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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. president’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is struggling in a critical condition at George Washington University hospital after admission on Friday morning.

“This morning, doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta. He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family,” said PJ Crowley, the State Department spokesman said in a statement on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, at the regular briefing, Crowley refused to elaborate on Holbrooke;s condition, saying, “All I can tell you is that the ambassador is at the hospital at the present time, and beyond that I will — we will let you know, as we find out more.”

Crowley also refused to confirm media reports that Ambassador Holbrooke collapsed at Secretary Hillary Clinton’s office, saying on Friday, “It happened on the seventh floor,”

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Kathmandu, Nepal (AHN) – Nepali Diasporas living in New York face a language barrier, creating a major challenge that causes immigrants to miss out on jobs and other opportunities in the United States.

Most of the Nepalis who reached the U.S. in search of green pastures are at the receiving end of downward socio-economic mobility, forcing them to lower their living standards in order to survive and support family members back home, a study has revealed.

“While in Nepal, people have dreams of doing well in the U.S. However, there is a huge difference between what you think of America and when you actually come here,” says New York-based non-profit organisation Adhikaar. “People have to work really hard to survive here.”

“Even if you are educated, you won’t be able to find a job of your choice if you don’t have the [right] documents,” a Nepali worker told the group. “You can earn money here, but not respect.”

Much of the problems faced by the Nepali-speaking community in New York City are typical of those faced by emerging communities. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to survive and support a family in New York City, the report adds. Making matters worse, migrant workers in the informal sector are often exploited by the employers and are paid below the legal minimum wage.

The report titled “Snapshots of the Nepali-speaking Community in New York City: Demographics and Challenges” reveals that language barrier has become a major challenge for most of the Nepali-speaking people in finding jobs and other services. For example, many Nepalis in the U.S. do not have health insurance, and almost three-fourths of them face challenges in obtaining healthcare.

Many Nepali migrants are unable to transfer their work experience, skills and education from Nepal. Over half of the Nepalis in New York were involved in business or a professional sector in Nepal. While most Nepali immigrants are able to find jobs in New York, they are often low-wage jobs consuming long hours and providing few benefits. While immigration status is a reason for Nepali immigrants doing low-wage jobs, it is not the only one, the report adds. “Nearly half of the respondents to survey have the legal right to work in the U.S., yet most of them faced challenges.”

The most common types of job for men are works in restaurant, gas station, taxi or limousine and moving industry, while women often work as domestic workers and at nail salons or beauty parlours. Report has it that those who intend to earn degrees find themselves unable to attain their goal due to the number of hours they must work to pay for their education and living expenses.

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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – New claims for unemployment compensation dropped to 421,000 for the week ending Dec. 4, a decrease of 17,000 claims from the week before, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Not all jobless workers are insured by the unemployment compensation program. The advance seasonally adjusted rate of insured unemployed workers was 3.2 percent for the week ending Nov. 27, which was a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.4 percent, the DOL said in a statement.

The DOL also released the figures for the week ending Nov. 27 for the advance number of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment, which was 4,086,000. That was a decrease of 191,000 from the preceding week’s revised number of 4,277,000 insured unemployed.

Advance unadjusted figures for the week ending Nov. 27 showed the percentage of unemployed workers eligible for unemployment compensation was 3.3 percent. However, the unemployment rate during that week was 9.6 percent.

Figures for the number of unemployed Americans claiming benefits under all unemployment compensation programs was from a week earlier, or the week ending Nov. 13 was 8,297,938.

Extended unemployment compensation benefits, for jobless Americans who are covered by that insurance program, were available in 35 states and the District of Columbia for the week ending Nov. 20.

Those states were Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

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London, United Kingdom (AHN) – International protest is building about the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange this week. Assange is being held in a British jail awaiting extradition to Sweden on rape charges.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department is seeking to extradite him to the United States to face espionage charges after his Web site released more than 250,000 documents that exposed secret State Department communications. However, political leaders in Australia, Brazil, Russia and elsewhere say Assange is a political prisoner who is being punished for exercising rights of the free press.

