Global Political News - sknlabourparty

Kagan sworn in as fourth woman on Supreme Court

a.e — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:42:03 +0000

WASHINGTON – Elena Kagan was sworn in Saturday as the 112th justice and fourth woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Kagan in a brief private ceremony at the court. Kagan, joined by family and friends, pledged to faithfully and impartially uphold the law.

Afterward, she smiled broadly as a crowd of onlookers stood and applauded. “We look forward to serving with you,” Roberts said.

Kagan, a former Harvard Law School dean who most recently was solicitor general, was President Barack Obama’s choice to succeed retired Justice John Paul Stevens. Republicans criticized her as a political liberal, before the Senate confirmed her this past week on a vote of 63-37.

She was sworn in twice Saturday by Roberts — reciting one oath as prescribed by the Constitution during a ceremony in a conference room at the court with only her family present. Kagan then recited a second oath, taken by judges, with her family and friends and reporters present.

Kagan won’t be formally installed as a justice until Oct. 1 in a courtroom ceremony at the start of the court’s new term. But after the oaths taken on Saturday, she will be able to begin assuming her duties as a justice, which include reviewing cases and emergency appeals filed to the Supreme Court.

Kagan, 50, joins Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor on the nine-member court, which often divides 5-4 on high-profile cases such as gun rights, discrimination and campaign finance. The first woman in the court’s history, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, retired in 2005.

Kagan isn’t expected to alter the ideological balance of the court, where Stevens was considered a leader of the liberals.

Mullen says US has Iran strike plan, just in case

MaZaG — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:50:13 +0000

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military has a plan to attack Iran, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday, although he thinks a military strike is probably a bad idea.

Not long after Adm. Mike Mullen’s aired on a Sunday talk show, the deputy chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was quoted as saying there would be a strong Iranian response should the U.S. take military action against his country.

Mullen, the highest ranking U.S. military officer, often has warned that a strike on Iran would have serious and unpredictable ripple effects around the Middle East. At the same time, Mullen said the risk of Iran’s developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable, although he would not say which risk he thinks is worse.

“I think the military options have been on the table and remain on the table,” Mullen said on “Meet the Press” on NBC. “It’s one of the options that the president has. Again, I hope we don’t get to that, but it’s an important option and it’s one that’s well understood.”

The official Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Revolutionary Guard deputy chief Yadollah Javani as saying Sunday that security in the Persian Gulf would be jeopardized “if Americans commit the slightest mistake.”

“The Persian Gulf is a strategic region. If the security of this region is endangered, they will suffer losses too and our response will be firm,” Javani said.

Iran repeatedly has threatened to target the heart of Tel Aviv, the second-largest city in Israel, should the U.S. or Israel take military action against it.

The U.S. and Iran are at odds over the goals of Iran’s nuclear program. Iran contends that it’s aimed at peaceful uses of nuclear energy while the U.S. claims Iran is gearing up to create a nuclear weapon.

Obama says dinner with his daughters is ‘a prize’

MaZaG — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:48:17 +0000

WASHINGTON – What does President Barack Obama look forward to most when he leaves the Oval Office each day?

The president says that’s an easy question to answer: It’s having dinner with his two daughters.

Obama tells CBS’ “Sunday Morning” show that time with his family is “a prize.” And he says it’s a reminder of why he does what he does as president, to make sure that his daughter’s children live in a strong America.

Malia Obama is 12 and sister Sasha is 9.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — What does President Barack Obama look forward to most when he leaves the Oval Office each day?

The president says that’s an easy question to answer: It’s having dinner with his two daughters.

Malia Obama is 12 and sister Sasha is 9.

Cheney remains hospitalized after heart surgery

MaZaG — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:47:07 +0000

WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Dick Cheney is still in the hospital after heart surgery in early July.

Daughter Liz Cheney says her 69-year-old dad is out of intensive care and hopes to return home this week. She tells “Fox News Sunday” that he’s already planning trips for fly fishing and hunting later this year.

Dick Cheney has had five heart attacks since he was 37. In his recent surgery at a northern Virginia hospital, Cheney had a small pump installed to help his heart work.

After the operation, Cheney said in a statement that he was entering a new phase of treatment for what he called “increasing congestive heart failure.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney is still in the hospital after heart surgery in early July.

Dick Cheney has had five heart attacks since he was 37. In his recent surgery at a northern Virginia hospital, Cheney had a small pump installed to help his heart work.

After the operation, Cheney said in a statement that he was entering a new phase of treatment for what he called “increasing congestive heart failure.”

First lady urges Congress to act on school meals

MaZaG — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:46:04 +0000

WASHINGTON – First lady Michelle Obama urged Congress to pass legislation that calls for higher nutritional standards for school meals.

In an op-ed essay appearing in Monday’s edition of The Washington Post, Mrs. Obama wrote that the Child Nutrition Bill would require more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less fat and salt in school lunches and breakfasts. And she said it would help eliminate junk food in vending machines.

“We owe it to the children who aren’t reaching their potential because they’re not getting the nutrition they need during the day,” the first lady wrote.

