Current Events for the Week of 24 October 2011

Current Events for Monday, 24 October 2011

Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf: Saudi Arabia will not increase oil production to fund domestic programs, may float convential, Islamic bonds
Bank of America Corp. subsidiary Merrill Lynch: U.S. credit rating likely to be downgraded again
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probing Olympus Corp.’s takeover of British company, shares continue to slide
U.S. President Barack Obama (D.) set to announce actions on housing, student loans this week
French President Nicolas Sarközy yields on European Central Bank (ECB) role in shaping Eurozone crisis, pressure mounts on Italy
Tunisian election commission begins counting votes in first democratic elections since ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Argentine center-left President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner cruises to reelection victory
Magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes rural Turkey, deathtoll expected to rise from current 200
Two separate research papers published over the weekend claim global warming could rise past “safe” levels of two degrees Celsius (35.6 degrees Fahrenheit)
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden (D.) leaves door open for 2016 run for president
Former U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Nobel Laureate economist Paul Volcker makes case for U.S. government to further regulate money-market mutual fund industry, believes government should get-out of mortgage business
U.S. President Obama announces U.S. military drawdown of forces in Iraq by end of the year
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: U.S. has pledged “strong security relationship” with Iraq for years to come
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki: Iraq wants U.S. military trainers to remain
Around 130 #OccupyChicago protesters arrested after erecting tents, refusing to leave park
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta lauds China for measured response after latest arms deal with Taiwan
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao: job creation remains Chinese focus
Afghan President Hamid Karzai: Afghanistan would support Pakistan in armed conflict against U.S.
Australian police break-up #OccupySydney with dozens of arrests
The Wall Street Journal: Google Inc. in-talks with two private equity firms on buy-out of Yahoo! Inc. core businesses
Polls open in Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal (R.) easily wins reelection
Arab politicians, financiers at World Economic Forum urge injection of cash to narrow inequalities in Middle East that led to Arab Spring
At least Yemeni protesters killed in fighting with government security forces after U.N. Security Council (UNSECO) passes resolution urging President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step-down
Interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril: elections possible within eight months
E.U., International Monetary Fund (IMF) agree to next aid tranche for Greece
News Corp. president, chief executive officer (CEO) Rupert Murdoch, son survive stock holders’ annual meeting
U.S. FBI report: 1.4 million Americans currently in “gangs,” turning to more “white-collar” crimes
Republican party (GOP) presidential nominee hopeful, U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (R., MN) sees entire New Hampshire campaign staff quit en masse
GOP presidential nominee hopeful, U.S. Representative Ron Paul (R., TX) calls for end to federally subsidized student loans
GOP presidential nominee hopeful, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain redefines 9-9-9 tax restructuring
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton confirms U.S. has met with Haqqani Network (HN) representatives in preliminary talks
Groupon Inc. scales-back expected initial public offering (IPO) capital to $540 million
Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad: India has never been closer to eradicating polio
North Korea, U.S. set to restart long-stalled nuclear talks in Geneva, Switzerland this week
Ten Colombian soldiers killed in ambush by Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia—Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army) rebels
Saudi royal court confirms death of heir Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticizes Syrian government’s violent crackdowns on anti-government protesters, warns against oustide intervention
Turkish forces have killed at least 24 Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan (PKK, Kurdistan Workers’ Party) rebels in northern Iraq
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Libya mission will end by November
BP plc wins approval to resume oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico
St. Paul’s Cathedral forced to close for first-time since World War II due to #OccupyLondon protests
AP-GfK poll: 72% of Americans believe U.S. headed in wrong direction

