JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (IRIN) – Two court cases have thrown a spotlight on the predicament of hundreds of thousands of former mineworkers in southern Africa who have received little or no compensation for occupational lung diseases that have left them debilitated and jobless.

Years of working in poorly ventilated mines, inhaling silica dust – present in high concentrations in deep-level gold mines – can lead to silicosis, a crippling and progressive disease caused by scarring of the lungs.

A study of former gold mine workers by the Aurum Institute, a non-profit health research organization, found that nearly 25 percent had silicosis. The disease has no cure and sufferers are also more prone to tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease that is endemic in gold-mining communities.

Across the region, 280,000 ex-mineworkers are estimated to be eligible for compensation under South Africa’s Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (ODIMWA), but according to one study as few as 2 percent have received the benefits they are entitled to.

Those who do manage to apply for compensation sometimes wait years to be paid, and the amounts they eventually receive are insignificant in the context of diseases that often leave them unable to work.

This could change after a Constitutional Court ruling earlier in March found that Thembekile Mankanyi, an ex-mineworker, could claim damages of more than of R2.6 million (US$366,440) from his former employer, AngloGold Ashanti, for a lung disease he acquired while working at one of their mines.

A High Court judgement had previously found that he was ineligible for further compensation because he had already received a payment of R16,320 ($2,300) through ODIMWA.

Mankanyi died from respiratory problems a week before the Constitutional Court ruling, but the judgment allows his family to return to court and pursue his claim. “Now, for the first time, the civil justice system can kick in,” Mankayi’s attorney, Richard Spoor, told IRIN.

Another case, which could also set a precedent, is expected to go to court in 2012 and involves 18 ex-mineworkers who developed silicosis and TB after working at the President Steyn gold mine in Welkom, a town in Free State Province. They are suing the mine’s former parent company, Anglo American, for failing to adequately advise its subsidiaries on the safe operation of their mines.

A “decrepit” system

The symptoms of silicosis can take over a decade to appear, by which time many miners have returned to their homes in rural areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Mozambique, where they are unlikely to be able access the two-yearly examinations that could make them eligible for compensation.

Thuthula Balfour-Kaipa, a health advisor to the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, pointed out that the over-stretched public health system was struggling to deliver basic healthcare, “so when it comes to a miner who looks fairly well and needs a chest x-ray, they’re not a priority”.

A joint project was launched in 2007 by the Chamber of Mines, the Department of Health, and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to set up clinics with the sole purpose of providing medical examinations for mineworkers in areas where labour is sourced, but so far only two clinics have opened, one in KwaZulu-Natal Province and one in Eastern Cape.

The project also allocated funding to the Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases (MBOD), which falls under the Department of Health and administers ODMWA, to help address delays in compensation payouts but, according to Balfour-Kaipa, the money has not been used. “The [health] department has never quite agreed what the funding should be used for,” she told IRIN.

The health department did not respond to questions from IRIN, but according to the NUM’s health and safety chair, Peter Bailey, the backlog of claims at the MBOD was still “massive”.

Spoor described South Africa’s legislation regulating compensation for occupational injuries and diseases as “very out-dated”, and the system for implementing it as “decrepit”. He also noted that mining company contributions to the compensation fund were trivial.

“If you look at the prevalence studies of these [occupational lung] diseases, then it’s abundantly clear that this fund [should be] bankrupt, however, there’s never any challenge on its funding because so few people claim what they’re due.” He added that there was little pressure to reform the compensation system because “Injured workers are invariably unemployed workers, and they are poor and voiceless.”

Effective safety measures?

The Chamber of Mines has set up a Mining Industry Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) initiative, aimed at identifying industry best practices for managing silica dust, as well as other safety issues such as noise and underground falls, and encouraging mining companies to adopt them.

According to the MOSH team, the most effective ways of controlling dust are to install fine water spray systems, and apply chemicals to underground walls that will cause the dust to stick to them. Installing large fans to ventilate shafts is also crucial.

No one knows exactly how effectively these techniques will reduce dust levels, and therefore the incidence of silicosis. Balfour-Kapia said dust was very difficult to measure. “Any way you measure [it], there’s still a 25 percent margin of error,” and because silicosis takes so many years to manifest, “We can only know in years to come whether these measures have worked.”

She said the incidence of silicosis had levelled off at about 1,600 cases per year, compared to 3,000 a year in’98.

