In Loving Memory
April 29, 1947 - September 5, 2020
Update: On Saturday, September 5th, 2020, the founder, administrator, and head moderator of this forum, Valerie S., went Home to be with the Lord. Her obituary can be found on https://memorials.demarcofuneralhomes.com/valerie-skrzyniak/4321619/index.php.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing .
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2 Iraqis charged in Ky. with terrorism plotting
Two Iraqi men living as refugees in Kentucky tried to send sniper rifles, Stinger missiles and money to al-Qaida operatives in their home country, and both boasted of using improvised explosives against American troops there before moving to the U.S., according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.
Israel’s Coast May Be Gold Mine of Oil, Says Government Expert
Israel may have the last laugh to the old joke that “Moses took the wrong turn in the desert,” going to a land of sand instead of oil, which may be waiting to be found under the sea, says a government oil expert.
Report: Hamas Smuggling a Rocket a Day from ‘Friendly Egypt’
The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and the decline of Egyptian army control in the Sinai have allowed Hamas to smuggle a rocket a day into Gaza, according to the Israeli-based Debka website, maintained largely by former IDF and security officers.
Obama's new security staff may approve attack on Iran
Obama has chosen the summer of 2011, about a year before the election season warms up in 2012, to refresh his national security staff, a move that may have serious repercussions on Israel.
Cease-Fire Breaks Down in Yemen, Civil War Looms
Heavy fighting resumed Tuesday in Yemen's capital between government troops and followers of the country's most powerful tribal leader, ending a brief cease-fire and again raising the prospect that Yemen's political crisis could veer into civil war.
Obama again declares June ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month’
President Barack Obama has proclaimed June 2011 “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.” Painting the LGBT experience as the “story about the struggle to realize that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law,” Obama highlighted the steps his administration has taken for gay rights, including passing the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” legislation and giving the LGBT community more access to federal housing programs.
Syrian troops attack southern town, 8 killed
A human rights activist says Syrian troops have bombed a southern town and that at least eight people have died in the bombing, including an 11-year-old girl. Mustafa Osso says the troops are now in control of the southern town of Hirak, which is near the city of Daraa where the uprising against President Bashar Assad's autocratic regime began in mid-March.
IAEA team says tsunami threat underestimated
U.N. inspectors faulted Japan on Wednesday for underestimating the threat of a devastating tsunami on its crippled ********* Dai-ichi nuclear plant but praised its overall response to the crisis as exemplary.
Iran cleric: Killing Israeli children OK
Iranian Ayatollah endorses evil: Radical religious cleric known as President Ahmadinejad's spiritual mentor says attacks on Israeli civilians permissible, suicide bombings a Muslim duty
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E. coli outbreak is a new strain
The World Health Organization says the E. coli outbreak in Germany is a completely new strain of the bacteria. The infection can cause the deadly complication - haemolytic-uraemic syndrome - affecting the blood and kidneys. More than 1,500 people have been infected and 17 have died: 16 in Germany and one in Sweden.
France presents plan to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe presented a peace plan to the Palestinian Authority Thursday during a visit to Ramallah, meant to revive stalled talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The peace plan, Juppe said, is largely based on U.S. President Barack Obama's speech last month, which called for a resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps.
World factory growth slips, U.S. hiring weak
Global factory growth eased in May, with the slowdown in activity more pronounced in the United States, feeding fears the world's main economic engines are cooling fast as richer countries cut orders.
Cybersecurity becoming U.S. diplomatic priority
Cyber security is now a diplomatic priority for the United States with Washington looking to build relationships to tackle information theft and reduce the risk of conflict, a senior official said.
WHO: E. coli outbreak caused by new strain
The World Health Organization said Thursday that the E. coli bacteria responsible for a deadly outbreak that has left 18 dead and sickened hundreds in Europe is a new strain that has never been seen before.
Mass. towns digging out after tornadoes kill 4
At least two late-afternoon tornadoes on Wednesday shocked the region more accustomed to dealing with snow than funnel clouds. Four people were killed and dozens injured.
Horror for US Economy as Data Falls off Cliff
The last month has been a horror show for the U.S. economy, with economic data falling off a cliff, according to Mike Riddell, a fund manager at M&G Investments in London.
Abbas Advisor Warns of Third Intifada if Talks Fail
A senior advisor to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has said that last month’s ‘Nakba Day’ incidents along Israel’s borders were simply a “rehearsal” for larger demonstrations planned for this Sunday to commemorate ‘Naksa Day.’
Hamas-Run Gaza Not Quite Ready for PA 'Unity'
The much-touted Palestinian Authority “unity” agreed upon between the Ramallah-based Fatah faction and the Hamas terrorist rulers of Gaza has not quite come to fruition, at least when it comes to diplomatic visits between the two sides.
A Rare Eclipse Of The Midnight Sun
It sounds like an oxymoron: a solar eclipse at midnight. According to NASA, it's about to happen. "It might sound like a contradiction to have a solar eclipse in the middle of the night, but this is what we will see in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland on June 1st," says Knut Joergen Roed Oedegaard, an astrophysicist at the Norwegian Centre for Science Education in Oslo.
Netanyahu on Jerusalem Day: This city is ours!
As Israel marked the 44th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel would never allow the city to be again divided. "Forty-four years ago, IDF soldiers realized the prophets' vision and returned Jerusalem to its proper place," Netanyahu said, referring to the liberation of the eastern half of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War. - "Jerusalem will never be divided. There's nothing more holy to us than Jerusalem, we'll protect Jerusalem, it's unity, and we'll build and develop it."
Alarm Clocks Blow up at Ikea Stores in Belgium, France and The Netherlands
Small explosives concealed in alarm clocks detonated at Ikea furniture stores in Belgium, France and The Netherlands, Belgian authorities said Tuesday. The explosions in stores in the Belgian city of Ghent, Lille in northern France and Eindhoven in The Netherlands caused no damage or injuries.
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PressTV - Russia asserts Iran's 'absolute' N-right
“Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has inalienable rights to develop nuclear energy under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) control,” IRNA quoted Lavrov as saying at a meeting with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon in the Russian capital, Moscow. He stressed the importance of holding further negotiations with Tehran “to alleviate concerns about the nature of Iran's nuclear program.”
The Full-Blown Return of Anti-Semitism in Europe
On April 19, the Corfu synagogue, in Greece, was burned. How many Jews live in Corfu today? One hundred and fifty. How many Jews live in Greece? Eight thousand, or about 0.8% of the population. For some, it seems these figures are still far too high. Two other synagogues were burned in Greece during the past year. Anti-Semitic graffiti on the walls are spreading all over the country. What happened in Greece is happening everywhere across the European continent.
ACLU challenges drug testing of Fla. state workers
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is suing Florida Gov. Rick Scott over ordering drug testing for all state employees, regardless of suspicion. The ACLU says the measure is an overreach of the Republican governor's powers and intrudes into employees' private lives. Scott's order expands drug testing to all employees, not just those who drive, carry weapons or deal with children.
Syrian troops pound central town; at least 43 die
Syrian government troops pounded a central town with artillery and heavy machinegun fire Thursday, a day after authorities released hundreds of political prisoners and the president set up a committee for national dialogue in an effort to end a 10-week uprising against his regime, activists said.
Major panel: Drug war failed; legalize marijuana
The global war on drugs has failed with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world, argues a new report to be released Thursday. Compiled by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes former heads of state, a former U.N. secretary-general and a business mogul, the report calls on governments to end the criminalization of marijuana and other controlled substances.
France proposes Mid East peace conference in July
France is ready to organise a Middle East peace conference before the end of July, Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppé said Thursday on a visit to Ramallah. He dubbed the current stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians “untenable”.--And he warned that the “situation will be very difficult for the whole world” if there have been no advances in Israeli-Palestinian relations before September.
Foreign Governments TO Grant Tens Of Millions Of Dollars To PA
Yesterday several foreign governments signed agreements for aid to the Palestinian Authority. In Berlin, an agreement was signed by the PA's Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development and senior officials in the German government for €42.5 million in German aid to the PA for 2010 for infrastructure, local government, and other initiatives. Japan's representative in the PA announced, at a press conference with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and EU representative in the PA Christian Berger that $3.8 million would be granted to rehabilitate the private sector in the Gaza Strip, as part of a joint EU-PA initiative. Berger also signed an agreement with the Palestinian presidency for €6 million in aid for eastern Jerusalem, as part of a $428 million comprehensive plan of EU, PA, and various Jerusalem institutions.
$8.4 million European-Palestinian agreement to support Jerusalem projects
On Tuesday, May 31, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union signed a €6 million agreement (approximately $8.4 million) to support developmental, cultural, educational, health, humanitarian, and human law projects in Jerusalem. The head of the Palestinian Authority President's office, Hussein Al Araj, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Palestinian side, was quoted by official PA media sources as saying that he hoped that the plan would receive Arab and Muslim support in combating Israeli schemes to Judaize Jerusalem.
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Vatican says Palestinian state should ‘soon’ live alongside Israel after pope meets Abbas
The Vatican says a Palestinian state must “soon” live side by side in peace and security with Israel. The Vatican issued the statement Friday after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Pope Benedict XVI and other Vatican officials. -The Vatican has long supported a Palestinian state.
