Bid to overturn welfare defeats

31 January 2012 Last updated at 22:07 ET

The welfare bill is likely to pass between the Commons and the Lords in coming weeks

The government will seek to overturn seven defeats inflicted by the House of Lords to its Welfare Reform Bill later.

Ministers will urge the Commons to reject peers' amendments to the bill, including those to disability allowances proposed on Tuesday.

They will also rule out Labour calls to scrap a �26,000 benefits cap in favour of variable limits for different localities, calling them "unworkable".

Labour says the government needs to create jobs before cutting benefits.

Far-reaching changes to welfare entitlements are needed, ministers argue, to help people out of dependency on the state, increase incentives for work and make the benefits system fair to both claimants and taxpayers.

But campaigners say the proposals - which ministers also hope will save billions - risk pushing already vulnerable people into further hardship and distress.

MPs will decide on Wednesday whether to back amendments to the bill made during its passage through the Lords, or throw them out - re-introducing aspects of the proposed legislation rejected by peers.

Ministers, led by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, say they intend to overturn the following measures agreed by the Lords:

• Excluding child benefit from the �26,000 cap on total benefits to households
• Not charging single parents to access child maintenance if they take reasonable steps to reach a settlement
• Exempting cancer patients from means-testing of employment support allowance
• Extending eligibility for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) prior to means-testing from one to two years
• Allowing young disabled people to continue claiming National Insurance contribution-based ESA
• Exempting social tenants with one spare room from "under-occupancy" penalties

The government suffered its latest defeat on Tuesday when a coalition of crossbench and Labour peers - supported by two Conservatives and seven Lib Dems - voted to limit proposed cuts to the lower rate of Disability Living Allowance for children.

A crossbench amendment tabled by Baroness Meacher calling for the lower rate to be at least two-thirds of the value of the higher rate - which ministers want to raise to �77 a week - was passed by 16 votes.

'Basic decency'

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne MP said Labour was determined to force the government to change the bill.

"Welfare to work needs jobs - and this bill doesn't create a single one," he said.

"Instead it cuts support for people trying to do the right thing, like mums trying to go back to work and families trying to save, and quite frankly it crosses a line of basic British decency."

Ministers say the public backs the principle of not paying any household more in benefits than the average weekly wage of working families.

BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said Mr Duncan Smith would offer some transitional help, including aid for "vulnerable families" hit by the cap, to prevent children's education being disrupted.

Stand-off

He may also suggest a period of grace before the cap is imposed for some who have worked much of their lives.

"Some senior Lib Dem peers who've opposed the government's plans are ready to look closely at these proposals to see if they meet their concerns," our correspondent added.

Changes agreed by the Commons must return to the Lords for approval, raising the prospect of a stand-off between the two Houses on some issues. The process will continue until both Houses agree on the final text of the bill.

Anticipating this, Welfare Minister Lord Freud told peers on Tuesday "he did not think we have seen the last of the bill".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-16825646

latest cnn world news latest world news 2011 latest world news bbc latest world news headlines list of world newspapers

CBS News: Mitt Romney to win Florida

(Credit: CBS/AP)

Updated: 8:18 p.m. ET

Mitt Romney has defeated Newt Gingrich in the Florida Republican primary, CBS News is projecting based on exit polls and early vote counts, a victory that reestablishes the former Massachusetts governor as the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

With more than 3,000 of 6,796 precincts reporting, Romney had 48 percent of the vote, followed by 31 percent for Gingrich, 13 percent for Rick Santorum and 7 percent for Ron Paul.

Neither Santorum nor Paul seriously competed in the Sunshine State, a winner-take-all contest whose 50 delegates will go entirely to Romney.

Romney's victory in Florida comes ten days after Gingrich's double-digit win in the South Carolina primary, a result that seemed to rejuvenate the former House speaker's campaign. In the wake of that outcome, Romney pivoted to a far more aggressive posture, harshly criticizing Gingrich on the stump, the debate stage and in a barrage of negative advertising.

