Thursday, May 28, 2009

SPB News for Thursday


To calm workers' fears about bankruptcy, company pays 90k early.

Abu Ghraib abuse photos ‘show rape’ — Photographs of alleged prisoner abuse which Barack Obama is attempting to censor include images of apparent rape and sexual abuse, it has emerged. — At least one picture shows an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another …
Iraq redux? Obama seeks funds for Pakistan super-embassy The U.S. is embarking on a $1 billion crash program to expand its diplomatic presence in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan, another sign that the Obama administration is making a costly, long-term commitment to war-torn South Asia, U.S. officials said Wednesday. The White House has asked Congress for -- and seems likely to receive -- $736 million to build a new U.S. embassy in Islamabad, along with permanent housing for U.S. government civilians and new office space in the Pakistani capital. The scale of the projects rivals the giant U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which was completed last year after construction delays at a cost of $740 million.

Army post shuts down for anti-suicide event --Record number of soldiers committed suicide last year, Army says A major United States military post is shutting down for three days following a rash of suicides, the post announced. Fort Campbell, home of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, is holding a three-day "suicide stand-down training event" starting Wednesday -- the second one it has held this year, a post spokeswoman told CNN. At least 11 deaths of Fort Campbell soldiers this year are confirmed or suspected suicides, spokeswoman Kelly Tyler said.

Database blacklist saw thousands denied jobs Thousands of workers in the construction industry were denied employment because of a secret "blacklist", a court heard today. Ian Kerr built up a database of 3,213 people which included highly sensitive and personal information as well as trade union links and employment history, Cheshire magistrates were told. He then offered the information to construction firms to vet potential employees. Kerr's organisation, the Consulting Association, in Droitwich, West Midlands, was raided by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) last March and he was charged with a breach of the Data Protection Act.


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