U.S. Govt. Threatens to Prosecute Waterboarding

We've been lobbying the Department of Justice all these months without realizing that the key to justice lay in the Department of the Interior, and specifically in the National Park Service, which has told activist Steve Lane he will be prosecuted if he attempts to demonstrate waterboarding at Thursday's anti-torture rally in Washington, D.C. The permit for the rally reads "Waterboarding exhibit will not be allowed for safety reasons."

Of course it's not news that the government views waterboarding as a crime. Attorney General Eric Holder called it torture at his confirmation hearings. But it is news that someone has been threatened with prosecution if he engages in torture. We learn about ongoing torture by the government all the time, and we're told all the time that torture is no longer official policy, and yet in neither type of story is there ever any suggestion that the laws against torture might be enforced, now or in the future. In the government's view, torture must be less safe when performed without the benefit of government resources, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, videographers, and vice presidents. However, street demonstrations of waterboarding have yet to produce a single corpse to add to the pile produced by official U.S. government torture.

Other crimes in Washington are also crimes if you or I commit them, but not if someone else does. When a group of us ordinary citizens spoke against the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine in the lobby of a senate office building on January 6th of this year (video) we were hauled off to jail. Bill Moyers' Journal covered the story (video). But when tourist groups are spoken to by senators in the same lobby, no crime occurs (video). I'm not talking about the people who hung banners from the balconies, or the passersby who cheered. I'm talking about those of us who stood and read the names of the dead. Seventeen of us (including some who hung banners) were arrested. Some of us paid a fine. On Monday, four face prosecution for unlawful assembly even though freedom of assembly is guaranteed in the Constitution, while warrantless wiretapping -- just to pick one example of ongoing government crimes -- is banned by the Constitution.

The greatest hypocrisy is not that tour groups can make noise whereas citizens with a political message cannot. The greatest hypocrisy is not that our president is speaking up for protesters as long as they are in Iran, while the Pentagon considers protesting to constitute "low level terrorism" when practiced within the United States. The greatest hypocrisy is that laws are being enforced while the most important laws and the most egregious violations are being ignored as a matter of loudly announced principle. When Laurie Arbeiter, Robbie Diesu, Michelle Grise, and Pete Perry appear in court on Monday they will not be able to ask the judge to stop looking backward, even though their "crimes" occurred in January. They will not be able to accuse the judge of petty vengeance for his or her refusal to "look forward." They will be compelled to face the question of whether they violated a law. (Never mind that the Capitol Police arrested us and then figured out hours later something they could most plausibly charge us with.)

Meanwhile, Dick Cheney confesses to felonies every time he opens his mouth, a civil suit against John Yoo has produced a 42-page order that could easily serve as an indictment, and the families our drones keep bombing in Afghanistan could never be persuaded that reading the names of the dead is the most serious crime that has occurred. The House has impeached a judge for groping despite his already having been convicted in court. But another judge responsible for torture is permitted to continue ruling on cases.

Here are two ideas to try to straighten our priorities out:

First, call Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth A. Meyers and ask that the charges against those who read the names of the dead be dropped: 202-727-3500 or 202-727-4783.

Second, take part in Torture Accountability Action Day on Thursday, June 25th, by joining our rally and march in Washington, D.C., (11 a.m. at John Marshall Park) or any of the rallies happening around the country on the same day:
http://tortureaccountability.webs.com/eventsacrossus.htm

By David Swanson

Inflation, Money Supply, GDP, Unemployment and the Dollar - Alternate Data Series

Inflation

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2009

Money Supply
Last Updated: Jun 12, 2009 Unemployment Last Updated: Jun 5, 2009 Gross Domestic Product Last Updated: May 29, 2009 Dollar Last Updated: Jun 2, 2009

US stocks log first weekly loss since early May

NEW YORK: Caution has once again overcome the U.S. stock market.

Stocks finished mixed Friday, leaving all the major indexes with their first weekly loss since early May.