Bailey of the NUM maintained that mines have made progress in implementing safety measures, and that the presence of health and safety representatives had empowered workers to exercise their rights to a safe working environment, but Spoor was unconvinced.

He said the lack of sanctions against mines that failed to comply with safety guidelines, and the small amounts they were currently required to pay into the compensation fund, meant there was no incentive for employers to look after their workers.

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Washington, DC, United States (KaiserHealth) – As Senate Democrats square off with House GOP leaders over the current federal budget bill, family planning funding remains an important point of contention. Republicans say tough choices need to be made in a time of fiscal austerity, but Democrats in Congress and the White House say family planning funds are essential and should not be stripped from the budget.

Last month, the Republican-led House passed a spending bill that slashes funds for family planning clinics and eliminates federal support for Planned Parenthood, a major provider of reproductive health care in the United States. Senate Democrats have since offered up their own spending bill, one that would restore the family planning funding, but the full Senate failed to pass either measure in votes Wednesday. Negotiations between the House and Senate are expected to continue. The current short-term funding measure expires March 18.

“Nobody is saying that Planned Parenthood cannot continue to be the largest abortion provider in America, but why do millions of pro-life taxpayers have to pay for it?” Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., one of the leaders of the effort to strip such funding from the bill, said in a floor speech during the House debate last month.

Planned Parenthood has launched a fierce public relations campaign against the measure, backed by progressive Democrats who have vowed to fight the GOP. “It’s just amazing that the Republican leadership is anti-choice and on the other hand, anti-family planning,” Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said at a press conference on the issue. She added, “This is a war on women.”

What Is Title X?

Title X (ten) of the Public Service Act is a federal grant program signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based reproductive health research center, the law had broad bipartisan support and was the result of increasing concerns that low-income women were not able to get access to family planning services and had higher rates of unwanted pregnancies than more affluent women.

Title X grants, which are administered through state health departments or regional agencies, support family planning programs in 4,500 clinics serving 5 million individuals across the country. The funds, which totaled $317 million last year, are used to provide a range of reproductive health and family planning services primarily to low-income individuals. The program is run by the Department of Health and Human Services and provides funding for contraceptive counseling and supplies, STD testing, breast and cervical cancer screenings, vasectomies, hypertension and blood pressure measurement, prenatal care and sex education.

While Title X is the only federal program dedicated exclusively to reproductive health care, it isn’t the only source of public funding for family planning services, or even the largest. About 12 percent of the $1.85 billion in public funds spent on family planning services in 2006 came from Title X, according to Guttmacher. The biggest chunk of funds—71 percent—came from Medicaid, a joint federal-state health program for low-income individuals and families. The remainder was funded through various federal block grants and state appropriations.

What Are Republicans Proposing?

Several measures offered by Republicans are part of the House budget bill, which was approved on a strict party vote on Feb. 19. All Title X funding is eliminated in the massive spending bill that sets budget levels for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. That “continuing resolution,” H.R. 1, seeks to trim billions of dollars from discretionary funding in the federal budget.

The House also approved an amendment offered by Pence to the spending bill that cuts all forms of federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which operates a network of more than 800 family planning clinics nationwide. Planned Parenthood receives roughly $360 million in federal assistance annually through Medicaid, Maternal and Child Health block grants and other sources.

The GOP’s plans to cut Title X and to defund Planned Parenthood are at odds with President Barack Obama’s priorities—the president requested $372 million for family planning in his FY 2012 budget.

Does This Affect Abortion Coverage?

Current law prohibits health care providers from using federal money to finance abortions. But the law doesn’t bar Title X grantees from using other funds to cover abortion-related care, so long as they keep those funds segregated from federal grant money.

Before introducing his amendment to the spending bill, Pence had also introduced H.R. 217, known as the “Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act,” which would prevent health centers that offer abortion services from receiving future Title X family planning grants (exceptions would be made in cases of rape, incest or a threat to the mother’s health). The bill has been effectively tabled pending the vote on the overall spending continuous resolution, which, if enacted, would eliminate the need for H.R. 217.

Several other bills dealing with abortion funding have also been introduced.

What Do Family Planning Supporters Say Is At Stake?

Reproductive health advocates such as Families USA, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America argue that eliminating or restricting access to Title X money would cut off vital financial support for health centers that are providing care at steeply discounted rates for low-income patients. According to Adam Sonfield, a senior public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, Title X money gives clinics the flexibility to invest in things like outreach and infrastructure—something Medicaid payments don’t account for. The institute also estimates that the contraceptive services offered at Title X centers prevent 973,000 unintended pregnancies each year.

