The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) has hired more than 1,600 new employees in the aftermath of Obamacare’s passage. The new employees include just two described as “consumer safety” officers, but 86 tasked with “criminal investigating” – indicating that the agency is building an army of detectives to sleuth out violations of… Continue reading HHS hires criminal investigators to target consumers and companies that don’t follow Obamacare’s rules
Category: Economy & Politics
Economy and Politics news articles.
Robert Mugabe sworn in for seventh term as Zimbabwe’s president
Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for a seventh term in office as the country’s president. Thursday has been declared a public holiday to allow supporters of Robert Mugabe, 89, to attend the inauguration. The ceremony had been delayed by a court petition filed by his main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, over allegations of widespread… Continue reading Robert Mugabe sworn in for seventh term as Zimbabwe’s president
Bo Xilai goes on trial in China
Chinese politician Bo Xilai has gone on trial on charges of bribery, corruption and abuse of power. The former Chongqing Communist Party leader once tipped for the highest office is accused of accepting money from two businessmen, the court said. Bo Xilai has so far denied one charge. The abuse of power charge relates to… Continue reading Bo Xilai goes on trial in China
Fed minutes reveal clues of tampering timeline
Minutes of the Federal Reserve’s July meeting revealed few clues about the central bank’s timeline for unwinding its extraordinary efforts to support the US economy. Officials said they were “broadly comfortable” with plans to scale back the Fed’s $85 billion a month bond-buying programme. However, the timing remains murky. Almost all agreed a change in… Continue reading Fed minutes reveal clues of tampering timeline
Indian rupee hits new all-time record low against US dollar
The Indian rupee has hit a new all-time record low against the US dollar, amid concerns the Federal Reserve will soon scale back its stimulus measures. It dropped to 64.13 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday. Foreign investors have been pulling money out of India, as the economy has slowed and the… Continue reading Indian rupee hits new all-time record low against US dollar
Caroline Kennedy’s net worth revealed for Japan ambassadorship
Caroline Kennedy has revealed her financial information in order to be considered as the next American ambassador to Japan, and it is believed she may be worth up to $500 million. Caroline Kennedy’s wealth has been a closely-guarded secret for decades, but now that President Barack Obama has nominated her to represent the US abroad,… Continue reading Caroline Kennedy’s net worth revealed for Japan ambassadorship
Bo Xilai to go on trial for bribery, corruption and abuse of power on August 22
Chinese politician Bo Xilai will go on trial on Thursday, August 22, being charged with bribery, corruption and abuse of power, according to state media. Bo Xilai, formerly the Communist Party chief of Chongqing, was expelled from the party after a scandal surrounding the murder of a British businessman. His wife Gu Kailai was jailed… Continue reading Bo Xilai to go on trial for bribery, corruption and abuse of power on August 22
Horacio Cartes sworn in as Paraguay’s president
Horacio Cartes has been sworn in as the president of Paraguay in a ceremony in the capital, Asuncion. In his inaugural speech, multi-millionaire businessman Horacio Cartes, of the centre-right Colorado Party, promised to wage war on poverty. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries in South America. Horacio Cartes, a relative newcomer to politics who… Continue reading Horacio Cartes sworn in as Paraguay’s president
Eurozone emerges from recession after 18 months of economic contraction
Eurozone has emerged from recession after a record 18 months of economic contraction. According to the Eurostat agency, eurozone’s GDP grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2013, slightly ahead of forecasts. The growth was widely expected after the German economy rose 0.7% between April and June. However, the overall figure masks the mixed… Continue reading Eurozone emerges from recession after 18 months of economic contraction
Mali election: Ibrahim Boubacar Keita wins presidential poll in second round
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has won Mali’s presidential election after his rival Soumaila Cisse admitted defeat in the second round. Ex-Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse said he had congratulated Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and wished him good luck, AFP reported. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, 68, served as prime minister from 1994 to 2000. Mali has suffered a year of… Continue reading Mali election: Ibrahim Boubacar Keita wins presidential poll in second round
Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe attacks MDC rivals in his Heroes’ Day speech
Zimbabwe’s presidential election winner Robert Mugabe has launched a stinging attack on his opposition rivals in his first public speech since he won the disputed poll. Rejecting PM Morgan Tsvangirai’s claims that the vote was stolen, he said those against him could “go hang”. Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) boycotted the speech. The… Continue reading Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe attacks MDC rivals in his Heroes’ Day speech
Taxi Stoltenberg: Norway PM Jens Stoltenberg works as secret taxi driver
Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg spent an afternoon working incognito as a taxi driver in Oslo, he has revealed. Jens Stoltenberg said he had wanted to hear from real Norwegian voters and that taxis were one of the few places where people shared their true views. He wore sunglasses and an Oslo taxi driver uniform… Continue reading Taxi Stoltenberg: Norway PM Jens Stoltenberg works as secret taxi driver
Australia election 2013: Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott hold first debate