Technology, financial and retail stocks gained, while utilities and energy stocks were lower.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 15.87, or 0.2 percent, to 8,539.73.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 2.86, or 0.3 percent, to 921.23.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 19.75, or 1.1 percent, to 1,827.47.

The market had started the day stronger following suprisingly good reports the day before on jobs and manufacturing.

But with little in way of corporate or economic news Friday, prospects were poor for restarting a rally that powered the market up as much as 40 percent this spring after hitting its lowest level in more than a decade in early March.

Traders have grown worried in recent weeks that an economic recovery may be more subdued than originally hoped and that the huge run-up in stocks may have been overdone.

"There's no question in my mind that the economy is improving," said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors.

"But investors are betting on some sideways consolidation rather than a continuation of a sharp spike in share prices."

Trading was also jumpy because of the occurrence of a quarterly "quadruple witching," which marks the simultaneous expiration of four different kinds options and futures contracts.

About three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to a heavy 2.13 billion shares, compared with 1.09 billion shares at the end of trading Thursday.

All the major indexes closed the week down for the first time since the week of May 11.

The Dow lost 3 percent, the S&P 500 index fell 2.6 percent, and the Nasdaq shed 1.7 percent.

Traders have been anticipating a pullback after such big gains in such a short period. Usually, a 40 percent move like the one in the S&P 500 index takes years to develop, not months.

"It's not going to be a one-way ride," said Keith Walter, portfolio manager of Artio Global Equity Fund.

Analysts are divided over whether the market's pullback this week has more to go, or if it can now move higher after back-to-back weeks of relatively sideways movement; Last week all the major indexes rose less than 1 percent.

Many predict choppy trading well through the summer, when there is typically less volume, and as the market heads into earnings season in July.

Bond prices rose slightly after sliding Thursday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, a widely used benchmark for mortgages and other loans, fell to 3.78 percent from 3.81 percent late Thursday.

Tech stocks moved higher as Apple Inc.'s latest version of its popular iPhone hit store shelves.

Apple shares added $3.60, or 2.7 percent, to $139.48, while rival smart phone maker Palm Inc. jumped more than 6 percent, rising 87 cents to $13.93.

In other trading, the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 3.24, or 0.6 percent, to 512.72.

25 GROs caught hiding in karaoke’s secret rooms

IPOH: Twenty-five women from China, working illegally as guest relations officers, hid in secret rooms to evade detection during a raid at a karaoke centre here.

However, enforcement officials, wise to their game, traced them by knocking on the walls to detect the rooms.

The 45-minute raid, which started at 1am on Saturday, was carried out by Bukit Aman’s anti-vice, gaming and secret society division.

“The raid was carried out following public tip-off and our own investigations,” said the division’s spokesman, adding that six officers and eight other personnel conducted the raid.

Initial investigations revealed that all the women did not have valid working permits and had entered the country through social visit passes.

“They are suspected of being involved in immoral activities,” added the spokesman.

All the women were handed over to the Immigration Department for action.

Oil and other energy prices fall

NEW YORK: Benchmark crude for July delivery dropped US$1.82 on Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange to settle at US$69.55 a barrel.

The August contract fell $1.89 to settle at $70.02 a barrel.

The slump in crude came as gasoline markets showed the first signs this week that an extended rally in pump prices is nearing an end after 52 straight days of price increases.

Gasoline for July delivery fell Friday by 10.5 cents, more than 5 percent, to settle at $1.9244 a gallon.

Crude prices have doubled their value in three months, hitting a high for the year of $73.23 a barrel last week.

Money has poured into oil markets as the dollar weakened against the euro.

While demand for energy remains weak, oil markets are attracting a lot of attention because crude can be used as a hedge against inflation.

Meanwhile, retail gas prices added a half cent overnight to a new national average of $2.69 a gallon, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service.

Pump prices could remain near the current level through the Fourth of July weekend.

"Gas prices should back off a bit after that," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp.

"However, you still have a wild card with oil. If crude keeps driving higher, then gas will too."

