National budget crisis will cause personal budget crisis for troops

According to senior defense Officials, U.S. service men and women around the world, including those at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, may receive only one-week's pay instead of two in their next paycheck if the government shuts down this weekend due to the federal budget impasse.

The military can't be paid during a funding lapse until a new appropriations bill or continuing resolution is passed by Congress.

If the funding bill is allowed to expire on April 8, it will be in the middle of a standard military two-week pay period, so Pentagon would likely send out paychecks for just the first week of the pay period, and not the second, leaving many service members strapped for cash for the remainder of the month.

Historically, workers such as the military who are legally obligated to work during a shutdown, do eventually receive back pay for it. But that doesn't help pay bills that are due presently.

Additional details on the military's plan for funding during a potential shutdown are expected in the next day or so.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said earlier Tuesday that department leaders hadn't figured out how pay would be affected for the military, including the 146,000 servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan

Morrell said the Pentagon would continue key national security responsibilities including fighting the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and continuing operations in Libya and earthquake assistance to Japan.

The likelihood of a shutdown continues to increase, and President Obama continues to reject a Republican measure that would fund the government for another week but cut $12 billion from the budget.

Disputed Ivory Coast president Gbagbo negotiating surrender

The United Nations has announced that three Ivory Coast military leaders are in the process of negotiating a potential surrender for disputed president Laurent Gbagbo.

After several days of fighting, during which forces loyal to internationally-recognized president Alassane Ouattara moved south towards the city of Abidjan, Gbagbo is reported to have taken shelter in a bunker underneath the presidential palace in Abidjan. Pro-Ouattara forces are reported to have surrounded the palace.

According to the UN and French officials, an agreement that would see Gbagbo relinquish power is close to being finalized. Military forces loyal to Gbagbo have already declared a ceasefire. According to France's foreign minister, Alain Juppe, "we are very close to convincing him [Gbagbo] to leave power."

The military officials involved — the heads of the army, police and guard forces — are reported to be requesting guarantees of safety in return for Gbagbo's surrender. A Gbagbo spokesperson, Ahoua Don Mello, said that "direct negotiations based on African Union recommendations" had taken place, though Gbabgo himself said that "on a political level, no decision has yet been taken."

UN attacks Gbagbo military positions in Ivory Coast

A spokesman for the United Nations has announced that UN helicopters attacked an encampment of President Laurent Gbagbo's fighters in Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) to stop the use of heavy weapons and shelling of civilians.

"We launched an operation to neutralise heavy weapons Gbagbo's special forces have been using against the civilian population for the last three months. We destroyed them in four locations", said spokesman Hamadoun Toure in an email. In concert with the UN, France has deployed an additional 350 peacekeepers to compliment its 7,500 troops already in the country. It was also reported that the French were in control of the airport in Abidjan.

The recent violence in Ivory Coast stems from Gbagbo's refusal to accept his loss in the recent presidential elections. He has stated that he will not transfer power to his successor Alassane Ouattara, the declared the winner. Gbagbo's spokesman, Abdon George Bayeto, told the BBC the elections were rigged as an "international plot against the incumbent" and was going to continue fighting forces loyal to Ouattara.

Lieutenant Jean-Marc Tago of the Ivory Coast army announced the return of General Phillippe Mangou. Although it has been reported that the general's family was being held hostage by Gbagbo forces, Tago claims this is untrue, saying, "The general is with us, and has always been with us. Our plan is to defend the institutions of the republic against all its enemies, against the rebels, against the mercenaries, against the [United Nations] and all those who are attacking the institutions of the republic commanded by President Laurent Gbagbo."

British foreign secretary William Hague said in a statement, "We call for an end to the violence, for defeated former president Gbagbo to step down, for all human rights abuses to be investigated, and for the International Criminal Court to investigate the crimes which appear to have taken place."

The crisis has created a humanitarian problem as one million of Abidjan's four million people has been displaced.