E.Coli Crisis Intensifies
Europe's severe outbreak of Escherichia coli bacterial infections worsened further on Friday as more people succumbed to the lethal strain in Germany and around Europe. Total reported cases in Germany reached 1,733, with 520 of those resulting in severe complications that can lead to kidney failure, according to the Robert Koch Institute, a research body funded by the German health ministry. Cases have been reported in at least 11 other European countries.
Analysis: Bond market rally may signal dark times to come
A torrent of terrible economic data has electrified the U.S. Treasury market, driving the key 10-year note's yield lower and prompting investors to predict a further plunge. On Wednesday, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell below 3 percent, the first time since December, on further evidence the economic recovery is losing momentum -- and fast.
Friday Look Ahead: US Jobs Growth Could Signal Worrisome Slowdown
Economists forecast nearly 100,000 fewer jobs were added in May than in April, which had job growth of 244,000. Reuters reports the consensus of economists in its survey expect 150,000 new non farm payrolls and an unemployment rate of 8.9 percent.
Peres: Jerusalem will see peace in our time
In his address to the annual Jerusalem Day state ceremony marking 44 years since the reunification of the capital, Peres said he believed in the "eternity of Jerusalem". "I believe that Jerusalem will know peace in our time.
French peace plan would require Palestinian recognition of Jewish state
In a first for the wider international community, the French initiative incorporates the position that the goal of negotiations is "two states for two peoples," not just "a two-state solution."
First Time: Temple Mount Priestly Blessing on Jerusalem Day
For the first time in the history of Israeli restrictions on Jewish entry to the Temple Mount, the recitation of the Priestly Blessing was permitted there. It happened on Wednesday, Jerusalem Reunification Day, when hundreds of visitors – all of whom immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath) prior to coming and took other precautions required by Jewish Law – were allowed to enter the Temple Mount in groups of 30-40.
Peres Continues Back-Channel Meetings With Abbas
According to reports Peres and Abbas discussed the stalled Israel-PA diplomatic process and possible ways to revive negotiations. It is not known whether Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was aware the meeting would take place before Peres departed for Italy.
Uncertain World: Time for reflection
..the erosion of the global institutions established in the era of geopolitical balance during the Cold War has entered its final stage.
Russia slams calls for legalizing illicit drugs
Russia's Federal Drug Control Service head Viktor Ivanov criticized on Friday a recent call for legalizing some illicit drugs as "a propaganda campaign promoting the use of narcotics." A 24-page report by the so-called Global Commission on Drug Policy suggested on Thursday that governments should consider legalizing some drugs such as marijuana to curb global drug trafficking as the decades-old "global war on drugs has failed."
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McDonald's Created Half of All New US Jobs in May
Morgan Stanley calls it the “McDonald’s Effect,” according to MarketWatch’s Washington Bureau Chief Steve Goldstein — an estimate that as many of the 30,000 of the 54,000 jobs added in May were the result of a hiring binge by the hamburger chain, according to The Weekly Standard.
E. Coli Outbeak in Europe Is the Deadliest in History
The rapidly developing European E. coli outbreak that has killed 18 people and sickened thousands, including four suspected cases in the United States, has become the deadliest outbreak of E. coli in modern history.
Salah: 1 million Turks registered for Gaza flotilla
Leading Muslim cleric Sheikh Raed Salah said Friday that one million Turks registered to join the Freedom Flotilla 2 to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. In May 2010, Israeli troops raided a Turkish-flagged flotilla attempting to break the Gaza siege. Soldiers killed nine Turkish activists on board the boat in international waters, damaging relations between Tel Aviv and Ankara.
US offers Turkey lead role in Mideast talks in flotilla bargaining, report says
The US administration is mulling offering the Turkish government a deal under which Turkey would host peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in exchange for a recovery in Turkish-Israeli ties and the prevention of a second flotilla that is expected to depart for Gaza from sailing later this month, a news report said on Friday. Organizers say the flotilla, including ships from Turkey and several European countries, is to depart at the end of June.
Dieng Volcano, Indonesia
People are advised to remain at least 1 km from Timbang crater. The alert status hat the volcano has been raised to level 3 (Siaga) out of a maximum 4.
US ready to use force against cyber attackers
The United States is seriously concerned about cyber-attacks and is prepared to use force against those it considers acts of war, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at a security meeting in Asia on Saturday. He also assured Asian allies that the United States would protect sea lanes and maintain a robust military presence in the region despite a severe budget crunch and the protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Researchers Build Largest Biochemical Circuit out of Small Synthetic DNA Molecules
researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the most complex biochemical circuit ever created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube that are analogous to the electronic transistors on a computer chip.
Abbas cautiously accepts French peace-conference proposal
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday cautiously welcomed a French proposal to convene Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Paris to try to renew collapsed peace talks.
Mexico Volcano Blasts Tower of Ash
The Popocatepetl volcano that towers over Mexico City began rumbling again Friday, shooting a blast of ash about 2 miles above its crater at dawn.
NATO: 4 troops killed in eastern Afghanistan
A roadside bomb killed four NATO service members Saturday in eastern Afghanistan, the coalition said. It was the deadliest day for NATO service members since May 26, when a total of nine U.S. troops were killed in three incidents. That day, six were killed in a roadside bombing in Kandahar province, two died in another roadside bomb blast in the same province and one died of injuries from a helicopter crash in Paktika.
China Has Divested 97 Percent of Its Holdings in U.S. Treasury Bills
China has dropped 97 percent of its holdings in U.S. Treasury bills, decreasing its ownership of the short-term U.S. government securities from a peak of $210.4 billion in May 2009 to $5.69 billion in March 2011, the most recent month reported by the U.S. Treasury.
Germany presses to find cause of E.coli outbreak
German officials have no firm information yet about the source of a bacterial outbreak that's responsible for at least 18 deaths, so speculation is running high about exactly where people were infected. Local media were reporting Saturday that 17 persons fell ill with E.coli after they ate at a restaurant in the northern German city of Luebeck. Other papers say experts are investigating whether some people caught the disease at a festival in the northern port of Hamburg last month.
British, French helicopters strike Gadhafi troops
British Apache and French attack helicopters struck targets for the first time in NATO's campaign in Libya, hitting Moammar Gadhafi's troops early Saturday near a key coastal oil city, the alliance said. The action was a significant step-up in NATO's operations and a major boost to Libyan rebels on the ground, just a day after rebel fighters forced government troops from three western towns and broke the siege of a fourth in yet another erosion of Gadhafi's power since the eruption in mid-February of the uprising to end his 42-year rule.
Volcano blasts tower of ash near Mexico City
The Popocatepetl volcano that towers over Mexico City began rumbling again Friday, shooting a blast of ash about 2 miles above its crater at dawn. The ash cloud drifted first to the west and then turned back east toward the city of Puebla, Mexico's national disaster prevention agency said. The 17,886-foot mountain shook for several minutes before the ash burst out.
US strike 'kills' key Pakistan militant Ilyas Kashmiri
One of Pakistan's most senior militants has been killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan, reports say. Locals said Ilyas Kashmiri was among nine people killed in the overnight strike on the village of Laman.
Thousands flee Sanaa after attack on Yemen's President Saleh
Thousands fled Sanaa on Saturday a day after President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded in an attack on his compound that marked a new stage in fighting which has brought Yemen closer to civil war.
Russian-Chinese trade turnover doubles to $60 bln in 2010
Trade turnover between Russia and China doubled to $60 billion last year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said during a meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie in Singapore on Saturday.
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Fine line between slowdown and stall
The world economy appears headed for several months of sub-par growth, and there is no clear source of strength to lead it back to health.
Focus shifts to sprouts in E.coli outbreak
Consumers were awaiting the release of official test results Monday that will most likely confirm that vegetable sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany caused the terrifying E. coli outbreak in Europe that has killed 22 people and sickened more than 2,200.
‘Bankrupt’ claim heightens Spanish debt fears
The central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha is “totally bankrupt”, according to the incoming administration of the rightwing Popular party (PP), an accusation that will deepen concerns about Spain’s budget deficit.
China Calls US Culprit in Global 'Internet War'
The Chinese military accused the U.S. on Friday of launching a global "Internet war" to bring down Arab and other governments, redirecting the spotlight away from allegations of major online attacks on Western targets originating in China.
Osama Bin Laden Is Still Dead, Libya Rages On, And Obama Is Still Floundering
The “days not weeks” of action in Libya started on March 19 and they rage on even as I type, some two and a half months later. Members of the House of Representatives from both sides of the aisle are so fed with up Obama that they’ve put him on notice that Libya has basically becoming a rogue operation. Telling him that via the Libya quagmire he has now exceeded all powers granted him by the U.S. Constitution.
No Damage After Lightning Strikes Peres' Plane
Passengers on El Al flight 382, which made its way from Milan to Tel Aviv on Sunday, were panicked after the plane was hit by lightning. One of the passengers on that flight was non other than President Shimon Peres.
The UN atomic watchdog has received further information regarding activities that "seem to point to the existence" of possible military dimens
Prime minister says the events of Sunday, when Syrian protesters attempted to break through the border with Israel, prove that Palestinians are instead interested in a return to 1948 borders.
IAEA: New information points to possible Iran nuclear weapon program
The UN atomic watchdog has received further information regarding activities that "seem to point to the existence" of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program, the agency's head said on Monday.
Israel to complain to UN over Syria incitement of border violence
Foreign Ministry spokesman says complaint will focus on Syria's 'manipulation of its own citizens' to foment Sunday's violent border clashes, in which Syria says 23 protesters were killed.
