Politics

Despite legislation enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on Wednesday, more than one-third of television stations in the United States are planning to move ahead with the transition to digital television, according to reports. The transition, which was scheduled for February 17, has been pushed back to June 12, 2009, per the DTV Delay Act enacted on Wednesday. However, it left a loophole for broadcasters, allowing them to make the switch anytime between February 17 and June 12. "During these challenging economic t

On Monday, France announced a rescue plan for its struggling automotive industry. The plan totals €6.5 billion (US$8.5 billion). The European Commission, which enforces European Union legislation, said the conditions may break EU rules. The plan calls for PSA Peugeot Citroën and Renault, the two largest French automakers, to receive a five-year loan of €3 billion at 6% interest, each. Meanwhile, Renault Trucks, which is owned by Volvo Group of Sweden, will receive a €500 million loan. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the funds shoul

Eluana Englaro, who had been in a persistent vegetative state since 1992 following an automobile accident, died Monday at the "La Quiete" clinic in Udine, where doctors stopped feeding her four days ago. The case has sparked a debate about euthanasia, as well as a political crisis. Euthanasia is illegal in Italy, however, refusing treatment is not. On Friday doctors removed her feeding tubes in accordance with a November 2008 ruling by the Constitutional Court of Italy that it was within her father's rights to order the cessation of feeding.

173 people have been killed in fires raging through Australia, making this the deadliest bushfire in Australian history. Nearly 815,447 acres (330,000 hectares) have been burned and 750 homes have been burned to the ground. In 1983, 75 people were killed on what was dubbed the Ash Wednesday fires. 71 people were killed in similar fires in 1939. The country's prime minister, Kevin Rudd, calls the fires "mass murder". "This is of a level of horror that few of us anticipated. There are no words to describe it other than mass murder," said Rudd w

The parliament of Zimbabwe has unanimously voted for a constitutional amendment allowing a coalition government to be formed between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Under the bill, Mugabe would remain president of the country, but Tsvangirai would take the office the prime minister. The latter is to be sworn into office on the 11th of February. The bill, after being endorsed by the House of Assembly, was subsequently taken to the Senate, where it was passed w

United States President Barack Obama announced on Thursday that he was renaming and expanding an office created by former President George W. Bush, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. "No matter how much money we invest or how sensibly we design our policies, the change that Americans are looking for will not come from government alone," Obama said, while announcing the new office at the National Prayer Breakfast. "There is a force for good greater than government." "The goal of this office will not be to favo

As a result of the ongoing global financial crisis of 2008–2009, American employers have cut 598,000 jobs over the past month, the most in one month since December 1974. The unemployment rate also rose approximately 0.4 percent, bringing the rate up to 7.6 percent (11.6 million people), the highest since January 1992. This is according to the United States Labor Department's monthly unemployment report released last week. US President Barack Obama asked Congress today to support and quickly pass a $900 billion economic stimulus package that wo

The Queensland Greens will run an environmental lawyer against incumbent treasurer Andrew Fraser at this years Queensland state election in Australia. Larissa Waters will be the party's candidate for the seat of Mt Coot-tha. Ms Waters says she is hoping that the premier does not call the election in May, as she [Ms Waters] is expecting her first child that month. "I am giving that a fair bit of interest," she said. "Luckily we have a pretty good branch in Mt Coot-tha." Ms Waters received a 6 per cent swing at the 2006 election in the Brisba

Workers at the UK's Lindsey Oil Refinery have voted to return to work. The week-long strike at the refinery began over the issuing by French owners Total S.A. of a contract to an Italian company, who brought in Italian and Portuguese workers. The unofficial strike had led to similar unofficial sympathy strikes across the country. The deal to end the strike will see around 100 jobs being offered to British workers. Additionally, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who had repeatedly criticized the strikers, has agreed to review laws governing fo

On Tuesday, United States President Barack Obama saw two of his cabinet nominations withdraw from consideration after issues with their taxes became public knowledge. Former Senator Tom Daschle from South Dakota withdrew after it was revealed he failed to pay US$128,203 in taxes. He has since made the payment including a $11,964 interest payment. Obama had nominated him as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Nancy Killefer, whom Obama had appointed to the newly created position of Chief Performance Officer, withdrew her nomination bec

Workers at two nuclear facilities in the United Kingdom walked out today in the continuing row about foreign workers. Contract staff at the Sellafield nuclear recycling facility in Cumbria walked out this morning. They were joined by staff at Heysham nuclear power station in neighbouring Lancashire. Workers at sites affected by industrial action last week walked out again today, with 200 leaving the Fiddlers Ferry Power Station in Cheshire and a further 1,000 at Grangemouth oil refinery and Longannet power station. The UK Prime Minister Gordo

A commissioner in Brussels has suggested that Iceland could be fast tracked to join the European Union (EU) by 2011. The European Commissioner for enlargement, Olli Rehn, said that if the country, stricken by the world financial meltdown, applied for membership to the 52-year-old international economic and social organization this year, it would be welcomed with open arms. The EU is expecting an application if the Social Democratic Alliance wins May's general election in the country. The next entrant to the union is to be Croatia. It has been