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Death toll from US tornadoes rises to 350
The death toll from killer tornadoes in the southern United States rose to at least 350 early Saturday, making the storm the second-deadliest tornado-related tragedy in US history.The worst tornado outbreak in the United States in March 1925 left 747 people dead. The third-deadliest tornado storm struck in 1932, killing 332 people. "I've never seen devastation like this. It is heartbreaking," President Barack Obama said in Tuscaloosa Friday after meeting victims whose homes were demolished.

Muslim Brotherhood unveils party to contest parliamentary vote
Egypt's once outlawed Muslim Brotherhood has announced the formation of a political party that will contest up to half of parliament's seats in September elections. The group is viewed with suspicion by Washington but is regarded as the only truly organised bloc in Egypt and reckons it could win up to 30 percent of votes in a free election. Though formally banned under Mubarak, it was tolerated as long as it did not challenge his power. The Brotherhood is an Islamist group founded in the 1920s and has deep roots in Egypt’s conservative Muslim society.

Taliban announce beginning of spring offensive
The Taliban on Saturday announced the beginning of their spring military offensive against the U.S.-led coalition, a day after a new Pentagon report claimed that the militants' fighting spirit was low after sustaining heavy losses on the battlefield. ...Taliban said that beginning Sunday they would launch attacks on military bases, convoys and Afghan officials, including members of the government's peace council, who are working to reconcile with top insurgent leaders.

Three Convicted in Terror-Related Cases Later Granted U.S. Citizenship by Obama Administration
Three people convicted of crimes as a result of a terrorism-related investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) were later naturalized as U.S. citizens by the Obama administration, according to federal auditors. ...The three individuals in question can be found in a DOJ list of unsealed terrorism-related investigations conducted from Sept. 11, 2001 through Mar. 18, 2010.

Syria: 'Scores die' in protests across country
At least 62 people have been killed across Syria as thousands of anti-government demonstrators rallied in several cities, activists say. Witnesses and human right groups say many died when troops opened fire on protesters in the city of Deraa, where the unrest began in mid-March. The security forces swamped the streets of the capital Damascus and tear gas was reportedly fired as prayers ended.

US stem cell research funding ban lifted by court
A US appeals court has overturned an earlier order to suspend federal funding of stem cell research. The Washington court said opponents of the research, who say it is illegal because it involves the destruction of human embryos, were unlikely to succeed in their lawsuit to stop the funding.

Haniyeh calls on Fatah to renounce recognition of Israel
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday called on Fatah to renounce their recognition of Israel. Haniyeh was addressing reporters following Friday prayers in Gaza. His comments came on the background of Israel's denouncing the unity deal reached this week between Hamas and Fatah.

Israeli official: We are troubled by developments in Egypt
Israel is concerned about recent developments in Egypt, a senior Israeli official said on Friday according to a Wall Street Journal report published Saturday. The unnamed official said "These developments can affect Israel's national security at a strategic level." The comments come in response to Egypt's plans to open the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

Hamas official denies group leadership leaving Damascus
A Hamas official on Saturday denied reports that the group's political leadership intends to leave Damascus and move to Qatar, Israel Radio reported. According to Israel Radio, Izzat al-Rishiq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, also denied that a Hamas office would be opened in Egypt.

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Syria protesters given 15 days to surrender
The ultimatum came as activists planned fresh anti-government demonstrations following the deaths of dozens of people in weekend protests. In a statement, the interior ministry told "citizens who have participated in or committed unlawful acts such as bearing arms, attacking security or spreading lies to surrender by May 15 and hand their weapons in to the competent authorities".

GM soy: The invisible ingredient 'poisoning' children
“Soy destroys people’s lives,” she says. “It is a poison. It is no way to live. Soy is deadly to us”. ...American paediatrics journal, that found women living within 1km of sprayed fields were twice as likely to have a child with deformities. ...“How much is it costing to get this so wrong?” she asks. “I fear this will become a problem for the future because more people are getting sick and it impacts on health system. It is in everyone’s interests to act.”

Behind the coming physician shortage
The United States already faces a growing physician shortage. As our population ages, we require more and more intensive health care. At the same time, enrollment in medical schools has been essentially flat, meaning we are not producing new physicians at anywhere near the rate we need to. In fact, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges, we face a shortfall of more than 150,000 doctors over the next 15 years.

India says Pakistan 'a terror sanctuary'
The killing of Osama bin Laden near Islamabad is proof that "terrorists belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in Pakistan", Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram says. President Obama's statement that the Al-Qaeda leader was killed in Abbotabad "deep inside Pakistan" was a matter of "grave concern", he said. The minister urged Pakistan to arrest those behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Iran leader Ahmadinejad returns to work after 'boycott'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ended a boycott of his official duties by chairing a cabinet meeting, Iranian media say. Mr Ahmadinejad had not been seen at work for more than a week, amid reports of a rift with the supreme leader. The confrontation came to light after supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei rejected the dismissal of Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi last month.

Libya crisis: UN leaves Tripoli amid mob attacks
The UN has withdrawn all its international staff from the Libyan capital Tripoli following a mob attack on its offices. UN buildings and some foreign missions were targeted by angry crowds following a Nato air strike that reportedly killed a son of Col Gaddafi. The UN says all its international staff have now left for Tunisia and the decision will be reviewed next week.

China boosts marine surveillance over island tensions
China is to expand its ocean monitoring agency to protect its maritime interests, a senior official has said. China Marine Surveillance's Sun Shuxian said 1,000 new personnel would be added as well as new equipment. Sea patrols would be carried out more frequently "to strengthen law enforcement in Chinese-related waters", the China Daily quoted him as saying.

Islamists: Bin Laden death will not mute Jihad call
Members of militant Islamist forums said on Monday they prayed the news of Osama bin Laden's death was not true and hinted at retaliation if it was. They were reacting to word from Washington that the al Qaida leader was killed in a shootout with US forces on Sunday. "Oh God, please make this news not true... God curse you Obama," said one message on an Arabic language forum. "Oh Americans... it is still legal for us to cut your necks."

Obama: Bin Laden killed in firefight with US forces
“Justice has been done.” With those words, US President Barack Obama told the American public and the world Sunday night that the United States had succeeded in its 10-year mission to hold Osama bin Laden accountable for masterminding the September 11 attacks. “Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama declared in a surprise television address from the White House.

Medvedev wants to stay on as Russian president, says leading MP
President Dmitry Medvedev is pushing to extend his tenure in the Kremlin against the wishes of Russia's powerful prime minister, Vladimir Putin, a senior politician from the country's ruling party has told the Guardian.

Libyans Burn UK, Italy Missions After NATO Strike
Angry mobs attacked Western embassies and a U.N. office in Tripoli Sunday after NATO bombed Moammar Qaddafi's family compound in an attack officials said killed the leader's second youngest son and three grandchildren, ages six months to two years.

Egypt calls on US to recognize Palestinian state
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday called on the United States to recognize a Palestinian state, as rival Palestinian factions prepare to sign a reconciliation accord in Cairo. Arabi urged visiting US Congressman Steve Chabot to "press Congress and the American administration to recognize a Palestinian state."

N. Korea seizes mobile phones to curb news: report
North Korea has started a drive to confiscate mobile phones smuggled from China in an attempt to suppress news from the outside world, a group of defectors from the communist state said. North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity said in its latest newsletter police in North Hamkyong and Yangkang provinces bordering Russia and China have started urging residents to voluntarily surrender mobile phones or face punishment.


01 May 11

Weather service: Ala. tornado packed 200 mph winds
Officials at the National Weather Service say the tornado that killed at least 25 people in the Alabama town of Hackleburg was packing winds stronger than 200 mph. The weather service report says the tornado was given an EF5 rating, the highest possible.

Egypt calls on US to recognise Palestinian state
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday called on the United States to recognise a Palestinian state, as rival Palestinian factions prepare to sign a reconciliation accord in Cairo.

Texas Bill Would Make Invasive Pat-Downs a Felony
The bill would make it illegal for a security officer to intentionally touch someone's private areas -- even atop clothing -- unless they have probable cause to believe the person is carrying something illegal. Bill sponsor State Rep. David Simpson says the searches are removing people's dignity.

Yemen unrest: Doubts over deal as Saleh fails to sign
A deal for Yemen's veteran leader to hand over power and end unrest looks in doubt after President Ali Abdullah Saleh failed to sign it. He had been expected to add his signature on Saturday after his officials said the deal brokered by Gulf Arab states had been accepted.

John Paul II beatified in Vatican ceremony
The late Pope, John Paul II, has been officially beatified at a ceremony at the Vatican in front of hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful. Among those at St Peter's Square is French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, who says she was cured of Parkinson's Disease. Her apparently miraculous cure is part of the case for the beatification, the last stage before sainthood.

Shalom: Unity deal will create state run by Hamas, Iran
Vice Premier Silvan Shalom on Sunday addressed the Palestinian unity deal between Fatah and Hamas, saying countries who rushed to recognize a Palestinian state will be made aware of the fact that they are supporting the formation of an entity controlled by Hamas and Iran. Shalom's comments came in an interview with Israel Radio.

Fayyad: Israeli suspension of funds to PA won't stop unity
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad on Sunday said that Israel's decision to withhold tax revenues from the PA will not prevent the unity agreement between Hamas and Fatah from occurring. ...Asked about Israel's decision, Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian official, said: "Israel has started a war even before the formation of the government."

Gadhafi’s youngest son killed but Libyan leader survives NATO missile strike, spokesman says
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi escaped a NATO missile strike in Tripoli on Saturday, but his youngest son and three grandchildren under the age of 12 were killed, a government spokesman said.

Gasoline prices are up to $4 a gallon. Is that 'Big Oil's' fault?
If you have to fill your gas tank this weekend – whether or not it takes a second mortgage to pay the tab – you’re a soldier in the hottest political fight over energy and the economy. Or maybe you feel more like “collateral damage” as President Obama, lawmakers, and “Big Oil” battle over who’s at fault for $4-per-gallon gasoline.

Missing Iran leader Ahmadinejad under pressure from MPs
Powerful MPs in Iran have called for a closed debate on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apparent boycott of his official duties. The president has not been seen at his office for days, missing two cabinet meetings and cancelling a visit to the holy city of Qom.

China to foster cooperation with ASEAN
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Saturday Beijing wants to boost cooperation in trade and security with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In a policy speech on the last day of a three-day visit to Indonesia, the current chair of ASEAN and its biggest member, Wen extolled the virtues of an ASEAN-China free trade agreement (FTA) that came into effect in January.

Taliban Announces Spring Military Offensive Against U.S.-Led Coalition
The Taliban announced the beginning of their spring military offensive against the U.S.-led coalition Saturday, a day after a new Pentagon report claimed that the militants' fighting spirit was low after sustaining heavy losses on the battlefield.

US 'not withholding food aid from North Korea'
US officials have denied an accusation from former President Jimmy Carter that the US is withholding food aid from North Korea. A state department official said the North Korean government was responsible for the plight of its people.

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Canada's Conservatives score massive election win
Canada's Conservatives stormed to a decisive victory in Monday's federal election, winning 54 percent of the seats in Parliament and securing a stable four-year term in power after vowing to focus on the economy.

Arab MK Blasts Obama, Links US Imperialism to Israel
Member of Knesset Ibrahim Sarsour (United Arab List-Ta'al) on Tuesday questioned the motives of the United States raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, saying the assassination may have been meant to bolster President Barack Obama's low approval ratings among the American public. Sarsour said that he "does not rule out the possibility that the assassination of Bin Laden marked the beginning of Obama's campaign for a second term as president, especially since the Republican majority lie in wait for him in Congress."

Osama bin Laden killed cowering behind his 'human shield' wife
Osama bin Laden used his wife as a human shield in a last desperate attempt to save his own life before he was gunned down by US special forces in his hideout in Pakistan.

UK manufacturing growth slows: reaction
British manufacturing activity in April grew at its slowest pace in 7 months, and a sharp slowdown in new orders cast a cloud over a sector. This is how economists reacted to a fall in the Markit/CIPS manufacturing PMI headline index to 54.6 in April from 56.7 in the previous month.

Arabs Riot in Jerusalem Over Bin Laden's Demise, Hamas Angry
Arabs in the village of Silwan, adjacent to the City of David neighborhood in Jerusalem, rioted Monday night in protest over the elimination of Osama Bin Laden. The rioters threw stones at police and attempted to block roads.

Yesha Urges Government to Preempt 'Fatahamas'
The Yesha Council, meeting in emergency session last night, has called on the Israeli government to take preemptive measures given the re-conciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas.

GITMO detainees provided vital clues
PRESIDENT Obama may have failed to make good on his pre-election promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. But intelligence gathered during interrogations there may have allowed him to fulfil another vow: to kill bin Laden. Administration officials say that the man who led them to the al-Qa'ida leader was a trusted courier, identified by several detainees under questioning.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda second-in-command, most likely to succeed Osama Bin Laden
Egyptian-born physician and surgeon Ayman al-Zawahiri is Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, and he’s expected to succeed Osama Bin Laden following Bin Laden’s death in a firefight with US forces in Pakistan on Sunday. Mr. Zawahiri has been the brain behind Mr. Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network, and at times its most public face, repeatedly denouncing the United States and its allies in video messages.

Coordinated Joseph Tomb visit ends in riots, stoning
Hundreds visited Joseph's Tomb in Nablus overnight under heavy IDF escort. Among those taking part in the coordinated visit –were members of the Fogel family whose relatives were murdered in Itamar. The end of the visit was less organized, ending with dozens of visitors being forcibly removed by Border Guard Officers when they refused to leave the site and barricaded themselves within the building.

US says bin Laden's death does not end Afghan war
The U.S. and key allies fighting Taliban-led insurgents in Afghanistan insisted Monday that the death of Osama bin Laden, who once found shelter there, would not mean a speedy end to the war or a rapid withdrawal of international troops. Still, there were fresh arguments that the real war against al-Qaida had shifted to beyond Afghan borders.

Bin Laden's Son: Worst Is Yet to Come
Osama bin Laden's son had a chilling warning for those who were hunting his father with drones, secret agents and missile strikes. From Omar bin Laden's up-close look at the next generation of mujahideen and al Qaeda training camps he says the worst may lie ahead, that if his father is killed America may face a broader and more violent enemy, with nothing to keep them in check.

Forest fires: Wind and sun causing havoc
Fires are still burning in parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as high winds and dry conditions frustrate emergency services. Firefighters are dealing with various blazes across large parts of the Scottish Highlands. Two boys, aged 10 and 15, have been questioned about a gorse fire in the Mourne Mountains of County Tyrone.

EU super-watchdog warns economic crisis 'far from over'
The EU's economic super-watchdog has warned that "many risks" remain to the stability of the EU's financial system and that the global crisis will last for many more years to come. The two deputy chairs of the new European Systemic Risk Board - the bloc's new Frankfurt-based supervisor of supervisors tasked with oversight of the financial system within the Union - gave a frank assessment of the state of capitalism in Europe in their first hearing before the European Parliament's economics committee.

'Hamas, Fatah agree to maintain Gaza truce with Israel'
Fatah and Hamas have agreed that that Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip will maintain a truce with Israel following the scheduled signing of the Palestinian unity deal, Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram quoted Palestinian sources as saying on Tuesday. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to sign the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation agreement in Cairo on Wednesday.

Mofaz: US has adopted Israel's targeted killing strategy
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) on Tuesday said that the killing of Osama bin Laden bears witness to the fact that the US has adopted Israel's strategy of targeting terrorist leaders. In an interview with Israel Radio, Mofaz said that the strategy was originally adopted by Israel following the murder of nine Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

MK: Israel Can Annihilate Iran in a Second
National Union party Chairman MK Yaakov ("Ketzaleh") Katz pushed the envelope of official ambiguity Monday regarding Israel's offensive nuclear capabilities. MK Katz said that Israel has the ability to destroy enemies like Iran and Syria "in a second's time." The statement is most likely a reference to military nuclear capabilities, which Israel has never officially admitted to possessing.

Iranian state TV carries report of Israeli build-up
Iranian state television ran a report Monday saying Israeli military aircraft were massing at a U.S. air base in Iraq for a strike on Iran. The report appeared on the website of Press TV. Israel said it had no knowledge of such a strike plan and Iraq's air force commander denied the Iranian report.

Jews Left With Rocks for Self-Defense
Jews in Givat Ronen in Samaria found themselves facing an Arab invasion on the Sabbath – with nothing to defend themselves with but a handful of stones.

Bin Laden Showed Up Classic Lie that ‘Poverty Breeds Terrorism’
He was killed on the same day that it was announced that Hitler had committed suicide, one day earlier in 1945, and on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Hamas, Palestinian leaders meet in Cairo
Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal arrived in Cairo for the signing of a unity agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, officials said. The two are expected to sign the Egyptian-sponsored agreement Wednesday, marking an end to internal division and the establishment of a unity government, Xinhua reported Monday.

Hamas slams killing of 'holy warrior' Osama bin Laden
"We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood," Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip, told reporters.

Netanyahu, Peres stress Iranian threat at Holocaust memorial ceremony
Both Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed Iranian nuclear aspirations as an existential threat to Israel, in remarks at the opening ceremony of Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday evening at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. The annual ceremony opens 24-hours of national commemorations across the country, mourning the deaths of six million Jews at the hands of the German Nazis and their supporters in World War II.

China urges "immediate" end to Libya conflict
China again urged an end to fighting in Libya on Monday, saying it has "always opposed" any action not authorised by the U.N. Security Council, after Libya said Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son and three grandchildren were killed in a NATO airstrike. -The deaths of Gaddafi's family members are sensitive as they will likely feed accusations that NATO has over-stepped its U.N. mandate to protect Libyan civilians.

Revolution in the Middle East and its connection to Revelation
This revolt and 'resistance' against the existence of Israel is at the spiritual heart of the Middle East conflict, it is essentially a 'spiritual battle,' and the current situation threatens to disrupt more than the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, given that the Islamic agenda (see Article 27: Hamas Covenant (PLO & Hamas Unite) proceeds and war threats in the region become more than rumors.



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Turkey striving to be among 'new axis' in Mideast
Turkey, which aspires to be the top mediator between 'the east and the west' and between the Arabs and themselves, suddenly finds that its circle of friends has grown.

Fatah, Hamas proclaim landmark reconciliation pact
Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have proclaimed a landmark, Egyptian-mediated reconciliation pact aimed at ending their bitter four-year rift. The ceremony took place Wednesday at the Egyptian intelligence headquarters in Cairo.

EU wins new powers at UN, transforming global body
The EU on Tuesday was given almost all the rights in the global chamber that fully-fledged states enjoy after the General Assembly backed 180 to two a resolution giving the bloc, which until this week only maintained observer status at the UN, the union the right to speak, the right to make proposals and submit amendments, the right of reply, the right to raise points of order and the right to circulate documents.

N Korean secret gulags thought to hold 200,000 political prisoners
"North Korea can no longer deny the undeniable," Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director Sam Zarifi said yesterday. "For decades the authorities have refused to admit to the existence of mass political prison camps. These are places out of sight of the rest of the world" whose inmates were treated essentially as slaves, he added.

Hamas, Fatah sign truce deal
Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah prepared for the historic signing of a truce deal Wednesday despite Israel's fervent objections. A draft of the deal was signed Tuesday in Cairo. Wednesday's ceremony, which was delayed nearly two hours, apparently due to a last-minute argument over Hamas and Fatah leaders' seating arrangements, will include Israeli MKs Ahmed Tibi, Mohammed Barakeh, Wasil Taha, and Taleb El-Sana.

World population to pass 7 billion on October 31: U.N.
The world's population is projected to pass 7 billion on October 31 as it heads toward 10 billion or more by the end of the century, a new U.N. report said on Tuesday. The report also predicted that the global population would be higher by mid-century than its last edition forecast two years ago, reaching 9.31 billion instead of 9.15 billion.