Anna Hazare begins "fast-unto-death" hunger strike to end corruption

Social activist and reformer Anna Hazare, 72, joined a nationwide protest campaign against an anti-corruption bill on Tuesday by beginning a "fast-unto-death" hunger strike at Jantar Mantar observatory in Delhi. He and 100 of his supporters began fasting to protest the bill, known as the Ombudsman bill, when the government did not accept their demand that the opinions of citizens be considered in the formation of the bill.

Participants in the nationwide campaign called "India Against Corruption" claim the proposed anti-corruption bill is too weak because the ombudsman is given no enforcement mechanisms and lacks wide investigative powers. Their goal is to strengthen the bill and give it teeth. They seek to create a citizen ombudsman free from political influence, that would accept citizen input, and could investigate charges against public officials including the prime minister’s office.

"I have written so many letters to the prime minister asking for time to meet and discuss. No reply," said Hazare. "Everybody is drowned in corruption. I will fast until I die for the cause of cleaning up the system."

Corruption is an entrenched feature of life in India, from minor fees paid to avoid trumped up charges to massive fraudulent scams by government officials. A recent string of high-profile allegations of corruption have shaken financial confidence in India's economy, the third largest in Asia.

Although hunger strikes are a common political tactic in India, millions of Indians have joined the recent anti-corruption campaign. Supporters of Hazare have crowed Jantar Mantar observatory where Hazare has completed his third day of fasting. More than 80,000 friends have joined his Facebook page.The series of costly corruption scandals in the pass six months have resulted in enormous public outrage that has embarrassed the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, including problems in funding the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a multi-billion telecom licensing scam involving a cabinet minister, and a land fraud scheme in which bureaucrats appropriated apartments intended for war widows in Mumbai.

The Ombudsman bill was first drafted 42 years ago, but has never been passed by parliament in the 10 times it has been proposed

Barack Obama announces 2012 re-election bid

US President Barack Obama has released details on his plan to run for re-election next year. A video was released on Obama's official website and e-mails sent to supporters. The announced plan to run for a second term was widely expected; the campaign team are expected to file for election papers later this week.

In his e-mail to supporters Obama says, "[w]e're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you — with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build."

The president also revealed a new look for his website stating, "the idea is to improve upon what's worked for the past four years, scrap what hasn't, and build a campaign that reflects the thoughts and experiences of the supporters who've powered this movement."

The November 2012 election is 20 months away; several Republican candidates hope to receive the nomination to stand against Obama but only one, former governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty, has made an official bid.

During the first term of his presidency Obama has seen his popularity drop with him having to face conflict in the Middle East and Africa as well as the economic climate back home. In 2012 the unemployment rate in the United States is projected to stand at 8.3%. Despite the figure going down from the current 8.8%, no president since World War Two has been re-elected with an unemployment figure above than 7.5%.

More of Gaddafi's top officials defect

A number of new reports suggest that more of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle have deserted him.

Al Jazeera reports that a group of top officials who "headed to Tunisia for talks have decided to stay there". Among the defectors reported are the head of Libya's Popular Commitee, Mohammad Abu Al Qassim Al Zawi, and Abu Zayed Dordah, Libya's prime minister from 1990 to 1994. Gaddafi's Europe minister and head of intelligence have also defected according to reports. Security sources suggest that the total number of defectors could be up to a dozen.

Yesterday Ali al-Treiki, foreign minister of Gaddafi's cabinet, announced he had cut ties with the leader, while officials in London have been checking reports that the deputy head of Gaddafi's mission in London, Tarek Khalid Ibrahim, is planning on defection as well.

This latest breakthrough follows the defection of Libya's foreign minister, Moussa Koussa, who abandoned Gaddafi's regime and entered the United Kingdom on Wednesday.

US President Obama considering supplying arms to Libyan rebels

United States President Barack Obama revealed Tuesday that he is considering supplying arms to Libyan rebels, among other things. Obama was quoted as saying, "if we [USA] wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could."

During an interview with NBC News, Obama disclosed he is, "not ruling it out. But I'm also not ruling it in. We're still making an assessment partly about what Gaddafi's forces are going to be doing." Obama also informed that he would be willing to negotiate a deal with Gaddafi; however, one clause would involve Gadaffi resigning from the leadership post.