Planned Parenthood says six in 10 family planning centers in the U.S. receive Title X funds, which account for 24 percent of their revenues. Planned Parenthood is the largest single recipient of Title X money, securing about a quarter of the total allocated to health centers each year.

According to Karen Rowley, who oversees several Planned Parenthood-affiliated health centers in California’s Fresno area, clinics are already turning away patients because of the overwhelming demand for services. Losing all federal funding would further exacerbate the problem.

“Many of our patients would go without medical care, not only reproductive healthcare but for primary care needs,” Rowley said.

The national organization has painted a picture that is even more dire—63 percent of its health centers would be at risk for shutting down altogether if H.R. 1 passes, the group says.

What Do Critics Say About Cutting Planned Parenthood’s Federal Funds?

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in D.C., presents a different view.

Chuck Donovan, a senior research fellow at the foundation, says Planned Parenthood has significant income beyond federal funding, citing a 2010 GAO report indicating the organization’s income was $388 million between 2002 and 2007. “They can afford to join in the belt-tightening that is happening all across the country,” he said.

As for the other health centers that would be affected by Title X cuts, Donovan said that supporting family planning through tax rebates or vouchers, rather than a categorical funding program with an established mandate, would be a better option.

“Our preference is to fund health care through things that give individuals choice,” he said.

Pence has acknowledged that health centers use Title X money to perform valuable services that he supports, but he contends that the funds are also being used to support abortions indirectly by covering operating costs and other related expenses for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

“Eliminating Title X funding has never been my goal,” he said on the House floor. “My focus has and will remain on denying taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood or any organization that provides or promotes abortion as a means of birth control.”

This is an updated version of an article that first ran Feb. 18.

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Miami, FL, United States (AHN) – President Barack Obama was the guest of honor Friday afternoon at one of Florida’s formerly failing high schools to deliver a speech pushing America to refund and reform education.

Obama spoke alongside Education Secretary Arne Duncan and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, but only after cheering students from Miami Central Senior High, a majority African American school, gave a heartfelt welcome to America’s first African American president.

“How do we attract new jobs, new businesses, new industries to our shores?” Obama asked the crowd. “How do we grow our economy and out-compete our competitors? In today’s economy, companies are making decisions on where to locate, who to hire, based on key factors [including where to find] highly skilled, highly educated workers – that’s what they’re looking for.”

“I decided to come to Miami Central to kick-off ‘Education Month’ because you’re doing what I challenged states to do when I took office, and that’s turning the lowest performing schools around,” Obama said.

In his address, Obama outlined plans to increase funding for failing schools, citing Miami Central as proof federal assistance aimed at turning around “F” institutions can produce real results. The Department of Education has been giving states School Improvement Grants (SIG) since 1965, but Obama boosted funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Duncan pushed for $3.5 billion in SIG funding in 2009 and Obama has added an additional $545 million in funding for 2011.

Obama toured Miami Central, making a surprise visit to spill-over students who couldn’t fit into the gym and thought they were going to see the president speak from a television. Awaiting the Commander-in-Chief’s speech in the school’s library, the students were given a surprise visit from Obama, who received a warm welcome. Other students showed the president their work in creating robots in the classroom.

“This used to be a place where problems on the streets followed children into the classrooms,” Obama explained. “Where there was a culture of failure that brought everyone down. Now, turning around these schools isn’t easy… we have to reform how things are done. It isn’t easy to turn around an expectation of failure, and turn that into an expectation of excellence.”

In Florida, SIG funding totaled $170.2 million, with almost $14 million going to 19 embattled schools in Miami-Dade County, home to America’s fourth-largest public school district serving more than 380,000 students. One SIG success story is Miami Central High School. Miami Central earned an “F” the year Obama took office, but after receiving federal SIG funding, the school improved to receive a “C” this year.

“Here’s what I say; I’m not willing to give up on any child in America. I’m not willing to give up on any school in America. I do not accept failure here in America. I believe the status quo is unacceptable. I believe it’s time to change, and it’s time we come together. Just like Jeb [Bush] and I are doing today – to give every child in America the chance to live up to their God-given potential.”

“A good education equals a good job,” Obama explained. “If we want more good news on the jobs front, we need to make more investments on the education front.”

“Educational achievement is an issue of national priority,” added Bush, whose father and brother have both served time as Republicans in the White House. “Every child, regardless of their zip code or family income should have access to a quality education.”

