Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Irish Bombshell: Government Raids PRIVATE Pensions To Pay For Spending
Joe Weisenthal and Gregory White
Business Insider
May 11, 2011
The Irish government plans to institute a tax on private pensions to drive jobs growth, according to its jobs program strategy, delivered today.
Without the ability sell debt due to soaring interest rates, and with severe spending rules in place due to its EU-IMF bailout, Ireland has few ways of spending to stimulate the economy. Today’s jobs program includes specific tax increases, including the tax on pensions, aimed at keeping government jobs spending from adding to the national debt.
The tax on private pensions will be 0.6%, and last for four years, according to the report.
From the jobs initiative release:
The various tax reduction and additional expenditure measures which I am announcing today will be funded by way of a temporary levy on funded pension schemes and personal pension plans. I propose that the levy will apply at a rate of 0.6% to the capital value of assets under management in pension funds established in the State.
It will apply for a period of 4 years commencing this year and is intended to raise about €470 million in each of those years. The levy will not apply to pension funds established here and providing services and benefits solely to non-resident employers and members. Further details regarding the proposed application of the levy are set out in the Summary of Initiative Measures.
UN chief calls for ceasefire in Libya
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, has called for an "immediate, verifiable ceasefire'' in Libya and urged government forces to stop attacking civilians.
Ban said on Wednesday there must also be unimpeded access for humanitarian workers trying to deliver aid to those affected by the fighting.
"First and foremost there should be an end to the fighting in Misurata and elsewhere. Then we will be able to provide humanitarian assistance and in parallel we can continue our political dialogue," Ban said.
Ban's comments followed a call from Valerie Amos, the UN humanitarian chief, for a pause in hostilities to allow food, water, medical supplies and other aid to be delivered to needy populations.
Meanwhile, NATO said a renewed bombing campaign against Tripoli was not targeting Muammar Gaddafi personally, as explosions rocked the Libyan capital once again overnight.
Explosions could be heard in eastern Tripoli for almost an hour early on Wednesday morning as jets flew overhead, a witness told the AFP news agency.
The explosions began about 7:30 am (0530 GMT) and continued sporadically until 8:15 am (0615 GMT), the witness said. On Tuesday, NATO launched strikes in Tripoli on targets that appeared to include Gaddafi's compound, witnesses said.
"All NATO targets are military targets, which means that the targets we've been hitting, and it happened also last night in Tripoli, are command and control bunkers," Brigadier General Claudio Gabellini, chief operations officer of NATO's Libya mission told reporters.
The Five Dancing Israelis Arrested on 9-11
A Mossad surveillance team made quite a public spectacle of themselves on 9-11.
Police received several calls from angry New Jersey residents claiming "middle-eastern" men with a white van were videotaping the disaster with shouts of joy and mockery. (2) "They were like happy, you know … They didn't look shocked to me" said a witness. (3)
Witnesses saw them jumping for joy in Liberty State Park after the initial impact (5). Later on, other witnesses saw them celebrating on a roof in Weehawken, and still more witnesses later saw them celebrating with high fives in a Jersey City parking lot. (6) | ||
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One anonymous phone call to the authorities actually led them to close down all of New York's bridges and tunnels. The mystery caller told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that a group of Palestinians were mixing a bomb inside of a white van headed for the Holland Tunnel. Here's the transcript from NBC News:
(*Writer's note: Why would this mystery caller specifically say that these "Arabs" were Palestinians? How would he know that? Palestinians usually dress in western style clothes, not "sheikh uniforms") |
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION PROGRAM:
End-of-life healthcare – a model for the 'big society'
Is there a perfect example of the "big society" already in existence? The prime minister wants this to be his legacy. As a nation, we are so fortunate to have a perfect working example in every community in Britain – end-of-life care. I would encourage David Cameron to invest in and celebrate this great example of a model for government and society.
I am the chief executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care, the only national charity that provides nursing care in people's homes when they are dying, working in close partnership with district nurses, hospitals, GP surgeries, and the many wonderful independent hospices. I know how a little charitable money, mixed with good partnership with the NHS locally and supported by dedicated volunteers can make a huge difference to people's lives.
Last winter, I was asked by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, to lead an independent review with Sir Alan Craft into the funding of end-of-life care for children and adults. A daunting task but, through months of evidence gathering all over England, Alan and I have heard at first hand how when state and society come together in partnership, so much can be achieved for patients and families and precious funds used more efficiently in the NHS.
