Roberto Abraham Scaruffi: 2008

Wednesday 31 December 2008

Faces From Obama's Past Reemerge

Faces From Obama's Past Reemerge

Washington Post: Blagojevich Drama Brings Figures From President-Elect's Political Past Into The Limelight

Saudi-Arabien gibt Palästinensern Mitschuld an Gaza-Krise

Saudi-Arabien gibt Palästinensern Mitschuld an Gaza-Krise

Die muslimischen Staaten sind sich uneinig über ihre Haltung gegenüber der islamistischen Hamas. Während Iran die Gruppe unterstützt und von der Arabischen Liga Aktionen gegen Israel fordert, räumt Saudi-Arabien eine Mitschuld der Palästinenser an der Gaza-Krise ein. mehr... Video | Forum ]

A quick guide to some of the big issues

Defending Israel's Operations in GazaA quick guide to some of the big issues

Palestinian Rockets Reach Deep into Israel

Palestinians in Gaza fired two rockets at the Israeli city of Beersheba, located 28 miles from Gaza, on Tuesday evening. The mayor of Beersheba told Israel television that one rocket hit an empty kindergarten. 
(AP)

Hamas Uses Hospitals as Base

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

IDF Video Censored by YouTube

by Baruch Gordon

`Laboratory of hate´

By Wendy Kristianasen

Who’s who in Muslim India

By Wendy Kristianasen

Islamic India

’People lived separately but side by side. That is now under threat’
There is growing Islamophobia in India as the BJP’s systematic policy of hate, and terrorism, claimed in the name of Islam, converge. Meanwhile Muslims’ traditional ally, Congress, in power for four years, has done little to address their poverty and disadvantage. So how will they vote in this spring’s national elections?

By Wendy Kristianasen

Pakistan Launches Assault in Northwest

Insurgents Near Supply Routes Targeted 
(By Shaiq Hussain and Haq Nawaz Khan, The Washington Post)

Unpleasant Truths

by
What a new German movie can teach America about confronting its history with domestic radicals

No Deal

by
Learning from FDR's mistakes

An Iraqi City Divided, and Defined, by Its Walls

An Hour at a Crowded Baghdad Checkpoint Reveals Pervasive Nature of Capital's Hated Barriers 
(By Anthony Shadid, The Washington Post)

Behind Gaza Operation, An Uneasy Triumvirate

JERUSALEM, Dec. 30 -- Three Israeli leaders met in secret Friday to review the plan of attack, according to a government spokesman. The targets had been selected, the warplanes readied. Clear skies were forecast over the Gaza Strip. 
(By Griff Witte, The Washington Post)

Obama Terror Advisor Bruce Riedel: 'Guantanamo Was a Very Costly

Operation High Risk: Is Israel Repeating Mistakes of the Past?

Operation High Risk: Is Israel Repeating Mistakes of the Past? Israel has promised a "war to the bitter end." Yet history is full of examples showing that battling an organization like Hamas is almost futile. It is a lesson Israel learned just two short years ago. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,598994,00.html

Tailandia bloquea 2.300 sitios de internet

Tailandia bloquea 2.300 sitios de internet

Serbios y albaneses se enfrentan en Mitrovica

Serbios y albaneses se enfrentan en Mitrovica

Les voitures qui ont marqué 2008

Les voitures qui ont marqué 2008

Gazprom prêt à couper le gaz à l'Ukraine

Face à cette menace et celle d'un prix du gaz fortement augmenté, l'Ukraine a promis de payer une partie de sa dette.

«Compte japonais» de Chirac: de nouveaux documents déclassifiés

Le secret défense va être levé sur treize nouveaux documents concernant un présumé compte de l'ancien président, à la demande d'un juge qui enquête sur la mystérieuse disparition d'un journaliste en 1997 en Polynésie.

Despite Deeper Strikes, Israelis Vow to Soldier On

By ISABEL KERSHNER 
The ability of the civilian population to withstand heavy rocket fire, which Israel fully expected in the wake of its campaign, is a crucial part of the country’s military equation.