Syria: Army 'surrounds Baniyas' days after Deraa siege
Syrian security forces have surrounded the coastal city of Baniyas, activists say, days after tanks and troops took control of Deraa in the south. Soldiers have blocked the northern and southern entrances to the city, and the government has armed its supporters in nearby villages, the activists say. The number of arrests around the country has risen to 1,000, they add.

US breaches Mississippi River levee to ease flood risk
As many as 200 sq miles of farmland were under water on Tuesday after the US blew a hole in a Mississippi River levee to relieve a flood threat. The Army Corps of Engineers breached the levee in an effort to save the town of Cairo, Illinois, sacrificing farmland across the river in Missouri. A group of farmers whose land was flooded has sued the federal government over the move.

World 'failed to track' Bin Laden
Pakistan's prime minister says spy agencies worldwide share the blame for his country's failure to capture Osama Bin Laden, who was killed by US forces. "We have intelligence failure of the rest of the world including the United States," PM Yousuf Raza Gilani said. Pakistan has been criticised for not locating Bin Laden, who was living near the country's main military academy.

Zahar: Hamas will never recognize Israel
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar said on Wednesday that Palestine is "hallowed ground" and that his organization will never recognize Israel. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Zahar said that Palestinians will not give up on their right to Palestine, while recognizing the rule of Poles and Ethiopians in their land.

Palestinian leaders in Cairo for deal, face hitch
The Palestinian president, who heads Fatah, and the leader of the Islamist group Hamas were in Cairo on Wednesday to endorse a deal to end a four-year rift but a last minute hitch cast doubt on the durability of the accord. But the ceremony was delayed by a disagreement over protocol shortly before it began over whether Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal should sit on the podium with President Mahmoud Abbas or down among other Palestinian delegates in the hall.

J'lem imam: Obama will soon hang
An imam from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem vowed to take revenge over "the western dogs" for killing Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on Sunday.

Netanyahu to meet with Cameron, Sarkozy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to London and Paris on Tuesday in an attempt to sway the two European nations to say "no' to unilateral Palestinian statehood and “no” to a Palestinian unity government including Hamas. France recently stated that “recognition of a Palestinian state is an option that we are currently thinking about, with our European partners.”

Netanyahu calls on Abbas to cancel Fatah-Hamas unity deal
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to step away from a unity deal with the Islamist group Hamas a day before it was due to be officially signed in a ceremony in Cairo. On Tuesday it was announced that the deal itself had already been inked, and the scheduled Egyptian event would merely be ceremonial.

US Debt Rating Should Be 'C': Independent Agency
There have been increasing concerns about the fate of United States' prized triple-A sovereign debt rating. While Standard and Poor's recently downgraded its U.S. debt outlook to negative from stable, implying that a ratings cut could happen in two years, one independent ratings agency has given the U.S. sovereign rating a "C".

Hamas, Fatah Coordinate May 15 Assault on Israel
Hamas and Fatah, the twin terror groups that represent the "Palestinian people" in Land of Israel west of the River Jordan, are cooperating on a project for intimidating and embarrassing Israel on May 15. The date is the 63rd Gregorian calendar anniversary of the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948. The plans reportedly include mass marches toward Israel from all of the countries surrounding it, by Arabs and foreign sympathizers.

Russian Who Gave up US Spy Ring Charged
The former Russian intelligence officer who helped U.S. authorities arrest the Russian spy ring last summer has been charged in his homeland with high treason and desertion, reports said Tuesday.



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Grassroots Organization to Europe: Physician, Heal Thyself!!
The grassroots "Cities of Israel" organization has issued a strong message to Europe. It says that in light of how Europe treats Nazi-stolen Jewish property, it has no right to demand that Jews give up land in Judea and Samaria.

Jerusalem's Indivisible Population
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat told international media Wednesday that his city's diverse population cannot be divided – nor can the city itself.

All Eyes on the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River continues to rise, so much so that its tributaries are starting to flow backwards. At Tom Lee Park, preps for Memphis in May continue knowing that the worst is still yet to come. It's a site not often seen; the Wolf River and Nonconnah Creek are flowing backwards. The swelling river cannot take on much more water.

Six Planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky
If you get up any morning for the next few weeks, you’ll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky. For the last two months, almost all the planets have been hiding behind the sun, but this week they all emerge and are arrayed in a grand line above the rising sun. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are visible, and you can add Uranus and Neptune to your count if you have binoculars or a small telescope.

********* workers enter nuclear reactor building
Workers at Japan's ********* nuclear plant have entered one of its reactor buildings for the first time since it was hit by a powerful earthquake on 11 March, officials say. They are installing ventilation systems in the No 1 reactor to filter out radioactive material from the air. The quake disabled reactor cooling systems, causing fuel rods to overheat.

Libya: International group discusses funding for rebels
An international grouping is meeting in Rome to discuss financial aid for Libya's rebels. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Libya Contact Group would also look at ways to put pressure on Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. She said the desired outcome was an end to violence against civilians and a "democratic transition".

Bin Laden: Publishing images poses 'US security risk'
President Barack Obama has said publishing photos of the dead Osama Bin Laden threatens US national security. "I think that, given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk," Mr Obama said. The al-Qaeda leader was killed by US special forces in northern Pakistan on Monday. His body was buried at sea.

Obama to host Netanyahu at White House on May 20
US President Barack Obama will host Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for a meeting on May 20, the White House said on Wednesday. "The leaders look forward to discussing the full range of issues of mutual interest to the United States and Israel," the White House said in a statement.

Syria: Troops storm Damascus suburb, make arrests
Hundreds of Syrian soldiers in combat gear broke into houses and made arrests overnight in the Damascus suburb of Saqba, scene of a mass demonstration against the president last week, a resident said on Thursday. "The soldiers did not say who they were. People think they are from Maher's Fourth division," the female resident, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters, referring to the president's brother Maher al-Assad.

'France, Britain may recognize Palestinian state'
Hours after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with his British counterpart David Cameron and on the eve of his planned meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday, foreign sources said that both heads of state have threatened to support the Palestinians' statehood bid in the UN if there is no progress in peace talks. The Guardian quoted a diplomatic source as saying Cameron told Netanyahu that Britain would consider supporting a unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians if Israel fails to join substantive peace talks to create a two-state solution.

US: A Record 226 Tornadoes Recorded Over 24 Hours Last Week
According to the National Weather Service, 226 tornadoes were recorded from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, and that's a record for a 24-hour period.

US: Double waterspouts form off Hawaii shore
Two tall and skinny waterspouts appeared off the south shore of Oahu, Hawaii yesterday, as some of the bad weather that has lately assailed the U.S. mainland has now alighted on the Pacific island.

US: Swarm of Tiny Earthquakes Stretches From Belfast to Bucksport
...the tiny quakes are not unusual for the state, although having so many of them in such a small amount of time - called a "swarm" by geologists - is less common. The earthquakes are shallow, geologically speaking, Berry said, although they are located 2 or 3 miles deep into the Earth's crust.

Yesha Leaders Write UN, ‘Bible Records Israel as Jewish Land’
A letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon from Yesha Leaders explains that the Bible, the Quran, and international agreements document Israel as being the Land of the Jewish People.

Hamas Executes Arab Accused of Helping Israel
Hamas executed an Arab man in the Gaza region accused of collaborating with Israel, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday. He was reportedly shot by a firing squad before the agreement between Fatah and Hamas was signed in Cairo.

Advance in nanotechnology by Israeli researcher could lead to mini navigation devices for surgery
Only recently did he realize that his breakthrough could lead to another development, whose possible impact, he says, is in the realm of "a total paradigm shift."

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National Home Prices Double Dip
It's official. Home prices have double dipped nationwide, now lower than their March 2009 trough, according to a new report from Clear Capital. It was inevitable, and it was predicted (by me for sure) that a surge in sales of foreclosed properties and a big push by banks to facilitate short sales would force home prices down dramatically.

Mississippi floods force evacuations near Memphis
The rising Mississippi river lapped over downtown Memphis streets on Thursday as a massive wall of water threatened to unleash near record flooding all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Water lapped over Riverside Drive and onto Beale Street in Memphis, and threatened some homes on Mud Island, a community of about 5,000 residents with a river theme park. The island connects to downtown Memphis by a bridge and causeway.

Libya: Opposition outline post-Gaddafi 'road map'
Libya's opposition has set out a political "road map" for the country if and when Col Gaddafi falls from power. It includes installing an interim government while a new constitution is drafted and elections held. Mahmoud Jibril, head of the rebels' Transitional National Council (NTC), also welcomed an aid plan approved by the 22-nation contact group on Libya.

Syria troops deploy ahead of 'day of defiance'
Syrian troops are reported to have deployed in the suburbs of Damascus and in towns to the north of the capital. Protesters have said they will go ahead with a nationwide "day of defiance". A reliable source told the BBC that protesters and security forces had clashed near a Damascus mosque, with stones thrown and tear gas fired.

Haiti cholera similar to South Asian strain, says UN
The cholera strain that has claimed more than 4,500 lives in Haiti closely resembles strains currently circulating in South Asia, a UN report has found. The investigation followed accusations that UN peacekeepers from Nepal had introduced the disease into Haiti, prompting violent anti-UN riots. The accusations had been denied by UN and Nepalese officials.

Brazil Supreme Court awards gay couples new rights
Brazil's Supreme Court has voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing same-sex couples the same legal rights as married heterosexuals. The decision was approved by 10-0 with one abstention. The ruling will give gay couples in "stable" partnerships the same financial and social rights enjoyed by those in heterosexual relationships.

Katz: Palestinian state will be Iranian foothold
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz spoke out on Friday against a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood. "The unilateral establishment of a Palestinian state with Hamas will strengthen Iran's foothold in the region," Katz said, while visiting the Itamar home of the Fogel family, who were murdered by Palestinians in March.

Ahmadinjead allies arrested on suspicion of sorcery
Allies of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were arrested this week for being "magicians" and invoking spirits, Iranian website reported on Wednesday. Ahmadinejad's chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei as well as other people close to the Iranian president were accused of invoking djinns. One of the arrested men, Abbas Ghaffari, was called "a man with special skills in metaphysics and connections with the unknown worlds," Iranian news site Ayandeh reported.

US drone strike in Pakistan; protests over bin Laden
US drone aircraft fired missiles into a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on Friday, killing at least eight suspected terrorists just as Islamists protested against the killing of Osama bin Laden. It was the first drone strike since US special forces killed the al-Qaida leader on May 2 not far from Islamabad, further straining ties between the strategic allies.

Bin Laden Death Means Dollar to Remain as Reserve Currency
The death of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden means the U.S. military is quick and powerful and can do what it wants. It also means that since the U.S. military is that unrivaled, then the dollar will stick around as the world's only reserve currency. "History shows us that the country with the strongest military is always the reserve currency," Steve Cortes, founder of the Veracruz market-research firm, tells CNBC.

EU wins super-observer status at UN
The European Union on Tuesday secured super-observer status at the United Nations after overcoming objections from small states that they could see their influence eroded.Ashton led behind-the-scenes talks that went on up to the final hours before Tuesday's vote which passed with 180 countries in favour and Zimbabwe and Nauru abstaining. Csaba Korosi, ambassador from Hungary, the current EU president, told the assembly: "The European Union wishes to bring its full weight to bear in supporting and strengthening" global governance.

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White House Insider: Obama Hesitated – Panetta Issued Order to Kill Osama Bin Laden
:This update comes some 24 hours after our longtime Washington D.C. Insider first outlined shocking details of an Obama administration having been “overruled” by senior military and intelligence officials leading up to the successful attack against terrorist Osama Bin Laden. What follows is further clarification of Insider’s insights surrounding that event.

Greece Considers Exit from Euro Zone
The debt crisis in Greece has taken on a dramatic new twist. Sources with information about the government's actions have informed SPIEGEL ONLINE that Athens is considering withdrawing from the euro zone. The common currency area's finance ministers and representatives of the European Commission are holding a secret crisis meeting in Luxembourg on Friday night.

Al Qaeda confirms bin Laden death: monitoring group
Al Qaeda Friday confirmed the death of its leader Osama bin Laden, according to the SITE monitoring service.

Scores of Indonesian youths vow to avenge bin Laden's death
Scores of Indonesian men rallied on Friday to publicly vow their readiness to sacrifice their lives to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden, in a sign of the al Qaeda leader's popularity among hard-core Islamists in the most populous Muslim country.

Erdan leads sustainable development delegation to UN
Erdan, who will join members of his delegation there next week, will be exchanging ideas with other environmental ministers from all over the world and will also present a special talk about using mass media to facilitate change in environmental behaviors,

Forces fire at protesters as unrest spreads in Syria'
Witness says several hundred protesters attacked in city of Tel; Assad deploys tanks in central, coastal areas ahead of Friday prayers in test of will for anti-gov't demonstrators calling for "day of defiance."

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Medvedev signs into law bill ratifying Russian-Turkish civilian nuclear cooperation deal
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed into federal law a bill on ratifying an agreement between the Russian and Turkish governments on cooperation in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, which was signed in Ankara on August 6, 2009, the presidential press service reported on Saturday. The agreement is aimed at building a contractual framework for full-scale cooperation between Russia and Turkey in using nuclear energy for civilian purposes.

Is Gadhafi Preparing to Use Mustard Gas on Rebels?
Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s troops in and around the rebel-held western Libyan city of Misrata have been issued gas masks, a sign that the regime may be preparing to use chemical weapons, rebels told The Washington Times on Wednesday. The regime is thought to have about 9 tons of poisonous mustard gas at a secret desert location near Col. Gadhafi’s hometown, Sirte, multiple sources in Libya said.

EU to transfer funds to PA
The EU announced a $124 million funds transfer to the Palestinian Authority as hundreds of Palestinians marched through the West Bank Friday in support of a truce agreement signed between Hamas and Fatah. Leaders from both factions participated in what was described as 'Truce Friday'. In a supplementary move, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to withhold funds from the Palestinians.

Japan PM orders halt at Hamaoka nuclear plant
Japan's prime minister has told a power company to halt operations at another nuclear plant due to fears an earthquake could trigger a new crisis. Naoto Kan said three reactors at Hamaoka plant should be suspended until new safety measures were put in place. Experts said the chances of a powerful quake hitting the area were high.

US employment jumps 244,000 in April
US employment rose in April for the seventh month in a row, official figures have shown, but the overall unemployment rate has also risen. According to the US Labor Department, the number of new jobs created in April rose by 244,000, more than expected. However, the unemployment rate rose too, to 9%, from 8.8%. The employment and unemployment figures are collected using different methods.

Fears grow as flooding worsens in multiple US states
Fears are growing among US residents living along the Mississippi River as rising flood waters threaten communities in states from Illinois to Louisiana. Police officers went door-to-door in Memphis, Tennessee urging residents to leave nearly 1,000 homes near the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Sections of the Mississippi Delta also began to flood early on Friday.

Who else is condemning the US for killing bin Laden?
A close ideological link exists between the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaida. The two organizations aspire to the similar goal of establishing an Islamic caliphate and imposing Islam on the entire world via jihad. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates in Jordan and the Palestinian territories openly condemn Osama bin Laden’s “assassination.”

Egyptians denounce 'normalization' at embassy in Cairo
Protesters descended on the Israeli embassy in Cairo on Friday, calling for a complete halt in Egyptian cooperation with Israel. One protester said the demonstration was a response to President Shimon Peres's call for Egyptian youth to normalize relations with Israel, AFP reported.

'Khamenei to Ahmadinejad: Accept intel chief or quit'
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to accept the reinstatement of the country's intelligence chief or resign, reports emerged Friday. Khamenei, who, according to Iran's constitution, has the final word on all state affairs, rejected Ahmadinejad's decision last month to dismiss Heydar Moslehi.

Ban Ki-moon to PM: Release Palestinian tax revenue
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday that Israel should not withhold tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority following its unity deal with Hamas. "The Secretary-General ... noted that Palestinian unity is a process which is just beginning now, and thus, it would be best to assess it as it moves forward," the UN press office said in a statement summarizing Ban's telephone call with Netanyahu.

'Hamas to consult factions on moves toward Israel'
Hamas will make decisions about how to handle its resistance against Israel, including if and when to use force, in consultation with more moderate Palestinian groups, the movement's leader Khaled Mashaal told The Wall Street Journal on Saturday. "How to manage the resistance, what's the best way to achieve our goals, when to escalate and when to cease fire, now we have to agree on all those decisions as Palestinians," Mashaal said in an interview in Cairo.

'Civilian killings in Syrian demonstrations rise to 800'
Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 800 civilians since pro-democracy protests erupted seven weeks ago, Syrian rights groups Sawasiah said on Saturday. The organization, which was founded by jailed human rights lawyer Mohannad al-Hassani, said in a statement sent to Reuters it had the names of the 800 civilians killed. Among them were 220 killed in a tank-backed army attack on the city of Deraa.

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Syrian army 'surrounds Damascus suburb'
Heavy shooting has been heard in a western suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, after the army cordoned off the area, human rights activists say. Security forces are also continuing their efforts to crush anti-government protests in the central city of Homs, Deraa and the coastal town of Baniyas. On Sunday, there were reports from Homs of gunfire, arrests and deaths, including that of a 12-year-old boy.

Bin Laden: Pakistan PM Yusuf Raza Gilani to assess raid
Pakistani PM Yusuf Raza Gilani is to make a statement in parliament about the US special forces raid which led to the death of Osama Bin Laden last week. The address comes amid questions about how the al-Qaeda leader was able to live apparently undetected in the town of Abbottabad near the capital.

Barak: We can't have it both ways with Palestinian unity
Israel can't have it both ways opposing holding negotiations with a unified Palestinian government all the while insisting it cannot negotiate with a divided Palestinian government, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday. For years, Israel has been telling the world that there's a problem in negotiating with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas because he doesn't control the whole of Palestinian territories, Barak told Israel Radio in a Memorial Day interview.

Israel to invest one billion dollars in Iron Dome missile defense
Defense Ministry director general Maj. Gen. (res. ) Udi Shani says that Israel plans to invest nearly $1 billion in the coming years for the development and production of Iron Dome rocket interception batteries. Shani reveals that five countries have already expressed an interest in the system, especially following its successful operational interception of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip last month.

US presses Pakistan on Bin Laden
US President Barack Obama has called on Pakistan to investigate the network that sustained Osama Bin Laden in his hideout where he was killed last week. Mr Obama told CBS show 60 Minutes the government in Islamabad had to find out if any of its officials knew of the al-Qaeda leader's whereabouts.

Gay men 'report higher cancer rate than straight men'
Homosexual men are more likely to have had cancer than heterosexual men, as US study has suggested. The study of more than 120,000 people in California has led to calls for more specialist support.

Thousands march against violence in Mexico City
An anti-violence march that began in a central state with a few hundred people and gathered thousands over a four-day trek reached Mexico's capital Sunday, led by a poet whose son was killed by suspected drug traffickers.

Shortages choke Tripoli as sanctions take hold
Cars sat abandoned in miles-long fuel lines, motorists traded angry screams with soldiers guarding gas stations, and many shops were closed Sunday on what should have been a work day.

Israel Independence Day greetings from President Peres
On the day of the proclamation of the State of Israel, it was stated that this newly founded nation would be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel. We abide by the Jewish code of moral values instilled in us. We are still facing evil forces, especially those that emanate from Iran. This call, by a regime that is a danger to the entire world, should be met by an uncompromising mobilization of the international community. We are determined, together with our supporters everywhere, to fight anti-Semitism and delegitimization.

Pro-Hamas Israel-Hate Fest in Germany
A German city funded and hosted a pro-Hamas “The Return Generation Knows the Way” conference Saturday, complete with Nazi terminology and incitement for suicide bombings. The Hamas-linked anti-Israel Palestine Return Center in London, which has become a de facto center for Hamas and other radical Muslim groups, hosted the confab that in the words of the American Jewish Committee, has the single aim of “the denial of the existence of the State of Israel.”