Greeks maintain rage on debt freeze
TENS of thousands of Greek protesters angry about the government's austerity policies have demanded the heavily indebted country stop paying its creditors. Many protesters carried signs and wore stickers reading "We don't owe, we won't sell, we won't pay" in the demonstration outside parliament. The signs referred to planned privatisations that the government has agreed to speed up to make up for a shortfall in projected revenue.
Minority Report Realized: Creepy Homeland Security Mobile ‘Malintent’ Pre-Crime Screening System to Scan Americans at Large Events Passes First Round
Straight out of Minority Report a new Homeland Security program would subject Americans to pre-crime interrogations and physiological scans to detect people who are intending to commit a terrorist act at sports stadiums, malls, airports and other public places has moved closer to being implemented after the FAST program passed its first round of testing at an undisclosed location in northeast US.
Scientists 'trap' and study elusive anti-matter
Particles and anti-particles annihilate each other in a small flash of energy when they collide. At the moment of the big bang, nearly 14 billion years ago, matter and anti-matter are thought to have existed in equal quantities. If that balance had persisted, the observable Universe we inhabit would never have come into being.
IAEA: New information points to possible Iran nuclear weapon program
The UN atomic watchdog has received further information regarding activities that "seem to point to the existence" of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program, the agency's head said on Monday. "There are indications that certain of these activities may have continued until recently," Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a speech to the agency's 35-nation governing board.
China Has Divested 97 Percent of Its Holdings in U.S. Treasury Bills
China has dropped 97 percent of its holdings in U.S. Treasury bills, decreasing its ownership of the short-term U.S. government securities from a peak of $210.4 billion in May 2009 to $5.69 billion in March 2011, the most recent month reported by the U.S. Treasury. Treasury bills are securities that mature in one year or less that are sold by the U.S. Treasury Department to fund the nation’s debt.
IAEA nuclear watchdog meeting to focus on Syria
The International Atomic Energy Agency board is meeting amid pressure from the US and other nations to rebuke Syria over alleged illicit nuclear activity. The latest IAEA report concluded that a Syrian site destroyed in a 2007 raid was probably a nuclear reactor. Syria insists that it was a non-nuclear, military site.
Chile volcano eruption: Alert remains for ash cloud
Authorities in southern Chile and Argentina are continuing to monitor the direction of ash clouds belched out by a chain of volcanoes over the weekend. Some 3,500 people left the region after the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range, about 800km (500 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.
US employment growth registers sharp slowdown in May
US employment growth slowed sharply in May, with only 54,000 net new jobs added during the month. Markets had expected a rise of 150,000. It follows a downwardly revised but still rapid 232,000 increase in April. Despite the slowdown, it was the eighth month in a row of positive employment growth, according to data from the US Labor Department.
Arizona forest fire threatens town of Greer and others
More than 2,300 firefighters are battling one of the largest blazes ever to break out in the state of Arizona. The rapidly moving fire, covering 287 sq miles (743 sq km), is threatening mountain communities in the east of the state. Smoke from the burning pine forests can be seen in the neighbouring states of New Mexico and Colorado.
IDF prepared for renewal of activity on Syrian border
The IDF continued its increased presence along the border with Syria on Monday as some 100 demonstrators continued to linger at both Kuneitra and Majdal Shams following repeated attempts to infiltrate the border on Sunday as part of Naksa Day protests, Army Radio reported. While the protesters were not attempting to cross the border on Monday morning, the IDF remained prepared for a renewal of activity.
UN head airs "deep concern" over Naksa Day border clashes
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday expressed "deep concern" over Naksa Day clashes that took place between IDF soldiers and pro-Palestinian protesters attempting to infiltrate Israel's borders on Sunday, AFP reported. He called on all parties involved in the Israeli-Arab conflict to exercise "maximum restraint." "The secretary-general regrets the loss of life, and extends his condolences to the families of the victims," said a statement by Ban's spokesman. Syria claimed 23 activists were killed, and 350 were wounded, in the clashes to commemorate the Palestinian “Naksa,” or “setback” of the 1967 Six-Day War on Sunday, although the numbers could not be verified.
Netanyahu to France:Thanks but No Thanks on Talks with PA-Hamas
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked France for doing its best to help Israel and the Palestinian Authority reach a final status agreement but said no thanks to talks with a PA government that includes a non-repentant Hamas.
Russia enters the world of Islamic finance
Hoping to attract new capital, Russia will take its first step into the world of Islamic finance this month by issuing sukuk, Islamic bonds which comply with Muslim religious rules."Russia will show that it can be interesting for Muslim countries," one of the project's backers, Linar Yakupov told Agence France-Presse. "Right now Islamic banks cannot work in Russia, because our legislation does not take into account the Koran's restrictions." Islam forbids borrowing or paying with interest, and sukuk (the plural of the Arabic word for a financial deed) are not based on debt-like traditional bonds.
Pope Meets Abbas, Keeps Quiet on Cleansing of Christians
Pope Benedict XVI met the leader of the so Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at the Vatican Friday and said there was an "urgent need" for a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that included a PA state. A statement issued by the Vatican after the talks did not mention the extremely violent way in which the PA has caused most of its Christian Arab population to flee.
Pope denounces 'disintegration' of Europe families
Pope Benedict XVI denounced the "disintegration" of family life in Europe on Sunday and called for couples to make a commitment to marry and have children, not just live together, as he reaffirmed traditional Catholic family values during his second and final day in Croatia.
Fogel family murderer 'proud of what I did'
I'm proud of what I did," so declared Amjad Mahmad Awad, 19, on Sunday just moments before an indictment against him and his partner Hakim Awad was filed before the Judea and Samaria Sector Military Court, over the murders of five members of the Fogel family two and a half months ago. "I don't regret what I did, even if it means I'm sentenced to death," Amjad said ahead of the indictment hearing.
'No calm in Mideast as long as Israel exists'
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday repeated his assertion that there will be no tranquility in the Middle East as long as Tehran's archenemy, Israel, continues to exist. "As long as the Zionist regime exists, if only on a small piece of land in Palestine, the region will not see tranquility" he said to a crowd gathered at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on the eve of the 22nd anniversary of the revolutionary leader's death.
Chile: Puyehue volcano chain erupts, forcing evacuation
A chain of volcanoes has erupted in southern Chile, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. Large columns of smoke have been rising from the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range, about 800km (500 miles) south of the capital Santiago.
Gates Bids Farewell to Troops in Afghanistan; Reaffirms the Mission's Importance
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday during his farewell trip to Afghanistan that success of the U.S. mission is paramount and the "most costly thing of all would be to fail." Gates, who's retiring as Pentagon chief at month's end, flew to Afghanistan from a security conference in Asia to bid goodbye to U.S. troops and Afghan leaders.
Crews try to protect Ariz. communities from fires
Crews on Saturday worked to protect several small Arizona communities from two large wildfires by clearing away brush near homes and planning to set fires aimed at robbing the blazes of their fuel.
11 dead as Israeli troops fire along Syrian border
Israeli troops opened fire Sunday at a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters who tried to break into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from neighboring Syria, killing as many as 11 people and wounding scores in a burst of violence marking the Arab defeat in the 1967 Mideast war. The casualty figures came from Syrian state television. Israel has offered no immediate comment on dead or wounded.
Protesters celebrate departure of Yemen's leader
Protesters danced, sang and slaughtered cows in the central square of Yemen's capital Sunday to celebrate the departure of the country's authoritarian leader for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia after he was wounded in a rocket attack on his compound.
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Chronic unemployment worse than Great Depression
CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports that the chronically unemployed face the hardest road back to recovery, and that while the jobs picture may be improving statistically on a national level, it is not for them.
E. coli confirmed in SWVA child that died, possible "outbreak" in NETN under investigation
Lab results confirm the presence of E. coli in the child that died this weekend and the presence of the bacteria in a close contact of the child, Virginia Department of Health Public Information Officer Robert Parker said. "The lab results confirm the presence of E. coli 0157:H7," Parker said. "That's a strain of E. coli that causes severe illness."
Chilean Volcano Disrupts Travel in South America
An erupting Chilean volcano sent a towering plume of ash across South America on Monday, forcing thousands from their homes, grounding airline flights in southern Argentina and coating ski resorts with a gritty layer of dust instead of snow. Booming explosions echoed across the Andes as toxic gases belched up from a three-mile-long (five-kilometer long) fissure in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex — a ridge between two craters just west of the Chilean-Argentine border that began erupting Saturday.
U.S. and France: Mideast peace conference useless if sides unwilling to negotiate
Hillary Clinton and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Monday agreed that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks must resume, but stressed that there was no point in setting up a peace conference before the parties showed a willingness to negotiate.
IDF on high alert in Golan Heights in anticipation of further protests
The Israel Defense Forces continued Tuesday to amass forces on the border between Israel and Syria, mainly in response to warnings of further protests to mark the 44th anniversary of the battles over East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. Monday saw a lull in the riots on the Syrian border, after several protesters were killed by IDF gunfire the day before.
Syrian Soldiers Massacre 120 in Own Ranks
Syrian soldiers are killing other Syrian soldiers in the northern part of the country, according to a source who spoke with Israel National News Monday night on condition of anonymity. The source said the soldiers being massacred were being pursued by their fellow security officers because they had broken ranks and tried to escape to Turkey.
