Italy's frustrated students and jobless protest against 'useless' Italian politicians
Frustrated and angry, thousands of Italian students, jobless and tax-weary workers have moved their days-long protest against "useless politicians" to Rome.
The noisy protest Wednesday afternoon was filling Piazza del Popolo, a square in the heart of the Italian capital.What started out as the so-called "pitchforks protest" by Sicilian farmers nearly two years ago is now a nationwide expression of citizen impatience over rising unemployment, stubborn recession and unproductive lawmakers. One placard Wednesday read: "too much bureaucracy, skyrocketing taxes, useless politicians. Go home."
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco from his base in blue-collar Genoa urged politicians to hear "this cry of pain" from society and urged protesters to make practical proposals. Protesters in recent days have blocked highways in much of Italy, and in some cases, clashed with police.
Mia Marie Pope: Barack Obama a 'walking fictional character
On Thursday the Myrtle Beach Independent Examiner published an article outlining shocking claims by Mia Marie Pope, a childhood friend of President Obama. Pope spoke candidly about her experiences with Obama in Hawaii during the late ‘70s in part one of an interview with Jeff Rense earlier this week. Part two of that interview was released yesterday, and Pope revealed even more eye-opening information about the mysterious past of Barack Obama. A past that many people believe has been carefully hidden from public view.Rumors of Obama’s homosexuality have persisted for years, and Pope claims to have direct knowledge of Obama’s teen lifestyle, which she says included exchanging sexual favors for cocaine. Obama, or “Barry,” as she knew him, was openly homosexual, Pope says.
“Barry just had, almost had, just like a little bit of a disdain almost (towards females),” Pope told Rense, “and it was like there was nothing on a girl’s body that was of any interest to this guy.”
Pope also addressed rumors that the wedding ring worn by Obama is not actually a wedding ring, but that he “has been wearing it for over 30 years, and it has Arabic writing on it. You can find it on YouTube, so you don’t have to take my word for it. Just put it in the search box, ‘Barack Obama, No God but Allah,’ and ask about the ring.”
Druids Protest Stonehenge Revamp
LONDON (AP) — Druids are not happy with the 27 million pound ($44 million) revamp of Stonehenge.
Several dozen modern-day Druids in flowing robes protested at the site Wednesday, calling for the reburial of Neolithic remains displayed in an exhibition about the ancient stone circle.
King Arthur Pendragon, head of a group called the Loyal Arthurian Warband, compared the display of the bones to a Victorian peep show.
A new exhibition center at Stonehenge is intended to give visitors more background on the monument, 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of London. It was built over many centuries starting about 3,000 B.C. for a purpose that remains unclear.
English Heritage, which oversees Stonehenge, said it had considered using replica bones, but "authenticity is important to tell England's story."
Japan increases defence budget amid tensions with China
Tokyo announces plans to buy drones, jet fighters and destroyers, and set up amphibious unit similar to US marines
Japan is to significantly increase its defence spending over the next five years to acquire surveillance drones, fighter jets, naval destroyers and amphibious vehicles to counteract China's growing military activity in the region.New defence and security strategies ordered by Japan's conservative prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and approved on Tuesday, include the creation of a new amphibious unit modelled on the US marines, which would be called on to retake islands captured by an enemy – a clear response to Chinese naval and aerial activity near the disputed Senkaku islands.
Relations between Japan and China have sunk to their lowest point in decades over the East China Sea islands, which are administered by Japan but also claimed by China.
Over the past year Chinese surveillance ships have made regular incursions into waters near the islands, and last month Beijing increased the pressure on Tokyo when it declared an air-defence identification zone across a wide area of the East China Sea that includes the Senkakus, known in China as the Diaoyu. The islands' location makes them strategically important, and they are thought to lie amid potentially huge natural gas deposits.
Abe said the new guidelines did not mark a departure from Japan's postwar pacifism or the strictly defensive posture of its armed forces.
"The strategy is designed to make our foreign and security policy clear and transparent both at home and abroad," he said. "We will do our part in contributing to global peace and security further."