Greece Considers Exit from Euro Zone
Greece's economic problems are massive, with protests against the government being held almost daily. Now Prime Minister George Papandreou apparently feels he has no other option: SPIEGEL ONLINE has obtained information from German government sources knowledgeable of the situation in Athens indicating that Papandreou's government is considering abandoning the euro and reintroducing its own currency.

Palestinian youth: New movement, new borders
...According to youth leaders, reconciliation is only the first of many demands. The movement which transcends borders, and in some cases, the bounds of qualifying youth age, has its eyes set on rehabilitating the scattered Palestinian national body by holding Palestinian National Council elections that include all Palestinians, regardless of geographic location and circumstance. Its ultimate goal: to reconstruct a Palestinian national programme based upon a comprehensive resistance platform.

Democrat senators to Obama: Cut PA aid
Obama pressured by own party members: Following the recent Hamas-Fatah unity deal, 29 Democratic party senators sent a letter to President Barack Obama Friday, urging him to end American aid to the Palestinian Authority should Hamas join the PA government. Now, along with Republican party senators endorsing the move, there is a clear majority in support of cutting the massive aid offered by the Administration to the Palestinians.

Europe's largest stem cell clinic shut down after death of baby
The closure of the XCell-Center in Dusseldorf follows an undercover investigation by The Sunday Telegraph into its controversial practices, which attracted hundreds of patients from the UK. The clinic charged patients up to £20,000 for stem cell injections into the back and brain despite a lack of scientific proof that the treatments actually worked.

Boy killed in Syria unrest; at least 200 said detained in mass arrests
Syrian security forces began a wave of mass arrests at three different locations in the early hours of Sunday, witnesses said, as Syrian President Bashar Assad expanded a campaign to crush the country's seven-week, nationwide uprising. A 12-year-old boy was killed Sunday as gunfire and shelling erupted in the central Syrian city of Homs, a flashpoint in the widespread seven-week-old uprising against Assad's autocratic regime, an activist said.

FURIOUS BIN LADEN SUPPORTERS VOW TO TAKE REVENGE
HUNDREDS of Osama bin Laden supporters clashed with English Defence League extremists today as a “funeral service” for the assassinated terror leader sparked fury outside London’s US Embassy. Police stepped in to separate the chanting groups amid threats of violence from both sides.

Death toll in Egypt church clash rises to 10, 186 wounded
The death toll from a sectarian clash over the alleged conversion of an Egyptian Christian woman to Islam rose to 10 on Sunday as the country's prime minister called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the violence. Witnesses said around 500 conservative Islamists known as Salafists massed outside the Saint Mina Church in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba on Saturday demanding that Christians hand over a woman they said had converted to Islam.

'Abbas likely to reappoint Fayyad to head interim gov't'
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is likely to reappoint current PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to head the interim government that will be established following the signing of the unity deal by Hamas and Fatah, according to a report by Asharq-Al-Awsat newspaper on Sunday. According to the London-based paper, Abbas believes that appointing Fayyad for the next government will send a positive message to the international community, particularly the United States and the European Union.

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Cuba visa change may spark exodus to US
"Study a policy that allows Cubans living in the country to travel abroad as tourists," read one of the bullet-points on a government document listing 313 reforms approved at a rare Communist Party Congress mid-April, released yesterday. Cuba gave no immediate concrete details of the plan in its release. But if and when it is implemented - it could drop a bomb on US-Cuban relations, frozen and going nowhere fast as Cuba ignores US calls to open its economy and political system.

‘Al Qaeda in Iraq’ backs Zawahiri to replace Bin Laden as global head of terrorist body
The Iraq affiliate of Al Qaeda has pledged allegiance to Ayman Al Zawahiri to fill in the vacant position of the network’s top leadership after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Al Arabiya TV reported on Monday. “I tell our brothers in Al Qaeda led by Ayman Al Zawahiri, go on with God’s blessing and be glad that you have faithful brothers in the Islamic State of Iraq who are marching on the path of right,” said Abu Baker Al Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) in a statement posted on the Internet.

Yemen, Iran to top the agenda of GCC consultative meeting in Riyadh
The tense relations between the Gulf States and Iran as well as the political stalemate in Yemen are expected to dominate the agenda when leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council gather in Riyadh on Tuesday for the annual consultative meeting, the UAE-based Gulf News quoted a source as saying. “Gulf leaders will discuss the (financial) support to Bahrain and Oman,” the source who declined to be named told the English-language daily. “The developments in Yemen are also expected to be discussed.”

Egyptian Christians say they are 'under organised attack'
Armed troops and riot police guarded the streets around St Mena's church and nearby burned-out shops and apartment blocks in the impoverished, crumbling Cairo suburb of Imbaba. Inside, Father Cherubim Awad said a conspiracy was the only possible explanation for the violence that had engulfed relations between Christians and Muslims in recent weeks.

U.S.: Israel's decision to withhold PA funds 'premature'
The United States slammed Monday Israel’s decision to withhold Palestinian Authority funds saying "any decision following the Hamas-Fatah agreement is premature.” U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner admitted that the Israelis “have their concerns,” but stressed that that the U.S. government's position is that “we believe that we need to wait and see. We believe it's premature to make any decisions.

Housing crash is getting worse: report
New data just out from Zillow, the real-estate information company, show house prices are falling at their fastest rate since the Lehman collapse. Average home prices are down 8% from a year ago, 3% over the quarter, and are falling at about 1% every month, according to Zillow.

Soils of UK and Europe drying out
The scale of just how dry the start of 2011 has been is evident in some fascinating data from one of Europe's latest Earth observation satellites. Smos senses the moisture in the top layers of soil, and it is very clear in these maps that the ground across the UK and much of Europe is now gasping for water. Last month was the warmest April on record in Britain.

Syrian army tanks 'moving towards Hama'
Reports from Syria say columns of tanks have moved towards the central city of Hama, which has been the scene of anti-government protests in recent weeks. There have also been arrests in the nearby city of Homs, and in the coastal town of Baniyas, where a crackdown by troops is continuing, activists say. Earlier, the UN said it was concerned it had been unable to get humanitarian aid to the embattled city of Deraa.

Libya: UN's Valerie Amos seeks pause in fighting
UN aid chief Valerie Amos has called for a pause in hostilities in Libya to help ease the humanitarian crisis. Baroness Amos told the UN Security Council that Misrata, the only rebel-held city in western Libya, was in a dire state and short of food and water. Three-quarters of a million people have fled Libya since an uprising began against Col Muammar Gaddafi's rule.

Boehner calls for spending cuts as debt limit looms
The top US Republican in Congress has warned he will oppose increasing the US government's ability to borrow funds unless the Obama administration agrees to deep spending cuts. Republican House Speaker John Boehner also said the cuts must exceed any boost to the US borrowing limit. The move comes less than a week before the US is set to run up against its $14.3 trillion (£8.7tn) debt limit.

Memphis flooding: Thousands of homes evacuated
The southern US city of Memphis is coping with flood levels not seen since the 1930s, which have forced people from at least 1,300 homes. The Mississippi River was expected to crest at 48ft (14.6m) late on Monday or early on Tuesday in the Tennessee city. The authorities have evacuated low-lying neighbourhoods, but officials say they are confident flood control systems will prevent further harm.

France joins EU in pledging aid to Palestine
France has said it will donate €10 million to the Palestinian Authority following a recent Israeli decision to halt tax revenue transfers to the administrative organisation based in Ramallah. The announcement on Monday (9 May) comes shortly after a similar move by the European Union, with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad warning that his government was unable to pay employees.

'Iran responds to EU's Ashton on nuclear talks'
Iran's top nuclear negotiator replied on Tuesday to a letter by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on fresh nuclear talks, saying they should be "just", state television reported. "The letter was handed over in Vienna by Iran's ambassador. In the letter, Saeed Jalili welcomed P5+1's return to talks, underlining the talks should be just and without pressuring the other party," the Arabic-language al Alam channel reported.


"Tower of Babel" built in Buenos Aires
The "Tower of Babel", a creation made with thousands of books in languages from all over the world, at San Martin square in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 6, 2011. The artwork was created to celebrate that the UNESCO nominated Buenos Aires as the World Book Capital 2011.

Fuel injected into reactor of Bushehr NPP
Operations to inject fuel into the core of the reactor of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant have been completed, FARS news agency reported. Although the plant was put into operation on May 8, The power plant will join the national grid by the next two months.Iran signed a deal with Russia in 1995,- Russia finally completed the construction of the plant last summer.

Intelligence Officials: More Warnings of al-Qaida Terror Plots Coming
The FBI Laboratory has custody of the more than 100 items seized in the raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound, and clues from this material will likely lead to warnings of more al-Qaida plots...

Egypt: 12 Dead in Muslim Attack on Church
Twelve people were killed Saturday when Muslims attacked a church in Cairo, in the second incident of its kind since March. The attack set off violent clashes that ended in hundreds of injuries and almost 200 arrests. The mob threw firebombs at the church, chanting, “With our blood and our souls we will defend you, Islam.”

Pro-Hamas Israel-Hate Fest in Germany
A German city funded and hosted a pro-Hamas “The Return Generation Knows the Way” conference Saturday, complete with Nazi terminology and incitement for suicide bombings.

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Hamas accepts 1967 borders, but will never recognize Israel, top official says
Hamas would be willing to accept a Palestinian state within 1967 borders, a leader of the militant group, Mahmoud Zahar, told the Palestinian news agency Ma'an on Wednesday, adding, however, that Hamas would never recognize Israel since such a move would counter the group's aim to "liberate" all of Palestine.

Erekat: Israel's cancelation of Palestinian residency is a 'war crime'
Israel's cancelling of the residency status of 140,000 West Bank Palestinians report by Haaretz constitutes a war crime and represents an Israeli attempt to affect the demographic composition of the West Bank. Erekat's comments were in response to a Haaretz report earlier Wednesday that quoted an official Israeli document according to which Israel has used a covert procedure to cancel the residency status of West Bank Palestinians between 1967 and 1994.

Disgruntled Texas Republicans await Obama's visit
President Barack Obama will visit Texas on Tuesday, with stops in El Paso and a fundraiser in Austin, but he won't feel the love -- at least not from unhappy Republican lawmakers who see the administration's refusal to designate the wildfire-battered state a disaster area as the latest slap in the face to the very Republican Lone Star State. The refusal by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give Texas disaster status, and the federal aid that goes with it, is the latest of the state's fights with the administration.

Osama Bin Laden Raid: Pakistan Hints China Wants a Peek at Secret Helicopter
Pakistani officials said today they're interested in studying the remains of the U.S.'s secret stealth-modified helicopter abandoned during the Navy SEAL raid of Osama bin Laden's compound, and suggested the Chinese are as well. The U.S. has already asked the Pakistanis for the helicopter wreckage back, but one Pakistani official told ABC News the Chinese were also "very interested" in seeing the remains. Another official said, "We might let them [the Chinese] take a look."

Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant begins operation
Iran's first nuclear power station has begun operating at a low level, says the Russian company that built it. The generating unit at the Bushehr reactor was brought up to the "minimum controllable level of power" on Sunday. "This is one of the final stages in the physical launch of the reactor," said Vladislav Bochkov, a spokesman for the Russian company Atomstroyexport.

China rejects US criticism of human rights record
China has rejected US criticism over deteriorating human rights saying that China's progress in human rights "is an objective fact". China and the US are at different stages of development, and so have different views on human rights, Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said.

Venezuela begins electricity rationing after blackouts
Venezuela is rationing electricity after blackouts affected nearly half the country earlier this week. A senior energy ministry said power would be cut off for three hours a day in 19 of the country's 23 states. The authorities hope the move will help make the distribution system more stable.

Obama calls for immigration system reform
President Barack Obama has called for broad reform of the US immigration system, while highlighting steps he has taken to strengthen border security. In Texas, Mr Obama backed a path to legal status for illegal immigrants, as well as crackdowns on employers who hire illegal workers. He called on Congress to reject "the usual Washington games" and enact a comprehensive overhaul.

MEPs to go on Gaza boats despite risks
At least two MEPs plan to put their personal safety at risk by going on boats in a new flotilla to break Israel's maritime blockade on Gaza. Flotilla organiser Manuel Tapial told press at the EU parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday (10 May) that Willy Meyer, a left-wing Spanish euro-deputy, and Paul Murphy, a left-wing Irish member, will be on two of the around 15 boats that plan to sail from various European locations in June.

Israel to invest millions in real-time satellite capacity
The Defense Ministry is set to invest millions to upgrade Israel’s space communication capabilities, to enable reconnaissance and surveillance satellites used by the IDF to provide real-time intelligence. As things stand, Israeli satellites can only download their data when they fly directly over Israel – which can mean a delay of up to 90 minutes, a critical handicap in times of conflict.

Shaath: New Palestinian gov't to be formed in 10 days
A new Palestinian government will be created in 10 days, senior Fatah member Nabil Shaath said Tuesday, according to Palestinian news agency Ma'an. Shaath said the new government's prime minister had not yet been announced, and he did not exclude Salam Fayyad for the position. The Fatah leader told Ma'an that the US and EU were pressuring Israel to release Palestinian Authority tax money, which was frozen when Fatah and Hamas signed their unity deal in Egypt last week.

Syria's bloody crackdown continues; Assad unfazed
Army tanks shelled a residential district in Homs on Wednesday, said a rights campaigner in Syria's third city which has emerged as the most populous center of defiance against President Bashar Assad's rule. "Homs is shaking with the sound of explosions from tank shelling and heavy machineguns in the Bab Amro neighborhood," said Najati Tayara.

Tanks shell Syrian city; Assad confident
Army tanks shelled a residential district in Homs on Wednesday, said a rights campaigner in Syria's third city which has emerged as the most populous center of defiance against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. "Homs is shaking with the sound of explosions from tank shelling and heavy machineguns in the Bab Amro neighborhood," said Najati Tayara.

Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant begins operation
Iran's first nuclear power station has begun operating at a low level, says the Russian company that built it.

Greeks stage one-day strike over austerity cuts
Greek labour unions are staging a one-day strike in protest against the government's austerity measures. The strike, called by two of the country's largest unions, is expected to shut down most public services and ground flights.

More than 80 killed in Southern Sudan violence
More than 80 people were killed when rebels attacked cattle herders in Southern Sudan, officials said, while hundreds marched in the southern capital to protest the unresolved status of a volatile border hotspot.

Mississippi River crests near record at Memphis
The Mississippi River was cresting at Memphis on Tuesday just inches below the all-time record as the swollen wall of water moved south toward the Gulf of Mexico. The level of the largest river in North America may have reached its peak at 47.87 feet on Tuesday morning in Memphis, and it has dropped since then, according to Andy Sniezak, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Irish Bombshell: Government Raids PRIVATE Pensions To Pay For Spending
The Irish government plans to institute a tax on private pensions to drive jobs growth, according to its jobs program strategy, delivered today. Without the ability sell debt due to soaring interest rates, and with severe spending rules in place due to its EU-IMF bailout, Ireland has few ways of spending to stimulate the economy. Today's jobs program includes specific tax increases, including the tax on pensions, aimed at keeping government jobs spending from adding to the national debt.


First Tropical Storm of the Season to Near ********* Nuclear Plant
Typhoon season is approaching, and the threat of a tropical storm affecting Japan while the nation is still slowly recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami is a big concern.

Tornadoes Return Midweek
With these severe thunderstorms comes a threat for tornadoes, especially from north-central Kansas southward to northern Texas. While Wednesday's severe weather will be nothing in comparison to the twisters we saw on April 27, all it takes is one tornado to move through a populated area to have a major impact on life and property. Cities at greatest risk for tornadoes on Wednesday include Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Dallas.

Magnitude 6.8 Quake Shakes South Pacific
The powerful temblor rocked the sea floor between New Caledonia and Vanuatu shortly before 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The epicenter was about 170 miles south of Port Vila, Vanuatu, and 180 miles northeast of Noumea, New Caledonia, at a focal depth of 16.5 miles. Initially, the USGS had estimated the quake magnitude at 7.1,

Iran says talks to reestablish diplomatic ties with Egypt underway
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that talks to reestablish diplomatic ties with Egypt were under way and it was hopeful ties would be resumed soon.

Israel created a budding garden out of obstinate ground
"We proved we can create a budding garden out of obstinate ground," Peres said during a ceremony with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.

Navy Authorizes Chaplains to Perform Same-Sex ‘Marriages’ in Naval Chapels
Anticipating the elimination of the military ban on homosexuality, the Office of the Chief of Navy Chaplains has decided that same-sex couples in the Navy will be able to get married in Navy chapels, and that Navy chaplains will be allowed to perform the ceremonies -- if homosexual marriage is legal in the state where the unions are to be performed.

Fire and rain: Fed scientists point to wild April
April was a historic month for wild weather in the United States, and it wasn't just the killer tornado outbreak that set records, according to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...the U.S. also had the most acres burned by wildfire for April since 2000. Nearly 95 percent of Texas has a drought categorized as severe or worse, exacerbated by the fifth driest April on record for the Lone Star state. U.S. scientists also looked for the fingerprints of global warming and La Nina on last month's deadly tornadoes, but couldn't find evidence to blame those oft-cited weather phenomena.

AP Slants Story of Muslim Violence Against Christians in Egypt
"Clashes between Muslims and Christians" makes it sound like a scene from "West Side Story" with two sides causing equal amounts of trouble. But there were no Mosques burned in the clashes, only Christian Churches.

Russia's 17-Year Bid to Join the WTO Faces One Last Hurdle
Russia's tortured 17-year journey toward accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) seems to be nearing its end. But exactly how the endgame will play out remains fraught with suspense.

EU to Impose Arms Embargo on Syria
In a statement, the EU said that it is banning shipments to Syria of “arms and equipment that could be used for internal repression.”

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Yemen Qaeda leader says fierce revenge will make US 'wish for the days of Osama'
A leader of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has vowed to avenge Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's death, saying that jihad would only intensify and that the United States would come to "wish for the days of Osama". Bin Laden, who had evaded capture for a decade, was killed in a top secret operation involving a small team of US Special Forces in Pakistan's Abbottabad city, located 50 kilometres northeast of Islamabad and 150 kilometres east of Peshawar.

Miss. town could be wiped off map by flood
On the bloated Mississippi River, the unincorporated town of Tunica Cutoff, Miss., sits an hour's drive south of Memphis. There was a sense of relief after the river crested in the music city Monday, but it next took aim at the fertile Mississippi Delta , leaving Tunica Cutoff residents wondering if they'll have a community to return to when the water recedes. CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann reports that there are about 300 homes in Tunica Cutoff, and they have all been flooded.

President to Renew Muslim Outreach
President Barack Obama is preparing a fresh outreach to the Muslim world in coming days, senior U.S. officials say, one that will ask those in the Middle East and beyond to reject Islamic militancy in the wake of Osama bin Laden's death and embrace a new era of relations with the U.S.

Syria protests: Thousands of students rally in Aleppo
Security forces have broken up a demonstration by thousands of students in Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, witnesses and activists say. The dormitory protest is thought to be the city's biggest so far. The students demanded an end to the military siege of other cities in Syria including Homs, Deraa and Banias, the main flashpoints of dissent against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Spain earthquake: Thousands in Lorca sleep out in fear
Thousands of people have spent the night outdoors in the southern Spanish town of Lorca after an earthquake which killed at least eight people. The magnitude-5.2 tremor toppled several buildings after striking at a depth of just 10km (six miles), 120km south-west of Alicante. Lines of cars lay crushed under tonnes of rubble after Spain's worst earthquake for 50 years.

China joins US in battle against EU carbon rules for airlines
China has joined the US in looking for ways to get out of the EU's upcoming CO2 cap-and-trade regime for foreign airlines flying in and out of the union. A senior Chinese official speaking at an aviation forum in Beijing on Wednesday (11 May) said its airlines should get special treatment because China is still a relatively poor country.

