TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS

Qaeda prisoner by CIA Official?

MIL/NYT, Apr 18, 2009

Washington: April 18, 2009 – IR Summary/NYT - A senior Central Intelligence Agency official had ordered for the rough treatment against Abu Zubaydaha, a prisoner from Al Qaeda, despite the belief of interrogators that the prisoner had already told everything that he knew and this amounts to highhandedness in the rough category of interrogation

Taliban's new strategy to Gain Ground in Pakistan

MIL/NYT, Apr 17, 2009

Peshawar, NWFP, Pakistan : April 17, 2009 - IR Summary/NYT - The Talibans have advanced deeper into Pakistan by engineering a class revolt that exploits profound fissures between a small group of wealthy landlords and their landless tenants, according to government officials and analysts here.

Pakistan seeks funding in Tokyo

MIL/BBC News, Apr 16, 2009

Tokyo: April 16, 2009 - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari is in Tokyo for a donor conference that is expected to pledge between $4bn and $6bn (£2.7bn-£4bn) of aid.

Sri Lanka launches 'world's largest' civilian rescue mission

MIL/Hindu/IANS, Apr 10, 2009

Colombo: April 10, 2009 - Sri Lankan troops have launched "the world's largest humanitarian operation" to rescue thousands of civilians trapped in the government-declared no-fire-zone after seizing control of the last rebel bastion in the north, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Mass State Funerals begin for victims of Italian earthquake

MIL/CNN, Apr 10, 2009

L'AQUILA, Italy: April 10, 2009 - The official government list of victims from this week's earthquake in central Italy reached 287 on Friday, when Italians planned a mass state funeral to lay the victims to rest.

US warship in stand-off with pirates holding American captain hostage

MIL/IR Summary/Times online, Apr 9, 2009

April 9, 2009 : IR Summary/Times Online - American destroyer arrived this morning in waters where Somali pirates adrift in a lifeboat are holding hostage the captain of a container ship.The gunmen yesterday tried and failed to hijack the US-flagged Maersk Alabama after pursuing the ship for five hours.

US gives new plan to Pakistan to fight terrorism

MIL/Agencies/IANS, Apr 9, 2009

Washington: April 9, 2009 – IR Summary/Agencies/IANS – The political situation in Pakistan is deteriorating and creating a cause of a total collapse and under these circumstances, it requires an eagle eye to watch and to assess the future course of action towards Pakistan that U.S. should adopt.

President Obama plans to regularize immigrants

MIL/NYT, Apr 9, 2009

Washington: April 09, 2009 – IR Summary/NYT – President Obama realizes that the recession has made the political battle more difficult, still he plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, though a difficult proposition shall add to the popularity of Obama and enhance his ability of farsightedness.

North Korea threatens UN Security Council on its Rocket Launch

MIL/RIA Novosti, Apr 8, 2009

New York: April 8, 2009, IR Summary/RIA Novosti – While showing its anger, North Korea has declared to take "strong steps" if the UN Security Council takes any action over Pyongyang's recent rocket launch. Russia and China prevented the adoption of even a preliminary statement of condemnation in the 15 member UN Security Council, which met on Sunday to hold an emergency meeting..

Oil Companies oppose Obama’s Advice

MIL/IR Summary/NYT, Apr 8, 2009

Washington: April 8, 2009 – MIL/IR Summary/NYT – Oil Companies are reluctant to reduce the oil consumption, they do not wish to tow the line of US President Obama, who wants Oil Companies to reduce oil consumption on one hand and to increase renewable energy supplies and cut carbon dioxide emissions in the most ambitious transformation of energy policy in a generation, on the other.