Be the Change You Want to See in the World

Message from World United News Blog Owner Stewart Brennan

“Be the change you want to see in the world”…well that is what I have been trying to do for the past 7 years but because there are so many things I wanted to see changed in the world, I took on way too many topics to be any sort of effective change at all. So I made a decision today to focus on one topic that would bring about positive change in the world that could also have an effect on all the topics and issues I cared about and wanted to see changed for the better…my choice also had to be something I really enjoyed doing and really cared about so I decided to concentrate my time and efforts on promoting music.

Over the past 3 ½ years I have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are far more artists in the world that deserve to be in the public spotlight than is presently being offered. Quite simply, I don’t like what the mainstream offers or has offered for a long time, so this is where I want to see change, and the only way to change that is to just do it…Music is an art-form that reflects everyday life and is a powerful medium that expresses our feelings while motivating our wishes and dreams…Music is a creative process that has been silenced for far too long and needs to be unleashed into the World once again…it is the medicine of our souls and the rhythm of our hearts, so “World United Music” is stepping up another notch to bring about musical change in the World.

I know I have already played a small part for some 400 plus bands and artists but it isn’t enough and my goal has not been reached so I hope you will join me on this spiritual quest and share with your friends the music that resonates with you. Your endorsement through sharing with friends is the best way to spread the word and bring about the changes we all want to see in this world…in my mind, our Revolution BEGINS with music…because music is the peoples voice and will not be denied.

Most of my energy will now be focused on the World United Music Website.

Video Source: World United Music YouTube

Here are a few Music Play lists from World United Music:

Rock & Alternative – 2010 to 2019

Soft Rock – 2010 to 2019

Folk Rock & Acoustic – 2010 to 2019

Blues - 2000 to 2019

Pop Rock - 2000 to 2019

Progressive Rock – 2015 to 2019

Psychedelic Rock – 2000 to 2019

Punk Rock & High Energy Rock n Roll – 2000 to 2019

Hard Rock & Heavy Metal – 2000 to 2019

Southern Rock Country & Bluegrass – 2000 to 2019

Here is the Direct link to the World United Music website

One in five UK households is jobless

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220496.html

One in every five British households suffers the problem of having no individual in employment, shows a new study issued by GMB union, which is Britain's third largest union.

The GMB analysis based on the Annual Population Survey data on households by combined economic activity status January-December 2010 from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), shows that there are 3.9 million workless households across the UK with no one aged 16 and over in employment out of a total number of 20.5 million households.

According to the figures, 18.9% of all households have the problem of including no employed person aged 16 to 64 across the UK.

Moreover, the research by the GMB union showed that the highest regional percentage belongs to the North East with 24%, followed by Wales with 22.5%, Northern Ireland with 22.4%, and the North West with 21%.

It also revealed that Liverpool has the worst figure, with 31.9% workless households in the UK, with 51,000 homes having no one working out of a total number of 159,700.

“The areas with the highest levels of households without work are those areas which were first devastated by the recessions in the 1980s and 1990s. They never properly recovered. They have now been hit again by the double whammy of the bankers' recession and by Chancellor Osborne stalling the recovery leading to the region being mired in a new recession,” said GMB general secretary Paul Kenny.

Calling for the coalition government to implement policies that increase employment opportunities for people, he added, “I doubt if the electorate had any notion that a change of government would lead to a loss of 376,000 jobs across the UK in the public sector in the short time since the general election.”

Police have right to fire rubber bullets in London

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/209050.html

London, the capital city of Britain, is preparing for war after the Metropolitan Police said its forces are ready to pull the trigger on student protesters Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of students are expected to participate in a national demonstration on November 9th, organized by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts to defend education from falling into corporate greed and to reiterate their opposition to the increase in fees, and cuts to Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), as well as privatization policies.

The London police (Met) have, for the first time authorized firing rubber bullets on protesters, and Scotland Yard said its forces have been equipped with baton rounds to launch an all-out crackdown on protesters to prevent a repeat of the unrests that rocked the country in August this year.

Police Commander Simon Pountain, who is in charge of the police operation, said armoured vehicles, known as Jankels, would also be on standby to prevent a repeat of this summer unrests or the chaos last year during the student fees demonstrations.

He said at least 4,000 officers will be on the streets to police the events as they unfold and to provide security for the property.