Current Events for Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Al-Jazeera reports Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) claims to have buried former leader Muammar al-Gaddafi in undisclosed location at dawn
Libyan NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil: new council will be named within next two weeks
UBS AG reports better-than-expected third quarter (Q3) net profits, warned tough trading conditions
E.U. whitepaper: Eurozone should merge insurance model with special purpose investment vehicle (SPIV)
GOP presidential nominee hopeful, Texas Governor Rick Perry (R.) proposes flat 20% income tax, corporate tax cuts
U.S. Department of State pulls U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford out of country because of threats to his safety, Syria responds in-kind
U.S. President Obama announces expansion to Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP)
Netflix Inc. announces it lost more customers than expected in Q3, warned of more still defections to come, stocks tumbles 27%
Egypt, Israel agree to prisoner swap, seen as easing ties between countries
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: website will have to cease whistleblowing if “blockade” of funding does not end
India criticizes travel alerts issued by five countries, including the U.S., over possible terror attacks during holiday season
Indian central bank raises interest rates, cuts growth forecast amid high consumer prices, slowing global growth
Thai floods encroach on Bangkok airport, as Thailand continues to fight historic flooding
Powerful roadside bomb kills at least four in northwest Pakistan
Turkish government pledges more earthquake aid for region hit by massive earthquake, deathtoll rises to 279
Third group of investors vote against maintaining Murdoch family as heads of News Corp.
Former Romanian King Michael I to mark his 90^th birthday with address to Romanian parliament, first such speech since 1947 abdication
Filippino military carries-out bombing raid on Islamist rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in south of country, first in three years
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett (R.) begins Commonwealth’s takeover of financially troubled capital city of Harrisburg
Hurricane Rina forms in Caribbean, Mexico and Central American countries brace for the worst
U.S. Judge Mary Scriven blocks Florida law requiring people seeking welfare benefits to take, pass drug test
Moderate Tunisian Islamist opposition party Hizb al-Nahda (Ennahdha) claims major victory in first democratic Tunisian elections, vote count seems to indicate they will not have a majority
Second blast in Nairobi kills at least one at bus stop
Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai reverses position on gay rights, suggests they should be protected in constitution
U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) report: U.S. Iraqi Police Development Program (PDP) likely to become “bottomless pit” of funding
“Hacktivist” group Anonymous strikes forty websites it claimed were peddling child pornography
CNN/Opinion Research Corp. (ORC) International poll: most Americans agree with #OccupyWallStreet’s dim view of Wall Street
Gallup poll: nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the Electoral College should be abolished

Current Events for Wednesday, 26 October 2011

U.S. President Obama: “we can’t wait for an increasingly dysfunctional Congress to do their job”
U.S. Obama administration announces plans to assist student loan holders
Japanese Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) intensifies Olympus Corp. investigation, Olympus President Tsuyoshi Kikukawa resigns
Amazon.com shocks investors with weaker-than-expected outlook for holiday sales, stock slumps
U.S. FBI: Former partner, managing director of management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, Inc. Rajat Gupta to face criminal charges over insider-trading
Conclusive deal on Eurozone bailout, EFSF elusive
Netflix Inc. tries to staunch bleeding, stocks collapse 34%
Turkish earthquake deathtoll rises to 459, government U-turns and will accept foreign aid
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices formally recommends boys should also be vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV)
U.S. House of Representatives (House) Speaker John Boehner (R., OH) makes rare foreign policy speech to criticize U.S. President Obama’s “reset” policy with Russian Federation
International Monetary Fund (IMF) “considering” participation in Eurozone bailout
The New York Times/CBS News poll: GOP presidential race “wide open”
U.S. data: U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly dropped to its lowest level in two-and-one-half years in October, housing prices stagnated in August
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) posts strong profits despite global economic slow-down
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi facing increasng economic, financial pressures, Infrastructure Minister Altero Matteoli warns of imminent government collapse
Northern Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle study: women who use oestrogen/progestogen oral contraception for at least ten years halve ovarian cancer risk
Toyota Motor Corp. cancels some production due to parts shortages caused by Thai flooding
At least 10 killed, 30 injured in fuel tanker bomb attack in northern Afghanistan
British Prime Minister David Cameron announces he will not attend 2012 U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) because it conflicts with Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations
Last American Mk/B-53 high-yield bunker buster thermonuclear weapon being dismantled in Texas
Texas Governor Perry endorses economic advisors’ insistance 20% flat tax be optional
Gunmen abduct two foreign aid workers, Somali in northern Somalia
U.N. sets ambitious new global broadband solutions
American scientist who invented LISP computer programming language, coined the term “artificial intelligence (AI)” John McCarthy dies, 84
Hurricane Rina increases in intensity to Category 2