Aboard Air Force 1 enroute to Florida, newly installed White House Press Secretary Jay Carney explained Obama’s had his eye on Miami Central for a while. “The president very much wanted to go to this particular high school to highlight the dramatic turnaround they have accomplished there and still in the process of accomplishing, and also to make the point that by having former Gov. Jeb Bush join him at this event that he firmly believes what I think most Americans believe and that certainly former Gov. Bush believes, and that is that education and education reform are not Democratic issues, they’re not Republican issues, they’re American issues.”

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Commercial loans can be used to buy business premises or commercial building for both new or establish businesses. They can be used to buy any business asset or to finance the expansion of any established business.

Different commercial loans lender have different way of processing commercial loans. You can start with pre-qualifying for commercial loans. This determines how much as a borrower you can afford as commercial loans and which commercial loans programme will suit the best.

Commercial loans are the biggest way of financing business projects. While providing you with commercial loans, the loan lender will look at general information as your income and existing debts. Your application will be reviewed by a loan officer.

Commercial loans lender will take keen interest in

o Credit history

o Reason for loan

o Collateral

o Ability to repay

o Your investment in the business

Documents to gather while applying for commercial loans are -

Loan request – the amount of loan requested, how the funds will be used, loan type and amount of working capital on hand. Commercial loans lender will feel more secure knowing that you have invested your own money in the commercial plan.

Business plan – If the commercial loans are used for starting a new business, the business plan is crucial. It should include cash flow projections for first 24 months. Information should be concise and clear. Its feasibility will be fundamental in getting commercial loans approved.

Personal financial statements – In case commercial loan is used for expansion of business, it will be required for you to give business profile. Personal financial statements would be required for anyone who owns 20% or more of business. Complete information about current debts balances, payment schedules, maturity, and collateral used to secure other loans. You can be required to provide more documents during the loan process.

In case you are purchasing real estate, you might be required to submit preliminary environmental reports, area maps, title reports, property appraisals, and lease summaries.

Decisions for commercial loans take usually 1-5 days. During this time, you might be required to give further information. Commercial loans broker can help you submit your loan application to several lenders for approval. Your job is to select the most attractive offer and returning the final letter of intent. After all the conditions are satisfied, the commercial loans are approved and the lender will give a final loan commitment. At the closing, the commercial loan will be transferred with a cashier’s check, draft, or electronic wire transfer.

Commercial loans are either secured or unsecured – with or without collateral. Secured commercial loans are more commonly available as commercial mortgages. Commercial mortgage are provided at better terms, interest rates and repayment options. Commercial loans are available with fixed and variable rate options. Fixed rate commercial loans will mean that your interest rate and monthly payments will be fixed at the beginning of the loan and will remain so throughout.

Businessmen apply for fixed rate commercial loans for it helps in effective financial planning because they know how much they are giving out every month. With variable rate the interest rates changes in accordance to the changes in the market. The benefit with variable rate is that they start with lower interest rate than fixed rate. But interest rate can increase during the term and therefore you will have to pay more. On the contrary fixed rate commercial loans will leave no space for change in case the interest rates drop.

Investigate before you make a commercial loan claim. Be prepared to answer some questions. Commercial loans are cost effective way of funding business needs when you need it. Commercial loans can strengthen your competitive position; increase your working capital and maximum profitability. Investigate your opportunities with commercial loans and see how your business becomes a commercial success.

After having herself gone through the ordeal of loan borrowing, Natasha Anderson understands the need for good quality loan advice. Her articles endeavor to provide you the wise counsel in the most elementary way for the benefit of the readers. She hopes that this will help them to locate the loan that beseems their expectations. She works for the UK secured loan web site uk finance world.To find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

Author: Natasha Anderson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Fast cash unsecured loans have certain advantages as the loans are available in unsecured variant. This means that the incumbent does not require producing evidence of ownership of any valuable possessions that may be used as collateral property which is a must for securing secured loans. Secondly, the borrower receives the money at an earliest convenience as the lending agency transfers the same within 24 hours after the application for fast cash unsecured loans is approved. The person who has demand for immediate money is in this way greatly relieved.