Australia’s Labor PM Kevin Rudd and opposition leader Tony Abbott are due to meet in the first televised debate of the election campaign. The candidates will face an hour of questioning from a panel of journalists in the capital, Canberra. Correspondents say the economy and the issue of asylum seekers are likely to dominate the… Continue reading Australia election 2013: Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott hold first debate
Mali begins voting in presidential election run-off
Mali is set to begin voting in a presidential election run-off. Many expect Former PM Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who won 40% of the vote in the first round, to defeat ex-Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse. The election follows more than a year of turmoil which included a coup and a French-led military intervention to oust Islamist… Continue reading Mali begins voting in presidential election run-off
Matt Damon disappointed by Barack Obama
Movie star Matt Damon says he no longer has a crush on President Barack Obama. “He broke up with me,” Matt Damon said in an interview published online Thursday. Matt Damon told BET that he and the president “no longer see eye-to-eye”. “There are a lot of things that I really question, specifically about the… Continue reading Matt Damon disappointed by Barack Obama
Stephanie Banister withdraws her candidacy after Islam gaffe
Australian election candidate Stephanie Banister, who was widely mocked after she mistook Islam for a country in a TV interview, has withdrawn her candidacy. Stephanie Banister, 27, was contesting a seat in Queensland for the anti-immigration One Nation Party. She had only been in politics for 48 hours. She also confused the term “haram” (forbidden)… Continue reading Stephanie Banister withdraws her candidacy after Islam gaffe
Stephanie Banister’s Islam gaffe goes viral
Australian election candidate Stephanie Banister has made the wrong kind of headlines after a gaffe-strewn interview in which she mistook Islam for a country. Stephanie Banister, 27, a candidate with the anti-immigration One Nation Party, clocked up multiple mistakes in a TV interview with Channel 7 News. She also confused the term “haram” (forbidden) with… Continue reading Stephanie Banister’s Islam gaffe goes viral
Barack Obama vows greater surveillance transparency
President Barack Obama has vowed “appropriate reforms” to guarantee greater oversight of controversial US surveillance programmes. At a White House news conference, Barack Obama proposed “safeguards against abuse”, including amending legislation on the collection of telephone data. The president also urged allowing a lawyer to challenge decisions by the nation’s secretive surveillance court. He has… Continue reading Barack Obama vows greater surveillance transparency
Zimbabwe election: MDC files legal challenge to Robert Mugabe’s victory
Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe has filed a legal challenge to Robert Mugabe’s victory in last week’s presidential elections. The electoral petition seeks an order for the result to be declared null and void and a new election to be called within 60 days. The MDC’s 15 grounds include alleged bribery,… Continue reading Zimbabwe election: MDC files legal challenge to Robert Mugabe’s victory
IRS still targeting Tea Party groups
A current Internal Revenue Service employee revealed during a closed-door interview with congressional staffers that the agency is still subjecting Tea Party groups with a level of scrutiny that it doesn’t apply to other applicants for nonprofit tax exempt status. The news comes three months after the IRS was forced to admit it targeted conservative… Continue reading IRS still targeting Tea Party groups
Zimbabwe election: 305,000 voters turned away
Nearly 305,000 Zimbabwean voters were turned away during last week’s elections, which the opposition has said were rigged. These are the first such official figures provided by Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission (ZEC). The number of rejected voters has been a major complaint. It also said 207,000 voters were “assisted” to cast their ballot – another alleged… Continue reading Zimbabwe election: 305,000 voters turned away
Venezuela’s Supreme Court rejects Henrique Capriles’ election appeal
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by opposition leader Henrique Capriles against April’s contested presidential election result. The Supreme Court of Justice described the appeal as “inadmissible”. After the ruling Henrique Capriles tweeted that there was a “lack of justice” in Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro, Hugo Chavez’s handpicked successor, won the election by less than… Continue reading Venezuela’s Supreme Court rejects Henrique Capriles’ election appeal
Barack Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for sixth time
Barack Obama made his first comments about Edward Snowden since Russia granted him a temporary asylum last week during an interview with NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that he was “disappointed” that Russia granted temporary asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, defying his administration’s demands… Continue reading Barack Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for sixth time
Australia’s central bank cuts its benchmark interest rate to a new record low
The central bank of Australia has cut its benchmark interest rate to a new record low, in an attempt to spur a fresh wave of economic growth. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its key rate to 2.5% from 2.75%. Last week, the government cut its growth forecasts and warned that unemployment in the… Continue reading Australia’s central bank cuts its benchmark interest rate to a new record low
US and UK concern over Zimbabwe vote
The US and UK have expressed concerns after Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe won a seventh term in office amid claims of electoral fraud. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the results did not “represent a credible expression of the people”. Robert Mugabe, 89, won 61% of the vote, against PM Morgan Tsvangirai’s 34%. But… Continue reading US and UK concern over Zimbabwe vote