Obama White House Invokes ‘Privacy’ To Thwart Oversight
President Obama entered the Oval Office in 2009 promising his White House was committed to “an unprecedented level of openness” that would “strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in government.” Fast-forward five years, and Mr. Obama's administration stands accused of using a broad interpretation of federal privacy statutes to frustrate one of the most aggressive critics of government fraud and greatest champion of whistleblowers — Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: Obama is an all around phony.

Disappearing Deductions Cost Taxpayers
Changes to tax laws last year reinstated some income-based phase outs of some widely used personal exemptions and itemized deductions, leaving many taxpayers with higher tax bills. Hardest hit will be those with higher incomes, who will be disappointed to see that deductions they previously claimed on their 2012 tax returns have been reduced or eliminated. Typically tax payers are allowed to claim an exemption for themselves and any other joint filer and dependent on their tax return. The personal exemption is a defined amount - $3,900 for 2013 - which is used to reduce their income before figuring the amount of tax they owe. But starting with 2013 tax returns, single filers with adjusted gross income (AGI) in excess of $250,000 or those who are married filing jointly and have AGI in excess of $300,000 will be subject to a phase out of their personal exemptions. CBS

Obama Proposes Eliminating Funding For Abstinence Education In 2015 Budget
President Barack Obama wants to eliminate funding for abstinence education funding in his 2015 budget, which he sent to Congress on Tuesday. In the “Cuts, Consolidations, and Savings” portion of the budget, it shows that the $5 million funding to Health and Human Services (HHS) through its Title V Maternal and Child Health Program that was included in the 2014 budget is not part of Obama’s latest budget. Supporters of “sexual risk avoidance” – or SRA abstinence education programs – expressed the need for such programs and the across-the aisle-approval of them by parents. CNS News

Obama Shows His R-E-S-P-E-C-T For 'Women Of Soul'
He bobbled the spelling, but President Barack Obama had nothing but R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the “women of soul” who shook and rattled the rafters of the White House on Thursday night. “What a lineup!” Obama declared at the outset of a concert that featured a generations-spanning array of soul singers that stretched from musical legends Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle to 20-year-old Ariana Grande. Obama paid tribute to Franklin for turning her signature song “Respect” into “a rallying cry for African-Americans, women and then everyone who felt marginalized.” Detroit News
VOA VIEW: Is is not positive for a race to have to continue to  promote its attributes and accomplishments - worse, when exaggerated or embellished.

Drop In Claims Shows U.S. Employers Are Upbeat
Fewer Americans than projected applied last week for unemployment benefits, showing companies are confident economic growth will rebound after winter weather depressed demand. Jobless claims declined by 26,000 to 323,000 in the week ended March 1, the least since the end of November and fewer than any economist forecast in a Bloomberg survey, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. Other data showed consumers’ views of the economy reached an almost seven-month high, according to Bloomberg’s weekly index of sentiment. Falling dismissals set the stage for additional hiring, helping spur household confidence and giving Americans the wherewithal to boost spending. A report tomorrow may show the number of workers that companies added in February lagged behind last year’s average after a weather-induced slowdown in housing starts and retail sales. Bloomberg

Obama Says Crimea Separation Would Violate Law
President Barack Obama declared on Thursday that a referendum in 10 days on the future of a Ukraine's Crimea peninsula would violate international law. The United States also moved to impose visa restrictions and financial sanctions on Russians and Ukrainians for the moves Moscow already has made into Crimea. Speaking from the White House, Obama said any decisions on the future of Crimea, a pro-Russian area of Ukraine, must include the country's new government. "The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the constitution and violate international law," Obama said. "We are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders." Obama spoke hours after a March 16 date was set for a referendum on whether the region should become part of Russia. Las Vegas Sun

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Russia Wants IMF To Move Ahead On Reforms Without U.S.
Russian officials are pushing for the International Monetary Fund to move ahead with planned reforms without the United States, which could mean the loss of the U.S. veto over major decisions at the global lender, sources said. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov brought up the idea at a meeting of top finance officials from the Group of 20 nations in Sydney late last month, two G20 sources told Reuters this week. The failure of the U.S. Congress to approve IMF funding has held up reforms agreed in 2010 that would double the Fund's resources and give more say to emerging markets like China. The United States is the only country that holds a controlling share of IMF votes, meaning its approval is necessary for any major decision to go forward. Reuters