Romney performed well throughout the state according to returns in so far: He is amassing solid gains in South Florida and Miami, and is winning in the central part of the state. Bolstered by strong organization in recent weeks, Romney also did very well with Florida's sizable number of early and absentee voters.

Full Florida primary results
Florida exit poll
Republican delegate scorecard
Full state-by-state GOP primary results

Exit polls showed Romney dominating Gingrich among women - 51 percent to 29 percent - and also besting him among men, 42 percent to 36 percent. Romney was seen as the more electable candidate by 58 percent of Florida GOP voters (compared to 33 percent for Gingrich) and won more than half of Hispanic GOP primary voters - 15 percent of the electorate.�

In an outcome likely to infuriate Gingrich, who has relentlessly cast Romney as insufficiently conservative, self-identified conservatives (seven in ten primary voters) favored Romney over Gingrich 42 percent to 37 percent, according to exit polls. Tea Partiers and white evangelicals were essentially split between the two candidates.

Romney's debate performances in Florida, in which he often had his rivals on his heels, were widely praised - a reversal from the South Carolina debates, where it was Gingrich who shined. In exit polls in both states, roughly two in three voters said the debates were an important factor in their decision. Exit polls in Florida showed late deciders favoring Romney 45 percent to 35 percent for Gingrich.

Romney and the super PAC backing him also appear to have widely outspent Gingrich (and his super PAC) in advertising, with media buying firms saying that Romney and his super PAC spent roughly $16 million to a relatively paltry $4 million or so for Gingrich and his super PAC. (The Romney campaign disputes this, claiming the disparity was closer to 2-1.)

Among the 39 percent of voters who said in exit polls that campaign ads were an important factor in their vote, Romney bested Gingrich 56 percent to 32 percent.

As Romney assailed Gingrich in ads and on the stump for his past record - including his links to Freddie Mac and his ethics reprimand in the House - Gingrich's rhetoric against his rival grew increasingly heated. Gingrich took to casting Romney as a liberal on abortion and other issues whose dishonesty proves he cannot be trusted.

Despite the heavy focus on the early nominating contests, the race for delegates is far from over. Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida award just 112 delegates total - and 1,144 are needed to secure the nomination.

After a feverish January, the nominating contest slows down somewhat in February ahead of "Super Tuesday" on March 6. Caucuses will be held in Nevada on February 4; in Colorado and Minnesota on February 7; and in Maine ending on February 11. Arizona and Michigan also hold primaries on February 28.

Romney won Nevada, Michigan, Maine, Colorado and Minnesota in his 2008 presidential run, and he has superior organization, financial resources and establishment support to Gingrich. (On Tuesday night, Romney announced he raised more than $24 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, to Gingrich's less than $10 million.) But the former House speaker is vowing not to leave the race anytime soon, predicting before the Florida vote that the contest would go for another six months - "unless Romney drops out earlier."

After celebrating his Florida win in Tampa, Romney was scheduled to travel to Minnesota for a campaign stop before moving on to Las Vegas. Gingrich was scheduled to travel state to Nevada; Santorum was watching the Florida returns from that state, and planned to campaign briefly in Colorado before returning there. Paul, who is focused on accruing delegates as opposed to winning the momentum battle, was scheduled to spend the day in Colorado before heading to Nevada.

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsMain/~3/uh7mAImHW0k/

bbc world news america bbc world news bbc world service bbc world news countdown bbc world news ethiopia bbc world news for kids

Move to shelter 3 Americans points up U.S. rift with Egypt

Reporting from Washington and Cairo?

The State Department's decision to provide refuge for three U.S. pro-democracy workers in Egypt illustrated the widening gulf between Washington and an ally it considers key to stability in the Middle East.

After a month of friction over the status of Americans working to promote democracy in Egypt, U.S. officials confirmed Monday that they had agreed to provide shelter in the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to the three, who fear they could be arrested or physically harmed because of their activities.

