Spain’s declining credit rating forcing EU leaders to focus on debt crisis

European economists are under pressure now to take appropriate measures to solve debt crisis in Oct 23 Summit. Moody’s cut for Spain’s bond rate from A2 to A1 has degraded its condition. The move follows the biggest strike by Greeks against austerity drive, which has put the country’s economic condition at stake.

Global market is desperately waiting for EU leaders’ summit on Sunday, which is expected to bring some decisive results.

The cut in Spain’s rating has hampered Wall Street shares to great extent on Tuesday. The change also indicates similar negative trends from Greece too, which is already debt-striken.

However, Germany has decided to take a more defensive approach. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned people that EU leaders might not be able to solve this crisis in a single summit. She opined that this crisis needs a long-term effort to be solved, still the diplomats are expected to reach some relevant and impactful decision.

The summit would also carve out strategies to reduce debt in Greece as well as ways to strengthen banks with more exposure to euro zone and control their rescue funds.

US sends troops to Pakistan border

The United States sent its troops to Afghan area near border to Pakistan. According to a report by local media of Pakistan the troops consist heavy artillery and helicopter gunships.

The US military has taken a new position in an area which is adjacent to –insurgent-infested part of North Waziristan. The border also touches Ghulum Khan. The US troops shifted here on last Saturday and Sunday night.

The report also quoted Pakistani authorities and tribal leaders who revealed that US troops have taken position on hilltops from where they can observe the insurgents.

Another sources revealed that the US military also began a door-to-door search in KHost Province of Afghanistan to catch insurgents.

NATO warplanes were also seen across the border, revealed villagers of Ghulam Khan where US forces have also been deployed by now.

US forces’ sudden change in their position has culminated tension in the border area as US military also imposed curfew and banned traffic on main roads that connect border areas— Ghulam Khan of Pakistan and Khost province of Afghanistan.

Government authorities also confirmed this report, said the source. However, there was no confirmation of any such reports by the United States and NATO forces. No media sources from any other country has supported the same.

Libyan Sufi shrines attacked by Muslims

Tripoli witnessed another communal violence as fundamentalist Muslims attacked more than half a dozen shrines, which belong to “sacrilegious” sects. This has increased conflict and tension in the country, which is already boiling in the fire of revolution after ouster of autocratic ruler Mummar Gaddafi.

National Transition Council [NTC]— the rebellions party, is seeking for recognition from the international community and this communal violence may halt their desires in this regard. The new Libyan government is also fighting to combat extremists and trying not to let them influence politics and social life in the country as well as in the entire North African region.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, NTC chief has taken this violent outbreak very seriously and even appealed to top Muslim cleric to issue religious “fatwa” against the insurgents.

He also called on people to stop creating such nuisance and said that it was not a right time to do so. Jalil stated this while addressing a news conference on Tuesday.

The destruction seems to be targeting a particular sect as the targeted shrines belonged to Sufis. Fundamentalist Sunnis do not approve of Sufi practices as they consider worshipping graves as similar to idolatry, which is prohibited in Islam. According to some witnesses, many military officials were also involved in the breaking of Sufi shrines in Tripoli.

Iranian crude murder plan against Saudi envoy shocks US

Iran plans to assassinate Saudi envoy to US

The US administration sought for explanation over proofs of Iran’s involvement in the murder plot against Saudi ambassador to the United States on Wednesday. The action has been severely criticized by foreign leaders and diplomats.

The US officials could not explain over their findings of Quds Force’s involvement as this would definitey tarnish the image of the unit which is part of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and is considered being one of the elite international operations.

Jay Carney, spokesperson of Obama government kept on saying that there were clear evidence of senior officials of Quds Forces’ participation in the assassination plan, however he did not say anything further.

Iranian authorities fiercely opposed the American accusation and called it a deliberate act to tarnish Iran’s image.