Fast cash unsecured loans are in the group of short term loans. A sum between £100 and £1500 may only be available. It is also a fact that terms and conditions for such loans are a little strict. The borrowers are to pay back the money along with interest just within 7 to 14 days. Sometimes the lender may give some concession and the tenure may be extended up to 31 days on some cases. Still it is always good for the lender to repay the loans as early as possible as interest for fast cash unsecured loans are charged at higher rate. If the loan is not paid back in the stipulated period the borrowers are charged with fees and the situation may go utterly against anyone.

Generally credit scores of the borrowers are not considered as criteria and a person tagged with unfair history of credit may get fast cash unsecured loans.

The borrowers must be 18 and British citizens. They must have valid bank accounts. A monthly income of about £1000 is asked for and it is also required that the incumbent must work in any legally approved concern at least for half of a year last.

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Sameday loans are popular nowadays as the borrowers enjoy certain benefits which they consider important. The borrowers can apply online. They are not to follow a queue and their privacy is guaranteed. The lenders try to approve the applications instantly. The borrowers are not asked to fax any document to the lending agencies. No collateral security is required to be pledged against the cash. Many of the borrowers may have history of poor credit. The lenders do not refuse them to secure the sameday loans.

There are, of course, certain criteria which the applicants must fulfill to be eligible for the sameday loans.

a) It is mandatory that they must be citizens of United Kingdom.

b) They must be at least 18 years of age.

c) They must possess valid and active bank accounts in their name.

d) It must be documented that they have been employed in any recognized organization. They must be working there at least for the last six months.

e) They must receive regular payment in every month.

Amount of loans with the sameday loans is available between £100 and £1500. The lenders consider earning and capacity of the borrowers when they decide what amount of loans they will approve. Borrowers are asked to pay back the loan amount within 14 to 30 days. Borrowers must note that they will be in greater financial trouble if they default or stop payment. Actually, interest rate for sameday loans is comparatively high.

Shortage of finance in the middle of the month is common to most of the people who live with monthly salary. Issues like health care, wedding ceremony, vehicle repairs etc can surface any time and they demand immediate attention and emergency funding. People in such financial crisis are greatly helped by the sameday loans.

The finance market has consideration for the teachers. Payday loans for teachers provide small amount of money to meet up short term demands and help the teachers live comfortably. Teachers are generally busy and payday loans for teachers save their time sufficiently as they can get the money transferred to their bank account within short time and the people in the lending agencies take less time to approve their online loan application.

The amount of money advanced in Payday loans for teachers may be up to £1500. This is just to finance one badly in need of ready money. The repayment tenure is also very short and it stretches from 7 to 14 days. The lenders have discretion to extend the period for repayment which may be four weeks or 30 days. It is always better to clear the loan as early as possible as such loans are available in short term and as interest for such loans are charged at much higher rate.

The borrower is to submit an application in which he/she must provide particulars of his/her name, address, present employment, bank account number. The incumbent must write what amount he wants to take as loan and how many days he will take to clear the money. His statement about present address and present salary are required to be supported with evidences. Once the application is approved by the lender the borrower will get the money in his/her bank account within twenty four hours only.

The lenders do not bother if the borrowers have already developed record of bad credit. The borrowers are not to show any evidence of possessing property of worth as nothing is asked to be mortgaged for collateral. But the following conditions are to be fulfilled:

1. The incumbent must be a citizen of the United Kingdom.
2. He/She must complete 18 years of age.
3. He/She must a teacher in any approved institute.
4. He/She must earn at least £1000 in every month.
5. He/She must have a valid and active bank account.

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The U.S. military is unintentionally helping Afghan militants by hiring security contractors provided by the Taliban and warlords, according to a new government report. However, American military leaders say they often have no other choice.

Investigators for the Senate Armed Services Committee found “systemic failures” in the way 125 Defense Department contracts were granted between 2007 and 2009.

Often, background checks on personnel hired as security guards were inadequate to keep out associates of Aghan warlords, the investigators reported. Other security guards were suspected of being Iranian agents trained to infiltrate the U.S. military.

The Senate investigation prompted Afghanistan’s Interior Minister to announce this week that his government would shut down any private security firms that are unlicensed and do not properly check the backgrounds of employees.

The Afghan subcontractors typically guard the perimeter of U.S. military bases, civilian installations and construction projects. They also guard truck convoys of supplies.

In one example of poor vetting, the report said the British security company ArmorGroup hired Taliban sympathizers who later were involved in shootouts with government forces.

“Afghan warlords and strongmen operating as force providers to private security contractors have acted against U.S. and Afghan government interests,” the report says.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the poor vetting of the 26,000 security contractors jeopardized the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan.

