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Daily Caller's DC Links

Today's top stories:

1.) Obama declares today 'National Equal Pay Day,' despite paying men more
2.) British MP defends North Korea against 'wicked' America and 'evil' Britain
3.) Meet newly confirmed SEC director Mary Jo White's past clients
4.) Conservatives: Obama's budget plan a 2014 vote gambit
5.) Republican wants government to reveal costs for congressional trips overseas
6.) Coulter: Margaret Thatcher wanted to teach Sarah Palin 'to speak proper English'
7.) Source: Liz Cheney seriously considering running for Wyoming Senate
8.) Obama housing agency's staggering debt won't stop it from insuring more high-risk loans
9.) Rush Limbaugh: Melissa Harris-Perry's collective remarks 'as old as communist genocide'
10.) Lars Hedegaard on the issue that nearly led to his murder: immigration
11.) Amanda Bynes gaining on Lindsay Lohan for title of most troubled child star
12.) Ferrets on steroids sold as dogs in Argentina
13.) NY man wins $1.6 million due to phobia of frogs
14.) Kate Upton with baby animals is the best way to fight off your case of the Mondays [PHOTOS]
15.) Top 10: Reasons North Korea should not nuke South Korea

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World News Brief 4U

$87 bn needed to fight AIDS, TB, malaria: report
Brussels (AFP) April 08, 2013 -
The fight against HIV AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria will cost some $87 billion (67 billion euros) between 2014-16 if the three scourges are to be kept in check, a report showed Monday. The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said it estimated $87 billion was needed to "provide essential services for effective treatment ... to vulnerable populations." The battle against A ... more

Obama takes first step to selling arms to Somalia
Washington (AFP) April 8, 2013 -
President Barack Obama took the first step Monday toward providing US military assistance to Somali forces battling Islamist militants, after the easing of a UN arms embargo last month. Obama signed a determination stating that having the legal capacity to offer defense equipment to Somalia was in the national interest of the United States and could promote peace and stability in East Africa ... more

Vietnam reports first bird flu death in 14 months
Hanoi (AFP) April 9, 2013 -
A four-year-old child has become Vietnam's first victim of the H5N1 bird flu virus in more than a year, a health worker said on Tuesday, amid growing regional concerns about the virulent disease. The death comes as neighbouring China scrambles to contain a new H7N9 strain that had not previously been transmitted from birds to humans but has now killed seven people since February. "A test ... more

Dead fish cause for concern in China river
Shanghai, China (UPI) Apr 8, 2013 -
Dead fish found on the shorelines of a Shanghai river have sparked safety fears. Small carp-type dead fish were first sighted last week in a river in Shanghai's Songjiang district, China Daily reported Monday, and larger dead carp over the weekend, hundreds of fish in all. So far about 551 pounds of fish have been retrieved. The incident comes less than a month after thousands ... more

Cambodia fights surge in bird flu deaths
Phnom Penh (AFP) April 9, 2013 -
As China scrambles to contain a deadly new strain of bird flu, Cambodia is battling a spike in the better known H5N1 strain that is baffling experts a decade after a major outbreak began in Asia. Bird flu has killed eight people so far this year in Cambodia, including six children, while more than 13,000 chickens have been culled or died from the highly contagious illness. The impoverish ... more

South Africa rolls out new single dose AIDS drug
Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa (AFP) April 08, 2013 -
South Africa's health minister on Monday launched a new single dose anti-AIDs drug which will simplify the world's biggest HIV treatment regime to just one life-saving pill a day. The three-in-one combination anti-retroviral (ARV) was secured at a record-low price and will cost the state 89 rand a month ($10, eight euros) per patient. "Before 2010, we were buying the most expensive ARVs ... more

No proof China's H7N9 spreading between humans: WHO
Beijing (AFP) April 8, 2013 -
The World Health Organisation said Monday there is no evidence China's new H7N9 strain of bird flu is spreading between humans, as the death toll rose to seven and airline and tourism shares slumped. China said just over a week ago that H7N9 avian influenza had been found in humans for the first time. Shanghai announced a new fatality on Monday, a man aged 64 who died the previous day, while ... more

Smog-eating pavement on greenest street in America
Chicago (AFP) April 6, 2013 -
The big rigs rattling past smokestacks sure don't make this Chicago roadway look like the greenest street in America. But their tires roll over smog-eating pavement, the streetlights run on solar and wind power, the sidewalks were made with recycled concrete, and shrub-filled "bioswales" keep storm water out of overtaxed sewers. "Sustainability is critical for us," Karen Weigert, chief ... more

China boosts bird flu response as cases rise
Shanghai (AFP) April 7, 2013 -
China confirmed three more cases of bird flu on Sunday, as authorities sought to curb a deadly outbreak by banning live poultry sales and disinfecting schools. The new cases of the H7N9 strain of avian influenza brought the number recorded in China's developed eastern region to 21 since it was announced a week ago that the virus had been found in humans for the first time. Six people hav ... more

