Thursday, September 17, 2009

日本‧外長:與中韓印東盟澳洲等深交‧日要加強亞洲各國關係

(日本‧東京)日本新任外交部長岡田也列舉了他將致力於處理的外交課題,包括深化與中國、韓國、印度、東盟各國及澳洲等國的關係。

民主黨在上台之前已強調,會致力加強與亞洲鄰國的關係。

日本政權交替,或多或少將影響與鄰國的關係,引起鄰國留意日本新政府動向。在中國上海,一份報章週四在頭條報道鳩山就任首相的新聞。(圖:美聯社)
日本政權交替,或多或少將影響與鄰國的關係,引起鄰國留意日本新政府動向。在中國上海,一份報章週四在頭條報道鳩山就任首相的新聞。(圖:美聯社)

岡田克也在今日(週四,9月17日)凌晨的新聞發佈會上表示,他今年內需要重點解決的外交課題,除了日美同盟關係外,還包括援助巴基斯坦和阿富汗,以及全球氣候變暖等。

為“無核武世界”努力

另外,他將致力於深化與中國、韓國、印度、東盟各國及澳洲等國各種形式的關係;認真處理朝鮮綁架問題、核和導彈問題;輔佐首相鳩山由紀夫為實現“無核武世界”而努力;致力於解決非洲的貧困問題。

在對朝關繫上,岡田說,不解決綁架、核和導彈問題,就不可能與朝鮮實現邦交正常化。這表態與過去的自民黨政府相同。

岡田也強調,會為加強日美同盟關係而努力,但希望轉移沖繩美軍基地。

他表示,在明年7月參議院選舉前,將重點考慮如何深化日美同盟關係。

日防長:明年撤印度洋艦艇

與此同時,日本新任防衛大臣北澤俊美重申,政府將在明年1月後從印度洋上撤回自衛隊艦艇。

北澤俊美說,根據民主黨的基本主張和執政3黨達成的協議,在明年1月向印度洋派遣自衛隊為美國等國艦艇供給燃油的期限到期後,政府將不會繼續延長期限。

但他表示,關於向印度洋派遣自衛隊的代替方案,將在政府內部進行協商,希望能夠做出滿足國際需要的貢獻。

強調東亞共同體構想
鳩山:無意與美疏離

日本首相鳩山由紀夫週三(9月16日)在其上任後首場新聞發佈會上表示,民主黨在大選競選綱領中提出的東亞共同體構想並沒有把美國排除在外的意圖。

鳩山表示:“這個構想在中長期是正確的,但無意把美國排除在外。我不認為沒有了美國就甚麼事都能做成。”

民主黨在競選綱領中提出,為實現東亞共同體構想將全力與中韓等東亞國家建立信賴關係。

鳩山還希望與美國總統奧巴馬建立互信關係,並能坦率地向美國表達所持立場。

鳩山也重申競選承諾:“我們必須把日本變成一個真的主權在民的國家,我會帶領國家走向這方向。我希望民眾會向政府反映意見,並加入政府。我們會不斷探索,或許偶有錯誤,但我希望民眾不要離棄我們,耐心等待。我們會努力達致人民期望。”

鳩山上任後的首要工作,將是在12月前定下由來年4月1日開始的新政預算,以及找方法改善今年因稅收減少而收縮的庫房收入。

平衡各方勢力
日新內閣旨穩定政權

日本新內閣,基本上覆蓋了民主黨內的各個集團,以平衡各方勢力。雖然有媒體指鳩山由老政治家組成的內閣“缺乏新意”,但這也顯示了,鳩山要確保政權穩定的決心,不希望執政初期便在黨內掀起風浪。

新內閣成員全都是多次當選的國會議員或資深政界人士,其中,財長籐井裕久是第二度掌管財政部,而兼管國家戰略局的副首相菅直人和外長岡田克也,上任前都有過相關經驗。

今次有兩名性入閣,為向來性主導的政壇注入清新氣息。這也是日本政府女性成員比率首度創下新高。

民主黨的308名眾議員中,有143個是議會初哥,近一半是由黨內元老小澤一郎帶起的新力軍。據報導,這些“小澤寶寶”在選後都由小澤一手創辦的“一新會”教育,小澤下了一道嚴令,要他們不要得意忘形。

分析家表示,“小澤寶寶”的一舉一動,將成為民眾給民主黨評分的重要對象。

指弱化日本外交
日外長將查日美密約

岡田克也就任後隨即下令,就日本與美國之間存在的多項密約,進行調查。

據報導,岡田已命令外交部事務次官藪中32,就日美兩國簽署的密約儘快調查,並在11月底之前向他匯報調查結果。

岡田在週三深夜召開新聞發佈會說:“密約問題是個非常大的問題,外交部有責任儘快查明事實真相,我將發出部長命令進行徹底調查。”

岡田表示:“這些密約存在的可能性很高,也增加了國民對日本外交的不信任,弱化了日本的外交,因此要進行徹底調查。”

岡田又稱,9月下旬隨首相鳩山由紀夫訪美期間,他也將在與美國國務卿希拉里的會談中,尋求美方在這一問題上的合作。

日本歷屆政府一直否認日美之間存在密約。

日本前外交官數個月前向媒體透露,日本與美國之前有一份核武密約,准許運載核武器的美軍艦艇停靠日本,此舉違反日本無核政策的立場。

不過麻生太郎政府已經否認此項指控。

美日密約調查範圍

一、美日在1960年修訂《日美安保條約》時達成、默許載核美軍艦艇停靠日香港口的密約;

二、朝鮮半島“有事”時,駐日美軍可自由出兵朝鮮半島的密約;

三、1969年進行歸還沖繩談判時達成的、可向沖繩運進核武器的密約;

四、由日本承擔美軍撤軍費用的密約。

美國‧醫改課題扣上“種族主義”‧奧巴馬不認同卡特說法

(美國‧華盛頓)美國白宮發言人吉布斯週三(9月16日)公開表示,總統奧巴馬並不認同前總統卡特指一些保守派議員,針對他發表激烈的評論是“種族主義”作祟的說法。

對卡特將醫改課題扣上“種族主義說”,吉布斯向媒體稱:“奧巴馬總統並不認為這是由於他的膚色。”

卡特針對南卡羅來納州共和黨籍議員,早前在奧巴馬就醫改課題在國會發表演說時,當眾稱他“撒謊”,以及後來華盛頓爆發的大規模示威表示,那些對奧巴馬的憤怒指責是種族主義作祟。