Some of the harshest criticism is coming from Australia, where hundreds of people rallied Thursday in three cities to protest Assange’s arrest. Assange is an Australian citizen.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said Assange was merely doing the job of any journalist by publishing the documents. “The blame for any violations of the law should fall on the persons who gave the documents to Wikileaks,” Rudd said. “The Americans are responsible for that.”

The State Department communications, called “cables,” described Rudd as a “control freak” and said that he made mistakes as Australia’s foreign minister.

Rudd said he was unconcerned about the criticisms.

He also said Australia would offer consular help to Assange.

Consular help refers to sending diplomats to meet with a citizen of their own country who is arrested abroad to determine whether legal assistance can be arranged.

In Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described the arrest of Assange as a crime.

“I want to express my protest against this offense against free expression,” Lula said. “I will use the presidential blog to express my protest.”

He also encouraged the international news media to be more vigorous in defending Assange.

“The young man who is giving so much trouble to the diplomacy of the United States was arrested and so far I have not seen any protest defending free expression,” Lula said.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin described the U.S. government’s efforts to prosecute Assange as hypocritical.

“If it is full democracy, then why have they hidden Mr. Assange in prison,” Putin said during a press conference Thursday. “That’s what, democracy?”

Putin’s remarks appear to be a response to a February 2010 cable from Defense Secretary Robert Gates that said, “Russian democracy has disappeared and the government is an oligarchy run by the security services.”

In Mexico, the Journalists Club put up a plaque in their Mexico City headquarters honoring Assange for his “contribution to the conscience of mankind.”

The State Department documents published by Wikileaks described Mexico’s difficulties in managing its war with drug cartels. The cables described the government’s efforts as ineffective, often corrupt and divided among competing administrators.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Research Service is saying any U.S. prosecution of Assange would face unprecedented legal and diplomatic challenges.

A 24-page report from the government agency examines how the Justice Department could apply U.S. criminal laws to a foreign news operation.

“We are aware of no case in which a publisher of information obtained through unauthorized disclosure by a government employee has been prosecuted for publishing it,” the report said.

The prosecution of Assange creates First Amendment and diplomatic hurdles “based on concerns about government censorship,” the report said.

Some members of Congress, such as Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I.-Conn) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), say Assange should be prosecuted under the Espionage Act of 1917.

However, the Congressional Research Service report said no single law forbids the news media from publishing diplomatic cables only a “patchwork” of statutes that leave unclear answers.

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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – In an attempt to prevent President Barack Obama’s plan to bring terror suspects to the United States for trial, the House voted 212-206 on Tuesday to curb the government’s expenses in the fiscal year. The measure targeted funds aimed at transferring inmates from a military holding facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to prisons in the U.S.

The move hurts Obama’s efforts to close the controversial detention camp by next year or his attempts to transfer 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed in America.

“None of the funds made available in this or any prior Act may be used to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or release to or within the U.S., its territories, or possessions Khalid Sheikh Mohammed or any other detainee held at Guantanamo Bay as of June 24, 2009,” the bill explains.

The bill will be presented to the Senate for approval and would be sent to Obama to sign into law.

Upon assuming power in 2008, Obama had pledged to close down the notorious facility within a year but failed due to unyielding opposition from the U.S. Congress.

Currently, the prison, which is in Cuba’s Guantanamo naval base, holds nearly 170 detainees, including 58, who have been put into indefinite detention without trial.

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Bentonville, Arkansas, United States (AHN) – Wal-Mart Stores announced Wednesday that it will no longer pay its employees who work Sundays an additional $1 an hour. The new policy, however, would only cover workers hired after Jan. 1, 2011.

Current U.S. employees numbering 1.4 million will not be affected by the new policy, a Wal-Mart spokesman said.

The policy will also not apply to workers in Wal-Mart’s 49 Massachusetts and 10 Rhode Island outlets because the employees in the two states were not extended the extra $1 Sunday pay since their hourly rate for Sunday work is 1.5 times based on state labor regulations.

The policy is part of Chief Executive Officer Mike Duke’s strategy to reduce cost after Wal-Mart registered six consecutive quarters of sales declines at its U.S. operations.

On top of lower sales, operating expenses went up in 2009 to about $80 billion partly due to health benefits extended to workers.

To offset revenue reduction in its U.S. operations, Wal-Mart offered in November $2.4 billion to acquire a majority share in Massmart, a South African retail chain.

