Republicans Try To Dent Clinton's Armor
Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is more popular than almost any political figure in Washington over the past four years. And that's exactly why Democrats think Republicans are going so hard after Benghazi. "It's obvious it's an attempt to embarrass President Obama and embarrass Hillary Clinton," Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told Capitol Hill reporters. He added, “I mean, most everyone knows, if she wants to run for president, she's going to get that nomination.” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) made a similar point on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday. "This has been caught up in the 2016 presidential campaign, this effort to go after Hillary Clinton," Durbin said. Former Obama adviser David Axelrod told MSNBC’s Morning Joe also went there. "I really view the Benghazi flare-up right now as throwing a high hard one at Hillary Clinton to try and dissuade her from running for president," he said. MSNBC
VOA VIEW: The liberal media wants Hillary.

Benghazi Probe Co-Leader Subpoenaed By House Panel
The chairman of the House Oversight committee has issued a subpoena to compel the co-chairman of the independent review board that investigated last year's attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, to answer questions about its findings in closed session. California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa issued the subpoena on Friday to retired veteran diplomat Thomas Pickering to force him to appear at a deposition next Thursday. Pickering has offered to testify before Issa's committee in public, but Issa said a closed-door meeting is needed first. Fox News

IRS Official Denies Intentional Political Targeting, Lying To Congress
A huge increase in workload, rather than deliberate targeting, led to "foolish mistakes" and the political discrimination in the Internal Revenue Service cited by an inspector general's report, the agency's outgoing commissioner said Friday. The testimony by Steven Miller, who was forced to announce his resignation this week as acting IRS commissioner, came at the first congressional hearing on the matter that has put President Barack Obama's administration on the defensive. Rep. Dave Camp, chairman of the Republican-led panel, and other GOP members sought to depict the controversy as indicative of government gone wild, with the IRS abusing conservative groups and other political foes of the administration. CNN
VOA VIEW: No mistakes - an Obama regime conspiracy.

Pentagon Fuels Fears That Legal Powers Will Yield ‘Forever War’ With Al Qaeda
The man who leads the Pentagon’s secret war against al Qaeda and its allies believes it is likely to last another decade or two, and that the current legal basis for it provided by Congress in 2001 continues to be sound, despite the changing character of the enemy. “As of right now, it suits us very well,” Michael A. Sheehan, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations, told a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, referring to the “Authorization to Use Military Force,” passed by Congress in 2001. Washington Times

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GOP Lawmaker Gets Standing ‘O’ Telling IRS Commissioner
The audience rose to its feet after Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Penn.) chided acting Commissioner Steve Miller about the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) treatment of taxpayers at a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday. The hearing focused on the agency allegedly targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, including those with names that included “tea party” or “patriot.” “You get a letter from you folks or a phone call, it’s with terror that you look at it, and now this kind of reconfirms that, you know what, they can do almost anything they want, to anybody they want, anytime they want,” Kelly said. “This is very chilling for the American people.” Kelly noted that Miller’s resignation would not bring closure to the growing scandal. CNS News

USDA Says Has Detected Virus In Iowa Hog Population
USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories has detected porcine epidemic diarrhea (PEDV), a virus associated with outbreaks of diarrhea and vomiting, in the Iowa hog population, a USDA spokesman said on Friday. The virus is not a food safety concern and does not affect humans, the spokesman said. Officials with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) held a call with livestock industry representatives on Friday to discuss the situation. It was not immediately clear how widespread the incidence of PEDV is at this point. There are currently no interstate trade restrictions related to PEDV for U.S. hogs and pigs. Reuters

Hard-Line Afghan MPs Block Law Protecting Women
Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked a law on Saturday that aims to protect women's freedoms, with some arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles or encourage women to have sex outside of marriage. The failure highlights how tenuous women's rights remain a dozen years after the ouster of the hard-line Taliban regime, whose strict interpretation of Islam kept Afghan women virtual prisoners in their homes. Khalil Ahmed Shaheed Zada, a conservative lawmaker for Herat province, said the legislation was withdrawn shortly after being introduced in parliament because of fierce opposition from religious parties who said parts of the law are un-Islamic. "Whatever is against Islamic law, we don't even need to speak about it," Shahidzadeh said. Tampa Tribune

