoing president Rajnath Singh, who will then welcome Gadkari along with …. Read the original article  : here.

Denver mortuary that buried wrong body to operate on probation for 3 years under agreement

Colo. mortuary that mixed up bodies can stay open

DENVER – A Denver funeral home that mistakenly switched the bodies of two women, burying and then exhuming one, will be allowed to continue operating under a state agreement calling for three years of probation.
Pipkin Mortuary admitted Tuesday in an agreement with the Colorado Department of Regulatory …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Denver mortuary that buried wrong body to operate on probation for 3 years under agreement.

West Hollywood takes stand against puppy-mill pets by banning store sales of dogs, cats

West Hollywood moves to ban dog, cat sales

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – The vote to ban the sale of dogs and cats in this famously liberal enclave will likely have more bark than bite, since no pet stores in the city currently sell animals.
But officials hope that Tuesday’s unanimous city council vote will be seen beyond …. Source article  : West Hollywood takes stand against puppy-mill pets by banning store sales of dogs, cats.

Former EBay CEO says her campaign strategy is to reach voters, not buy Calif. gov election

Ex-eBay CEO defends strategy in Calif. gov’s race

LAFAYETTE, Calif. – Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman on Tuesday dismissed criticism that she is trying to buy the California governor’s seat by spending millions from her personal fortune.
The Republican candidate responded to questions about her spending as an independent Democratic group prepares to launch a media … Read more : Former EBay CEO says her campaign strategy is to reach voters, not buy Calif. gov election.

San Francisco police officer who produced controversial video skits announces his resignation

Calif. officer in police video controversy resigns

SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco police officer who produced videos parodying life on the force that were denounced as racist, sexist and homophobic is resigning.
Andrew Cohen said Tuesday he’ll leave the department in July.
The 44-year-old Cohen was the department videographer when he filmed controversial skits in 2005. One … Read more : San Francisco police officer who produced controversial video skits announces his resignation.

Should India talk to Pakistan? Why not, say experts
NEW DELHI – It is necessary for India to talk to Pakistan and raise its concerns with the civilian government there because that very move can help isolate the forces that spread hatred and terror, former diplomats and experts here opine.

Dismissing the notion that diplomatic engagement with the neighbour can take place only …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Should India talk to Pakistan? Why not, say experts.

EBay CEO says her campaign strategy is to reach voters, not buy Calif. gov election

EBay CEO defends strategy in Calif. gov’s race

LAFAYETTE, Calif. – Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is dismissing criticism that she is trying to buy the California governor’s seat by spending millions from her personal fortune.
The Republican candidate responded to questions about her spending as a Democratic group prepares to launch a media offensive against her.
She … Original source on Gaea Times at : EBay CEO says her campaign strategy is to reach voters, not buy Calif. gov election.

New Honduran president keeps military chief behind coup that ousted Zelaya

Honduran leader keeps military chief behind coup

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The new president of Honduras is keeping in place military leaders who ordered his elected predecessor flown into exile in a June coup.
President Porfirio Lobo, who took office last month, met with military chief Gen. Romeo Vasquez and other commanders for three hours and informed them … Read : New Honduran president keeps military chief behind coup that ousted Zelaya.

UN says international convention banning cluster bombs will enter into force on Aug. 1

Cluster bomb ban to enter into force on Aug. 1

UNITED NATIONS – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced Tuesday that the international convention banning cluster bombs has received the 30 ratifications required and will enter into force on Aug. 1.
Cluster bomblets are packed by the hundreds into artillery shells, bombs or missiles, which scatter them over vast [..] Read the original article: here.

Delta, American, United, Continental, Hawaiian apply for slots at Tokyo Haneda airport

5 US airlines apply for slots at Tokyo’s Haneda

MINNEAPOLIS – The four biggest U.S. airlines and a small Hawaiian carrier applied on Tuesday for coveted slots at Tokyo’s downtown airport, two months after a landmark agreement was reached between the U.S. and Japan to relax restrictions on flights between the two countries.
U.S. carriers are seeking …. Original article  : Delta, American, United, Continental, Hawaiian apply for slots at Tokyo Haneda airport.