Obama Struggles against Backlash on Israel
The 2012 American presidential race is already beginning to heat up with attacks aimed at incumbent President Barack Obama's Israel-Palestinian Authority policies. Pro-Israel groups have launched television ad and telephone campaigns targeting the president's May 19 Middle East policy speech.
Iran Says Its Submarines are in the Red Sea
"Iranian military submarines entered the Red Sea waters with the goal of collecting information and identifying other countries' combat vessels," Fars said in a Tuesday report, citing an unidentified source.
Jellyfish Blooms Shunt Food Energy from Fish to Bacteria
An apparent increase in the size and frequency of jellyfish blooms in coastal and estuarine waters around the world during the last few decades means that jellies' impact on marine food webs is likely to increase into the future
China official warns on "excessive" holdings of U.S. assets
China should guard against risks from "excessive" holdings of U.S. assets as Washington could pursue a policy to weaken the dollar, a senior official at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said in comments published on Tuesday. "We must be alert of economic and political risks in excessive holdings of U.S. dollar assets," Guan Tao, head of the international payment department at the foreign exchange regulator, said in an article.
China toxic spill knocks out water supply to 500,000
A CAUSTIC chemical has spilled into a river that supplies drinking water to the city of Hangzhou in eastern China, knocking out supplies to more than half a million people and creating a run on bottled water. A tanker truck carrying 20 tonnes of carbolic acid overturned late on Saturday night. The chemical, also known as phenol, was washed by rain into the Xin'an River about 150km southwest of Hangzhou, the city said in a report on its website.
'Flotilla running into rough waters'
Jerusalem was unfazed Tuesday by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's call on the organizers of the second Gaza flotilla to reconsider the sail, saying Israel was "gearing for any scenario." Ynet's sources said that the frequent reports suggesting changes in the flotilla's itinerary stem from more than just logistic reasons.
Report: Syria, Turkey involved in Palestinian unity deal
The Palestinian unity agreement which has disturbed both the Israeli and the American governments recently was brought upon by a complex effort that included secret meetings between Palestinian intermediaries, Egyptian intelligence officials, the Turkish foreign minister, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal – the British Independent reported Tuesday, aiming to reveal the "untold story of the deal that shocked the Middle East."
Rains send rivers dangerously higher in Caribbean
Several days of heavy rain sent rivers higher Monday across much of the Caribbean, destroying houses, setting off landslides and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. The storm has been blamed for four deaths in the region, officials said Monday. There were reports of severe flooding in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica from a low pressure system that lingered south of Jamaica for five days before moving west.
White House trying to restart Mideast peace talks based on Obama guidelines
Israeli and Palestinian representatives have been holding separate talks in Washington, as part of an American effort to restart direct negotiations and thereby forestall a Palestinian bid to obtain unilateral UN recognition as a state in September, according to a source at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. Senior American officials met with each side separately in the White House or the State Department, the source said.
Firms to cut health plans as reform starts: survey 30% of companies say they’ll stop offering coverage
Once provisions of the Affordable Care Act start to kick in during 2014, at least three of every 10 employers will probably stop offering health coverage, a survey released Monday shows. While only 7% of employees will be forced to switch to subsidized-exchange programs, at least 30% of companies say they will “definitely or probably” stop offering employer-sponsored coverage, according to the study published in McKinsey Quarterly.
Japan doubles ********* radiation leak estimate
Japan has more than doubled its estimate of radiation that escaped from the tsunami-hit ********* nuclear plant in the first week after the disaster. Japan's nuclear safety agency also said meltdowns took place in three reactors more quickly than earlier believed. The assessment comes as an expert panel begins an inquiry into the crisis.
Chile volcano eruption: Alert remains for ash cloud
Authorities in southern Chile and Argentina are continuing to monitor the direction of ash clouds belched out by a chain of volcanoes over the weekend. Some 3,500 people left the region after the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range, about 800km (500 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.
Arizona Wallow Fire triggers more evacuations
More people are being evacuated from the path of a huge fire in the US state of Arizona as it rages out of control for a ninth day. Remaining residents in the picturesque town of Greer have been ordered to leave and the 7,000 residents of Eager and Springerville have been told to prepare to evacuate. Gale-force wind gusts are hampering some 2,300 firefighters struggling to contain the blaze.
Syrian newspaper: Naksa Day protests just the start
The events on Israel's Syrian border on "Naksa Day" are just the beginning, according to an article in the Syrian newspaper Tishreen. According to the article, Israel should be ready for more than 600,000 refugees to march across the border, ostensibly to return to their homes in the Golan. "The Palestinian refugeeswho gathered at the border were part of a mass march of progress for the right of return," the article said.
'Iran sends submarines for reconnaissance in Red Sea'
Iran has sent submarines to the Red Sea, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified source, in a move that could anger Israel. "Iranian military submarines entered the Red Sea waters with the goal of collecting information and identifying other countries' combat vessels," Fars said.
Ban Ki-moon says he'll seek second term as U.N. secretary-general
After an eventful first term marked by humanitarian crises, a global recession and the Arab Spring, Ban Ki-moon announced Monday his intention to seek a second five-year stint as the United Nations' secretary-general. Ban voiced his hope of staying in place at a news conference Monday in New York, where the United Nations is headquartered, hours after sending letters to members of the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council.
INTERVIEW-W.Bank to suggest CO2 levy on jet, shipping fuel
The World Bank will suggest a global levy on jet and shipping fuel in recommendations to G20 governments later this year on raising climate finance, a senior official said on Sunday.
MK Danon: President Obama, Take Your Hands Off Jerusalem
In a direct reference to President Obama’s controversial address to the State Department on May 19th, in which he called on Israel to retreat to the ‘1967 boundaries’ [the 1949 armistice lines –ed.] in a gesture towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state, Mr. Danon declared, “President Obama: Take your hands off Jerusalem, take your hands off of Israel.”
Abbas sends aides for talks with U.S. officials: official
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent two aides to Washington to discuss U.S. efforts to revive stalled peace talks with Israel, a Palestinian official said Monday. "Abbas' envoys will emphasize the Palestinian readiness to deal positively with the French initiative" Their visit coincides with the arrival of French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe to Washington. --The plan envisions the 1967 lines as the borders between Israel and the future Palestinian state.
German Tests Reveal Sprouts Not E.coli Source
Initial test results reveal that bean sprouts from an organic farm in Germany are not the source of an E.coli outbreak which has so far killed 22 people. Preliminary examinations had found that bean sprouts from a farm in the Uelzen area, between the northern cities of Hamburg and Hannover, could be traced to infections in five German states. A wider test will now be carried out on a sample of older sprouts and packaging.
Scientists find new MRSA superbug in cows, humans
Researchers said the find was "worrying" but added it was unlikely that the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bug, which is resistant to some antibiotics, could cause infections by getting into the food chain via milk.
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Chronic unemployment worse than Great Depression
CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports that the chronically unemployed face the hardest road back to recovery, and that while the jobs picture may be improving statistically on a national level, it is not for them.
E. coli confirmed in SWVA child that died, possible "outbreak" in NETN under investigation
Lab results confirm the presence of E. coli in the child that died this weekend and the presence of the bacteria in a close contact of the child, Virginia Department of Health Public Information Officer Robert Parker said. "The lab results confirm the presence of E. coli 0157:H7," Parker said. "That's a strain of E. coli that causes severe illness."
Chilean Volcano Disrupts Travel in South America
An erupting Chilean volcano sent a towering plume of ash across South America on Monday, forcing thousands from their homes, grounding airline flights in southern Argentina and coating ski resorts with a gritty layer of dust instead of snow. Booming explosions echoed across the Andes as toxic gases belched up from a three-mile-long (five-kilometer long) fissure in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic complex — a ridge between two craters just west of the Chilean-Argentine border that began erupting Saturday.
U.S. and France: Mideast peace conference useless if sides unwilling to negotiate
Hillary Clinton and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Monday agreed that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks must resume, but stressed that there was no point in setting up a peace conference before the parties showed a willingness to negotiate.
IDF on high alert in Golan Heights in anticipation of further protests
The Israel Defense Forces continued Tuesday to amass forces on the border between Israel and Syria, mainly in response to warnings of further protests to mark the 44th anniversary of the battles over East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. Monday saw a lull in the riots on the Syrian border, after several protesters were killed by IDF gunfire the day before.
Syrian Soldiers Massacre 120 in Own Ranks
Syrian soldiers are killing other Syrian soldiers in the northern part of the country, according to a source who spoke with Israel National News Monday night on condition of anonymity. The source said the soldiers being massacred were being pursued by their fellow security officers because they had broken ranks and tried to escape to Turkey.
Obama Struggles against Backlash on Israel
The 2012 American presidential race is already beginning to heat up with attacks aimed at incumbent President Barack Obama's Israel-Palestinian Authority policies. Pro-Israel groups have launched television ad and telephone campaigns targeting the president's May 19 Middle East policy speech.
Iran Says Its Submarines are in the Red Sea
"Iranian military submarines entered the Red Sea waters with the goal of collecting information and identifying other countries' combat vessels," Fars said in a Tuesday report, citing an unidentified source.