Political Fight Erupts Over National Shool Standards
The high-caliber schools attracted Kristin Matheny and her family to Weston. Now she may not send her kids to public school when they reach school age. Similar worries are being voiced in Palm Beach County. "A lot of people are very concerned," said Michael Riordan, chairman of the county's tea party. With many parents and politicians oblivious, a growing movement — similar to the early stages of what erupted in 2009 and stalled action on federal health care overhaul for months — is sounding the alarm over new national curriculum and test policies known as Common Core State Standards. Sun Sntinel

Senator Wants U.S. In Oil Price-Fixing Probe
EU investigators this week raided the offices of three big oil firms. Probe concerns whether false prices were reported to industry data service.  U.S. senator says Justice Department should join investigation.U.S. public concern over a European probe into possible oil price manipulation escalated Friday as the head of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources urged the Justice Department to join the investigation. The request from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., came after European Union investigators this week raided the offices of global energy giants BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Statoil. The anti-trust probe is examining whether the companies manipulated oil prices by making false reports to Platts, an energy industry data service owned by McGraw Hill Financial. USA Today
VOA VIEW: The government profits by more taxes the higher the oil price.

Canada Abuzz Over Purported Crack Video Of Mayor
A video purportedly of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack has caused an uproar in Canada. Ford on Friday called the allegations ‘‘ridiculous.’’The video has not been released publicly, and there is no way to verify whether it is authentic. Reports by gossip website Gawker and the Toronto Star said it was taken by a man who claimed he had sold crack to Ford. The Associated Press hasn’t seen the video.The conservative mayor of Canada’s largest city refused to take questions Friday. In brief comments outside his office, he said it was ‘‘another story with respect to the Toronto Star going after me. And that’s all I've got to say for now.’’ Boston Globe

Why Obama Should Worry That Current Scandals Might Impact 2016
At a fundraiser in New York City this week, President Obama admitted he has begun to consider how he will be remembered after he leaves the White House. "You start thinking about history and start thinking in longer sweeps of time," Mr. Obama told Democratic donors about being a second-term president. This week has not done much for the president's legacy. Questions have swirled around Washington on three separate controversies involving the administration: The investigation into the Benghazi terrorist attacks, revelations that the IRS inappropriately targeted conservative groups during the 2012 campaign, and reports that the Justice Department seized the phone records of numerous Associated Press reporters and editors. CBS

U.S. Stocks, Dollar Rise As Data Fuel Economic Confidence
U.S. stocks rebounded from yesterday’s drop and the Dollar Index rose to the highest level since July 2010 as better-than-estimated economic data fueled speculation the Federal Reserve will consider scaling back stimulus. Gold extended its longest slump in four years. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed 1 percent to a record 1,667.47 at 4 p.m. in New York and the Stoxx Europe 600 Index closed 0.2 percent higher. The gauge of the U.S. currency against six major trade partners gained 0.8 percent to 84.28. The rand sank to its weakest level since 2011 and the Aussie slid to the lowest in almost a year. Gold for immediate delivery fell for a seventh day, while 10-year Treasury yields rose seven basis points to 1.95 percent. Bloomberg

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First Lady: "Reject The Slander" That Educated Blacks Are "Trying To Act White"
First lady Michelle Obama delivered the commencement speech at Bowie State University, emphasizing a message her husband first said: "Please stand up and reject the slander that says the black child with a book is trying to act white." Highlighting how young African-Americans need the "hunger" for education that first resonated when historically black Bowie State opened in 1865, Obama discussed the graduates' responsibility to share their motivation in school with bourgeoning generations. "No matter what career you pursue, every single one of you has a role to play as an educator for our young people," Obama said at the University of Maryland - College Park's Comcast Center, which housed a 10,000 person crowd including 600 graduates. "Be an example of excellence for the next generation." CBS

U.S. Approves Natural Gas Export Project In Texas
The Energy Department conditionally approved the Freeport LNG project in Texas to export natural gas, concluding that more overseas sales offer net economic benefits for the U.S. The Freeport development, which is partly owned by ConocoPhillips (COP), Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) and Osaka Gas Co. (9532), is only the second approved by the Obama administration for exports to countries that don’t have free-trade agreements with the U.S. Similar permission is not required to export to countries that have free-trade deals. Hydraulic fracturing in shale rock formations has led to record natural gas production in the U.S. How much of that bonanza should be sold to non-U.S. customers has been hotly debated in Washington in recent months as the Energy Department weighed 20 applications for export terminals. Bloomberg