Obama announces nominee to become ambassador to Damascus, first for US since 2005

Obama announces ambassador nominee to Damascus
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Tuesday he would nominate career diplomat Robert Ford to become the United States’ first ambassador to Damascus since 2005, a sign that U.S.-Syrian relations are thawing as Obama enters his second year in power.
If confirmed by the Senate, Ford would represent the …. Original source  : Obama announces nominee to become ambassador to Damascus, first for US since 2005.

New York Times delays reporting arrest of Taliban commander after White House request

NY Times holds Taliban news at White House request

The New York Times nailed down the news about the capture of the Taliban’s No. 2 commander in Afghanistan last week but held off publishing the information at the request of a key player in the article – the Obama administration.
The cooperation with the White House added …. Original article  : New York Times delays reporting arrest of Taliban commander after White House request.

The Vice President’s Annual Report to the President on Progress Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
WASHINGTON – At tomorrow’s Economic Daily Briefing, Vice President Joe Biden will deliver to President Barack Obama his “Annual Report to the President on Progress Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”  The report, which summarizes Recovery Act progress to-date and lays out projections for the program in the coming months, can be …. Source  : The Vice President’s Annual Report to the President on Progress Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Evan Bayh the latest exit as the as the problem-solving middle disappears from Congress

Bayh the latest exit as moderates leave Congress
WASHINGTON – The moderate middle is disappearing from Congress. Evan Bayh is just the latest senator to forgo a re-election bid, joining a growing line of pragmatic, find-a-way politicians who are abandoning Washington. Still here: ever-more-polarized colleagues …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Evan Bayh the latest exit as the as the problem-solving middle disappears from Congress.

Moderates abandoning Congress; Bayh just the latest as the problem-solving middle disappears

Even Congress sick of Congress; moderates leaving
WASHINGTON – The moderate middle is disappearing from Congress.
Evan Bayh is just the latest senator to forgo a re-election bid, joining a growing line of pragmatic, find-a-way politicians who are abandoning Washington. Still here: ever-more-polarized colleagues locked in gridlock – exactly what voters say they don’t like …. Source  : Moderates abandoning Congress; Bayh just the latest as the problem-solving middle disappears.

Police: Former LA police Chief Daryl Gates hospitalized, seriously ill

Police: Ex-LAPD Chief Daryl Gates seriously ill

LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles police Chief Daryl Gates, a controversial figure who once said drug users should be shot and whose career ended after the Rodney King beating, is hospitalized and seriously ill, current police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday.
Beck told the city Police Commission that Gates, … Read more »»».

NYC mayor: Historic but dormant Coney Island amusement park to get new rides this summer

NYC mayor: Coney Island to get new rides this year

NEW YORK – After years of hand-wringing over the future of Coney Island, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is promising 19 new amusement park rides this summer.
At a news conference Tuesday, Bloomberg said the new Luna Park will open on Memorial Day weekend. Among them will …. Original source  : NYC mayor: Historic but dormant Coney Island amusement park to get new rides this summer.

Sylvia Pressler, NJ judge whose 1973 ruling opened Little League baseball to girls, dies

NJ judge who opened Little League to girls dies

NEWARK, N.J. – Sylvia Pressler, a trailblazing judge whose 1973 ruling opened Little League baseball to girls, has died. She was 75.
Pressler died Monday morning at the family’s home in Sparta, according to her husband, David Pressler. She had been battling lymphoma and was scheduled to begin … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Sylvia Pressler, NJ judge whose 1973 ruling opened Little League baseball to girls, dies.

Texas energy company Southern Union appeals $18 million fine for illegal mercury storage in RI

Texas co. appeals $18M RI mercury storage penalty

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Texas energy company convicted of illegally storing hazardous mercury in a rundown Rhode Island building has asked a federal appeals court to throw out an $18 million penalty.
A federal judge in October fined Southern Union $6 million and ordered it to pay an additional …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Texas energy company Southern Union appeals $18 million fine for illegal mercury storage in RI.