The march will start from the University of London Union (ULU), Bloomsbury at 12 noon, and will go on to the London City, where Occupy the London Stock Exchange (Occupy LSX) protesters camped out in the vicinity of St. Paul's Cathedral are expected to join students and other anti-cuts activists. National Union of Journalists (NUS) has also officially supported the event.

The government's higher education white paper, announced this summer, is one of the main targets for the student movement. It has been attacked by academics, students and university heads for its implications for access and marketisation.

A group of academics has issued an open letter stressing that they unreservedly support the education protest against the government's cuts and reforms to universities and other higher education institutions.

“We believe education is a common good and should be publicly and collectively funded through the tax system.

No amount of cajolery can convince us that austerity measures should make the future of critical thinking, independence of mind, creativity scientific exploration, legal understanding and medical innovation subject to business principles. Our research and teaching promote social justice and equality and we will defend those principles in theory and in practice”, read the letter.

The Metropolitan Police has a responsibility to facilitate peaceful protests, but its resorting to such an unprecedented use of force is reminiscent of tactics employed by dictatorships that the UK government claims to be ostensibly opposed to.

Plastic bullets, which were used extensively by HM's forces during the troubles in Northern Ireland, killed some 14 people, including 9 children, between 1973 and 1981.

The president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Sir Hugh Orde, who deployed plastic bullets while serving in Northern Ireland, strongly criticized the latest Met's decision.

"I do not think it would be sensible in any way, shape or form to deploy water cannon or baton rounds in London. Baton rounds are very serious bits of equipment. I would only deploy them in life-threatening situations. What is happening in London is not an insurgency that is going to topple the country," he told the Guardian.

Police authorities have also supported “kettling” as an effective tool to clamp down protesters. “Kettling”, however, is described by human rights activists as an inhumane way of policing protesters.

Berlusconi announces resignation

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/209097.html

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said that he intends to resign after key economic reforms have been approved.

Berlusconi made the announcement on Tuesday, following a key parliamentary vote on public finance that he won without gaining the absolute majority of 316 seats, which is a precondition for the approval of future budgets, the state-run BBC reported.

In the budget vote, 308 MPs supported Berlusconi and one abstained, but 320 others - the entire opposition - did not vote.

The European Union has been putting pressure on Italy to carry out long-promised major economic reforms in order to improve its financial situation.

There is growing fear among EU leaders that Italy might be drawn into the crisis that has already claimed Greece, Ireland, and Portugal.

Italy faces a nearly two-trillion-euro debt that is 120 percent of its Gross Domestic Product. A 60-billion-euro austerity package to balance the budget by 2013 was passed in August.

“Once this engagement is fulfilled, the prime minister will hand in his mandate to the head of state, who will proceed with appropriate consultations, paying close attention to the positions and proposals of all political forces,” President Giorgio Napolitano said in a statement.

Berlusconi had shown “his awareness of the implications of the results of today's vote” as well as “concern for the urgent need to give prompt answers to the expectations of European partners,” Napolitano added.

The 75-year-old prime minister's popularity rating recently slipped to a record low of 22 percent as his team was unable to address the fiscal crisis and he faced legal battles over bribery, tax fraud, abuse of power, and sexual relations with a 17-year-old prostitute.

Italy bonds devalued on econ. jitters

Italy and the eurozone are facing a debt crisis.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/202832.html

Moody's credit rating agency has downgraded Italy's government bonds as the eurozone's third largest economy struggles with a burgeoning debt and a faltering economy.

In a statement, the agency said Monday's downgrading of Italy's bonds from “AA2” to “A2” level reflects ongoing economic risks faced by the European country and the eurozone, the Associated Press reported.

Moody's analysts have warned that the rating could even deteriorate further if long-term liquidity support remains uncertain.

"Moody's believes that the structural shift in sentiment in the euro area funding market implies increased vulnerability of this country to loss of market access at affordable rates that is incompatible with an 'AA' rating," the analysts said.

The action follows one-notch similar downgrade by Standard & Poor's (S&P) Ratings Services last month.

S&P analysts have said that Italy's economic growth has weakened and it has higher-than-expected levels of government debt.

The European Central Bank has also demanded harsh austerity measures from Rome. Yet, there are doubts about how serious Italy is about coming to grips with its debt.

The Italian government has announced an austerity package aimed at stopping its debt crisis.

However, the measures have triggered widespread protests and political power struggles within the ruling center-right coalition.