Putin outbids EU with $15-billion bailout offer to Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has used his country’s economic might – cheap energy and billions in desperately needed cash – to yank neighbouring Ukraine back towards Moscow, infuriating the crowds protesting non-stop on the streets of Kiev and leaving a badly outplayed West with few obvious countermoves in the Cold War-style struggle over the fate of the former Soviet republic.Four weeks ago, Ukraine seemed set to sign a trade agreement with the European Union that would put the country on track for eventual accession to the EU. The Kremlin first used the stick – the threat of crippling economic retaliation – to get Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to walk away from that deal on Nov. 21, a reversal that has since brought hundreds of thousands of pro-European protesters into the streets of Kiev. Now, Mr. Putin has produced the carrot: cut-rate natural gas, and a promise to buy $15-billion (U.S.) in bonds from the cash-strapped Ukrainian government.
Report: Dozens of Gazans fighting with jihadi groups in Syria
Dozens of Gazans have traveled to Syria to fight with Salafi-jihadi rebels, according to a report recently released by the Tel Aviv-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
"In Syria, the Salafist-jihadi volunteers from the Gaza Strip are expected to acquire military experience, ideological training and ties with groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the global jihad," the report said.
Although limited, the number of Gazan volunteers in Syria is growing, the report said. It warned that "upon their return to the Gaza Strip, they are liable to become a hotbed of terrorism and subversion against Israel, Egypt and even the Hamas de-facto government."
"We estimate the number of volunteers from the Gaza Strip who have joined forces with the rebels at several dozen," the Center stated, adding that seven of them have been killed in fighting with Assad loyalist forces.
Most of the volunteers belong to Salafist-jihadi organizations based in Gaza, and some are former Hamas operatives, the Center continued. "They enter Syria via Turkey (as do most of the foreign volunteers). Some ostensibly depart for Saudi Arabia (for example, under the guise of going on a Hajj) and from there they enter Syria via Turkey. In Syria, they usually join the Al-Nusra Front and other jihadist organizations," the report stated.
Two surviving Fukushima reactors to shut
The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant says it will decommission two reactors at the troubled site that escaped major physical damage from the 2011 tsunami.Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said on Wednesday that its management board decided permanently to shut down reactors 5 and 6 at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
The plant had a total of six reactors when a record 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck on March 11, 2011 and unleashed a killer tsunami that swamped emergency cooling systems.
The natural disasters wrecked Fukushima’s reactors 1 through 4, with three of them suffering meltdowns and spewing radioactive material over a vast farming region.
The utility officially made the decision after accounting rules were changed so that it would not have to book massive losses associated with the decommissioning of the reactors.
‘‘We are studying if we could use the facilities for research purposes,’’ as the firm examines ways to dismantle heavily damaged reactors 1 through 4, said TEPCO spokesman Koichiro Shiraki.
TEPCO and the government are expected to spend some four decades cleaning up and dismantling the four units at the Fukushima plant, the site of the worst nuclear accident in a generation.
$4.5m seized from bank chief's home in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey: Istanbul police leading a major corruption and bribery investigation targeting allies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have seized shoe boxes stashed with money totaling some $4.5 million in the home of the chief executive of a state-owned bank, a Turkish news agency reported Wednesday.
The Dogan news agency said the shoe boxes were discovered on bookshelves in the home of Halk Bank's CEO, Suleyman Aslan, who is among dozens of people - including the sons of government ministers - detained for questioning as part of the corruption and bribery investigation.
Dogan, a reliable news source, cited unidentified judicial officials for its report. A national police official said he could not immediately confirm the report, while officials at the interior ministry refused comment.
In a sign that Erdogan was fighting back against the probe, five senior police officials were removed from duty on Wednesday, Turkish media reports said. They included commissioners in charge of combatting organized crime, smuggling and criminal financial activity and oversaw the corruption detentions, according to Dogan.
Russia in Stagnation: Putin Speech Hints at Big Problems
In his annual state of the nation address on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the need to rein in corruption and called for technological progress. But he also hinted at the bigger problems that will plague his country in years to come.
Sometimes a sigh says more than words. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual state of the nation address in front of members of his government and both chambers of parliament, the State Duma and the Federal Council. And when, during his speech, he lamented that "very corrupt" officials were preventing local authorities from giving vacant community property to large families, he let out a quiet sigh.
