* Human Rights Watch published an excellent report concerning the use of torture by the US, showing how "the torture and mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison was the predictable result of the Bush administration's decision to circumvent international law" as demonstrated in Justice and Defense Department memos reported by the press recently.
* Venezuela’s National Elections Council has ruled that opponents of President Hugo Chavez have gathered the required number of signatures (2.5 million)to hold a recall referendum. Chavez faces a recall election August 15 that could unseat him. On June 13, Chavez described the recall as a confrontation between himself and George W. Bush.
He said Venezuela's political battle would play out between the US president, "who wants to take over this country, and myself, who is prepared to do whatever is necessary to defend the country. If 3.75 million voters -- the number who voted for Chavez in 2000 -- vote against him August 15, he will have to step down and a new presidential election will be held. Chavez was ousted in April 2002 in a short-lived military coup. The United States quickly moved to recognize and deal with the new transitional government of opposition business and political leaders. But the coup fell apart within 48 hours and Chavez was returned to power after his old army unit rallied other military companies to his defense.
* USA TODAY: Analysts, traders and money managers are fixated on the last day of June. "It is like Y2K." June 30 is the day the Federal Reserve is expected to raise short-term interest rates for the first time in more than four years. It's also the day the USA and its allies are scheduled to hand over power to Iraq's interim government.
Uncertainty about Iraq and the threat of rising interest rates have kept many investors on the sidelines. It would mark the first increase since May 16, 2000, a new trend: the start of a Fed program to boost borrowing costs. Stocks tend to suffer when rates rise. In general, stock performance is hurt by each successive increase. There is also an outside chance the Fed will catch investors off guard by raising rates by a half percentage point, and not the quarter point most expect.
* Venezuela’s National Elections Council has ruled that opponents of President Hugo Chavez have gathered the required number of signatures (2.5 million)to hold a recall referendum. Chavez faces a recall election August 15 that could unseat him. On June 13, Chavez described the recall as a confrontation between himself and George W. Bush.
He said Venezuela's political battle would play out between the US president, "who wants to take over this country, and myself, who is prepared to do whatever is necessary to defend the country. If 3.75 million voters -- the number who voted for Chavez in 2000 -- vote against him August 15, he will have to step down and a new presidential election will be held. Chavez was ousted in April 2002 in a short-lived military coup. The United States quickly moved to recognize and deal with the new transitional government of opposition business and political leaders. But the coup fell apart within 48 hours and Chavez was returned to power after his old army unit rallied other military companies to his defense.
* USA TODAY: Analysts, traders and money managers are fixated on the last day of June. "It is like Y2K." June 30 is the day the Federal Reserve is expected to raise short-term interest rates for the first time in more than four years. It's also the day the USA and its allies are scheduled to hand over power to Iraq's interim government.
Uncertainty about Iraq and the threat of rising interest rates have kept many investors on the sidelines. It would mark the first increase since May 16, 2000, a new trend: the start of a Fed program to boost borrowing costs. Stocks tend to suffer when rates rise. In general, stock performance is hurt by each successive increase. There is also an outside chance the Fed will catch investors off guard by raising rates by a half percentage point, and not the quarter point most expect.
posted by André Levy @ 2:32 AM
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