The prime minister has asked for a pause in the passage of the health white paper so that he can listen and learn. Most are running around criticising, so here are my constructive suggestions for him and Lansley which, if incorporated, will lead to better care for patients and families.
'Two-party monopoly gripping US politics'
In an interview with Press TV, Mike Gravel, former US Senator and presidential candidate, elaborates on US public sentiment which favors a third-party political system in the upcoming 2012 presidential elections.
Press TV: How do you see an end to this two-party electoral system in the United States? Is this good news coming out of this poll?
Gravel: It's good news in the fact that it's accurate; that there'll be any change, I think it's fairly remote.
If you had another party that rose to the level of the Democratic or Republican parties, it would become just as corrupt. The party system is something that does not operate in the slightest favor for the average Americans.
The founders thought parties -- which they called factions -- was very damaging to government if they came about. And, of course, they came about in the first term of George Washington's presidency.
The difficulty is that the structure, or the need for change, is beyond the two-party system. It needs to be directed with the American people.
Press TV: We've heard the name Ralph Nader for many years, and we've also now heard of the Tea Party. Is that the way that this is leading or do Americans want a third independent party that is, altogether, different than what the status quo has been for many years?
Gravel: No, we have some good third parties: the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Independent Party.
The problem is that the Democrats and Republicans hold a monopoly on the electoral process that holds this through law. In fact, they use government monies to enhance their parties in question.
Nader ran as an independent and couldn't even get off the ground and couldn't get an exchange between the various parties. I eventually ran as a Libertarian; but the Libertarian candidate of that year didn't get anywhere.
Again, the Democrats and Republicans hold a monopoly. This is detrimental to securing the public interest.
But there's not too much people can do about it other than respond to a poll expressing their dissatisfaction.
Kentucky Derby Runner-Up Jockey Found Dead at Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A 24-year-old jockey who rode this year's Kentucky Derby second-place finisher to his only win was found dead in his vehicle Tuesday at Churchill Downs.
Michael Baze of Glendora, Calif., was pronounced dead at 4:47 p.m. EDT in his vehicle parked in the stable area of the track, Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley said.
There were no signs of foul play and the case was being treated as a death investigation, Louisville police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said. An autopsy was planned.
Baze was a cousin of Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, the all-time leading rider in thoroughbred racing, and son of retired jockey Mike Baze, Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher said. An uncle and another cousin are also riders, Asher said.
"Somebody coming out of that family, it always gets your attention when you see the Baze name," Asher said.
Michael Baze rode Nehro to a win Feb. 21 at Oaklawn. He was scheduled on at least one mount on Thursday at Churchill Downs, Asher said.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/05/11/kentucky-derby-runner-jockey-dead-churchill-downs/#ixzz1M2xX8db5
Bahrain Expels Reuters Correspondent Amid Criticism
The Reuters correspondent in Bahrain, Frederik Richter, has been asked to leave the country amid what critics say are steps to stifle free reporting in the kingdom.
A story filed by the news agency said Richter had been based in the capital Manama since 2008; officials have complained about the quality of Reuters' coverage, saying it had “lacked balance in its reporting during the recent crackdown on pro-democracy”.
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Noah Seelam | AFP | Getty Images Young Indian Muslims pose with placards during a protest rally against the ongoing political turmoil in Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen. |
In a statement, Reuters' editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said the organization regretted the decision.
"We stand by Frederik Richter's reporting and we will continue to provide comprehensive and unbiased coverage from the country," Adler said.
A source close to the situation told CNBC that Richter was told of the decision at a "brief and friendly" meeting with officials from the Ministry of Information.
“They said they were upset with the article about the Crown Prince last week,” the source said.
The piece described how, in addition to Bahrain's business-friendly reputation, the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa could be another casualty of the protests, as he was “seen as more reform-minded than others in the ruling family.”
It added that it “puts at stake efforts to liberalize Bahrain's economy and attract global businesses.”
Series of Attacks
It appears not to have been the first time that government officials formally express their disapproval of Reuters’ coverage in the country.
Reuters said it was not closing down operations in Manama and would accredit somebody else.
Yousef Gamal El-Din
CNBC Anchor
Bahrain has been hit by unrest as its majority Shiite population called for political reform and more equal rights. The ruling royal family, from the Sunni minority, has crushed the protests and received support of forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Mohamed Abdel Dayem, of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told Reuters in a telephone interview about a series of attacks on journalists.
