The Decision To Pull Breast-Screening Funds

The nation's largest and most widely recognized breast cancer advocacy organization faced a rolling avalanche of criticism and major revolt within its own ranks Thursday after a decision to eliminate all funding to Planned Parenthood.

The decision by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to halt grants totaling $680,000 last year -- used by 19 Planned Parenthood affiliates across the nation for breast exams has stirred debate across country since it was announced two days ago.

All seven California Susan G. Komen affiliates including the San Francisco chapter have come out in opposition to the group's new national policies, and 26 senators urged the Komen foundation to reconsider its decision. The New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged $250,000 to help Planned Parenthood, which provides family planning and abortion services, to make up the money it lost.

Sports News:The great Indian batsmen got bogged under pressure. There's some sort of defeatist attitude hanging around, even the most experienced players have been affected

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Swiss bank list has Indian names: Assange

NEW DELHI: In an interview that could trigger a new controversy over Indian businessmen stashing black money in Swiss banks, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said he had seen Indian names in a list of Swiss bank account holders and added that the data was going to be made public.

"Yes, there are Indian names in the data that we have already published or are going to publish. I can't remember specifically whether there are Indian names in the coming publication. But I have read Indian names," Assange told Times Now in an interview telecast on Tuesday. He, however, declined to reveal anything more on the issue at this stage.

In the course of the 50-minute interview, Assange appealed to Indians to "absolutely not lose hope" that names of those with secret Swiss accounts will come out in future. Hinting that WikiLeaks might work with specialized agencies before releasing the Swiss bank data he pulled up the Indian government for not being aggressive like Germany in going after the list of Indian account holders. "India should be more aggressive because India seems like it is losing per capita more tax money than Germany."

Assange had earlier claimed that he was handed over documents of bank accounts by a former banker Rudolf Elmer and the whistleblower also claimed that the names in the documents came from "US, Britain, Germany, Austria and Asia — from all over," and include "business people, politicians, people who have made their living in the arts and multinational conglomerates — from both sides of the Atlantic".

Assange also dismissed the contention of the Indian government that accords on double taxation were coming in the way of tracking the trail of black money. "Double taxation does not have anything to do with asset hiding. It doesn't simply cover asset hiding," he said. Assange said that issue of stashing black money in foreign banks was worse than local corruption as when money is pushed offshore, "... everytime they are selling rupees and the result is that the currency of the nation is debased... everything for all Indians become expensive as a result of that transfer."


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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Swiss-bank-list-has-Indian-names-Assange/articleshow/8095782.cms