Pakistan gave China access to the downed US helicopter

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence gave China access to the downed helicopter in Abbottabad. Chinese engineers were allowed to survey the wreckage, take photographs and take samples of the stealth technology that allowed the U.S. team to enter Pakistan undetected by radar. Both Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, head of the Pakistani military, and another unnamed senior Pakistani official denied that the Chinese were given access.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden tours Asia

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will embark on a tour of Asia. He will visit China from Aug. 17-22 and then travel to Mongolia and Japan.

Taiwan-USA-China affairs

The United States has refused Taiwan's request for 66 new F-16C/D fighter jets that China warned Washington would risk inflaming tensions between the two big powers. The USA seems to have started making concessions and favours China amid financial problems and increased dependence on Chinese economy.

Multinationals bribing Russian officials under investigation

Deere & Co., the world's largest farm equipment producer, entered the list of multinationals investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in its dealings with CIS countries. Russian officials seem to have benefited most from bribes paid by such companies for contracts.
Mercedes-Benz, Siemens and Hewlett-Packard are also among companies that have previousely faced investigations into their operations in Russia in recent years. Mercedes-Benz Russia paid a $27.26 million fine for conspiring to violate as well as violating the corruption act. Siemens confirmed bribing and paid $1.6 billion to settle the issue. The Hewlett-Packard investigation is ongoing.
The Securities and Exchange Commission avoided to provide details in the Deere & Co. case that is, for the moment, a non-public fact-finding inquiry aimed at clarifying if the company violated any federal securities laws does not mean that the commission has concluded that the company has broken the law.

The list of persons bribed by multinationals in Russia included officials from the Interior Ministry, Moscow government and several other municipalities.

Indiana stage collapse kill 3 and injure more than 25

Officials in Indianapolis confirmed only 3 dead in the stage collapse during the storm that swept the region hosting the Indiana State Fair. More than 25 persons have been injured at the fairgrounds.

The stage where the country group Sugarland was set to perform started rigging and collapsed, trapping and injuring the public.

US extends sanctions against Belarus

The United States has imposed additional economic sanctions against Belarus, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a daily press briefing on Thursday.

Texas Governor Rick Perry to run for US presidency

Advised by ex-President George Bush the Texas Governor Rick Perry decided to run for US presidency in 2012. He has the full backing of his wife. This weekend Perry will inform a conservative meeting in South Carolina about his intention and then he will travel to the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire and the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa. He seems to have a 15% support of Republican and independent voters just two points behind former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, considered the frontrunner in the nominating process. 

Syria triggers further reactions worldwide

The15 civilians killed in the city of Homs by Syrian forces on Wednesday in defiance of international calls for President Bashar al-Assad to end violence against protesters.
The U.S. Treasury Department has enforced new sanctions on Syria, in a drive to weaken the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian leader eventually recognized that several errors have been done by hil loyal forces, but gave no signs of policy change. European members of the Security Council on Wednesday threatened Syria with tougher U.N. action if the bloody crackdown on protesters continued. Russia has also urged Damascus to implement promised reforms as soon as possible. But veto powers Russia and China, backed by India, South Africa and Brazil, have strongly opposed the idea of slapping U.N. sanctions on Damascus, which Western diplomats say would be the logical next step for Syria.

Moscow retaliates on travel restrictions imposed by Washington

In a tit-for-tat action following Washington's decision to restrict travel of Russian officials implicated in the 2009 prison death of Hermitage lawyer Sergei Magnitsky the government of Russia prepared a retaliatory blacklist with US officials not accepted in the Russian Federation.

US drones kill 21 insurgents in Pakistan

US drones on 10.08.2011 killed at least 21 Haqqani insurgents in a tribal area North-Western Pakistan. The attack was confirmed by local security officials.

North Korea - USA relations

The United States has requested talks with North Korea on ways to search for the remains of American troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, a South Korean media report said on Tuesday, amid an easing of tensions on the peninsula

US aid for Somalia

The United States is giving an additional $105 million in humanitarian aid for the Horn of Africa, where famine is spreading in Somalia, White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Monday.

Thousands of Somali refugees, fleeing famine and years of violence, streamed into Mogadishu on Monday searching for food after Islamist rebels withdrew from the capital.

Tele-conference of the G-7 leaders

Group of 7 (G-7) leaders held a phone conference Aug. 8 and issued a joint statement pledging to consult closely together and to act appropriately to quell market volatility. Issued before stock markets opened in Tokyo, the statement said cooperative actions combined with continued fiscal discipline will enable long-term fiscal sustainability, adding that the fundamentals in Spain and Italy have not changed and do not warrant the recent financial tensions. The statement said G-7 leaders welcome policy measures to be announced by Italy and Spain which will strengthen fiscal discipline and aid the economic recovery and job creation. Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda confirmed that the leaders also discussed the eurozone debt crisis and the U.S. credit ratings downgrade.

Actor Francesco Quinn, Anthony Quin's son dies at 48

Francesco Quinn, the third of the 12 sons of the Mexican born actor Anthony Quin, died of heart attack on Sunday in his Malibu residence. He was 48.

Increased pressure to stop Assad killing protesters in Syria

Concerted pressure of the USA, Germany and France to determine Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop killing protesters were announced by President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on 05.08.2011.

A meeting of tribal leaders in the Eastern province of Deir al-Zor, Syria, decided to confront any future government army assault.

UN treaty threatens gun owners in the USA

A proposed U.N. Treaty to Regulate Global Firearms Trade may threaten the right of Americans to keep and bear guns. World Forum on the Future of Sports Shooting considers that the treaty can not circumvent the second amendment, but its provisions are worrying and represent an important threat to gun owners rights.

Deployment tours reduced in the USA

Starting next January most US military units are cutting the present year long deployment tours to nine months. Among exceptions are aviation and military police. The lowering troop requirements in Iraq and Afghanistan shall ease the implementation of the measure.

USA credit ranking reduced at AA+

Standard & Poor's is the first credit rating agency that lowered US rating at AA+ from the highest AAA level permanently maintained ever since 1917. The drop in the rating was deemed possible since April. Other main credit agencies are expected to downgrade their rating for the USA.

Countries like Australia, Canada and Japan had their ratings years ago to AA without a strong impact or much lasting damage. A similar effect in the market is expected after the announcement about the lower rating of the USA.

Nevertheless, France, which has a far higher debt per capita ratio than the U.S., still enjoys a AAA rating.

United States and Israel drills in Mediterana without Turkey

Upcoming joint drills of the United States and Israel in the Mediterranean shall not be attended by the Turkish navy.

US Vice President to visit China

The White House announced that on August 16, 2011 Vice President Joe Biden will depart for China, Mongolia and Japan. He will visit China at the invitation of Vice President Xi Jinping, the program including meetings with President Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao.

In Ulaanbaatar, Biden will promote U.S. support for Mongolia’s two decades of democratic development and growing economic ties between the United States and Mongolia. 

In Japan, Biden will emphasize U.S. support for its close ally in the wake of the recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.