The Truth about 911 is Still Being Covered Up

UPDATED: 2016 March 23
Posted By: Stewart Brennan

As a student of history, I find that simply asking questions about 911 is met with the same over lord hatred that the Spanish or French inquisitions seem to have had in their day. The US government is not interested in the truth and sadly, nor is the US Mainstream media. To simply ask for all the evidence to be investigated causes an immediate backlash by the establishment to shout “heresy” and “conspiracy nut”. Well, I do not deal in conspiracy theories I deal in conspiracy FACT.

Some people would have you tied to a stake and burned for heresy at disbelieving the government’s story just for merely asking questions about an event that has launched 10 years of war, and continues to do so.

Empathy for all life is a principal element in the foundation of a human being. So to be without empathy for life is the very definition of evil, and that is what our establishment is, pure evil, because they have no empathy for life! Witness the millions they have slaughtered in the name of defense contracts and their refusal to allow a REAL 911 investigation to take place...to me they are the criminals and the ones responsible for 911!

On September 11th, 2001 there were over 3,000 people taken from this World and after that day millions more were killed because of the resulting US wars waged on Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, Libya, and soon they will push for war in Syria and Iran.

9/11 Fire Fighters - THREE Explosions After Plane Hit WTC

The Endless War policy launched after 911 has demonized the Muslim population because of a half assed investigation that did not allow the real evidence to be published. Had the truth been allowed to come out, we would not have descended into the pits of hell we now find ourselves in today.

There are so many inconsistencies and cover ups about 911 that to believe the official story should draw questions to that persons sanity, because the truth is right in front of everyone's face!...it is absolutely clear to me that 911 was staged by the US government and they had outside help with at least Israel and Saudi Arabia.

I want answers!! Including a full investigation into the van and people that were caught with traces of explosives in the van, who these people were, and why they were released? Who released them and on who's authority? Or how about the Israeli's who were caught dancing with joy as they filmed the WTC coming down why were they let go and sent back to Israel?... or how about all the witnesses including Police and firemen who heard multiple explosions, as they were in the buildings! How about WTC building 7 and it's freefall collapse? All the witnesses, all the video proof, how about the FN WTC owner "Larry Silverstein" who confessed on film and told the fire dept to "pull it" in reference to bringing WTC building 7 down? Don't you know that it takes MONTHS to set up a buildings demolition?...some of the REAL culprits were quickly ushered back to Israel and Saudi Arabia...how come?

9/11 Police Find Tons Of Explosives In A Van On The George Washington Bridge, Suspects Arrested

9-11 Cop Who Arrested Dancing Israelis Speaks

History seems to repeat itself in the guise of violent insurrection of a nation, the creation and implementation of a totalitarian police state where the citizen's lose their rights and freedoms of free speech and political protest. The cycle has come for the American people and all the vassal nations controlled through their economic empire...all for a greedy few so that they may continue their domination over the masses. We want a REAL investigation that is independent from the government!!

Architects and Engineers: Solving the Mystery of Building 7 - w/ Ed Asner

Video Source: ae911Truth

There are millions of us that have had enough and are determined to end this cabal of organized crime by publicly displaying the truth, and we will not be stopped!...and Mr. Obama, “You can take that to the bank”!

We want a real investigation!!!!

Compiled Footage of Building 7's Collapse

William Rodriguez – The Last Man Out - CSPAN (Part 1 of 2)

Source Video: YouTube

William Rodriguez – The Last Man Out - CSPAN (Part 2 of 2)

Source Video: YouTube

LINKS:

William Rodriguezand Rosie O'Donnell

9/11 Fire Fighters - THREE Explosions After Plane Hit WTC

Mossad Caught in Van on 9-11 "Filled with Explosives" GW Bridge

9/11 Police Find Tons Of Explosives In AVan On The George Washington Bridge, Suspects Arrested

9-11 Cop Who Arrested Dancing IsraelisSpeaks

Witnessing 9/11: Explosions &Explosives

Compiled Footage of Building 7's Collapse

Architects and Engineers: Solving theMystery of Building 7 - w/ Ed Asner

William Rodriguez – The Last Man Out - CSPAN(Part 1 of 2)

William Rodriguez – The Last Man Out - CSPAN(Part 2 of 2)

Spaniards protest austerity measures

Thousands of Spaniards demonstrated in Madrid, as they were upset their governments handling of the economy. Spain. 17th August 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197780.html

Thousands of Spaniards have launched rallies in the Spanish capital Madrid against their government's austerity measures, Press TV reported.

