| Out in the World
Sources of tension between China and U.S Reuters
China PLA officer urges challenging U.S. dominance :: The call for China to abandon modesty about its global goals and "sprint to become world number one" comes from a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Senior Colonel, Liu Mingfu, who warns that his nation's ascent will alarm Washington, risking war despite Beijing's hopes for a "peaceful rise." Reuters
Israel's cost-benefit calculation :: In the various commentaries we have seen concerning the alleged Israeli assassination of Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, Israel's Mossad is coming in for a great deal of criticism. AlJazeera
Sectarian Tensions Overshadow Iraq Election :: But the decision to bar over 170 candidates threatens the vote's credibility, and Iran and Saudia Arabia are jockeying for influence behind the scenes. Spiegel
What's with these elections? Tajikistan's flawed election Change you can't believe in :: A rigged vote keeps the ruling party in power in a failing state Economist
Afghanistan Taliban 'using human shields' :: Taliban militants are increasingly using civilians as "human shields" as they battle against a joint Afghan-Nato offensive, an Afghan general has said. BBC
China summons U.S. ambassador over Dalai Lama meeting :: China summoned the U.S. ambassador on Friday to express its "strong dissatisfaction" over the Dalai Lama's meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama a day earlier. CNN International
Cuba's aid ignored by the media? :: Public health experts say the Cubans were the first to set up medical facilities among the debris and to revamp hospitals immediately after the earthquake struck. However, their pivotal work in the health sector has received scant media coverage. AlJazeera
Netanyahu to push Moscow to anti-Iran ensemble :: In step with US calls for greater international pressure on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Moscow to rally support for a new round of sanctions. Saudi Telegraph
A reader debate on assassination A view to a kill Economist
6 new suspects surface in Dubai terror case :: The probe into the terror of a senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Mabhouh enters a new phase as Dubai officials confirm that at least six other assassins remain unaccounted for. EmiratesTribune
Dubai urges Interpol to issue red notice against Mossad chief. Interpol seeks arrests for Hamas chief's killing Alarabiya
Britain summons Israeli diplomat over Dubai killing ::
Relations with Tel Aviv now in 'deep freeze', say British officials as passports row escalates UKGuardian
Israel says no proof it carried out Hamas Dubai killing :: Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said there is no proof the Mossad spy agency carried out the killing of a Hamas commander in Dubai.But he did not fully deny that Israel carried out the killing, citing its "policy of ambiguity" on such matters. BBC
New Bible: The Goldstone Report :: Alan Dershowitz on Judge Goldstone: “But now I see him as a traitor… It’s as if they would have taken a Jew to edit the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. He uses his Jewish last name to kosher his slander of the Jewish People.” SaudiTelegraph
Facing up to China :: Making room for a new superpower should not be confused with giving way to it Economist
The New Superpower :: 'The Chinese Are Unready by Their Own Admission' for Global Leadership
:: The United States and China have grown so powerful, that people around the world speak reverentially of a "G-2." But there are cracks in the alliance, as the German Marshall Fund's Andrew Small explains in a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview. Frustration is growing in the US over Beijing's lack of cooperation on economic issues. Spiegel
Perspective :: Tangoing with the Taliban :: Despite the US military 'surge', Afghanistan is proving more challenging than Iraq. Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst
Analysts defend China government's sanctioning of U.S. companies selling arms to Taiwan :: Chinese analysts justified the government's decision to sanction U.S. companies involved in a 6.4-billion-dollar arms sale package to Taiwan, saying the punishment is the "right thing to do" for China's core interests. China View Xinghua
China says RMB exchange rate "reasonable", dismisses U.S. criticism over trade :: China on Thursday dismissed the latest U.S. criticism on its trade surplus, saying its currency exchange rate is close to a reasonable level. China View Xinghua
(Ed Note: Mesmerizing and More than a Little Scary) Interview: Anwar al-Awlaki Yemen-based religious scholar says he supports attempt to blow up a US-bound plane. AlJazeera
The Man Who Launched the Burqa Debate :: For months the French have been embroiled in a public debate centered on their national identity and a possible ban on the burqa. Immigration Minister Éric Besson, a former Socialist, is the man behind the aggressive debate, making him one of France's most controversial politicians. Spiegel
Israel 'disciplines' army officers :: Two Israeli army officers have been "disciplined", but not demoted, for firing artillery shells towards a densely-populated area near a UN compound during its war on Gaza last year. AlJazeera
Blair admits Saddam threat was overstated :: Tony Blair opened himself up to a charge of misleading Parliament today when he told the Iraq inquiry that by any objective analysis the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons programme had not increased after 9/11. UKTimes