U.S. Presses Israel on Cease-Fire

By MARK LANDLER 
The intensive diplomacy is being led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who made a flurry of phone calls on Tuesday to Israeli and Arab leaders. 

Moderate Arab States Feel Popular Anger

By ROBERT F. WORTH 
The violence in Gaza has put Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the defensive, while Syria and Iran have drawn praise in the Arab world for their militancy. 

Defiant Illinois Governor Names Pick for Obama Seat

By MONICA DAVEY
Facing corruption charges, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich named Roland W. Burris, a former state attorney general, to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Hunderte Palästinenser fliehen nach Ägypten

GAZA-STADT: Bei den israelischen Angriffen im Gazastreifen sind Teile des ägyptischen Grenzzauns zerstört worden. Rund 500 Palästinenser nutzten dies nach Angaben der ägyptischen Polizei zur Flucht ins Nachbarland. Wie die Behörden in Kairo mitteilten, wurden mehr als 100 von ihnen festgenommen und zurück in den Gazastreifen geschickt. Einige Palästinenser wurden nach Angaben von Augenzeugen von ägyptischen Familien vor der Polizei versteckt. Israel hat bei seinen Angriffen auf den Gazastreifen wiederholt Schmugglertunnel zwischen dem Gazastreifen und der ägyptischen Sinai-Halbinsel bombardiert. Inzwischen ließen die Luftangriffe etwas nach. Es seien lediglich zwei neue Angriffe geflogen worden, erklärte das israelische Militär. Betroffen waren erneut Regierungsgebäude der Hamas in Gaza.

New Belgian Government Sworn In

Herman Van Rompuy, an intellectual with a penchant for writing haiku, was sworn in as Belgium's prime minister, triggering hopes that he could heal some of this country's bitter linguistic divisions.

China Slows Water Project

China Slows Water Project

Pakistan closes Nato's Afghanistan supply route

Pakistan closes Nato's Afghanistan supply route

Route shut for an offensive backed by tanks and helicopter gunships against Taleban forces in the strategic Khyber Pass

South Korea Output Plunges by 10.7%

South Korea posted a record decline for industrial output in November, fueling calls for interest-rate cuts to bolster an export-reliant economy grappling with the global slowdown.

Warplanes Slam Hamas Targets as Pressure for Cease-Fire Mounts

Israel continued its aerial bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, as international pressure for a cease-fire mounted.

Ukraine 'paid gas debt in full'

Ukraine says it has paid its debt to Gazprom, but the Russian firm says it has not received the money.

New Belgian government 'agreed'

Belgium's political parties reach a deal on a government, after the former prime minister's resignation, reports say.

Taiwan ex-president back in jail

Judges decide to send Taiwan's former President Chen Shui-bian back to jail, as he awaits trial on corruption charges.

Tuesday 30 December 2008

December consumer confidence drops to all-time low

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

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Pakistan: Indian Troops Moved To Border

Foreign Minister Says India Mirrored His Own County's Moves, But Tension Could Ease

The Myth Of Putin's Popularity

A lot has been made of the recent public unrest in Russia and the brutality with which the authorities have responded. If you haven't seen the videos yet, there are plenty on youtube, including this one and this one. My fellow Power Verticalist, Brian Whitmore, has written that the protests are sign that the tacit deal -- the social bribe -- between Vladimir Putin and the Russian people is coming unraveled under the pressure of the financial crisis More

Russian Opposition Figure Detained Over Crisis Article

Police have detained an opposition politician in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk over an article on economic hardship in the region. The arrest comes amid mounting Kremlin nervousness about the financial crisis in Russia, which has sent the ruble plummeting to record lows. More