Jellyfish Blooms Shunt Food Energy from Fish to Bacteria
An apparent increase in the size and frequency of jellyfish blooms in coastal and estuarine waters around the world during the last few decades means that jellies' impact on marine food webs is likely to increase into the future
China official warns on "excessive" holdings of U.S. assets
China should guard against risks from "excessive" holdings of U.S. assets as Washington could pursue a policy to weaken the dollar, a senior official at the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said in comments published on Tuesday. "We must be alert of economic and political risks in excessive holdings of U.S. dollar assets," Guan Tao, head of the international payment department at the foreign exchange regulator, said in an article.
China toxic spill knocks out water supply to 500,000
A CAUSTIC chemical has spilled into a river that supplies drinking water to the city of Hangzhou in eastern China, knocking out supplies to more than half a million people and creating a run on bottled water. A tanker truck carrying 20 tonnes of carbolic acid overturned late on Saturday night. The chemical, also known as phenol, was washed by rain into the Xin'an River about 150km southwest of Hangzhou, the city said in a report on its website.
'Flotilla running into rough waters'
Jerusalem was unfazed Tuesday by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's call on the organizers of the second Gaza flotilla to reconsider the sail, saying Israel was "gearing for any scenario." Ynet's sources said that the frequent reports suggesting changes in the flotilla's itinerary stem from more than just logistic reasons.
Report: Syria, Turkey involved in Palestinian unity deal
The Palestinian unity agreement which has disturbed both the Israeli and the American governments recently was brought upon by a complex effort that included secret meetings between Palestinian intermediaries, Egyptian intelligence officials, the Turkish foreign minister, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal – the British Independent reported Tuesday, aiming to reveal the "untold story of the deal that shocked the Middle East."
Rains send rivers dangerously higher in Caribbean
Several days of heavy rain sent rivers higher Monday across much of the Caribbean, destroying houses, setting off landslides and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. The storm has been blamed for four deaths in the region, officials said Monday. There were reports of severe flooding in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica from a low pressure system that lingered south of Jamaica for five days before moving west.
White House trying to restart Mideast peace talks based on Obama guidelines
Israeli and Palestinian representatives have been holding separate talks in Washington, as part of an American effort to restart direct negotiations and thereby forestall a Palestinian bid to obtain unilateral UN recognition as a state in September, according to a source at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. Senior American officials met with each side separately in the White House or the State Department, the source said.
Firms to cut health plans as reform starts: survey 30% of companies say they’ll stop offering coverage
Once provisions of the Affordable Care Act start to kick in during 2014, at least three of every 10 employers will probably stop offering health coverage, a survey released Monday shows. While only 7% of employees will be forced to switch to subsidized-exchange programs, at least 30% of companies say they will “definitely or probably” stop offering employer-sponsored coverage, according to the study published in McKinsey Quarterly.
Japan doubles ********* radiation leak estimate
Japan has more than doubled its estimate of radiation that escaped from the tsunami-hit ********* nuclear plant in the first week after the disaster. Japan's nuclear safety agency also said meltdowns took place in three reactors more quickly than earlier believed. The assessment comes as an expert panel begins an inquiry into the crisis.
Chile volcano eruption: Alert remains for ash cloud
Authorities in southern Chile and Argentina are continuing to monitor the direction of ash clouds belched out by a chain of volcanoes over the weekend. Some 3,500 people left the region after the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano range, about 800km (500 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.
Arizona Wallow Fire triggers more evacuations
More people are being evacuated from the path of a huge fire in the US state of Arizona as it rages out of control for a ninth day. Remaining residents in the picturesque town of Greer have been ordered to leave and the 7,000 residents of Eager and Springerville have been told to prepare to evacuate. Gale-force wind gusts are hampering some 2,300 firefighters struggling to contain the blaze.
Syrian newspaper: Naksa Day protests just the start
The events on Israel's Syrian border on "Naksa Day" are just the beginning, according to an article in the Syrian newspaper Tishreen. According to the article, Israel should be ready for more than 600,000 refugees to march across the border, ostensibly to return to their homes in the Golan. "The Palestinian refugeeswho gathered at the border were part of a mass march of progress for the right of return," the article said.
'Iran sends submarines for reconnaissance in Red Sea'
Iran has sent submarines to the Red Sea, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified source, in a move that could anger Israel. "Iranian military submarines entered the Red Sea waters with the goal of collecting information and identifying other countries' combat vessels," Fars said.
Ban Ki-moon says he'll seek second term as U.N. secretary-general
After an eventful first term marked by humanitarian crises, a global recession and the Arab Spring, Ban Ki-moon announced Monday his intention to seek a second five-year stint as the United Nations' secretary-general. Ban voiced his hope of staying in place at a news conference Monday in New York, where the United Nations is headquartered, hours after sending letters to members of the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council.
INTERVIEW-W.Bank to suggest CO2 levy on jet, shipping fuel
The World Bank will suggest a global levy on jet and shipping fuel in recommendations to G20 governments later this year on raising climate finance, a senior official said on Sunday.
MK Danon: President Obama, Take Your Hands Off Jerusalem
In a direct reference to President Obama’s controversial address to the State Department on May 19th, in which he called on Israel to retreat to the ‘1967 boundaries’ [the 1949 armistice lines –ed.] in a gesture towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state, Mr. Danon declared, “President Obama: Take your hands off Jerusalem, take your hands off of Israel.”
Abbas sends aides for talks with U.S. officials: official
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent two aides to Washington to discuss U.S. efforts to revive stalled peace talks with Israel, a Palestinian official said Monday. "Abbas' envoys will emphasize the Palestinian readiness to deal positively with the French initiative" Their visit coincides with the arrival of French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe to Washington. --The plan envisions the 1967 lines as the borders between Israel and the future Palestinian state.
German Tests Reveal Sprouts Not E.coli Source
Initial test results reveal that bean sprouts from an organic farm in Germany are not the source of an E.coli outbreak which has so far killed 22 people. Preliminary examinations had found that bean sprouts from a farm in the Uelzen area, between the northern cities of Hamburg and Hannover, could be traced to infections in five German states. A wider test will now be carried out on a sample of older sprouts and packaging.
Scientists find new MRSA superbug in cows, humans
Researchers said the find was "worrying" but added it was unlikely that the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bug, which is resistant to some antibiotics, could cause infections by getting into the food chain via milk.
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The false messiah in the prime minister's office
On his perceived-as-victorious return from Washington, the Rome of today, Netanyahu was welcomed at the messianic core like an anointed king.
Russia Prepares to Throw Qaddafi Under the Bus
The Russians claim that during the recent meeting of the G-8 at the end of May, the Russians were asked to intervene. Dmitry Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalia Timakova revealed"In the bilateral meetings, everyone thanked the president for his constructive position on Libya. More than that, in practically all the discussions it was requested that Russia undertake a mediation mission for a settlement in Libya,".
77% of Jews Oppose Obama ‘Peace’ Formula
Seventy seven percent of the Jews in Israel reject an Israeli retreat to 1949 Armistice lines with small border modifications in a peace deal, a poll sponsored by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has found. The respondents said they would oppose such a retreat even if it was part of a peace deal in which the Arab Countries declared an end to the conflict with Israel.
Syrian uprising could spill over into region
Carnage in Jisr al-Shughour has taken the Syrian crisis to a new level, even as Bashar al-Assad's regime descends to new depths. Three risks now stand out. The first and most obvious is vicious regime retaliation against residents of the north-western town where 120 army and security personnel are said to have been killed. The second is the very real spectre of civil war raised by this escalation. Third, and most dangerous for Israel and the west, are growing, linked attempts by the regime and its ally Iran to externalise the conflict.
Is the U.N. Trying to Strip Americans’ Second Amendment Rights?
Bell claims that this international treaty, from the Obama administration’s perspective, is an opportunity to increase domestic gun control. If implemented, he believes it will enforce rougher licensing requirements, more red tape, create an “international gun registry,“ ”confiscate and destroy all ‘unauthorized’ civilian firearms’” and severely impede Americans’ right to bear arms.
Solar flare threatens to disrupt Earth's communications and power
The potent blast from the Sun unleashed a firestorm of radiation on a level not witnessed since 2006, and will likely lead to moderate geomagnetic storm activity by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. "This one was rather dramatic," said Bill Murtagh, program coordinator at the NWS's Space Weather Prediction Center, describing the M-2 (medium-sized) solar flare that peaked at 1:41am Eastern time in the United States, or 0541 GMT.
GM's Akerson pushing for higher gas taxes
General Motors Co. CEO Dan Akerson wants the federal gas tax boosted as much as $1 a gallon to nudge consumers toward more fuel-efficient cars, and he's confident the government will soon shed its remaining 26 percent stake in the once-bankrupt automaker. "I actually think the government will be out this year — within the next 12 months, hopefully within the next six months," Akerson said in a two-hour interview with The Detroit News last week.
UK and France seek UN action over Syria's crackdown
Britain and France are stepping up pressure for a UN Security Council vote condemning the Syrian government's suppression of months of unrest. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said it was "inconceivable that the UN remains silent" in the face of worsening violence. Britain plans to present a draft resolution later on Wednesday.
East Africa faces 'world's worst food security crisis'
The world's worst food security crisis is continuing in the eastern Horn of Africa, a US agency has warned. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet) said areas of particular concern were in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. It said large-scale emergency assistance was urgently needed "to save lives and treat acute malnutrition" in the region.
