South Africa – paper tiger of African peacekeeping operations
Johannesberg, South Africa (IRIN) – There is an expectation – and has been for several years – that Africa’s economic powerhouse, South Africa, would become a leading player in the continent’s peacekeeping operations, but analysts say this is wishful thinking at best, and possibly misguided. “The international community expects more from South Africa [in a peacekeeping role], but South Africa is not deploying the amounts of troops and equipment expected of them,” Jakkie Cilliers, executive director of Pretoria-based think-tank Institute for Security Studies (ISS), told IRIN. “It all goes back to an overstretched department [of defense], lack of funding, transformation – which bedevils discipline – and operational capacity.” South Africa’s defense policy since the end of apartheid [...] Continue Reading…
Court: Massachusetts must cover legal Immigrants
Boston, MA, United States (KaiserHealth) – Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Thursday that the state must offer the same level of subsidized insurance to legal immigrants as to citizens. The decision affects roughly 40,000 residents and could cost the state at least $150 million per year. In 2009, state legislators in Massachusetts were facing a large budget gap and rising health care costs. After reviewing a number of choices, they opted to trim state subsidized health coverage for legal immigrants who have not been naturalized as citizens. Since the federal government doesn’t share the cost of care for this group, lawmakers reasoned, the state was justified in scaling back its commitment. Health Law Advocates sued, arguing that legal immigrants [...] Continue Reading…
White House launches youth jobs program
Diane Alter – AHN News ReporterWashington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The Obama administration announced an initiative on Thursday to help create as many as 250,000 summer jobs and internships for low income youth in 2012. The “Summer Jobs +” program is a private-federal government partnership. It has already received commitments from several companies and federal agencies to hire 180,000 youth for the summer. The program comes after Obama’s failed attempt to get a summer jobs program in his American Jobs Act that never attained congressional approval. In a statement announcing the program, Obama said, “America’s young people face record unemployment, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they’ve got the opportunity [...] Continue Reading…
Stocks slip Wednesday after Tuesday’s strong rally
Diane Alter – AHN News ReporterNew York, NY, United States (AHN) – U.S. stocks slipped Wednesday, giving back some of Tuesday’s strong gains. Just after the opening bell on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 12 points, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was down three points and the NASDAQ dropped eight points. Robust worldwide economic data on Tuesday lifted the Dow 180 points in the first trading day of 2012. The impressive rally is the third-biggest point gain in the first trading day of a year on record. By Wednesday, investors and traders once again turned their eyes toward Europe. Banks there were sitting on roughly $591 billion in overnight deposits at the [...] Continue Reading…
Iran speaks loudly, carries small stick
The Media Line StaffTehran, Iran David Rosenberg / The Med – It went off in a powerful blast from a shipboard launcher to the cheers of sailors and soared across the skies over the Gulf of Oman, leaving a white trail on its way to a target somewhere over the horizon. Billed as a new surface-to-air missile and tested during 10 days of naval exercises that ended on Monday, Iranian officials say the Mehrab is designed to evade radar. But showing off the projectile was designed to attract attention by convincing the world that the Islamic Republic is capable of closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz and choke global oil supplies. “I said at the beginning of [...] Continue Reading…
Bears stalk Mideast markets
The Media Line StaffDoha, Qatar David Rosenberg (The Medi – The year 2011 wasn’t only tough for Middle Eastern despots. With the exception of Qatar, the Arab World’s stock markets all ended the year with sharp drops both in share prices and trading volume as unrest took the wind out of much of the regional economy and sent political shivers everywhere. All told, investors waved goodbye to more than $111 billion in stock market value over 2011, a drop of about 11 percent, according to figures from the Arab Monetary Fund. They took their biggest hit in Egypt, where the combined value of the country’s stocks shed $33 billion last year, a 39 percent decline and the biggest [...] Continue Reading…
Number of bank failures fell in 2011
Diane Alter – AHN News ReporterNew York, NY, United States (AHN) – Savers had little to celebrate in 2011 as interest rates on deposits remained next to nothing. But, there was something to cheer about. The number of bank failures is trending downwards. Ninety-two banks failed in 2011, down from 157 in 2010 and 140 in 2009. While the statistics are encouraging and a sign that economic normalcy is returning, which will eventually lead to higher deposit rates, it must be noted that 844 institutions remain in regulators’ problem bank list, an indicator that bank failures will remain a stark concern for many months to come. Most of the the banks that went under in 2011 were [...] Continue Reading…
Dow ended final trading day of 2011 down, closed up for the year
Diane Alter – AHN News ReporterNew York, NY, United States (AHN) – Last year was turbulent, trying and tumultuous for global stocks and commodities, And for many investors and traders, 2011 couldn’t end soon enough. In the final trading day of 2011, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 69 points, but managed to eck out a 5.5 percent gain for the year. The closely tracked Standard & Poor’s 500 Index closed virtually flat, ending 2011 down 0.43 percent, while the tech heavy NASDAQ said good-bye to 2011 off 1.80 percent. Commodities fared much better. Oil gained 8.15 percent in 2011, and gold was the sole double digit finisher bidding the year adieu with a stellar [...] Continue Reading…
Rangers net three straight goals, edge Flyers in Winter Classic
AHN Sports StaffPhiladelphia, PA, United States (AHN Sports) – Mike Rupp scored a pair of goals, just his second and third of the season, and Brad Richards tallied his 14th as the New York Rangers overcame a 2-0 deficit to topple the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in Monday’s Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park. Henrik Lunqvist stiffened between the pipes for the Rangers, getting key pad saves down the stretch and standing up to Danny Briere on a late penalty shot. Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh was whistled for covering the puck while it was in the goal crease in the closing minute, creating Briere’s opportunity. Philadelphia had all the momentum going its way as Brayden Schenn [...] Continue Reading…
Pistons down previously perfect Pacers; pick up first win of season
John Raffel – AHN Sports CorrespondentAuburn Hills, MI, United States (AHN Sports) – Jonas Jerebko scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds while Greg Monroe added 19 points and 11 boards to lead the Detroit Pistons over the Indiana Pacers Saturday at The Palace of Auburn Hills 96-88. It’s the first win of the season for the Pistons, 1-3, and the first loss for the Pacers, 3-1. Tayshaun Prince’s running bank hook shot gave Detroit a 69-56 lead with 4:39 left in the third quarter. He added a 3-pointer moments later for a 76-58 lead. The Pistons continued to build their lead before George Hill’s jump shot later in the period for the Pacers cut the [...] Continue Reading…