Obama does not believe it is time for formal negotiations yet as he does not think Gaddafi has reached the point where he needs a quick way out.

Also mentioned in the interview was the strategy being used in Libya. "What we've also done is put Gaddafi back on his heels — at this point. In addition to maintaining a no-fly zone, protecting civilian populations, we also have political tools, diplomatic tools, sanctions, freezing his assets, all of which continue to tighten the noose."

Obama reiterated that same view on ABC News saying in an interview, "I think what we're seeing is that the circle around Gaddafi understands that the noose is tightening, that their days are probably numbered, and they are going to have to think through what their next steps are."

Meanwhile, in an interview with CBS News, Obama said of the rebels leaders that U.S. officials have met with are "[F]ully vetted, so we have a clear sense of who they are, and so far they're saying the right things, and most of them are professionals, lawyers, doctors, people who appear to be credible."

This comes after the NATO supreme commander, Admiral James G. Stavridis said there were "flickers" of al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in Libya. In response, Obama said on CBS, "[T]hat doesn't mean that all the people, among all the people who opposed Qaddafi, there might not be elements that are unfriendly to the United States and our interests. That's why I think it's important for us not to jump in with both feet."

As for the rebels themselves, Mahmoud Shammam, a spokesman for the rebels told the New York Times, "We ask for political support more than arms, but if we have both, that would be good."

Gaddafi loyalists go on offensive, rebels pushed back

Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi launched an offensive Tuesday and managed to push rebel forces out of the town of Bin Jawad. This comes as world powers met the same day to discuss the future of the country.

Rebels disclosed that their troops in Bin Jawad came under heavy artillery and rocket fire, after which they made a hasty retreat. Rebels who were still in the open desert sought cover and fired at Gaddafi troops as they appeared. One rebel warrior said that the shelling was too much for them to handle, A rebel fighter, Ashraf Mohammed, was quoted by Reuters as saying, "[t]he Gaddafi guys hit us with Grads [rockets] and they came round our flanks."

Rebel forces retreated to the city of Ras Lanuf, which they had captured days before on Sunday, where they recuperated. However, they were not completely safe there as they came under heavy gunfire at the western fringe of town and had to defend themselves with any weapons that they could find.

Civilians also retreated from the war zone. One man criticized rebel troops, telling them too "[g]et yourselves up there and stop posing for pictures."

Today's battle marked a shift of momentum in favour of government troops; earlier this week rebels held the advantage over pro-Gaddafi forces as they made their westward march with little to no resistance.

Forces loyal to Ouattara plan to seal Ivory Coast border

After a battle for the Ivory Coast town of Duekoue, armed forces loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara have announced an effort to seal the border between the Ivory Coast and Liberia.

On Monday, Ouattara forces, dubbed New Forces, and those loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who claims to be the winner of a disputed election last fall, began fighting in Duekoue, a western town of strategic importance due to its position at a crossroads, with access to both Liberia and Guinea.

According to a spokesperson for Ouattara, Seydou Ouattara, the New Forces won the battle, the latest in a series of settlements they have taken control of in recent weeks, and have moved south towards the town of Guiglo.

The New Forces also announced they plan to seal the Ivory Coast—Liberia border, as Gbagbo is accused of importing Liberians to fight in his forces. Spokesperson Ouattara said that "[t]oday's operation will prevent Gbagbo from recruiting and training Liberians as he has been doing."

According to the United Nations, around 460 people have died in violence since the disputed elections, and another million have left the country.

New York City disputes 2010 Census

New York City officials plan to dispute the Census Bureau's data, after it was discovered that the 2010 Census reported only minimal growth in New York City and in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

On Sunday, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg stated "that can't be possible," and announced that the city would formally challenge the bureau's findings. NY Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer also expressed interest in the alleged error.