Argentina floods caused $5 billion in damage
Buenos Aires (AFP) April 7, 2013 -
Damage from last week's record rains and flooding in Argentina exceeded five billion dollars, according to officials, who said on Sunday that more than 350,000 people suffered losses in property. "More than 350,000 of our neighbors were affected directly or indirectly by the storm, which caused 2.6 billion pesos (five billion dollars) in damage," according to a press release by the Telam gov ... more

Thousands in Darfur seek protection after fighting
Khartoum, Sudan (AFP) April 07, 2013 -
Thousands of civilians in Sudan's troubled Darfur region have sought protection around peacekeeping bases after rebel attacks and "possible" air strikes, the mission said on Sunday. The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) confirmed rebels of the Sudan Liberation Army's Minni Minnawi faction "attacked and seized" the towns of Muhagiriya and Labado. On Saturday the rebe ... more

China steps up response to bird flu cases
Shanghai (AFP) April 6, 2013 -
Cities in eastern China where an H7N9 bird flu outbreak has killed six people moved Saturday to prevent the virus from spreading by banning live poultry trade and culling fowl. Nanjing city shut markets selling live poultry to its more than eight million residents, while Hangzhou culled birds after discovering infected quail, the official Xinhua news agency said. Two more people were con ... more

Congolese pygmy seeks to enlighten his kin
Kinshasa, 06 Avr 2013 -
Kapupu Diwa Mutimamwa, a pygmy from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been to university and become a champion for his people, trying to open their way to education, health care and a place in politics. Lively and talkative, the 55-year-old man of medium height calls himself "indigenous" to his country, but worries whether he is being politically correct. No serious studies have been und ... more

Italy marks fourth anniversary of L'Aquila quake
Rome (AFP) April 06, 2013 -
Italy on Saturday commemorated the fourth anniversary of a devastating earthquake in and around the city of L'Aquila which killed 309 people and forced tens of thousands to abandon their homes. Families of the victims led a torch-lit procession with thousands of people in the night between Friday and Saturday, when the tremor struck the mediaeval university town in the middle of the Apennine ... more

. MORE DISASTER NEWS
Guinea-Bissau ex-navy chief held on US drug charges


7.1-magnitude quake causes panic in Indonesia's Papua


Ice cores preserve 1,800 years of climate


Latin America looks to earn from e-waste


New radioactive water leak feared at Japan's Fukushima


Turkey raps US absence in $22bn nuclear tender: report


Niger students protest French group's uranium revenues


Hackers attack Israel, but damage 'minimal'


Dartmouth researchers say a comet killed the dinosaurs


Thugs target Sri Lankan newspaper office


French military considering purchase of US drones: source


Russia seeks Baltic pollution partnerships


China closes markets, culls birds to curb H7N9 virus


H7N9 bird flu strain has worrying traits: experts


Finland's Fennovoima in talks with Rosatom over reactor


Fukushima fuel cooling system stops again:TEPCO


US drivers talk and text as much as ever


Notre Dame imaging specialists create 3-D images to aid surgeons


Environmental policies matter for growing megacities


United States: A New Step Forward in Reactor Safety and Performance


Westinghouse contracted to support Argentina's Embalse nuclear power plant steam generator replacement


NASA Mission Will Track Earth's Ozone


Cyber-focused British command operational







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Stratfor on North Korea: Recent Reports

Escalating Tensions on the Korean Peninsula (Agenda) -- Free

Stratfor Vice President of East Asia Analysis Rodger Baker explains that while escalating threats from North Korea carry the risk of armed conflict, war is still improbable.
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North Korea's Geographic Challenge -- Free

Stratfor discusses how North Korea's primary geographic challenge of border security has shaped the imperatives of the country's current and previous regimes. Watch Video »

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As a free subscriber, you receive two free weekly reports, but there is so much more that Stratfor offers -- from analysis on the latest developments to forecasts of regional trends.

Enjoy these reports on North Korea's nuclear strategy, and subscribe now to watch the situation unfold with full access to all of our content.

Ferocious, Weak and Crazy: The North Korean Strategy -- Free
By George Friedman
North Korea has been using the threat of tests and the tests themselves as weapons against its neighbors and the United States for years. On the surface, threatening to test weapons does not appear particularly sensible. If the test fails, you look weak. If it succeeds, you look dangerous without actually having a deliverable weapon. And the closer you come to having a weapon, the more likely someone is to attack you so you don't succeed in actually getting one. Developing a weapon in absolute secret would seem to make more sense. When the weapon is ready, you display it, and you have something solid to threaten enemies with. Read Report »

Read More on North Korea »



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Obama Overrides Congress to Buy $690 Million Worth of Russian Choppers for Afghan Air Force | FrontPage Magazine

Obama Overrides Congress to Buy $690 Million Worth of Russian Choppers for Afghan Air Force | FrontPage Magazine

Noah David Simon

#Kerry's claim of #Turkish ‘sensitivity’ astonishes #Israelis
Posted: 07 Apr 2013 07:36 PM PDT
By HERB KEINON
Israeli official tells 'Post' Secretary of state apparently did not read Turkey’s press reaction reports following PM Netanyahu's apology over the 2010 flotilla incident; says reports included gloating.


US Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, April 7, 2013. Photo: Reuters
Israeli officials expressed astonishment on Sunday that US Secretary of State John Kerry praised Turkey for responding “sensitively” and without triumphalism to Israel’s apology for the Mavi Marmara incident.
“They have taken steps to try to prevent any sense of triumphalism,” Kerry said at a press conference on Sunday with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. “It has not come from the government. In fact, there has been limited response by the government itself and I think it’s important for everybody to take note of that.”
“What country is he talking about?” one Israeli official responded. “I’m afraid the State Department did not show the secretary of state the press reports from Turkey following the apology.”

The official said those reports were full of interviews and statements by both Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Davutoglu and other government ministers gloating over the apology, which was for operational errors committed that may have led to a loss of life on the Mavi Marmara in May 2010. Nine Turks were killed when Israel Navy commandos, trying to keep the ship from breaking the blockade of the Gaza Strip, were attacked by those on board.
The Israeli perception that Erdogan was indeed rubbing Jerusalem’s nose in the apology led Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of the seven-person security cabinet, to write on his Facebook page five days after the apology that “it seems that since the apology, Erdogan is doing everything to make Israel regret it. He is running a personal and vitriolic campaign at the expense of Israeli- Turkish relations.”
Soon after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s apology to Erdogan in a phone call brokered by US President Barack Obama during his visit here, Erdogan, according to the Anadolu news agency, told supporters Israel may have mistakenly thought the Mavi Marmara incident would be forgotten.
The Israeli perception that Erdogan was indeed rubbing Jerusalem’s nose in the apology led Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of the seven-person security cabinet, to write on his Facebook page five days after the apology that “it seems that since the apology, Erdogan is doing everything to make Israel regret it. He is running a personal and vitriolic campaign at the expense of Israeli- Turkish relations.”
Soon after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s apology to Erdogan in a phone call brokered by US President Barack Obama during his visit here, Erdogan, according to the Anadolu news agency, told supporters Israel may have mistakenly thought the Mavi Marmara incident would be forgotten.
But this time, he was quoted as saying, “the Israelis met with a different understanding and structure. The AK Party government did not remain silent against this illegality, aggressiveness and massacre.”
He went on to add, “The Israeli apology was important in remembering the martyrs of Turkey and those of Palestine.”
Billboards sponsored by the Ankara Municipality appeared within a day of the apology, reading, “Israel apologized to Turkey. Dear prime minister, we are grateful that you let our country experience this pride.”
The words were superimposed over pictures of a confident Erdogan and a tired, gloomy looking Netanyahu.
Fresh in the blush of the apology, Erdogan also announced immediately afterward that he was going to visit Gaza and the West Bank with Turkish relief organizations. He was also quoted by the Hurriyet Daily News as telling parliament that the apology changed the overall equation in the Middle East.
“The point we have arrived at as a result of our consultations with all our brothers in Palestine and peripheral countries is increasing our responsibility with regard to solving the Palestinian question and thus is bringing about a new equation,” he was quoted as saying.
Davutoglu hosted a dinner at his residence for the family members of those killed in the incident, as well as some officials of the radical Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) that was behind the flotilla.
One of IHH’s leaders was investigated by the Turkish government in 2012 for funding al-Qaida, and that same year the NGO was banned by Germany for its connections to Hamas.
“Please make yourselves at home,” said Davutoglu. “This is your home as well. Their blood will not remain on the floor. Nothing is no longer the same,” stated the foreign minister, according to the website of the Turkish paper Sabah.
If all that, and more that appeared in the Turkish press, “was not triumphalism, then I don’t know what is,” one Israeli official said.
Kerry, meanwhile, urged Turkey and Israel to restore full relations, calling this vital to regional stability, but said it was not up to Washington to dictate the conditions of rapprochement.
Kerry said it was imperative for Israel to honor its commitment to pay compensation to the families of those killed on the Mavi Marmara, and for both countries to return their ambassadors.
“With respect to the Israel- Turkey track, it is not for the United States to be setting conditions or terms,” Kerry told reporters alongside Davutoglu.
“We would like to see this relationship that is important to stability in the Middle East, critical to the peace process itself – we would like to see this relationship get back on track in its full measure,” he said.
To do so, said Kerry, “it is imperative that the compensation component of the agreement be fulfilled, that the ambassadors be returned and that full relationship be embraced, but it’s not up to us to discuss the timing.”
One thing that Kerry did not mention was Ankara’s boast afterward that Israel had agreed to lift the blockade of Gaza.
Israel made no such pledge.
An Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Turkey this week to begin discussing the details of the compensation agreement. Neither country has said, however, when their ambassadors would go back, though the Turkish press speculated this could occur as early as the end of June.

Reuters contributed to this report.
via docstalk.blogspot.com

This is a must read . . .
Putin’s Speech on Feb. 04, 2013
Fat chance, but this is one time our elected leaders should pay attention to the advice of Vladimir Putin....how scary is that?

On February 4th, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma, (Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

"In Russia live Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, then we advise them to go to those places where that's the state law. Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell 'discrimination'. We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of most minorities. When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the national interest first, observing that the minorities are not Russians.

The politicians in the Duma gave Putin a standing ovation for five minutes.

If you keep this to yourself, you are part of the problem.