Author Archives: Gunjan Priya

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Sarah Palin criticizes Alaskan Press as ‘Biased’

The former governor of state of Alaska Sarah Palin has described the local media in her state as unfair and biased. She also praised the energy speech of Barack Obama when he was candidate for presidential election in America. This was shown through the emails she sent during her first two years as the governor of the state.

About 2400 emails from her term which was released showed what her administration did up to September 2008 just before she was selected as the running mate for the then presidential candidate of the Republican Party John McCain.

There are about six boxes of documents which weighed about 300 pounds containing such items as mails about budget, bears as well as oil and gas related issues. There is a mail on the dismissal of the public safety commissioner in the state.

One of the areas she commented was on the issue of Troopergate which she accused the media of being unfair and bias in their reporting. She said that the media reports about the DPS budgets were false. Greater part of the mail showed the former governor with her staff attending to state matters such as schedules, speeches, travels, job applicants and board appointments.

In one of the mails it was disclosed where the former governor was in Washington and was asked to meet one Pete Rouse who was Obama’s chief of staff in senate. The mail read that Pete Rouse was the chief of staff to a guy called Barack Obama.

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Turkey Assures Gaddafi to leave Libya

The embattled leader of Libya Col Moamar Gadhafi had assurances from Turkey for him to leave Libya but has not gotten any answer from Gadhafi even as the NATO bombings close in on him. The prime minister of Turkey Tayyip Endogan made this disclosure on Friday.

The prime minister who was speaking to journalists in NTV said that Col. Gadhafi has no other option than to leave power and leave Libya. He said that his country has offered him safe guarantee through an envoy he dispatched to meet with Gadhafi in Tripoli. The prime minister said that they gave him the assurance that they would help him to go to anywhere he would like to go. He said that Turkey is ready to discuss with their allies to help him cede power and leave the country. He regretted that they have not received any response from Gadhafi.

Turkey is a member of NATO which had continued air bombardment of Tripoli. The prime minister did not elaborate on the type of assistance and guarantee they will give to Gadhafi. Both the rebels in Libya and NATO had given it as a condition that Gadhafi must leave the country before they would agree to any ceasefire. Gadhafi has remained adamant maintaining that he will fight the war to the last man.

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Rare fungal infection invades Missouri following tornado, kills 151

Health officials have said that a rare infection which arises from the flying debris from last tornado is responsible for the health risk that is faced by the residents of Joplin in Missouri. The infection is called fungal infection and it has already affected well over 900 people.

The officials said that those who are affected by the fungal infection are those who are injured by the tornado. The soil and plant matter from the debris permeated the skin of the injured people and it is now causing the fungal infection among them. Already the health officials have confirmed that about 151 people have died of the infection while several others are still infected. The officials also passed a warning to the hospitals in Joplin to know of the infection when treating the patients that were injured by the tornado.

The officials said that the last 8 deaths were as a result of the same injury. The figure also included the death of police officers who died after sustaining light injuries from the tornado attack. The health officials said that these police men were initially not included in the figure.

It would be recalled that on May 22 tornado ravaged the region of Joplin in Missouri State causing the death of many people.

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Accused former NSA official to plead guilty

The ex NSA manager Thomas Drake who would be charged to court for leaking classified information has accepted a plea deals with the government. This may result to the government to dropping the charges of his indictment and therefore absolve him from the offence of leaking classified information.

In exchange Mr. Drake agreed to plead for guilty of misdemeanor for exceeding the authorized usage of computer. He will only serve for one year probation and would not be expected to pay any fine. If he failed to plead for guilty of misdemeanor he will serve up to 35 years in jail if found guilty.

This development is seen as a victory for Drake who is aged 54 who has been under investigation since 2006 for leaking secret information to the media. He was indicted in May 2010. This development is seen as a great setback to president Obama who is fighting serious battle against leakers of national security secrets.

Mr. Drake is billed to appear before Judge Richard Bennett in the US District Court in Baltimore on Friday to enter for this plea. He has denied several times that he did not leak classified security information to Baltimore Sun reporter who produced series of reports of NSA.

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Syrians flee into Turkey to evade crackdown

It is reported that well of 1,500 Syrian citizens have fled their country to neighboring Turkey to run away from anticipated government crackdown. This is a sign that president Assad is using heavy force against the growing opposition that is working to overthrow his regime.

So far the efforts of the Syrian opposition to crush their autocratic regime as the other Arab states are doing is leading to crackdown and death of Syrians.

So far the western world and international community have not done more than ordinary condemnation of the crackdown. Recently the British government had asked the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution against the highhandedness of Assad.

Syrian resident near the border are crossing over to avert the attack by the military. It is reported that about 40 tanks and soldiers had moved near the town of Jisr al- Shughour. This is the area where it is reported that an armed group had killed about 120 security officers. There are about 50,000 Syrians living along that border.

There is a report of infighting among the Syrian security officers. It is reported that soldiers opened fire on those soldiers that refused to open fire on civilians.