卡特接受全國廣播公司訪問時說:“認為,針對奧巴馬的強烈敵意,是因為他是一個黑人,他是非洲裔美國人。””

他稱,這種“種族歧視”仍然存在。他並表示,這種歧視之所以浮出水面,是因為不只在南方,在美國各地很多白人仍然認為,黑人不夠資格領導美國。

Exposing the Criminal Cover-Up of 9/11

Review of David Ray Griffin: The Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7




In The Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7: Why the Final Official Report about 9/11is Unscientific and False, David Ray Griffin provides an overwhelmingly convincing case that the latest official US government account of the events at “Ground Zero” on September 11, 2001 , is false. He examines in detail the whole series of publications by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) purporting to explain the highly “mysterious” collapse of World Trade Center 7, a 47-story steel-framed skyscraper across the street from the North Tower, which was not struck by a plane and yet collapsed into its footprint, at nearly free-fall speed, shortly after 5 PM that day.

That the sudden collapse of Building 7 constitutes a “mystery” is an admission of the major media and NIST itself, which for years said it was having a hard time understanding what had occurred. After a long series of preliminary attempts, admitting that a full explanation had not been achieved, NIST issued its “Final Report” in November 2008, claiming to present a scientifically-verified and complete account of the causes of the building’s collapse. As critics of the ever-changing official explanations point out, however, the “mystery” is the result of failure by government and media to consider the most likely explanation, one that accords with a vast amount of physical and testimonial evidence, which is that the building was brought down by controlled demolition.

As Griffin brilliantly demonstrates throughout this powerful indictment, NIST, a purportedly scientific agency of the federal government, has produced an official “explanation” that fails to follow basic scientific principles and meet established scientific standards. The publication of its “Final Report” therefore amounts to nothing less than scientific fraud, which when committed by a federal science agency is a criminal act. Despite its claims to have produced a final, definitive, scientific report on WTC 7’s collapse, NIST in fact has ignored, suppressed, or distorted all the evidence for controlled demolition, while fabricating fake “evidence” to support its own “explanation.”

In the Introduction, Griffin lays out the background to NIST’s “Final Report," surveying the agency’s earlier “interim” reports and the evolution of its attempts to explain the “mystery.” In its “Final Report," NIST abandoned its earlier claim that structural damage from debris from the North Tower was a significant cause of Building 7’s collapse, asserting that the principal cause was very hot and long-lasting fires of office materials in the building set ablaze by the falling debris.

Part I of the book, “NIST’s Unscientific Rejection of the Most Likely Theory,” examines in six chapters the methods used by NIST to avoid considering controlled demolition as a possible explanation of the building’s collapse. Controlled demolition is the most likely hypothesis because never before 9/11 had a steel-framed skyscraper collapsed due to fires. All previous instances of sudden, rapid collapse of such buildings into their footprints had been the result of intentional, controlled demolition using explosives. As Griffin demonstrates in Part 1, a very large amount of physical and testimonial evidence supporting the “most likely hypothesis” exists, and it was all ignored, dismissed, or distorted by the authors of the “Final Report.”

In Chapter 1, “NIST as a Political, Not a Scientific, Agency,” Griffin shows that NIST, as an agency of the Commerce Department, was under tight political control by the Bush administration. He quotes from a whistleblower from the agency who described in detail how political appointees in the “front office” vetted every scientific statement issued by NIST, and how the statements were then vetted by “the HQ staff of the Department of Commerce,” the National Security Agency and the Office of Management and Budget.

In Chapter 2, “Some Principles of Scientific Method,” Griffin begins by considering what constitutes scientific fraud, and then distinguishes between scientific fraud in the strict sense and in a broader sense. Scientific fraud in the strict sense has been committed by NIST if it can be shown that i) the agency has fabricated evidence to support its claims; ii) that it has falsified evidence; or iii) that it has ignored relevant evidence. Scientific fraud in the broader sense has been committed by NIST if it can be shown that it violated further scientific principles, including these: extra-scientific considerations should not be allowed to determine conclusions; an investigation should begin with the most-likely hypothesis; straw-man arguments should be avoided; unprecedented causes should not, without good reasons, be posited to explain familiar occurrences; and scientists should not make claims implying that laws of nature have been violated.

In Chapter 3, “NIST’s Refusal to Begin with the Most Likely Hypothesis,” Griffin establishes that the most likely hypothesis to consider in attempting to explain the collapse of WTC 7 must be that it was brought down by controlled demolition using explosives, for two reasons. First, no steel-framed skyscraper prior to 9/11 had ever collapsed for any reason other than demolition; on 9/11, however, and in one small area, three such buildings came down, purportedly due to fires, and in the case of the Twin Towers, additional damage caused by airliner impacts. (In his earlier book, Debunking 9/11 Debunking, Griffin has already demonstrated that NIST’s “explanation” for the disintegration and fall of the towers does not stand up to rational scrutiny.) Second, the collapse of WTC 7 “exemplified many of the signature features of the type of controlled demolition known as implosion”: the collapse started from the bottom and was sudden and total, the building came straight down and fell at close to free-fall speed, its concrete was pulverized to dust, and the debris pile was relatively small (p. 27). When fires result in “high-order damage,” evidenced by shattered structures, pulverized debris, and significant lateral ejections of material, guidelines established by the National Fire Protection Association in its “Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations” mandate official agencies to investigate the possibility of explosives, but NIST never undertook any such investigation.

In Chapter 4, “NIST’s Ignoring of Physical Evidence for Explosives,” Griffin lays out the physical evidence suggesting that the building was brought down by controlled demolition: video evidence of “squibs” of smoke and pulverized material blown laterally out of the building as it collapsed; a vertical row of blown-out windows from the 29th to the 37th floors, unexplainable by NIST’s account; molten metal in the debris under the building; an array of scientific reports of extremely high temperatures, far above the temperatures which could be reached by fires burning in office materials, as proposed by NIST; thinning and sulfidation of steel recovered from the building; extreme heat and unusual emissions at the collapse site for months afterwards; and red/gray chips found in dust from the building’s collapse, which on analysis by independent researchers Steven Jones, Kevin Ryan, Niels Harrit, and others, proved to be nanothermitic, derived from a very advanced type of explosive. NIST in its “Final Report” failed to take any of this evidence into account, simply pretending it did not exist.