Snowden Leaks Could Cost Military Billions
The Pentagon might need to spend billions to overcome the damage done to military security by Edward Snowden's release of classified intelligence documents, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress on Thursday. And it might take two years to determine the extent of that damage, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey told a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the defense budget. "The vast majority of the documents that Snowden – Mr. Snowden – exfiltrated from our highest levels of security, the vast majority had nothing to do with exposing government oversight of domestic activities," Dempsey said in response to a question from Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. "The vast majority of those were related to our military capabilities, operations, tactics, techniques and procedures." MSNBC

Christie At Conservative Conclave: 'Our Ideas Are Better'
Calling on fellow Republicans to focus on "what we're for and not what we're against," Gov. Christie made his pitch to his party's right wing Thursday, describing himself to conservative activists as a "pro-life" leader who has governed a blue state effectively. The Republican governor, who has often touted his ability to work with Democrats, drew a contrast with the other party during remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference. "Our ideas are better than their ideas, and that's what we have to stand up for," he said. Christie told Republicans "to stop letting the media define who we are," and said it was critical that the party take a competitive approach. "We don't get to govern if we don't win," he said. Philadelphia Inquirer
VOA VIEW: Republicans have to show they are different, otherwise there is no alternative or choice.

BofA Rolls Out Checking Account For Chronic Overdrafters
Bank of America is launching a new checking account that will prevent customers from overdrawing funds and getting dinged with frustrating overdraft fees. The SafeBalance accounts will stop customers from taking out more money than they have in their account while using an ATM, paying bills online or making a purchase at the point of sale, say at a store counter or a restaurant. Customers currently pay $35 if they incur an overdraft. But the service will come at a cost. Customers will be charged a flat fee of $4.95 a month, or almost $60 a year, and they will not be able to write paper checks. The bank's most popular account, MyAccess Checking, is free as long as a customer has a monthly direct deposit of at least $250. That account, and the bank's interest-bearing account for customers with larger balances, will remain unchanged and continue to prevent overdrafts at point of sale purchases. CNN

Osama Bin Laden Hinted At 9/11 Attacks: Witness
Islamist “brothers” are ready to die for jihad, Osama bin Laden told a group of American recruits in Afghanistan just six months before the 9/11 attacks, according to testimony Thursday at a terror-conspiracy trial in Manhattan. “Just know that we have brothers willing to carry their souls in their hands,” bin Laden told recruits, witness Sahim Alwan testified in the federal trial of an accused high-level al Qaeda spokesman. Asked by a prosecutor Thursday what he believed bin Laden meant these “brothers” were willing to do, Alwan answered, “To die.” NY Post

Abbas: No Recognition Of Israel As Jewish State
The Palestinian president says there's "no way" he'll recognize Israel as a Jewish state and accept just a portion of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Palestinians fear the two demands will be key elements of a U.S. peace proposal. Mahmoud Abbas says in comments published Friday by the official WAFA news agency that he withstood U.S. pressure when he sought U.N. recognition for a state of Palestine and suggested he could do so again. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to present ideas for the contours of a deal to Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. USA Today
VOA VIEW: Real peace with the Palestinians is a foolish thought.

Pentagon: North Korea Develops Unmanned Strike Aircraft From Stolen US Drone
North Korea has deployed an indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle capable of attacking ground targets based on stolen U.S. target drones, the Pentagon revealed in a report to Congress. Images of the North Korean drone in flight were shown as part of a March 2013 military drill, the Pentagon report said. "The drone appeared to be a North Korean copy of a Raytheon MQM-107 Streaker target drone," the report said. "North Korean press coverage of the event described the UAV as being capable of precision strikes by crashing into the target." Fox News

Christie To Obama: ‘What The Hell Are We Paying You For?’
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave a rousing speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference today taking on President Obama while stressing his own conservative credentials. Christie’s signature tough talking style was on full display when he took on Obama asking, “Mr. President, what the hell are we paying you for?” “Leadership,” Christie said, “is not about standing on the sidelines and spit-balling.” Christie also spoke about foreign policy, again attacking the president: “We need to make sure we say we are for America being a leader in the world and we are for a strong national defense, not one that allows other countries to run us over all over the world.” ABC