Wal-Mart is expanding its international business, particularly in emerging markets with high growth potentials.

Wal-Mart got the unanimous vote of the Massmart board, but needs the approval also of the South African regulators and 75 percent of Massmart stockholders.

The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union expressed concern with the possible Wal-Mart buy-in because of the U.S. retail giant’s stand against unions.

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Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – The economic grip which had been strangling most offices during the holiday season appears to be loosening its stronghold on holiday cheer in the office. According to a recent survey employers indicate they intend to offer more holiday perks (bonuses, parties, gifts) than last year.

According to a CareerBuilder survey 33 percent of employers plan to give their employees holiday bonuses this year, up from 29 percent in 2009. Among that group, 59 percent are planning to give the same amount as in previous years.

However, nine percent of employers say they will not be giving their workforce holiday bonuses even though they have in previous years, down from 12 percent last year.

In regards to the highly desired office parties 52 percent of employers are planning on throwing some type of holiday bash for their employees this year. Up a few points from 2009′s 49 percent.

Nearly three-in-ten (29 percent) employers plan to give holiday gifts, up from 26 percent in 2009.

“Many employers are financially in a better place this season and recognize the positive impact holiday perks can have on office morale,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “Companies are not only giving back to employees this holiday season, 45 percent say their charitable donations will be the same or more than previous years.”

Holiday perks in the office aren’t just from corporate; a quarter of workers say they plan to buy holiday gifts for co-workers this year, compared to 22 percent who plan to buy their boss a gift.

86 percent of workers buying gifts say they plan to spend $25 or less on average for each holiday gift they buy for the office.

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East Jerusalem, Palestinian Territory (TML) – The Palestinian Authority’s newly formed anti-corruption commission won’t hesitate to investigate ministers that have fled the country or are serving in office and remain politically powerful, the commission’s chief has vowed.

Rafiq Natshe, head of the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), said he has received 70 files from the attorney-general for investigation, including complaints of fraud, embezzlement and bribery. He said intensive investigations would begin next week, stressing that officials may even be questioned in Palestinian embassies abroad. PACC may use Interpol to pursue suspects aboard, he said.

“The president has transferred all corruption cases to us,” Natshe told the Ma’an radio station. “We have investigated, and continue to investigate, former and current ministers.”

Natshe has his work cut out for him. Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index of 2005, which measures perceived malfeasance among officials and politicians, ranked the PA 108th out of 159 countries, tied with Libya. It wasn’t included in subsequent indexes for lack of sufficient data.

Since then, however, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a former International Monetary Fund official, has sought to clean up government and build transparent political structures. But the anti-corruption drive will need the strong backing of Mahmoud Abbas, the PA president and Fayyad’s boss.

“Legally, there’s no problem to investigate ministers, both in the country and abroad,” Bilal Al-Barghouthi, legal adviser for Aman, the Palestinian chapter of Transparency International, told The Media Line. “A presidential decree can annul the legal immunity these ministers enjoy.”

Observers, including Sameeh Hammoudeh, a political scientist at Bir-Zeit University, regard the commission, as well as a newly formed special court to try corruption cases, more as a way of assuaging voters who regularly point to official corruption as one of their biggest concerns.

“This court is like a rescue boat for President Abbas,” Hammoudeh told The Media Line. “Currently, with the PA demonstrating zero accomplishments on the peace track with Israel, Abbas needs to bolster his legitimacy in his party Fatah and on the Palestinian street. This step will be very useful to him.”

Popular discontent with corrupt officials is said to have contributed to Hamas’ electoral victory in the January 2006 legislative elections. A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research last March showed about 68% of all Palestinians believe Abbas’ government suffers from corruption and almost half expected it to get worse in the future.

Efforts by the United States to coax Israel into extending a settlement freeze and bring the Palestinians back to peace talks failed this week. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to unveil new ideas in a speech at the Brookings Institute in Washington Friday.

In the meantime, the PA has acted unilaterally to gain recognition as a state, with Argentina and Uruguay signing on to the initiative Monday.

Palestinian Planning Minister ‘Ali Jarbawi, who met Tuesday with Cobus de Swardt, managing director of Transparency International to discuss corruption issues, told the Ma’an news agency that fighting corruption was imperative in “gaining moral international support for liberation, ending occupation, and state-building.”