States To Get Initial Money From Japanese Gift
The five West Coast states affected by debris from the 2011 tsunami in Japan are about to receive an initial $250,000 each from a $5 million gift from Japan for cleanup. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is distributing the money to Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington and will allocate the remainder as additional needs arise. It's unclear how far the money will stretch for what some state officials and beach-cleaning groups expect to be a yearslong problem. Alaska is preparing to ask NOAA for up to $750,000 in additional funds to help with cleanup this year. ABC

US Wants Bangladesh Progress On Labor Standards
Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. wants to see Bangladesh move forward on improving labor standards after a building collapse that killed hundreds of garment workers. Kerry met Friday with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and expressed deep sadness over the Rana Plaza disaster three weeks ago in which 1,127 people died. Kerry said he hoped it would spur cooperation on labor standards and worker rights. It was the worst tragedy in the history of the global garment industry, and foreign retailers that source from Bangladesh are scrambling to improve factory safety and oversight. The Bangladeshi government is also under pressure to improve conditions for workers. The U.S. government has been conducting a labor rights review and will decide in June whether to withdraw duty-free privileges for Bangladesh. Las Vegas Sun

Military Leaders Open To Power Shift In Sexual-Assault Investigations
Pressure is building to change the law and put prosecutors instead of commanders in charge. Obama says “we’re going to need Congress as a partner” to help protect Americans serving overseas. Policy on drone strike authorization is fine as is, Defense official says The Pentagon has resisted taking such power away from military commanders. Although neither Dempsey nor Welsh endorsed the proposal, their comments aligned them with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who has said he is willing to discuss it with lawmakers. Washington Post

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Obama Picks Budget Official To Run Troubled IRS
President Barack Obama picked a senior White House budget official to become the acting head of the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday, the same day another top official announced plans to leave the agency amid the controversy over agents targeting tea party groups. Obama named longtime civil servant Daniel Werfel as the acting IRS commissioner. Werfel, 42, currently serves as controller of the Office of Management and Budget, making him a key player in implementing recent automatic spending cuts known as the sequester. "Throughout his career working in both Democratic and Republican administrations, Danny has proven an effective leader who serves with professionalism, integrity and skill," Obama said in a statement. CNS News

O.J. Simpson's Ex-Lawyer Says Did His Best At Nevada Trial
An attorney who O.J. Simpson claims botched his Nevada robbery trial five years ago told a court on Friday that he poured his "blood, sweat and soul" into defending the former football hero, who he said had been badly tainted by his sensational 1990s murder case. Yale Galanter, took the witness stand in a week-long hearing into Simpson's bid for a new trial in the Las Vegas case that sent him to prison, said that his client's past presented special challenges in front of a jury. "Mr. Simpson brought a lot of baggage into the courtroom," Galanter testified. "It wasn't like the 12 jurors didn't know that Mr. Simpson was acquitted of murder in California...And that was one of the things we had to deal with in this case." Reuters

Fitness Protects You From Cancer, Even 20 Years Later
Fitness can protect you from cancer -- even 20 or more years down the road, researchers report. And men who were the most fit in middle age were the least likely to die a quarter century later even if they were unlucky enough to get cancer, a new study finds. Men who were the most fit at age 50 back in the 1970s were the least likely to develop lung or colon cancer 20 to 25 years later, the study, which will be presented next month at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, found. And among the men who did get lung, colon or prostate cancer, the fitter they were in their early 50s, the less likely they were to die of it. This is good news for people who want to lower their risk of not only heart disease but cancer, says Dr. Susan Lakoski of the University of Vermont, who led the study. She’s a cardiologist who studies fitness and its effect on disease. MSNBC

Powerball Jackpot Hits $600M, Leaves Lottery Players Dreaming
An anticipated record Powerball jackpot tonight of at least $600 million has lottery players in Metro Detroit and across the nation dreaming. A new house or two? Travel the world? Buy an island? Quit working?Excitement — and fantasies — over winning the jackpot have grown as the twice-a-week drawings haven't produced a top winner in the past six weeks. That's pushed players to reach into their wallets yet again to buy the $2 tickets or join the office pool for a chance at the game's largest prize ever and the world's second largest lottery prize. Detroit News