Britain's Iraq war inquiry :: Tony Blair's 2010 vision :: The prime minister who took Britain into Iraq defends his record Economist
Haiti revival after quake could take generations says UN chief :: Bleak outlook for decades to come and fears of health calamity when rainy season starts in May Guardian
Pakistan lukewarm to US offer :: The U.S. announcement that it is considering providing Pakistan a dozen unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance has received a less than warm reception here, with one report saying the military was unimpressed. Pakistan has for months been demanding that the U.S. must transfer to its military the drones themselves or the technology for these unmanned aircraft used by the CIA to bomb targets in the tribal areas. TheHindu-India
Gates: Al-Qaeda has assembled a 'syndicate' of terror groups :: NEW DELHI -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Wednesday that al-Qaeda was using proxy terrorist groups to orchestrate attacks Washington Post
Yemen bombs Al Qaeda leader's home :: The Yemeni government has declared war on Al Qaeda - under pressure from the US - since the militant group's local branch claimed responsibility for the failed bombing of a US-bound plane on Christmas Day. ABC Australia
Islamic organization urges Muslims to help Haiti :: The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) urged Islamic countries to extend aid to earthquake-devastated Haiti, which was struck again by a 6.1-magnitude on Wednesday as rescuers pulled more than 100 survivors from the rubble. AlArabiya
Full veil not welcome in France, says Sarkozy :: Nicolas Sarkozy last night threw his weight behind moves to ban the full Islamic veil in France, calling for an "unambiguous" parliamentary resolution against an item of clothing he said was "not welcome" in a country which valued sexual equality. Guardian UK
Obama: Our expectations of Mideast progress were 'too high' :: Jerusalem Post
Opinion: The peace process will resume, but why? Jerusalem Post
Abbas to U.S.: Negotiate with Israel on our behalf :: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has proposed that the Obama administration negotiate the final borders of a Palestinian state with Israel, a Palestinian official said Wednesday, as a U.S. envoy headed to the region for another attempt to restart Mideast peace talks. Haaretz
Dutch government misrepresented case for Iraq war :: The Dutch government was less than truthful in presenting its case for the invasion of Iraq to parliament, a report released on Tuesday noted. NRC Handelsblad
North Korea calls for peace talks, end to sanctions :: As conditions for progress in stalled nuclear talks, North Korea said Monday it wants a peace treaty with the United States that formally ends the Korean War and the removal of U.N. sanctions that are squeezing its anemic economy. WashingtonPost
Chávez vows to punish 'bourgeoisie speculation' after devaluing currency :: Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez this weekend devalued the country's currency, the bolivar, by half, in a move that economists say underscores the dire economic straits of the oil-rich nation CSMonitor
Anti-sleaze symphony wins Ivo Josipovic election as president in Croatia :: The torrent of sleaze brought a backlash at the weekend when Ivo Josipovic, a classical music composer with scant political experience, easily won election as president, promising a cleaner Croatia. UKGuardian
Josipovic eyes swift EU accession for Croatia :: Ivo Josipovic, Croatia’s president-elect, on Monday said he looked forward to taking the former Yugoslav republic of nearly 4.5m people into the European Union. FinancialTimes
Israel to build fence on border with Egypt :: Israel will build a fence on its border with Egypt to prevent the infiltration of terrorists and migrant workers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered the construction of a barrier fence along its southern border at a cost of more than $270 million.JewishTelegraphic Agency
CIA suicide attacker's wife 'shocked' but proud (Video) CNN
China issues warning over arms sales to Taiwan :: China yesterday (January 7) urged the United States to cancel a massive arms deal to Taiwan, warning of severe consequences if it does not heed the call. Asia News Network
Yemen says there are limits to its military cooperation with United States Washington Post
Yemen's Most Wanted :: Meet the new al Qaeda bad guys that keep U.S. counterterrorism officials up at night. Foreign Policy
Palestine: More process, less peace :: Over the last few days, the Middle East has witnessed diplomatic activity unprecedented in recent months, even years, aimed at breaking the deadlock in the "peace process" and defusing growing regional frustration with the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip. AlJazeera
'Israel will lose nerve-racking game' ::Hamas source reportedly says group's position in Schalit talks is strong enough to justify its demands. Jerusalem Post
Two arrested in suspected New York bomb plot :: Federal authorities arrested two men on Friday in connection with the case of an Afghan-born man accused of plotting a bombing attack in New York City on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. AlArabiya
Paris expels radical imam to Egypt after 'inciting violence' France has deported to Egypt a radical Imam who had been inciting his followers to rise up against the West. France24
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Politics such as they are . . .