He said they "all amount to the same thing, which is clearing international journalists out of the country, or restricting their activities to the point where they can't cover the news." CNBC’s source said the recent move "is part of a wider crackdown on journalists. You can even see it with the local press”.
The number of detained journalists remains unclear. Dyam pointed out to Reuters that Karim Fakhrawi, the founder of the opposition daily al-Wasat, and blogger Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri have died in what he called suspicious circumstances.
“They continue to prevent international journalists from entering the country”, the source told CNBC.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on its Web site: "the problems for those who defend media freedom continue to be extremely worrying in Bahrain." Meanwhile, observers remain skeptical about the announcement by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa that he has ordered the state of emergency to be lifted from June 1.
It would just be two days before the deadline set by Formula One organizers for a possible decision on rescheduling the season-opening race that was ultimately called off as a result of the turmoil.
Barack Obama Is Wrong: 18 Facts Which Prove That Illegal Immigration Is An Absolute Nightmare For The U.S. Economy
The following are 18 facts which prove that illegal immigration is an absolute nightmare for the U.S. economy....
#1 Illegal immigrants take jobs away from American citizens. According to a review of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau data, legal and illegal immigrants gained over a million additional jobs between 2008 and 2010 even as millions of American citizens were losing their jobs during that same time period.
#2 The majority of our immigrants now sneak in through the "back door" that the federal government purposely leaves open. Thanks to the negligence of the federal government, far more people move into the United States illegallythan come in through the legal immigration process. This has got to change.
#3 Illegal immigrants generally don't pay taxes. The vast majority of illegal aliens would never even dream of paying income taxes, but Mexicans living in America send billions upon billions of dollars out of the United States and back to Mexico every single year.
#4 Although illegal aliens pay next to nothing in taxes, they have no problem receiving tens of billions of dollars worth of free education benefits, free health care benefits, free housing assistance and free food stamp benefits. Many communities in the United States now openly advertise that they will help illegal aliens with these things.
#5 The cost of educating the children of illegal immigrants is staggering. It is estimated that U.S. taxpayers spend $12,000,000,000 a year on primary and secondary school education for the children of illegal immigrants.
#6 Thanks to illegal immigration, California's overstretched health care systemis on the verge of collapse. Dozens of California hospitals and emergency rooms have shut down over the last decade because they could not afford to stay open after being endlessly swamped by illegal immigrants who were simply not able to pay for the services that they were receiving. As a result, the remainder of the health care system in the state of California is now beyond overloaded. This had led to brutally long waits, diverted ambulances and even unnecessary patient deaths. Sadly, the state of California now ranks dead lastout of all 50 states in the number of emergency rooms per million people.
#7 It was estimated that there were approximately 7.7 million illegal aliensemployed by U.S. employers during 2008. How much better would our economy look if all of those jobs were being filled by American workers?
#8 The region along the U.S./Mexico border is now an open war zone. Just across the U.S. border, the city of Juarez, Mexico is considered to be one of the most dangerous cities on the entire planet because of the brutal drug war being waged there. In fact, Juarez has now become the murder capital of the western hemisphere. Much of that violence has begun to spill over into areas of the southwestern United States.
For example, a while back NPR described one incident in the Juarez Valley that involved American citizens....
A couple of weeks ago, gunmen in the Juarez Valley killed the Mexican relative of a Fort Hancock high school student. When the student's family in Fort Hancock heard about it, they crossed the border at 10 a.m. to see the body, and took the student with them.
"By 10:30, they had stabbed the relatives that went with him, which included his grandparents, with an ice pick," says school superintendent Jose Franco. "My understanding is that the gentleman is like 90 years old, and they poked his eyes out with an ice pick. I believe those people are still in intensive care here in a hospital in the U.S."
#9 A substantial percentage of young illegal immigrants end up in gangs. U.S. authorities say that there are now over 1 million members of criminal gangs operating inside the United States. According to federal statistics, these 1 million gang members are responsible for up to 80% of the violent crimes committed in the U.S. each year. Latino gangs made up primarily of illegal aliens are responsible for much of this violence.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, some of the most notorious gangs in the country are made up almost entirely of illegal immigrants....