The three-day protest starting on Tuesday was initiated by Spain's two largest trade unions, the Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) as well as the Unio'n General de Trabajadores (UGT).

Tensions are running high as unions are battling a constitutional reform that consists of a controversial budget cap.

The protesters are now demanding a referendum before the Constitution is changed.

Possible clashes between protesters and security forces as well as traffic disruptions expected, as the protest organizers anticipate the rally to grow by Thursday.

Meanwhile, thousands of Italians have stated a general strike in the capital of Rome, protesting against their government's recently adopted austerity measures.

The strike is expected to disrupt public transportation, including train and bus services, and lead to the closure of some government offices.

Italian airline Alitalia has also announced that the action will force it to reduce the number of its domestic flights.

On Monday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called for swift action to reinforce the economic austerity plans while warning of clear signs that markets have lost confidence in Italy.

The strike comes as Berlusconi's popularity rating has plummeted to an all-time low.

Italians brace for anti-austerity strike

Students demonstrate and hold a placard reading 'We are making the wealth ourselves' during a general strike on May 6, 2011 in the capital Rome.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197658.html

Millions of Italians are set to go on a general strike in the capital Rome to protest fresh austerity measures adopted by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government.

The day-long strike will be held against a 45.5-billion-euro package of spending cuts and tax hikes introduced by the Berlusconi administration.

The protest action has been called by CGIL, Italy's biggest trade union, which demands from Rome to take measures to protect public jobs and punish tax evaders, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The strike is expected to disrupt public transportation, including train and bus services, and lead to the closure of some government offices.

Italian airline Alitalia has also announced that the action will force it to reduce the number of its domestic flights.

The Italian parliament is due to vote for a controversial austerity package that was compiled in early August under pressures from Italy's eurozone partners and the European Central Bank (ECB).

On Monday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called for swift action to reinforce the economic austerity plans while warning of clear signs that markets have lost confidence in Italy.

The strike comes as Berlusconi's popularity rating has plummeted to an all-time low.

Italy's budget deficit currently stands at 3.8 percent of the country's GDP. The government introduced a 48-billion-euro austerity package in July to balance the budget.

However, analysts say the Italian government needs an additional 20-billion-euro cut in spending to achieve a balanced deficit by 2013.

'World economy in a new danger zone'

World Bank President Robert Zoellick

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197596.html

The World Bank has warned that record-high food prices and the global economy have reached unsafe levels, pushing the world's most vulnerable people at risk.

"The world economy is entering a new danger zone this autumn," AFP quoted World Bank President Robert Zoellick as saying at a conference in Beijing on the future of China on Saturday.

The World Bank chief also called on the United States to “address its issues of debt, spending and tax reform to boost private sector growth and a stalled trade policy."

Zoellick went on to urge China to accelerate its structural reforms which cater more towards its export-driven economy, and is less reliant on its domestic consumption.

"China's structural challenges occur in a current international context of slowing growth and weakening confidence," Zoellick warned.

He added that China would face further challenges in the years ahead.

"In the next 15 to 20 years, China is well-positioned to join the ranks of the world's high income countries," the head of the World Bank stated, warning "That's a transition that only a handful of countries have made - and, sadly, many have failed".

Zoellick said in August that investors had lost confidence in the economic leadership of several countries, led by America's bitter Congress debate to raise its debt ceiling and avoid default.

The United States is almost 15,000 billion dollars in debt, and as the most indebted country of the world cannot pay off its debts.

The European Union has meanwhile spent much of the past 18 months trying to battle its own debt crisis and has so far provided huge funds to Greece, Ireland, and Portugal with hefty bailout packages.

ECB warns Italy over austerity plan

Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197378.html

The European Central Bank (ECB) has urged Italy to promptly implement austerity measures adopted earlier, amid worries over the country's credit worthiness.

"The ECB and euro system as a whole consider the measures announced by the government…extremely important in order to rapidly diminish the public deficit of Italy and improve the flexibility of the Italian economy," Reuters quoted ECB President Jean Claude Trichet as saying.

"It is essential that the targets announced to cut the deficit will be fully confirmed and implemented. This is absolutely decisive to consolidate and reinforce the quality and the credibility of the Italian strategy and its creditworthiness," he added.

