The Australian Government hails ‘giant foundation stone’ for Australia

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was clinched in the US city of Atlanta overnight after days of marathon talks and could influence everything from the price of cheese to the cost of cancer treatments.

The controversial deal involves Australia, Canada, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

It is expected to face great difficulties getting through a hostile US Congress and is also looking shaky in Canada, which is facing an imminent national election.

The Australian Government also has to convince parliament to back the agreement, Labor is seeking a briefing about the closely held detail of the deal.

The CBC doesn’t see much in the pact for people: Trans-Pacific Partnership unlikely to lower grocery or car costs much.

The BBC isn’t particularly interested.

Bernie Sanders is right. These deals haven’t ever been good for workers or the middle class. This deal should be called the “Full Employment for Vietnam Pact”, because that’s where the lowest wage rates exist.

The BBC reports on our ‘culture’: US boy, 11, held for shooting dead eight-year-old neighbour

An 11-year-old boy in the US state of Tennessee has been held on suspicion of shooting dead an eight-year-old girl in a row over a puppy.

The boy has been charged with first-degree murder as a juvenile.

According to police, he shot neighbour McKayla Dyer on Saturday evening after she refused to let him see her puppy.

Since he killed her, he probably has an Eddie Eagle certificate from the NRA. Apparently the boy’s father kept his shotgun loaded in case of the zombie apocalypse.

As the victim is a cute little blond, I surprised the US media isn’t covering it 24/7.

Position: 40.0N 53.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East-Northeast [065°] near 29 mph [46 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 80 mph [130 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 275 miles [445 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 974 mb.

Currently about 465 miles [ 745 km] South of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

Beginning to weaken while picking up speed to the Northeast.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]