PA officials are routinely suspected of corruption, but little has been done about it so far. In 2006, Palestinian Prosecutor-General Ahmad Al-Mughni described a wide investigation of public officials involving dozens of suspects and hundreds billions of dollars in stolen public funds. A year later, the cabinet approved a law for combating money laundering as well as bribery, fraud, kidnapping and embezzlement.

“People on the street have always claimed that the government only talks about fighting corruption, but doesn’t follow through. Now, when decisions will be implemented, the battle against corruption in the PA will receive credibility,” Fares Saba’aneh, a spokesman for the newly established anti-corruption court, told The Media Line.

Barghouthi said a serving Palestinian cabinet minister, who he declined to name, was currently under investigation on corruption charges. Saba’aneh said he had no information about any ministers under investigation, explaining that the Anti-Corruption Commission, which functions as a prosecutor in corruption cases before they are transferred to the courts, carries out its investigations secretly.

Nadim Shehadi, a Middle East expert at Chatham House in London, said he doubted the ability of the Palestinian legal system to try and indict ministers. He told The Media Line that rumors of political corruption were often used in the Middle East as political ammunition.

“It’s always difficult to distinguish between a legal process and political targeting of individuals,” he said. “Middle Eastern Security agencies, including Israel’s, often try to frame politicians using one of two charges: sex or corruption, which are very sensitive.”

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Miami, FL, United States (AHN) – Hundreds of Burger King Corp. employees were blind sided with layoff notices on Monday. The company reduced its personnel by 413 positions in North America and Latin America.

Many of the laid-off employees came from its South Florida headquarters, where 261 people were released.

Police and medical personnel were on hand Monday should the news be too much for any of the terminated employees.

The number two fast food giant was recently sold to 3G Capital of Brazil in a $3.25 billion deal. The layoffs are being touted as part of the company’s organizational restructuring.

Burger King has more than 12,200 restaurants in more than 73 countries. Nearly 90 percent are privately owned and operated franchises.

The layoffs represent a nearly 9 percent reduction of the company’s South Florida employee base. Despite the cuts, the company will maintain its headquarters in Miami.

The company famously known for its Whopper sandwich was started in Florida 50 years ago.

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Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The United States on Monday stressed national “solidarity with our South Korean and Japanese allies and noted that these consultations demonstrate the strength of our shared commitment to advancing regional security and stability.”

In a post-meeting statement National Security Council Deputy Spokesman Ben Chang noted the interaction “as part of the historic Trilateral meetings between our three countries,” represented by U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Seiji Maehara, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea Kim Sung-hwan.

Citing the North Korean provocations, Chang said, Donilon emphasized the “timeliness” of the meetings, expressing “the President’s support and personal interest in this Trilateral process.”

The explosive situation in the region was created with Pyongyang’s fatal artillery strike on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong island near the disputed western maritime border, killing two South Korean soldiers and two civilians.

“Consistent with our efforts to strengthen these core alliances over the course of the last two years, Mr. Donilon underscored U.S. solidarity with our South Korean and Japanese allies and noted that these consultations demonstrate the strength of our shared commitment to advancing regional security and stability,” the statement said.

Chang summed up the meeting with a stern warning to North Korea: “The three officials pledged to remain fully coordinated in sending a clear message to North Korea – that if it chooses the path of denuclearization, the road to reintegration into the international community will be open, but if it chooses further provocations and threats, it will further isolate itself.”

Earlier, Japanese Minister Maehara and Korean Minister Sung-hwan met with the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, for a ministerial trilateral.

Clinton noted that the role of China in the region cannot be denied but the trio rejected Chinese call to return to the six-party talks with North Korea.

In a joint statement, the three leaders “reaffirmed that resumption of the Six-Party Talks will require the DPRK to make sincere efforts to improve relations with the ROK as well as taking concrete steps to demonstrate a genuine commitment to complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization.”

Moreover, President Barack Obama on Sunday night had called China’s President Hu Jintao to discuss global hot spots giving a headache to Americans including North Korea.

During the call, the two presidents discussed the North Korean shelling of a South Korean island on Nov. 23 and the pursuit of a uranium enrichment program by the North.

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