Russia's head of state spoke about his country's apparatus of state like a teacher speaks about students whose poor grades threaten their graduation. It was also a throwback to May 2012, when he announced directives aimed at improving the country's administration -- none of which have been implemented.
Putin complained about "administrative barriers" for exporters, mentioned "grueling conversations" with the finance minister and asked civil servants to fulfill their duties "without excuses" and without "watering down" assignments.-
As if ObamaCare’s botched website, coverage cancellations, and higher costs were not bad enough, the Obama Administration has quietly dealt yet another blow – this time striking millions of the nation’s most vulnerable seniors. Specifically, the Obama Administration has decided to deeply cut funding for the Medicare program’s home health benefit as a way to help pay for ObamaCare.
The Administration made this announcement very quietly, waiting to do so until the very end of the last Friday before Thanksgiving, perhaps thinking that most people would not be looking.To be sure, the timing of the Administration’s quiet announcement did keep it out of sight – for a while. That ended on December 12th, however, when the Washington Examiner broke the story in an article headlined “ObamaCare forcing 14 percent cut in Medicare’s home health program.” FOX News and the Daily Caller have also picked up this story, so full attention is now being paid to this unprecedented cut – and the harm it will do to frail seniors across America.
As the Examiner’s Richard Pollock wrote, “An estimated 3.5 million poor and ill homebound senior citizens will wake up on New Year’s Day to discover ObamaCare has slashed funding for their home health care program.” He’s right: on January 1st, the Obama Administration will sharply cut Medicare funding for home healthcare services.
Bill and Hillary Clinton Implicated further
The recent claims attributed to the wife of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi are shocking – very shocking. If they are true, they would be extremely damaging to the Obama administration generally but perhaps even more so, to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Naglaa Mahmoud is reported to have divulged some extremely specific details. While we wait to see the story develop, we thought we’d research secondary evidence in an attempt to discredit or bolster Mahmoud’s charges.
While mostly circumstantial, these claims, when examined in the context of multiple other facts, appear to add more credibility to the claims allegedly made by Mahmoud. It is for this reason that we have introduced the report below as Addendum P of our “Ironclad” Report.Employing the Brotherhood
The employment of a prominent Muslim Brotherhood figure in Egypt, by the Clinton Foundation may help add to the veracity of shocking claims recently attributed to Naglaa Mahmoud, wife of ousted Egyptian president, Mohammed Mursi. Among other things Mahmoud reportedly said in an interview was that the Clintons “recruited” her and her husband in the 1980′s while the Egyptian couple resided in the U.S. and that the two families became close friends.
Let’s take a look at some demonstrable facts in light of these supposed claims. First, consider the potential fruits of such a relationship between the Clintons and the Mursi family.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Gehad el-Haddad had been arrested by Egyptian security forces; el-Haddad also worked for the foundation of the 42nd U.S. President.
Generals call for action on Obama administration, leaders of Congress
Two retired U.S. generals are creating a citizens’ commission to closely watch actions by the Obama administration on national security and economic issues, according to a report published yesterday by World Net Daily.
The project, known as “America’s Provisional Leadership Council” will look closely at what the council calls “major concerns”, as outlined by Army Maj. Gen. Paul E. Vallely and Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Jones, in an eight-point paper titled “The Americans Project.”
Vallely, is chairman of the organization Stand Up America, and served as the deputy commanding general of Pacific Command. Jones, is vice chairman of The Americans Project of Stand Up America, and held numerous Air Force command positions including a tactical fighter wing, a strategic airlift wing and a special operations group.
Vallely recently called for the “forced resignations” of President Obama and congressional leaders in response to multiple grievances, including the alleged political purge of hundreds of senior military officers.
According to the WND report, Gen. Vallely told WND he sees The Americans Project as a “citizens’ commission” of prominent Americans to provide advice to legislative and executive branches of government.
“America’s leaders will be held to high standards of performance to solve the nation’s problems of governing,” Valley said, “We will scrutinize and provide guidance to federally elected officials on behalf of the citizens.”
