“The government added $5.3 trillion in new financial obligations in 2010, largely for retirement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. That brings to a record $61.6 trillion the total of financial promises not paid for.This gap between spending commitments and revenue last year equals more than one-third of the nation’s gross domestic product.

The $61.6 trillion in unfunded obligations amounts to $534,000 per household. That’s more than five times what Americans have borrowed for everything else — mortgages, car loans and other debt. It reflects the challenge as the number of retirees soars over the next 20 years and seniors try to collect on those spending promises.

USA Today: Government's mountain of debt

Washington's Blog: The Big Banks Have Sold Us Out. - Democrats And Republicans Have Sold Us Out. No One Is Defending Our Interests. Our Future Is Going Up In Flames. It’s Time For Us To Stand Up And Defend Ourselves

Footage sent to the BBC apparently shows the funeral of an anti-government protester taking place in Jisr al-Shughour at the weekend.

Hundreds of Syrians are crossing the northern border into Turkey in an attempt to escape growing violence in their own country. Many say they are fleeing the town of Jisr al-Shughour ahead of an expected military assault after dozens of soldiers were reportedly killed there. Residents who stayed in the town have set up road-blocks in an attempt to stop security forces from entering. Turkey said it would not close its doors to those seeking refuge.

BBC: 'The Syrian army will massacre us' - AUDIO
HRW: “We’ve Never Seen Such Horror”
WSWS: Syrian regime intensifies repression as protests mount

Much-Hyped Friday Drone Strike Likely Didn't Kill Ilyas Kashmiri, Officials Believe.

On Friday, US drones attacked a home in South Waziristan Agency, killing seven people. Over the weekend officials exultantly announced that among the slain was Ilyas Kashmiri, a militant leader accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks and who US officials suggested might be in line to replace Osama Bin Laden. Confirmation came quick, with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik saying he was “100% certain” that Kashmiri was dead. It was the second time Kashmiri was confirmed killed by a US drone, the previous time in 2009. This time the confidence has faded much more quickly.

Photograph: guardian.co.uk/Reuters

The Libyan government says NATO killed over 30 people in Tripoli in 60 airstrikes carried out on Tuesday.

Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said at least 31 people, including civilians, were killed in “one of the most horrific days of attacks,” Reuters reported.

“How could the world sleep tonight knowing that armies of such evil are willingly and knowingly attacking a peaceful capital with 60 rockets and killing people… while there is a way out of this. To sit down, talk and negotiate,” Ibrahim said.

Central Tripoli, especially the Bab al-Aziziya district where Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's compound is located, has been the target of daily NATO aerial attacks for over two weeks. On Tuesday, the British Defense Ministry said secret police headquarters and an important military installation were attacked. After Tuesday's bombardment, Gaddafi appeared on state television, vowing that he would not surrender.

“We have only one choice -- (to stay in) our country to the end. Death, life, victory, no matter what. We will not leave our country or sell it, we will not submit,” Gaddafi said in the nine-minute broadcast.

Jason Ditz: At Least 31 Killed as NATO Pounds Tripoli
Global Research: Cynthia McKinney: WE ARE NOW UNDER ATTACK IN TRIPOLI!
NYT: US-NATO Attack Destroys Much of Gadhafi Compound

TEHRAN — Not participating in the 2012 London Olympics is a nightmare for every serious athlete, but for the Iranian women’s soccer team the defeat was extra bitter after they were disqualified right before a crucial qualifying match because they wore Islamic headscarves.

Ready to play a crucial Olympic qualifying match with Jordan in Amman on Friday, the Iranian team was dismissed by officials of the international football association, FIFA. The officials decided just before the kickoff that the tight headscarves the Iranian players were wearing to cover their hair broke the association’s dress code, FIFA said on Monday.

AWIP: Iran [correctly] claims London 2012 Olympics logo spells the word 'Zion'
The People's Voice: London unveils "Spirit of zionism" statue for 2012 Olympics

THE HAGUE — A train carrying nuclear waste to France was able to depart on Tuesday despite efforts by Dutch and Belgian anti-nuclear activists -- some who were trying to block it by chaining themselves to the tracks.

