Link: http://americanfreepress.net/?p=2730

Recounting the Shabra and Shatilla massacres in Lebanon, where between 2,000 and 10,000 innocent “old men, women and children” were murdered “in two nights of violence” by a Christian militia group, Pfarrer said that “during the massacre the Israelis fired flares over the camps so that the Christian militias could see what they were doing.” This event, he explained, “had a galvanizing effect on Arab opinion... “The Israeli/Palestinian problem is the mainspring for the clockwork of the trouble in the Middle East,” he continued, “and it’s in the best interests of America to help solve this problem.”

Link: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/10/cop-allegedly-pulled-gun-on-pregnant-woman-over-too-many-grocery-items/

Nicole Thurmond and husband Jason were reportedly checking out recently at a Walmart store in Oswego, Illinois when a man confronted them wearing civilian clothing, not identifying himself as an officer. The couple said it was only after his gun was drawn that the man told onlookers he was a police officer.
Nicole Thurmond told NBC Chicago that officer Craig French just walked up to her and said, “Don’t you know how to count? You are holding up the whole store.”

Link: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/11/niger-will-not-extradite-kadhafi-son/

Kadhafi, who took refuge in Niger after the fall of Tripoli ended his father Moamer’s 42-year rule of Libya, told Al-Arabiya television by telephone that he would return to his country and said a nationwide rebellion was brewing against its new rulers.Niger will not extradite Saadi Kadhafi

Link: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/29445-russia-israel-s-stance-on-iran-could-be-catastrophic

Israel's hard-line approach to speculation that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon could have "catastrophic consequences", a senior Russian foreign ministry official warned Thursday."The inventions" concerning the possible development of nuclear arms by Iran "are increasing the tension and could encourage moves towards a military solution with catastrophic consequences," Mikhail Ulyanov told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday. Speculation has risen in recent weeks, driven in part by comments made by officials in the Jewish state, about the possibility of an Israeli military strike on Iran.

Link: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/russias-putin-warns-against-outside-interference-183820257.html

Weeks ahead of a March presidential election he is almost sure to win despite the biggest opposition protests of his 12-year rule, Putin also sent a stark signal to political foes that he will not tolerate threats to stability.We of course condemn all violence regardless of its source, but one cannot act like an elephant in a china shop," Putin told Russian religious leaders .

Link: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/10/10377899-defense-secretary-panetta-orders-new-look-into-marines-flag-bearing-nazi-ss-logo

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the Marine Corps on Friday to re-investigate and take appropriate action against the Marine snipers who posed with a logo resembling a notorious Nazi symbol. An initial Marine investigation into the matter concluded that the troops would not be disciplined because there was no malicious intent. The Marines mistakenly believed the "SS" in the shape of white lightning bolts on the blue flag were a nod to sniper scouts — not members of Adolf Hitler's special unit that murdered millions of Jews, Catholics, gypsies and others,

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

wenty-five outdoor employees of the Indigo Shire Council in Victoria’s northern highlands held a stop-work meeting on February 8 in a dispute for a pay increase. Australian Services Union (ASU) members voted unanimously to apply 18 types of bans and possible 24-hour strike action. The union wants a 14 percent pay increase over three years. The council had offered just 11.7 percent.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

Unionised workers at MBC walked out on January 30 over alleged biased coverage of major social issues. The union has accused the broadcaster of intentionally omitting or reducing coverage of politically sensitive issues, including rallies against the government and corruption allegations against President Lee Myung-bak.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) is demanding an 11 percent pay increase over two years (6 percent and 5 percent), a 36-hour week and payment of sick-leave entitlements upon termination of their jobs. Workers rejected the company’s offer of 3.5 percent annual pay increases over two years, pointing out that their counterparts at a sister company, W E Smith in New South Wales, were granted 5.5 percent annual rises.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

At least 200 construction workers refused to work and rallied near their living quarters in Tampines on February 4 in a dispute over unpaid wages. The mostly Bangladeshi labourers claimed that their employers—Sunway Concrete Products and Techcom Construction & Trading—had not paid wages since November. The amounts owed, they said, ranged from $2,500 to over $3,000 ($US2,500). Their basic salary is $18 a day.Other complaints include compulsory 12-hour days without overtime payments, poor quality meals and $1,500 wage deductions for work permit renewals, which, according to law, should be paid by employers

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

More than 1,000 workers at the Tai Yi Slipper factory in the Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone in Rangoon walked out on February 4 after discovering that they would not be paid for the five-day Chinese New Year break. Workers were also protesting against deductions from their wages whenever ferry services to the factory were delayed.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

Over 100 workers at Unilever Nepal’s Hetauda factory walked off the job on February 3, after three months of negotiations for better wages and conditions reached deadlock. Employees want a 50 percent increase in salary and allowances as well as one million rupee interest-free housing loans and an annual 100,000-rupee housing maintenance allowance for each production worker. Current average monthly take-home pay, including overtime, allowances and bonuses, is 10,500 rupees ($US145).

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

Nearly 5,000 members of the Film Employees’ Federation of South India (FEFSI) held a day-long hunger strike at Kamala Theatre Music Union in Vadapalani to demand that producers drop their demand for wage cuts. Salaries were raised by between 50 and 100 percent six months ago, after discussions between the Tamil Nadu Film Producers’ Council (TNFPC) and the FEFSI.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

About 300 sanitation workers at the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Center, which is part of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi, struck on February 6 over delayed pay and a wage increase.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

At least 5,000 garment workers at Reliance Industries Limited in the Naroda Industrial Area, 8km northeast of Ahmedabad, Gujarat walked off the job and stopped all production on February 2 to demand higher wages. Three union members were arrested twice in two days under section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The wide-ranging law states “a person can be arrested to prevent commission of cognisable offences.”

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

Pakistan Railways (PR) workers blocked rail engines leaving marshalling sheds on January 30 in a dispute over wages and pension payments. National passenger services were suspended for 10 hours. Employees were also protesting over electricity disconnections at 26 PR housing estates because the service had failed to pay its power bills. Industrial action ended after the government promised to inform workers about the payment of outstanding amounts within 24 hours.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/wkrs-f11.shtml

Unions representing health sector workers at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), National Institute of Rehabilitation (NIRM) and the Polyclinic in Islamabad called off five-week strike action last week, after accepting a sell-out deal from the government. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani promised one additional

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/gree-f11.shtml

Following days of talks in which Greece’s governing parties finally agreed to a massive programme of spending cuts, euro zone finance ministers on Thursday upped the ante, demanding an additional €325 million in cuts in exchange for a loan of €130 billion ($170 billion). Without the new loan from the “troika”—the European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF)—Greece will default on its debts of more than €350 billion on March 20. On that date it is required to repay bonds of €14.5 billion it previously sold.

Link: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/feb2012/pers-f11.shtml

The report advocates a major upgrading of military facilities in Australia’s north and west that would facilitate expanded American naval and air operations in the Indian Ocean and along the vital shipping routes through South East Asia.While the stationing of up to 2,500 Marines near the northern city of Darwin dominated the headlines, the deal provided for extensive access for American warships and warplanes to Australian naval and air bases.