News Reviews and Opinions - Blog by Michael Novakhov

Judge deals blow to high-tech workers' lawsuit
San Francisco Chronicle
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —

A federal judge on Friday struck down an effort to form a class action lawsuit to go after Apple, Google and five other technology companies for allegedly forming an illegal cartel to tamp down workers' wages and prevent the loss of ...
Apple, Google, Intel likely conspired to not poach workers, judge rules, but class ...Tri-Valley Herald
Judge defers class action in US tech 'poaching' caseFRANCE 24
Apple, Google won't face poaching class action suit, yetReuters Canada
CNET (blog)
all 15 news articles »

Livemint

Judge Strikes Down Age Restrictions for 'Morning After' Pill

VOA NEWS

usa

A U.S. judge has ordered the government to make the emergency contraceptive called the "morning after pill" available to girls younger than 17 without a doctor's prescription. Judge Edward Korman ruled Friday that the federal government's requirement that young girls get a prescription first was "politically motivated" and "scientifically unjustified." It is unclear if the Obama administration will appeal the judge's ruling. The morning after ...

Afghans Jail U.S. Man in Business Dispute

paid

After a plea from U.S. lawmakers, an American mechanic was freed from a Kabul jail, offering a glimpse of a growing Afghan practice of arresting foreigners connected to commercial disputes.

U.S. Authorities Arrest Former Navy Chief

paid

U.S. authorities operating at sea have arrested a former navy chief of the small West African nation of Guinea-Bissau who is suspected of being a kingpin in the international drug trade.

Yahoo! News (blog)

One clear result if DOMA is struck down: Immigration benefits for gay couples
Yahoo! News (blog)
Same-sex marriage supporters rally at the U.S. Supreme Court on March 27, 2013. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images). Earlier this week, we wrote about how if the federal Defense of Marriage Act is struck down by the Supreme Court this summer, it may lead to ...

and more »

Obama to Host Leaders from Turkey, Jordan, Gulf States

DAN ROBINSON

middle east

President Barack Obama plans some intense Mideast diplomacy this month and next, welcoming leaders of Turkey, Jordan and two Gulf states for Oval Office talks on Syria and broader developments in the Mideast. The White House said President Obama will welcome Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for talks on May 16. The two men established a close personal and working relationship in Obama's first term, which has carried over into Obama's second term as they grapple ...

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 2

The Republic

Fort Campbell soldier recovering from brain injury gets Silver Star, re-enlists to ...
The Republic
FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky — A Fort Campbell soldier who suffered a traumatic brain injury has received the Silver Star for his actions to help evacuate wounded troops during a mission in Afghanistan in 2010. After receiving the honor during a Friday ...

and more »

72 Dead in Indian Building Collapse

VOA NEWS

asia

The search has ended for victims of a building collapse in Mumbai, India, where officials say at least 72 people died, including a number of children. Authorities said Saturday that after an overnight search, there was no chance any more survivors would be found in the ruins. Officials said 36 people are still hospitalized with injuries. The eight-story, illegally-built building on the outskirts of India's commercial capital collapsed on Thursday. Most of the dead and injured were ...

Montreal Gazette

20 killed, 54 wounded in suicide bombing in eastern Iraq
Xinhua
BAQUBA, Iraq, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A total of 20 people were killed and 54 others wounded Saturday when a suicide bombing struck a rally of an election campaign in the city of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province in eastern Iraq, a provincial police source ...
Iraq unrest: Deadly blast at Baquba political rallyBBC News
Suicide bomber kills 20 at Iraq political rallyUSA TODAY
Attack on Iraq election campaign tent kills 22: police, medicsReuters
Times of India -Washington Post
all 46 news articles »

IHT Rendezvous: Kim Jong-un’s Spanish Mouthpiece

BY HARVEY MORRIS

alejandro cao de benos

kim jong-un

korean friendship association

north korea

spain

view from europe

North Korea’s leader looks increasingly isolated in his war of words with the outside world. But Pyongyang’s European spokesman says Kim Jong-un can still rely on a dedicated band of devotees abroad.