Rising Russian Public Discontent

Russia's financial crisis has reached the country's automotive industry, with the largest automaker, AvtoVAZ, announcing it has temporarily halted production because of an interruption in the supply of parts. This follows scores of demonstrations held across Russia in recent weeks to protest a planned tax hike on imported used cars, which many Russians consider a more reliable option to buying domestic. RFE/RL discussed these issues with Vyacheslav Lysakov, the head of the "Freedom of Choice" ca More

Russia Violated Prisoner's Rights, European Court Says

Russian authorities violated the human rights of a jailed oil executive who has HIV/AIDS and who was not given proper medical treatment for his condition, Europe's Strasbourg-based human rights court has

The CIA and Drugs

The CIA and Drugs

CIA-supplied trucks and mules, which had carried arms into Afghanistan, were used to transport opium to laboratories along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The output provided up to one half of the heroin used annually in the United States and three-quarters of that used in Western Europe.

by William Blum

In Russia, the Favorite Pastime of Draft Dodging

In Russia, the Favorite Pastime of Draft Dodging

Russia's Army relies heavily on conscripts, but Russians are working harder than ever to avoid service

Posted December 29, 2008

Whispers: Sweets for Spies

The CIA sent out a record-setting amount of treats to agents in the war zones.

How to Beat Stress, Angst Through Meditation

Turning your focus inward offers more health benefits than simply relieving anxiety.

Photo Gallery: Israel Bombards Ministries in Gaza

War against Hamas: Israeli Troops Ready for Ground Invasion

War against Hamas: Israeli Troops Ready for Ground Invasion http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,598884,00.html

Israel vs. Hamas: Egypt in Quandary as Gaza Raids Divide the Muslim

Israel's ongoing bombing of the Gaza Strip has put Egypt in a delicate position. The government in Cairo has no interest in antagonizing Israel, but pressure is growing to allow Palestinians into the country. The attacks have split the Muslim world.

Kulturköpfe 2009

Kulturköpfe 2009

Nasrallah Incites Rebellion

by Maayana Miskin

IDF Preparing Ground Offensive

by Hillel Fendel

Long-Range Rocket Fired at Yavne

by Hana Levi Julian

Palestinian Rocket Fire Kills Three Israelis

Shmulik Hadad
Heavy Palestinian rocket and mortar barrages rained on Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Netivot Monday, leaving three people dead and at least nine wounded. Irit Sheetrit, 39, a mother of four, was killed in Ashdod. IDF Master Sergeant Lutfi Nasraldin, 38, from Daliat el Carmel, was killed and five soldiers were injured after a shell hit their army base. Rockets also landed in Ofakim and in the Yavne area, 40 km. from Gaza. Two rockets landed in Ashkelon, one of them inside the yard of an elementary school. 
(Ynet News)

White House Blames Hamas for New Mideast Violence

Deb Riechmann
The White House, calling Monday for a lasting cease-fire in the Mideast, backed Israel's air attacks in Gaza and said Hamas had shown its "true colors as a terrorist organization." "Right now the people of southern Israel are not able to live in peace," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. "They have to live in bomb shelters a lot of the time. And that's unacceptable." Asked if the U.S. thinks Israel is justified in its strikes in Gaza, Johndroe replied: "The United States understands that Israel needs to take actions to defend itself."
    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and other lawmakers also expressed support for Israel's right to defend its citizens against rocket attacks from Hamas. "As President-elect Obama has made clear time and again, no country should be forced to tolerate attacks on its people," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). "Hamas is abusing the people of Gaza by using their homes as a base for terror operations. The world should no longer tolerate a terrorist government in the Gaza Strip." 
(AP)

L'embarras de la diplomatie internationale face à Israël

L'embarras de la diplomatie internationale face à Israël

Israël: à Sderot, on vit au rythme des tirs de roquette

Israël: à Sderot, on vit au rythme des tirs de roquette 

Europe's Mindset Toward Israel as Accentuated by the Lebanon War

Manfred Gerstenfeld

Crisis Escalates: Deflation Today,

by Helga Zepp-LaRouche

Has Israel Revived Hamas?