Meanwhile demonstrations are still going on in the country. Women and children have joined the demonstration urging for a regime change in the country.



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Syrian military launches attack in protest hotspot

As expected the Syrian military has moved its tanks and personnel to the north western city of Jisr al-Shughour. This was reported by the Syrian television who described the move as a mission to restore security.

The Syrian security officials had said earlier in the week that about 120 security personnel were killed in the city by a group they described as armed gang. The residents of the town had expected the military assault and many of them have crossed over to the neighboring Turkey. The fleeing refugees reported that dozens of tank had moved into the city. It is feared that about 2,800 residents of the town which is said to have a population of about 5000 people have already fled the town to Turkey.

Foreign journalist are not allowed into Syria since the crises started and even those refugees that crossed the border to Turkey were not allowed to talk to the foreign journalists.

The movement of the army into the town is a retaliation of the reported killing of 120 security men in the town. However there is an opposing view of the 120 soldiers said to have been killed; the Syrian opposition said that the figure are soldiers who were loyal to president Assad but now defected to the opposition.

 

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Alabama governor signs immigration law

The Republican governor of Alabama has signed the new tough immigration bill into law. The governor signed the law on Thursday. The law required the police to check anyone it arrested even for another reason whom they may have a reason to believe that he is in the country illegally.

The bill is expected to be enforced from the month of September this year. With the signing of the illegal immigration the state of Alabama has joined the leagues of other states in the country that have signed the bill.

Already the bill has attracted criticisms from civil right group and the government of Mexico. The Alabama house of assembly was dominated by the Republican party members. Parties apart immigration issue is one of the contentious issues in American domestic policy.

The bill outlaws the transportation and accomodation of an illegal immigrant in the state. The state is to adopt other strigent measures such as checking the status of students; also business that employs an illegal immigrant knowingly will be punished.

Alabama republicans said that the bill will reduce illegal immigration in the state saying that it will afford equal opportunities for every resident of the state. Opponents of the bill said that it will have negative consequences adding that young people are targetted most.

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Clinton: Qaddafi Loyalists opt for Negotiation

The US secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton said that some loyalists of Libyan leader Col. Moamar Gadhafi have been making some overtures for his peaceful exit from power. She said that she is aware of many of such moves by officials of Gadhafi regime.

Mrs. Clinton who was speaking to journalists in Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates at a conference that was held on Libya said that there are overtures to have Gadhafi leave to unspecified countries and the possibility of formation of transitional government in the country. She could not confirm whether such a request would be accepted but believed however that the regime of Moamar Gadhafi in Tripoli is almost over. Mrs. Clinton was reacting to a question that was asked whether she could confirm that Gadhafi loyalists are seeking asylum for the Libyan leader in an undisclosed African country.

The conference was an international one called for Libya. In the meeting the Transitional National Council of Libya sought for more financial assistance from countries supporting the NATO operation in the country. At the conference some countries offered some financial assistance. France and Italy promised a total of $1.02 billion while two Arab countries Qatar and Kuwait pledged a combined sum of $280 million. The money was meant to assist the opposition in the country in their battle against Gadhafi.

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Gadhafi soldiers push to retake Misrata

Despite the series of air bombardment by NATO forces loyal to the embattled Libyan leader Moamar Gadhafi had launched an attack aimed at taking the Misrata which was under the control of the rebel soldiers. The attack was launched on Wednesday.

It was reported that thousands of soldiers loyal to Gadhafi infiltrated the rebel positions with cars and flags bearing the rebel colour. The attack had claimed the lives of more than 13 rebel soldiers. Eye witness reported that this battle was the bloodiest since the city of Misrata was besieged by soldiers. The hospitals in the city are reported over flowing with wounded people.

However it appears that the rebels are holding strongly to their ground. This attack is just coming barely a day after NATO had launched one of the deadliest attacks against Gadhafi in Tripoli. The government spokesperson said that over 60 missiles landed in the Tripoli claiming life of about 31 people. NATO said that it is doing everything to avoid civilian casualties in the air attacks. Gadhafi had vowed that he will fight to the last person saying that he will not leave the country. NATO and rebels had insisted that the only condition for ceasefire is that Gadhafi will leave power.

 

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Apple not to launch iTunes in iCloud in United Kingdom

Apple will shelve the proposed launching of its iTunes in iClouds which was earlier billed to take place this year in United kingdom to next year. The chief executive of the company Mr. Steve Jobs disclosed this shortly after he resumed work from his sick leave. The iTunnes in iClouds was billed to be launched in the United States of America in September this year will now be launced in the United kingdom early first quarter of 2012.

Apple has started negotiations with PRS that is the Performing Right Society, the association is an umbrella organization which ensures that songwriters as well as music makers are paid for the job they did. they told the press that apple has already started negotiations which would ensure that there are rights in UK. The negotiation is still in its early stages.

 

The association noted that the licensing team is already discussing with apples although still at its early stages adding that as at now signing of any deal is not near. The negotiations is still in its early stages adding that the negotiation is similar to the launch of iTunes that started in America before it was extended to other countries.