Egypt Brotherhood member to run for presidency
A senior member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said he would run for president as an independent, a move that could draw votes from backers of the Islamist group that has said it will not field a candidate. Secular groups and the West are concerned by how much power the Brotherhood may gain after the first elections since the toppling of president Hosni Mubarak. Decades of authoritarian rule has curbed the development of potential rivals.

Top Fatah official: 'PA won't be able to stop 3rd intifada'
The Palestinian leadership won’t be able to contain the street protests planned for this weekend marking the 63rd anniversary of the creation of Israel, said a senior member of Central Committee of the Fatah movement. Abbas Zaki, whose tasks include monitoring the Arab Spring revolts, told The Media Line that Palestinians have been encouraged by how Arabs across the Middle East have toppled two leaders and threaten others with mass protests.


Presbyterians OK gay pastors; Twin Cities cast deciding vote Church will lift ban in place since the mid-1990s
An amendment to allow Presbyterian congregations across the United States to ordain openly gay pastors won approval Tuesday night, with the pivotal vote taking place in the Twin Cities.

Oil slips as cooling China economy comes to focus
Oil prices fell, turning negative after earlier highs as the focus shifted from robust demand from China to signs that the world's second-largest economy might be cooling.

Shaath: New government within 10 days
Fayyad should head the new government because of the success of his state-building plan, launched in 2009 and scheduled to be completed in August, Khader said. Fayyad's plan, "Ending the Occupation, Establishing a State," has focused on building institutions necessary for statehood. It has received widespread support from the international community.

Quartet backs Abbas, Fayyad-led government
Abbas hopes that Israel and the PA "will go back to negotiations in order to establish a Palestinian state," Grappo said. "The Quartet's stance is statehood with an agreement first instead of unilateral options." Grappo said the Quartet was in full support of Palestinian unity, but noted bias for caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. "The west will not be concerned or alarmed" by the change if Fayyad stays, he said. If a new prime minister is appointed, he added, the Quartet will evaluate its position.

Magnitude 6.8 Quake Shakes South Pacific
The powerful temblor rocked the sea floor between New Caledonia and Vanuatu shortly before 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The epicenter was about 170 miles south of Port Vila, Vanuatu, and 180 miles northeast of Noumea, New Caledonia, at a focal depth of 16.5 miles.

Severe Weather on Tuesday Turns Deadly in the East
Violent thunderstorms tore through the upper Ohio Valley and Carolinas on Tuesday, leaving two people dead and a trail of damage.

Quakes hit Italy, but none in Rome despite myth
More than 22 earthquakes struck Italy by noon on Wednesday, as is normal for the quake-prone country. But none was the devastating temblor purportedly predicted by a now-dead scientist to strike Rome.

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EU diplomats urge Russia to allow gay pride march
EU diplomats have tried and failed to get Russia to allow a historic gay pride march in Moscow, but foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton is to keep up pressure. The pride event - billed as the first ever to be held legally in the Russian capital - is planned to take place on 28 May.

Europe delays nuclear stress tests
Europe's nuclear safety regulators on Thursday (12 May) failed to reach an agreement on 'stress tests' for nuclear plants, due to squabbling over whether to include terrorist attacks and other man-made disasters. Backed by Berlin, EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger had insisted that potential terrorist attacks be part of the screening for checking the resilience of Europe's 143 plants.


Abbas: I won't run for president again
Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Tuesday that he would not run for president again, telling the PLO leadership in Ramallah that he was "serious" about his decision. "I have said in the past that I have no intention of running in the presidential election. I was serious about it then and let me repeat myself here: I will not run for president again," Abbas said.

Obama to deliver speech to Muslim world
Obama will deliver a speech reaching out to the Muslim world, in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden and amid ongoing unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Two Earthquakes in Spain Leave 10 Dead
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck near the town of Lorca at 12:47 p.m. EDT (6:47 p.m. local time) on Wednesday. The USGS reports the earthquake followed a 4.5-magnitude tremor that occurred at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday

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2011 Significant Earthquake and News Headlines Archive
This is a selected, incomplete list of significant earthquakes and may not have the most up-to-date, authoritative information for each earthquake.

Herschel Detects Gigantic Storms Sweeping Entire Galaxies Clean
Some of these massive outflows reach velocities of more than 1000 kilometres per second, i.e. thousands of times faster than in terrestrial hurricanes. The observations show that the more active galaxies contain stronger winds, which can blow away the entire gas reservoir in a galaxy...

'Obama's grandmother receives death threats from al-Qaida'
Al-Shabaab, al-Qaida's African affiliate, threatens U.S. President's step-grandmother, prompting heightened security and 24-hour surveillance of her Kenya home, ABC News reports.

Mexico: Immigration Chiefs Fired
The department said it had fired the leaders of the Immigration Institute’s branches in seven states. A group of Central American migrants recently accused immigration agents of pulling them off buses in Tamaulipas State and handing them over to criminal gangs.

World's top banks face capital surcharge hit: report
Three participants in the process told the Financial Times that a solid bloc has coalesced around the idea of graduated charges, although a few countries are still hoping for a flat requirement, the newspaper said.

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood member says he will seek presidency
A senior member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood said he would run for president as an independent, a move that could draw votes from backers of the Islamist group that has said it will not field a candidate.

Vatican increases pressure to allow Latin mass
The Vatican told Catholic bishops around the world on Friday they had to obey a papal order allowing priests to say the old-style Latin mass for traditionalist Catholics, whether they liked it or not. The re-instatement of the Latin mass was one of the demands of ultra-traditionalists whose leaders were excommunicated in 1988, prompting the first schism in modern times.

'Son of Hamas' Denounced as a Phony
"Mosab did not convert to what the West would recognize as Christianity, but to a fiery, Palestinian brand of the faith that is vehemently anti-Israel," he writes. Shoebat uses as evidence two videotapes of interviews Mosab granted to Arabic television channels.

U.S. states braced for invasion of cicadas as they hatch after 13 years underground
Their haunting chirrup strikes fear into the heart of every gardener. For thirteen years this cicada hoard has lain dormant in its underground lair, awaiting the right time to strike. And it appears that that time has come. Even at this very moment, billions of the winged insect are crawling from their exoskeleton cages, ready to suck the sap out of every plant, tree and bush that gets in their way.

Scientists Discover Bedbugs Carrying MRSA Germ In Study
Hate insects? Afraid of germs? Researchers are reporting an alarming combination: bedbugs carrying a staph “superbug.” Canadian scientists detected drug-resistant staph bacteria in bedbugs from three hospital patients from a downtrodden Vancouver neighborhood.

Syria: Opposition says Assad vows not to fire on rally
An adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has promised government forces will not fire on protests planned for Friday, an opposition leader says. Louay al-Husein told the BBC he and other opposition leaders had been in talks with adviser Buthaina Shabaan to negotiate an end to the crisis. Reports say tanks and soldiers are already gathering in some cities.

Obama Should Condemn Anti-Christian Violence in Egypt
Even as he renews his outreach to Muslims, President Obama should seek to stem the growing tide of violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt by condemning last weekend’s attacks that left a dozen people dead and scores injured. The attacks, about which Obama has been silent, also resulted in the burning of Coptic Orthodox churches and the destruction of Christian homes and businesses.

White House raises stakes in cybersecurity debate
The White House on Thursday issued long-awaited legislative recommendations for fortifying U.S. computer networks in a proposal that notably omitted any talk of a “kill switch” for the Internet. No previous administration had ever released legislative guidance on cybersecurity, which has become a pressing issue now that computer networks have become an essential part of most industries, including transportation and communication.

Pakistan paramilitary Shabqadar base bombings 'kill 80'
Twin bomb attacks on a paramilitary force academy in north-west Pakistan have killed 80 people, police say. At least 120 people were wounded in the blasts at the training centre for the Frontier Constabulary in Shabqadar, Charsadda district. After early suspicions that one of the bombs was planted, police said both blasts were suicide attacks.

Japan's government approves Tepco compensation scheme
Japan's government has approved a plan to help Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) compensate victims of the crisis at its tsunami-crippled nuclear plant. Payouts are expected to run into the tens of billions of dollars over the ********* nuclear plant breakdown. The assistance could help Tepco avoid bankruptcy, but the government insisted it was not meant as a bail-out.

Shin Bet: Egypt turmoil helping arms smuggling to Gaza
Smugglers of arms into the Gaza Strip are operating almost freely after a change of leadership in Egypt, a Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) report released Thursday said. The report said with Egypt's new leaders preoccupied with stabilizing their country, "governance in Sinai is not high and this allows smugglers to operate almost without hindrance.

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Iran warns West it will allow transit of drugs to Europe if criticism continues
A senior Iranian official has threatened to allow the transit of illegal drugs through its territory to Europe should the West continue criticizing the Islamic nation's human rights record. Mohammad Javad Larijani also defended Iran's record on fighting the drug trafficking, noting that 74 percent of executions in Iran are related to drug offenses.

Medicare, Social Security Funds Expiring Sooner, U.S. Says
May 13 (Bloomberg) -- Medicare, the U.S. health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, and the Social Security trust for the disabled and retirees are running out of money sooner than the government had projected. While Medicare won’t have sufficient funds to pay full benefits starting in 2024, five years earlier than last year’s estimate, Social Security’s cash to pay full benefits runs short in 2036, a year sooner than the 2010 projection, the U.S. government said today in an annual report.

Syrian troops open fire, defying presidential order
At least three protesters were shot dead in Syria on Friday despite an order from President Bashar al-Assad for security forces not to open fire on demonstrators, rights activists said. The continuing repression came as the government announced plans to launch a "national dialogue" in response to the anti-regime protests that have rocked the country since March 15.

Obama: US will seek oil in Alaska and Gulf of Mexico
The US will seek to expand domestic oil production in an attempt to reduce dependence on imported oil and bring down fuel prices, President Obama says. New leases for exploration will be granted in non-protected areas of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. In his weekly address the president insisted the US could reduce its need for imported oil and improve safety.

Pakistan lawmakers slam US after session with army
Members of Pakistan's Parliament slammed the United States on Saturday for the raid that killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden on their soil, but also demanded that an independent commission probe the debacle instead of one led by the country's powerful armed forces.

Greek debt fears fuel new aid talks
The European Union warned Friday that Greece's already massive debt is growing much faster than forecast, putting pressure on the region's finance chiefs to come up with new support for the country at their get-together next week.

La. readies to open spillway, flood Cajun country
Army engineers prepared Saturday to slowly open the gates of an emergency spillway along the rising Mississippi River, diverting floodwaters from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, yet inundating homes and farms in parts of Louisiana's populated Cajun country.

Clashes erupt at funeral of Palestinian youth in e. J'lem
Violence broke out on Saturday between security forces and Palestinians who took part in a funeral procession for the17-year-old Palestinian youth who was injured during "Nakba day" disturbances in Silwan, east Jerusalem on Friday.

Libya: 11 killed in NATO strike on command bunker in Brega
A NATO air strike on the eastern Libyan city of Brega on Friday that the Libyan government said killed 11 people and wounded 45, was directed against a "command and control bunker", the alliance said.

Turkey demands names of soldiers involved in flotilla raid
Ankara Prosecution sends Justice Ministry letter demanding to receive names of all Naval, military and ministerial officials involved in decision to raid Marmara in May 2010

Mideast envoy resigns as US refocuses on region
President Barack Obama is losing his special envoy to the Mideast just as the administration is showing a renewed focus on the long-troubled region. George Mitchell, who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland, announced Friday he is stepping down after fruitless attempts at rekindling Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

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Israel navy fires warning shots at Gaza aid ship
Shamsul Azhar, from the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, said that the MV Finch, which was carrying sewage pipes to Gaza, had warning shots fired at it by Israeli forces in the Palestinian security zone. "The vessel was in the Palestinian security zone, about 400 metres from the Gaza shoreline, when they were intercepted by Israeli naval forces," he said, adding it was now anchored 30 nautical miles away in Egyptian territory.

Israel to renew transfer of tax funds to Palestinian Authority
Bowing to international pressure, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz confirmed a statement issued by a Palestinian official on Sunday that he would renew the transfer of millions of dollars in suspended tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority. "For the last two weeks, we gave the PA a yellow card," the finance minister said Sunday night, "but we decided to renew the revenue transfers after we got confirmation from the Palestinians that no money will be transferred to Hamas or to terrorist operations."

Palestinians hold funerals for protests' victims
Funerals are due to be held in Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon following the deaths of 12 people on Sunday in demonstrations on Israel's borders. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Jewish state is determined to defend its sovereignty. Tens of thousands of Palestinians and their supporters marched towards Israel from Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Japan evacuates residents beyond ********* no-go zone
Residents have been moved further away from the crippled ********* nuclear plant in northern Japan as the no-go zone is extended and there is a new setback at the plant. Residents of the towns of Kawamata and Iitate were sent to evacuation centres. Attempts to stabilise one of the plant's stricken reactors have had to be halted amid fears that highly radioactive water is leaking.

US Senator John Kerry in Pakistan talks
Influential US Senator John Kerry, who is in Pakistan to discuss the tense relationship between the two countries, has met Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He is the first high-level American envoy to visit Pakistan since the killing of Osama Bin Laden by US special forces two weeks ago. On Sunday Mr Kerry met with Pakistan's military chief General Ashfaq Kayani.

Analysis: IDF worried border protests just beginning
On Sunday, it was 1,000 Syrians who marched on the border with Israel. Next week, it could be 10,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who will march toward the Negev, or Palestinian refugees in Jordan who march toward the Jordan Valley. The successful infiltration on Sunday by a group of just under 100 Syrians into the Druse village of Majdal Shams on the Golan is being viewed by the IDF as just the beginning.

Police arrest Syrian infiltrator near Majdal Shams
Police arrested a Syrian infiltrator on Monday in Majdal Shams who illegally crossed into Israel during Sunday's border disturbances. The infiltrator was in a taxi driven by a Palestinian man from east Jerusalem, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told The Jerusalem Post. The taxi driver has also been arrested.

Israel to file UNSC complaint against Syria, Lebanon
The Israeli Mission to the United Nations announced Monday that it will submit a complaint to the UN Security Council against Syria and Lebanon for breach of council resolutions and violation of international law following Nakba Day events at the northern border Sunday. Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Sunday commented on the border protests during her meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, saying, "The attempt to infiltrate into Israel is a clear manifestation of the lack of acceptance of Israel's sovereignty as a country."


Gov. Brewer to Obama: Stop the Jokes, Secure the Border
"I don't think his comic attitude and laughing at a serious issue is being very well received, certainly not here in Arizona, I would imagine not across America," she said. "This is a serious situation. And for him to go to a pep rally and make light of the situation is unbelievable."

Israeli Military Opens Fire Along Syrian, Lebanese Borders
Israeli soldiers opened fire on hundreds of protesters attempting to cross the border into Israel from Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip on Sunday, as protests erupted across the region to mark the creation of the state of Israel, which Palestinians call the Nakba, or "catastrophe."

IMF Chief to Plead Not Guilty in Sexual-Assault Case
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund chief, was on Sunday expected to be arraigned on charges of attempted rape, criminal sexual assault and unlawful imprisonment, police and his lawyer said, in a shock case that likely dashes his hopes of running for French president and could hamper the IMF's ability to help manage Europe's debt crisis.

Hamas leader on Nakba Day: The Zionist project must end
Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip on Sunday affirmed the Islamist movement's hard-line principles in a speech to thousands of Muslim worshippers Sunday, as they commemorated the uprooting of Palestinians during the 1948 Independence Day War. "Palestinians mark the occasion this year with great hope of bringing to an end the Zionist project in Palestine," Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of the Hamas government in Gaza, told about 10,000 people at a Gaza City mosque.

Court: No right to resist illegal cop entry into home
Overturning a common law dating back to the English Magna Carta of 1215, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Hoosiers have no right to resist unlawful police entry into their homes. In a 3-2 decision, Justice Steven David writing for the court said if a police officer wants to enter a home for any reason or no reason at all, a homeowner cannot do anything to block the officer's entry.

HHS approves 200 more new healthcare reform waivers
The Obama administration approved 204 new waivers to Democrats' healthcare reform law over the past month, bringing the total to 1,372. The waivers are temporary and only apply to one provision of the law, which requires health plans to offer at least $750,000 worth of annual medical benefits before leaving patients to fend for themselves.

Swiss vote to keep assisted suicide, projections suggest
Voters in Zurich, Switzerland, have rejected proposed bans on assisted suicide and "suicide tourism", early projections suggest. The projections showed voters had heavily turned down both initiatives, Swiss news agency SDA reported. About 200 people commit assisted suicide each year in Zurich, including many foreign visitors.

N Korea and Iran 'sharing ballistic missile technology'
North Korea and Iran appear to have been exchanging ballistic missile technology in violation of sanctions, a leaked UN report shows. The report, obtained by Reuters, said regular transfers had been taking place through "a neighbouring third country", named by diplomats as China. The sanctions were imposed on Pyongyang by the UN after it conducted a series of nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.

Japan nuclear: Tepco halts ********* cooling plan
Japanese engineers have abandoned their latest attempt to stabilise a stricken reactor at the ********* nuclear plant. The plant's operator, Tepco, had intended to cool reactor 1 by filling the containment chamber with water. But Tepco said melting fuel rods had created a hole in the chamber, allowing 3,000 tonnes of contaminated water to leak into the basement of the reactor building.

Libya: Fox supports call for intensified campaign
The Defence Secretary Liam Fox says he agrees with the head of the Armed Forces that Nato needs to intensify its campaign in Libya. General Sir David Richards told the Sunday Telegraph direct attacks should be launched against the infrastructure propping up Colonel Gaddafi's regime. He said it was necessary to prevent the Libyan dictator remaining in power.

IDF: Northern border incidents are an 'Iranian provocation'
IDF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Yoav "Poli" Mordechai described the incident in which pro-Palestinians demonstrators crossed from Syria into Israel as an "Iranian provocation"on Sunday. "The radical axis of Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas is very clear," Brig.-Gen. Yoav "Poli" Mordechai told Channel 10 News. "We have one incident in Maroun a-Ras area on the Lebanese border and a second one at Majdal Shams, where we see fingerprints of Iranian provocation aimed at creating friction," he said.

Geithner Predicts Double-Dip if Congress Fails to Lift Debt Ceiling
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said if Congress fails to lift the debt ceiling and the U.S. defaults on its obligations “this abrupt contraction would likely push us into a double dip recession,” painting the most explicitly dire prediction to date of the consequences of inaction.

Rights group urges Iran not to blind woman's attacker with acid
A human rights group on Saturday urged Iranian authorities not to put acid in the eyes of a man found guilty of blinding a woman who scorned him.

4 killed as protesters, security forces clash in Syria
Four people were killed in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in several Syrian cities on Friday, a human rights advocate said. According to Ammar Qurabi, chairman of the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, three were killed by gunfire from security forces during those clashes.

Louisiana Countryside Braces for Floods as Morganza Spillway Opens
Over the next few days, water spewing through a Mississippi River floodgate will crawl through the swamps of Louisiana's Cajun country, chasing people and animals to higher ground while leaving much of the land under 10 to 20 feet of brown muck.

Third worker dies at Japan's troubled nuclear plant
A worker at Japan's tsunami-crippled ********* Daiichi nuclear power plant died on Saturday, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co said, bringing the death toll at the complex to three since a massive earthquake and tsunami in March. Despite the prolonged nuclear crisis, Prime Minister Naoto Kan is set to announce at a G8 summit in France that Japan will keep using nuclear power, the Yomiuri newspaper said.

Australia arrests 1,600 'boozed-up idiots'
Australia's binge-drinking culture has been starkly highlighted with 1,600 "boozed-up idiots" arrested by police in a hardline weekend crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence and crime. The trans-Tasman "Operation Unite", a two-day blitz on public alcohol abuse and related crime that ended Sunday, was the latest attempt to hammer home the message that drunken thugs will not be tolerated.