"Gang investigators in Virginia estimate that 90% of the members of MS-13, the most notorious immigrant gang, are illegal immigrants."
#10 The "18th Street Gang" is certainly giving MS-13 a run for their money. It is believed that the 18th Street Gang has thousands of members in the city of Los Angeles alone. In fact, the gang has become so notorious that there are even rumors that some police officers in Los Angeles simply will not venture into the areas most heavily controlled by the 18th Street gang.
The following is what Wikipedia says about the 18th Street Gang....
A US Justice Department report from 2009 estimates that the 18th Street gang has a membership of some 30,000 to 50,000 with 80% of them being illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America and is active in 44 cities in 20 states. Its main source of income is street-level distribution of cocaine and marijuana and, to a lesser extent, heroin and methamphetamine. Gang members also commit assault, auto theft, carjacking, drive-by shootings, extortion, homicide, identification fraud, and robbery.
#11 The "drug war" in northern Mexico is one gigantic bloodbath. The Mexican government says that as many as 28,000 people have been slaughtered by the drug cartels since 2007. A very significant percentage of those deaths have happened in areas right along the U.S. border, and yet our federal government still sees no reason to get serious about border security.
#12 It is an open secret that Mexican drug cartels are openly conducting military operations inside the United States. The handful of border patrol agents that we have guarding the border are massively outgunned and outmanned.
One agent who patrols the border and who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News the following....
"To say that this area is out of control is an understatement."
A different federal agent put it this way in an email to Fox News....
"Every night we’re getting beaten like a pinata at a birthday party by drug, alien smugglers."
#13 Federal border officials say that Mexican drug cartels have not only set up shop on U.S. soil, but they are actually maintaining lookout bases in strategic locations in the hills of southern Arizona. If you go to Arizona today, there are actually signs that have been put up by the federal government warning American citizens not to venture into certain wilderness routes that are used by Mexican drug cartels to bring in drugs.
#14 The drug war being waged on both sides of the border is so violent that it is almost unimaginable. For example, one very prominent Mexican assassin known as "the soupmaker" has confessed that he made approximately 300 bodies disappear by dissolving them in acid baths. But right now there is essentially nothing that is preventing the next "soupmaker" from crossing the U.S. border and moving into your neighborhood.
#15 Arizona police are being openly warned by the Mexican drug cartels that if they try to interfere with the drug traffic in their area that they will be "taken out" by drug cartel snipers.
#16 While the U.S. military endlessly hunts for "members of al-Qaeda" in the caves of Afghanistan and on the streets of Iraqi cities, a very real threat has been building just south of the border. Over the past 15 to 20 years, Hezbollah has set up operations all over Mexico, Central America and South America. Hezbollah is reportedly making a lot of money in the drug trade and in trafficking illegal aliens. Sadly, our government is largely ignoring this.
#17 Each year, it costs the states billions of dollars to incarcerate illegal immigrant criminals that should have never been allowed into the country in the first place. It is estimated that illegal aliens make up approximately 30 percent of the population in federal, state and local prisons and that the total cost of incarcerating them is more than $1.6 billion annually.
#18 The drug cartels and the gangs always seem to be a couple steps ahead of our agents along the border. Approximately 75 tunnels along the U.S. border with Mexico have been discovered by law enforcement authorities in the last four years alone.
Osama bin Laden son 'disappeared during compound raid'
Pakistani security officials believe a member of the bin Laden household has disappeared since the raid, further deepening the confusion about who was killed.
It is understood that three of bin Laden’s widows, currently in Pakistani custody, have told interrogators that one son has not been seen since the operation.
The fresh details raise fears that the al-Qaeda leader’s youngest son and closest confidant, Hamza, may have escaped capture.
The White House initially claimed that Hamza, 20, had been killed at the house in Abbottabad, about 30 miles from Islamabad. Officials later said his 22-year-old brother Khalid had been killed instead.
Psychopharmaceuticals: Pills set to make you WANT to exercise more and eat less
Last updated at 7:46 AM on 9th May 2011
Science fiction writers have often imagined a world where pop pill to cure or curb a range of ills.
But, according to a new book The Compass Of Pleasure, that futuristic world may not be far off.
The book, by Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist David J. Linden, explores the search for drugs that may alter behaviour by working on the brain.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1384904/Psychopharmaceuticals-Pills-set-make-WANT-exercise-eat-less.html#ixzz1M2f7QdJZ