"These are high growth areas w/large immigrant populations. It's crucial that #NYC get the federal funds & the representation it deserves." said Sen. Gillibrand on her Twitter page. Sen. Schumer, a resident from Brooklyn, also complained, "The Census Bureau has never known how to count urban populations and needs to go back to the drawing board," he said in a statement. "It strains credulity to believe that New York City has grown by only 167,000 people over the last decade. To claim that growth over the last decade in Brooklyn was 1.6% and growth in Queens was 0.1% flies in the face of reality."

In order for the city to challenge the count, city officials will contact Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, and will undergo a process known as the Count Question Resolution Program.

Battle for Trafalgar Square, London as violence breaks out between demonstrators and riot police

The morning after the night before, and the light of a Sunday morning showed Trafalgar Square in ruins. Bottles, cans and placards littered the concrete ground of one of the most iconic landmarks in London. Demonstrators livid at government cuts had sprayed graffiti on the four bronze lions. "No-one rules if no-one obeys," one message, next the the symbol of anarchy, read. On the steps leading up to the National Gallery lay placards, dropped by demonstrators the night before. As the cleanup began, it was hard to imagine only hours earlier the square was an arena for running battles between the anarchist protesters and riot police.

First, they targetted Oxford Street, arguably the most famous shopping row in the city. The protesters, many dressed in black, hurled smoke bombs and paint at Topshop, which they claimed has systematically abused the tax system. In Piccadilly, they ransacked The Ritz, a hotel popularly known for upmarket oppulence. As darkness fell over the capital, many went home. But in Trafalgar Square, protesters lit campfires and danced to music, smoking and eating into the night.

But then the police moved in. Clad in riot gear, the situation began to escalate and both they and the demonstrators began to panic. They raised their batons and shouted at the crowd, while the protesters grabbed metal barriers and hurled them over police lines, using them as battering rams. Some protesters yelled in defence, "Don't hit us!", while the more determined shouted, "Shame on you! Your job's next!" The riot officers pushed protesters into the centre of the square, towards Nelson's Column. The police started forward at least twice swinging their batons in the air, as protesters retaliated by throwing glass bottles and coins towards the police lines. One officer was taken away with blood pouring from under his visor.

"I have never seen such a fast escalation of violence in my life," one witness to the violence in the square said. "Everything just kicked off, glass everywhere, police hitting people, people being dragged across the floor. I just can't believe it." Other protesters on the front line later described the police retaliation as they began to kettle people in. "I find myself in front of the riot line," one protester wrote, "taking a blow to the head and a kick to the shin; I am dragged to my feet by a girl with blue hair who squeezes my arm and then raises a union flag defiantly at the cops."

As the street cleaners worked through the morning in London, more than 200 protesters, detained throughout the day, remained in custody. Although the organisers of the march were swift to dissasociate themselves with the violence, the protesters were defiant. "I'm not moving, I'm not moving," one young protester, hemmed in by the riot police, said. "I've been on every protest, I won't let this government destroy our future without a fight. I won't stand back, I'm not moving."Fireworks exploded overhead and, towards midnight, the number of protesters had diminished. As the kettling began, many of them slipped away into the night. In the early hours of the morning, the levels of violence began to fade. “Vandalism has been committed and officers have come under sustained attack," the Metropolitan Police said. "We are holding everyone here until the situation calms down and we determine who is responsible."

Thousands gather in London to protest against government cuts

Tens of thousands of people joined marches in London yesterday against public sector cuts by the British government. One union estimated up to half a million people travelled from across the country to demonstrate as the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition implements wide-ranging spending cuts.

Image - Mark Ramsay

According to reports, a small group of protesters dressed in black threw paint and smoke bombs at the Oxford Street branch of Topshop, and demonstrators in Piccadilly threw smoke bombs at the Ritz Hotel. The protests have targeted the government and a number of retail outlets, following on from the UK Uncut campaign which has demonstrated outside retailers including Vodafone and Topshop to raise awareness of alleged tax system abuses by the businesses.