For the first time in months, geopolitical events are also beginning to at least get some attention in oil markets.

In Nigeria, Africa's largest crude producer, a militant group said it blew up a major pipeline run by Italian oil company Agip.

Violence has been escalating in the oil-rich southern region as the military intensifies operations to flush out rebels battling for a larger share of the Nigeria's oil revenues.

In Iran, protesters loyal to presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi have been staging massive street rallies to protest what they believe to be a rigged election.

However, because of the recession, there's so much extra oil production capacity around the world that experts say a drop in Iranian or Nigerian exports won't lead to any price spikes.

In other Nymex trading, heating oil dropped 5.03 cents to settle at $1.7867 a gallon, and natural gas for July delivery lost 6.1 cents to settle at $4.032 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent prices lost $1.87 to settle at $69.19 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Police attacks a student at a peaceful german student demonstration in Berlin.

Check this link from You Tube ..... http://tinyurl.com/knsljb

100,000 people a month made redundant as jobless rate soars to 13-year high

• A job is now being lost every 30 seconds
• McDonald's receiving 2,200 applications a day
• Directors and CEOs claiming the dole up 200%

A hundred thousand people a month are being made redundant as the number out of work soars to a 13-year high.

In a grim milestone for Labour, the jobless total has reached the highest since late 1996, just before it came to power.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that 302,000 people were made redundant in the three months to April, 36,000 more than in the previous quarter and the most since records began in 1995.

New in the job: Yvette Cooper (right) talks to job advisor Simon Brocklesby at the Marylebone Jobcentre in London. The new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said today that UK unemployment is lower than in the US and eurozone

At the same time, job vacancies hit a record low.

The number of people classed as officially out of work has soared to 2.26million, an increase of 232,000 over the quarter and 605,000 over the past year.

The number claiming Jobseeker's allowance increased by 39,300 in May to 1.54million, the highest since 1997. The 'claimant count' has increased for 15 months in a row.

Britain's unemployment rate is now 7.2 per cent, up 0.7 per cent from the previous three months.

Only the public sector was insulated - seeing an increase in overall employment by 15,000 to more than six million.

In stark contrast, private sector employment fell by 286,000 in the same period, to 23million.

LibDem spokesman Lord Oakeshott said: 'Every day brings fresh proof of the dangerous divide between Britain's two nations.

In the public sector, jobs and pay are rising, bonuses are booming and pensions are index-linked.

'Out in the cold private sector, jobs are cut, pay is frozen, bonuses and final salary pension schemes are history. Government must govern for Britain, not just the public sector.'

There was also concern that British-born workers are being hit more than those born abroad.

Labour MP Frank Field and Tory MP Nicholas Soames, cochairmen of a cross-party group on migration, said the employment rate for people born in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh had increased over the past year but rates for all other groups, including those born in Britain, had fallen.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Theresa May pointed out last night that Labour has had four different work and pensions secretaries in less than two years.

She said: 'The Government is continuing to sleepwalk through this unemployment crisis. We need stability, not a revolving door at the Department of Work and Pensions.'

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: 'Jobs are being lost relentlessly and many businesses are facing a major threat to their skills base.

'It is much too early to talk about the end of recession.

'The Government should consider easing harmful labour market regulations that are adding pressure on businesses.'

Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'It is vital we do everything we can, both to help people into work right now and to prevent long-term unemployment scarring families and communities.

'That is why we are investing ??5billion extra into helping jobseekers.

'The figures show the number of new claimants has fallen for the last two months, but many people are still facing significant difficulties and we are determined to provide more help.'

North Korea Intends to Lift Border-Crossing Restrictions

North Korea indicated during the second government-level talks Friday that it was willing to completely lift restrictions on inter-Korean boarder-crossings imposed last December in a bid to help solve problems at companies operating in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

Meanwhile, the South Korean delegation called for the prompt release of a worker detained in the North and suggested making the industrial park an internationally competitive complex.