The three are Sam LaHood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and two other employees of the International Republican Institute, a U.S.-funded group that seeks to promote democratic practices around the world, say employees of other private groups. The government has barred the workers from leaving the country as it proceeds with a criminal investigation of what it perceives as foreign meddling in Egyptian politics.

The dispute highlights how much U.S. leverage has diminished since the revolution a year ago that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. The U.S. has only begun reaching out to the Islamists who now dominate parliament, after decades of keeping them at arm's length. Activists pushing for more Western-style democracy remain critical of the Obama administration for supporting Mubarak too long.

The Egyptian military, a bulwark for U.S. policy in the region for 30 years, holds the real power in Egypt, even after the parliamentary elections. It appears to have concluded that Washington needs it to protect the Egypt-Israeli peace treaty and contain Islamic extremism ? and that the U.S. won't risk a rupture in the relationship by following through on threats to withhold $1.3 billion in annual aid, most of it to the military.

"We've reached a crisis point in the relationship," said Charles Dunne, head of Mideast programs for Freedom House, another U.S. group that promotes human rights and democracy. "This is the last thing needed by the Egyptians, who depend on U.S. help ? and it's just bewildering to the administration."

But, he added, "it seems to just keep getting worse."

In the month since Egyptian officials raided the offices of 17 U.S.-funded and Egyptian nongovernmental groups, American officials have been demanding that the military return confiscated money and property, reopen the groups' offices and restore their freedom to provide advice and technical assistance to Egyptian groups seeking to make their way in the evolving political system.

Yet U.S. officials and private organizations say the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has refused to give ground.

This month, Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns met with top military leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, urging Egypt to back off. He warned that U.S. aid, which the military views as an entitlement, could be cut as a result.

But Tantawi made it clear that he didn't believe the threat. Since then, a series of top U.S. officials, including President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, have called Tantawi with the same message ? and received the same results.

U.S. aid is one of the Egyptian army's largest sources of revenue. In addition, the country needs Washington's backing for a $3.2-billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to help Egypt prop up its reeling economy.

All the same, the army appears willing to play a risky political game. Not only does it doubt a cutoff of U.S. aid, U.S. officials and private groups say, but it may fear that giving in would weaken its position with ordinary Egyptians, many of whom regard Washington as an interloper determined to impose its will.

Some speculate that the military also is receiving bad advice from civilian officials, including Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Aboul Naga, a Mubarak-era holdover who has made the issue her signature cause.

A delegation of senior Egyptian military officials is visiting Washington on a previously scheduled visit this week and will meet with civilian, military and congressional leaders.

"They're going to find out that the administration is angry, Congress is angry, and their money is in jeopardy," said a senior congressional aide who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But will this change their minds? We're not sure."

The Senate has already stipulated in a pending appropriations bill that the $1.3 billion in aid is conditional, and lawmakers insist they are prepared to send Egypt a tough message.

The younger LaHood and his colleagues decided to seek refuge at the U.S. Embassy after Egyptian military authorities barred them and three other employees of U.S. pro-democracy groups from flying out of the Cairo airport. They were worried they might be arrested on charges that carried penalties of up to several years in jail or that they could be harmed by angry Egyptians in the street, say staffers of nongovernmental organizations familiar with their situation.

The state-run media have made the issue a popular cause, and "in this environment, it's realistic to be concerned about physical safety," Dunne said.

The National Democratic Institute, another U.S. group that promotes democracy abroad, said three Americans working for its office in Egypt also have been served with travel bans but have not sought sanctuary at the embassy.

The Obama administration has frequently expressed strong support for the Egyptian revolution. But the generals, still guided in many ways by Mubarak-era sensibilities, are suspicious of Western-funded nongovernmental groups.

The military has used the term "foreign hands" to convince much of the population that outside forces are behind the nation's postrevolution political and economic turmoil. The argument may not play in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where pro-democracy activists congregate. But it does in the provinces, where the military is still revered.

