Dangers of “Invade Now, Regret Later” Foreign Policy

We are finally seeing the fruits of our recent interventionist style foreign policy. North Korea, perhaps inspired by the plot of a 1959 movie, is doing what any cash strapped nation should seriously consider doing- it is threatening the US into conflict so that we will have to invade and rebuild it with our own money or give them aid and capitulate in order to get them to stand down. For the complete article : Politicalsimpleton.com….

Criminalizing dissent? RNC protesters face felony terrorism charges

Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman talked to Luce Guillen-Givins who is one of the first people ever to be charged under the 2002 Minnesota version of the federal PATRIOT Act. Full Story : Rawstory.com……

CIA warns Barack Obama that British terrorists are the biggest threat to the US

American spy chiefs have told the President that the CIA has launched a vast spying operation in the UK to prevent a repeat of the 9/11 attacks being launched from Britain. Full Story : Telegraph.co.uk……..

US envoy explores new approach on Pakistan

A top American envoy making his first visit to the region Tuesday sought new ways to battle al-Qaida in nuclear-armed Pakistan and stem violence in neighboring Afghanistan. Full Story : AP….

Russia Welcomes US Proposal to Ease Bilateral Tension

Russia is welcoming signals from Washington that the United States wants to ease strained relations with Moscow. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov spoke to reporters today at a security conference in Munich. Full Story : VOAnews…….

@ a glance : Tehran wants US apology for ‘crimes’

President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad on Wednesday called on the new US administration to apologise for what he called the ‚Äúcrimes they committed against the Iranian nation‚Äù if it truly sought a change in relations. Full Story : FT.com…..

@ a glance : Ethiopian military hands over security of Somalia

Ethiopia handed over security duties in neighboring Somalia on Tuesday to a joint force of Somali government security forces and Islamic militiamen, a shift some fear will leave a power vacuum in the lawless African nation. Full Story : AP….

@ a glance : Pakistan angrily denies Mumbai claims

¬†Pakistani leaders say Indian suggestions that official agencies may have been involved in training November’s Mumbai terrorists are pushing the region to war. Full Story : UPI.com……..

World Poverty Facts

“Half of the world population starves.. other half diets” when I saw this on a notice board in my University, I didn’t think its an over exaggerated sentence. I think it tells the whole story in few words. But to know how wide the disparity is between the rich and poor and the effect of concentration of wealth and power in few hands we need to carefully look beyond the surface and be willing to learn the world we are living in. Here are some facts from my research about world poverty.

• About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes, according to the United Nations.
• Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• 1.4 billion people live below poverty line that means they earn less than $1.25 per day.
• About 0.13% of the world‚Äôs population controlled 25% of the world‚Äôs assets in 2004.
• The wealthiest 20% of the world‚Äôs population consumes 76.6% of the world‚Äôs goods while 80% of humanity gets the remainder.
• For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent on debt repayment.
• A mere 12 percent of the world‚Äôs population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World.Source .
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn‚Äôt happen.
• For the price of one missile, a school full of hungry children could eat lunch every day for 5 years.
• The assets of the world’s three richest men are more than the combined GNP of all the least developed countries on the planet. .
• One out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night.

Obama gets more donation in Europe.

It seems like Obama is more popular than McCain in Europe. His campaign has raised roughly 10 times more money than the republican candidate. According to Federal election commission reports Obama’s campaign has raised at least $1 million from donors in Europe. In overall funding raising, Obama has raked in $338 million while McCain raised about $126.3 million. Does this huge disparity in fund raising mean something?

Sharon Stone is not welcome in film festival

Hollywood actress Sharon Stone sparked outrage across China earlier when she commented that last month’s devastating earthquake in the Sichuan region might be “karma” for the country’s treatment of Tibet. A spokeswoman for the Shanghai International Film Festival said that the U.S. actress is not welcome at this year’s event. The actress later apologized for her comments.