House Bill Gives Airlines Flexibility In Advertising Ticket Prices
Two years ago, federal regulators changed the rules on how airlines may advertise their ticket prices, saying the change would make the cost of flying more transparent.
Bipartisan legislation in the House introduced on Thursday would undo that change, and the lawmakers behind the bill say it would make the cost of flying more transparent. “While the DOT had good intentions, the new rule effectively reduced transparency,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), ranking minority member of the House transportation committee. “Consumers haven’t been getting the whole picture of what an airline ticket pays for.” Washington Post

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Boeing To End Pensions For Non-Union Workers
Boeing will end its pension plans for non-union employees by 2016 in an effort to curb the company's growing pension costs. The change in retirement plans will impact 68,000 workers including managers and executives, Boeing (BA, Fortune 500) said Thursday. Those employees will transition to a 401(k) plan. Boeing will contribute directly to these plans and match any money that workers opt to save. Any benefits earned from the current, traditional pension plan will be paid when the worker retires, along with the 401(k) funds. The objective is to provide market-leading benefits, according to human resources senior vice president Tony Parasida, while also curbing unsustainable growth of in pension liabilities. CNN

Apple Loses Bid For U.S. Ban On Samsung Smartphone Sales
A U.S. judge on Thursday rejected Apple's request for a permanent sales ban in the United States against some older Samsung smartphones, a key setback for the iPhone maker in its global patent battle. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, ruled that Apple Inc had not presented enough evidence to show that its patented features were a significant enough driver of consumer demand to warrant an injunction. Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd have been litigating for nearly three years over various smartphone features patented by Apple, such as the use of fingers to pinch and zoom on the screen, as well as design elements such as the phone's flat, black glass screen. Reuters

Sessions On Obama's Budget: 'This Is The Way A Nation Goes Broke'
It was a simple question, but not willingly answered: Does President Obama plan to spend $56 billion more than he agreed to spend ten weeks ago, when he signed the Ryan-Murray budget agreement? Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) repeatedly asked that question of President Obama's budget director on Wednesday, but he couldn't get a straight answer from Sylvia Mathews Burwell. Finally, exasperated, Sessions answered the question himself: "The answer is...you're asking us to raise the spending limit by changing the Ryan-Murray law so you can spend even more than you agreed to spend ten weeks ago. And this is the way a nation goes broke." CNS News
VOA VIEW: Sessions is wrong - the nation is broke, thanks to Obama.

World Markets Cautious Ahead Of US, China Data
World stock markets were muted Friday as investors turned cautious ahead of the release of a key U.S. employment report and Chinese economic indicators. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average gained 0.9 percent to 15,274.07 while South Korea's Kospi inched down 0.1 percent to 1,974.68. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3 percent to 5,462.20. European markets opened mostly down. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.2 percent to 4,410.34 and Germany's DAX was down 0.7 percent to 9,475.37. The CAC 40 in Paris shed 0.2 percent to 4,410.34. Wall Street was poised for an uninspiring open, with Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures both little changed ahead of the February employment report due out later Friday. The payrolls data often set the market mood for a week or two. Kansas City Star

Rubio Wants U.S. Attention On Venezuela Crisis
As the death toll increases and the government intensifies a crackdown on opponents in Venezuela, Sen. Marco Rubio faults the White House for being preoccupied with the crisis in Ukraine and not paying appropriate attention to a developing crisis much closer to home. The Florida Republican and possible 2016 presidential candidate has been one of the most outspoken proponents in Washington for imposing deep economic sanctions against Venezuela. But he said Thursday he hasn’t heard anything from the White House on his and others’ proposals to cut off resources to what he calls an illegitimate government. Miami Herald

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Household Worth In U.S. Climbs By $2.95 Trillion To Record
Household wealth in the U.S. increased from October through December, as gains in stock portfolios and home prices boosted Americans’ finances. Net worth for households and non-profit groups rose by $2.95 trillion in the fourth quarter, or 3.8 percent from the previous three months, to a record $80.7 trillion, the Federal Reserve said today from Washington in its financial accounts report, previously known as the flow of funds survey. More jobs, higher stock prices and improved home values have all helped consumers clean up their balance sheets in the years following the biggest recession since the Great Depression. Additional gains in the labor market and household wealth will be needed to give consumers the means to spend on goods and services, boosting economic growth. Bloomberg

Senate Blocks Change To Military Sex Assault Cases
The Senate on Thursday blocked a bill that would have stripped senior military commanders of their authority to prosecute or prevent charges for alleged rapes and other serious offenses, capping an emotional, nearly yearlong fight over how to curb sexual assault in the ranks. The vote was 55-45, short of the 60 necessary to move ahead on the legislation sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Defeated but unbowed, the senator received hugs from Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., after the vote. The Pentagon's leadership vigorously opposed the measure, arguing that officers should have more responsibility, not less, for the conduct of the men and women they lead. Las Vegas Sun
VOA VIEW: Positive outcome.