The violence came to a head last night as police stormed Trafalgar Square and the protesters ran, throwing bricks and bottles at riot officers. "I have never seen such a fast escalation of violence in my life," one witness to the violence in the square said. "Everything just kicked off, glass everywhere, police hitting people, people being dragged across the floor. I just can't believe it." Clashes in the square finally ended in the early hours of this morning.

Senior members of the TUC, the federation of 88 of the country's unions, were quick to dissociate the disruptive actions of the "few hundred" with those of the earlier peaceful protest, claiming that the violence of a minority should not detract from the message behind the main march.

The Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband, addressed hundreds of thousands of peaceful marchers from Hyde Park, and attacked the planned spending cuts. "Our struggle is to fight to preserve, protect and defend the best of the services we cherish because they represent the best of the country we love," he said.

The Metropolitan Police said approximately 4,500 officers were policing the event, and 214 demonstrators were detained. On Twitter, the force reported two significant incidents of violence and that four police officers have been injured; one is being treated in hospital. They also said protesters had thrown light bulbs filled with ammonia at officers on Oxford Street.

Small protests have been ongoing in the U.K. since early this month, mainly in the northern city of Sheffield. In the biggest of these, 5,000 people attended a protest march on March 12 in Sheffield, with demonstrators marching from Devonshire Green, an open space in the city centre, to the venue of the Liberal Democrat spring conference. Barricades were set up after "violent incidents", though only one arrest was made.

Guatemalan president and first lady apply for divorce

According to judicial spokesman Edwin Escobar, Alvaro Colom, president of Guatemala, and Sandra Torres, the first lady, have applied for a divorce. It is said that the couple, who have been married for eight years, have done so so that Torres can apply for presidency.

The couple applied for divorce on March 11, Escobar said. He says the couple have given mutual consent, and did not reveal the names of their lawyers.

Presidential spokesman Giusseppe Calvinisti has denied having any information about the planned divorce.

Before Escobar made the announcement, opposition leader Roxanna Baldetti had warned that the couple were planning to split to let Torres run for presidency. Many political observers believe the couple filed their request so that Torres can stand to suceed her husband when his term ends in September, as the Guatemalan constitution does not allow close relatives of the president to do so.

Comments on the divorce have ranged from 'unthinkable' to 'a fraud', as which Patriotic Party candidate Otto Perez, described the incident. According to Perez, the divorce will not let the Torres run for presidency. "The law does not state a time frame of when a person ceases to be a relative of the President."

The Constitutional Court in Guatemala, the highest legal authority that determines the legitimacy of a presidential candidate, is to be taken over by new members in April. Legal experts doubt the impartiality of the new judges. They noticed 'ominous signs of political pressures' which would cause them to defend partisan interests rather than uphold justice.

Egyptian voters approve constitutional changes

In a referendum held Saturday, Egyptians voted overwhelmingly to amend the nation's constitution immediately, moving Egypt closer to a democracy, according to results announced today.

Electoral officials said 77% of voters endorsed a set of constitutional amendments that included limiting presidential terms, removing limitations on forming political parties, and holding a general election within six months.

Many of the mostly secular protest leaders who headed the revolution leading to President Hosni Mubarak's resignation were opposed to the amendments, not wanting to hold elections so quickly.Mohamed ElBaradei, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said the nation needed more political maturity before holding elections so soon. Leaders of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church also were against the amendments.

The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group previously banned under Mubarak's rule, and the National Democratic Party, Mubarak's ruling party, were almost alone in supporting the amendments. Each hoped that its strong organization would give it an advantage in electing the parliament members who will write the new constitution.

Approximately 18 million people, 41% of those eligible, voted, according to electoral officials. This is in contrast to parliamentary elections held four months ago, when the turnout was only six million.

Although there were some problems at the voting places, observers said these were mostly due to the military's hasty preparations, not wrongdoing by officials. Opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei was prevented from voting by men throwing stones in the worst incidence of sporadic violence.

The results were met with jubilation by Egyptians; in Cairo, horns were honked and fireworks set off. The elections are considered the first in decades not rigged in favor of one party.

"It's not important what the result is, it's important that it was fair," said a revolutionary leader, Abdul Rahman Yusuf.