Despite Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's austerity plan unveiled few weeks ago, the Italian government has failed to adopt the measures, believing that key measures such as a pension overhaul and a wealth tax should be scrapped.

The European Central Bank has so far spent EUR 41.6 billion on buying the Italian and Spanish bonds in an attempt to stop the downward pressure on their price.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said his government would urge the ECB to continue buying bonds for the country.

Italy's budget deficit currently stands at 3.8 percent of the country's GDP. The Italian government introduced a EUR 48-billion austerity package in July to balance its budget.

Earlier, Berlusconi promised to fast forward the plan and get the budget into balance by 2013.

So far, Greece, Ireland and Portugal have received bailout packages from the European Union. There are growing fears that Italy may be next in line to eclipse the previous bailouts and further undermine the Euro.

9/11 was an inside job: 1 in 7 in US, UK

A scene from September 11, 2001

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197140.html

About one out of seven US and British citizens believe that the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks, according to a poll recently conducted in the United States and Britain.

The survey interviewed 1,000 people on August 28, asking them, "It is generally accepted that these attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda. However some people have suggested there was a wider conspiracy that included the American government. Do you, yourself, believe that there was a wider conspiracy, or not?"

The Daily Mail reported on Friday that 14 percent of British citizens and 15 percent of US citizens believe the George W. Bush administration actually staged the attacks, with the view most common among young people aged between 16 and 24, 24 percent of whom said they believed 9/11 was an inside job.

Gordon Duff, the senior editor of Veterans Today, discussed the 9/11 issue during an interview with Press TV's US Desk on Tuesday.

It is very distressing for US veterans to know that their own government was responsible for the disaster, and on September 11, 2011 "they are going to come out, parade around, and lie to us again," Duff said.

Recession breeds homelessness in UK

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197117.html

New figures have revealed that the number of rough sleepers in Britain is spiraling as well as a new type of homelessness emerging out of recession.

The umbrella group Homeless Link said that of 200 homeless organizations surveyed, 66 percent reported a rise in the number of rough sleepers in their area across the UK, Channel 4 News reported.

Peter Mansfield Clark, manager of a direct access hostel in Crawley, said those figures are no surprise.

"In the last 12 months, we've had to turn away just over 1,900 people, and out of 1,900, almost 500 were women," he said.

"And we are having to say to people, 'Sorry. We're full and you've got to stay on the street.' It's a horrendous figure", added the hostel's boss.

Mansfield said he too was witnessing a new, unexpected breed of homeless people looking for help.

"We're getting people who, if you like, are slightly higher up the social scale, who have been working for most of their lives. And things have gone wrong with them since the recession", he said.

A young Briton looks bewildered as he recalls the past six months, during which he went from full-time work and a nice flat, to walking the streets looking for somewhere to stay.

"The work just didn't come through," he says. "It got less and less, so I still had a job but there just wasn't the hours or the amount of days. Not enough to keep me going properly and keep things sweet at home."

When the coalition first came to power it changed the way rough sleeper figures were collated, arguing that it gave a more accurate figure than in the past. So the 2011 official figure for rough sleepers across the country stands at 1,768, the report said.

But, according to Channel 4 News, of 80 frontline homeless organisations two-thirds of them believe that the figures "significantly underestimate" the numbers of people sleeping rough.

It said that 189,000 people were put into temporary accommodation, such as B&Bs, in 2010 to prevent them becoming homeless, up 14 percent on the previous year.

The report also said that last year, 44,160 people were accepted as homeless by councils and put into social housing, up 10 percent on previous year.

Charities are warning that the situation can only get worse - with changes to the benefit system seeing some safety nets slip away.

Long-term job queues longest since 2007

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196164.html

British long-term unemployment has skyrocketed to more than 400,000 which is unprecedented since 1997, the results of a survey show.

That puts the number of people who have not been working for at least two years at more than double the figure when the recession began in 2008, Britain's leading progressive think tank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said.

According to IPPR, some 100,000 over-50-year-old people who have been without a job since the economic crisis began risk early retirement with a lower pension as they would have no other alternative.

The think tank said the number of 18 to 24-year-old people out of employment since 2008 has increased almost three-fold from 36,000 to 95,000.

