“The Iraqi government demanded for the first time that Turkey immediately withdraw from northern Iraq, warning Tuesday it feared the ongoing incursion could lead to clashes with the official forces of the semiautonomous Kurdish region.”

Alternative treatments for depression, such as counselling or physical exercise , should be tried first, Professor Kirsch said. The pharmaceutical companies had withheld data that was available to the licensing authorities so that doctors and patients did not understand the true efficacy, or lack of it, of the drugs.

One of the many problems associated with a profit oriented drug industry.

–HRW continues to have a liberal bias when it comes to socialist uprisings. Human rights and social rights, one is meaningless without the other.

There has been a lot of media hype about the big rally in Belgrade last week after the announcement that Kosovo had declared its “independence”. But the real mood in Serbia, especially among the working class, is very different. There are indications that the workers are tired of the nationalism and chauvinism being pumped out by the Serbian bourgeoisie and in particular are fed up with all the bourgeois parties. What is missing is a political expression of the working class.

–More money is needed for education and other public services.

“Six years after the US and Britain “freed” Afghan women from the oppressive Taliban regime, a new report proves that life is just as bad for most, and worse in some cases.”

“The Iraqi government has said it fears that a prolonged military operation could lead to clashes with its own Kurdish security forces.”

“A look at the makeup of Cuba’s governing Council of State before [the 614 member] parliament elects a new set of 31 members Sunday [including the President].”

This article by the International Marxist Tendency outlines Democrat Barack Obama’s programme and why he can do nothing for the real needs of working people in the United States.

“If you are a victim who happens to share a common geography with US interests, international law is on your side as long as it is convenient. If not, well, tough. The UN is just a debate club anyway. Just ask the tens of thousands of Kurds who were slaughtered by Turkey with weapons sold to them by the Clinton administration during the 1990s. Or the Palestinians who live under the brutality of Israel’s occupation.”

Also see: The Law of Unintended Consequences | ZNet

“Many Iraqi Kurdish leaders are convinced that a hidden aim of the Turkish attack is to undermine the Kurdish region, which enjoys autonomous rights close to statehood. Ankara has always seen the semi-independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, and the Kurds’ claim to the oil city of Kirkuk, as providing a dangerous example for Kurds in Turkey who are also demanding autonomy.”

Also see ‘Dozens dead’ in Turkish assault | BBC

This is the original report.

If you think the boss is getting the big bucks, here is evidence: hourly earnings of managers grew faster in the past 10 years than those of any other private-sector occupational group, a new study says.

The study, issued Friday by Statistics Canada, says that managers pay, adjusted for inflation, grew 20.3 per cent to an average of $27.41 an hour between 1997-1998 and 2006-2007.

Kosovo is no Palestine.

“In American and EU eyes, a Kosovar declaration of independence from Serbian sovereignty should be recognized even if Serbia does not agree. However, their attitude was radically different when Palestine declared independence from Israeli occupation on November 15, 1988.”

–The Real News talks to Pepe Escobar on the current news about Fidel Castro and Cuba. Watch.

–I would like to point out the idiocy of this statement and what it says about our effectiveness in Afghanistan, but I don’t even know where to start. The Taliban probably think we are morons for just letting this guy speak to the press. Who cares what the “Taliban” thinks? Is part of our mission in Afghanistan to make the Taliban think Canada is strong? Nonsense. Utter nonsense and stupid. I am so put off by this guy that I cannot even formulate a proper comment — I am not sure he even deserves one.

War propaganda the Canadian way: just treat the population like they are completely stupid.

The fact that we are debating war in our (supposedly) democratic institutions might make the Taliban actually think that we really are a democratic society. But, again, who cares what the Taliban thinks?!?

How can people really believe that we are in Afghanistan to “bring them democracy” if our commanders don’t even understand the basic concepts of democracy?

–An appeal for the international community (ie: NATO and the UN) to follow international law when it comes to Kosovo and Serbia. That is, for the NATO countries not to illegally declare Kosovo an independent state contrary to international law and resolutions passed at the UN general assembly.

“Kosovo’s status is governed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, which envisages only self-government for Kosovo, and acknowledges the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.” Kosovo’s status can’t be changed without a new resolution.”

The war widens.

–The right-wing government in Saskatchewan is bringing in anti-union legislation across the board. National unions must mobilise support for workers in Saskatchewan.

–An explanation of the Cuban electoral system. It is democratic, Cuban candidates are appointed by the people, and there are free and secret ballots. It is also an evolving system where the citizens of Cuba engage in active discussion and participation in the electoral process between elections. Have a read.

–The US government is fighting to become the true definition of international policy hypocrisy. Sure, call for democracy, but do not let anyone actually use it.