Egypt's Christian leader calls for end of sit-in
Egypt's top Christian leader called on his followers Sunday to end a weeklong sit-in in front of a government building on the Nile after a mob attacked the Christian protesters and their supporters, injuring 67. The head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, said in a statement that outsiders have infiltrated the group of largely Christian demonstrators, making the situation even more explosive.



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Abbas urges UN: Recognize Palestinian state, pave way for legal action against Israel
United Nations member states should support the move to declare Palestinian independence in September of this year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wrote in a New York Times op-ed on Tuesday, adding that such a move would also allow the Palestinians to pursue their claims against Israel. By recognizing a Palestinian state, Abbas wrote, "the United Nations would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one."

China cuts holdings of US Treasurys for 5th month
China, the biggest buyer of U.S. securities, trimmed its holdings for a fifth straight month. The Treasury Department said Monday that China cut its holdings by $9.2 billion to $1.14 trillion. Japan, the second-largest foreign holder, boosted its holdings by $17.6 billion to $907.9 billion.

Treasury to tap pensions to help fund government
The Obama administration will begin to tap federal retiree programs to help fund operations after the government lost its ability Monday to borrow more money from the public, adding urgency to efforts in Washington to fashion a compromise over the debt. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner has warned for months that the government would soon hit the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling — a legal limit on how much it can borrow.

'Die Welt': Iran building rocket bases in Venezuela
The Iranian government is moving forward with the construction of rocket launch bases in Venezuela, the German daily Die Welt wrote in its Friday edition. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is Teheran’s most important South American ally. Iran is building intermediate- range missile launch pads on the Paraguaná Peninsula, and engineers from a construction firm – Khatam al-Anbia – owned by the Revolutionary Guards visited Paraguaná in February.

Pakistani PM hails China as his country's 'best friend'
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has described China as his Pakistan's "best friend" as he begins a four-day visit to the country. It is part of long-planned celebrations to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Correspondents say that the visit is especially timely for Islamabad because of strains with the US over the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

Libya unrest: Gaddafi envoys to hold talks in Moscow
Envoys of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi are to hold talks in Moscow with Russian officials. Separate talks with in Moscow with rebel officials had been expected a day later, but were put off "for technical reasons," Russia said. The Kremlin has refused to accept the rebels as the legitimate power, and still has formal ties with Col Gaddafi.

Elected House of Lords reform plans to be unveiled
The government will unveil its plans later to replace the House of Lords with an elected second chamber. There will be a draft bill included in a White Paper for a house of 300 members serving 15-year terms, with one third of them elected by proportional representation every five years.

Strauss-Kahn arrest: IMF head detained at Rikers Island
IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been remanded in custody at New York's notorious Rikers Island jail on charges of sexual assault. The judge said Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was a flight risk. He was arrested on Saturday after boarding a plane and accused of trying to rape a hotel maid.

EU and US react to Israeli killings on border fence
The EU has described as "deplorable" Israel's killing of 14 unarmed Palestinians at the weekend. But the US struck a more pro-Israeli note. EU foreign relations spokeswoman Maja Kocjancic told EUobserver in Brussels on Monday (16 May) that "The EU deplores the loss of life and injuries of civilians in the clashes. It's important that the demonstrations are peaceful and that the response is measured and proportionate."

Israel-Palestinian violence erupts on three borders
Violence erupted on Israel's borders with Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday, leaving at least eight dead and dozens wounded, as Palestinians marked what they term "the catastrophe" of Israel's founding in 1948.

6.5 magnitude quake hits off Papua New Guinea coast
A strong earthquake of 6.5 magnitude struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Sunday. The quake's epicenter was about 76 miles west of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. It occurred at a depth of 27 miles, USGS said.

Russia: Speaker of the House Threatens to Destroy the World Using Secret WMD
Watch the film clip as he describes how Russia "possibly" brought about the Japan tsunami...

Satanism fear stalks village as animals are tortured and killed
‘Everyone is talking about it and locals are keeping their eyes open. I recognise it could have something to do with the occult. What sort of people could do this?’

Archbishop allows freemason to be bishop
The appointment, announced earlier this month, marked a significant U-turn by Dr Williams who had previously said that Freemasonry was “incompatible” with Christianity and had refused to promote Masons to senior posts.

The Middle East Conflict: Changing Context, New Opportunities
The upheavals in the Arab world have brought new dynamics into the Middle East conflict. Israel finds itself increasingly isolated and is under growing pressure to advance the prospects for a two-state solution. The Palestinians have finally managed to seal a reconciliation deal, which marks a potential turning-point on the road to peace. The US and the EU must make some important choices too. A more pragmatic Western approach towards Hamas is indispensable if the peace process is ever to deliver meaningful results.

Likud for Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria
Likud Knesset members, local leaders and activists voiced its support on Monday for an initiative by MK and World Likud leader Danny Danon to call on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to apply Israeli sovereignty to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha).

Vatican Church Abuse
A letter Monday May 16, 2011, from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has told bishops around the world to cooperate with police in reporting priests who rape and molest children and to develop guidelines for preventing abuse by May 2012.



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Outbreak Of Fatal Horse Virus Spreads To California
At least 10 horses in California have tested positive for a deadly horse virus in an outbreak that has hit several Western states and Canada that has spread since a horse competition earlier this month in Utah. So far, horses in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California, Washington and Canada have been infected with the highly contagious Equine Herpes Virus-1.

Syria unrest: Clinton and Ashton in new call for reform
The US and EU have warned of more pressure on Syria over its violent response to anti-government protests. "We will be taking additional steps in the days ahead," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said after talks with EU top diplomat Catherine Ashton. The US and EU have already imposed sanctions on some members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

China power cuts set to increase on rising coal costs
China has started rationing electricity to try and stave off an energy shortage that government officials say could be the worst since 2004. State-owned power generating companies are dealing with high global energy prices that have cut their profits. China has also banned the export of diesel, to try to meet domestic demand.

Obama calls Israeli and Palestinian peace talks 'vital'
US President Barack Obama has said it is "more vital than ever" for Israelis and Palestinians to restart negotiations on a peace deal. Mr Obama said the US has a stake in the talks and will continue to try to find an "equitable and just" solution. The president was speaking after a meeting in Washington with Jordan's King Abdullah II, kicking off a week of intense Middle East diplomacy.

Prime minister announces new cyber defense taskforce
The Prime Minister's Office has announced the establishment of a taskforce to encourage and develop Israel's defense capabilities against cyber terrorism, said a statement published on the PMO's Facebook page Wednesday. The taskforce is also expected to help turn Israel into a source for global knowledge on cyber defense, in cooperation with members of academia, the defense industry, and other public bodies.

Iranian FM says Bushehr nuclear plant is operational
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that the Bushehr power plant is operational, Press TV reported on Wednesday. "As we have previously announced, Bushehr power plant has reached the criticality stage, meaning it has been successfully launched," Salehi reportedly said.


With heavy hearts, Christians leave Baghdad
"I never imagined I would leave Iraq, because I could not imagine starting my life over again." He continued: "Since the attack, though, I've begun to realize there is no hope in this country any more. It is terrible to think like this, but leaving is the only solution." Bassam then recounted the Biblical parable of Lot, who reluctantly fled Sodom with his family after being told to do so by God as the city was being destroyed.

Plains Gearing Up for Severe Weather
After a break from storms on the Plains the past several days, the threat for severe weather will return on Wednesday. Powerful thunderstorms will menace a swath from central Kansas to northern Texas during the middle of the week. "Wichita and Oklahoma City are among the cities and towns at risk for severe weather on Wednesday."

England Drought Hits Nesting Birds
Spring drought, bolstered by unusually low April rainfall, has had unfortunate consequences for some feathered residents of England. According to The Telegraph, the lack of wet earth has made the building of mud nests a difficult undertaking for swallows and house martins.

Drought Shrinks Central China Reservoirs
Months of drought have reportedly shrunken many central China water reservoirs to near uselessness. According to China Daily, local authorities said that 1,392 reservoirs in the province of Hubei were left "virtually useless" with only "dead water" in them. "Dead water" status means that the lakes can only supply water in an emergency.

Mike Huckabee: Decision Not to Run 'Spiritual'
"Sometimes, people ask me, 'Does God speak to me in an audible voice?' And the truth is, no. It's a lot louder than that," he explained. "But I do believe that for those of us who are believers, there is a sense of peace."

U.S. Calls for Global Cybersecurity Strategy
The Obama administration on Monday proposed creating international computer security standards with penalties for countries and organizations that fell short. While administration officials did not single out any countries in announcing the strategy, several officials said privately that the hope was that the initiative would prod China and Russia into allowing more Internet freedom, cracking down on intellectual property theft and enacting stricter laws to protect computer users’ privacy.

Former UN envoy: Israel's international status at all-time low
Israel's current status at the United Nations is at an all-time low, Israel's former UN ambassador, Prof. Gabriela Shalev, said yesterday at a session of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Also speaking at the meeting, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy said that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are currently impossible.



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Next up on the bailout list: The mailman?
With their $15 billion line of credit from Treasury about to be exhausted, postal workers and management are now asking Congress to let them take a pass on $5.4 billion in legally required annual contributions to prepay for retirement health benefits.

Morocco presents candidate for Union for the Mediterranean scribe
Morocco has officially presented the candidature of the country’s Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Youssef Amrani for the position of Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UPM), reliable sources told PANA here Tuesday. A meeting of senior officials from UPM member countries is scheduled for 25 May in Barcelona (Spain), where the organisation is based, and a new Secretary-General could emerge at the meeting. -UPM, established on 3 July 2008 at the initiative of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, brings together 43 member countries, as well as Turkey, Israel and Arab countries bordering the Mediterranean sea.

Israel to Create Cyber Defense Force
Israel is establishing a cadre of IDF professionals to contend with the threat of Internet terrorism. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, a task force has been created to develop a cyber defense force. The recommendation came following several cyber attacks perpetrated by foreign countries and terrorist elements in various regions of the world.

Mass Extinction of Marine Life in Oceans During Prehistoric Times Offers Warning for Future
"What's alarming to us as scientists is that there were only very slight natural changes that resulted in the onset of hypoxia in the deep ocean," said Professor Kennedy. "This occurred relatively rapidly -- in periods of hundreds of years, or possibly even less -- not gradually over longer, geological time scales,

Barghouti: Israel, US can't stop Palestinian statehood
"We can not wait for a state to rise as a result of negotiations," he said in response to a question about the possibility of the Palestinians unilaterally declaring statehood. "Whoever thinks we will get a Palestinian State through negotiations is wrong."

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San Francisco voters in November will be asked to weigh in on what was until now a private family matter: male circumcision. City elections officials
San Francisco voters in November will be asked to weigh in on what was until now a private family matter: male circumcision. City elections officials confirmed Wednesday that an initiative that would ban the circumcision of males younger than 18 in San Francisco has received enough signatures to appear on the ballot. The practice would become a misdemeanor.

Obama says Palestine must be based in 1967 borders
President Barack Obama is endorsing the Palestinians’ demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, in a move that will likely infuriate Israel. Israel says the borders of a Palestinian state have to be determined through negotiations.

Israel approves 620 settler homes in east Jerusalem
An Israeli government committee on Thursday approved the construction of 620 settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem, as Israel's premier prepared to leave for talks in Washington, an NGO told AFP. A spokeswoman for the Ir Amim non-governmental organisation, which calls for Palestinians and Israelis to share Jerusalem, said the interior ministry planning committee gave final approval for the building of 620 homes in the settlement neighbourhood of Pisgat Zeev.

Medvedev warns West of new Cold War over missile deal
President Dmitry Medvedev warned Wednesday Russia could pull out a new nuclear disarmament treaty and enter a new Cold War with the West if the two sides failed to agree on a new missile defence shield. Medvedev told reporters that the United States' decision to push ahead with the European shield despite Russia's objections will force Moscow "to take response measures -- something that we would very much rather not do."

Electric Yellowstone: Conductivity Image Hints Supervolcano Plume Is Bigger Than Thought
The image suggests the plume is even bigger than it appears in earlier images made with earthquake waves.

Record US Tornado Outbreak Captured by Satellites
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center received 875 tornado reports during that month alone; 625 have been confirmed as tornadoes, so far. Most of these occurred around April 15 to 16 and April 26 to 27.

UK Drought Stunting Spring Crops
the lack of rain is destroying crops and threatening a big rise in food prices. He says that growers are being forced to irrigate lower-value crops such as winter wheat and barley. Normally, watering would target sugar beets, vegetables and other high-value produce.

I.M.F. Chief Quits in Wake of Charges of Sexual Attack
Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned Wednesday as head of the International Monetary Fund after explosive accusations that he had sexually attacked a housekeeper in a Midtown hotel room.

Obama faces pivotal week on Mideast policy
Obama on Thursday will give his much-anticipated "Arab spring" speech, the centerpiece of a pivotal week of Middle East diplomacy that also will include talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

UAE to be first Arab country with NATO embassy
The United Arab Emirates is to make a landmark move, becoming the first Arab country to send an ambassador to NATO, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Wednesday. “We’re very happy that the United Arab Emirates is to become the first Arab country to open an embassy at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” Mr. Sikorski told reporters after talks with his visiting UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Pastor John Hagee’s Open Letter to Glenn Detailing Anti-Israel Disruptions
Sunday morning, May 15, 2011, at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio was a day set aside to express our appreciation for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Hundreds of churches across America and around the world joined us as we stood in solidarity with Israel in this time of crisis. What I didn’t know was that eleven anti-Israel protesters came to our 11:00 am Worship Service pretending to be worshipers. They sat in different sections of the church; some in the balcony and the majority on the main floor.

Obama To Lay Out Middle East Vision
Obama will seek to reset U.S. relations and seize a moment of opportunity amid chaos and change.

Satellite images reveal alarming speed Pakistan is rushing to finish weapons-grade nuclear reactor
New satellite images have shown the alarming speed at which Pakistan is constructing a weapons-grade nuclear reactor. The aerial images, taken on April 20, show the rapid building progress of the fourth reactor to produce plutonium in Pakistan's Khushab facility. The site was barren in 2009 and the facility 'costing billions' was undetectable by satellite just 17 months ago, but has since grown at an alarming rate.

Osama Bin Laden: Al-Qaeda releases posthumous message
A recording purported to have been made by Osama Bin Laden shortly before he died has been released by al-Qaeda. In the message, he praises the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt and speaks of a "rare historic opportunity" for Muslims to rise up. The 12-minute audio message appeared on a video posted on Islamist websites, and has been translated by the US monitoring group SITE intelligence.

Obama to offer financial aid to Arab world
US president slated to unveil plan for financial and democratic support for Arab states as part of his Middle East speech Thursday. Egypt and Tunisia to be first to enjoy initiative in exchange for reforms, war on corruption.

IMF Chief Resigns Amid Sexual Assault Allegations, Makes New Bid for Bail
Dominique Strauss-Kahn will try to get out of one of America's most notorious jails Thursday, hours after he resigned as chief of the International Monetary Fund to focus his energy on fighting sexual assault charges.

Syria says sanctions on Assad serve Israeli interests
Syria condemned on Thursday sanctions imposed by Washington on Syrian President Bashar Assad and other officials in response to a crackdown on pro-democracy protests. An official source on Syrian state television said the sanctions were targeting the Syrian people and served Israeli interests. "The sanctions have not and will not affect Syria's independent will," the source was quoted as saying.

'Rapture Parties' Planned to Celebrate Doomsday Saturday May 21
With the end of the world looming this Saturday (May 21), non-believers are planning "Rapture parties" to poke a little fun at the Doomsday prediction and also raise awareness for other causes. Harold Camping, 89-year-old leader of the ministry Family Radio Worldwide, has predicted that a five-month destruction of humanity will commence Saturday with a Rapture, in which believers will ascend to heaven. "Whereas this five-month period will be an enormous horror story for those who have not been raptured, it will be a time of great joy and wonder for those who are raptured," according to the Family Radio website.

Nikkei hit as Japan falls back into recession
Japanese stocks fell Thursday after figures showed the country's economy shrank more than anticipated in the first three months of the year, but markets elsewhere took the news in their stride to build on the previous day's gains.

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Major ATF Phoenix shake-up after "Gunwalker"
CBS News has learned that virtually all the top ATF managers in Phoenix involved in the controversial "Fast and Furious" operation have been reassigned and replaced. The shake-up comes in the wake of the gunwalking scandal in which ATF...allowed more than 2500 weapons to hit the streets or "walk."

At Least 3 Dead as Syrian Forces Fire Into Crowds of Protesters
Syrian forces fired live rounds into crowds of protesters in the central city of Homs Friday, killing at least three, as thousands took to the streets for pro-democracy demonstrations.

Netanyahu Rejects Obama Call for Palestinian State Based on 1967 Borders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly rejected President Obama's call Thursday for Israel to pull back to the borders that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War, calling those lines militarily "indefensible."

Obama's 'worst nightmare' seeks showdown with prez
"I feel God's hand in this decision that I'm going to announce on Saturday, May 21, in Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park at high noon," Herman Cain, an Atlanta radio talk-show host, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza and 2004 Senate seeker, told WND. "We're expecting more than 5,000 people to be there at the announcement rally."

Hamas MP: Jews Ingathered for Us to Annihilate Them
Al Astal described the ingathering of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel in terms of a divine plan that would give the Arabs "the honor" of annihilating "the evil of this gang."

Saudis call Obama speech meaningless drivel
Saudis dismissed US President Barrack Obama's much-anticipated "Arab Spring address" as meaningless, predictable drivel while Egyptians and other Arabs, to whom Obama offered some sops, also did not find anything new in the speech, which according to them focused on US interests.

Obama and Netanyahu set for tense meeting after president's '1967' call
Obama is to meet Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, at the White House in what is predicted to be a tense meeting after the US president's speech in which he called for Israel to withdraw to its pre-1967 borders in any peace agreement.

Israel braced for further Palestinian protests
Activists urged their supporters to mass on all of Israel's frontiers at the end of noon prayers as they seek to force the issue of Palestinian refugees back onto the world agenda. Launched last Sunday, the campaign began with bloodshed as 14 refugees and their supporters were shot dead as they attempted to force their way through Israeli border fences from Lebanon and Syria.

President Obama will call for billions in aid to Arab nations
President Barack Obama will use his speech to the Arab world today to call for billions of dollars in financial assistance to Egypt and Tunisia as part of a comprehensive approach to the "Arab Spring" movement that he hopes will boost democratic reforms and America's reputation in the region.

New method 'confirms dark energy'
First results from a major astronomical survey using a cutting-edge technique appear to have confirmed the existence of mysterious dark energy. Dark energy makes up some 74% of the Universe and its existence would explain why the Universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate. The finding was based on studies of more than 200,000 galaxies.

Libya: Nato strikes hit eight Gaddafi warships in ports
Nato air strikes have hit eight warships belonging to Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces in co-ordinated raids on Tripoli, Al Khums and Sirte. In a statement, a spokesman said Nato had to take "decisive action" given Col Gaddafi's increasing use of naval assets to launch attacks on civilians. Flames and smoke could be seen rising from vessels hit in the capital's port.

China expands export quotas of rare earth metals
China has expanded export quotas for rare earth metals, further tightening its grip on the minerals used in a number of high-tech electronics. From Friday, iron alloys containing more than 10% of rare earths will fall under the export quota, the commerce ministry said in a statement. Rare earths are a collection of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table.

Paralysed man can stand and move his legs again
A US man who was paralysed from the chest down after being hit by a car is now able to stand with electrical stimulation of his spinal cord. Rob Summers, from Oregon, said standing on his own was "the most amazing feeling". He can voluntarily move his toes, hips, knees and ankles and also walk on a treadmill while being supported, according to research in the Lancet.

US takes EU line on final borders in Israel
US President Barack Obama has said future Israeli-Palestinian borders should be based on lines established before the 1967 war, bringing US policy closer in line with the EU position on the conflict. Obama unveiled the new US policy at a speech in the state department in Washington on Thursday (19 May).