The study also warned that the coming 12 months will see a further rise in the number of those out of work for over two years as the government pushes ahead with its spending cuts and employers offer fewer vacancies.

The IPPR also found that the cuts in the public sector spending will hit women the worst in the coming years, .

"The longer someone is out of work, the more they lose motivation and confidence. They also miss out on vital training and work experience,” IPPR's chief economist Tony Dolphin said.

"This means that even when employment starts to pick up again, they will find it hard to compete with other jobseekers and could find themselves permanently shut out of the jobs market," he further warned.

The IPPR said the government should raise employment rate from the current 70 percent towards 80 percent if it wants to prevent people from “permanently drifting away” from the Labor market.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling has blamed the situation on “the chronic failure of the welfare system” the government inherited from former Labour administrations.

Britain moves to fix 'broken society'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196691.html

The British government ministers have been given just one month to come up with brand new initiatives to fix Britain's “broken society,” according to news reports.

Upon return from his holiday in Cornwall, British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday chaired the first meeting of the government's new social policy review to address recent unrest in the country.

The premier is seeking to fix the “moral collapse” behind the unrest that swept across towns and cities earlier this month.

Cameron tasked ministers in all departments with drawing up new initiatives and asked them to consider whether other plans need to be accelerated.

The British prime minister has already floated the idea of a 'national citizen service', an eight-week programme of community service, team-building and physical challenges, which was due to be offered to 30,000 youngsters next year but could now be expanded to offer places to all 16-year-olds.

Now, he is asking ministers to examine virtually all government policies, including benefits, schools, policing and human rights to see if more can be done.

Earlier this month he said he was determined to turn around the prospects of 120,000 problem families blamed for many of Britain's social ills.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said the review would look at whether current government initiatives and programmes are “big enough and bold enough to deliver the change the country now wants to see.”

“It's to do that check on where we are in terms of existing policy development and whether it continues to meet the demands that have been made,” she added.

“It looks at the whole set of issues regarding broken society - it could be schools, family policy, parenting, communities, human rights, health and safety, cultural, legal, bureaucratic problems, services the government provides and how they are delivered and the signals that government sends about the kind of behaviours that are encouraged and rewarded,” the spokeswoman said.

Britain was rocked with an unprecedented mayhem in its contemporary history, a situation which rattled each and every fibers of the establishment and sent a strong message to its strategists to be watchful and on guard.

The unrest was triggered by the shooting of a black man by police in a London suburb, but quickly spread to other towns and cities.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested in the aftermath of the unrest, of whom almost a quarter are juveniles under 17 years of age and many of them have been charged with criminal behaviour.

Eurozone unemployment hits 10 percent

About 15.8 million people are unemployed in euro zone countries

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196745.html

Unemployment rate in the eurozone has climbed to 10 percent, supporting fears that the region's economy is in slowdown as it rises for the third consecutive month.

The number of jobless people in the eurozone region raised by 61,000 in July, bringing the total unemployment rate to 149,000 over the past 3 month, which is the highest number since May 2010.

The increase has pushed the total number of out of work in the eurozone to about 15.8 million.

Spain recorded the worst unemployment level, standing at 21.2 percent, among the eurozone countries, according to the European Union's statistics office Eurostat, dpa reported.

The youth unemployment rate, which tracks jobless people under 25 is running at 20.5 percent across the eurozone, again with Spain having the worst rate of 46.2 percent.

Unemployment reached 12.3 percent in Portugal, while the jobless rate stood at 14.5 percent in Ireland. At this time Austria had Europe's lowest jobless rate, which has slipped from 3.9 percent in June to 3.7 percent in July.

The unemployment rate remaining well above the eurozone average in states that were struggling with debt crisis indicates the economic divergence across shared currency region.

Europe has been vexed by financial crisis as the 17-nation eurozone has been plunging into the abyss brought on by fissures between strong economies such as Germany, and weaker ones such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal, which risk being engulfed by unprecedented levels of government debt.

Missile hit Pentagon on 9/11: Video

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196632.html

On the verge of the 9/11 tenth anniversary, leaked videos confirm eye-witnesses' accounts that the attack was made by a cruise missile rather than a passenger plane, an editor told Press TV's US Desk.

"There were 85 videos; another video was released yesterday (August 29). Now it hasn't been carefully vetted but it appears to be quite genuine that clearly shows a cruise missile from another angle hitting the Pentagon," Gordon Duff, senior editor of Veterans Today, told Press TV's US Desk on Tuesday.