In encouraging Congress to pass the bill, she wrote that “our prosperity depends on the health and vitality of the next generation.”

The bill was approved by the House Education and Labor Committee last month, and a Senate committee has approved similar legislation.

Congressional passage would be just the first step. Many of the most difficult decisions, including what kinds of foods will be sold and what ingredients may be limited, will be left up to the Agriculture Department.

The legislation would also expand the number of low-income children eligible for free or reduced-cost meals, a step Democrats say would help President Barack Obama reach his goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

Obama: Patchwork immigration policy unacceptable

MaZaG — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:45:00 +0000

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says he agrees that more control must be exerted over illegal immigration, but he won’t accept “a patchwork of 50 different states” acting on their own.

Obama tells CBS he believes immigration control advocates “are absolutely correct.” But he also says “what we can’t do is demagogue the issue.” The president tells anchor Harry Smith he wants to “work with Arizona,” while insisting that national immigration policy cannot be left to “anybody who wants to make a name for themselves.”

Arizona has appealed a federal judge’s ruling striking down key provisions of its law reining in illegal immigration. A federal appeals court has decided not to immediately get into the case, leaving the state to consider other steps it might take in the meantime.

Obama: US commitment in Iraq is shifting

MaZaG — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:43:48 +0000

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will set a course Monday for the nation’s changing mission in Iraq as the military prepares to end its combat operations there.

In a speech at the national convention of the Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta, Obama was to address the progress being made to meet his deadline of drawing down all combat troops by the end of the month. A transitional force of 50,000 troops will remain to train Iraqi security forces, conduct counterterrorism operations and provide security for ongoing U.S. civilian efforts.

“Make no mistake: Our commitment in Iraq is changing, from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats,” Obama said in excerpts released ahead of the speech.

Obama has said all U.S. troops will be gone from Iraq by the end of next year.

At the same time Obama has drawn down forces in Iraq, he has increased the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan, ordering a surge of 30,000 additional troops. But with casualties on the rise, there are fresh concerns about the 9-year mission in Afghanistan, as well as Obama’s plan to begin withdrawing troops in July 2011, a timetable that critics say will embolden the Taliban and other extremist groups in the region.

Facing a potential loss of public and congressional support for the Afghanistan war, the White House is painting the U.S. mission there as humble and achievable: keeping the region from being a haven for terrorists.

“What we’re looking to do is difficult, very difficult, but it’s a fairly modest goal,” Obama told the CBS “Sunday Morning” show.

Despite the surge in Afghanistan, there are fewer U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan now than there were when Obama took office last year. Come September, when the Iraq drawdown is complete, the White House says there will 146,000 troops on the ground, down from 177,000 in January 2009.

During his remarks Monday, Obama is expected to speak about the government’s efforts to support those troops, as well as veterans of other wars.

“While our country has sometimes been divided, they have fought together as one,” Obama said in the excerpts. “While other individuals and institutions have shirked responsibility, they have welcomed it.”

After the speech, Obama was scheduled to attend a fundraising lunch for the Democratic National Committee, his latest stop in a summer fundraising sprint that also includes events in Chicago later this week.

But Georgia’s most prominent Democrat, former Gov. Roy Barnes, won’t be joining Obama at either of his stops Monday. Barnes, who is running to get his old job back, had previously scheduled events in southern Georgia, his campaign said.

Distancing himself from the president could be politically smart for Barnes. Georgia is a Republican stronghold that John McCain carried in 2008. A poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. in July had Obama with a 37 percent approval rating in the state. Fifty percent of those surveyed disapproved of Obama’s performance.

Swedish ex-police chief convicted of sex crimes

MaZaG — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:26:14 +0000

STOCKHOLM – A former Swedish police chief known for his lectures on gender equality and sexual harassment was convicted on Friday of rape and other sex crimes and sent to prison.

In a case that shocked this Nordic nation, the court found Goran Lindberg, 64, guilty of “sadistic, sexual violence” for tying one of his victims to a bed before raping her.

The Sodertorn District Court convicted Lindberg of more than a dozen sex offenses, including aggravated rape and buying sexual favors. He was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison and ordered to pay 300,000 kronor ($41,000) in damages to three of the victims.

The former police commissioner has denied all charges, except a few cases of buying sex.

Lindberg was police chief in the Swedish city of Uppsala from 1997 to 2006. He also headed Sweden’s national police academy. As a police commissioner he traveled around Sweden and lectured, often in uniform, to companies and organizations.

Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask has expressed shock over the case, which shook the country’s police force.

UK’s Iraq inquiry may recall witnesses

MaZaG — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:25:15 +0000

LONDON – Britain’s Iraq inquiry says it may recall witnesses to offer new testimony — which could see ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair return to face the panel.

Inquiry chairman John Chilcot said the government commissioned study had heard from about 140 witnesses over the last year.

Following a visit to Iraq, the panel will decide whether to recall witnesses for additional sessions, in cases where there are apparent contradictions in their evidence.

