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Thursday, 12 January 2012

The World of Mercenary Companies and Private Military Contractors

Wherever they're deployed, they're menacing and feared for good reason. Known historically by various names, they include mercenaries, soldiers of fortune, dogs of war, and Condottieri for wealthy city state leaders and the Papacy in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance Italy. Ancient Greeks and Romans used them. So did Alexander the Great, feudal lords, Napoleon and George Washington against the British. Article 47 of the 1977 Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions calls them anyone: specially...

Full Story: GlobalResearch

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Nonprofit Strategies: Thoughts for a new year The Tribune San Luis Obispo

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Unemployment benefit applications jump to 399,000 The Tribune San Luis Obispo

The number of people applying for weekly unemployment benefits spiked last week, largely because companies let go of thousands of...

Retail sales up in Dec., ending 2011 with record The Tribune San Luis Obispo

Retail sales barely rose in December, but the gain was enough to push sales to a record level for 2011. It was the largest...

Xbox workers threaten suicide in China labor tiff The Tribune San Luis Obispo

Dozens of workers assembling Xbox video game consoles climbed to a factory dormitory roof, and some threatened to jump to their deaths, in a dispute over job transfers that was defused but highlights growing labor unrest as China's economy slows. The dispute was set off after contract manufacturer...

Condos' attractive prices can come with drawbacks The Tribune San Luis Obispo

You've decided to dip your toe into the sea of properties available in the real estate market. Now, the question is: single-family home or condo? Though location and price are prime considerations for both, real estate agents cite lifestyle as a major factor. Why? Because when you buy a...

Q&A: Why not a cashier check for closing on home? The Tribune San Luis Obispo

QUESTION: I am getting ready to close on my new home. The settlement company is insisting that I wire the funds prior to the closing. The contract allows for a cashier's check, but the company will not accept that. What's the big deal? -Ray http://sunsent.nl/mR20t7 ANSWER: Recently, most settlement...

ECB's Draghi urges "effective" fiscal compact for eurozone m&c

Frankfurt - European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi urged eurozone nations...

UN: Global 2011 food prices hit record high despite December dip m&c

Rome - Global food prices hit a record high in 2011 despite falling by 2.4 per cent in December, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Thursday. The Rome-based FAO said its Food Price Index in December was 11.3 per cent (27 points) below its peak in February 2011. The decline was...

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