N Korea Fires 3 Short-Range Missiles
North Korea fired three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters on Saturday, a South Korean official said. It routinely tests such missiles, but the latest launches came during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing tensions. The North fired two missiles Saturday morning and another in the afternoon, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said by phone. He said the North's intent was unclear. His ministry said it is watching North Korea carefully in case it conducts a provocation against South Korea. In March, North Korea launched what appeared to be two KN-02 missiles off its east coast. Experts believe the country is trying to improve the range and accuracy of its arsenal. Philadelpha News

$mells Real Bad
The latest move by Bloomberg LP to clean up its Spygate scandal doesn’t pass the smell test. The data and news giant said yesterday that it has appointed Sam Palmisano, the former IBM chief executive, as an independent adviser to head an internal review of its compliance measures — but the 61-year-old executive is a pal of Mike Bloomberg, the founder and owner of the company. Palmisano sits on the board of the mayor’s charity. NY Post

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'We Could Lose Everything': Tea Party Groups Prepare To Sue IRS
Jay Devereaux hadn’t paid much attention to the daily drumbeat of partisan politics in D.C. He wasn’t a Washington nerd, and didn’t know who said what during congressional hearings -- nor did he care. But when news broke that the government was using taxpayer money to bail out Wall Street banks, he started paying attention and didn’t like what he was hearing. So the Florida father and information technology specialist decided to form a group, Unite in Action, to educate people in his area about the issues, he said. It was originally formed as a corporation before Devereaux decided to apply for tax-exempt status from the IRS. Fox News

Obama Counter-Punches In Effort To Regain Political Balance
Facing a trio of possible scandals that threaten to overwhelm his second term agenda, President Barack Obama on Thursday rejected calls for a special counsel to investigate Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups and declared he would fix any problems in government. "My concern is making sure that if there is a problem in the government that we fix it," Obama told a Rose Garden news conference with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "That's my responsibility, and that's what we're going to do." A light rain suddenly turned heavier when Obama began speaking, symbolizing his political woes that prompted him to make a trio of moves this week intended to regain the momentum or at least halt the damage. CNN

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries Increase Military Suicide Risk
U.S. researchers say those in the military who suffer more than one mild traumatic brain injury face a significantly higher risk of suicide. Lead author Craig J. Bryan of the University of Utah and associate director of the National Center for Veterans Studies and colleagues surveyed 161 military personnel stationed in Iraq and evaluated for a possible traumatic brain injury. The study showed the risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors increased not only in the short term -- 12 months -- but during the individual's lifetime. UPI

NY Assembly Seeks Uncertain Expulsion Of Lawmaker
New York's Assembly on Monday will forge ahead on a rare and uncertain effort to expel a veteran Democrat who is accused of groping and intimidating young female staffers over several years. The political motivation to expel Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez is clear. He was accused by former staffers that he groped them, forced them to flirt with him, tried to pressure them into staying with him in his hotel rooms, and threatened their jobs and careers if they didn't succumb to his advances. He also made them regularly write glowing and flirtatious notes to him which he later used against accusers. Houston Chronicle

8 Police Kidnapped In Western Iraq
Police officials say gunmen have kidnapped eight Iraqi policemen who were guarding a post on the main highway to Jordan and Syria. Two officials say the abductions happened Saturday on the desert road west of Baghdad. Violence has spiked in Iraq in recent days, with bombings and other attacks killing scores of Sunni and Shiite civilians. Sunni discontent with the Shiite-dominated government is also high, raising fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed of 2006-2007 that brought the country to the edge of civil war.Atlanta Journal

Rebel Groups Clash In Northern Syria
A wave of tit-for-tat kidnappings between rival Islamic militant groups in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo risks sparking large-scale internal fighting between rebels after clashes killed at least four militants earlier this week, activists said Saturday. The director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said a coalition of rebel groups known as the Judicial Council had accused another armed opposition faction, the Ghurabaa al-Sham, of plundering factories in Aleppo's industrial neighborhood.San Diego News