``Through the 40-minute key note speech, we proposed having a joint inspection of industrial complexes in third countries, starting from July,'' Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told reporters.

``The first destinations would be Asian countries such as China and Vietnam, the second areas would be central Asia and the final places would be America,'' he added.

North Korea's response to the proposal has yet to be reported, a government official said on condition of anonymity.

More than 100 local companies running factories in the industrial park have had difficulty doing business there after North Korea began to restrict border crossings in retaliation for the Lee Myung-bak administration's tougher stance toward it.

Some conservative civic groups fueled Ptongyang's anger by sending fliers attached to balloons across the border criticizing North Korea leader Kim Jong-il's dictatorship.

The secretive state claimed during the second meeting that the early payment for rent of the complex should be settled first, the spokesman said.

The Ministry of Unification defined the meeting as a second round of negotiations, seeing the April 21 talks as a preliminary contact.

Pyongyang in the previous meeting last Thursday asked for the South to pay $500 million for the use of 1-million-pyeong of land (approximately 3.3 square kilometers) in the complex and increase the monthly salary of workers there to $300 from the current $70-80.

The five delegates from Seoul, instead, called on their counterparts to immediately release a South Korean detainee and rejected North Korea's demands.

President Lee also affirmed earlier that Seoul cannot accept the North's excessive demands to quadruple wages and hike the rent 31-fold.

The delegates urged North Korea to set free the 34-year-old Hyundai Asan worker identified as Yu, who has been held at the complex for more than 80 days.

He was detained late March on charges of making derogatory comments about the North Korean regime and attempting to entice a North Korean female worker to defect to the South.

North Korean authorities have refused to allow South Korean officials and attorneys to see him.

The two sides agreed to have a third round of talks on July 2.

By Kim Sue-young

U.S. housing market to get boost from home demolitions

As millions of Americans lose their homes to the process of foreclosure, they eventually end up as statistics, adding numbers to the one third of the population that rents housing. This process would result in rising rents except that foreclosed homes are being bought by small scale entrepreneurs as rental houses. To date, rental rates have been fairly stable in most locations, while large numbers of foreclosed homes have been held off the market. As many as one in nine U.S. homes are unoccupied this year. Meanwhile many Americans have been doubling up with relatives or have become homeless.

Last year the Senate Housing Committee came up with a scheme to support high real estate values in order to protect the assets of institutions that hold mortgage debt. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 provides general fund financed grants to local governments through the Federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), NSP funds may be used to:

• Establish financing mechanisms for purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed
  homes and residential properties;
  
• Purchase and rehabilitate homes and residential properties abandoned or foreclosed;
  
• Establish land banks for foreclosed homes;
  
• Demolish blighted structures;
  
• Redevelop demolished or
  vacant properties

While the program allows for local governments to go into the real estate flipping and/or landlord business, it is doubtful that most towns will opt to take on such an unusual role, especially given the current unsettled state of the real estate market. The most economical and least risky choice would likely be razing homes and banking the raw land for future development. That is exactly the outcome which will stabilize artificially high real estate prices, the ultimate aim of the Senators and the financial industry which has spent $5 billion lobbying Congress over the past decade.

The Obama administration is also considering a "shrink to survive" proposal which involves razing entire districts. The radical experiment which would be tried in 50 U.S. cities is to be headed by Dan Kildee who describes the destruction of neighborhoods as similar to "pruning an overgrown tree." The program is planned to be applied to neighborhoods identified in a recent study by the Brookings Institution, including those with high vacancy and unemployment rates. Industrial policy to restore the health of the labor markets does not enter into consideration.

Real estate values became artificially high due to a prolonged sequence of actions undertaken by The Fed and Federal regulators: maintaining low interest rates, progressively relaxing mortgage loan qualifications while introducing unprecedented teaser rates and negative amortization loans. All of this within a frenzied bubble market environment. During this period of rapidly escalating real estate prices, buyers, fearing that rising prices would leave them behind, made purchases based on illusory monthly payment costs, often not realising the full interest rate reset risk involved. The actual sale price of the properties reflected a fraudulent monthly cost. Without the various loan products the high values would have never been realized.