Abbas calls emergency meeting over Obama address
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called an emergency meeting of the PA leadership to discuss US President Barack Obama’s speech on peace in the Middle East, an official in Ramallah said. Abbas has also decided to hold urgent consultations with a number of Arab leaders on the speech, the official said.

'Obama says Netanyahu unable to make peace'
US President Barack Obama told aides that he does not believe Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be able to make a peace deal, The New York Times reported on Thursday night. Obama reportedly said that Netanyahu can not make the concessions necessary for peace. The Times also reported that the timing of Obama's speech was planned intentionally to preempt Netanyahu's address to Congress on Tuesday.

Netanyahu to Obama: Don't sweep problems under the rug
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu en route to a Washington meeting Friday morning with US President Barack Obama, said "there are certain things that cannot be swept under the rug." Netanyahu was referring to a negative response Thursday to President Obama's Mideast speech. "Sometimes being right also means being smart," he said, playing on the phrase that sometimes it's better to be smart than right.

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Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano starts new eruption
Iceland's most active volcano, Grimsvotn, has started erupting, scientists say. The volcano, which lies under the Vatnajokull glacier in south-east Iceland, last erupted in 2004.

Greece default fears rise as reprofiling talk flounders
Bond markets are pricing in a growing risk of an outright debt default by Greece, with its 10-year cost of borrowing hitting a new high of 16.7%.

Greece default fears rise as reprofiling talk flounders
Bond markets are pricing in a growing risk of an outright debt default by Greece, with its 10-year cost of borrowing hitting a new high of 16.7%.

Turkey warns of 'necessary response' to flotilla violence
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a television interview, "It should be known that Turkey will give the necessary response to any repeated act of provocation by Israel on the high seas," AFP reported.

Turkey's Gul: Hamas must recognize Israel right to exist
Turkey's President Abdullah Gul has urged the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

IMF head: Europe to make 'common choice' soon
"We need a common European candidate and we are looking for the one who is best qualified and has the best chance," said Wolfgang Schaeuble.

Syrian troops 'kill 44 protesters after Friday prayers'
Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 44 people as mass protests have again swept across the country after Friday prayers, activists say. Witnesses said at least eleven were killed when shots were fired into a protest in the central city of Homs.

Israel PM defiant over Obama border proposals
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected... Obama's call for peace with the Palestinians based on pre-1967 borders.

Islamists and Coptic Christians renew hostilities in Cairo, while army rulers set elections for September
Muslims and Christians clashed outside a Cairo church as Egypt’s military said that the country would hold its parliamentary election in September as previously scheduled and then prepare a constitution before a presidential poll. Previous sectarian clashes forced the closure of the flashpoint church more than two years ago, security officials said.

Shock after Dutch priest endorses pedophilia
The Dutch Catholic Church and the Salesian order are investigating revelations that a Salesian priest served on the board of a group that promotes pedophilia with the full knowledge of his boss. The order's top official in the Netherlands, Delegate Herman Spronck, confirmed in a statement that the priest—identified by RTL Nieuws as 73-year-old "Father Van B."—served on the board of "Martijn," a group that campaigns to end the Dutch ban on adult-child sex.

Iran arrests 30 people suspected of spying for the U.S.
Iran has arrested 30 people it said were spying for the United States, official media reported on Saturday. "The Intelligence Ministry's active and pious forces, in their ardent confrontations with the agents of the CIA ... arrested 30 people who were spies for America," state television's lunchtime news announced.

Turkey president: Hamas must recognize Israel's right to exist
Turkish President Abdullah Gul hailed United States President Barack Obama's speech calling on Israel to pull back to 1967 borders, and added that Hamas was "internalizing" Israel's right to exist within these borders, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. ...The Turkish president also said Hamas wanted its recognition of Israel's right to exist to coincide with Israel's recognition of a Palestinian state, adding that citizens across the Arab world would no longer be tolerant of Israel's "humiliating" policies, the WSJ reported.

White House on War Powers Deadline: 'Limited' US Role in Libya Means No Need to Get Congressional Authorization
In an effort to satisfy those arguing he needs to seek congressional authorization to continue US military activity in accordance with the War Powers Resolution, President Obama wrote a letter to congressional leaders this afternoon suggesting that the role is now so “limited” he does not need to seek congressional approval.

Greece default fears rise as reprofiling talk flounders
Bond markets are pricing in a growing risk of an outright debt default by Greece, with its 10-year cost of borrowing hitting a new high of 16.7%. The rising market fears come as European leaders give mixed messages over whether Athens would be allowed to modify repayment terms on its debts in a bid to buy more time for austerity.

Syrian troops 'kill 44 protesters after Friday prayers'
Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 44 people as mass protests have again swept across the country after Friday prayers, activists say. Witnesses said at least eleven were killed when shots were fired into a protest in the central city of Homs. Deaths are also being reported at protests in other parts of the country.

Spain protesters defy ban to remain in Madrid square
Some 25,000 Spanish protesters have defied a government ban and camped out overnight in a square in the capital, Madrid. The protesters are angry with the government's economic policies and have occupied the area for the past week. Spain's electoral commission had ordered them to leave ahead of local elections on Sunday.

Malaysian landslide buries orphanage children
A landslide in Malaysia has killed two children and may have buried at least 21 others after hitting an orphanage near the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Six children have been pulled out with injuries after the landslide, which took place at about 1430 local time (0630 GMT) on Saturday. A local lawmaker said the area had suffered heavy rain for two days.

'PA to go ahead with state recognition request at UN'
The Palestinians will move ahead with their quest to win UN recognition of a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, Senior Fatah member Nabil Shaath said late Friday. Shaath made the comments after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with US President Barack Obama and flatly rejected any return to the 1967 lines, the basis – along with agreed land swaps – for a deal with the Palestinians as laid out in Obama's speech Thursday.

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Savage: Bible shows what's next for Israel
When President Obama called yesterday for Israel to pull back to the borders that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War – lines Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called militarily "indefensible" – top-rated nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage turned to the Bible for a glimpse of the Middle East's future. "Ezekiel is predictive of what's going to happen," Savage said as he read from the Hebrew scriptures on the air. "There will be a war."

Fate of last smallpox virus stocks divides WHO
The two powers say that more research is needed into safer vaccines against the deadly disease eradicated more than 30 years ago. They also seek guarantees that all stocks have been destroyed or transferred to their two official repositories due to fears that the virus could be used as a biological weapon.

Japan Earthquake Shifted Seafloor by 79 Feet
Japan's seabed shifted by as much as 79 feet (24 meters) in an east-west motion during the giant March 11 earthquake—the largest earthquake movement ever recorded, scientists say.

Big Hurricane Season Predicted—Has U.S. Run Out of Luck?
The NOAA forecast for an active hurricane season followed a similar prediction from Colorado State University meteorologists. In April, CSU forecasters Phil Klotzbach and William Gray had predicted 16 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes.

Tea Party Favorite Herman Cain Joins 2012 GOP Race
At a rally attended by thousands, the businessman, author and talk radio show host showed he knows how to wow a conservative gathering. The crowd chanted, "Herman, Herman, Herman," as Cain unleashed the same soaring rhetoric and relentless attacks on President Obama that has created buzz in recent weeks.

Ash could hit Scotland Tuesday, airlines warned
Ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano could reach northern Scotland by Tuesday and parts of Britain, France and Spain by Thursday or Friday if the eruption continues at the same intensity, airlines were warned Sunday.

U.S. weather extremes show "new normal" climate
"It's a new normal and I really do think that global weirding is the best way to describe what we're seeing," climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University told reporters. "We are used to certain conditions and there's a lot going on these days that is not what we're used to, that is outside our current frame of reference,"...

IMF boss should be chosen on merit say Australia and SA
South Africa and Australia have said the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund should be appointed on merit and not nationality. The pair say the current appointment system undermines the IMF's legitimacy. The body has always been headed by a European, and UK chancellor George Osborne has backed Christine Lagarde, French economy minister, for the post.

Chile: Valparaiso protesters in clashes with police
Police in Valparaiso, in Chile, have clashed with demonstrators protesting against government policies. A protest march was timed to coincide with President Sebastian Pinera's annual state of the nation address. Demonstrators held up signs opposing the government's environmental, education and labour policies.

Iceland shuts main airport after volcano eruption
Iceland has shut its main airport after a volcanic eruption and other airports on the island are likely to close during the day, the civil aviation authority said on Sunday. "The ash distribution forecast over the next six hours shows that the ash from the volcano will spread over Iceland today, leading to the closure of most Icelandic airports as the day goes on," the Isavia authority said in a statement.

Revolutionary Guard unveils Iranian-produced missile
Iran's military received a new ballistic missile system on Sunday, which it said demonstrated the country's self-sufficiency in mass producing weaponry. "The new surface-to-surface missiles, Qiyam (Resurrection) 1, were successfully tested and delivered to the armed forces today," Iran's Arabic-language state television channel Al Alam said.

ElBaradei: Egypt is 'disintegrating' as tourism drops
Egypt is disintegrating socially and its economy “is bust,” said Mohamed ElBaradei, the former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency and possible candidate for the Egyptian presidency. “Right now, socially, we are disintegrating,” ElBaradei said on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” scheduled to air Sunday. “Economically we are not in the best state. Politically it’s -- it’s like a black hole. We do not know where we are heading.”

Obama: Palestinian plan to form state at UN isn't realistic
US President Barack Obama on Sunday used language much more accommodating of Israeli concerns, while defending his previous call for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to be based on 1967 lines. In an interview with the BBC aired Sunday, Obama said that the Hamas-Fatah plan to ask for recognition of Palestinian statehood at the UN in September is a "problem."

Flood-threatened town prays to Virgin
Residents of a small town in southern Louisiana say they have already seen signs the Virgin Mary is helping protect them from floodwaters. Pierre Part residents have gone to Virgin Island for more than a century to ask the mother of Jesus to intercede when disaster looms. They did so a few days ago when water began spilling into the Atchafalaya Basin after the opening of the Morganza Floodway, WDSU-TV, New Orleans, reports.

Baghdad rocked by 12 bloody bombings
At least 13 people were killed and 62 others injured early Sunday in a spate of 12 bombings in Baghdad, Iraqi security officials said. The rash of explosions began around 7 a.m. and continued for two hours throughout both Sunni and Shiite Muslim districts of the capital, The New York Times reported.

Japan reports more radiation leakage
At least 250 tons of radioactive water spilled into the Pacific Ocean from Japan's earthquake-damaged ********* nuclear power plant, officials said. The Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the radiated water leaked for 41 hours beginning May 10 from the No. 3 reactor at the site, where four of six reactors were damaged in the magnitude-9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, Kyodo News reported.

Almost 200 wildfires burn in Russia
Almost 200 wildfires were burning in Russia Saturday, the Emergencies Ministry said. Sixteen of the fires were considered major, ITAR-Tass reported. Most of them were in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East with a total of more than 20,000 acres involved. In 2010, western Russia was hit by devastating wildfires. The worst blazes began in mid-July as the region endured the hottest summer in recorded history.

16 killed in series of blasts across Iraq
A rapid-fire series of explosions in and around Baghdad killed 16 people Sunday, including 10 people who died when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of police officers, officials said. In total, at least 10 bombs exploded as Iraqis were headed to work in a reminder of the dangers Iraq still faces despite a drop in violence since the height of the war.

Iran's military gets new missile system
Iran's military received a new ballistic missile system on Sunday, which it said demonstrated the country's self-sufficiency in mass producing weaponry. "The new surface-to-surface missiles, Qiyam (Resurrection) 1, were successfully tested and delivered to the armed forces today," Iran's Arabic-language state television channel Al Alam said.

EU's Ashton in east Libya offers rebels support
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton pledged support for rebels in east Libya on Sunday, making the most senior visit to the area by a foreign official since a revolt against Muammar Gaddafi began. "I saw the posters on the way from the airport to here saying 'We have a dream' and I'm here today to explain not only about our short-term support but also the breadth of our support," Ashton told a news conference in Benghazi.

Top Netanyahu aide: 1967 borders leave too many Israelis outside of Israel
A Palestinian state established within 1967 borders would leave too many Israelis beyond Israel's official borders, Netanyahu's top security advisor said on Sunday, adding that Israel was determined not to allow such a return.

Shock after Dutch priest endorses pedophilia
The Dutch Catholic Church and the Salesian order are investigating revelations that a Salesian priest served on the board of a group that promotes pedophilia with the full knowledge of his boss. The order's top official in the Netherlands, Delegate Herman Spronck, confirmed in a statement that the priest - identified by RTL Nieuws as 73-year-old "Father Van B." - served on the board of "Martijn," a group that campaigns to end the Dutch ban on adult-child sex.

Iceland closes main airport amid volcano eruption
Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air. Airport and air traffic control operator ISAVIA said Keflavik airport was closed at 0830 GMT (4:30 a.m. EDT), and no flights were taking off or landing.

Believers' reactions mixed to unfulfilled doomsday
The hour of the apocalypse came quietly and went the same way — leaving those who believed that Saturday evening would mark the world's end confused, or more faithful, or just philosophical.

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US invites Libyan rebels to open office in DC
NATO launched its most intense bombardment yet against Moammar Gadhafi's stronghold of Tripoli Tuesday, while a senior U.S. diplomat said President Barack Obama has invited the Libyan rebels' National Transitional Council to open an office in Washington D.C. The international community has been stepping up airstrikes and diplomatic efforts against the regime in a bid to break a virtual stalemate, with the rebels in the east and Gadhafi maintaining his hold on most of the west.

Will Netanyahu's speech to Congress save his relationship with Obama or ruin it forever?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech Tuesday before the U.S. Congress will be the formative event of his term, if not his entire political career. A statement released by his bureau promises that the speech will "garner major international attention," alluding to a surprise. The speech, whose purpose is to curb international pressure on Israel, gives Netanyahu a rare opportunity to reboot his leadership.

Libya: British attack helicopters to be deployed
The Daily Telegraph has learned that Apache helicopters will fly into Libya from a Royal Navy warship, in a joint operation with the French. As many as 18 British and French helicopters will be deployed to support rebels trying to consolidate gains against Gaddafi’s forces. The helicopter operation – expected to be supported by Special Forces troops – will take the allies closer still to a full ground operation in Libya.

Greece default would hurt other countries, says Moody's
Any Greek debt default would likely hurt the credit rating of other peripheral eurozone countries, the ratings agency Moody's has warned. In a statement on the impact of a potential default, Moody's said such a default would also hurt Greek banks. Moody's also became the latest agency to say any kind of restructuring of Greek debt would constitute a default.

Tepco confirms extra partial fuel rod meltdown at plant
Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has confirmed the meltdown of extra fuel rods in reactors at its damaged ********* nuclear power plant. The company said that the rods were in its Number 2 and Number 3 reactors. Tepco has been trying to contain radiation from the plant, crippled by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.

Ahmadinejad: US engaged in plots to save 'Zionist regime'
The US is engaged in plots to save Israel and protect its own interests, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday, according to a PressTV report. Speaking at the inauguration of an oil refinery in the southern city of Abadan, Ahmadinejad slammed Washington, saying “Their scheme is to save the Zionist regime (Israel), global arrogance and US interests. The speech came after an explosion at the refinery killed two people and injured 12.


Canada Rejects Obama “1967” Intervention
Canada refuses to join the United States in calling for Israel to return to 1949 Armistice borders, the Ottawa Globe and Mail reported Monday.-"both the Israelis and the Palestinians have to decide on their bottom lines, which the Israelis have said will not include a return to the 1967 border."

Fatah, Hamas make progress on accord: Russian FM
Analysts said the Moscow meeting represented one of Russia's most serious interventions in the stalled Middle East peace process in recent years. And a top Palestinian negotiator said the talks essentially made Russia a co-sponsor of the Palestinian reconciliation process. -Russia backs the creation of a single Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders -- an idea rejected by Israel but mooted by US President Barack Obama last week.

New plume of Icelandic volcano ash cloud spurs fears of flight chaos in Europe
Britain said flights could be disrupted from parts of the country on Tuesday by an ash cloud billowing from an Icelandic volcano, but said it did not expect a repeat of last year's travel chaos. Britain's Met Office is predicting the plume of ash from the Grimsvotn volcano would cover the Irish Republic, Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern Britain by 0600 GMT. U.S. President Barack Obama is due to fly into Britain on Tuesday from Ireland for a state visit.

Jordan's king impatient with Israel
Appearing on ABC's "This Week with Christiane Amanpour," the king said Israel's refusal to deal with Hamas was unrealistic and ran counter to its insistence that the Palestinian government be united. President Mahmoud Abbas "has now made reconciliation with Hamas and does represent the Palestinian people, and the Israeli argument is, well, we can't deal with him because of Hamas," Abdullah said. "Abbas had been very clear that Hamas will not be part of the government."

Egyptian Groups Call for Second Round of ‘Rage’ Protests on Lack of Change
Egyptian pro-democracy groups are calling for a second round of so-called “rage” protests on May 27 because of a lack of political progress and perceived failure to prosecute members of former President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. The protests are proposed by several groups including Six of April Youth, which helped organize the first of a series of protests on Jan. 25 that led to Mubarak’s departure in February.

Putin decides to retake presidency
RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has decided to run for the presidency next year, raising the possibility of a power struggle with his protege Dmitry Medvedev, the incumbent Kremlin leader, say highly placed sources. The once-close relationship between Mr Putin, the tough-talking former KGB officer who has inspired a personality cult, and Mr Medvedev, a softly spoken Twitter enthusiast, has become increasingly fractious amid speculation in Moscow that the younger man wishes to stand again.

Prescribing Jesus Gets Doctor Censured
A Christian doctor in England has been threatened with an official warning from his professional body for discussing Jesus with a patient, The (London) Sunday Times reported. Richard Scott, a doctor for 28 years, is under investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC) and faces disciplinary action after he suggested to a 24-year-old man that he might find solace in Christianity.

Joplin tornado death toll soars to 89
UPDATED at 5:40 a.m. with death toll at 89; at 6:10 a.m. with information from fire chief. JOPLIN, Mo. • A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned that the death toll could climb Monday as search and rescuers continued their work at sunrise.

Spain: Socialists suffer heavy election losses
Spain's governing Socialist party has suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections. With municipal votes counted, the centre-right Popular Party (PP) had a 10-percentage point lead, winning in virtually all 13 regions up for grabs. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero conceded defeat but ruled out early general elections.

EU tightens sanctions against Syrian president, Iran
The European Union tightened sanctions against Syria by imposing restrictions on Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday, raising pressure on his government to end violence against protesters, EU diplomats said. EU foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Brussels to add several Syrian officials, including Assad, to a list people affected by EU travel restrictions and asset freezes.

What happens when Greece defaults
It is when, not if. Financial markets merely aren’t sure whether it’ll be tomorrow, a month’s time, a year’s time, or two years’ time (it won’t be longer than that). Given that the ECB has played the “final card” it employed to force a bailout upon the Irish – threatening to bankrupt the country’s banking sector – presumably we will now see either another Greek bailout or default within days.

Laser puts record data rate through fibre
Researchers have set a new record for the rate of data transfer using a single laser: 26 terabits per second. At those speeds, the entire Library of Congress collections could be sent down an optical fibre in 10 seconds. The trick is to use what is known as a "fast Fourier transform" to unpick more than 300 separate colours of light in a laser beam, each encoded with its own string of information.

UK ready as volcanic ash heads for British skies
An ash cloud from Iceland could reach British airspace later this week, but a British official says the country is better prepared after an eruption last year shut down airports for five days. British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday that Britain has more information on how ash clouds move and is less likely to have to enforce a blanket flight ban.

Missouri officials fear dozens dead in tornado
An unknown number were killed in Joplin on Sunday night, and officials struggling to communicate without power and cellphone service were leery of putting a hard figure on a death toll they feared would rise after daybreak.

