How immigrants will reshape workforce

Over the next two decades, the largest generation in America's history—the Baby Boomers—will reach retirement age and leave the workforce. Together, immigrants and their children will play a pivotal role in reshaping the workforce and sustaining the demands of a growing economy for decades to come. As major demographic shifts radically reshape the American population, immigrants and their children will strengthen the overall shared prosperity for the country as a whole.

"You're not part of the conversation": The young and voting

US borrowing crisis 'days away' from danger, says World Bank head

The president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, has warned that the United States is just "days away from a very dangerous moment" because of the government's borrowing crisis.



He urged US policymakers to reach a deal to raise the government's debt ceiling before Thursday's deadline.

The US Treasury will start to run short of funds if no agreement is reached for it to borrow on financial markets.

UK wages decline among worst in Europe

Wages in the UK have seen one of the largest falls in the European Union during the economic downturn, according to official figures.

Figures from the House of Commons library show average hourly wages have fallen 5.5% since mid-2010, adjusted for inflation, which is the fourth-worst decline in the 27-nation bloc.

By contrast, German hourly wages rose by 2.7% over the same period. Across the European Union as a whole, average wages fell 0.7%.

Yahoo wins battle over Prism court papers

Details of the official justification for the US National Security Agency's wide-ranging Prism surveillance programme look set to be revealed.

Yahoo has won a legal fight that will see papers from a key 2008 court case declassified and published.

The 2008 case is widely seen as pivotal in letting the NSA establish Prism and start gathering data on web use.

Delay on plain cigarette pack decision 'sad day for child health'

Scientists and campaigners say lives will be lost and accuse ministers of bowing to tobacco industry lobbying. 

Lives will be lost as a result of the government's decision to kick the notion of plain packaging for cigarettes into the long grass, say scientists and campaigners who accuse ministers of bowing to tobacco industry lobbying.

How Obama Admin Plans to Manhattanize Americans

Concrete action is now being taken to push this plan forward. The U.S. government is looking to implement new policies to discourage people from living in the suburbs and to promote living in major cities. Here’s a report from FOX News about the plan.



For source and to read more go here.

Australians Forced to Answer Intrusive Questions

Australian citizens have been complaining about government surveyors knocking on their doors and asking very intrusive personal questions. One resident in particular was asked what sexual partners his wife had, and also asked when either of them would be home alone. If residents decline these questions, they can face fines or even jail time.

The Untouchables

FRONTLINE magazine examines why no Wall Street execs have been prosecuted for the financial crisis.


For source go here.

Who are Turkey's protesters?

Turkey's deputy prime minister has apologised to environmental campaigners whose efforts to save a park in Istanbul provoked an unprecedented wave of anti-government unrest. The apology was intended to defuse the tensions but demonstrations have continued. Jeremy Bowen reports from Istanbul on the challenge to the Turkish leadership.

For source go here. 

Margaret Thatcher

James Naughtie considers the lasting influence of Margaret Thatcher, the longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th Century and the only woman to hold the post. Her uncompromising policies and leadership style earned her the enduring nickname "The Iron Lady". She passed away 13 April 2013.

Listen to the 12-minute BBC radio broadcast.




For source go here.
More podcasts from The New Elizabethans programme are available here.

French economy returns to recession

French president Francois Hollande has introduced
reforms aimed at boosting the country's economy

France has entered its second recession in four years after the economy shrank by 0.2% in the first quarter of the year, official figures show.

Its economy shrank by the same amount in the last quarter of 2012. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

France has record unemployment and low business and consumer confidence.
Separate figures showed that the recession across the 17-nation eurozone has continued into a sixth quarter.

What you need to know about Somalia

On 7 May in London, the governments of the UK and Somalia will hold an international conference on Somalia for the second year running. The conference aims to provide international support for the Government of Somalia as it rebuilds its country following two decades of conflict.
BBC Somali's Farhan Jimale outlines what people need to know about the country.

For source go here.

The ‘Amsterdam’ of Colorado?

By the end of 2013, any visitor to the town of Breckenridge in Colorado, USA, will be able to buy cannabis from licensed stores, provided they are over 21. 

The town decriminalised cannabis in 2010 but currently anyone wanting to buy it must have a recommendation from a doctor.

As Heather Alexander explains, Breckenridge is standing by to see how the new freedom will affect tourism. Will visitors flock to its stores or will people be deterred from coming at all?

For source go here.

It Was Bankers That Brought Cyprus to the Brink

What is it about the islands around Europe's periphery?

Is there some peculiar psychological thing about proximity plus the illusion of isolation that makes them turn themselves into havens for runaway banks? Inquiring minds want to know.

Anyway, Cyprus's story has obvious parallels with both Iceland's and Ireland's, with R.M.M.L. — Russian mobster money laundering — as an extra ingredient. All three island nations had a run of rapid growth as their status as banking havens left them with banking systems that were too big to save. Iceland, at peak, had banks with assets that equaled 980 percent of gross domestic product; Ireland was at 440 percent. Cyprus, at around 800 percent, was closer to Iceland in this respect.

E-books added to Inflation Basket

Thousands of prices are collected from 150 different areas
of the UK

E-books have been added to the basket of goods used to calculate the UK's rate of inflation, but Freeview set-top boxes are out.

The latter has been replaced in the basket by digital television recorders, signalling the changing face of technology.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) updates the basket each year so the contents accurately reflect current trends in spending.

The basket contains about 700 items.

The President’s Favorite Phrase: A Video Mash-Up

President Obama is known for his eloquent speeches, but above all, he just wants to be clear...

For source go here.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: What I've learned

Winner of thirteen international bodybuilding titles. Ubiquitous star of action movies, including The Last Stand, in theaters soon. Leader for eight years in the battle to save California.

Interviewed November 8, 2012.

You can't learn charisma.

The power of influence is one of the most unique powers that you can have. It's not the power of controlling people. It's developing a certain skill of communicating what you want to accomplish so that people will follow you.

Be a public servant. Not a party servant.

What the CIA thinks the world will look like in 2030

USA has been forecast as the second world economy, but energy independent.

A new intelligence assessment of global trends projects that China will outstrip the United States as the leading economic power before 2030, but that America will remain an indispensable world leader, bolstered in part by an era of energy independence. 

 Russia’s clout will wane, as will the economic strength of other countries reliant on oil for revenues, the assessment says.

Full article here.

How are you being targeted? The Digital Campaign in USA. Big money 2012.

An exploration of the way the presidential campaigns are using unprecedented amounts of new data, and controversial new tactics, to target their messages and persuade voters.

Watch The Digital Campaign on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.