A Year After IPO, Facebook Aims To Be Ad Colossus
It was supposed to be our IPO, the people’s public offering. Facebook, the brainchild of a young CEO who sauntered into Wall Street meetings in a hoodie, was going to be bigger than Amazon, bigger than McDonald’s, bigger than Coca-Cola. And it was all made possible by our friendships, photos and family ties. Then came the IPO, and it flopped. Facebook’s stock finished its first day of trading just 23 cents higher than its $38 IPO price. It hasn’t been that high since. Even amid the hype and excitement surrounding Facebook’s May 18 stock market debut a year ago, there were looming doubts. Investors wondered whether the social network could increase advertising revenue without alienating users, especially those using smartphones and tablet computers.Indystar

Gun Control: Cartridge ID Law To Take Effect
A hotly contested gun-control law that was passed in 2007 is finally ready to be implemented, Attorney General Kamala Harris said Friday: a requirement that every new semiautomatic handgun contain "micro-stamping" technology that would allow police to trace a weapon from cartridges found at a crime scene. The law, signed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, made California the first state to require micro-stamping, which engraves the gun's serial number on each cartridge. But the legislation specified that it would take effect only when the technology was available and all private patents had expired.SF Gate

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John Edwards Re-Emerges, Begins Public Comeback
Mark Sanford is now a member of Congress two years after he stepped down as governor of South Carolina following a highly publicized extramarital affair. Anthony Weiner appears poised to run for New York City mayor not even two years after scandalous photos of the ex-representative hit Twitter. Perhaps, then, it should be no surprise to learn that disgraced former presidential candidate and North Carolina senator John Edwards is plotting his own comeback. The wealthy lawyer has reactivated his law license and also is hitting the speaking circuit. Washington Times

Congress Gets Mixed Advice On Regulating Drones
The growing use of unmanned "eyes in the sky" is raising many privacy concerns, but Congress is getting mixed advice on what to do about civilian drones. Chris Calabrese of the American Civil Liberties Union tells a House subcommittee that a law is needed to prevent police and government officials will overuse the drones. He raises the prospect of people finding drones hovering outside their home windows. But Pepperdine law professor Gregory McNeal compares drones to the Internet in the 1990s. Las Vegas Sun

Turkey And The U.S. Increasing Pressure On Syria Ahead Of International Conference
President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday reinforced their support for strengthening Syrian opposition forces, calling on the international community to work together to resolve the conflict in Syria. “There is no magic formula for dealing with an extraordinarily violent and difficult situation like Syria,” Obama said at a joint press conference at the Rose Garden, filled with U.S and Turkish journalists. Obama said that the U.S. and Turkey need to “continue to try to mobilize the entire international community to put more and more pressure on (Syrian President Bashar) Assad so that he recognizes that he is no longer legitimate and that he needs to go,” Obama said. UPI

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Israeli Official: We Underestimated Assad
The debate over the situation in Syria and President Bashar Assad's chances for survival has sharpened recently within the Israeli defense establishment. A senior defense official claimed recently in closed conversations that Israel has erred in its estimates of how quickly Assad would fall from power in Syria. According to the official, Israel has "underestimated" Assad's strength and the inner life force of the Syrian regime. Currently, there are differing opinions within the defense establishment about what to expect in Syria and what outcome for its northern neighbor would benefit Israel. Jerusalem Post

France: West Should Place 'Decisive Sanctions' Against Iran
Iran's inflexible stance on curbing its nuclear program should lead the US and European nations to implement "decisive sanctions" against the Islamic Republic in the coming months, AFP cited French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as saying on Friday. According to Le Drian, the Western nations should pressure the advancement "in quantity and quality" of Iran's uranium enrichment program through sanctions and dialogue. In regards to accusations of Tehran's use of stalling tactics at the IAEA talks, aimed to resume an investigation into suspected atomic bomb research, and parallel negotiations with world powers, Le Drian said that "[more] than ever we have a responsibility to defeat this strategy of procrastination and concealment to ensure nuclear non-proliferation." Jerusalem Post

Brain Stimulation Promises 'Long-Lasting' Maths Boost
Applying high-frequency electrical noise to the brain can boost maths skills up to six months later, say Oxford University researchers. A small study in Current Biology suggests the brain stimulation technique makes neurons function more efficiently. It could help those suffering with neurodegenerative illness, stroke or learning difficulties. An expert said the technique could have "real, applied impact." Transcranial random noise stimulation (TRNS) involves applying random electrical noise to targeted areas of the brain by placing electrodes on the surface of the scalp. It is a relatively new method of brain stimulation which is painless and non-invasive. BBC