Now the challenge for those who are managing our economy in the service of the financial sector is to maintain those artificial valuations and maintain the fraudulent high claims on American household budgets. With the overhang of vacant homes depressing real estate market values the solution is to destroy the excess supply. As the previous owners of the razed homes add demand for the existing rental housing market, rents will rise and put a floor under the broad real estate market. In effect the profits that the mortgage bundlers made will be covered by claims against the incomes of renters through higher rents.

韓國‧要權力也要美麗‧女政治家亮相時尚雜誌

政治與時尚，權力與美麗，不再是2條沒有交集的平行線。

就像作為執政黨大國家黨國會議員的女政治家羅敬元，也可以在著名的國際女性時尚雜誌《Elle》上亮相一樣。

為了慶祝韓國版創刊200期，6月出版的《Elle》特地推出了一輯“2009年韓國最具影響力女性寫真”的攝影專題。

和羅敬元一同亮相的，還包括世界知名的大提琴演奏家鄭明和、被為為“花式溜冰天后”的金妍兒、紅極一時的芭蕾舞家姜秀珍，以及實力派演員金海淑和年輕漂亮的雙料影后文根英。

優雅風格廣為人知

曾擔任大國家黨發言人的羅敬元，因作為執政黨的“喉舌”而知名於國內外，也因優雅風格而廣為人知。

拍攝當天，她身穿比利時著名品牌德賴斯‧范諾頓（Dries Van Noten）的簡單黑色上衣，搭配搭美國時尚界經典風格名牌拉夫‧勞倫（Ralph Lauren）的一襲黑色長裙，手中拿著一本書，坐在長椅上。

她說：“我接受雜誌的提議，主要是因為這一企劃有很好的目的。”

出現在攝影專題中的名媛，身上所戴的配飾將會拿去拍賣，所得利潤將捐獻給兒童福利組織。

羅敬元也在訪談中闡述了內心想法。

她形容，政治就像一列脫軌的火車。要想擁有完整的政治生涯，就必須能夠自願而且體面地走下台。

她說：“我要成為一名深得人心的政治家。但當時機到來，我有義務讓位給初入政壇的女政治家。”（亞洲新聞網‧韓國《韓國先驅報》）

中國‧覬覦世界第一大市場‧國際奢侈品進軍中國

中國正成為奢侈品行業在當下與未來最生機勃勃的領地，“富二代”逐漸成為中國消費奢侈品的重要力量，未來幾年內，中國奢侈品市場可能會達到全球奢侈品消費額的頂峰。

面對文化挑戰

但是，某些奢侈品想要贏得中國消費者的心，還必須面對很大的文化挑戰。

泰亭哲香檳莊表示，他們可以在中國生產高級汽泡酒，但是市場卻還沒準備好；藍寶堅尼汽車有限公司則表示，中國的豪華車市場主要是私家車而非跑車，這給公司擴張帶來難題。

此外，歷峰集團旗下的梵克雅寶發現，很難向中國市場傳達公司的品牌理念；手錶商帕瑪強尼則擔心很難尋找到合適的合作夥伴。

泰亭哲認為，雖然中國有很多地方適合製造高級香賓酒，但中國人卻沒有建立起品嘗這种价格不菲美酒的文化習慣。

冒牌產品氾濫

以手工包聞名的愛馬仕公司表示，如果找到好工匠也會考慮在中國生產，但他認為冒牌產品的氾濫讓公司頭痛不已。首席執行官托馬斯說：“當他們（在中國）看見冒牌貨，他們以為是真貨。”

梵克雅寶首席執行官奎爾齊玆說：“在中國必須面對的挑戰是，如何向13億的人民說明自己的品牌。”

