New York TimesDecember 21, 2008 Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. defended on Sunday plans for an expanded economic recovery plan against charges it would unwisely inflate the national deficit, saying bluntly that the incoming administration’s first and most urgent goal was “keeping the economy from absolutely tanking.” more
International Herald TribuneDecember 21, 2008 By the end, the world itself was too small to support the vast Ponzi scheme constructed by Bernard Madoff. Initially, he tapped local money pulled in from country clubs and charity dinners, where investors sought him out to plead with him to manage their savings so they could start reaping […]
International Herald TribuneDecember 20, 2008 Masked youths attacked the French Institute in Athens with firebombs on Friday, while Greek union members and university professors geared up for anti-government rallies outside Parliament. Some windows of the French Institute, a cultural and educational center, were smashed but the interior was not seriously damaged in the attack by […]
BBC NewsDecember 20, 2008 US President-elect Barack Obama has nominated two leading global warming specialists for key science posts in his administration. Harvard physicist John Holdren will be Mr Obama’s scientific adviser while marine biologist Jane Lubchenco will head the US oceanic research body. more
BBC NewsDecember 20, 2008 The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff says up to 30,000 extra troops could be sent to Afghanistan in 2009, almost doubling the US presence.”Some 20 to 30,000 is the window of overall increase from where we are right now,” Adm Mike Mullen said. more