Energy Drinks Linked To Mental Health And Substance Abuse Problems Among Teens
Red Bull claims to give you wings. But along with all other energy drinks, Red Bull also might facilitate substance use and depression among teenagers, at least according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Waterloo recently located strong associations between teenage energy drink consumption and use of drugs and alcohol, as well as problems of depression. The study's conclusions were based on data from 2012 Student Drug Use Survey, which polled more than 8,000 junior and senior high-school students in Canada. "While it remains unclear why these associations exist, the trend is a concern because of the high rate of consumption among teenagers," said Sunday Azagba, the study's lead author. "These drinks appeal to young people because of their temporary benefits like increased alertness, improved mood and enhanced mental and physical energy." UPI

Are Local Police Conducting NSA-Style Surveillance?
The National Security Agency apparently isn't the only government agency engaged in domestic spying. Local law enforcement is playing the role of Big Brother, too, but to what extent is still unknown. Recent court documents reveal a troubling cell phone surveillance program conducted by a Florida police department against unsuspecting cell phone users. Attempts to keep the practice secret, even from judges, is raising questions as to just how prevalent police spying is within the Sunshine State. The controversy stems from the arrest of James L. Thomas, a criminal suspect believed to be in possession of a stolen phone. Tallahassee police located and arrested Thomas by tracking a cell phone signal, then promptly searched his home. Fox News

Bobby Jindal Says Obama Worse Than Jimmy Carter
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal questioned President Obama’s intelligence today in a series of jabs that  included an assessment that Obama has been a worse president than Jimmy Carter, who has  has long been punchline for conservative Republicans. Jindal’s stinging remarks came before the Conservative Political Action Conference, a bastion of conservatives and a favorite spot for potential presidential candidates to audition their attack lines. “We have long said this president is a smart man. It may be time to revisit that assumption,” Jindal deadpanned. “Or at least to make a distinction between being book smart and truly wise.” That was just the opener. “If I were him, I’d consider suing Harvard Law School to get his money back because I’m not sure what he learned in three years,” Jindal continued, suggesting Obama might want to “actually read the Constitution every now and then.” ABC

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Obama Administration Won't Forestall Food Stamp Cuts
In February, President Obama signed a law cutting $8.7 billion dollars in food stamp benefits over the next ten years. The law tightens what critics call a loophole which qualified people receiving at least $1 in utility assistance for food stamp benefits as well -- part of the federal “Heat and Eat” option to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, designed to ensure that families don’t have to choose between feeding themselves or staying warm during the winter months. The minimum utility assistance to qualify is now $20. The law affects 16 states and the district of Columbia, and shortly after Obama signed the bill into law, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and 71 other congressional Democrats attempted to delay the cuts, saying in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “Our states need time to adjust their policies to accommodate this drastic cut and roll out the changes seamlessly.” UPI

Kerry Meets With Jordan's King Over Peace Plan
U.S. Secretary of State Kerry is in Jordan to meet with its king about Mideast peace. Kerry is hoping to broker a peace plan between Israel and Palestine authorities, and wants to present a framework for an agreement by the end of April. A major part of his proposal centers on security in the Jordan Valley that runs through parts of Israel and the West Bank. Jordan has been a key part of those negotiations. Kerry was to meet privately Friday afternoon with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at his private residence in the famed seaside resort city Aqaba. Boston Globe

Obama Vacation Plans In Doubt Because Of Ukraine
It was supposed be a weekend getaway to Florida for President Barack Obama and his wife and daughters, an escape from the frigid weather and lingering piles of snow around Washington. But Russia's intervention in Ukraine has put Obama's plans in doubt, making it possible the family could end up at the White House. The White House said late Thursday that Obama would spend the weekend in Key Largo, Fla., although that still could change. "It is possible the president may return to the White House on Friday as events unfold in Ukraine," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said earlier in the day. The weekend stay was tacked onto a visit Friday afternoon by Obama and his wife, Michelle, to Coral Reef High School in Miami, where they are to address students on the importance of education. Houston Chronicle