Blair gave evidence to the inquiry in January. Since then, witnesses have questioned parts of his testimony.

The inquiry is examining mistakes made in the build-up to and aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

It won’t apportion blame or assign criminal liability, but will issue a report later this year.

Istanbul landmark seeks return to glory era

MaZaG — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:24:05 +0000

ISTANBUL – It was the last stop on the Orient Express, a grand hotel with Istanbul’s first electric elevator where artists and aristocrats sipped champagne beneath chandeliers as the Ottoman Empire dissolved and the world drifted toward war.

Mata Hari, accused of spying and executed in France in 1917, stayed at the Pera Palace Hotel. So did Greta Garbo, who played the shadowy dancer in a 1931 movie. Ernest Hemingway checked in to report on war between Turks and Greeks. Agatha Christie is said to have crafted “Murder on the Orient Express” in Room 411.

Then, like the empire it outlived, the hotel slid into decay.

On Sept. 1, the state-owned Pera Palace will reopen after a two-year restoration that cost 23 million euros ($30 million), seeking to capture the lost sparkle of what was one of Istanbul’s most prominent landmarks. It is no longer the lone luxury hotel on a hill above the Golden Horn inlet. The former Ottoman capital teems with high-end accommodation, some in restored imperial mansions along the Bosporus Strait that divides the Asian and European continents.

Pinar Kartal Timer, general manager of the Pera Palace, believes fabled guests of the past will bestow new glory on the hotel, which held its opening ball in 1895.

“These people have left their traces in this hotel,” Timer said in an interview in the 115-room hotel Wednesday. Major structural work and painting was complete, but the old ballroom was empty and the mother-of-pearl bookshelves had not been installed. Workers hammered, and layers of cardboard and plastic covered some balustrades and marble-floored passageways.

The Pera Palace mirrors the revival of the surrounding Beyoglu area, historically known as Pera, which comes from the Greek word for “beyond.” It was nicknamed “Little Europe” in the late 19th century, an enclave of Greek and Armenian entrepreneurs, along with European diplomats and businessmen who imported luxury goods from capitals to the west.

Many local residents fled deadly unrest or moved to outlying areas, leaving neglected stone facades to brood in the narrow, trash-filled streets. In the last decade, shops and restaurants flooded the central neighborhood as economic fortunes and pride in Istanbul’s heritage blossomed.

Mehmet Karaoren is a partner in an architectural firm that snapped up a dozen Pera buildings, restoring them and selling or renting the refitted apartments. In some years, the prices of their properties have doubled.

“In the beginning, this was a game for us. It became a business,” said Karaoren, who sought inspiration for his restorations during travels to Paris, London and New York City.

A commission linked to Turkey’s Culture Ministry bars changes that would taint the historical integrity of a structure, though allowances are made for reinforcement against earthquakes and the installation of elevators in tall buildings with dimly lit, winding staircases.

Business interests and a lack of political will have sometimes trumped the work of conservationists. Istanbul, home to relics and monuments from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, is at risk of being placed on a list of endangered cultural treasures by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. That would be a serious embarrassment since the European Union designated the city as its “cultural capital” this year.

David Michelmore, an international conservationist, said unrestored sections of old Pera were at risk of demolition, and he compared the area to London’s Notting Hill district in the 1960s, a shabby area before its successful rehabilitation.

“It’s not tourists mostly, it’s Turkish people who are going there,” Michelmore said. “Historic centers have a huge capacity for serving purposes of recreation and relaxation.”

The original owner of the Pera Palace was Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, which operated the Orient Express luxury train line. A Turkish conglomerate, the Besiktas Group, now manages the hotel. It has a modern spa and an indoor pool, as well as new elevators to supplement the original wood and cast iron one.

The building is a mix of styles distinctive to 19th century Istanbul — neo-classical, art nouveau and oriental. Rooms have handwoven carpets and antique furniture mixed with the new. Sixteen are suites named after guests including Britain’s King Edward VIII and Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Basic room prices start at 185 euros ($240), excluding tax and breakfast, but go higher in peak season. Ahead of the September opening, they are 265 euros ($350).

Nobody will sleep in Room 101. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a former army officer who founded Turkey in 1923, once used it as a base. The room will house a museum of items belonging to Ataturk, including hats, slippers and dignitaries’ gifts.

The hotel hosted spies as well as statesmen. Kim Philby, the British-Soviet double agent, was nearly unmasked in Istanbul, and the agent codenamed Cicero, valet to the British ambassador in Ankara, visited as he sold secret documents to German agents in World War II.

A witness to tumult, the Pera Palace became a target in 1941 when a bomb exploded at the entrance shortly after the arrival of a British diplomatic party from Bulgaria, which had sided with the Nazis. Several people died.

Hemingway drank at the hotel’s Orient Bar in the early 1920s. In his story, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” the main character, a writer, recalls a brawl over a woman with a British soldier in Istanbul. He slept with the woman that night:

“…and he left her before she was awake looking blousy enough in the first daylight and turned up at the Pera Palace with a black eye, carrying his coat because one sleeve was missing.”