The heavy-handed Israeli attacks on Gaza have proven to be a bonanza for Hamas.

Chicago School Reform Could Be a U.S. Model

(By Maria Glod, The Washington Post)

Black Workers in Auto Plants Losing Ground

By MARY M. CHAPMAN
Automakers and their higher wage scales provided a route to the middle class for many African-Americans.

Ruble Continues Slow Decline

Russia allowed the ruble to fall further, bringing its losses to more than 18% since August as the economy faces growing risks of recession.

Italian Recession to Worsen

Business confidence fell to its lowest level since the index began in 1991, indicating Europe's fourth-largest economy is likely to fall into a deep recession.

15 Banken sollen staatliche Kapitalhilfe beantragt haben

15 Banken sollen staatliche Kapitalhilfe beantragt haben

Das Rettungspaket der Bundesregierung findet bei Banken offenbar doch Anklang: Immer mehr Geldinstitute haben nach Angaben des CDU-Politikers Otto Bernhardt direkte Eigenkapitalhilfe des Staats beantragt. Die Regierung wertet das als gutes Zeichen. mehr... Forum ]

Ägyptens Israel- Politik entzweit arabische Welt

NAHOST- KONFLIKT

Ägyptens Israel- Politik entzweit arabische Welt

Ägyptens Weigerung, die Grenze zu Gaza zu öffnen, ruft Empörung hervor: Syrien und Iran beschuldigen Kairo der "Komplizenschaft" mit Israel. Militante Islamisten stacheln die ägyptische Bevölkerung gegen die eigene Regierung auf - und verschärfen den Druck auf Präsident Mubarak. Von Volkhard Windfuhr, Kairo mehr... Forum ]

Israel will mit "Krieg ohne Gnade" Hamas stürzen

LUFTSCHLÄGE GEGEN GAZA

Israel will mit "Krieg ohne Gnade" Hamas stürzen

Die israelischen Angriffe auf den Gaza-Streifen haben offenbar nur ein Ziel: den Sturz der islamistischen Hamas. Vizeministerpräsident Ramon sagte, erst wenn es eine andere Regierung gebe, werde man die Militäraktionen beenden. Alle Einrichtungen der Organisation sollen zerstört werden. mehr... Video | Forum ]

Un enorme despliegue para reafirmar su poder disuasivo

Israel busca aleccionar a Hamas para que no vuelva a lanzar cohetes 

Israel advierte sobre una "guerra total"

Afirmó que "lo peor está por llegar" y desplegó cientos de tanques en la frontera con la Franja; ya hay más de 360 muertos 

From the left, a call to end the current Dutch notion of tolerance

From the left, a call to end the current Dutch notion of tolerance

Gaza toll passes 350 in 3rd day of Israeli strikes

By ETHAN BRONNER AND TAGHREED EL-KHODARY
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed "an all-out war on Hamas and its kind," as Israel carried out a third straight day of deadly airstrikes in Gaza.

Holocaust 'love story' was fake

A US publisher cancels a Holocaust memoir after its author admits he made up a key part on meeting his wife at a Nazi camp.

Monday 29 December 2008

A crisis and an opportunity

A crisis and an opportunity

By Michael B. Oren

Chanukah: ‘Give me Judaism or give me death’

Chanukah: ‘Give me Judaism or give me death’

By Rabbi Hillel Goldberg

Just start

Just start

By Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

Palestinians inspect cars damaged in the bombing near the the office of Palestinain President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza City

Most of the families in the danger zone, like those here in the Israeli city of Netivot, are spending the night in bomb shelters

Israeli tanks

Israeli soldiers light Hanukkah candles on Sunday

Israeli soldiers gather near the Gaza Strip

Israeli solders stand next to their tanks in a staging area on the Israel-Gaza border

Israeli infantry soldiers are seen at the Gaza border as their unit awaits orders

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A tank near the Gaza Strip

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