The army and the Muslim Brotherhood, now the largest entity in parliament, have been negotiating over provisions of a new constitution and the transfer of power after a president is elected in June. The army is seeking a guarantee that the constitution will not weaken its role or impose too much oversight of its budget.

paul.richter@latimes.com

jeffrey.fleishman@latimes.com

Richter reported from Washington and Fleishman from Cairo.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-egypt-americans-20120131,0,3412603.story?track=rss

cbs world news today cbs world news tonight channel 7 world news tonight chinese world news daily chinese world newspapers

Italy: Neo-Fascists Claim Ezra Pound, His Family Protests

The American poet Ezra Pound strolls through a square in Venice in March 1964

David Lee / Corbis

The American poet Ezra Pound might seem a strange sort of inspiration for a group of Italian neo-fascists. That is, until one remembers that Pound was an admirer of Benito Mussolini, a defender of Adolf Hitler and, that while living in Italy during World War II, he broadcast a series of anti-Semitic radio addresses calling for American neutrality. Indeed, so stirring has the poet's memory proved in right-wing circles that Italy's most prominent neo-fascist organization has named itself in his memory: CasaPound, or Pound's House.

The group was formed in 2003 when activists occupied a vacant government building not far from Rome's train station, seizing the property as a squat for homeless Italians and setting up their headquarters inside. Pound's name was chosen not only because he sympathized with Italy's wartime government, but also for his criticism of global capitalism, which the occupiers found useful to buttress their arguments for seizing the unused offices. "Ezra Pound said that property we don't use becomes a sort of financial capital," says Simone di Stefano, one of the group's founders. "For us, rent is a form of usury." (See Benito Mussolini, one of the top 15 toppled dictators.)

Today, the building's facade is clad in large marble letters, spelling out the group's name in the imperial Roman style: CASAPOVND. Visitors enter through a hall decorated with Mussolini's fascist eagle and the names of thinkers that serve as the group's inspiration: from Plato to Dante, Nietzsche and Ray Bradbury. On the first floor lie offices, radio studio, dormitories, and a corridor decked with pictures of their patron poet. The next five floors have been converted to apartments. An exhibit dedicated to women in history winds up the stairs, its subjects ranging from Rosina Ferrario, Italy's first woman aviator, to the German propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. At the top sits a conference room, where CasaPound holds its meetings.

The use of Pound's name by an openly fascist group has not sat well with the poet's descendents, who argue that the artist who promoted African-American music and translated Chinese poetry should not be reduced to a single, dark period of his life. "We, the family, do not believe that Pound was a fascist poet," says Siegfried de Rachewiltz, the writer's grandson. Pound's anti-Semitism was both a reflection of contemporary currents and misguided bigotry motivated by his conflation of Judaism and global finance. "The fact is that he punished himself for that," says de Rachewiltz. "He realized that it had botched his life work. And so the last 10 years of his life were spent in this self-imposed silence." (See the 100 best books of all-TIME.)

In December, a 50-year-old accountant with ties to CasaPound opened fire on a group of Senegalese street vendors in Florence, killing two men and injuring three before killing himself in a nearby parking garage. Though the fascist group was quick to disassociate itself from the murderer's actions, Pound's daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz, filed suit, asking an Italian court to force the organization to stop using the poet's name. "Pound never espoused violence," says Siegfried de Rachewiltz. "Today one has a duty to truly distance oneself from anything that can be associated with racism and xenophobia."

The irony is that CasaPound doesn't seem to disagree. While many of those who associate with the group may have racist leanings or dabble in Holocaust revisionism, the organization's official position is one of tolerance. In addition to renouncing violence for anything other than the defense of its right to protest, the group has endorsed civil unions for homosexuals and decried anti-Semitism. Though its platform supports tight immigration control, it also calls for the regularization of those already in Italy and citizenship for those who grew up there. In December, CasaPound held a meeting with the large Chinese community in the area around the group's headquarters. Its position: a desire to see the neighborhood become an American-style Chinatown, with restaurants and lights and Asian decorations. Fascism, like Pound, says di Stefano, was led astray by what he calls "the errors of the past century." Adds Adriano Scianca, the group's director for culture: "Anti-Semitism was a component of fascism. But it wasn't a necessary component of fascism." (Read "The Topic of Cancer.")