Vallely recently called for the forced resignations of Obama and the leadership of Congress, and laid out plans for nationwide rallies. Vallely also said a peaceful “civil uprising is still not out of question.”
US Fed to slow stimulus effort
The US Federal Reserve has announced a slowdown in its effort to boost the US economy.
The central bank said it planned to scale back its $85bn (£51.8bn) a month bond buying programme by $10bn a month.Stimulus of this kind is designed to lower interest rates and boost economic activity
The Fed's governing committee cited stronger job growth as a reason for the decision to pullback its programme of bond buying.
The announcement followed a two-day meeting in Washington, DC.
The Fed's decision to begin to ease its extraordinary stimulus efforts also indicates that the central bank believes that the US economy has finally strengthened enough that it no longer needs as much support.
In its forecast for the coming years, the Fed said the employment situation will improve faster than previously expected.
It said the unemployment rate will fall to 6.3% in 2014 from its current level of 7%.This could set the pace for further reductions in the Fed's stimulus efforts in the coming year.
In a press conference to discuss the Fed's announcement, Chairman Ben Bernanke said: "If incoming data proudly support the committee's support for employment we will likely reduce the pace of committee's purchases in further steps at future meetings."
However, he also cautioned: "Continued progress is by no means certain. Adjustments will be deliberate and dependent on incoming information."
Judge blasts Obama governance by ‘secret law’
JUDGE BLASTS OBAMA GOVERNANCE BY ‘SECRET LAW’ - On the heels of a decision ruling a key provision of the Obama administration's secret domestic surveillance program unconstitutional, another judge has hit the president for secrecy and ordered the administration to open the books. U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle, a Clinton appointee, blasted the administration for trying keep secret a memo on foreign aid, writing: “The government appears to adopt the cavalier attitude that the President should be permitted to convey orders throughout the Executive Branch without public oversight...to engage in what is in effect governance by ‘secret law.’” More from McClatchy.What’s the deal on your data? - As the president tries to cut a deal with some of his top political backers about how much data tech firms will share with the government, is the president really looking out for you? It’s a fair question given his administration’s unprecedented penchant for secrecy. The president’s focus seems to be on restoring his reputation for technological competency and cool in the aftermath of ObamaCare’s crash landing. But given the frustrations among his tech patrons over Obama’s heavy-handed NSA tactics and obtuse health insurance system, what is Obama prepared to give away to get back in their good graces?
[ Noonan: “Most of the Obama people just don’t have a background in executing. They have a background in communicating, not doing.”]
Post it or not, Facebook can see what you type - The LA Times reports that Facebook has admitted it can track users’ unpublished posts, after the social networking company did a study that followed the activity of 5 million random users. The company claims the study was conducted to see how users self-edited. Facebook says it’s no longer tracking unpublished posts, but asserts the study is in accordance with the terms of service agreement users acknowledge in using the network.
In 2014, The Obama Dictatorship Will Be Complete
Though few Americans are aware of it, the unconscionable ObamaCare ruling of Chief Justice John Roberts stands to provide Barack Hussein Obama unlimited and fundamentally irrevocable power less than 2 years after his re-election. Obama will acquire the “legal” authority to select 15 individuals whose word will automatically become the law of the land.
Within the 2500 pages of the comically-named Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is cached the 2014 establishment of the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Nominated exclusively by the president, the 15 members of the Board will ostensibly be tasked with “…prevent[ing] per-enrollee Medicare spending from growing faster than a specified target rate.” To accomplish this congressional mandate, ObamaCare has provided the Board with the authority to submit legislative “proposals” to Congress; proposals which will automatically become law unless both Houses AND the President agree upon and pass into law a substitute measure.
In short, “the Board’s edicts …become law without congressional action, congressional approval, meaningful congressional oversight, or being subject to a presidential veto.” Moreover, citizens will have NO authority to challenge the Board’s pronouncements in court, for ObamaCare “…specifically states that the Secretary [of Health and Human Service’s] implementation of IPAB’s proposals is not judicially reviewable.” Therefore a group of presidential, POLITICAL appointees will have the practical power of shaping and imposing upon the American public, the laws of the land! For in addition to creating edicts loosely attached to Medicare and its myriad applications, in 2015 the IPAB will be permitted to impose price controls, taxes and “…ration care for all Americans whether the government pays their medical bills or not!” Thus even the Medicare stipulation will no longer be a practical deterrent to the Board’s authority.
