U.S. to investigate deadly NATO airstrike

Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the region, was expected by Monday to name an investigating officer to examine the incident, according to a defense official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

NATO has said it is conducting an investigation to determine the details of the Saturday airstrikes. The alliance has not commented on Pakistani claims the attacks killed 24 soldiers, but it has not questioned them.

A key question to be examined by the U.S. is who approved the airstrikes and why.

The attack could become the deadliest friendly fire incident against Pakistani troops since the war began a decade ago. It also raises serious questions about the extent of cooperation between supposed close allies in fighting terrorism.

"There's a lot of diplomacy that has to occur and it has to be tough diplomacy in the sense that they need to understand that our support for them financially is dependent upon their cooperation with us," said Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Senate's No. 2 Republican.

Afghan officials say their soldiers called for help after being fired upon from the direction of Pakistani border posts. Pakistani authorities claim the airstrikes were unprovoked.

NATO officials previously have complained that insurgents fire from across the poorly defined frontier, often from positions close to Pakistani soldiers, who have been accused of tolerating or supporting them.

Obama pardons pair of gobblers for Thanksgiving

WASHINGTON (AP) – With a wave of his hand, President Obama on Wednesday gave two plump turkeys a Thanksgiving reprieve, noting that without his intervention, "they'd end up next to the mashed potatoes and stuffing."

The official national Thanksgiving turkey is a 19-week-old, 45-pound bird named Liberty. Its alternate, also spared, is a turkey of the same age and size named Peace.

Liberty sat calmly as Obama, accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia, offered a blessing, his hand over the turkey's head. Obama said Liberty had the distinction of being . Obamas pay Thanksgiving visit to food bank
  

Obama jokingly cast his pardon as yet another of his "We Can't Wait" initiatives. "Recently, I've been taking a series of executive actions that don't require congressional approval," the president said. "Well, here's another one. We can't wait to pardon these turkeys."

In a more sober tone, Obama called on Americans to remember the meaning of Thanksgiving and to be mindful of those who have less.

Government offers to fly Border Agency staff home to work through strike

                                    

UK Border Agency staff in embassies across the world are being offered taxpayer-funded flights to Britain if they are willing to work at ports and airports in next week's strike against public sector pension reform.

Emails seen by the Guardian show the government has asked immigration officials from India, South Africa and Russia to return to the UK on Wednesday when thousands of their colleagues plan to take industrial action. Staff willing to return and cross a picket line would also be allowed to extend their stay to spend time with their families. The disclosure raises difficult questions for ministers on the use of taxpayers' money to help break a legal, union-backed strike.

Labour MPs expressed concern. David Winnick, a member of the home affairs committee, said: "Strike-breaking in any form is unacceptable and The government should be negotiating with the unions involved in a meaningful way." Khalid Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: "The government has made unforgivable errors with the agency that stem from cuts in resources and have led to unsafe borders. And so to cover for a legitimate strike, they are proposing to spend some of the public money they cut flying in staff. It is an absurd situation."

On 30 November, a month before the deadline for a deal between the government and union leaders on pension reform, up to three million public sector workers are likely to strike. Around 18,000 immigration officials are believed to be among them. Many more agency staff are posted via the Foreign Office to embassies as entry clearance and visa officers on secondments of two or three years.

We are not against congress but for Lokpal

Today News: Team Anna Member refused to comment if they were from Congress or any particular political party.

On Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal being attacked, the PM said, "In a democracy there is no place for violence. Therefore any act of violence is to be condemned and on that point I am clear that nothing is gained by pursuit of violence." The PM said, "I would hope that he would not use language at times which appears to be intemperate. I think in politics it is better to avoid harsh words."  

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday blamed corrupt political parties for the attack on him during a public gathering in Lucknow. However he refused to comment if they were from Congress or any particular political party.

Why Team Anna was campaigning against the Congress in UP instead of the Mayawati government, which had not spoken in support of Jan Lokpal Bill, Kejriwal reiterated that the team was not anti-Congress.  

He said that the campaign was not against the Congress, but was to ensure a strong Lokpal Bill, adding that everything was being done to put pressure on the ruling party. Kejriwal further said that putting such pressure was very legitimate in a democracy.

Backing the yatra taken up by Team Anna, he said that there was no harm in taking it up, clarifying that they were not asking people go against the Congress. He further said that the team would wait for the winter session, following which Anna Hazare would himself request to the people in December or January.

Government bows to Anna Hazare

News Today: On Monday Law minister Salman Khurshid said Team Anna's proposal was being looked into by the government. Anna's next course of action, which the Gandhian has already said would be to press for electoral reforms.

Khurshid said the proposal could be placed for consultation at an all-party forum on electoral reforms. The minister, however, admitted the right to recall was a difficult provision but said the government was working on that, indicating it has not been put in cold storage because of opposition.

"We have a strong lobby that is questioning us on the need to introduce the right to reject," Khurshid said at the Asian forum for global governance.

A number of other proposals of electoral reforms were also up for discussion. Among it is a suggestion to introduce a provision wherein voters can reject a candidate and decide not to cast a vote.

But Quraishi said it would lead to frequent elections. " Our main fear is that if we start rejecting all candidates, we will have another election.

"The CEC said efforts should be taken so that tainted candidates do not take part in elections. But the proposal was met with stiff resistance from political parties on the grounds that false cases are often framed against politicians.

"We are only saying that at least those candidates be barred, who have serious charges like rape, kidnapping, murder and dacoity against them which would lead to imprisonment of more than five years and cases against whom are pending for more than six months prior to elections and against whom charges have already been framed by the court," Quraishi said.