Indeed, when talking about the poet, the group sometimes sounds no different from members of his family. "He always specified that there were directors of the banks that weren't Jewish," says Scianca. Adds the group's director of external affairs, Sebastian Manificat: "He made hours of tapes, and people tend to only take out only the anti-Semitic parts." The fascist group is fighting the poet's family's lawsuit. "Pound and his poetry are universal heritage," says Scianca. "They belong to everyone." After the war, Pound was arrested for treason by the American forces and spent 12 years in a psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C. Scianca points to a famous picture of Pound on his return to Italy in 1958, holding up his arm in what appears to be the fascist salute. "It's important to remember that he renounced anti-Semitism, but never fascism," says Scianca.

See photos of Italian protesters challenging austerity measures.

See TIME's Pictures of the Week

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/time/world/~3/7j04e19SJ70/0,8599,2105702,00.html

jewish world news daily jim rickards king world news latest cnn world news latest world news 2011 latest world news bbc

U.S. launches airstrike against al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen

The U.S. military launched an airstrike against Yemen?s al-Qaeda affiliate on Tuesday, targeting an area of the country where the group is increasingly asserting its influence.

At least a dozen people were killed in the strike, including insurgents from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and local militants, according to some reports. Other accounts put the death toll at about half that number.

Abdul Monem al-Fahtani, said to be a mid-level AQAP leader, was reportedly among the dead. Fahtani has long been on terrorist target lists of both the Yemeni and U.S. governments. He was the target of an attack by Yemeni forces in late 2010, although his death was never confirmed.

Tuesday?s attack was carried out by the Joint Special Operations Command, which operates alongside the CIA in Yemen. It was unclear whether it involved unmanned drones, cruise missiles or piloted aircraft. All have been used in previous attacks in Yemen.

The strike follows a lull in U.S. air attacks in Yemen after the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical cleric and AQAP leader who was killed in a drone strike in September.

Administration officials have expressed concern over AQAP?s expansion in southern Yemen, where various groups of local insurgents have taken control of territory during the political upheaval that has swept the country over the past year.

Some analysts have speculated that AQAP has at least temporarily shifted its focus from international terrorism to domestic goals in Yemen, joining forces with other militant groups to claim a geographic base from which to attack the government.

?The group is particularly strong in the Abyan and Shabwah [provinces], and they?ll most likely expand from there to establish themselves as a force in the surrounding provinces,? said a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence and counterterrorism matters.

But ?AQAP hasn?t changed its two main aims, which are to attack the West, while undermining the government of Yemen to solidify their safe haven there,? the official said. ?They may have more success at the latter if they continue to take advantage of the political unrest there, which is going to be tense for some time.?

U.S. officials have insisted that political turmoil in Yemen, where violence has repeatedly erupted between opposition forces and those loyal to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has not interfered with Yemeni cooperation on counterterrorism operations.

Although the U.S. military took the lead in Tuesday?s strike, the CIA, which is seen as more effective in building human intelligence networks, has taken a more prominent role in the operations in recent months, said a former U.S. official with knowledge of the operations.

The CIA has also been able to develop a much closer relationship with Yemeni intelligence officials, the former official said. Those relationships proved crucial in the Awlaki strike, when the CIA was led to Awlaki?s location by a Yemeni intelligence source.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=759dabf690f3f3fa7dfe14523359a153

cnn world news music cnn world news open cnn world news opening cnn world news pastor eddie long cnn world news report

Watch: Freddie Mac Investments Under Scrutiny

Home > Video > Money > Business News

Freddie Mac Investments Under Scrutiny

Freddie Mac Investments Under Scrutiny

Investigation reveals mortgage giant bet against struggling homeowners.

Crossbreeding Yields Black Tomato

Crossbreeding Yields Black Tomato

Israeli seed company crossed a wild and cultured tomato to achieve effect.