In Chapter 5, “NIST’s Ignoring of Testimonial Evidence for Explosives,” Griffin first reviews NIST’s prior ignoring of testimonial evidence for explosions in the Twin Towers before their disintegration. He then presents in detail a wide array of testimonial evidence supporting the most-likely hypothesis, implosion. These testimonies came from credible witnesses, including a New York Daily News reporter and a New York Police Department officer located outside the building before it came down, who heard explosions inside it; detailed accounts from two high-level NYC employees, Barry Jennings and Michael Hess, of their experiences inside the building that morning, where they heard and felt large explosions before the Twin Towers had collapsed; testimonies, again from highly credible witnesses, to foreknowledge of the building’s collapse; premature television reports that the building had come down, before it had actually collapsed; and even witnesses to Fire Department of New York personnel announcing that the building was going to be “brought down.” Griffin shows that NIST either ignored this evidence or went to great lengths to distort it by constructing an elaborate false chronology of the testimonial evidence which it could not simply ignore.

In Chapter 6, “NIST’s Straw-Man Arguments against Explosives,” Griffin analyzes the reasons presented by NIST for its refusal to investigate the possibility that explosives were responsible for WTC 7’s destruction. He shows that they employed “straw-man” arguments based on highly-implausible scenarios for the types and quantities of explosives used and then argued that these scenarios are … implausible! The principal scenario NIST focused on, needless to say, was not one that has been proposed by any actual independent researchers as a plausible one. Griffin then shows that high-level personnel at NIST, including four directors from 2001 to 2008 as well as key advisors to the agency, had extensive professional involvement with and expertise in the technology of nanothermitic materials, the very type of explosive proposed by independent researchers as most likely to have been used on 9/11. Indeed, as Griffin details, NIST is engaged in partnerships with academic and federal government research units around the country to develop nanothermitic technologies.

In Part II, “NIST’s Unscientific Arguments for Its Own Theory,” Griffin dissects the arguments made by the agency in putting its own “explanation” forward. He shows in detail the failure of the authors of the “Final Report” to adhere to standard scientific principles, including their failure to base their analysis on empirical facts and physical tests (preferring “black box” computer models in which any parameter can be tweaked until the desired result is obtained), their distorting of data or fabrication of “data,” and their failure to eliminate glaring internal contradictions within their arguments.

In Chapter 7, “NIST’s Theory of an Unprecedented Collapse: an Overview,” Griffin provides an overview of the complex theory promulgated by NIST. He first explores NIST’s claim that the collapse of the building was unprecedented. NIST makes this claim implicitly in advancing its own candidate for the principal causal mechanism, thermal expansion of steel from office-materials fires. Because there is no known prior case in which thermal expansion of steel caused a steel-framed skyscraper to collapse, but there are many cases of implosion of such buildings, NIST’s proposal raises the question whether it violated the scientific principle to avoid invoking unprecedented causes to explain familiar occurrences. Then Griffin surveys the major features of the NIST “explanation” to orient the reader for the detailed discussion in following chapters.

In Chapter 8, “The Initiation and Spread of Fires: NIST’s Unempirical Account,” Griffin examines closely NIST’s claim that the fires in WTC 7 started as a result of the rain of debris which hit the building when the North Tower disintegrated and fell. He shows that NIST’s claims that fires in the building started at this time ( 10:28 AM ) are unsubstantiated, and that the fires therefore could not have burned for as long as NIST contended they did. He points out that NIST itself admitted that most of the fires in the building may have started quite a bit later in the day, in the middle and late afternoon, and thus have burned for less than three hours and even as little as 40 minutes.

In Chapter 9, “Fire and Steel Temperatures: Implausible Claims Based on Distorted Data,” Griffin shows that NIST’s claims regarding the temperatures reached by the fires themselves and the steel structure of the building exposed to those fires are both wildly exaggerated. This extreme overestimation was made possible by the use of computer models, which were manipulated by NIST “investigators” to achieve the desired result (the agency had used the same method in its earlier reports on the destruction of the Twin Towers ). There is in fact no evidence to support the fire temperatures or the fire durations claimed by NIST. In a similar manner, NIST “simulated” the temperatures reached by the steel structure of the building, and claimed wildly implausible temperatures for which there is no actual evidence, based on the assumption (contrary to fact) that steel has no thermal conductivity!

In Chapter 10, “From Thermal Expansion to Global Collapse: Fabrications and Contradictions,” Griffin shreds the last pillar of NIST’s account: its claim that thermal expansion of steel floor beams and girders caused “global collapse.” He shows that this claim is based on highly implausible assumptions, outright fabrications, denial of the existence of structural elements that did in fact exist, and fabrication of a “differential thermal expansion” result from its computer simulations by modeling heating of the steel beams but not of the floor slabs! Griffin delivers the coup de grace by showing that NIST was forced to admit that WTC 7 did indeed fall at free-fall speed for more than two seconds during its collapse, which would only be possible if all resistance to the fall had been eliminated by removal of the lower portion of the building by explosives. This demonstrates that NIST has resorted to a miraculous “explanation” of the collapse of Building 7, in which no explosives were used and yet free-fall still occurred, and has thus violated the scientific principles of non-contradiction and impermissibility of claims implying that laws of nature have been violated.

In the “Conclusion,” Griffin summarizes the many ways in which standard principles of scientific investigation were violated by NIST in its “Final Report.” On this basis, he concludes that the Report is false, and then discusses the implications of this fact. The only possible conclusion is that WTC 7 was demolished “by domestic terrorists with the ability to plant explosives in it and then to orchestrate a cover-up” (p. 255). If this is true of Building 7, it must be true as well of the Twin Towers . When these conclusions are drawn, it is clear that the entire basis and pretext for the ongoing war in Afghanistan (and now Pakistan ) is false. Muslims did not bring down these buildings. The events of 9/11 were quite simply the largest, most heinous false-flag operation of all time.

The Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7 by David Ray Griffin is an epoch-making book, of tremendous importance for our future. Griffin has shone a spotlight on the Achilles’ heel of the US government’s account of 9/11. NIST’s failure to defend the official story of the collapse of WTC 7 lays bare the weak spot that will make it possible for us to bring this monster down and stop the wars of aggression abroad and the growing police-state at home. You owe it to your country and the world to read this book.

by Tod Fletcher

中國‧破壞巨大‧“巨爵”襲廣東7死6失蹤

(中國‧北京)颱風“巨爵”在中國廣東造成巨大破壞,引發豪雨、土崩以及石油泄漏事件,並造成7人死亡、6人失蹤。

官方新華社報導,7名死者包括一對父子以及兩名移民工,他們遭土石流活埋。

民政部聲明指出,當地超過10萬名居民必須撤離。颱風造成總計人民幣20億元(約馬幣10億令吉)的經濟損失。

報導指出,廣東省多個地區的房屋遭土石流摧毀。一艘巴拿馬註冊貨船在珠海市港口觸礁,導致裝載的50噸燃油溢出海面。

“巨爵”是今年內侵襲中國的第15個颱風。

英國‧全球10大最怪食物‧豬血糕第一‧榴槤第5

(英國‧倫敦)在老外的眼中,甚麼是全球最怪的食物?台灣街頭小豬血糕進世界前列,大馬的果王榴槤排名第5!

英國旅遊網站VirtualTourist.com,最近選出“全球10大最怪食物”,台灣的豬血糕“榮登”榜首。

大馬的果王榴槤竟然居全球最怪食物排行榜第5名。(圖:星洲日報)
大馬的果王榴槤竟然居全球最怪食物排行榜第5名。(圖:星洲日報)

老外對外表漆黑、由豬血和米製成的豬血糕,反應兩極,有人稱“感覺蠻恐怖”,甚至擔心吃了會影響健康,但主演電影《變種特攻:狼人外傳》的曉治積曼卻對它讚不絕口。

而大馬人為它不惜“脫沙籠”的果王榴槤,也因為味道濃烈,喜歡的人為之瘋狂,不喜歡的人往往掩鼻而逃。

除了上述2種食物,入圍10大的依序為上桌還會跳的韓國活章魚(八爪魚)、烏干達的草蜢、被認為街頭髒動物的法國鴿子、用強鹼醃製的挪威鱈魚乾、澳洲木蠹蛾的幼蟲、越南蛇酒、意大利驢,以及南非鴕鳥肉。

不過,也有旅遊美食專家認為這個“全球10大最怪的食物”排行榜似乎“少見多怪”,例如中國早就有的動物“鞭”和猴腦等,都沒有被提出來,“可能與評審的外國人食物來源種類太少,生活經驗不多有關”。

印尼‧東南亞首號通緝犯‧諾汀被擊斃

(印尼‧雅加達)東南亞首號通緝犯、大馬籍恐佈份子諾汀,再傳死訊!

印尼武裝警察今日(週四,9月17日)清晨在中爪哇島梭羅突襲了一處疑似武裝份子的藏匿處,擊斃4名嫌犯。

圖為警方在峇厘島機場張貼的諾汀通緝海報。(圖:法新社)
圖為警方在峇厘島機場張貼的諾汀通緝海報。(圖:法新社)

印尼全國總警長班邦當天下午證實,也是“回祈團”炸彈專家的諾汀已在突襲行動中被擊斃。

諾汀被剿?總警長答是

在與總統蘇西洛會晤後,被記者追問諾汀是否已被剿滅,班邦斬釘截鐵地說:“是、是、是。”

路透社引述一名高級警方消息來源指出,警方經過指紋鑑定,證實其中一名被擊斃武裝份子的指紋與諾汀吻合。

他說:“們通過指紋鑑定了他的身份。”

較早前,印尼“特遣部隊88”反恐特種警察部隊一名官員向法新社稱,警方在屋內發現4具屍體,包括一具首身份離的屍體。

被詢及被擊斃的嫌犯是否包括諾汀,這名官員說:“是,90%(確定)。”

印尼警方曾於8月突襲中爪哇淡滿光一幢房子,當時警方深信諾汀已經被剿滅,但在經過DNA鑑定後,才發現誤把“馮涼當馬京”。

警方後來宣佈,這名疑是諾汀的子被證實是在麗嘉登和萬豪酒店的一名花商,他曾協助策劃7月17日的兩家酒店襲擊事件。

逮捕3人起獲爆炸物

印尼警方在週四對中爪哇梭羅市展開的突擊行動中,有3人被捕,並起獲了一批手榴彈,還有8包爆炸物質。

當地時間早上7時,梭羅市郊一幢房子傳出爆炸巨響和駁火聲,震醒了這個“回祈團”的據點。此前,警方對這幢房子實施9小時的包圍。

被擊斃恐怖嫌犯須確認

全國警方發言人納南拒絕透露被擊斃恐怖嫌犯的名字,但稱有關屍體已往雅加達進行辨認。

他證實,警方對涉嫌7月雅加達酒店爆炸案的7名恐怖嫌犯採取突襲行動。

他表示,警方在展開突襲前逮捕兩名嫌犯,包括一名叫做羅馬特的武裝份子。他說:“4人在駁火中喪生,但屋內一名子生還,目前正在醫院接受治療。”

在現場的一名情報官員指出,在突襲中喪生的嫌犯包括該幢房子的租戶蘇西洛,諾汀的心腹烏爾瓦和炸彈專家馬洛托。

據鄰居阿馬爾透露,蘇西洛和妻子6個月前才搬遷到這間房子,其中為妻者已有6個月身孕。

參與這次突襲行動的是代號“特遣部隊88”的反恐特種警察部隊。這支警察部隊成員共75名,由警察機動旅、偵探科、炸彈拆卸班、情報科等部門的警察組成。

諾汀涉多起恐襲大案

現年41歲的諾汀是東南亞的“頭號通緝犯”,這名大馬人領導的“回祈團”支派曾製造多起恐怖襲擊,包括7月17日雅加達萬豪和麗嘉登酒店爆炸案,這起恐襲造成9人喪生,53人受傷。

印尼警方8月突襲中爪哇淡滿光一幢房子,當時警方深信諾汀已經被剿滅,但在經過DNA鑑定後,才發現誤把“馮涼當馬京”。這名疑是諾汀的男子隨後被證實是在麗嘉登和萬豪酒店的一名花商,他曾協助策劃這次襲擊事件。

諾汀也被據指策劃包括2003年雅加達萬豪酒店爆炸案和澳洲大使館爆炸案,以及2005年造成逾200人喪生的峇厘島恐怖襲擊等一系列重大恐怖襲擊案。

台灣‧《蘋果日報》圖文並茂揭露‧吳敦義訪港時晤中政要

(台灣‧台北)新上任的台灣行政院長吳敦義再被揭訪問香港期間,曾與中國政要會面,為此事再添羅生門!