Erekat: Negotiations will restart If PM accepts 1967 lines
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Palestinians were ready to restart peace negotiations if based around the principles US President Barack Obama laid out in his State Department dress on the Middle East, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. ...He also said that according to what the prime minister said at the US Congress during his Washington visit, "he's not a partner for peace."
France: We're moving ahead with Paris peace conference
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe on Tuesday said that France is moving ahead with an initiative to bring together Israelis and Palestinians at a peace conference in Paris this summer, despite US reservations about the plan, The Associated Press reported. Addressing the French initiative on Monday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that "there is no agreement that the parties will resume negotiations. And I think the idea of any gathering, a conference or a meeting, has to be linked to a willingness by the parties to resume negotiating."
Syrians flee to Turkey as Assad sends tanks to quell rebels
At least 120 Syrians fled the restive northern town of Jisr al-Shugur towards the Turkish border, fearing bloodshed as troops with tanks approached, under orders to hit back after the government accused armed bands there of killing scores of its security men. Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would not "close its doors" to the refugees fleeing unrest.
France to pursue Middle East peace talks bid: minister
France will pursue efforts to organize a Middle East conference despite reservations expressed by the United States and Israel, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Tuesday. "I have the feeling that our initiative has moved things" in the peace process, Juppe said after meetings in Israel and the United States. "I think there will be positive developments in the next weeks," Juppe told reporters at the UN headquarters.
Earthquake Shakes St. Louis
A minor earthquake rocked the St. Louis, Missouri area overnight. Some Missouri residents said they felt their home shaking for 5 to 30 seconds. There are no reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter of the quake, which had a 4.2 magnitude, was roughly thirty minutes southwest of St. Louis.
EU and Russia see eye-to-eye on Hamas
Russia and the EU are framing a joint position on relations with the Palestinian unity government, as divisions on the subject with the US and Israel deepen, a senior Russian diplomat has said."The Russian position is closer to the EU position than the US position ... We've expressed the need to foster Palestinian unity, because without that no progress whatsoever is possible."
China ‘very positive’ for Turkey to be dialogue partner in SCO
A senior Chinese official said here Tuesday that his country and Turkey enjoy sound relations and ‘very positive’ for Turkey to become dialogue partner in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). “China is very positive for Turkey to become a SCO dialogue partner.
Tornadoes' Cost: $7 Billion in One May Week
Insured losses to homes, businesses and cars in the week ended May 27 will probably be $4 billion to $7 billion, the Boston-based firm said in an e-mailed statement today. More than 500 people have been killed from tornadoes this year, including at least 130 in Joplin.
Obama's rating on economy hits new low: poll
Obama's approval rating on the deficit issue hit a new low of 33 percent, down 6 points since April.
OPEC split over increasing oil production
Mideast turmoil, a faltering world economy and divisions on whether to raise crude production promise to make this week's OPEC meeting one of the more volatile in recent history
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Torah Scroll to be Marched from Western Wall to Mt. of Olives
For apparently the first time in 2,000 years, a Torah scroll will be publicly escorted amidst gala singing and dancing through the streets at the foot of the Mt. of Olives.
Iran: Israel and U.S. are trying to provoke a regional war
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says both countries are conspiring against Iran in an effort to 'destroy the Islamic Republic' and maintain U.S. hegemony in the area.
Coal Regs Would Kill Jobs, Boost Energy Bills
Two new EPA pollution regulations will slam the coal industry so hard that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost, and electric rates will skyrocket 11 percent to over 23 percent, according to a new study based on government data. Overall, the rules aimed at making the air cleaner could cost the coal-fired power plant industry $180 billion, warns a trade group.
U.S. Is Intensifying a Secret Campaign of Yemen Airstrikes
The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets, according to American officials. The acceleration of the American campaign in recent weeks comes amid a violent conflict in Yemen that has left the government in Sana, a United States ally, struggling to cling to power.
Palestinian leadership divided over plan to seek UN recognition
The Palestinian leadership is sharply divided over the unilateral move to seek recognition from the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Hedge funds 'grabbing land' in Africa
Hedge funds are behind "land grabs" in Africa to boost their profits in the food and biofuel sectors, a US think-tank says. In a report, the Oakland Institute said hedge funds and other foreign firms had acquired large swathes of African land, often without proper contracts. It said the acquisitions had displaced millions of small farmers.
Germany fears 'full-blown bankruptcy' in eurozone
German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble believes Greek bankruptcy is imminent, according to a leaked letter, and argues that restructuring of the country's debt is necessary. "We are standing before the real risk of the first full-blown bankruptcy inside the eurozone," Schaeuble said in a letter addressed to European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet and leaked to the German press.
'Hamas considers leaving Gaza government'
Hamas is considering withdrawing its participation from future governments in Gaza, AP reported on Thursday. Hamas officials told AP that the idea has grown popular recently and is supported by Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal. The move is reportedly aimed at avoiding global isolation. "Hamas found that being in government caused huge damage to the movement, and therefore it has changed its policy," an official reportedly said.
US calls Iran enrichment plan 'brazen' defiance
Iran's announcement that it plans to triple its production capacity of higher-grade uranium is a "brazen" example of Tehran's defiance of international obligations, a senior US official said on Thursday. Iran also said on Wednesday it planned to shift the production of the material to an underground bunker this year.
China warns U.S. debt-default idea is "playing with fire"
Republican lawmakers are "playing with fire" by contemplating even a brief debt default as a means to force deeper government spending cuts, an adviser to China's central bank said on Wednesday.
Greek joblessness at record as new austerity looms
Unemployment in debt-ridden Greece hit new record highs in March as government officials wrangled over tough new austerity measures required to tap the country's rescue funds. The jobless rate increased to 16.2 percent in March from 15.9 percent in February, the country's statistics agency said Wednesday. The total number of Greeks out of work was 811,340, up 40 percent from a year earlier, when the unemployment rate was 11.6 percent.
Thousands ordered out of Ariz. town as fire nears
Flames from a mammoth forest fire licked the ridges surrounding the eastern Arizona town of Eagar on Tuesday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of about half the 4,000 residents as surrounding towns also prepared to empty.
United Russia pushes for Putin to lead election campaign
Analysts see Putin's project as a bid to boost his United Russia party's flagging popularity and head off a potentially damaging poor showing in upcoming parliamentary elections.
Report: China overtakes US as top energy consumer
Oil company BP said Wednesday that China moved to the top in 2010 with 20.3 percent of global demand, ahead of the United States at 19 percent. The report says China's consumption rose by 11.2 percent last year compared with 3.7 percent in the United States. China's surge led a 5.6 percent increase in global energy demand, the biggest one-year jump since 1973.
Mexican drug gangs building own tanks as war intensifies
Mexico's rival crime gangs are in an arms race, and the latest sign of that are the homemade "Mad Max" type heavily armored vehicles they deploy to withstand fierce clashes with each other.
Adrian Forms in Eastern Pacific
The first tropical storm of the season has formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico.
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Anti-terror Treaty Seen as 2nd Amendment Threat
the measure could force the United States to enact tougher licensing requirements, confiscate and destroy all “unauthorized” civilian firearms, ban the trade, sale and private ownership of all semi-automatic weapons, and create an “international gun registry, clearly setting the stage for full-scale gun confiscation.”
Obama approval rating drops as fears of depression rise
President Barack Obama's overall approval rating has dropped below 50 percent as a growing number of Americans worry that the U.S. is likely to slip into another Great Depression within the next 12 months, according to a new national poll.
Friends in High Places: Bilderberg 2011 Kicks Off
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, naturally, isn't attending this year, and his likely successor Christine Lagarde is in China, but the Bilderberg Conference which kicks off in the Swiss resort of St Moritz on Thursday retains its conspiratorial chic and pulling power.
US debt default scheme should not happen say investors
Finance officials have decried the idea of a short, sharp US debt default to force government spending cuts. There are fears such an economic technique could destabilize the world economy. Some Republican lawmakers in the US have already voiced the opinion that a technical debt default might work if it gets the White House to accept deep spending cuts.
Israel Is Cancer and Must Be Uprooted: New Hamas Rep to Tehran, Ultimate Goal Is to Destroy the Zionist Regime
New Hamas representative to Tehran told in an inaugural interview that the ultimate goal of the movement was to free the entire Palestinian land, destroy the Zionist regime and rescue the revered Quds from the claws of the Zionists. Khaled al-Qoddoumi said Hamas would not pay any attention to the negative propaganda of the western media that Hamas should or would withdraw from the path of resistance. In a first interview with Iranian media after arriving in Tehran, Qoddoumi, who replaced Osama abd al-Mo’ti early in May, said Israel has no belief in living alongside the Palestinian nation.
1,000 Syrian refugees cross into Turkey
A Turkish official says 1,000 Syrians crossed into Turkey overnight, raising the total number of refugees in the country to 1,600. The official in Hatay province says the refugees, who were fleeing violence in Syria, crossed the border late Wednesday and early Thursday. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.
Gasoline will be pegged to the dollar
Belarusian officials are facing a negative public reaction to their market reforms for the first time. These are the first major protests since the beginning of devaluation.
Another slap in the face for Britain: the Obama administration sides with Argentina and Venezuela in OAS declaration on the Falklands
President Obama was effusive in his praise for the Special Relationship when he visited London recently, but his administration continues to slap Britain in the face over the highly sensitive Falklands issue. Washington signed on to a “draft declaration on the question of the Malvinas Islands” passed by unanimous consent by the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS) at its meeting in San Salvador yesterday, an issue which had been heavily pushed by Argentina. In doing so, the United States sided not only with Buenos Aires, but also with a number of anti-American regimes including Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela and Daniel Ortega’s Nicaragua.