Fine print: State can seize your assets to pay for care after you’re forced into Medicaid by Obamacare
My, this is an unpleasant consequence of Obamacare. I’m not going to call it unintended because in its current form, it potentially earns a bunch of money for states, so I’m pretty sure that’s intentional. What I think is unintentional is anyone noticing this is what they’re up to.But the Seattle Times noticed:
It wasn’t the moonlight, holiday-season euphoria or family pressure that made Sophia Prins and Gary Balhorn, both 62, suddenly decide to get married.So, here’s the deal. There used to be a provision whereby the state could recuperate funds spent on a Medicaid patient post-55 years old from whatever assets he owned. So, a low-income individual in nursing home care after age 55 might pass away and his kids would find out the family home or car of whatever he had to his name had to be bought back from the state if they wanted it. It’s called estate recovery, and sounds pretty shady if it’s not boldly advertised as the terms for Medicaid enrollment, which is most definitely is not.
It was the fine print.
As fine print is wont to do, it had buried itself in a long form — Balhorn’s application for free health insurance through the expanded state Medicaid program. As the paperwork lay on the dining-room table in Port Townsend, Prins began reading.
She was shocked: If you’re 55 or over, Medicaid can come back after you’re dead and bill your estate for ordinary health-care expenses.
The way Prins saw it, that meant health insurance via Medicaid is hardly “free” for Washington residents 55 or older. It’s a loan, one whose payback requirements aren’t well advertised. And it penalizes people who, despite having a low income, have managed to keep a home or some savings they hope to pass to heirs, Prins said.
Judge Ruling Means Obama Social Security Card Fraud Questions May Finally Have To Be Answered
Attorney Orly Taitz has been fighting to shine a light on the document fraud that is B. Hussein Obama for as long as anyone. She was there in the beginning when it was only her, Phil Berg and a few others pointing out the inconsistencies that we have now become all too familiar with. Other inconsistencies and falsified documents have arisen since those early days and others have joined the fight.She has just won a victory in the attempt to get an explanation as to how B. Hussein Obama ended up with the social security number that he is using. Like every other form of documentation that is connected to the White House occupant, it is dirty, it is clouded, and it is likely not genuine.
The website for Attorney Taitz gives the following update regarding a recent decision by a Maryland Judge:
Judge Hollander in Maryland gives Attorney Orly Taitz 21 days to file a second amended complaint and add allegations in regards to an improper withholding by the Social Security Administration of records of Harry Bounel, whose Social security number is being illegally used by Barack Obama. When Taitz filed the complaint, SSA did not respond at all. After the law suit was filed, SSA responded by fraudulently claiming that the records were not found. Taitz responded that this is a fraudulent assertion, since the records were found before and denied to another petitioner due to privacy concerns; however Social Security has no right to claim privacy as according to their own 120 year rule they have a duty to release the records. The judge stated that the plaintiff Taitz might be correct, however at this time she cannot rule in her favor as her original complaint was filed before SSA responded, so the judge gave Taitz an opportunity to refile a second amended complaint and add new allegations, stating the SSA responded but improperly hidden the records . This is a great development. This all but assures that the judge will order the SSA to release the SS-5, Social Security application of resident of CT, Harrison (Harry) Bounel, whose CT SSN 042-68-4425 was stolen by Obama and used in Obama’s 2009 tax returns, which initially were posted on WhiteHouse.gov without proper redaction, without flattening of the file . Taitz will be very careful not to be Breitbarted or Fuddied in the next 21 days.The fact that a judge actually is forcing the federal government to respond is a first. Usually, the efforts to bring the actions of Obama and his enablers to light have been stymied by judges who appear to have been unduly influenced. The ruling of this judge now puts the Social Security Administration employees in the uncomfortable position of having to produce documents or face personal consequences.
Additionally, there is an increased tampering with the web site of Orly Taitz and with her ability to send mass -emails. It seems her private server is somehow affected and Taitz is unable to send mass e-mails on two different programs.
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