吳敦義就任前匆匆訪港一夜,惹來不少政治揣測。

台灣《蘋果日報》今日(週四,9月17日)圖文並茂地揭露,吳敦義在港期間,5日晚曾和中國全國政協(香港區)委員郭炎私下聚會。

對此,民進黨團召開新聞發佈會,質疑吳就任前赴香港向中國報告,並要求他說明事件原委。

爭議爆發說法一再改變

民進黨立委指出,吳敦義從訪港爭議爆發以來,說法頻頻改變,初稱是度假,後稱是應香港行政會議召集人梁振英之邀訪港,考察土石流防治,不料港府否認,民進黨也爆料是吳主動求見梁振英。

綠營質疑吳有說謊之嫌,並要求他在週五(9月18日)首次以行政院長身份,到立法院進行施政報告之前,完整公佈赴港行程,否則,綠營將有所行動,不排除要他下台。

對此,行政院發言人蘇俊賓回應:“的確有這個行程,照片是事實,但有家人同行,是私人行程,據所知郭炎是前政協。”

吳敦義開口自辯

面對外界質疑,吳敦義週三(9月16日)終於開口自辯,他承認主動約見梁振英,目的是向梁振英請教泥石流防災機制,並否認有其他內幕。

他說:“我每一樣事情都考慮到台灣的救災、繁榮和地位,我有錯嗎?”

對於綠營要他公佈香港行程,他表示,作為一個自由人,表示沒有必要把太太小孩行程鉅細靡遺地對外報告。

Why has the stock market rallied so strongly? Here’s an answer.

We have seen the biggest stock market rally in history over the last 6 months, all the while, the economic fundamentals continue to fall apart. ZeroHedge.com has a pretty good answer for why it’s happening as discussed in Correlation Of S&P 500 Performance With Fed Monetization Activities Since Start Of QE:

The chart below requires no substantial commentary suffice it to say that since the launch of the Fed’s Quantitative Easing, aka Monetization, program, the value of the Total Securities Held Outright on the Fed’s Balance Sheet has increased by $917 billion- from $584 billion to $1.5 trillion. This has been accompanied by an almost linear increase in the S&P 500 Index, from 721 at QE announcement on March 18 to 1033 yesterday.

Chart Source: ZeroHedge.com Data Source: Federal Reserve

My Comments: The Fed, and more recently the Treasury, have recently announced that they will end QE and stimulus programs in October now that we are out of recession and in recovery. Perhaps the stock markets will hold up for a while (though we are kind of due for a correction), since we should continue to see improved GDP numbers for the 3rd quarter of this year, but the 4th quarter numbers may not be so pretty. It’s likely the Q4 retail numbers and consumer spending numbers will be abysmal. We don’t expect the stock markets to hold up past Jan/Feb of 2010, at the very latest. After the next crisis/crash/correction in equities markets we’re willing to bet that the American taxpayer will be strapped with billions trillions more in stimulus, bailouts and Quantitative Easing.

EMERGENCY WARNING FOR OFFICE WORKERS NIST WTC7

Check this link ........ http://bit.ly/YZAKt

Alex Jones Tv:Obama Set to Give Fed Total Control & What’s in Your Panvax?

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9/15/09 Ron Paul on Fox Business (Part 1/2)

Check this link ........ http://bit.ly/umd5L

Poll suggests 29 per cent of Canadians believe 9-11 myth, more than U.S.

WASHINGTON - On the eve of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House, a startling new poll suggests more Canadians than Americans believe some of the 9-11 terrorists entered the United States through Canada.

In the Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey, conducted this summer in the United States and Canada, 29 per cent of Canadian respondents said they believed some of the hijackers accessed the U.S. through Canada eight years ago.

Only 19 per cent of American respondents agreed.

The data flies in the face of conventional wisdom among many Canadians that the 9-11 myth prevails because of ignorance on behalf of their U.S. neighbours.

Janet Napolitano, Obama's homeland security secretary, fanned the flames of Canadian indignation earlier this year when she suggested she believed the myth to be true as she reviewed Canada-U.S. border policy.

Border security is expected to be on the agenda when Harper and Obama meet Wednesday in the Oval Office. Contrary to earlier reports of a 42-minute chat, officials from the Prime Minister's Office say the meeting will last about an hour.

A drop in border crossings and cross-border tourism since new passport requirements took effect on June 1 might be on Harper's mind, said Chris Sands, a Canada-U.S. relations expert at the Hudson Institute in Washington.

"There may be some question of what we can do to make this work better," Sands said Tuesday.

"I don't think it's time to raise the panic alarm, but Harper might reasonably say: 'We should discuss this."'

Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, Americans have been toughening up the Canada-U.S. border. Napolitano ruffled diplomatic feathers in April when she said the Obama administration would not treat it any differently than the U.S-Mexico boundary, which is plagued by a drug war and illegal aliens.

Jeff Walker, senior-vice president of Harris-Decima, said the results of the poll on the Canadian side suggests there's "misinformation out there."

Another significant finding, Walker said, is the 50 per cent of Americans surveyed who said they simply don't know how the terrorists entered the United States eight years ago to steer fuel-engorged jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

"I was really surprised that only half of Americans could offer a point of view ... I was definitely taken aback at the number who just don't know," he said.

"But it explains other findings in the survey. In the context of concern about terrorism, not knowing leads to a default of: 'Let's have more security.' It doesn't lead to: 'I'm not worried about it."'

Indeed, the poll suggests Americans still view the Canadian border with suspicion. Three out of four respondents said they have concerns about terrorists entering the U.S. through Canada; 40 per cent said they were very concerned.

The survey also suggested that information about the so-called Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative hasn't been a problem - 97 per cent of Canadians, and nine in 10 Americans, are aware that a passport is now required to cross the border.

In the aftermath of the new rules, the survey found that most Canadians - 73 per cent - view American border guards as being stringent. Only 47 per cent of Americans view Canadian border officials as being equally tough.

The notion that the 9-11 terrorists entered the U.S. from Canada caused a kerfuffle in Washington earlier this year after Napolitano suggested in an interview that she believed they took a Canadian route into the United States. Senator John McCain, Obama's Republican rival for the White House, backed her up, saying she was correct in her assertion.

In the past, Hillary Clinton has also suggested the terrorists came through Canada.

In fact, none of the 9-11 terrorists travelled through Canada into the United States, something Ambassador Michael Wilson reiterated forcefully after Napolitano's remarks.