Nearly 40 Percent of Stimulus Paid Out :: The Obama administration has paid out $309 billion of the nearly $800 billion stimulus, according to the latest figures available from Recovery.gov and the White House. ProPublica
What's gone wrong in Washington? ::American politics seems unusually bogged down at present. Blame Barack Obama more than the system Economist
Clinton: U.S. has no plan to strike Iran over nuclear program " Obviously, we don't want Iran to become a nuclear weapons power, but we are not planning anything other than going for sanctions," Clinton told Al-Arabiya television. Ha'arretz
Pakistani Scientist Found Guilty of Shootings NYTimes
'Lady Al Qaeda': Pakistan reacts to Aafia Siddiqui conviction in US court CSMonitor
US verdict sparks Pakistan protests AlJazeera
Call to expedite Dr Aafia\'s repatriation TheDawn-Pakistan
Hillary Clinton raises prospect of resignation :: Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, has complained of the tiring natue of her job and said she will step back from the role before the end of Barack Obama's presidency. Telegraph
U.S. Examines Whether Blackwater Tried Bribery :: The Justice Department is investigating whether officials of Blackwater Worldwide tried to bribe Iraqi government officials in hopes of retaining the firm’s security work in Iraq after a deadly shooting episode in 2007, according to current and former government officials. NYTimes
CIA moonlights in corporate world :: In the midst of two wars and the fight against Al Qaeda, the CIA is offering operatives a chance to peddle their expertise to private companies on the side — a policy that gives financial firms and hedge funds access to the nation’s top-level intelligence talent, POLITICO has learned.
The Great Unalignment :: The crises that Bush bequeathed to Democrats have now officially become theirs, and the notion of a great liberal realignment seems as retro as Friendster. NYTimesMagazine
OUCH, a Euro Perspective: German commentators say it is the end of hope.::
The World Bids Farewell to Obama Spiegel
Public Agrees With Court: Campaign Money Is "Free Speech" :: But have mixed views on other issues at heart of new Supreme Court ruling GallupOrganization
'I'm Scott Brown. I'm from Wrentham. I drive a truck' :: How the former Cosmopolitan centrefold became Ted Kennedy's Republican successor UKGuardian
The Massachusetts shocker :: The unstoppable truck :: How Scott Brown swept up the Bay State and stymied health reform in Washington, DC Economist
The Left’s Circular Firing Squad :: NEWSWEEK's guide to Democratic recriminations: six different explanations for why Martha Coakley lost the Massachusetts Senate race. Newsweek
SPIEGEL Interview with General Stanley McChrystal :: 'Killing the Enemy Is Not The Best Route to Success' :: General Stanley McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, talks to SPIEGEL about his new approach to the war, negotiations with the Taliban and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Spiegel
How to read "Game Change" :: "Game Change" by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann offers more heat than light. CSMonitor
'How Much Bush Is There in Obama?' :: President Barack Obama has slammed the "near-disastrous" intelligence failures surrounding an attempted Christmas Day terror attack on a Northwest Airlines jetliner. Looking beyond his tough rhetoric, German commentators scratch their heads and wonder if he is getting a bit too much like his predecessor. Spiegel
(An important story that has slipped between the lines of mainstream US media) Interpol Immunity ::
Obama takes America down another notch with an unnecessary, reckless act. National Review
Solving The Steele Mystery: Why Did He Cancel On ABC? :: What the heck happened? In a case of what might be bad communication or could be trouble brewing for Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, we delve into today's Steele Mystery. TPM
Steele's Book Shocks GOP :: The release of Michael Steele’s book this week apparently came as a shock to Republican congressional leaders, who say they were never told about the book and had no input in its contents, having since been told they have “no control” over Steele’s controversial comments while promoting the book. Washington Post
Inside Obama’s War on Terrorism :: The evening before he was sworn into office, Barack Obama stepped out of Blair House, the government residence where he was staying across from the White House, and climbed into an armored limousine for the ride to a bipartisan dinner.
