Politics

Yukio Hatoyama, Japan's Prime Minister-elect, has pledged that the country will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020. The prime minister-elect told a conference on climate change on Monday that "we can't stop climate change just with our country setting an emissions target. We will also aim to create a fair and effective international framework by all major countries in the world." The chief of the United Nations' symposium on climate change commended Hatoyama's plans. "With such a target, Japan will take on the leadership role

Van Jones, the environmental jobs adviser to United States President Barack Obama, has resigned after what he calls a smear campaign against him. It had recently been brought to light that Jones had signed a petition in 2004 that stated the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 attacks and that only "white suburban boys" shot up schools like Columbine High school where in 1999, two boys shot and killed 13 people, then themselves while injuring a dozen others. "You've never seen a Columbine done by a black child. Never. They always say, 'We can'

The South Pacific island nation of Fiji has been fully suspended by the Commonwealth of Nations after it refused to call elections by next year. Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said the country failed to show progress towards democracy. Fiji has been suspended before. After two coup d'états in 1987, the nation was suspended for 10 years. In 2000, Fiji was again suspended for eighteen months. The only other nation which has been suspended fully by the Commonwealth is Nigeria, which was suspended in 1995, but later re-instated. Fiji failed t

With the War in Afghanistan approaching its eighth year, the newly appointed U.S. ground commander in Afghanistan, General (Gen.) Stanley McChrystal, is making his case for a new strategy in the recent submission of classified recommendations to U.S. President Barack Obama. A focal point for discussion is Gen. McChrystal's recommendation for troop levels in the country of which he is expected to recommend an increase by the end of this year. The classified report was submitted this Monday morning, August 31, 2009 and will eventually find its

Leader of the Japanese opposition Democratic Party of Japan, Yukio Hatoyama, won a majority of votes in the House of Representatives of Japan in the Japanese general election on Sunday. He will be named the 93rd Prime Minister of Japan. Hatoyama ran against now former Prime Minister of Japan and Liberal Democratic Party leader Taro Aso. The results of the election were announced today, less that two and a half hours after polling stations closed, and end 54 years of nearly unbroken rule by the LDP. It has been estimated that roughly 30% of

General Sir Richard Dannatt retired from his post as Chief of the General Staff of the British Army yesterday, announcing General Sir David Richards as his successor. Dannatt was regarded by many soldiers as a person to be admired, having campaigned for better pay and conditions for soldiers. It has been reported, however, that prime minister Gordon Brown does not agree with this view—politicians are thought to have disliked him drawing attention to the Ministry of Defence's failings. He is expected to continue his campaign for the improveme

United States Senator Ted Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts died just before midnight on August 25, 2009, at his home in Hyannis Port at age 77. He was the brother of American President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. On May 20, 2008, Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and was released from Massachusetts General Hospital on May 21. He was born Edward Moore Kennedy on February 22, 1932, in Boston. He had been a senator since 1962. Kennedy is survived by his wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy, three children, two ste

The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is predicting that the national debt of the US will double in 10 years. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has raised its forecast of the 10-year cumulative budget deficit to US$7.137 trillion, due to increased spending. Both offices released reports on Tuesday. "Over all, it underscores the dire fiscal situation that we inherited and the need for serious steps to put our nation back on a sustainable fiscal path," wrote Peter R. Orszag, President Barack Obama's budget direct

Baitullah Mehsud, amīr (leader) of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is dead, said two Taliban leaders in a phone call to the BBC. Mehsud was reportedly killed on August 5, 2009, during a U.S. drone attack on South Waziristan; however, Hakimullah Mehsud, who was recently chosen as Baitullah's successor, and Wali-ur-Rehman told the BBC that Mehsud had died on Sunday, August 23, 2009 of injuries sustained on August 5. Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik delayed giving official confirmation and asked for patience and an announcement by IS

Afghanistan's election commission has said that President Hamid Karzai has augmented his lead over his main rival in the Afghan presidential elections, Abdullah Abdullah. The chief electroral officer of the Independent Election Commission, Daud Najafi, said that out of 998,484 votes counted so far, Karzai obtained 422,137 and Abdullah 330,751. The preliminary results, based on 17% of polling stations country-wide, give Karzai 42.3% of the ballot, compared to Abdullah's 33.1%. The gap has increased since Tuesday, when the incumbent only had a

According to The Times, Michael Jackson was the victim of a homicide. The Los Angeles County Coroner has concluded Jackson died from a lethal overdose of sedatives. It has been revealed that Jackson was probably killed by an overdose of propofol. His doctor, Conrad Murray, is under investigation for manslaughter. Murray told the Los Angeles Police Department that for the six weeks prior to the singer's death he had administered a 50 milligram dose of the drug every night to help Jackson to sleep. He had begun to cut back on the dose after fear

On July 5, 2009, Michael Jackson's 2005 compilation album The Essential went to number 1 in the UK Album Chart, following a sudden rise in his record sales after his death. Finally, after a seven week run at the top of the album chart, the compilation, which contains a selection of Michael Jackson's hits, finally fell five places to number 6. The album now at number 1 is Calvin Harris's Ready for the Weekend. The album contains a selection of tracks, such as "I'm Not Alone" and "Ready for the Weekend". Harris hopes to get to number 1 in the U