The train was able to leave Borssele in The Netherlands' Zeeland province at around 11:00 am (0900 GMT) -- three hours behind schedule -- and after noon head across the Belgian border, said local police spokeswoman Esther Booth. She said 33 Dutch activists belonging to Greenpeace were arrested and charged following the protest, which saw them chaining themselves to the tracks from 7:00 am onwards.

The US, the UK and Israel are behind the death sentence handed to four anti-government protesters in Bahrain, a political expert says.

A Bahraini military court has sentenced four protestors to death over the killing of two policemen during the country's recent anti-government protests.

In an interview with press TV, Chairman of the Committee against Torture in Bahrain Rodney Shakespeare described the court as "a kangaroo trial killing," saying the four were sentenced to death only for displaying "a little bit of democracy" in Bahrain's recent uprising. Shakespeare further expressed his outrage over the Bahraini government's "razing of mosques, the burning of Qur'ans, and now the killing of people."

The US and its allies are "behind these outrageous acts of what is going to be slaughter of four innocent men," he said. The US is implementing the Zionist policy which is paving way for "fascism" into this world, he said. "The USA and Israel has always backed totalitarian corrupt regimes."

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty's 40-year rule.

On March 13, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed police and military forces in the kingdom upon Manama's request to quell the nationwide protests. According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested so far during the government clampdown on the peaceful demonstrations. [Source]

PressTV: US backs Bahrain despite its Human Rights abuses

Palin says that she hopes to visit London soon to meet with Margaret Thatcher.

[She told the Times (£):] "I love London and England ... We hope to be able to visit soon. I'd like to meet with Margaret Thatcher."

But an aide for Thatcher cast doubt on whether the Iron Lady would meet with Palin. He told the Independent: "Nowadays, the Lady rarely meets people at all. If a meeting went ahead it would be very much low-key, and would very much depend on how things were on the day. We don't make firm appointments for this sort of meeting." Palin reportedly expressed no desire to meet David Cameron, something that is likely to come as a relief to the Prime Minister.

The First Post: Humiliating day for Palin as Lady T refuses meeting

Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani has lashed out at the United States for pursuing double-standard approaches, charging that US-backed dictators are engaged in spreading terrorism.

“Terrorist trends are born by countries that are ruled by dictatorial regimes run by US-sponsored rulers,” Majlis news agency (ICANA) quoted Larijani as saying in a meeting with Singapore Parliament Speaker Abdullah Tarmugi in Singapore City on Tuesday. He added that people in various Muslim countries are suffering from harsh conditions created by their despotic rulers, though they are making efforts to balance out the situation. The top Iranian parliamentarian noted that the US merely publicized its slogan of defending democracy, but in effect it supports dictators such as the late monarch of Iran.

22 year-old Martin Neshkovski was beaten to death early Monday morning on Skopje's Macedonia Square by a member of the Macedonian special police force 'Tigres.' After Sunday's snap parliamentary elections, celebrations went on Macedonia Square in the center of Skopje. Witnesses reported that they saw a 'young man being beaten to death by a member of the [special police force] "Alfa".' Only a few local media reported of the witnesses' statements without much importance. The spokesperson of the MOI said 'there is no such reported case.'

Global Voices: Online Community Prevents Murder Cover-Up

Die Bevölkerung Griechenlands ist wütend, wütend auf die eigene sozialdemokratische Regierung, wütend auf die konservative Partei, die von 2004 bis 2009 regierte und das Haushaltsdefizit mehr als verdoppelte und sie sind wütend auf EU und IWF. Ihre Wut mögen teile der deutschen Medienlandschaft nicht nachvollziehen können, doch sie ist verständlich!

Griechenland spart sich kaputt, titelte schon der konservative Focus vor einigen Wochen und diese Einschätzung ist richtig. Wurde der Wirtschaftskrise in Deutschland mit Subventionen entgegenwirkt. Eine Maßnahme, durch die Arbeitsplätze geschützt werden konnten, die Konsumausgaben nicht drastisch gesunken sind und deutlich weniger Menschen gezwungen waren für Billiglöhne zu arbeiten, als es bei einer Krisenpolitik nach Adam Smith, dem Vordenker der Neoliberalen der Fall gewesen wäre.

Stefan Steinberg: European Union officials demand brutal austerity in Greece
Hintergrund: Griechenlands Regierung verkauft neoliberale Radikalkur als „alternativlos“