Sands said he doubts the 9-11 myth is something Harper needs to bring up to Obama, and added that the president has few issues to raise with Canada during their visit.

"The purpose of this visit, given that they see each other so darn much, is really domestic politics with an election in the offing for Harper - he wants to be seen as managing the U.S. relationship well," Sands said.

"There's nothing pressing on the U.S. agenda ... for the most part, I think Obama is doing Harper a favour and thinks that it's the nice thing to do, but I don't think we have a big pressing agenda for the visit. It's mostly a courtesy for Harper."

Harris/Decima interviewed 1,000 Canadians and 1,000 Americans for the poll. A sample of the same size has a margin of error of 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

By Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press

Mix-up on John Demjanjuk? 2nd JD lived in same home town, died in the 60s (RT, 14 May 2009)

Check this link ....... http://bit.ly/xBSTG

Federal Proposal Would Spend $154 Million on Vehicle Tracking Tax

Oregon congressman wants to spend taxpayer money to develop nationwide vehicle tracking and taxing technologies.

Rep. Earl BlumenauerA Member of Congress proposes to use taxpayer money to fund the development of technology to track motorists as part of a new form of taxation. US Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced H.R. 3311 earlier this year to appropriate $154,500,000 for research and study into the transition to a per-mile vehicle tax system.

The "Road User Fee Pilot Project" would be administered by the US Treasury Department. This agency in turn would issue millions in taxpayer-backed grants to well-connected commercial manufacturers of tolling equipment to help develop the required technology. Within eighteen months of the measure's passage, the department would file an initial report outlining the best methods for adopting the new federal transportation tax.

"Oregon has successfully tested a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee, and it is time to expand and test the VMT program across the country," Blumenauer said in a statement on the bill's introduction. "A VMT system can better assess fees based on use of our roads and bridges, as well as during times of peak congestion, than a fee based on fuel consumption. It is time to get creative and find smart ways to rebuild and renew America's deteriorating infrastructure."

In 2006, the Oregon Department of Transportation completed its own study of how to collect revenue from motorists with a new form of tax that, like the existing fuel excise tax, imposes a greater charge on drivers the more that they drive. The pilot project's final report summed up the need for a VMT tax.

"Unfortunately, there is a growing perception among members of the public and legislators that fuel taxes have little to do with road programs and therefore should be considered 'just another form of taxation,'" the March 2006 report stated. "By itself, this situation appears to be preventing any increases in fuel tax rates from being put into effect."

The money diverted from the fuel excise tax on non-road related projects must be made up for with a brand new VMT tax, the report argued. Merely indexing the gas tax to inflation or improvements in fleet gas mileage was rejected as "imprecise." Instead, the report urged a mandate for all drivers to install GPS tracking devices that would report driving habits to roadside Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) scanning devices.

Blumenauer is a long-time advocate of bicycling and mass transit in Congress. Many of his largest campaign donors stand to benefit from his newly introduced legislation. Honeywell International, for example, is a major manufacturer RFID equipment. The company also happens to be the second biggest contributor in the current cycle to Blumenauer's Political Action Committee (PAC), the Committee for a Livable Future. Another top-ten donor, Accenture, is a specialist in the video tolling field.

H.R. 3311 awaits a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee. A copy of the bill is available in a 170k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: PDF File HR 3311 (Congress of the United States, 9/14/2009)

Gold Rises to Record Settlement Price on Inflation Concern

Sept. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Gold rose to a record settlement price on speculation that a global economic recovery will stoke inflation. Silver jumped to a 13-month high as the dollar’s slump boosted demand for metals as alternative investments.

The worst U.S. recession since the 1930s has probably ended, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday. The dollar slid to its lowest level in almost a year against a basket of six major currencies as the economic outlook reduced demand for the greenback as a haven. Gold futures were 1.3 percent below an intraday record $1,033.90 set in March 2008.

“The dollar is being attacked on all sides,” Miguel Perez-Santalla, a sales vice president at Heraeus Precious Metals Management in New York, said in an e-mail. “The commodities are gaining on their already powerful momentum. It is all technical and investment buying.”

Gold futures for December delivery advanced $13.90, or 1.4 percent, to $1,020.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, the price reached $1,023.30, the highest since March 17, when the metal climbed to the record.

Bullion for immediate delivery climbed 0.9 percent to $1,016.52 at 3:10 p.m. New York time. The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 raw materials has gained 15 percent this year after tumbling 36 percent in 2008.

Inflation expectations are rising after central banks cut borrowing costs and the Group of 20 nations pledged about $12 trillion to spur their economies. Precious metals have soared this year as investors sought to shield their wealth against inflation and a declining dollar.

‘Inflation Story’

“The inflation story has got people very concerned,” said Bernard Sin, the head of currency and metals trading at bullion refiner MKS Finance SA in Geneva. “People are trying to move dollars into commodities, especially gold. The market is really concerned about the behavior of the dollar.”

Wholesale prices in the U.S. rose more than twice as much as forecast in August, led by gasoline costs that have since partially receded, according to government figures released yesterday. The 1.7 percent increase in prices paid to factories, farmers and other producers was the fourth gain in five months, the Labor Department said.

“Fundamentals are still generally negative, and the market is overbought,” Tom Pawlicki, an analyst at MF Global Inc. in Chicago, said in an e-mail. “However, prices should make gradual improvements on recent trading ranges due to expectations for higher inflation down the road and due to potential weakness in the dollar.”

Gold has climbed 15 percent this year as the dollar dropped 6.2 percent against the currency basket.

Inflation ‘Vengeance’

“Given the commitment of governments and central banks to avoid a deflationary depression at all costs, it is only a matter of time until inflation returns with a vengeance,” Mike Stuart, an analyst at Numis Securities Ltd. in London, said in a report. “Without surging inflation fears, a sustained move over $1,000 would require a continued steady fall in the dollar.”

On the Comex, bets that prices will rise, or net-long positions, jumped 22 percent to a record 224,676 contracts in the week ended Sept. 8, government data showed last week.

“Funds keep pushing, but the size of the long position is truly worrisome, and the market might deal surprises to late- comers and trend-followers,” Jon Nadler, a senior analyst at Kitco Inc. in Montreal, said via e-mail. “One-way market streets have not yet been invented.

Silver Climbs

Silver futures for December delivery rose 43 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $17.43 an ounce on the Comex. Earlier, the price reached $17.58, the highest level since Aug. 4, 2008. The metal has gained 54 percent this year.