Duff said that CNN reporters at the scene of the 9/11 event in 2001 said they had not seen any plane wreckage after the attack.

According to "reliable reports" from airline pilots, it would be "impossible" for the plane and any pilot at all, including the top air force and navy pilots in the US, to have flown a plane in such a way the Pentagon, he added.

"We have engineers at Boeing -- the company that manufactured the plane that supposedly hit the Pentagon -- that say it couldn't fly that fast, it can't fly that low, it can't make those turns and it couldn't have been there," the investigative journalist said.

The close photographs of the Pentagon also show no wreckage of the plane, although normally remains of a plane wreck sometimes cover a square of a mile.

The plane crash does not create a hole 7 to 8 feet across, but it rather creates a hole where the wing hits over 120 feet across, experts say.

"But none of that had happened," he mentioned.

The video that is available now shows that the missile was rectangular, white, seemingly 17 to 20 feet, supersonic, without wings but with a small tail.

It is still pure conjecture who planned the attack and why he did it, but it is quite clear it was not a plane, according to Duff.

"We're willing to prove it wasn't a plane. We'll prove it in any court of law. Now we have solid evidence that we've put together for ten years," Duff said. "It is our belief that members of the US government and one other foreign government were complicit in the planning and execution of the attacks on 9/11."

It is very distressing for veterans to know that their own government was responsible for the disaster, and on September 11, 2011 "they are going to come out, parade around, and lie to us again," he concluded.

British housing market in crisis

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196538.html

The National Housing Federation (NHF) has warned that the housing market will be “plunged into crisis"' without government action to deal with the "chronic under-supply of homes.”

The NHS said that home ownership in England will fall to 63.8% over the next decade, which would be the lowest point since mid 80s. The federation stressed that high deposits, together with house prices and firm lending criteria, have hit home ownership.

"With home ownership in decline, rents rising rapidly and social housing waiting lists at a record high, it's time to face up to the fact that we have a totally dysfunctional housing market,” Federation chief executive David Orr said.

Orr insisted that more government investment could encourage a wider, faster economic recovery and help fix the country's broken housing markets.

"Home ownership is increasingly becoming the preserve of the wealthy and, in parts of the country like London, the very wealthy. And for the millions locked out of the property market the options are becoming increasingly limited as demand sends rents rising sharply and social homes waiting lists remain at record levels," he added.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps confirmed that the coalition government has not been building enough homes but claimed that it was "in the process of reversing that through massive planning reform" and a "massive program" concerning the release of thousands of acres of public land to “get Britain building again.”

"And despite the need to tackle the deficit we inherited, this government is putting £4.5 billion towards an affordable homes program which is set to exceed our original expectations and deliver up to 170,000 new homes over the next four years," Shapps added.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said that with rents increasing, more and more people across England will remain desperate for a reasonably priced place to live.

"With major developers holding planning permission for at least 188,000 new homes, the government must urgently look at ways to get construction going. This will not only create jobs and drive growth but will deliver the homes people desperately need," Robb added.

Britain enacts blanket ban on protests

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196108.html

The British government has applied a blanket ban on all kind of marches and protest gatherings in London amid fears of violence and disorder.

The Home Office announced the blanket ban on all marches in five London boroughs for 30 days starting from September 2, the Independent reported.

Home Secretary Theresa May banned all marches in Tower Hamlets, east London, and four neighboring boroughs in the capital for a 30-day period following a request from Scotland Yard Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin.

The move comes amid fears of violence and disorder if the marches were allowed to go ahead.

"Having carefully considered the legal tests in the Public Order Act and balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, I have given my consent to a ban on all marches in Tower Hamlets and four neighboring boroughs for a 30-day period”, said the Home Secretary.

"I know that the Metropolitan Police are committed to using their powers to ensure communities and properties are protected”, added Theresa May.

"We encourage all local people and community leaders to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined by public disorder", she said.

Therefore, the English Defense League's plan to march through the capital next month was blocked by the Home Secretary.

But, the British Unite against Fascism (UAF) and United East End (UEE) movement threatened that they will press ahead with the plan for anti Fascist march on September 3, issuing the following statement:

“We the undersigned welcome the banning of the racist English Defense League's (EDL) march through Tower Hamlets.