但是奢侈品公司一致認為，中國的消費者具有很強的品牌意識，中國很快的就能成為世界第一大的奢侈品市場。

在瑞士寶盛集團管理著3000萬美元奢侈品行業基金的副總裁說：“中國將長期成為世界最重要的市場之一。”中國不會像俄國人買特別奢華的產品，但中國有這麼多人口……（他們）非常節省，這是一個龐大的國家。”（亞洲新聞網‧中國《中國日報》）

西班牙‧父親節大禮‧“父親產假”延長至4週

（西班牙‧馬德里）西班牙的爸爸迎來最好的父親節禮物！

西班牙眾議院於6月週四（6月18日）通過了延長父親產假的提案，西班牙男子自2011年起將可享受為期4週的“父親產假”。

據西班牙《國家報》報導，西班牙政府曾經承諾，在2014年前將父親產假延長到4週，此次眾議院修改法律，提前兌現了這一諾言。

西班牙的父親將可以選擇與嬰兒母親同時休息，也可以在嬰兒母親16週產假結束之後，再接手繼續照顧嬰兒。

西班牙傳統上是在嬰兒出生的當天和次日，父親可以請假照料家人。但是在2007年，西班牙制定了《性別平等法》，此法令通過之後，男子可以申請為期15天的“產假”。

15天的“父親產假”期間，由西班牙社會保險局負責支付13天的工資，工作單位支付剩餘的2天薪酬，工資標準按照產價前最後一個月的工資計算。

“父親產假”政策已被越來越多的人所接受。雖然社會上依然有20%左右的男子對“產假”持排斥態度，但是在今年頭3個月中，西班牙已有近7萬名男子在社會保險局辦理了“產假”申請，而同期辦理“產假”申請的女子約有8萬多人。

美國‧富豪控詐騙283億‧全球3萬投資者中圈套

（美國‧華盛頓）美國得州億萬富豪斯坦福，因涉及80億美元（約馬幣283億令吉）的巨額欺詐案，週五（6月19日）和另4人在欺詐、洗錢及妨礙調查等21項罪名下被控。

案件在弗吉尼亞州的法庭提堂，斯坦福繼續被扣押，案件稍後會移至得州進行聆訊，一旦罪名成立，最高刑罰是監禁250年。

斯坦福被控以層壓式方法，詐騙來自世界各地的約3萬名投資者，早前在弗州的女友住所外，向聯邦密探自首。控方指他有可能潛逃，反對保釋。

一批事主發表聲明稱損失慘重，有長者誤信投資計劃，而失去住所，連累家人。

59歲的斯坦福在安提瓜是個大人物，他的公司是安提瓜最大僱主，安提瓜總督甚至冊封他為爵士。

與斯坦福一同被控的被告包括斯坦福的投資主任霍爾特、會計師庫爾特和洛珀茲，以及加勒比海安提瓜島國前管理局長勒魯瓦．金。

司法部官員披露，來自世界各地的約3萬投資者，包括數千名美國人，掉入斯坦福的詐騙投資計劃陷阱。

美國‧將促中國向朝鮮施壓‧軍事代表團將訪華

（美國‧華盛頓）五角大樓官員週五（6月19日）表示，國防部高級官員將在下週舉行的美中軍事會談中，敦促中國支持國際社會向朝鮮施壓。

這名官員透露，由國防部副部長弗盧努瓦率領的美國軍事代表團，將於週四（6月18日）和週五訪問北京，與中國解放軍副總參謀長馬曉天，舉行雙方自2007年底以來的首次國防諮商會談。

屆時，美方代表將吁請中國同意讓雙方武裝部隊增加交流，以建立更開放的對話並減少緊張對峙。

他說：“朝鮮將是這次會議非常重要的一環。我們希望中國會使用所有對朝鮮的影響力，來說服他們改變行為。”