Platinum futures for October delivery gained $29.80, or 2.3 percent, to $1,350.10 an ounce on the Nymex. The price reached $1,351.60, the highest level in a year.

Palladium futures for December delivery rose $4.25, or 1.4 percent, to $300.50 an ounce. Earlier, the price reached $304.80, the highest level since Sept. 2, 2008.

Platinum gained 43 percent this year, and palladium jumped 59 percent.

‘‘Platinum has the best long-term supply-and-demand fundamentals out of all the precious metals,’’ John Reade, the head metals strategist at UBS AG in London, said in a note.

Platinum and palladium are used in jewelry and pollution- control devices in cars.

By Halia Pavliva and Nicholas Larkin

Swine Flu's vaccine's devastating ingredient - Squalene

Check this link ......... http://bit.ly/3MXGIF

WTC Firefighters Tape: Explosions and Aftermath

Edited wma file of 9/11 firefighters' transmissions

The above wma file is edited from the 9/11 radio transmissions of North Brunswick Volunteer Fire/Ladder Company #3. The file begins with the collapse of the WTC 2, @3:23 there are three beeps - this signifies a ~20 minute tape edit, and time has moved on to the collapse of WTC 1.

Numerous explosions are reported by firefighters in the transmissions...

"Tower two has had major explosion and what appears to be a complete collapse"


"...those involved in the secondary explosion at tower 1, 'kay, I've got five patients..."


"We have got numerous people covered in dust from the secondary explosion..."


"We've got another explosion at the tower..."

...maybe that's why the OEM issued a World Trade Center collapse warning.

Why were only a select few warned?

Listen to the firefighters transmissions and ask yourself that question.

FBI unit set for more anti-terror raids in Queens; Colorado home raided

The elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team is poised to make more anti-terror raids in Queens, sources told the Daily News.
Richards/Getty
The elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team is poised to make more anti-terror raids in Queens, sources told the Daily News.

FBI agents with bomb-sniffing dogs Wednesday raided the Colorado apartment of an Afghan national linked to Al Qaeda and a plot to attack the New York City subway system.

Simultaneously, authorities swarmed over a nearby home believed to belong to a relative of Najibullah Zazi, hauling out boxes of evidence.

And Zazi, 25, met with investigators at FBI headquarters in Denver and provided a DNA sample, a fingerprint and writing samples, his lawyer said.

"My client is not involved in any terror plot," lawyer Arthur Folsom said. "He answered every question they had."

The searches in Aurora, Colo., came as the NYPD and an elite FBI team poised for additional raids in Queens in a hunt for bomb-making materials, sources told the Daily News.

Earlier Queens raids turned up nine knapsacks and cell phones, raising concerns about bombers detonating simultaneous blasts as they did in the 2004 attack that killed 191 commuters in Spain.

Bombers in the 2005 London subway attack that killed 56 people also used knapsacks. An FBI counterterrorism bulletin issued Monday cited the British terrorist attack.

Two men who lived in one of the Queens apartments raided Sunday night said a tenuous connection to Zazi had become a nightmare.

"They [the NYPD] keep coming back," Naiz Khan said last night. "They don't tell us why they're here. They took my cell phone and a knapsack that was to be a gift to a child and left."

His roommate Akbari Amanullah, 30, a cabbie, added: "We just wish it would stop."

On Tuesday, in Colorado, Zazi protested his innocence at his apartment doorway.

His bold denials amazed some counterterrorism sources, who described the bushy-bearded Zazi as a figure well-known to investigators.

A source familiar with the case said Zazi certainly had some bad connections to people overseas."

Zazi had traveled to Pakistan, refuge for many Al Qaeda leaders, before his trip to New York last week triggered the FBI and police raids.

There was a "strong suspicion" he attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan, WCBS-TV reported.

In New York, police sources said they had e-mails, wiretaps and a confidential informant tying Zazi to the plot. The suspect was spotted in a Queens mosque last week and also was seen in lower Manhattan, the sources said.

Zazi managed to lose his FBI tail after he was warned about the federal attention, the sources said.

Despite intense around-the-clock scrutiny on Zazi and four other reputed cell members, authorities had yet to make an arrest in the case.

Sources told The News the quintet was the first suspected Al Qaeda cell they've uncovered in the U.S. since 9/11.

The number of people under surveillance by the FBI or the NYPD due to links with the Denver cell expanded Wednesday, a police source said.

"We were watching a few guys here," the NYPD source said. "Since the raid, the list has grown."

In the past three days, the NYPD increased its attention to the subway system and its 5.2 million daily riders.

Officers were warned to keep an eye out for vans near transportation hubs such as Grand Central, police sources said.

The safety zone around subway and commuter stations also was expanded by two blocks, the sources said.

The FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team was brought to New York for the anticipated second round of Queens raids, a police source said.

"If they're doing more raids in New York, that means they're going after everything they can," said a former top FBI counterterror official.

BY James Gordon Meek In Washington Judith Crosson In Denver and Rocco Parascandola, Alison Gendar and Larry Mcshane
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Gold Rises to 18-Month High on Inflation Concern, Weaker Dollar

Gold climbed to an 18-month high in London on concern that a global economic recovery may stoke inflation and on a drop by the dollar that boosted demand for the metal as an alternative investment.

The worst U.S. recession since the 1930s has probably ended, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said yesterday. The U.S. Dollar Index slid to its lowest level in almost a year as a more optimistic economic outlook reduced demand for the currency’s relative safety. Gold is trading 1.7 percent below a record $1,032.70 an ounce set in London in March 2008.

“The inflation story has got people very concerned,” said Bernard Sin, head of currency and metals trading at bullion refiner MKS Finance SA in Geneva. “People are trying to move dollars into commodities, especially gold. The market is really concerned about the behavior of the dollar.”

Immediate-delivery bullion advanced as much as $10.60, or 1.1 percent, to $1,018.15 an ounce and traded at $1,014.88 by 9:45 a.m. local time. December gold futures were 1 percent higher at $1,016.40 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex division. Other precious metals gained to the highest prices in a year.

Full article here

Sometimes Fiction is More Close to the Truth than We'd Like to Acknowledge

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Swine flu death rate similar to seasonal flu: expert

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The death rate from the pandemic H1N1 swine flu is likely lower than earlier estimates, an expert in infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

New estimates suggest that the death rate compares to a moderate year of seasonal influenza, said Dr Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University.