China Escalates Response to Avian Flu Outbreak

BY ANDREW JACOBS

avian influenza

sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome)

china

The government warned people to avoid live poultry and slaughtered more than 20,000 birds at a wholesale market in Shanghai.

Japan, U.S. Press Case for Okinawa Base

paid

Japan and the U.S. are intensifying a campaign to shore up local support for American military bases on the Japanese island of Okinawa at a time of rising tensions with North Korea and China.

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 3

Putin says Russia may profit from Cyprus banking crisis
Economic Times
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the banking crisis in Cyprus showed up what he said was the unreliability of Western financial institutions, saying it would encourage Russian depositors to invest at home. "The more you 'pinch' ...

and more »

Obama Promotes Helping Needy

DAN ROBINSON

usa

In remarks to Christian leaders gathered at the White House for an annual Easter prayer breakfast, President Barack Obama spoke about the importance of helping the needy. The prayer breakfast drew some 150 pastors and Christian leaders from across the country for what the White House calls "a time of prayer [and] reflection." Obama has hosted the event since 2010. He has used it, and a separate larger National Prayer Breakfast each year, to reflect on the importance for him ...

Kerry Trip Focuses on Israel-Turkey Relations

MEREDITH BUEL

middle east

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is traveling to the Middle East with planned stops in Istanbul along with Jerusalem and Ramallah. The trip is designed to solidify progress after U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent visit to the region ended a Turkish-Israeli diplomatic deadlock. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently apologized to Turkey for a deadly 2010 maritime commando raid in a gesture brokered by President Obama designed to restore diplomatic relations between the ...

The Republic

Biden says US still needs ambitious agenda to meet export goals, make US ...
The Republic
WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden says the U.S. still needs an ambitious agenda to make American products competitive overseas. Biden tells an annual conference of the Export-Import Bank that American workers can still compete with anyone in ...

and more »

U.S. Pursues Mideast Talks

paid

Secretary of State Kerry, plowing ahead where so many have become bogged down, is seeking to revive the dormant Arab-Israeli peace process this weekend with his third trip to the Middle East in two weeks.

Puerto Rico Approves Public Pension System Overhaul

REUTERS

americas

Puerto Rico's governor has signed an overhaul of the U.S. territory's cash-short public pension system that lawmakers passed late on Thursday in a bid to soothe investors and shore up the country's sputtering economy. The new pension law will raise the retirement age for some state workers, increase worker contributions to the plan and lower monthly pensions and benefits for some public workers. It will also reduce state workers' Christmas bonuses and eliminate summer bonus ...

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 4

Financial Times - World

Stockman feels force of Washington fury

David Stockman is the most mainstream figure to argue America’s economic problems stem from the welfare state and the end of the gold standard.

Italy to Pardon U.S. Officer

paid

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said he would pardon U.S. Col. Joseph L. Romano III, an Air Force officer convicted for his role in the 2003 kidnapping of an Islamic cleric in Milan.

Financial Times - World

Cyprus rescue hurts banks, says Putin

Russian president says €17bn eurozone bailout deal will encourage foreign investors to put their money into his country’s lenders

Christian Science Monitor

Putin and Merkel set for a prickly Russian-German summit?
Christian Science Monitor
When Russian President Vladimir Putin flies to Germany on Sunday to open this year's Hannover Messe, the world's biggest industrial fair, it will be one of those key milestones – like the upcoming Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Russia's chairmanship of ...
Putin critic who faces trial says he wants to be presidentReuters
Putin to Take up Literature, Sports After Quitting PoliticsRIA Novosti
Cyprus Deposit Seizure Hurts Trust in Europe's Banks, Putin SaysBloomberg
WLOS
all 52 news articles »

Photos of the Day: April 5

free

In today's pictures, family members grieve at a funeral in Texas for a district attorney and his wife, workers cull birds at a poultry market in China, women go to the races in England, and more.

world news - Google Blog Search

Italy pardons US officer in CIA rendition case | Morocco World News

ABENNIS

Femen protest Italy. By Karima Wakrim Morocco World News Agadir, April 5, 2013 In a previous article entitled... more»... By Zakaria El Idrissi Morocco World News Fez, April 2, 2013 History is very important in... more» ...