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China warns U.S. debt-default idea is "playing with fire"
Republican lawmakers are "playing with fire" by contemplating even a brief debt default as a means to force deeper government spending cuts, an adviser to China's central bank said on Wednesday.
Thousands take part in Tel Aviv pride parade
Organizers say Friday parade biggest in city's history. Gay religious men among the marchers Thousands of people took part in the Tel Aviv gay pride parade on Friday, held under heavy security. Several main roads in the city were blocked for traffic. Hundreds of tourists participated in the parade, some of whom carried their own national flags. Eric Christiansen, a French tourist, told Ynet: "This is a wonderful sight and I hope it will be broadcast all over the world to show how much freedom and pluralism Israel has to offer."
Police enter Temple Mount to stop riots
Police and Border Guard forces broke into the Temple Mount compound on Friday after stones were hurled at the end of Friday prayers. Officers dispersed the rioters using crowd dispersal means and isolated them. No injuries have been reported. Three worshippers were arrested. Dozens of youths began to hurl stones at the Moroccans' Gate adjacent to the Western Wall as Friday prayers in the Old City drew to a close.
Europe drought: France pledges 1bn euros for farmers
France has pledged 1bn euros (£0.9bn, $1.5bn) in compensation for farmers after the EU's top grain producer saw its worst spring drought in 50 years. Announcing the figure in parliament, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said it might change "because it depends on the requests of the farmers". Farmers are being offered relief on tax and loan repayments.
Croatia cleared for EU membership in 2013
Croatia has been given the go-ahead to become a member of the European Union, and is likely to join in 2013, the European Commission has said. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he would recommend EU nations wrap up talks and prepare to greet Croatia as the 28th member state. Talks on reforming the Croatian judiciary, a very sensitive area, had been successful, Mr Barroso said.
Parts of England officially facing drought conditions
Parts of England are officially in a drought following the dry spring, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said. Areas of East Anglia are in drought, with parts of the Midlands, south-west and south-east of England in a "near-drought" state. In the drought-affected areas, Anglian Water and Cambridge Water say there is no threat to public water supplies.
Alabama passes tough immigration law
The US state of Alabama has passed into law one of the most stringent immigration laws in the country. The new legislation, similar to one passed last year in Arizona, requires schools to find out if students are there illegally. The law, which takes effect on 1 September, also make it a crime to give an illegal immigrant a ride in a car.
Divided IAEA sends Syria to UN Security Council
The UN nuclear watchdog board reported Syria to the Security Council on Thursday for covert atomic work, a US-led move coinciding with Western condemnation of Damascus's crackdown on opposition protests. Russia and China voted against the proposal at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), highlighting big-power divisions that may augur vetoes of any punitive measures by the UN council in New York.
IDF identifies thousands of Hezbollah sites in Lebanon
The IDF has identified thousands of Hezbollah sites throughout Lebanon, making its “target bank” many times larger than it was in 2006 on the eve of the Second Lebanon War, a senior IDF officer told The Jerusalem Post ahead of the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict. According to the officer, the IDF had approximately 200 pre-designated targets on July 12, 2006, when Hezbollah set off the war by abducting reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.
China ratings house says US defaulting: report
A Chinese ratings house has accused the United States of defaulting on its massive debt, state media said Friday, a day after Beijing urged Washington to put its fiscal house in order. "In our opinion, the United States has already been defaulting," Guan Jianzhong, president of Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. Ltd., the only Chinese agency that gives sovereign ratings, was quoted by the Global Times saying.
‘Iran caught 10 times trying to send arms to terrorists'
Iran has been caught red-handed in 10 different attempts in recent years to transfer weaponry to terrorists throughout the Middle East, including a recent case, in April, when a shipment of advanced missiles was caught en-route to Taliban forces in Afghanistan, according to a United Nations report obtained Thursday by The Jerusalem Post. The report was submitted three weeks ago to the Security Council by a UN group of experts that monitors compliance with UN sanctions imposed on Iran.
Oil slips below $101 in Europe on stronger dollar
Oil prices slipped below $101 a barrel Friday as a stronger dollar and expectations of increased output from Saudi Arabia overshadowed strong crude demand in China.
Researchers Discover Superatoms With Magnetic Shells
The superatom contains magnetized magnesium atoms, an element traditionally considered as non-magnetic. The metallic character of magnesium along with infused magnetism may one day be used to create molecular electronic devices for the next generation of faster processors, larger memory storage and quantum computers.
Solar Flares Could Disrupt Earth's Tech Infrastructure in 2013
Tuesday's solar flare went unnoticed by most of Earth's inhabitants, but NASA says that might not be the case in 2013 when a peak in solar activity could cause trillions of dollars in damage to high-tech infrastructures.
U.S. Is Intensifying a Secret Campaign of Yemen Airstrikes
The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets, according to American officials.
UN report: Iran accelerating development of long-range missiles
A report by a panel of experts convened by the United Nations reveals that over the past year Iran has stepped up the pace of its efforts to develop long-range missiles.
Hillary Clinton 'wants to quit to run World Bank'
Hillary Clinton has been in discussions with the White House about stepping down from her job as Secretary of State to become head of the World Bank, according to reports.
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IMF targeted in cyberattack
The International Monetary Fund, already reeling from last month's arrest of its former leader, is investigating an attack on its computer system. IMF spokesman David Hawley said the organization is fully functional. He declined to provide further details on what he termed an "IT incident," including its scope or nature and whether any sensitive data were taken.
Turkey votes in national poll as PM seeks third term
Polls have opened in Turkey with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) seeking a third term in office. After eight years in power, the AKP hopes for two-thirds of the seats in parliament to make promised amendments to the constitution.
Bahrain woman gets year in jail for critical poems
A 20-year-old woman who recited poems critical of Bahrain's rulers was sentenced Sunday to a year in prison by a special security court set up during the kingdom's crackdown on Shiite protesters calling for greater rights.
Italy votes in nuclear power referendum
Italians have begun voting in four referendums, the most important of which is whether people want Italy to resume nuclear power production. Anti-nuclear campaigners say the ********* disaster in Japan has helped sway public opinion against nuclear. The referendums are also being seen as a test of the popularity of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
US underwrites Internet detour around censors
The Obama administration is leading a global effort to deploy “shadow” Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments that seek to silence them by censoring or shutting down telecommunications networks.
Iran urges world community to pressure Israel into joining Non-Proliferation Treaty
Iran called on the world community Sunday to pressure Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and subject its nuclear programs to international oversight. "The world community should put pressure on the Zionist regime (Israel) to join the NPT and allow inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said.
US defence chief: Europe may no longer be worth defending
Under pressure to cut its military spending, the US is losing patience with Europe's unwillingness to pay for its own defence, outgoing US defence minister Robert Gates said Friday (10 June) in an unusually 'blunt' speech in Brussels, casting doubt over the very survival of Nato.
Qantas Cancels 13 Flights Because of Volcanic Ash Cloud in Southern Chile
Australia’s biggest-carrier, and its Jetstar budget brand canceled 88 flights because of an ash cloud created by an volcanic eruption in the Andes Mountains in southern Chile. “It is always safety before schedule,” Sydney-based spokeswoman Olivia Wirth said in an e-mailed response to questions. The airline canceled all flights to and from Tasmania, Australia, and some New Zealand services today. Jetstar has stopped 66 flights, affecting 8,600 passengers, spokeswoman Jennifer Timm said by telephone.
Texas governor renews statewide fire disaster declaration
The governor of Texas, where drought-triggered deadly wildfires have scorched millions of acres, renewed his proclamation of a statewide disaster on Saturday and called again on the federal government to help.
US accuses Syria of creating humanitarian crisis
Over 4,000 refugees enter Turkey as violence escalates; rights groups say Syrian forces have killed over 1,100 civilians in efforts to suppress protests. The White House on Saturday accused the Syrian government of creating a humanitarian crisis and urged it to halt its crackdown on civilians and give the Red Cross immediate, unfettered access to the country's northern region.
'Syria's nuclear plant linked to 3 other facilities'
The suspected Syrian nuclear facility in Deir al-Zor was linked to three other facilities in the country, London-based Al-Hayat reported quoting excerpts from an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report released Sunday. The report did not give details on the facilities or on their locations.
Fatah nominates Fayyad as PM; Hamas rejects him
Hamas on Sunday rejected their Palestinian rival Fatah's nomination for the next prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Salam Fayyad, the Associated Press reported. Hamas has said in the past that they expect the prime minister to come from Gaza, effectively ruling out Fayyad. "Hamas will not agree to grant Salam Fayyad the confidence to run the national unity government," Hamas official Salah Bardawil told the AP.
Ivory Coast: A forgotten emergency?