"It's mildest in kids. That's one of the really good pieces of news in this pandemic," Lipsitch told a meeting of flu experts being held by the U.S. Institute of Medicine.

"Barring any changes in the virus, I think we can say we are in a category 1 pandemic. This has not become clear until fairly recently."

The Pandemic Severity Index set by the U.S. government has five categories of pandemic, with a category 1 being comparable to a seasonal flu epidemic.

Seasonal flu has a death rate of less than 0.1 percent -- but still manages to kill 250,000 to 500,000 people globally every year.

A category 5 pandemic would compare to the 1918 flu pandemic, which had an estimated death rate of 2 percent or more, and would kill tens of million of people.

Lipsitch took information from around the world on how many people had reported they had influenza-like illness, which may or may not actually be influenza; government reports of actual hospitalizations and confirmed deaths.

He came up with a range of mortality from swine flu, from 0.007 percent to 0.045 percent.

Either way, having new information about how many people were infected and did not become severely ill or die makes the pandemic look very mild, he said.

"The news is certainly better than it was in May and even better than it was at the beginning of August," Lipsitch said.

H1N1 swine flu was declared a pandemic in June after flashing around the world in six weeks. Experts all said a true death rate would not be clear for weeks because it is impossible to test every patient and because people with mild cases may never be diagnosed.

This lack of information made the epidemics in various countries and cities look worse at first than they actually were, Lipsitch said. People sick enough to be hospitalized are almost always tested first.

"Yes, there's been hype, but I don't think it's been an outrageous amount of hype," Lipsitch said.

Seasonal flu is usually far worse among the elderly, who make up 90 percent of the deaths every year. In contrast, this flu is attacking younger adults and older children, but they are not dying of it at the same rate as the elderly, Lipsitch said.

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

(Editing by Eric Beech)

Till the Revolution Comes - Hon. James David Manning

Check this link ...... http://bit.ly/OFK2j

We are in the midst of a revolution Gerald Celente on RT Sept 14 2009

check this link ....... http://bit.ly/CgXRZ

Charlie Sheen on Alex Jones Tv:Cowardly Corporate Media Refuses to Debate 9/11 Facts

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www.infowars.com

The Big Banks Have Gotten Bigger

(WashingtonsBlog) – In a post called “Break Up the Big Banks”, Rolfe Winkler provides a nice graphic showing that the too big to fails have gotten bigger:

The big have gotten even bigger since the start of the financial crisis. At the end of 2007, the Big Four banks — Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo — held 32 percent of all deposits in FDIC-insured institutions. As of June 30th, it was 39 percent.create animated gif

In total, they had $3.8 trillion worth of deposits as of June 30th. Compare that figure to the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund, which showed a balance of just $10.4. billion on the same date.

Source: Washingtons Blog

'National disaster' looms as one in five young Britons are now unemployed

Britain is facing a 'national disaster' as youth unemployment hits record levels, senior economists warned yesterday.

Nearly a fifth of those aged between 16 and 24 are unable to find work - a total of 947,000 young people.

That has helped drive Britain's overall jobless total up by 210,000 in the three months to July.

job centre

Soaring: Despite talk of economic green shoots, unemployment continues to rise

The new total of 2.47million is the highest in 14 years. The unemployment rate has jumped to 7.9 per cent from 5.6 per cent a year ago.

The figures lay bare the toll exacted by the recession. Only a few groups are seeing rising employment levels, including public sector and foreign-born workers and people of retirement age, yesterday's Office for National Statistics report showed.

David Blanchflower, a former Bank of England official and labour market specialist, said the current generation of school and university leavers is the largest for 20 years, making the recession doubly harmful.

He fears the bitter experience of enterbetweening the jobs market with so few opportunities will leave 'permanent scars' on Britain's youth.

Professor Blanchflower said: 'Firms have stopped hiring at a time when there are lots of young people around. This is a national disaster.

'The Government needs to do everything it can to get them off the unemployment registers. I believe there is going to be another huge jump.'

A separate report by the respected Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development yesterday confirmed his bleak analysis, warning that joblessness will continue to rise across its 30 members.

Some 15million jobs were lost at the end of 2007 and July 2009, and ten million more could go by the end of next year, it said.

At 8.5 per cent the OECD-wide unemployment rate is already the highest since records began, and the institution warns that it is headed to 10 per cent.

The OECD's Stefano Scarpetta said: 'We are facing a jobs crisis. This is the most rapid increase in unemployment we have seen since the early 1970s.

'There has been a huge increase in youth unemployment. We need to prevent a lost generation of young individuals who are not being given a chance.'

Yesterday's ONS report showed that a record 19.7 per cent of young people are out of work in Britain. Another 34.6 per cent, or 2.55million, are classified as 'inactive'.

public sector

and migrants stilll get work


This may mean they have given up looking for a job, or are in education or long-term sick.

Economic inactivity across the population hit 7.9million, or one in five people - the highest since records began in 1971.

Meanwhile, the number of people claiming jobless benefits rose by 24,400 in August to 1.61million, the highest figure since May 1997.

Most sectors of the economy are shedding jobs with financial services, construction and manufacturing leading the way.

As a result, increasing numbers of employees are accepting pay freezes or minimal increases.

Average earnings excluding bonuses increased by 2.2 per cent in the three months to July, yesterday's figures showed, the lowest rate since records began in 2001.

Yesterday's figures will be particularly disappointing given recent evidence-that Britain started emerging from recession this summer. But on Tuesday Bank of England governor Mervyn King said the likely recovery will be too feeble to persuade employers to step up recruitment.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'It might look rosier in City dealing rooms but out in the real world unemployment is the number one issue.'

Employment Minister Jim Knight said: 'Unemployment still remains a real problem. We've got to keep the support going and not be tempted to celebrate the recovery.'

Unemployment in the regions between May and July was:

Region Total unemployed Change on quarter Unemployment rate

North East 116,000 +13,000 9.4%

North West 293,000 +12,000 8.6%

Yorks/Humb 235,000 +24,000 8.9%

East Mids 171,000 -2,000 7.3%

West Mids 282,000 +33,000 10.5%

East 200,000 +20,000 6.7%

London 371,000 +42,000 9.2%

South East 264,000 +20,000 6%

South West 182,000 +26,000 6.7%

Wales 116,000 +7,000 8.1%

Scotland 187,000 +11,000 7%

N Ireland 53,000 +4,000 6.7%