A congressman is pressing the Department of Commerce to fully disclose a congressionally unauthorized plan to implement a trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that critics say could lead to a North American union. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight of the House Committee on Homeland Security, wrote July 11 to Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez requesting detailed disclosure of working groups in the Security and Prosperity Partnership office within his department. Referring to an attached letter from a constituent, Rogers wrote to Gutierrez: Judging by information contained in this letter, a number of legitimate concerns are raised regarding the implementation and operation of the SPP, including the membership and charge of its working groups; potential memoranda of understanding with foreign countries; and whether there has been any Congressional oversight of these working group, to name a few.... http://www.worldnetdaily.com censor News |
Editor - 09:48:00 07-20-06 |
Aids could 'hit' India's growth |
India's economy could suffer if the country fails to check the spread of HIV and Aids, a new report says. Economic growth currently at 8% could fall by nearly 1% if the disease is not contained, it says. But the head of India's main anti-Aids agency said the government's prevention drive could help reverse this. More than five million Indians are infected with HIV and the UN says India now has more people with the virus than any other country in the world. "Economic growth could decline by 0.86 percentage points... and per capita gross domestic product by 0.55 percentage points," over a 14-year period beginning in 2002, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), a government-funded body, said. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5198402.stm
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Editor - 09:46:00 07-20-06 |
Palestinians die in Israeli raids |
Two Palestinians have been killed in a fresh Israeli operation in a refugee camp in central Gaza. Palestinian officials said one person was shot dead in the Mughazi camp. An earlier Israeli air attack on the camp left one dead and 20 injured. Israel has also dropped leaflets in Gaza warning anyone hiding weapons in their homes that they are in danger. The offensive in Gaza was launched after an Israeli soldier was captured by Palestinian militants last month. The fate of Corporal Gilad Shalit remains unknown but Israeli officials believe he is still alive. The Gaza offensive also aims to stop rocket launches by Palestinian militants, who say such attacks are in retaliation for Israeli action against them. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5198054.stm
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Editor - 09:21:00 07-20-06 |
Fighting inside Lebanese border |
Israeli soldiers are fighting Hezbollah militants inside the Lebanese border, Israeli military officials say. The clashes come as Israel keeps up its bombing of Lebanon, carrying out 80 air strikes early on Thursday. Lebanon's president has called for an immediate ceasefire, calling Israel's offensive - which has killed 300 people and displaced 500,000 - a "massacre". Bombed roads are hampering aid efforts, with the UN warning the humanitarian crisis is worsening by the hour. The nine days of fighting - triggered by the capture of two Israeli soldiers by the militant Hezbollah group in a cross-border raid - have left 29 Israelis dead, including 15 civilians killed by rockets fired by Hezbollah into Israel.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5197186.stm
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Editor - 09:03:00 07-20-06 |
UN warning on Mid-East war crimes |
War crimes could have been committed in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza, a senior UN official has said. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said international law stressed the need to protect civilians. There is an obligation on all parties to respect the "principle of proportionality", she said. About 300 Lebanese, most of them civilians, have been killed in the violence. Thirty Israelis, including 15 civilians, have also been killed. The UN reported on Wednesday that about 100 Palestinians, civilians and fighters, have been killed since the start of the Israeli offensive in Gaza in late June. Both crises were precipitated by the capture by Hamas and Hezbollah of Israeli soldiers in cross-border operations into Israel. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5197544.stm
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Editor - 09:01:00 07-20-06 |
Russia Harshly Criticizes Israel for Its Lebanon Offensive, Repeats Calls for Immediate Cease-Fire |
Russia on Thursday sharply criticized Israel for its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, saying it went "far beyond the boundaries of an anti-terrorist operation" and repeating calls for an immediate cease-fire. The Foreign Ministry said Russia affirms the need to fight terrorism and called for the immediate release of captive Israeli soldiers, but it added that "the unprecedented scale of the casualties and destruction" in Lebanon indicates that Israel is using too much force. The comment echoed a statement by President Vladimir Putin, who said while hosting a summit of the Group of Eight nations Saturday that Russia had the impression Israel was "pursuing wider goals" than the return of abducted soldiers. While G-8 leaders cobbled together a statement on the Mideast conflict in a bid to display unity, the criticism of Israel and the cease-fire call contrasted with the U.S. stance. Washington has rejected calls for an immediate cease-fire ... http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2215922
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Editor - 08:58:00 07-20-06 |
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