Current Events for Thursday, 27 October 2011

U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO): over the last thirty years the wealthiest 1% of Americans increased their wealth some 275%, the middle class grew at just 40%
Sony Corp. to buy out-right Telefonaktiebolaget L. M. Ericsson (Ericcson)
Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) sued in American, Canadian courts for outage
Leading Mexican presidential candidate Santiago Creel Miranda vows drug war shift
Chrysler Group LLC: International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) has ratified new contract
Eurozone leaders strike deal on second Greek package, EFSF
Libyan NTC: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi wants to surrender to International Criminal Court (ICC)
CNN, TimeMagazine, ORC polls: former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R.) leads opponents in first four nominating states
U.S. authorities widen investigation to 17 Swiss banks under scrunity for helping Americans dodge taxes
U.S. Department of Commerce report: U.S. new home sales up in September, prices fall
U.S. Department of Commerce report: U.S. durable goods orders rose at fastest pace in five months in September
Bangkok residents flee as flood waters approach
#OccupyOakland turns violent as police try to disperse crowd
Ford Motor Co. posts disappointing Q3 profits, global outlook disappoints investors
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) posts “doubled” profits on higher gasoline, oil prices
Bank of Japan expands its asset purchase program by $66 billion
Irish voters head to the polls to select nation’s ninth head-of-state
Marine archaeologists lift Blackbeard cannon from shipwreck off North Carolina coast
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan admits to earthquake relief mistakes
Turkish earthquake deathtoll hits 523
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir claims his government supplied aid, arms to Libyan rebels
The New York Times/CBS News poll: American distrust of government at highest level ever
BG Group plc, Cheniere Energy Inc. sign $8 billion liquified natural gas (LNG) exportation deal
U.N. issues State of World Population 2011 report, sets-out challenges facing world
Libyan NTC Chairman Jalil formally requests NATO to continue mission for the time being
Former U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chairman Michael Toner: U.S. should do away with campaign donation caps
Self-imposed Thanksgiving deadline approaching for U.S. congressional “super committee” for debt, deficit talks
Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to decide on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) certiorari on 10 November
The New York Times/CBS news poll: 66% of Americans believe wealth shouldbe even distributed, seven out of 10 believe congressional Republicans looking-out for the rich
U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles stays North Carolina “fetal heartbeat” law
Gallup poll: record-low 26% of Americans favor handgun ban

Current Events for Friday, 28 October 2011

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra under-fire as flood waters continue to rise
Libyan NTC: Saif al-Gaddafi seeking plane to Hague
Major global derivatives broker MF Global clients moving away as money troubles grow
U.S. Obama administration consulting U.S. Congress over possible attack helicopter sale to Turkey
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) announces it has ditched its personal computer (PC) spin-off plan
Chrysler Group LLC posts much high-than-expected Q3 profits
Texas Governor Rick Perry (R.) to discontinue participation in GOP debates
The Geneva Declaration: role of U.S. in arming Mexican drug gangs “exaggerated”
American stocks surge 3% with sigh of relief after Eurozone deal announced, stock futures down ahead of opening
BBC reports ties between Pakistani military, Afghan Taliban
U.S. Department of Commerce: U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) rose 2.5% in Q3
Exxon Mobil Corp. joins Shell in posting profits swell
Heavily debated Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus (OPERA) experiment to redo neutrino experiment for more empirical data
EFSF CEO Klaus Regling seeks Chinese buy-in to Eurozone bailout plan
Research from Strategy Analytics report: The Samsung Group has overtaken Apple Inc. in smartphone sales
U.S. military begins operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV, “drone”) in Ethiopia, as part of fight against al-Qaeda-linked groups
Irish presidential ballot count begins
Violent protests erupt in Sidi Bouzid after Tunisian election results released with moderate Islamist group Ennhahda winning many seats in parliament
French President Nicolas Sarközy: it was a mistake for Greece to adopt the euro (€) in 2001
Long-time Saudi Interior Minister Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud named Crown Prince by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud
Newcastle University study: daily dose of aspirin cuts bowel cancer risk in those at-risk
Amazon.com reveals 11 companies have already filed patent lawsuits against the company this year
Gunmen in northern Kenya kill four during attack close to Somali border
Volkswagon Group net profits triple in Q3
UNSECO votes to end Libya mission
The Washington Post: homosexual soldiers to file suit over Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)