IVF 'May Be Boosted By Time-Lapse Embryo Imaging'
The method, reported in Reproductive BioMedicine Online, can be used to select embryos at low risk of defects. Scientists at the CARE fertility group say such informed selection can improve birth rates by 56%. Other experts say the result is exciting, but the study of 69 couples is too small to be definitive. The research followed the couples at the CARE fertility clinic in Manchester last year, when 88 embryos were imaged and implanted. The embryos were put into an incubator and imaged every 10-20 minutes. BBC

Russia Reveals Identity Of CIA Moscow Chief Following Ryan Fogle's Expulsion
The Federal Security Service in Russia has revealed the identity of the CIA's station chief in Moscow in a breach of protocol. The revelation, made by an FSB spokesman who accused the US agency of crossing a "red line" in its attempt to recruit turncoats among Russian spy agencies, will up the ante in the unfolding spy scandal that emerged earlier this week when Russia detained and expelled an alleged CIA agent working undercover as third secretary at the US embassy in Moscow. Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor, have taken pains to say they believe the scandal will blow over quickly. Guardian

Bombs Targeting Sunnis Kill At Least 76 In Iraq
Bombs ripped through Sunni areas in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Friday, killing at least 76 people in the deadliest day in Iraq in more than eight months. The major spike in sectarian bloodshed heightened fears the country could again be veering towards civil war. The attacks followed two days of bombings targeting Shias, including bus stops and outdoor markets, with a total of 130 people killed since Wednesday. Scenes of bodies sprawled across a street outside a mosque and mourners killed during a funeral procession were reminiscent of some of the worst days of retaliatory warfare between the Islamic sects that peaked in 2006-2007 as US forces battled extremists on both sides. Guardian

US Fears After Chinese Missile Test
On Monday night local time a rocket was sent into space from a launch centre in Sichuan province, southwest China. Beijing said the launch was part of a scientific data-collecting mission. But that version has now been called into question, with one anonymous US defence source telling Reuters: "It was a ground-based missile that we believe would be their first test of an interceptor that would be designed to go after a satellite that's actually on orbit." Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, declined to comment on the claim at a cybersecurity conference organised by Reuters but hinted at US anxiety over the launch. Telegraph

Global Growth Could Accelerate, But China’s Fortunes Hold The Key
That time period, which coincidentally spans my professional career, has seen the global economy increase by approximately 3.4pc per annum in purchasing power parity terms. For the last few years, a central thesis of mine has been that, because of China’s ascent, this decade could see the world growing by just over 4pc. Such a figure confounds not only the pessimists so prevalent since the 2008 credit crisis, but also surprises those who believe the world has a reasonably stable trend rate of growth. It is quite easy to show that if China grows by around 7.5pc this decade, itself a somewhat softer target given the 10.25pc of the past three decades, and if the US, Europe and Japan restore growth to their trend levels, the world will grow by this stronger number. China in US dollar terms is now an $8.2 trillion (£5.3 trillion) economy. Its impact, even at softer rates of growth, is becoming bigger and bigger. Telegraph

Syria Conference Should Be Held ‘As Soon As Possible,’ Ban Says During Visit To Russia
Stressing that a political solution is the only way to end the Syria crisis, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that an international conference proposed by Russia and the United States should be held as soon as possible so as not to lose momentum. “It is my sincere hope that we can convene an international conference on Syria as soon as possible to help parties come to the negotiating table,” Mr. Ban said at a joint press conference in Sochi with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Last week, following talks in Moscow between Mr. Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry, the two countries announced they would work together to achieve a political solution to the Syria crisis, and agreed to convene an international conference aimed at achieving this goal. UN News

Countries Must Repeal Laws That Discriminate Against LGBT Individuals
Marking the International Day Against Homophobia, United Nations officials today issued a call on Governments worldwide to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and strike laws that discriminate against them. “The fight against homophobia is a core part of the broader battle for human rights for all,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his remarks to the International Forum on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), held in The Hague, the Netherlands. UN News

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