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 5

Venezuela Raids Local Brokerage Linked to Oppenheimer

paid

Venezuelan authorities late Thursday raided the home and office of what they say is a local representative of Oppenheimer & Co., the brokerage subsidiary of Oppenheimer Holdings, for allegedly violating foreign-exchange regulations.

Financial Times - World

US hits skilled visas quota in just days

Since the recession took hold, demand for foreign skilled workers has ebbed

German Officials Welcome Offshore Tax Havens Leak

BY MELISSA EDDY

germany

banking and financial institutions

european sovereign debt crisis (2010- )

tax evasion

cyprus

Berlin hopes the disclosures will provide leverage in its effort to fight international financial systems that make it easy for the wealthy to hide their money.

Venezuela's Next Leader Inherits Headaches

paid

Many analysts and economists say the next Venezuelan leader will inherit a country with a toxic mix of inflation, government overspending and a shortage of hard currency that is rapidly becoming unsustainable.

North Korea warns embassies over safety - The Guardian

The Guardian

North Korea warns embassies over safety
The Guardian
North Korea has warned foreign embassies in Pyongyang that it cannot guarantee their safety from the threat of conflict after 10 April, and has advised them to consider pulling their staff out of the capital. The message to diplomats came as tensions ...
The World in Photos This WeekForeign Policy (blog)
Around the WorldBuzz Log (blog)
Understanding Your World: North Korea resumes threatsSanta Fe New Mexican.com
Chandigarh Tribune -New Yorker- TVNZ
all 3,262 news articles »

Obama Calls on Congress to Pass His Budget

VOA NEWS

usa

U.S. President Barack Obama has called for passage of a budget he is sending to Congress next week, saying it includes ideas both parties can support. In his weekly address Saturday, the president said his top priority is improving the economy by supporting the growth of a rising, thriving middle class. He warned that deep, across-the-board budget cuts now in place will cost the economy hundreds of thousands of jobs a year. Watch President Obama's weekly address: On Friday, the ...

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 6

Thousands in Bangladesh Rally for Anti-Blasphemy Laws

breaking news

Thousands of members of a hardline Muslim group protested Saturday in the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, demanding the government enact anti-blasphemy laws. Members and supporters of the group Hifazat-e-Islam are calling for the law in reaction to a group of bloggers the Muslim activists accuse of being atheists who have been insulting Islam. The bloggers have been under pressure in recent weeks for writings critical of Islam. The bloggers are demanding capital punishment for militants found ...

Street Art of the Arab World on YouTube - New York Times (blog)

Street Art of the Arab World on YouTube
New York Times (blog)
The Cairene journalist and blogger Soraya Morayef, who has written extensively about the Egyptian revolution's graffiti, has produced a series of new video reports on street art of the Arab world, as part of a series for MOCAtv, the YouTube channel of ...

The Lede: Street Art of the Arab World on YouTube

BY ROBERT MACKEY

beirut (lebanon)

egypt

graffiti

libya

los angeles museum of contemporary art

palestinians

west bank

africa

middle east

news

world

Soraya Morayef has produced new video reports on street art of the Arab world, as part of a series for MOCAtv, the YouTube channel of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

U.S. Reviews Military Options for Syria

paid

The White House, under pressure from key allies and U.S. lawmakers, is reviewing a new set of potential military options for assisting rebels in Syria, according to U.S. officials.

BP Payouts Are Upheld; An Appeal Is Likely

BY REUTERS

gulf of mexico oil spill (2010)

decisions and verdicts

barbier

carl j

bp plc|bp|nyse

A federal judge in Louisiana upheld the system used to compensate victims of the giant BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, which BP says it will appeal.

