– Wanted: ‘survival strategies’ for dying US newspapers (AFP):
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The fate of US newspapers is in the news as journalists, editors, bloggers, media pundits and concerned citizens debate the future of the troubled industry.”How to Save Your Newspaper,” is the cover story in Time in which Walter Isaacson, a former managing editor of the magazine, revives a plan to make readers pay for news online through a “micropayments” system.
– Prosperous Spanish city falls victim to hard times (Independent):
In a country destroying jobs at a breathtaking rhythm, once flourishing Zaragoza and the region around it is declining even faster than the national average – with unemployment up 75% in a year. The shock has already sent protesters on to the city’s streets in their tens of thousands. “If this isn’t fixed: Strike! Strike! Strike!”, they chanted at a recent rally.
– Scientists warn of first ever case of human mad cow disease from blood plasma (Telegraph):
Warnings were sent to 4,000 haemophiliacs, and patients suffering from other rare blood conditions in 2004 to warn them that they had had received transfusions from 200 batches of blood products at risk of contamination with vCJD. The plasma was collected from nine people who went on to develop the brain-wasting disease.
– Japan’s economy shrinks 3.3% (Financial Times):
On an annualised basis, gross domestic product declined at a rate of 12.7 per cent… (Japan is in a Depression)
– Despite Pledges, Package Has Some Pork (Washington Post):
(Some? Read the Stimulus Bill: Nancy Pelosi)
– UN lobbies for share of bank rescue funds (Times Online):
The UN and the World Bank are lobbying for a portion of the billions of dollars allocated to bailing out the West’s banking systems to be diverted to prevent 400 million people sinking into poverty across Asia in the wake of the global economic crisis. UN officials say that such a plan is necessary to prevent severe social unrest in poor countries, especially among the tens of millions of migrant workers who are being forced back to their villages as jobs dry up in the cities of Asia.
– Fraud probe into UK firm’s role in collapse of world’s largest insurer AIG (Daily Mail)
– Large US banks on brink of insolvency, experts say (IHT)
– US Making Same Mistakes that Led to Japan’s Lost Decade, Say Analysts (Money Morning)
– Boycott UN forum, says Israeli ex-envoy (Sydney Morning Herald):
A FORMER senior Israeli diplomat, Dan Gillerman, has urged Kevin Rudd to cancel Australia’s attendance at a United Nations forum on racism, saying it will be used as a platform to bash Israel.
– Food banks toss out food linked to peanut recall (Chicago Tribune)
– Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production (Market Skeptics):
The countries that make up two thirds of the world’s agricultural output are experiencing drought conditions. Whether you watch a video of the drought in China, Australia, Africa, South America, or the US, the scene will be the same: misery, ruined crop, and dying cattle. The world is heading for a drop in agricultural production of 20 to 40 percent, depending on the severity and length of the current global droughts. Food producing nations are imposing food export restrictions. Food prices will soar, and, in poor countries with food deficits, millions will starve.
– Feds charge NYPD officer with laundering $230000 (AP)
– USS Cole Families Press Obama to Open Commission to Investigate Attack (FOX News)
– Figures reveal Blair’s charity empire (Guardian)
– NYPD okays Velcro handcuffs for use on unruly children (Daily News)
– Intense light ‘could detect Parkinson’s’ (Telegraph)
– Autism ruling fails to convince many vaccine-link believers (CNN)
– The Wounds of Gaza (The Lancet):
Two Surgeons from the UK, Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah and Dr Swee Ang, managed to get into Gaza during the Israeli invasion. Here they describe their experiences, share their views, and conclude that the people of Gaza are extremely vulnerable and defenseless in the event of another attack.