The Peoples Voice News, Nov 13, 2010

Currency 'wars' dominate G20 summit

I always cringe when I read references to 'war' in the sports pages. It was a 'war on the pitch', a 'war on the court'. Now we have 'a war' in the financial pages of the newspapers and you can thank Brazil for that. By most accounts, it was recently the Brazilian finance ministry that first coined 'currency war' in relation to the monetary face-off between China and the US taking place at the G20 in Seoul. The 'currency war' term has stuck. Now Brazil is going to try to act as unofficial mediator between the two superpowers.

U.S. officials try to address air security worries - Video

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and Pistole met executives from the travel industry, including hotels and online sites, on Friday to talk about concerns the added security is crimping travel and hurting their businesses. "The meeting with Secretary Napolitano was informative but not entirely reassuring," said Geoff Freeman, an executive vice president with the U.S. Travel Association. "We understand the challenge DHS confronts but the question is where we draw the line." Pistole mentioned several forthcoming reforms for so-called trusted travelers, Freeman said. "Our country desperately needs a long-term vision for aviation security screening rather than an endless reaction to yesterday's threat," he said.

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BBC News - Polish composer Henryk Gorecki dies aged 76

Gorecki's Symphony No. 3 became the best-selling record by a contemporary composer
Polish composer Henryk Gorecki has died at the age of 76, the country's national orchestra has announced.He was best known for his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, which was composed in 1976 and sold more than a million copies following a 1992 re-release.

BBC News - G20 to tackle US-China currency concerns

Leaders of the G20 group of major economies have agreed to avoid "competitive devaluation" of currencies after talks concluded in the South Korean capital, Seoul.
Leaders agreed to come up with "indicative guidelines" to tackle trade imbalances affecting world growth.
Tensions had been high between some delegations over how to correct distortions in currency and trade.

Pakistani Christian woman appeals over death sentence

 

Rights groups say the blasphemy law is often exploited by Islamist extremists or people harbouring personal grudges.
Relatives of a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammad say they will appeal against her conviction.
Asia Bibi is believed to be the first woman sentenced to death under Pakistan's blasphemy law.

Obama hails Iraq 'milestone' after power-sharing deal

Mr Maliki (left) has a month to persuade Mr Allawi (right) to join his new administration
US President Barack Obama has said the new power-sharing agreement in Iraq after eight months of deadlock marks another "milestone" for the country.Speaking at the G20 summit in Seoul, Mr Obama said the new Iraqi government would be "representative,

Kosovo medics accused of trafficking kidneys

The alleged operations took place in 2008

EU prosecutors have accused seven people, including doctors and a health official, of trafficking kidneys through a clinic in Kosovo.

International trafficking allegedly took place in 2008 at the Medicus clinic in the capital, Pristina.
Kidney "donors" and recipients were of different nationalities, prosecutors said in a press release.

BBC News - Burma generals 'sign Aung San Suu Kyi release order'

Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years
Reports are coming out of Burma saying the military authorities have signed an order authorising the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.But hopes that the Nobel laureate would be freed on Friday appear to be fading.
A leader of her National League for

Nigeria to question Iranian over arms seized in Lagos

The weapons had been hidden in containers labelled as building materials
Iran has allowed Nigeria to interview an Iranian citizen inside its embassy, in connection with a shipment of arms seized in Lagos.Iran was accused of being behind the arms and there were suggestions Nigeria was being used as a smuggling route.

British Gas to raise gas and electricity bills by 7%

British Gas customers will face a 7% rise in gas and electricity bills this winter, the company has announced.The increase, which comes into effect on 10 December, was the result of rising wholesale prices, it said.

Haiti cholera outbreak prompts fresh UN aid plea

The UN has appealed for nearly $164m (£102m) to fight a cholera outbreak in Haiti which has now claimed 724 lives.

UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said that unless funds were provided, "all our efforts can be outrun by the epidemic".