Leaning on the world to save women and girls - Washington Post

Leaning on the world to save women and girls
Washington Post
Brown's fourth annual “Women in the World” summit at Lincoln Center is testament to what one woman can do to change the world. Disclosure: I am a Tina Brown fan and sometimes write for her publications, Newsweek and the Daily Beast. But I became a fan ...

and more »

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 7

The Vatican: Pope Seeks Decisive Action to Resolve Church's Sexual Abuse ...
New York Times
Pope Francis on Friday directed the Vatican to act decisively on sexual abuse cases involving members of the clergy and to punish pedophile priests, saying the Roman Catholic Church's credibility was on the line. The pope pushed for action during a ...

and more »

Obama's budget plan draws fire from both sides
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — The budget that President Obama is scheduled to release next week drew attacks Friday from both the left and right — a reaction that White House aides appeared to welcome as they sought to portray the plan as a middle-of-the-road ...
Obama Budget Is Dismissed by GOP and Attacked by LeftNew York Times
Eyeing Syria, White House woos regional rulersAlbany Times Union
White House, GOP point fingers on jobs reportUSA TODAY
Bloomberg -Greek Reporter -Christian Science Monitor
all 108 news articles »

World Briefing | Europe: Italy’s President Grants Pardon in Rendition Case

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

united states air force

nasr

hassan mustafa osama

extraordinary rendition

italy

defense and military forces

united states defense and military forces

kidnapping

torture

central intelligence agency

napolitano

giorgio

Italy’s president pardoned a United States Air Force colonel convicted in absentia for the abduction of an Egyptian terrorism suspect in Milan in a Central Intelligence Agency operation.

World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post

Syrian president warns of ‘domino effect’ if regime falls

BASSEM MROUE, SUZAN FRASER

bashar al-assad

peace talks

BEIRUT — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned in comments broadcast Friday that the fall of his government or the breakup of his country will cause a “domino effect” that will fuel Middle East instability for years. It was his sharpest warning yet about the potential for Syria’s civil war to affect neighboring states.
Read full article >>

World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post

Philly.com

White House promises more funding to address VA backlog of disability claims
Washington Post
The White House said Friday it is proposing a 13.6 percent increase in funding for the handling of veterans benefits, an effort to reduce the Veterans Affairs Department's massive backlog of disability claims. The proposed $2.5 billion for the Veterans Benefits ...
Obama's VA budget boosts funds to cut claims backlogNavyTimes.com
Backlog of VA Disability Benefits ClaimsLawyersandSettlements.com

all 19 news articles »

After Pentagon investigations, three Army generals censured for misconduct

CRAIG WHITLOCK

missile defense agency

military academies

david petraeus

After lengthy investigations, the Pentagon has determined that three Army generals committed misconduct in separate incidents, adding to an unusually long list of senior military commanders who have been censured over the past year.
Read full article >>

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 8

Detecting Shift, U.S. Makes Case to China on North Korea

BY MARK LANDLER

china

north korea

united states international relations

kim jong-un

xi jinping

obama

barack

missiles and missile defense systems

The Obama administration, seeing signs of Chinese frustration toward Pyongyang, is pressing China to crack down or face more of an American military presence in Asia.

U.N. Says Aid for Syria Refugees Is Running Out

BY NICK CUMMING-BRUCE AND SEBNEM ARSU

syria

humanitarian aid

refugees and displaced persons

united nations

middle east and north africa unrest (2010- )

assad

bashar al-

A Unicef official says that with 1.25 million Syrians registered as refugees, “the needs are rising exponentially and we are broke.”

World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News

Growing Calls In US For Legalised Marijuana

A new poll finds 52% of Americans are now in favour of legalising the drug as producers say it creates jobs.

Trade Deficit Narrows as Exports Increase

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

international trade and world market

united states economy

commerce department

The gap between exports and imports fell 3.4 percent, to $43 billion in February.

How Machiavelli Saved My Family

free

At the end of her rope with four young kids, a mother turns to an unlikely adviser—and learns how hardheaded rule can secure stability and happiness in the home.