Here Comes El Nino; Good News For US Weather Woes
Relief may be on the way for a weather-weary United States with the predicted warming of the central Pacific Ocean brewing this year that will likely change weather worldwide. But it won't be for the better everywhere. The warming, called an El Nino, is expected to lead to fewer Atlantic hurricanes and more rain next winter for drought-stricken California and southern states, and even a milder winter for the nation's frigid northern tier next year, meteorologists say. While it could be good news to lessen the southwestern U.S. drought and shrink heating bills next winter in the far north, "worldwide it can be quite a different story," said North Carolina State University atmospheric sciences professor Ken Kunkel. Atlanta Journal

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Pentagon: North Korea Develops Unmanned Strike Aircraft From Stolen US Drone
North Korea has deployed an indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle capable of attacking ground targets based on stolen U.S. target drones, the Pentagon revealed in a report to Congress. Images of the North Korean drone in flight were shown as part of a March 2013 military drill, the Pentagon report said. "The drone appeared to be a North Korean copy of a Raytheon MQM-107 Streaker target drone," the report said. "North Korean press coverage of the event described the UAV as being capable of precision strikes by crashing into the target." Fox News

Christie To Obama: ‘What The Hell Are We Paying You For?’
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave a rousing speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference today taking on President Obama while stressing his own conservative credentials. Christie’s signature tough talking style was on full display when he took on Obama asking, “Mr. President, what the hell are we paying you for?” “Leadership,” Christie said, “is not about standing on the sidelines and spit-balling.” Christie also spoke about foreign policy, again attacking the president: “We need to make sure we say we are for America being a leader in the world and we are for a strong national defense, not one that allows other countries to run us over all over the world.” ABC

Tunisia Ends State Of Emergency After 3 Years
Tunisia's president on Thursday lifted the state of emergency that has been in place since the outbreak of a popular revolution three years ago, and a top military chief said soldiers stationed in some of the country's most sensitive areas will return to their barracks. The decree from President Moncef Marzouki said the state of emergency ordered in January 2011 is lifted across the country immediately. The state of emergency was imposed by longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and maintained after he was overthrown. It was repeatedly renewed. Lifting the state of emergency is a positive sign for Tunisian and foreign investors, Finance Minister Hakim Ben Hammouda said on Radio Mosaique. San Diego Union

NKorea Elections: 0 Pct Drama, 100 Pct Mandatory
North Korean voters will make a choice Sunday when they elect a new national legislature, but not for a candidate. The ruling elite have already done that for them, and there's only one per district. They get to vote "yes" or "no." Virtually all pick "yes." One thing they don't get to decide is whether to bother voting. Going to the polls is expected of all eligible voters, which effectively makes North Korean elections a powerful tool for checking up on the people. For outsiders trying to figure out what's going on in North Korean politics, Sunday's elections for the Supreme People's Assembly may shed some light on what personalities are currently in favor and likely to dominate in the years ahead. For North Korean authorities, the elections provide both a veneer of democracy and a means of monitoring the whereabouts and loyalties of average citizens. SF Gate

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US Sends F-16 Fighter Jets For Drill In Poland In Response To Ukraine Crisis
The US military will send 12 F-16 fighter jets and 300 service personnel to Poland next week for a training exercise whose scope was expanded in response to the crisis in neighboring Ukraine, Poland's defense minister said on Thursday. Tomasz Siemoniak said the training exercise, centered on the Lask air force base in central Poland, was originally to have been smaller and involved only transport aircraft. He said Poland requested it be beefed up after Russia's intervention in Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula. Standing at a news briefing alongside the minister, US ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull said: "When we face such a dramatic challenge for our security, we need to reassure our allies that our security guarantees are valid." Jerusalem Post

Bahrain And Iran Trade Accusations At UN Rights Forum
Bahrain accused Shi'ite Iran on Thursday of fomenting deadly violence in the kingdom, and a Tehran official accused the Sunni-ruled island state of torturing and imprisoning its critics. The clash at the UN Human Rights Council came after three policemen were killed on Monday by a bomb at a protest in Daih, west of the capital Manama, during a procession of mourners for a Shi'ite Muslim who died in custody last week. "This is terrorism. Premeditated. Pure and simple," Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told the Geneva forum, adding that 11 were injured in the incident. Jerusalem Post