However, we believe the headlines claiming the EDL have been "banned" from Tower Hamlets are misleading. The EDL will still be holding a static protest in the borough.

“We are also appalled to discover that the Metropolitan Police are applying for a blanket ban on ALL marches across five London boroughs: Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest; and the City of London for 30 days”, said the statement.

“This is a huge attack on everyone's civil liberties and prevents people's right to oppose racism.

“We have the democratic right to peacefully march through Tower Hamlets on 3 September to show unity of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Black, Asian, LGBT communities, trade unions and all those against fascism and for freedom, and to voice opposition to the EDL's attempts to divide us.

“Our legal advice says there is no law that says if one march has been banned all marches in that area must be banned.

“It is our human right to peacefully march in Tower Hamlets.

“We therefore support the joint UAF/UEE protest on 3 September”, added the statement.

The government's blanket ban is part of an on-going attempt to undermine the right to protest in the UK.

The coalition is designating harsh measures to silence all anti-government protests in the country.

The ban will also affect London's most important protest against the arms trade called “Disarm DSEi,” which has been organized by anti-war activists to urge the government to shut down the world's largest arms fair on September 13.

London is to host the world's biggest arms fair, Defense & Security Equipment International (DSEi), on 13-16 September at the ExCeL center in East London's Docklands.

The fair holds every two years in London, this year more than 1200 arms companies will exhibit their deadly products to 25,000 buyers from across the world, including repressive and human rights abusing regimes.

“Europe Against Austerity” protest on October 1 would also be involved in the Home Office's blanket ban plan.

Leading British trade unions, social movements and progressive organizations have decided to stage a protest at European Conference against Austerity and Privatization.

Hurricane Irene kills 7 in US, Caribbean

Hurricane Irene battering the seafront in the Dominican Republic

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/196113.html

Hurricane Irene has left at least seven people dead in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic and destroyed homes in the Bahamas.

In the US, Irene killed three people in North Carolina and one in Virginia, and the hurricane also killed one person in Puerto Rico and two in the Dominican Republic, VOA reported on Saturday.

With sustained winds of 85 miles (140 kilometers) per hour, Irene lost power to become a massive Category 1 storm. It had been a Category 2 storm with winds around 100 miles (over 160 kilometers) per hour.

The hurricane made landfall at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning (1200 GMT) at Cape Lookout near the southern end of a chain of barrier islands in North Carolina.

Its torrential rains and high winds have shut down major highways, airports, and left 630,000 people without power in North Carolina.

About a quarter of a million people were ordered to evacuate from a section of New York by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Along the East Coast, the train service is on hold. Many flights have also been cancelled.

In the US, warnings are being issued announcing that Irene is still a dangerous hurricane and is not to be underestimated.

On Saturday afternoon, forecasters said the effects of Irene could be felt as far north as Canada even after it loses strength. A tropical storm warning extended from the US border to Nova Scotia's southern coast.

The Red Cross says it is facing one of the greatest aid and rescue missions in its history.

China lashes out at Pentagon report

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/196079.html

The Chinese government reacted strongly on Friday to a Pentagon report that warned China's military modernization could destabilize the Asia-pacific region.

The Chinese Defense Ministry says the U.S. military's annual assessment of China's armed forces, indulged in exaggeration and groundless suspicion.

Military wariness between the two nations remains a source of tension. And the recent U.S. Defense Department Report once again underlines this.

The Pentagon report predicts that by 2020, the Chinese People's Liberation Army will become a "modern, regional-focused military", and claims that the Chinese mainland is focusing its military buildup on Taiwan.

But China replied saying that as technology advances, it's very normal for the Chinese military to develop and upgrade its weaponry. The Pentagon report merely "exaggerated the so-called mainland military threat to Taiwan." Xinhua

FACTS & FIGURES

Major investments in aircraft, a space program and maritime technologies by China that have closed the technical gap with the United States military put strengthening Sino-U.S. ties at a premium, said the Pentagon August report to Congress. China Daily

Thanks to major investments into its military over the past decade, many of China's technologies have reached maturity whereas others will become operational in the next few years, the Pentagon August report said. Conservative Refocus

The U.S. arms sales to Taiwan last January damaged military ties with China, hurting diplomatic exchanges until the end of 2010. With a new arms sale to Taiwan looming, the White House will make a decision by Oct 1 what to sell to Taiwan. India Times