National Briefing | Washington: Visa Program for Skilled Workers Hits Limit Early

BY REUTERS

foreign workers

visas

immigration and emigration

citizenship and immigration services (us)

united states

A visa program for skilled workers has hit its quota just days into the application period, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services said.

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 9

World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News

Mexico Drug War Memorial Angers Relatives

Families refuse to acknowledge an official memorial in Mexico City until the government documents those killed in the drug war.

World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post

World Digest: Japan strikes deal with U.S. on Okinawa; pope seeks action on child sex abuse

Japan and the United States said Friday that they have agreed on plans for returning land to Japan near Kadena Air Base, on the southern island of Okinawa, that is used by U.S. troops, in an effort to balance local concerns with support for the countries’ military alliance.
Read full article >>

Economic Times

Employer Demand Soars for Skilled-Worker Visas
Wall Street Journal
Employer demand for skilled-worker visas, known as H-1Bs, outstripped the entire year's supply in the first week that companies were allowed to file applications, prompting the government to resort to a lottery to award them. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ...
Application deluge for high-tech visas forces lotteryLos Angeles Times
Visa Program for Skilled Workers Hits Limit EarlyNew York Times
H-1B visa cap reached, lottery will decide fate Indian Express
Atlanta Journal Constitution-Bloomberg
all 30 U-T San Diego
all 27 news articles »

Writer of Times Op-Ed on Racism in Cuba Loses Job

BY RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD

zurbano

roberto

new york times

blacks

cuba

murphy

eileen

discrimination

race and ethnicity

The New York Times stood by the preparation of an opinion piece that Roberto Zurbano wrote before being removed from his post as an editor of a Cuban publishing house.

President Obama wants NASA to grab an asteroid, send astronauts to study it
Washington Post
The next giant leap in space exploration may be a short hop on a small space rock. Next week, President Obama will request $105 million in NASA's 2014 budget for a mission that would capture a small asteroid, tug it near the moon, and later send astronauts ...
NASA plans to tow asteroid into Earth's orbitNew York Daily News
Senator: NASA to Lasso Asteroid, Bring It CloserABC

News
Asteroid Wanted in NASA ProjectNew York Times
French Tribune-Florida Today-The Verge
all 43 news articles »

San Francisco Chronicle

World powers and Iran start second day of nuclear talks - Reuters

The Guardian

World powers and Iran start second day of nuclear talks
Reuters
ALMATY (Reuters) - World powers and Iran started the second day of nuclear talks on Saturday with little hope of striking a quick deal in the long-standing dispute that threatens to erupt into war. Negotiators failed to narrow their differences in ...
Iran nuclear talks in Kazakhstan stumbleThe Guardian
World powers, Iran seek to break deadlockInquirer.net
Iran, world powers fail to make progress in nuclear talksAl-Arabiya
Haaretz -The Daily Star -Zee News
all 320 news articles »

NEXT PAGE OF STORIES

PAGE 10

IHT Rendezvous: IHT Quick Read: April 6

BY INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE

iht rendezvous

Investor concern on Korea; advances on exam grading; arrest shows China’s reach; and U.S. overhauls food aid.

Kerry Heads to Middle East, Asia

breaking news

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heads to the Middle East Saturday to push for progress on Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is to meet in Istanbul with Turkish officials including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss efforts to end the civil war in Syria that has continued for two years. The State Department says he will also push for confidence-building measures between Israel and the Palestinians, and for Turkey to try to improve the relationship damaged when ...

Iran Nuclear Talks in Second Day

breaking news

A second day of talks is under way in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Saturday as delegates from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany and Iran continued efforts to reach a compromise on Tehran's controversial nuclear programs. The delegates are discussing proposals to allow Iran to trade some products now under international sanctions, if it agrees to close a nuclear facility and get rid of its stockpile of enriched uranium. U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Victoria ...

World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News

North Korea: US Deploys Spy Plane To Japan

The US brings forwards its drone deployment to Japan after North Korea moves two missiles on mobile launchers to its east coast.