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Millions march against GM crops

Organisers celebrate huge global turnout and say they will continue until Monsanto and other GM manufacturers listen

AP, May 25

Organisers say that two million people marched in protest against seed giant Monsanto in hundreds of rallies across the US and in more than 50 other countries on Saturday.

“March Against Monsanto” protesters say they [...]

GOP Governor Shuts Down Lawmaking Until Her Party Agrees To Expand Medicaid

Think Progress, By Sy Mukherjee, May 24

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) has a message for her party: expand Medicaid — or else.

The combative GOP governor is sticking by a threat she made to veto all legislation until lawmakers resolve the 2014 state budget and pass Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. On Thursday, Brewer proved that wasn’t [...]

Obama speech suggests possible expansion of drone killings

McClatchy, By Lesley Clark and Jonathan S. Landay, May 22

Washington — President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his administration’s use of drone strikes to kill terrorists as effective, lawful and “heavily constrained,” but he also appeared to be laying groundwork for an expansion of the controversial targeted killings.

In remarks at the National Defense [...]

New Computer Attacks Traced to Iran, Officials Say

New York Times, By Nicole Perlroth & David E. Sanger, May 24

San Francisco — American officials and corporate security experts examining a new wave of potentially destructive computer attacks striking American corporations, especially energy firms, say they have tracked the attacks back to Iran.

The targets have included several American oil, gas and [...]

Toronto mayor denies smoking crack, questions scandalous video’s veracity

CNN, By Greg Botelho, May 24

“I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine.”

Those words aren’t what might normally be expected from the mayor of Canada’s largest city. But little is normal nowadays for Rob Ford.

Eight days ago, Gawker and the Toronto Star published stories stating their [...]

Electric Avenue: Solar Road Panels Offer Asphalt Alternative

(Speigel Online) – An American couple has found a surprising alternative to conventional asphalt motorways: solar road panels. In addition to providing electricity, saving oil and melting fresh snow, it could also prevent accidents.

Taliban launches major attack in Kabul

(Al Jazeera) – Taliban fighters have launched a deadly coordinated attack on a UN compound in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, setting off explosions and battling security forces, Reuters reported.

A plume of smoke hung over the city centre after the attack was launched on Friday, eight days after six Americans, soldiers [...]

EU bans three pesticides harmful to bees

(Phys.Org) – The European Commission said Friday that it will ban for two years beginning in December pesticides blamed for killing the bees that pollinate food and fruit crops.

The decision to ban the three insecticides, made by chemicals giants Bayer and Syngenta, “marks another milestone towards ensuring a healthier future” for bees, EU Health [...]

SARS-like virus patent complicating diagnosis

(AFP) – Saudi Arabia lamented Thursday that foreign drug companies had patented the new SARS-like virus that has killed 22 people worldwide in less than a year, slowing down the diagnosis process considerably.

Japanese stocks suffer biggest one-day plunge since 2000

Japanese stocks plunged by the most in 13 years on Thursday, as traders rushed to bank profits on worries that the US was poised to scale back its money printing programme and Chinese manufacturing data disappointed.

The Telegraph, By Szu Ping Chan, May 23

The Nikkei 225 index closed down 7.32pc – or 1,143.28 points [...]

U.S. acknowledges killing of four U.S. citizens in counterterrorism operations

Washington Post, By Karen DeYoung & Peter Finn, May 22

The Obama administration acknowledged Wednesday that it has killed four Americans in overseas counterterrorism operations since 2009, the first time it has publicly taken responsibility for the deaths.

Although the acknowledgment, contained in a letter from Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to Congress, does [...]

Supreme Court will rule on prayer at government meetings

The small town of Greece, N.Y., could set a new precedent on the issue of religious expression.

USA Today, By Richard Wolf, May 20

Washington — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether prayers can be offered at government meetings — a practice that’s been common in Congress and throughout the states for more [...]

New light shed on US government’s extraordinary rendition programme

Online project uncovers details of way in which CIA carried out kidnaps and secret detentions following September 11 attacks

The Guardian, By Ian Cobain & James Ball, May 22

A groundbreaking research project has mapped the US government’s global kidnap and secret detention programme, shedding unprecedented light on one of the most controversial secret operations [...]

Gov. Christie announces N.J. pulling out of regional environmental initiative

The Star-Ledger, By Christopher Baxter, May 28

Trenton, NJ — In a blow to clean energy advocates throughout the Northeast, Gov. Chris Christie said this morning that the state will pull out of the region’s “gimmicky” cap-and-trade program by the end of the year.

During a Statehouse news conference, Christie acknowledged the effects humans are [...]

Venezuela’s new government ‘open’ to resuming U.S. diplomatic relations

(Raw Story) -Venezuela on Sunday made a rare diplomatic overture to the United States, suggesting it could be time for better ties.

“We are going to remain open to normalizing relations with the United States,” Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said on Televen television Sunday.

“The first thing would be to resume diplomatic representation at the [...]