Ukraine Crisis: 'Illegal' Crimean Referendum Condemned
The EU and US have joined Ukraine's government in condemning as "illegal" a move by the Crimea region to set up a referendum to endorse joining Russia. The EU, meeting in Brussels, threatened "serious consequences" if Russia did not act to de-escalate the crisis. Crimean MPs earlier set a date of 16 March for a vote on the referendum. Russian troops took de facto control of Crimea, whose population is mostly ethnic Russian, in the wake of the fall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow president.
The Crimean parliament on Thursday said it had decided "to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation". BBC

Immune Upgrade Gives 'HIV Shielding'
Doctors have used gene therapy to upgrade the immune system of 12 patients with HIV to help shield them from the virus's onslaught. It raises the prospect of patients no longer needing to take daily medication to control their infection. The patients' white blood cells were taken out of the body, given HIV resistance and then injected back in. The small study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggested the technique was safe. Some people are born with a very rare mutation that protects them from HIV. BBC

Sarin Gas In Attack On Syrian Civilians Probably Government's
The Syrian opposition has seized on a UN finding that sarin used in a devastating chemical strike last August was likely to have come from the regime's supplies of the weapon as proof that loyalist forces carried out the attack. The claim was made in a report about human rights abuses released by the global body on Tuesday, which condemned a wide array of atrocities committed throughout the three-year war. Describing the attack on the Ghouta district near Damascus, the report said: "The perpetrators likely had access to the chemical weapons stockpile of the Syrian military, as well as the expertise and equipment necessary to manipulate safely large amount of chemical agents." Guardian

Antibiotics: 'National Threat' From Steep Rise In Patients Who Are Resistant To Drugs
A steep rise in the number of patients who do not respond to antibiotic treatment risks causing a “national health threat”, NHS officials have warned. Experts say the explosion in the use of antibiotics in the Western world to treat common ailments could become a “catastrophic threat” because increasingly bacteria have become resistant to the drugs, so they do not work when they are really needed. Officials said the scale of such infections had become a matter of “national concern” with 600 cases reported last year, compared with just five in 2006. Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England has previously warned that the threat hanging over the country is equal to that of terrorism. Telegraph

Educated And Well Paid Women 'More Likely To Suffer Domestic Abuse'
Women who have a higher income or education than their partners are far more likely to suffer psychological abuse and domestic violence, a study has found. Research which looked at thousands of couples found the stereotype of powerful men abusing their socially weaker partner did not stand up. Women earning more than 67 per cent of the total household income were seven times more likely to experience psychological and physical abuse compared to women who earn less than 33 per cent, the study found. “Whenever power is unevenly allocated in a relationship the chance of physical and psychological abuse increases,” said sociologist Heidi Fischer Bjelland who carried out the research. Telegraph

UN Unveils Global Campaign To End Use Of Child Soldiers In Government Forces By 2016
The United Nations today launched a new initiative to end the recruitment and use of children in Government forces in conflict by 2016, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressing that children should be armed with pens and textbooks, not guns. Around the world, thousands of boys and girls are recruited into Government forces and armed opposition groups to serve as combatants, cooks, porters, messengers or in other roles. Girls – and sometimes boys – are also recruited for sexual purposes.
The ‘Children, Not Soldiers’ campaign, launched at a special event held in New York, calls on Governments, regional and non-governmental organizations to work with the UN to intensify efforts to meet the goal of zero use of children by any Government forces by 2016. UN News

UN Assembly Spotlights Key Role Of Women, Youth, Civil Society In Development Agenda
Equality, inclusiveness and participation must guide the framing of the world agenda for sustainable development, the President of the General Assembly said today, urging Member States to ensure that women, young people and civil society participate fully. “Inclusion and participation mean our global community grows even stronger,” said President John Ashe, opening the Assembly’s two-day High-level thematic debate on “Contributions of women, the young and civil society to the post-2015 development agenda.” Setting the stage for a new post-2015 development agenda to succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has been made by Mr. Ashe the hallmark of his year-long Assembly presidency which ends in September. UN News

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