Meanwhile, the US officials revealed they were trying to establish reasons to justify what their findings prove and indicated that as Quds Force is a known hand in supplying arms to the insurgents and training them, the murder plot might be an outcome of Iran’s changing strategy toward Saudi Arabia and the United States. The move might also be a trial to create tension  and between the United States and Saudi Arabia and spoil their economic relations.

Libyan military claims Gaddafi’s hometown Sirte under control

The transitional government’s security personals in Libya say they have captured Gaddafi’s hometown now as they have advanced near Sirte. The military forces could delayed marching directly in the town in order to avoid civilian casualties and fierce fighting.

With gaining control over Sirte, Libya’s new rulers will establish control over the entire country. It’s been two months since the rebellions waged their war against the autocratic ruler Muammar Gaddafi and seized capital Tripoli from his control.

According to new government’s commander of the Shohada Al-Manatair brigade, Mahmoud Bayu, there have been much advancement toward Sirte. He added that the military forces had already entered Ouagadougou conference centre despite fighting being continued.

National Transitional Council (NTC) forces have also taken hospitals under their control and also arrested many pro-Gaddafi fighters who were attacking from the hospital with rocket-propelled grenades. Another commander of new government, Salah Mustafa stated that they are evacuating sick and injured people while probing about those who have claimed themselves as doctors.

Around 15 pro-Gaddafi supporters were evacuated from the hospital premises.

The commander further revealed that the NTC forces had already reached the main center of the city and they were waiting for 75,000 civilians to leave the city.

Amber Miller

Three women honored together with Nobel Prize

The Nobel Committee honors women’s right to voice their demand for global peace by honoring three women with annual peace prize. One of the awarded is from Yemen while rest two are Liberians.

Ellen Johnson, Liberia’s first elected and female president along her compatriot  Leymah Gbowee shares the most prestigious award with Arabian activist Tawakul Karman.

The Nobel Committee justified awarding the trio because world can not achieve full democracy and peace until the women also get equal opportunities with men in all spheres, revealed the committee’s chairman Thorbjoern Jagland.

Johnson-Sirleaf, 72  has won election in Liberia for a second term as President. She is called as “Iron Lady” by her opponents. Achieving this award might also reduce her vote potentiality, doubted many diplomats, however, Sirleaf dismissed all doubts.

Awarding Yemeni protesters, who are still fighting to pressurize their autocratic rulers to step down, may also be taken as an indication that Oslo has put its hands away from former ally Ali Abdullah Saleh, the current president of Yemen.

Karman stated that her achievement should be considered as a prize for the victory of Yemeni people and all revolutionaries of the Arab world.

Americans cheer with added 103,000 Jobs

The United States reduces unemployment to cheer its citizens by reaching 103,000 jobs in September.

Despite the dark predictions about further negative impacts of recession on American economy, Obama administration can boast to defy all by this added employment. However, the addition in jobs has not changed the current unemployment rate, which remains on its August level– 9.1 percent.

The US economy is going through severe financial crisis since 2008 following the fall of two major US banks Lehman Brothers and Merill Lynch.

Meanwhile President Obama is trying hard to pass the jobs bill. According to the Labor Department, the Democrat’s are likely to face tough time with expectations to improve US economy in the midst of aggravating recession.

The country has gained 55,000 new jobs altogather in September. Following this the Labor Department has revised its statistics of zero job growth to a gain of 57,000 jobs since August.

Addressing a conference, President Obama called on Congress to cooperate in improving national economy and prevent job losses. He also urged diplomats to not bring politics in the way of job bill for national interests.

Steve Job’s death makes Apple’s future uncertain

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of AppleInc and former CEO of the company dies on Wednesday fighting with pancreatic cancer for a long time.

Creating numerous seminal electronics products, Jobs gave a new shape and definition to many industries. His company Apple became a$350 billion worth tech empire.

All over world, he was known as the greatest CEO of any company so far who positioned Apple on the top for several decades ahead. Before resigning, Steve Jobs handed the company to its operations chief Tim Cook in August, still Job’s death leaves many questions in front of the gizmo empire

 

Many experts doubt if Apple can continue the same miracle of success without Jobs. Steve Jobs had always kept every bit of product development process under his scrutinyBe it the iPhone or the Macintosh, the iPod, or the iPad, all show his capability of unique designing.