磋商中美艦船對峙問題

此外，雙方還將就近段時間以來中美艦船海上對峙等問題展開磋商。

這名要求匿名的官員稱，弗盧努瓦希望此行能夠帶動兩國軍事官員之間更加頻繁的會晤和交流，以確保此類事件不會失去控制。

此行的另一議題是中美軍事交流與合作問題，國防部官員稱，中美的合作方興未艾，“我們期待著建立一個中美軍事關係的框架，把共同的利益轉化為具體行動，擴大雙方合作的領域”。

台灣‧颱風“蓮花”逼近中台發警報

（台灣‧台北）熱帶風暴“蓮花”正逼近台灣及中國東南沿岸，兩地今日（週六，6月20日）先後發出颱風警報。

這也是台灣今年首個颱風警報。

台灣中央氣象局指出，“蓮花”預料會在週日（6月21日）登陸台灣。台灣北部、東北部及中南部地區，下午可能有大雨或豪雨，預料還會出現強陣風，發生洪水及山泥傾瀉的風險也增加。

台灣已發出海上警報，稍後可能會向外島澎湖和金門發出陸上警報。

中國中央氣象台則預計，“蓮花”可能在週日中午至晚上，在廣東東部至福建南部沿海登陸，也有可能沿台灣海峽北上。

氣象台已經在福建、廣東兩省啟動颱風橙色警報，是4級制中的第3級兩省進入24小時警備狀態，重點防範熱帶風暴帶來的強降雨。

Israeli troops humiliate Palestinians - and put it on YouTube

Check this link ........... http://tinyurl.com/njcqj7

US Drone Strike Imperils Delicate South Waziristan Negotiations

Check this link ............. http://tinyurl.com/mawpgy

Mullen: Unlikely Anyone Will Face Disciplinary Action Over Farah Killings

Check this link ...... http://tinyurl.com/lssmof

US Stocks Modestly Higher; Tech Stocks Lead Gains

Technology stocks led a modest gain in the market Friday, with investors focusing on smart-phone makers as Apple's new iPhone device hit store selves.

Traders also tweaked their books heading into the "quadruple witching" expiration of exchange-traded derivatives at the closing bell.

Quadruple witching is the simultaneous expiration of options on individual stocks, index options, single-stock futures, and index futures. In the past, it has brought additional volatility to the market, with traders frantically selling or buying shares to deliver against their previous bets using futures and options contracts.

But some observers said that most of the expected pressure probably occurred in the beginning of the week, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered a three-day losing streak in which it fell more than 300 points. From Thursday's opening bell through the latest action, the market has been relatively calm.

"What we've generally been seeing in this expiration cycle is people rolling over whatever options positions they have," settling the expiring contracts and then taking on similar bets in contracts for the following month, said Allen Greenberg, the Chicago-based options chief for brokerage BNY ConvergEx. "They're not necessarily looking for a big new move in either direction."

The Dow was recently up about 50 points, or 0.6%. However, the blue-chip measure remained on track to post a weekly decline of more than 2%, which would be its first weekly decline in a month.

The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, helped by a 1.4% gain in its technology sector. All the index's other categories posted gains as well, except utilities, which slipped 0.3%.

The Nasdaq Composite was up 1.6%, helped by a 2% gain in Apple. Rival Palm, which recently debuted its Pre smart phone, was up 10%. Research In Motion shares dipped 2.3% after it said on Thursday that its earnings jumped on strong sales of BlackBerry smart phones but issued an outlook that disappointed some traders.

Health-care stocks also gained, as insurers including Aetna, Cigna and UnitedHealth Group continued to rise after a rally on Thursday. Investors are betting that the Obama administration's health-care reform proposals will be scaled back.

Mineral extractors gained as investors continued to hope the global economy has moved past the worst point. Rio Tinto was up 1.9% and BHP Billiton rose 1.9%. Commodities prices were generally higher, with the front-month crude-oil futures contract hovering near $72 a barrel.

Asia stocks were mostly higher, but several indexes moved off their peaks. The Nikkei 225 finished up 0.9% higher, with the Hang Seng logging similar gains. In Europe, markets were stronger. The FTSE 100 was up 1.5%.

By Peter A. McKay