Will Graham Says Harold Camping's Date Wrong, Judgment Real
Will Graham, the grandson of Billy Graham and oldest son of Franklin Graham, responded Saturday to Harold Camping's failed doomsday date. "Harold couldn't be more right. The end of the world is coming," Graham told The Christian Post. "We just don't know the time of it. From his calculations, he was off. I don't think there is any man on earth who can ever really calculate to any degree when the return of Christ is going to be."

States shorten duration for unemployment benefits
Some of the states that have drained their unemployment insurance funds are cutting the number of weeks that a laid-off worker can count on those benefits. Legislators are trying to limit tax increases for businesses to replenish the pool and are hoping the federal government keeps stepping in when the economy slumps.

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US: Hezbollah has more missiles than most states
Hezbollah is armed with more missiles and rockets than most states, according to outgoing US Defense Secretary Robert Gates. In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, Gates warned against the Shiite group's arming methods and the possibility that it owns chemical and biological weapons, CNN reported Wednesday.

Israel preparing itself for Twitter war over Palestinian state
...The closer the date of the unilateral declaration approaches, the more the denizens of Internet are coming to life, promoting their opinions with ever-accelerating urgency. Their battle zone is the social media. You can see it in the Facebook statuses - for and against, in Twitter messages and in protest video clips on YouTube.

Key Internet summit to discuss online rules
The world's most powerful Internet and media barons gathered in Paris on Tuesday in a show of strength to leaders at the G8 summit, amid rows over online copyright, regulation and human rights. French President Nicolas Sarkozy kicked off the gathering in Paris, hailing the assembled players as the leaders of the "Internet revolution", but warning that with their power comes great responsibility.

Bacteria-rich hailstones add to 'bioprecipitation' idea
The find lends credence to the "bio-precipitation" idea, which suggests that bacteria are actively involved in stimulating precipitation. The bacteria have protein coatings that cause water to freeze at relatively warm temperatures. Researchers at the American Society for Microbiology meeting suggest bacteria may have evolved to use the water cycle to facilitate their own dispersal.

Egypt and Tunisia to get $6bn from World Bank
The World Bank has pledged $6bn in loans for Egypt and Tunisia in a move explicitly to bolster the Arab Spring. Egypt, which will receive $4.5bn over two years, is also speaking to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Meanwhile, Qatar has offered to make up to $10bn in investments in Egypt.

US sanctions foreign firms trading with Iran
The US has imposed sanctions against seven foreign firms which trade with Iran in breach of an existing US ban. Venezuela's state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), is among those targeted by the measures. Other companies include firms based in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Singapore, Monaco and Jersey.

Oklahoma City struck as tornadoes sweep US Mid-West
Tornadoes sweeping the US Mid-West have struck near Oklahoma City, hitting vehicles on a section of motorway west of the Oklahoma state capital. Officials said at least five people had been killed and many others injured. The new storms come as rescue workers search for hundreds of people missing in Joplin, Missouri, about 200 miles (320km) to the north-east.

Analysis: Applause heard in White House, around world
The overall importance of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyanhu’s speech to a special joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday was not in the substance – he did not break any radical new ground – but rather in the overwhelmingly warm ovation he received. Netanyahu could only dream of such a reception in Israel. Even his wife, Sara, received a standing ovation when she entered the hall.

Abbas: Netanyahu's speech had 'nothing we can build on'
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday he would seek UN recognition of Palestinian statehood if there was no breakthrough in the peace process by September. Addressing a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Ramallah, he said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's vision for peace, outlined in a speech on Tuesday, contained "nothing we can build on."

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak and sons to be tried over deaths
Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are to be tried over the deaths of anti-government protesters, judicial officials say. Mr Mubarak, who was ousted in February, is being detained at a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Russia says a fifth of defense budget stolen
A fifth of Russia's state defense spending is stolen every year by corrupt officials, dishonest generals and crooked contractors, Russia's chief military prosecutor said in an interview published on Tuesday. President Dmitry Medvedev says endemic corruption is holding back Russia's development, but anti-bribery groups say the problem has become worse since Medvedev was steered into the Kremlin by his mentor Vladimir Putin in 2008.

Thousands face volcanic ash cloud flight cancellations
Thousands of passengers face UK flight cancellations because of drifting ash from an Icelandic volcanic eruption. Airports likely to be affected from 1300 to 1900 BST include Londonderry, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick, Durham Tees Valley, Newcastle and Carlisle, air traffic services company Nats said.

Preacher says world will actually end in October
A California preacher who foretold of the world's end only to see the appointed day pass with no extraordinarily cataclysmic event has revised his apocalyptic prophecy, saying he was off by five months and the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21.

Joplin, Missouri Tornado: What's Causing the Rise in Deadly Storms?
The carnage in Joplin, Missouri, has only added to an already-horrific year for tornadoes in the U.S. Sunday evening's tornado in Joplin has caused the highest death toll from a single tornado in more than 50 years. ABC News spoke with lead forecaster Greg Carbin of the National Weather Service's National Severe Storm Laboratory and asked him why the 2011 tornado season has been so extraordinarily devastating.

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Libya: Gaddafi 'increasingly worried' he will be killed by Nato
Diplomatic sources last night disclosed that recent intelligence suggested the Libyan dictator was “paranoid” and “on the run” from Nato’s escalating attacks on his regime.

Obama, in Europe, signs Patriot Act extension
Congress on Thursday passed a four-year extension of post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists. Votes taken in rapid succession in the Senate and House came after lawmakers rejected attempts to temper the law enforcement powers to ensure that individual liberties are not abused.

U.S. at Risk of Default as Cost to Insure U.S. “Ponzi Scheme” Against Default Rises Sharply
Sovereign debt risks in Europe and internationally continue to threaten the increasingly fragile economic recovery. While most of the focus has been on Greece and Eurozone sovereign debt issues, the not insignificant risk posed by a U.S. sovereign debt crisis increases by the day. The risk of a US default continues to rise which can be seen in the sharply increased cost to insure U.S. sovereign debt.


Buzek welcomes neighbourhood review, urging focus on democracy
The President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, has welcomed the European Commission review of the European Neighbourhood Policy, saying the EU’s relations with its neighbours needed “a thorough overhaul” and calling for “strong support and engagement from all Member States”.-As regards the Southern Mediterranean, I call for a pragmatic re-launching of the Union for the Mediterranean. We have established and important parliamentary dialogue with our southern neighbours and it needs to be supported by pragmatic actions at the governmental level.”

Moroccan diplomat named as new Secretary General of Union for the Mediterranean
Moroccan diplomat Youssef Amrani has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), a position vacant since the resignation in January of Jordanian Ahmed Massa'deh. A press release said the decision was made by consensus in line with the statutes of the institution. Mr. Amrani is expected to take office on 1 July 2011.

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'Killer Cucumber' Bug From Spain Hits Britain
Three people in Britain have been diagnosed with a lethal strain of E.Coli that has already killed five people in Germany. Almost 300 people in northern Germany are in hospital and around 500 more are being tested for the infection.The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's national disease centre, said 60 cases had been reported in the last 24 hours alone, and infections have also been confirmed in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

E. coli outbreak spreads in Germany
More than 270 people in Germany have fallen seriously ill due to potentially deadly bacteria detected in imported Spanish cucumbers, but Madrid said yesterday that there was “no proof” it is to blame. Russia meanwhile is considering an import ban on all German vegetables in the wake of the E. coli outbreak. The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s national disease centre, said more than 60 new cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) had been reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number in Germany to 276. At least two people have died.


Pending Home Sales Plunge, Reaching Seven-Month Low
Pending sales of existing U.S. homes dropped far more than expected in April to touch a seven-month low, a trade group said on Friday, dealing a blow to hopes of a recovery in the housing market.

Death toll rises to 132 after Joplin, Mo., tornado
The death toll from the massive tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo., reached 132 Friday, a city spokeswoman said, while the state worked to pare down the list of people missing and unaccounted for since the storm.

Iraqi cleric says his soldiers will fight if US troops stay too long
Iraqi cleric and leader of his own militia, Moqtada al-Sadr, has told the BBC he wants to see US troops out of the country by the end of the year. He has threatened to rally his own army if the remaining 46,000 US troops in Iraq have not gone within 7 months. He told the BBC he believed US forces would not stick to an agreement to withdraw from Iraq by January.

G8 threatens Syria with 'further measures' in face of persisting crackdowns
The Group of Eight leaders said on Friday they were "appalled" at the killing of peaceful protesters by Syrian authorities and demanded an immediate end to the use of force. But in a communique to be issued later after a two-day G8 summit in France -- a copy of which was obtained by Reuters -- the leaders of the seven Western powers plus Russia refrained from an explicit proposal, contained in earlier drafts of the document, to act against Damascus in the UN Security Council.

$500 Million Obama Administration Program Will Help Kids 'Sit Still' in Kindergarten
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told CNSNews.com on Wednesday that the administration's new $500 million early learning initiative is designed to deal with children from birth onward to prevent such problems as 5-year olds who "can't sit still" in a kindergarten classroom. ...Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan jointly announced the $500-million program, which will provide competitive grants to states to address issues affecting educational outcomes for children from birth to age 5.

US lawmakers block China firms from Pentagon contracts
Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have voted to bar Chinese defence firms from receiving Pentagon contracts. The amendment was passed as part of a larger defence budget bill passed by the House in Washington on Wednesday. It excludes all companies owned by or affiliated to the Chinese government from US defence deals.

Egypt’s Islamic fringe takes the plunge into politics
Egyptian Islamists are discarding their traditional long robes and large white caps – the outwards signs of extreme piety – in favor of business suits and campaign buttons as one-time jihadists began throwing their hats into the country’s political ring this week. While the Muslim Brotherhood and its political offshoot, the Freedom and Justice Party, has attracted the most attention and fear among Egyptian liberals, the Islamic end of the political spectrum is growing crowded with fringe movements announcing bids to run in the parliamentary elections come September.

G8 calls for negotiations under Obama's peace outline
The G8 called for a renewal of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and expressed support for US President Barack Obama's peace plan, in a statement released Friday. "We are convinced that the historic changes throughout the region make the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiations more important, not less," the statement read.

29 dead after drug gangs battle in west Mexico
A gunbattle between rival drug gangs in western Mexico left 29 bodies in fake military uniforms heaped across a roadway and inside bullet-riddled vehicles in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, the army said Thursday. The bodies, all male, were found Wednesday scattered around 14 shot-up pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, two of which had bulletproofing.

Analysis: China drought ignites global grain supply concerns
A prolonged drought in China could hit grains output in key growing regions, further squeezing global supplies and putting upward pressure on prices, but plentiful domestic wheat stocks will act as a cushion and keep import volumes low.

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2011 Now Deadliest Year for Tornadoes Since 1950
The death toll from the monster tornado last week in Missouri has risen by seven to at least 139, city spokeswoman Lynn Onstot said Saturday. That makes this the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950, based on an assessment of figures from the National Weather Service.

Greek leaders fail to agree as IMF deadline looms
Greek leaders meeting in Athens have failed to agree on Prime Minister George Papandreou's new austerity plan. Conservative leader Antonis Samaras rejected the measures, saying they would "flatten the Greek economy and destroy Greek society".

Russia urged to mediate in Libya crisis
Russia says the Western members of the Group of Eight (G8) have demanded that Moscow assume a mediation role to put an end to the war in Libya. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's “partners in all bilateral meetings called on Russia to assume a mediation mission in Libya," Reuters quoted the Russian president's spokeswoman, Natalia Timakova, as saying on Thursday.

Russia against UN sanctions on Syria
Russia is against UN sanctions on Syria, the country’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has told his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in a phone talk. The diplomat also noted the importance of positive changes in the country as Muallem spoke about new political reforms which are to restore peace and accord in Syria.

Germany E. coli Outbreak One of Largest on Record
Much remains unknown about the outbreak, but this much is clear: It is a very, very serious epidemic. "The current events represent one of the largest described outbreaks of HUS/STEC (hemolytic uremic syndrome/shiga toxin E. coli) worldwide and the largest in Germany, with a very atypical age and sex distribution of the cases," a Eurosurveillance report observed on Thursday.

Report: Iran sending forces to assist in Syria crackdowns
U.S. officials said that Iran is assisting Syrian President Bashar Assad's violent crackdown on protesters, sending trainers and advisers to suppress opposition, according to a Washington Post report.

Flooding spreads — to Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
Rain-swollen rivers that have swamped Montana towns could keep flooding the region for another month or more as melting mountain snow delivers a second slug of water to the soggy Northern Plains.

Egypt permanently opens Gaza border crossing
After a four-year blockade, Egypt on Saturday permanently opened the Gaza Strip's main gateway to the outside world, bringing long-awaited relief to the territory's Palestinian population and a significant achievement for the area's ruling Hamas militant group.

Small signs suggest waning support for Gadhafi
Young men waved their assault rifles in the air, spraying celebratory gunfire. Others let off fireworks. Drivers honked and leaned out of their cars waving green flags and chanting in support of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The shaking cacophony of bangs and bullets one recent evening all served to camouflage the thin turnout at a pro-Gadhafi demonstration in his stronghold, the capital of Tripoli. Only several hundred showed up, and many seemed more interested in having fun than in showing solidarity with the regime.

Canadian mother defends keeping gender secret
A Canadian couple says it's none of the world's business to know their baby's gender despite a firestorm of criticism over their controversial decision to keep the infant's sex a secret. Kathy Witterick said her 4-month-old baby Storm should be able to develop its own sexual identity without having to conform to social stereotypes or bow to predetermined expectations associated with gender.

Yemen president launches air strikes as rebels advance towards Sana'a
War planes strafed an advancing column of militiamen 45 miles northeast of Sana'a, as they attempted to seize three military posts on their march to reinforce Sadiq al-Ahmar, a powerful tribal chief whose forces have seized control of a number of key buildings in the city. At least 19 tribesmen were killed as the president's position looked ever more fragile and he was forced to seek a truce with Mr Ahmar, the leader of the powerful Hashed tribal confederation.

Greece will not default if it gets IMF aid, says central bank governor George Provopoulos
George Provopoulos, who is also a member on the European Central Bank (ECB) led a raft of politicians and regulators who moved to calm market fears over Greece's financial stability. "Greece will be able to pay back the full amount of its debt without any kind of re-profiling if it fully implements the adjustment programme," said Mr Provopoulos.

VA agrees not to interfere with holiday prayers
The nation's agency for military veterans has agreed to stay out of religious refereeing for now, backing down from its attempt to tell a minister how to craft a prayer for a Memorial Day invocation. The change of heart came one day after the judge granted the Rev. Scott Rainey a temporary restraining order against the agency after officials told the pastor to edit his prayer to make it as general and non-denominational as possible. Rainey's prayer, submitted for review at the agency's request included the recitation of the Lord's Prayer and thanked Jesus Christ, the Christian savior, in closing.

Aussie student finds universe's 'missing mass'
A 22-year-old Australian university student has solved a problem which has puzzled astrophysicists for decades, discovering part of the so-called "missing mass" of the universe during her summer break. Undergraduate Amelia Fraser-McKelvie made the breakthrough during a holiday internship with a team at Monash University's School of Physics, locating the mystery material within vast structures called "filaments of galaxies".

Russia to lift grain export ban after harvest increase
Russia is to lift a ban on exporting grain from 1 July, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced. The export ban was put in place in August last year, following an unprecedented drought and the widespread outbreak of wildfires. Millions of tonnes of crops were lost, cutting output by some 37%.

Lieberman thanks Canada for pro-Israel stance at G8
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman spoke with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird during a telephone conversation on Friday and thanked him and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for their pro-Israel stance at the G8 summit. Lieberman said during the conversation that "Canada is a true friend of Israel." Group of Eight leaders had to soften a statement urging Israel and the Palestinians to return to negotiations because Canada objected to a specific mention of 1967 borders, diplomats said on Friday.

Yemen civil war averted with tenuous ceasefire
An informal ceasefire between President Ali Abdullah Saleh's security forces and a tribal group brought a pause in fighting on Saturday after nearly a week of deadly clashes left Yemen near civil war. Fighting this week has killed some 115 people, prompted thousands of residents to flee Sanaa and raised the specter of chaos that could benefit the Yemen-based branch of al-Qaida and threaten adjacent Saudi Arabia, the world's No. 1 oil exporter.

'Iran aiding Assad in crackdown against protesters'
Iran has continued to send trainers and advisers to Syria in order to help Bashar Assad's government clamp down on anti-regime protests despite US sanctions against Iranian military officials, The Washington Post reported on Friday. According to the report, the aid is not limited to riot gear and manpower, but also includes surveillance equipment that helps the Syrian government follow activists on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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2011 Now Deadliest Year for Tornadoes Since 1950
The death toll from the monster tornado last week in Missouri has risen by seven to at least 139, city spokeswoman Lynn Onstot said Saturday. That makes this the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950, based on an assessment of figures from the National Weather Service.

Greek leaders fail to agree as IMF deadline looms
Greek leaders meeting in Athens have failed to agree on Prime Minister George Papandreou's new austerity plan. Conservative leader Antonis Samaras rejected the measures, saying they would "flatten the Greek economy and destroy Greek society".

Russia urged to mediate in Libya crisis
Russia says the Western members of the Group of Eight (G8) have demanded that Moscow assume a mediation role to put an end to the war in Libya. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's “partners in all bilateral meetings called on Russia to assume a mediation mission in Libya," Reuters quoted the Russian president's spokeswoman, Natalia Timakova, as saying on Thursday.

Russia against UN sanctions on Syria
Russia is against UN sanctions on Syria, the country’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has told his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in a phone talk. The diplomat also noted the importance of positive changes in the country as Muallem spoke about new political reforms which are to restore peace and accord in Syria.

Germany E. coli Outbreak One of Largest on Record
Much remains unknown about the outbreak, but this much is clear: It is a very, very serious epidemic. "The current events represent one of the largest described outbreaks of HUS/STEC (hemolytic uremic syndrome/shiga toxin E. coli) worldwide and the largest in Germany, with a very atypical age and sex distribution of the cases," a Eurosurveillance report observed on Thursday.

Report: Iran sending forces to assist in Syria crackdowns
U.S. officials said that Iran is assisting Syrian President Bashar Assad's violent crackdown on protesters, sending trainers and advisers to suppress opposition, according to a Washington Post report.

Flooding spreads — to Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
Rain-swollen rivers that have swamped Montana towns could keep flooding the region for another month or more as melting mountain snow delivers a second slug of water to the soggy Northern Plains.

Egypt permanently opens Gaza border crossing
After a four-year blockade, Egypt on Saturday permanently opened the Gaza Strip's main gateway to the outside world, bringing long-awaited relief to the territory's Palestinian population and a significant achievement for the area's ruling Hamas militant group.

Small signs suggest waning support for Gadhafi
Young men waved their assault rifles in the air, spraying celebratory gunfire. Others let off fireworks. Drivers honked and leaned out of their cars waving green flags and chanting in support of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The shaking cacophony of bangs and bullets one recent evening all served to camouflage the thin turnout at a pro-Gadhafi demonstration in his stronghold, the capital of Tripoli. Only several hundred showed up, and many seemed more interested in having fun than in showing solidarity with the regime.

Canadian mother defends keeping gender secret
A Canadian couple says it's none of the world's business to know their baby's gender despite a firestorm of criticism over their controversial decision to keep the infant's sex a secret. Kathy Witterick said her 4-month-old baby Storm should be able to develop its own sexual identity without having to conform to social stereotypes or bow to predetermined expectations associated with gender.

Yemen president launches air strikes as rebels advance towards Sana'a
War planes strafed an advancing column of militiamen 45 miles northeast of Sana'a, as they attempted to seize three military posts on their march to reinforce Sadiq al-Ahmar, a powerful tribal chief whose forces have seized control of a number of key buildings in the city. At least 19 tribesmen were killed as the president's position looked ever more fragile and he was forced to seek a truce with Mr Ahmar, the leader of the powerful Hashed tribal confederation.