NYTimes Magazine
Obama Details New Policies in Response to Terror Threat :: President Obama ordered a series of steps to streamline how terrorism threats are pursued, after a review of the thwarted bombing revealed shortcomings. NYTimes
Obama Administration Underestimated the Immediate Threat Posed by ‘Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’ :: President Obama and his White House counterterrorism adviser on Thursday accepted responsibility for attempted terror attack on Christmas Day that could have knocked an airliner out of the sky over Michigan. CNS News
Palin aide warned of 'epic debacle' :: Sarah Palin’s charming opening debate line for now-Vice President Joe Biden — “Hey, can I call you Joe?” — was scripted after she repeatedly referred to him as “O’Biden” in preparation sessions, former McCain campaign senior adviser Steve Schmidt told “60 Minutes.”
Politico
Health Care
Was swine flu ever a real threat? :: With one scientist alleging a World Health Organization 'conspiracy' that was a bonanza for drug firms, Mark Honigsbaum asks if H1N1 could have been handled differently Telegraph
Doubts cast on H1N1 scare :: The severity of the H1N1 outbreakwas deliberately exaggerated by pharmaceutical companies that stood to make billions of dollars from a worldwide scare, a leading European health expert has claimed. AlJazeera
U.S. Trims Vaccine Order From CSL as Interest Wanes :: The U.S. government wants less than half the swine flu vaccine it originally sought from CSL Ltd. joining countries such as France and Germany in canceling orders amid waning public concern about the influenza pandemic. Bloomberg
Medicare and the Mayo Clinic :: The famous hospital will no longer take some senior patients. WSJ
AHA Supports Reconciled Healthcare Reform Bill, But with Caveats :: As Congress starts its work on reconciling the two healthcare reform bills, the American Hospital Association (AHA) said in a letter to lawmakers Thursday that it "strongly supports" keeping the level of coverage proposed in the House bill—96% of all individuals legally residing in the U.S. (as opposed to 94% projected in the Senate bill). HealthLeadersMedia
What Health Reform Means for . . . . :: A ProPublica Overview ProPublica
Stuff & Other Stuff
The many voices of the web :: The internet: New combinations of human and computer translation are making web pages available in foreign languages Economist
Genetic inferiority threatens mankind, professor says :: The human race is slowly becoming a mutant shadow of its former well-adapted self, says genetics professor Rolf Hoekstra. NRC Handelsbad Netherland
JFK's love letters to Swedish beauty go to auction Washington - John F Kennedy's many love affairs included a relationship with the Swedish aristocrat Gunilla von Post that started right before his 1953 to Jackie and ended more than two years later. Monsters&Critics
The Keypad Solution :: There is a long and noble history of trying to change the English language’s notoriously illogical system of spelling. NYTimesMagazine
Veil can be lifted for ID check: Clerics :: MUMBAI: Muslim scholars and community leaders have urged the community not to oppose the Supreme Court ruling asking burqa-clad women to lift the \\
veil at the time of voting so that their identitites could be checked. Most Islamic scholars maintain that since face veil was not mandated by the Quran it should not be portrayed as a contravention of the scriptures. Times of India
Mobile-phone culture - The Apparatgeist calls :: How you use your mobile phone has long reflected where you live. But the spirit of the machines may be wiping away cultural differences Economist
Watching TV Linked to Higher Risk of Death WSJ
Mixing sexes in Saudi Arabia :: Not so terrible after all? Could the kingdom’s religious leaders be about to make a sharp U-turn? Economist
Mystery of three-year hiccup ordeal solved :: Musician cured after brain tumour that could have killed him is diagnosed Independent
The Real Story Behind North Korean Jeans :: It was an idea born out of a late night of drinking, but it quickly became reality. Three Swedish men have established a line of jeans made in North Korea and sold in Stockholm. But they weren't prepared for the criticism their pants have produced. Spiegel
Fashion Magazine to Salute Large-Size Women NYTimes Magazine
Why Seniors Really Should Fear Swine Flu :: The CDC's vaccination advice for the over-65 set has been misleading.Newsweek Millions of doses of swine flu vaccine to be off-loaded :: What do you do with vaccine that no-one needs? BBC
The 10 Stages of Social Media Business Integration Mashable |
Economy
Obama aims lower for financial reform package :: The White House may be willing to compromise on creating a new consumer financial protection agency, as lawmakers debate watered-down alternatives to the administration proposal.