NY court overturns adoption of Cambodian orphan by J&J heiress in fight with ex-lover

NY court overturns adoption by J&J heiress

ALBANY, N.Y. – A four-year adoption fight between jet-setting Manhattanites over an ailing and abandoned orphan from Cambodia is ending, at least for now, with the boy able to see the only father he’s known.
New York’s top court on Tuesday overturned the adoption by Johnson & Johnson heiress Elizabeth … Read more »».

Clinton says Iran acquisition of nuclear weapon could trigger Mideast arms race

Clinton warns of Mideast nuclear arms race

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told an audience of Saudi college women on Tuesday that it is the shared responsibility of Iran’s neighbors to ensure it does not get nuclear weapons.
Her blunt message about avoiding a nuclear arms race that Saudi Arabia might …. Source article  : Clinton says Iran acquisition of nuclear weapon could trigger Mideast arms race.

Lamont a candidate for Conn. governor, cites business experience, rejecting public financing

Lamont announces candidacy for governor
HARTFORD, Conn. – Ned Lamont announced Tuesday he is a candidate for Connecticut governor, vowing to build on the excitement of his 2006 Senate bid and rejuvenate the state’s flagging economy.

Addressing more than 100 enthusiastic supporters, including many who backed his challenge of Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Greenwich businessman called on … Read : Lamont a candidate for Conn. governor, cites business experience, rejecting public financing.

Big chill can’t cool Mardi Gras; party rolls through New Orleans still buzzing from Saints win

Chilly weather can’t stop New Orleans’ big party

NEW ORLEANS – Pete Fountain, clarinet in hand and looking dapper in a white tuxedo and fedora trimmed in gold, kicked off Mardi Gras with his “Half Fast Marching Club” the way they have for 50 years: with beads and jazz.
“We’re slower than we were, and older than …. Original source  : Big chill can’t cool Mardi Gras; party rolls through New Orleans still buzzing from Saints win.

Report: France purposely exposed soldiers to radiation to test effects

Report: France exposed soldiers to radiation

PARIS – France’s military purposely exposed soldiers to a 1961 nuclear test in the Sahara Desert to study how the atomic bomb would affect their bodies and minds, a French news report said Tuesday, citing a classified defense document.
Reacting to the report in Le Parisien newspaper, the government pledged full … Read : Report: France purposely exposed soldiers to radiation to test effects.

Former LA police chief Daryl Gates said to be hospitalized, seriously ill

Ex-LAPD Chief Daryl Gates said to be seriously ill

LOS ANGELES – Police say former Los Angeles police Chief Daryl Gates, who resigned in the wake of the Rodney King beating, is seriously ill.
Current Chief Charlie Beck told the city Police Commission Tuesday the 83-year-old Gates has a serious malady but provided no details.
Gates became chief …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Frank: Partisanship is out of control in Congress, changing filibuster rule should be priority

Frank: Partisanship is out of control in Congress

AMHERST, Mass. – Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank says Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh is right that Capitol Hill’s partisanship is getting out of control.
But Frank says his fellow Democrat could do more to change that by staying in Congress and helping change the filibuster rule than by stepping out …. Original source  : Frank: Partisanship is out of control in Congress, changing filibuster rule should be priority.

NYC mayor disagrees with VP Joe Biden over cost of security for 9/11 terrorist trial

NYC mayor disagrees with Biden on 9/11 trial costs

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended his claim that it would cost $200 million per year to secure the city during a trial of Sept. 11 suspects in Manhattan, after Vice President Joe Biden questioned the figure.
Bloomberg said Tuesday that the city’s estimate …. Original article  : NYC mayor disagrees with VP Joe Biden over cost of security for 9/11 terrorist trial.

Top US diplomat grounded by plane trouble in Saudi Arabia, will hitch ride with Gen. Petraeus

Clinton has plane trouble, hitches ride home

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Even when you have your own plane, sometimes you get stuck in the airport.
That’s what happened to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday, when mechanical trouble grounded her and her traveling party in Saudi Arabia.
Fortunately, if you are the top U.S. diplomat, you … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Top US diplomat grounded by plane trouble in Saudi Arabia, will hitch ride with Gen. Petraeus.

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