David Beckham's Abs Star in Super Bowl Ad

David Beckham's Abs Star in Super Bowl Ad

Clothing store H&M features David Beckham Bodyware in new commercial.

Incomes Rise, Spending Doesn't

Incomes Rise, Spending Doesn't

Suzanne O'Halloran analyzes the morning business headlines.

Facebook Going Public?

Facebook Going Public?

After years of speculation, social networking giant to offer initial IPO.

Beef Prices on the Rise

Beef Prices on the Rise

Lack of cattle throughout the country is causing dramatic rise in prices.

US Economy Growing: Companies Hiring?

US Economy Growing: Companies Hiring?

News of 2.8 percent economic growth could spur employers to start hiring again.

Economic Growth Smaller Than Expected

Economic Growth Smaller Than Expected

Alix Steel analyzes the morning business headlines.

Pasadena, Calif., Citizens Surprised With $250,000

Pasadena, Calif., Citizens Surprised With $250,000

The unclaimed money must be returned to the citizens or the city keeps it.

No More Hidden Airline Fees

No More Hidden Airline Fees

Gabe Saglie explains the airline fee changes that took effect today.

'Cash Mob' Crowds an Ohio Hardware Store

'Cash Mob' Crowds an Ohio Hardware Store

Email chain inspired Chagrin Falls residents to support local hardware store.

Super Bowl 'Deals and Steals'

Super Bowl 'Deals and Steals'

Have the perfect football party with Tory Johnson's secret deals for viewers.

Source: http://feeds.abcnews.com/click.phdo?i=370a095112a8207aa00e9ade52c103ff

eric king world news eric sprott king world news fbis world news connection from world newspapers fun world news for kids

Italy ends cruise ship search

(AP)�

Updated at 9:45 a.m. ET

GIGLIO, Italy - Italian emergency officials say they are calling off a search for missing people in the submerged part of the Costa Concordia cruise ship, due to the danger to rescue workers.

Italy's Civil Protection agency said Tuesday that technical studies indicated that the deformed hull of the ship created too many safety concerns to continue the search. It said in a statement that relatives and diplomatic officials representing the countries of the missing have been informed of the decision.

The Concordia ran aground off the island of Giglio on Jan. 13 when the captain deviated from his planned route and struck a reef, creating a huge gash that capsized the ship.

Seventeen bodies have been recovered, of which one has not yet been identified. Sixteen people are listed as missing.

Special Section: Italian Cruise Disaster
Italians worry how shipwreck will affect island
Lawsuits filed in Costa Concordia wreck

On Sunday, officials said the ship will take up to 10 months to remove.

Only once the 500,000 gallons of fuel is removed can work begin on removing the ship, either floating it in one piece or cutting it up and towing it away as a wreck. Costa has begun the process for taking bids for the recovery operation, a process that will take two months.

Experts have said it would take 28 days to remove fuel from 15 tanks accounting for more than 80 percent of all fuel on board the ship. The next job would be to target the engine room, which contains nearly 350 cubic meters of diesel, fuel and other lubricants, Gabrielli said.

Franco Gabrielli, the national civil protection official in charge of the operation, has said the actual removal will take from seven to 10 months ? meaning that the wreck will be visible from the coast of the island of Giglio for the entire summer tourism season.

Residents of Giglio have been circulating a petition to demand that officials provide more information on how the full-scale operations can coexist with the important tourism season. At the moment, access to the port for private boats has been banned and all boats must stay at least one mile from the wrecked ship, affecting access to Giglio's only harbor for fishermen, scuba divers and private boat owners.

"We are really sorry, we would have preferred to save them all. But now other needs and other problems arise," said Franca Melils, a local business owner who is promoting a petition for the tourist season. "It's about us, who work and make a living exclusively from tourism. We don't have factories, we don't have anything else."

� 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsMain/~3/5x-EYe9Sv_s/

abc world news for kids abc world news intro abc world news japan abc world news kodachrome abc world news made in america