Washington Examiner
Financial Reform Endgame by Paul Krugman : : So here’s the situation. We’ve been through the second-worst financial crisis in the history of the world, and we’ve barely begun to recover: 29 million Americans either can’t find jobs or can’t find full-time work. Yet all momentum for serious banking reform has been lost. The question now seems to be whether we’ll get a watered-down bill or no bill at all. And I hate to say this, but the second option is starting to look preferable. NYTimes
Basically, It's Over :: A parable about how one nation came to financial ruin. By Charles Munger
:: Charles Thomas Munger is the partner and vice-chairman of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Corporation. Slate
Warren Buffet's Annual Letter to Shareholders BerkshireHathaway.com
Moody’s warns US of credit rating fears :: Moody’s Investors Service fired off a warning on Wednesday that the triple A sovereign credit rating of the US would come under pressure unless economic growth was more robust than expected or tougher actions were taken to tackle the country’s budget deficit. FTimes
Germany to Buy Stolen Swiss Bank Data, Schaeuble Says :: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a newspaper interview that Germany will buy stolen information on Swiss bank accounts, backed by a poll showing voter support for the move if it helps fight tax fraud. Bloomberg
Paul Volker, Financial Reforms, A Framework for Financial Stability Group of 30 Recommendations Working Group on Financial Reforms
Statement of Volker summarizing Financial Reforms to Senate Banking Committee. USSenate Banking Comm.
Roubini Sees ‘Dismal’ Growth as Summers Rues ‘Human Recession’ :: Nouriel Roubini, the New York University professor who anticipated the financial crisis, said the U.S. growth outlook remains “very dismal” and White House economic adviser Lawrence Summers said the economy is still mired in a “human recession.” Bloomberg
European Parliament to Reject Bank Data Agreement with US ::
The European Parliament is likely to spike a deal which would allow US terrorism investigators access to European bank transfer data. Privacy advocates oppose the deal and Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office says the data profiling is ineffective in counterterrorism efforts. Spiegel
Glass-Steagall lite :: Barack Obama proposes limiting the activities of big banks Economist
Congress likely to absorb gist of Obama bank plan :: The U.S. Congress is likely to back the thrust of President Barack Obama's surprise new bank reform plan, according to the political calculus in Washington, but months of unpredictable debate lie ahead. Reuters
New York Times to charge readers for online content :: America's most popular newspaper website today announced that the era of free online journalism is drawing to a close. UKGuardian
Editor Note: See some of our views on this here
Google sends a shockwave through Chinese internet :: Google has declared cyberwar on China, deploying the world's information against its repressive government Guardian
Google's turbulent five years in China: a timelineTelegraph UK
Google errs :: Google's plan to withdraw from China may be as much about poor business prospects as ethics Economist
Britain's recession the steepest for 88 years :: Britain's economy fell last year at the sharpest rate since 1921, despite hopes that it finally emerged from recession in the last three months of the year, according to a respected economics forecaster. UKTimes
German economy suffered worst postwar slump in 2009 ::The German federal statistical office said that Europe's largest economy contracted by 5% last year, slightly worse than analysts' predictions of 4.8%. It did not release any data for the final three months of the year, but said that the economy had "stagnated".
UKGuardian
China's Aggressive Exports / Beijing Economic Policy Rocks the Global Boat :: In order to stimulate its economy, Beijing re-pegged its currency to the dollar. Doing so, however, has not only increased global economic imbalances -- it could ultimately harm China itself. Spiegel
What the Financial Crisis Commission Should Ask :: On Wednesday, the first hearing of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission — what many are calling this century’s equivalent of a Pecora-style investigation that scrutinized the market crash of 1929 — will take place in Washington. NYTimes
Markets: Bubble warning :: Markets are too dependent on unsustainable government stimulus. Something’s got to give Economist
Stimulus: How Fast We're Spending Nearly $800 Billion ProPublica
The Disposable Worker :: Pay is falling, benefits are vanishing, and no one's job is secure. How companies are making the era of the temp more than temporary Business Week
Walk Away From Your Mortgage! NYTimes Magazine
A $123 Trillion China? Not Likely. :: The many, many reasons -- from the financial crisis to the country's aging population to environmental limitations -- why Robert Fogel's forecast for China is completely inconceivable. ForeignPolicy
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