Investors’ and consumers’ faith in Apple is not affected despite Job’s resignation. While Job was busy in his treatment since January, there was no clear indication who would take the leadership in Apple. Though Cook has taken Job’s responsibilities everyone believes Steve Jobs had no comparison in terms of brilliance. Cook’s first big production launched on Tuesday did not get that warm recognition and investors fear if they are going to lose their money by retaining their association with Apple.

Nobel Prize nominee in Medicine dies before award

This year 3 scientists were to share the Nobel Prize in medicine. Their contribution in the field of medicine is specifically focussedon discoveries regarding the immune system.  Dr. Bruce A. Beutler, Dr. Jules A. Hoffmann and Dr. Ralph M. Steinman have been awarded on Monday, however,   Dr. Steinman died a day before on Sept. 30.

The three scientist were to achieve this award on Monday for their findings in immunology. The status of the prize was also questioned as one of the recipient died.

Nobel Prizes have never been awarded posthumously so far. This is why the sudden death of Dr. Steinman Rockefeller University in Manhattan left the Nobel jury red faced. Finally for the first time in the history of Nobel Prizes, the awarding committee retained its decision of awarding the deceased scientist as it was not aware of his death at the time of selection.

The Nobel Committee of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden decided to carefully think over the rules of the prizes. The Nobel Prizes were first time awarded in 1900 after the death of Alfred Nobel, to fulfill his wish mentioned in his will regarding his properties and assets.

Dr. Steinman received one-half the prize whereas other half has been shared by Dr. Bruce A. Beutler of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif as well asDr. Jules A. Hoffmann of France.

 

The three scientists have received this honor for their milestone findings on necessary actions of immune systems in response to any infection. Dr. Hoffmann in 1996 had discovered the cell receptors in laboratory fruit flies which become activated by the infection by pathogenic fungi or bacteria.

 

Dr. Beutler followed Hoffman in this field and recognized the cell receptors in mice 2 years later. These cell receptors reacted in response to a substance coated with bacteria. In the case of over-stimulation, these cell receptors created septic shock too.

In 1973, Dr. Steinman foundanother type of cell which played a great role in the adaptive immune system. These cells are known as dendritic cells.

. Dr. Steinman was a native of Canada, however he spent most of his life working with Rockefeller University.

US vested interests exposed again

Recent incidents have exposed the dual faces of US diplomat once again. The disgusting game of death and destruction, which the United States of America has been playing with rest of the world in the name of promoting democracy and anti-terrorism campaigns is not hidden from anybody.

What the United States justifies its actions with is all to establish peace and democracy, but behind curtains its foreign policy is dictated by oil diplomacy and on ways to seek for reasons to exploit other nations’ resources.

If the Bigg Boss and Uncle Sam today declares Pakistan among suspects of terrorism sponsoring nations and says it would attack the later getting evidence of the accusation, it does not surprise anybody. Be it Afghanistan or Iraq, Cuba or Indo-China, US ambitions have always come up naked.

Recently Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI has been declared a terrorists’ ally and blamed for having a hand behind attack on US Embassy in Kabul.

Experts of politics are in doubt regarding the notion that this declaration is the beginning of US war against Pakistan. Annoyed by Russia and China’s support to Palestinians’ demand for statehood in the UN General Assembly, US gets no excuse to hide its real intentions.

Israel has always been a problem state since its inception. Palestinians were pushed toward margins and suppressed in their own homeland for many decades.

However, even after 20 years of continuous killing of civilians, Palestinians are yet begging for peace. though the United States has always posed to be negotiating with Israel on its behalf for settlement.

However, now the real intentions of the superpower are clear with its strong protest, against Palestinian demand for UN membership as a sovereign state. Palestinian should now better seek for a bilateral solution with Israel rather than looking at the United States or its puppet UN for achieving peace and sovereignty.