“We need to shut off the spigot of U.S. dollars flowing into the pockets of warlords and power brokers who act contrary to our interests and contribute to the corruption that weakens the support of the Afghan people for their government,” Levin said in a statement.

The Senate report was based on 30 interviews with Defense Department contractors and military personnel and written responses from others.

The report said that investigators found “squandered resources and dangerous failures in contractor performance, including untrained guards,

insufficient and unserviceable weapons, unmanned posts and other shortcomings that directly affect the safety of U.S. military personnel.”

General Stanley McChrystal, the former Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan and of the International Security Assistance Force, has said that private security contractors are “just not right for a country that is growing law and order.”

Nevertheless, 90 percent of the security personnel work under U.S. government contracts.

The example mentioned most prominently in the Senate report involved a March 2007 contract for the Environmental Chemical Corp., a construction and environmental remediation company, to build an expansion to Shindand Airbase in Afghanistan. The company hired ArmorGroup to provide security.

ArmorGroup relied on two warlords, called Mr. White and Mr. Pink in the report, to provide them with guards.

Shortly after construction started at the airbase, the warlord known as Mr. White was shot in an ambush widely believed to have been staged by his rival, Mr. Pink.

Five months later, Mr. Pink attacked Mr. White in a bazaar, shooting him three times and killing him.

Environmental Chemical Corp.’s security manager later told Senate investigators the shooting was “kind of like a mafia thing. If you rub somebody out, you’ll get a bigger piece of the pie.”

Mr. White’s men subsequently abandoned their guard posts, leaving Mr. Pink’s men as the only guards for the airbase construction project.

At the same time, their leader took refuge from a possible revenge killing or arrest by hiding among Taliban fighters.

ArmorGroup continued to employ Mr. Pink’s men, despite evidence they were sending evidence to their warlord leader about U.S. troop movements. Mr. Pink then gave the information to the Taliban, the report said.

ArmorGroup eventually fired the warlord’s guards, but not before U.S. military security was jeopardized.

In August 2008, U.S. and Afghan troops raided a Taliban stronghold in the town of Azizabad. Several Afghanis were killed and one American wounded.

” A post-raid U.S. Army investigation found that some of the anti-Coalition militia “may have been security contractors or subcontractors for ArmorGroup.’” the Senate report said. “In addition, a search of the raid site revealed ‘extensive stores or weapons, explosives, [and] intelligence materials.’”

The blistering Senate report is prompting the U.S. military to begin its own investigation of contractors. In addition, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander, has set new guidelines for hiring security guards.

The report confirmed suspicions that were raised in congressional testimony last December, when Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said they had suspicions the U.S. government was indirectly funding Afghan warlords and the Taliban.

However, U.S. military personnel have said the warlords sometimes force out anyone else from the security jobs with threats of violence.

The U.S. military hires contractors for the security jobs to free up its own soldiers for duties more directly related to combat. Now, military leaders say they are reconsidering the policy.

One option they are considering is using Afghan national security forces to guard truck convoys.

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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – The Assembly of First Nations is asking the federal government of Canada to increase funding for education for aboriginal youth by $2 billion. The extra money seeks to bridge the gap between funding for regular Canadian schools and those for natives.

Shawn Atleo, national chief of the AFN, said because of the two-tiered system of education in Canada, First Nations teachers and students suffer from inequality, intolerance, denial of fundamental rights and lack of control. He said funding for First Nation youth is 25 to 50 percent less compared to other Canadian youths.

Atleo said the auditor general of Canada has confirmed the underfunding for First Nation students. As a result, only 4 percent of First Nations people have university degrees against the national average of 23 percent. High school graduation rate of aborigines is 49 percent versus the national rate of 80 percent.

The underfunding is also felt in the lack of schools in some First Nations communities and the lack of libraries, computers and curriculum designed for the culture of aboriginal students.

According to the AFN, if the education gap between First Nations and non-aborigines would be reduced, $71 billion would be added to Canada’s gross domestic product by 2017. With more than half of the 1 million First Nations people in Canada below 25 years old, the aborigine youth could help address the labor shortage being experienced by Canada as baby boomers retire and population growth among non-aborigines continue to slow down.

The First Nations chief are gathering in Ottawa in observance of the First Nations National Week of Action on Education. The week started with a march Sunday from Kitigan Zibi in Quebec to Ottawa. It will end with a rally and cultural celebration on Parliament Hill on Thursday.

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