Greece will not default if it gets IMF aid, says central bank governor George Provopoulos
George Provopoulos, who is also a member on the European Central Bank (ECB) led a raft of politicians and regulators who moved to calm market fears over Greece's financial stability. "Greece will be able to pay back the full amount of its debt without any kind of re-profiling if it fully implements the adjustment programme," said Mr Provopoulos.

VA agrees not to interfere with holiday prayers
The nation's agency for military veterans has agreed to stay out of religious refereeing for now, backing down from its attempt to tell a minister how to craft a prayer for a Memorial Day invocation. The change of heart came one day after the judge granted the Rev. Scott Rainey a temporary restraining order against the agency after officials told the pastor to edit his prayer to make it as general and non-denominational as possible. Rainey's prayer, submitted for review at the agency's request included the recitation of the Lord's Prayer and thanked Jesus Christ, the Christian savior, in closing.

Aussie student finds universe's 'missing mass'
A 22-year-old Australian university student has solved a problem which has puzzled astrophysicists for decades, discovering part of the so-called "missing mass" of the universe during her summer break. Undergraduate Amelia Fraser-McKelvie made the breakthrough during a holiday internship with a team at Monash University's School of Physics, locating the mystery material within vast structures called "filaments of galaxies".

Russia to lift grain export ban after harvest increase
Russia is to lift a ban on exporting grain from 1 July, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced. The export ban was put in place in August last year, following an unprecedented drought and the widespread outbreak of wildfires. Millions of tonnes of crops were lost, cutting output by some 37%.

Lieberman thanks Canada for pro-Israel stance at G8
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman spoke with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird during a telephone conversation on Friday and thanked him and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for their pro-Israel stance at the G8 summit. Lieberman said during the conversation that "Canada is a true friend of Israel." Group of Eight leaders had to soften a statement urging Israel and the Palestinians to return to negotiations because Canada objected to a specific mention of 1967 borders, diplomats said on Friday.

Yemen civil war averted with tenuous ceasefire
An informal ceasefire between President Ali Abdullah Saleh's security forces and a tribal group brought a pause in fighting on Saturday after nearly a week of deadly clashes left Yemen near civil war. Fighting this week has killed some 115 people, prompted thousands of residents to flee Sanaa and raised the specter of chaos that could benefit the Yemen-based branch of al-Qaida and threaten adjacent Saudi Arabia, the world's No. 1 oil exporter.

'Iran aiding Assad in crackdown against protesters'
Iran has continued to send trainers and advisers to Syria in order to help Bashar Assad's government clamp down on anti-regime protests despite US sanctions against Iranian military officials, The Washington Post reported on Friday. According to the report, the aid is not limited to riot gear and manpower, but also includes surveillance equipment that helps the Syrian government follow activists on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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Yuan at record high versus dollar after Treasury report
China's yuan has hit a record high against the US dollar after the US Treasury department said the Chinese currency was undervalued but not manipulated. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) fixed the yuan's mid-point at 6.4856 against the US dollar on Monday.

E.coli cucumber scare: Germany seeks source of outbreak
Germans have been warned not to eat cucumbers until tests identify the source of a deadly E.coli outbreak that has killed 10 and spread across Europe. It is thought contaminated cucumbers were imported from Spain, but further tests are being carried out.

Netanyahu warns Egypt losing control of growing terror groups in Sinai
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Egypt's new military government was having a "hard time" controlling the rise of international terror organizations in the Sinai Peninsula.

Coming this summer... $5 gas
The forecast for the summer driving season: Hit the road early. Not to beat the traffic, but to beat the higher gas prices expected in mid-July. Goldman Sachs' crystal ball is proclaiming that oil will soon soar to $135 a barrel, and likely have service stations jacking up fuel prices to $5 a gallon in New York just like the summer of 2008 that preceded the recession.

Yemen forces 'kill 20 protesters' in Taiz
Security forces in Yemen have shot dead at least 20 anti-government protesters in the southern city of Taiz, medics and organisers say. Soldiers reportedly moved in to end a four-month-old sit-in in the city.

Nigeria blast kills 15 hours after inauguration
A bomb tore through a bar in a military barracks in Nigeria's restive Muslim north, killing 15 people just hours after a southern Christian president was inaugurated, an official who participated in the rescue efforts said Monday.

Germany decides to abandon nuclear power by 2022
Germany's coalition government agreed early Monday to shut down all the country's nuclear power plants by 2022, the environment minister said, making it the first major industrialized nation in the last quarter century to announce plans to go nuclear-free.


U.S. dollar could 'collapse': UN
The United Nations warned on Wednesday of a possible crisis of confidence in, and even a “collapse” of, the U.S. dollar if its value against other currencies continued to decline.

Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes off Sumatra Island, Indonesia
A shallow-undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 jolted Sumatra island earlier Sunday, however, suggested no potential danger of a tsunami, Xinhua quoted the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency as saying.

No Surprises There: Philadelphia, US: Mystery Boom Caused by Earthquake: USGS
People all over the Northeast and in nearby places like Bensalem, Pa. were reporting having heard an explosion or boom in the area of Knights and Fairdale Road around 9:35 p.m., according to the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Lawyers to Ban: Declaring a Palestinian State is Illegal
The lawyers say that UN recognition of such a state would be “in contrary to international law, UN resolutions and existing agreements.”

Hackers Hit Lockheed-Martin, Supplier of F-35 for Israel
Computer hackers last week hit the website of Lockheed-Martin, the supplier of F-35 warplanes to Israel. The Pentagon says security was not breached, but data was stolen.

High-Ranking Russian Officials to Attend Bushehr N. Power Plant Inauguration Ceremony
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev or Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will accompany Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in an upcoming ceremony to be held to mark inauguration of Iran's first nuclear power plant in the Southern port city of Bushehr. Bushehr Governor-General, Mohammad Hossein Jahanbakhsh said with reliance upon Almighty God and endeavors of Iranian experts, the experimental operation of Bushehr power plant is underway and the Iranian president with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev or prime minister Vladimir Putin will attend a ceremony of formal inauguration.

Al-Qa'ida 'winning war against West'
AL-QA'IDA is as formidable as it was on 9/11, if not more so, the man who led the hunt for Osama bin Laden has warned. Michael Scheuer, a former CIA agent who directed the "Alec Station" dedicated bin Laden CIA team during the 1990s, said that far from winning the war, the West was losing and did not understand the conflict.

Russia changes stance on Libya
RUSSIA took the side of Britain and France over Libya for the first time yesterday as President Medvedev endorsed calls for Colonel Gaddafi to leave office and offered to help to negotiate his exit. Downing Street and the White House both expressed surprise and delight at the shift in his position at the G8 summit in Deauville, after Russia's previous reluctance and internal criticism for the decision to abstain rather than veto UN resolution 1973 authorising military action.

Iranian diplomat arrested for spying in Egypt
An Iranian who worked at the country's diplomatic mission in Egyptian capital Cairo has been arrested on charges of spying, a media report said. Sayyed Kassem al-Husseini was arrested in al-Mohandssen district of Cairo Saturday, Xinhua reported citing the official Al-Akhbar newspaper. The report said Husseini was gathering and sending to Tehran economic, political and military intelligence reports on Egypt.

North Korea Frees U.S. Man Accused of Spreading Christianity
North Korea freed an American it held for a half year for reportedly proselytizing, handing him Saturday to a U.S. envoy who said Washington had not promised to provide aid in exchange for the man’s release. The envoy, Robert King, accompanied Eddie Jun on a flight from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and told reporters after arriving in Beijing that Jun would be reunited with his family in the United States “within a day or two.”

800 tons of fish die, rot on Philippine fish farms
More than 800 tons of fish have died and rotted on fish farms in a lake near Taal volcano south of Manila, with authorities blaming it on a sudden temperature drop. The massive fish deaths started late last week but have eased. Officials have banned the sale of the rotting fish, which are being buried by the truckload in Talisay and four other towns in Batangas province, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources official Rose del Mundo said Sunday.

********* nuclear plant in Japan 'unready for typhoon'
Japan's crippled ********* nuclear plant is not fully prepared for heavy rain and winds of a typhoon heading towards the country, officials admit. Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), which runs the plant, said some reactor buildings were uncovered, prompting fears the storm may carry radioactive material into the air and sea. Typhoon Songda is expected to hit mainland Japan as early as Monday.

Pentagon says impact of Lockheed attack 'minimal'
The US Defense Department said on Saturday the impact on the Pentagon of a cyber attack on Lockheed Martin Corp was "minimal" and it expected no harm to result. Lockheed Martin makes the F-35 fighter jets, 20 of which were recently approved for purchase for the Israeli Air Force. "Impact to DoD is minimal and we don't expect any adverse effect," Lieutenant Colonel April Cunningham said in an e-mailed reply to Reuters. "As a matter of standing DoD policy, we do not comment on operational matters."

'Unification of Jerusalem is a foundation of nation of Israel'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his government's support for a united Jerusalem on Sunday, calling the unification of Jerusalem one of the "foundations of the nation of Israel." Speaking at a special government meeting held at the David Citadel in Jerusalem, the prime minister said Israel had won congressional support during his most recent trip to Washington, where he presented the issue of Jerusalem's unification.

Flooded Montana towns prepare for more water
Montana communities took advantage of a break in rainy weather to clear flood debris from homes and roadways as states downstream prepared for floodwaters from the higher elevations and releases from their own burgeoning dams.

Syrian tanks attack two central towns
Syrian government troops backed by tanks attacked Sunday two central towns that have seen intense protests against President Bashar Assad's regime, while security forces opened fire at demonstrators overnight in several parts of the country causing casualties, activists said.

Dozens arrested in Moscow gay rights parade clashes
More than 30 people were arrested Saturday in central Moscow during the sixth attempt by gay rights groups to hold a parade in the city. According to the group, Gay Russia, far right groups clashed with activists who were gathered in front of the Kremlin wall and city hall.

West to have 80,000 cruise missiles by 2020
Russian military experts forecast that Western nations will have 80,000 cruise missile by 2020, a deputy commander of the Russian General Staff said on Saturday.

Arab League to seek full UN membership for Palestinian state
An Arab League committee decided on Saturday to seek full UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital, it said in a statement. The Arab League's peace process follow-up committee said it would request membership for the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly's meeting in New York in September.

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White House set for Obama-Netanyahu-Abbas summit. Israel downbeat
The White House is going full steam ahead with preparations for an early summit between US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for restartng the peace process, debkafile's Washington sources report exclusively. Sources in Jerusalem and Ramallah confirm that they too are getting set for the occasion. A high-ranking US official told debkafile: "Till now, we have had the curtain-raiser and opening positions: Now we are going for the real show - negotiations."

Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says?
President Obama has shown himself to be weak in his dealings with the Middle East, says Robert Fisk, and the Arab world is turning its back with contempt. Its future will be shaped without American influence

Palestinians plan to approach UN Security Council about statehood in July
The Palestinian Authority plans to approach the United Nations Security Council in July to begin the process of getting Palestine recognized as a full member of the United Nations and to assure a vote on the matter by the General Assembly in September, Haaretz has learned.

Palestinians plan to approach UN Security Council about statehood in July


IDF chief: Israel faces growing range of threats, from 'knife to nuclear'
The Israel Defense Forces will ask the state to increase its defense budget significantly to contend with the growing terror threats in the region, Chief of Staff Benny Gantz said on Tuesday.

Al Jazeera Reporter Claims Western Troops Were Spotted on the Ground in Libya
A report by Al Jazeera includes video the network’s correspondent suggests shows “evidence for the first time of allied boots on the ground” in Libya–a development that could break a United Nations resolution prohibiting “a foreign occupation force” in Libya. In the video, Tony Birtley, a veteran war correspondent, describes a group of six men as “a group of armed foreigners, possibly British…seen liaising with the fighters. It could be to facilitate forthcoming helicopter attacks.”

Iran cleric: Killing Israeli children OK
Evil words in Islamic Republic: A senior Iranian cleric, who is known as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor, urged followers to continue suicide attacks against Israelis, including children. Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah, considered one of the Islamic Republic's most radical clerics, issued a religious edict on his website whereby suicide attacks are not only legitimate but are a must for every Muslim, a special paper by the Middle East Media Research Institute shows.

Israel prepping to block next Gaza flotilla
On the anniversary of its deadly takeover of the aid flotilla to Gaza, in which nine Turkish activists died in a confrontation with navy commandos, Israel is preparing to block the next flotilla as well. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel prefers a diplomatic move to thwart the flotilla expected at the end of June, but if necessary would exercise force against anyone who tries to disobey the navy's orders and head to Gaza's shore.

Anti-Christian Violence Continues in Pakistan
Anti-Christian violence continues in Pakistan and police are not pursuing the perpetrators, according to news reports. A May 26 article in AsiaNews.it described the gang-rape of a Christian woman and the desecration of Christian tombs in the Pakistani city of Faisalabad. The publication called it “ordinary violence visited upon Pakistan’s Christian minority.”

Belarus to raise interest rates to 16%
Belarus is raising its main interest rate on 1 June to 16% from 14% as it tries to battle inflation. The central bank said the rise would increase the value of investments in Belarus roubles and protect people's savings from inflation. Last week, the government cut the official exchange rate of the rouble against the US dollar by 36%.

Rising food prices increase squeeze on poor - Oxfam
Rising food prices are tightening the squeeze on populations already struggling to buy adequate food, demanding radical reform of the global food system, Oxfam has warned. By 2030, the average cost of key crops could increase by between 120% and 180%, the charity forecasts. It is the acceleration of a trend which has already seen food prices double in the last 20 years.

Martin Dempsey named new joint chiefs head
Gen Martin Dempsey has been nominated as the new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the highest US military post. A veteran of the Iraq war, Army Chief of Staff Dempsey will succeed Navy Admiral Mike Mullen as the president's top military adviser on 30 September. President Obama made the announcement in the White House garden but it is subject to Senate approval.

'Syrian residents fight back gov't troops for first time'
Syrian residents on Monday fought back for the first time against government troops in a two-month-old uprising against the rule of President Bashar Assad, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. According to the report, residents used automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades to fend off advancing troops, raising fears that the uprising may turn into a "Libya-style" armed conflict.

Gantz warns of 'expanding arc of threats in Middle East'
IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Benny Gantz warned Tuesday of the "expanding arc of threats in the Middle East," saying they range from "the knife of an individual terrorist to Iranian nuclear weapons." Due to this "expanding arc," Gantz told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the IDF needs a "new, expanded defense budget."

High-Ranking Russian Officials to Attend Bushehr N. Power Plant Inauguration Ceremony
Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the main reactor of Iran's first nuclear power plant in the Southern port city of Bushehr would be launched within weeks. "The final launch of Bushehr is a matter of the coming weeks," Ryabkov said. The second consignment of fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant was delivered from Russia earlier this month.

Vice PM: Strike On Iran Could Be Necessary
Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon says the civilized world must take joint action to avert the Iranian nuclear threat, including a pre-emptive strike if necessary. Ya’alon’s spokesman Ofer Harel told The Associated Press later Monday that the minister was repeating Israel’s position that all options are on the table and not calling for anybody to attack Iran.

Free trade wars test asian loyalties
Australian National University professor Peter Drysdale has prophesied that the TPP will "drive a wedge down the middle of the Pacific between the United States, its partners and China." Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan found himself facing the sharp end of that wedge at the beginning of last week at his summit meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.

Netanyahu warns Egypt losing control of growing terror groups in Sinai
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Egypt's new military government was having a "hard time" controlling the rise of international terror organizations in the Sinai Peninsula.

Drug May Help Overwrite Bad Memories
"The results show that when we decrease stress hormone levels at the time of recall of a negative event, we can impair the memory for this negative event with a long-lasting effect,"

Netanyahu Quotes Expert Who Said He ‘Eviscerated Obama’
Jews and believing Christians do exist but the support, as very, very important commentators wrote, is much more sweeping, vis-à-vis the American people's solidarity with the State of Israel. Somebody wrote that, 'Israel is an American value,' and I think that there is much truth in this.”

Hamas Moving HQ from Syria to Egypt, Warns Netanyahu
Hamas is moving its headquarters from Damascus to Egypt, and the terror group is strengthening itself in the Sinai, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Monday.

Google: With A Single Tap, Your Phone Will Be Your Wallet
At an event in New York, Google introduced Google Wallet, a contactless near field communication (NFC) based cell phone payment platform. "Your phone will be your wallet," Google Vice President of Commerce for Stephanie Tilenius declared at the event. Google plans to bring the retail ecosystem from payments, to offers and coupons into a single entity.

Germany plays down Ashton criticism
Schauble is considered in Germany to be the top thinker on EU affairs-The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), a leading German daily, cited him as saying that the EU "did not speak with one voice" and that Ashton "does not have the power to portray Europe as an actor." The Times, said Schauble has opened "a new flank of criticism after attacks about her lack of dynamism by French diplomats." It speculated that Ashton might be forced to quit mid-mandate.

Home Front Command gears for nationwide drill
The Home Front Command is gearing for its nationwide emergency exercise, scheduled for June 19. The drill, dubbed "Turning Point 5" aims to test, among other things, a new system that will inform civilians of a real-time emergency via text-messages, as well as by sounding an air raid siren. ...The HFC has been debating whether to issue a new "sound" in case of a unconventional missile attack on Israel, but eventually decided to keep using the tried-and-true sound, and provide the public with additional information via text messages and the media outlets.

China goes organic after years of 'glow in the dark pork' and 'exploding watermelons'
After years of nerve-racking food scares from "melamine milk" to "glow-in-the-dark" pork and "exploding watermelons" urban China is starting to embrace the shoots of a new, green revolution and is going organic. ...Amid the scares it was reported that China's government departments were running their own organic farms to feed staff, sparking criticism that officials were putting their own safety before that of the people.

Islamists Seize a Yemeni City, Stoking Fears
As Islamist militants were consolidating control over a second city in southern Yemen, seizing banks, government offices and the security headquarters, news agencies reported on Monday that the Yemeni air force was responding with bombing runs. The fall of Zinjibar to self-styled holy warriors who claimed to have “liberated” it from “the agents of the Americans” fed into Western fears that militants sympathetic to Al Qaeda could exploit the breakdown of authority to take control of territory.

Khamenei backs president, wants end to crisis: TV
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday backed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government and called for an end to the crisis within the ruling conservative camp, state television said. "While there are weakness and problems ... the composition of the executive branch is good and appropriate, and the government is working. The government and parliament must help each other," Mr. Khamenei said.

Brotherhood says won't force Islamic law on Egypt
The Muslim Brotherhood wants a diverse parliament after elections in September and is not seeking to impose Islamic law on Egypt, the head of the group's newly formed political party said in an interview. The Brotherhood, which has emerged as a powerful force after years of repression under ousted President Hosni Mubarak, has said it does not want a parliamentary majority, although rivals see it as well placed for a dominant position.

Millions face food poverty as northern Europe is hit by worst drought in 35 years
...With Northern Europe facing its worst drought since 1976, politicians in the West are expecting protests from farmers, consumer discontent and a strain on budgets. Third World nations are braced for riots as Europe's heat wave creates a rise in food prices and drives millions deeper into poverty.

Jerusalem unsure Obama moved EU against Palestinian UN bid
In Jerusalem’s post mortem evaluations of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s stormy visit to Washington, questions were raised about the wisdom of the US trying to prevent European support of a Palestinian state at the UN by first setting a return to the 1967 lines, with mutual land swaps, as the negotiation baseline.

Why safe corporate bonds aren't so smart anymore
Some bonds are throwing off interest so puny that investors are already losing money to inflation. Others pay higher rates but won't return your money for more years than you're likely to live. Johnson & Johnson just sold $4.4 billion worth of debt with fixed rates as low as 0.7 percent, 2.5 percentage points less than inflation. The prospect of near-free money was so irresistible to Google Inc., it decided to sell $3 billion worth, even though it already had more than 10 times as much cash at its disposal. And Norfolk Southern Corp. convinced investors to lend it $400 million for 100 years.



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