More than 300,000 Ivorians remain displaced as a result of this year’s fighting between forces backing President Alassane Ouattara, who won a November presidential poll according to U.N.-certified results, and troops loyal to former President Laurent Gbagbo, who had refused to cede power. Aid groups fear the international community’s focus on other crises, including the conflict in Libya and the uprisings in Syria and Yemen that are making more news headlines, mean interest in Ivory Coast may be subsiding.-“We need to keep trying to get the message out there that there is a serious humanitarian need here that needs more attention”
Hamas Summer Camps Train Next Generation Terrorists
Hamas is reporting record turnouts for its summer camps for children in 2011. The 'summer camps,' combining Islamic indoctrination, paramilitary training, and social activities are set to begin again this year as United Nation’s summer camps, considered competition by Hamas, are being openly denigrated by jihadists.
Scientists warn of deadly shellfish in part of Alaska
Public health officials warned Alaskans to avoid eating shellfish they harvest from the southeastern tip of the state after high concentrations of a poison than can kill humans was found. State officials said scientists monitoring algae blooms near Ketchikan discovered some of the world's highest-ever recorded levels of toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning -- a potentially fatal ailment that can paralyze vital organs.
West Miami-Dade brush fire consumes over 50,000 acres
The brush fire battle in West Miami-Dade isn't getting any easier for firefighters as it continues to burn Friday morning. The fire has now consumed more than 50,000 acres and is about 55 percent contained, according to the Florida Division of Forestry.
Fed Will Buy $50 Billion of Treasurys in Final QE2 Push
The flood of Federal Reserve money that has supported Wall Street and the rest of the U.S. economy for two and a half years will shrink to a trickle with the conclusion of the Fed's bond purchases announced Friday. The Fed said it will buy $50 billion of Treasurys, the final series of government bond purchases that marks the last phase of the $600 billion program it launched in November 2010 to prevent another recession.
Scientists: ‘Super’ Wheat To Boost Food Security
Scientists say they’re close to producing new “super varieties” of wheat that will resist a virulent fungus while boosting yields up to 15 percent, potentially easing a deadly threat to the world’s food supply. The research is part of a global drive to protect wheat crops from the Ug99 strain of stem rust.
Chile volcano: Ash cloud grounds more flights
A cloud of ash from an erupting volcano in Chile is continuing to cause travel chaos in parts of Argentina and Uruguay. The cloud has also affected flights in the south of Brazil. Flights from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, and Montevideo in Uruguay, remain grounded for a second day.
Turkey says 4,000 flee Syria, thousands more at border
More than 4,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape a crackdown on protests against President Bashar Assad and thousands more are sheltering near the border, officials and activists said on Saturday. Fearing revenge from security forces for clashes in which authorities said 120 troops were killed this week, the refugees streamed out of the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour ahead of a military operation launched by the army there on Friday.
Libya rebels, Gadhafi forces clash in western city
A Libyan rebel spokesman said opposition forces were battling troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi on Saturday in the western city of Zawiya. It was the first major fighting in the oil port since government troops crushed opposition forces there in March.
Rare fungal infection strikes Joplin tornado victims
Eight people injured by the devastating Joplin, Missouri, tornado have contracted a rare fungal infection, and three have died, officials said Friday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is assisting state and local health officials, who are investigating the cases.
'Iran to convene nuclear conference targeting Israel'
Iranian official quoted as saying conference will focus on "Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity," stresses that US and its allies continue to "ignore Tel Aviv's looming nuclear threats to the Middle East."
Huge Arizona Wildfire Spreads, Health Conditions Worsen
Smoke from a massive wildfire in eastern Arizona that has claimed more than 30 homes and forced nearly 10,000 people to flee has officials worried about serious health impacts to residents and firefighters as tiny particles of soot in the air reached "astronomical" levels.
Roadside Bomb Kills 19 in Southern Afghanistan
Afghan authorities say eight children are among 19 people killed by a roadside bomb that hit a bus in southern Afghanistan today. The Ministry of Interior says the attack took place in Kandahar province. The ministry also said in a statement that one person was wounded in the blast.
Stocks Fall on Dow’s Longest Slump Since 2002
U.S. stocks fell for the sixth straight week, giving the Dow Jones Industrial Average its longest slump since 2002, as investor concern that the global economy is slowing intensified. Technology stocks and consumer companies reliant on discretionary spending led losses in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, dropping more than 2.7 percent as a group.
Syrian army seals off restive town
Syrian tanks have sealed off the entrances to a restive northern town ahead of what activists say will be an all-out assault in the area near the Turkish border. The military operation in the mostly deserted town of Jisr Al Shughour follows government claims that more than 120 officers and security personnel were killed by “armed groups” operating in the area.
WorldDozens killed in series of blasts in Afghanistan
A series of bombs and explosions across Afghanistan killed at least 24 people on Saturday, officials said. In the worst attack, a vehicle hit a roadside mine in southern Kandahar province, one of the main battlegrounds in the nearly 10-year Taliban-led insurgency against the Kabul government and NATO troops. Fifteen civilians were killed, the interior ministry said.
WorldMore than 90,000 in shelters 3 months after Japan's quake
More than 90,000 people are remaining in evacuation centers three months after Japan's devastating March 11 quake and tsunami disaster, public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday.
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Bandera County Sheriff's Office Issues Domestic Terrorism Warning
The Bandera County Sheriff's Office issued a warning Thursday to citizens about an anti-government movement known for acts of domestic terrorism. The law enforcement agency said followers of The Sovereign Citizens Movement have been known to carry out violent acts, including killing law enforcement officers and other public servants.
Vietnam seeks US support in China dispute
Vietnam has called on the US and other nations to help resolve the escalating territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea, in a move likely to anger Beijing, which opposes what it sees as outside interference.
IMF hit by 'very major' cyber security attack
Cyber security officials said the hack was designed to install software to create a "digital insider presence".
Quake-Hit New Zealand City Hit By New Shocks
The New Zealand city of Christchurch has been hit by another series of strong tremors, four months after 181 people died when an earthquake damaged thousands of buildings.
Russia objects to US warship in Black Sea
Russia is voicing concern about a U.S. warship now just off its shores in the Black Sea. The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey, which is taking part in annual joint military exercises conducted by NATO and Ukraine, is an integral part of U.S. plans to create a missile shield in Europe, which Russia opposes.
Abbas says prefers talks with Israel over UN vote on Palestinian state
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared over the weekend in Ramallah that he prefers returning to negotiations with Israel over demanding that the United Nations vote on recognizing a Palestinian state.
Does Rise of Salafi Islam in Egypt Mean End for Christian Copts?
In the months following, there have been numerous murders visited upon the Coptic Christian community – which comprises some 10 percent of the 83 million Egyptian population – by the country's Muslim majority.
Second Temple Mount Rock Attack
Arab youths Sunday morning hurled stones at Jewish worshipers who ascended the Temple Mount. The attack came just two days after Friday afternoon's stone throwing incident which forced the Israel Police to storm Judaism's holiest site.
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China rebukes US over South China Sea disputes
China criticized the U.S. on Tuesday over a senator's call for multilateral negotiations to resolve festering territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said only those countries with territorial claims in the vast resource-rich waters should get involved in such discussions.
Venezuela orders energy saving after recent blackouts
Big electricity users in Venezuela have been told to cut consumption or face increased charges. Consumers who save energy will be in line for discounts, officials said. The move comes after a series of recent power failures, the most recent last Friday and Saturday when outages affected parts of western Venezuela.
More Israeli-Vatican Talks, Following Vatican Call for PA State
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon heads today (Monday) for the Vatican, leading an Israeli delegation taking part in a plenary session of the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between Israel and the Vatican
Series of earthquakes hit New Zealand city
A series of aftershocks rattled New Zealand's quake-devastated city of Christchurch again Monday, toppling one of the few buildings still standing downtown and sinking thousands of homes into darkness.
Eritrean volcanic ash cloud heading toward Israel
A volcanic ash cloud created after a volcano erupted in the northern African country of Eritrea is heading toward Israel, the Israel Meteorological Service confirmed on Tuesday. It is not yet certain whether the cloud will disrupt flights in the area.
'Iran reiterates its desire to be Lebanese partner'
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who on Monday announced a new cabinet dominated by Iranian-backed Hezbollah, has received warm support for his new government from Tehran. According to an AFP report, Iranian Vice President Mohammed Reza Rahimi phoned Mikati Monday to offer his congratulations. “The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its desire to remain a partner to Lebanon," he reportedly said, "and is ready to implement the agreements signed between the two countries.”
FM Lieberman: EU peace efforts in Mideast are 'naive'
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman rejected on Tuesday the European Union's peace initiative. The plan, revealed in Haaretz on Tuesday, aims to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority by convening a Middle East peace conference in Paris.
N.Korea likely can miniaturize nuclear device: Seoul
North Korea has probably succeeded in miniaturizing a nuclear device, South Korea's defense minister said on Monday, an advance that would in theory allow the hermit state to place an atomic warhead on a rocket.
Hackers breach US Senate website
A shadowy group of hackers behind a string of recent cyberattacks claimed to have breached the US Senate website and taken internal data. The Senate Sergeant at Arms, which is responsible for congressional security, confirmed there had been an intrusion into the server hosting the public website, Senate.gov, but said no sensitive information was compromised.
Roubini: ‘Perfect Storm’ May Rock World Economy by 2013
A “perfect storm” of fiscal woe in the U.S., a slowdown in China, European debt restructuring and stagnation in Japan may converge on the global economy, New York University professor Nouriel Roubini said. “There are already elements of fragility,” he said. “Everybody’s kicking the can down the road of too much public and private debt. The can is becoming heavier and heavier,
China ‘very positive’ for Turkey to be dialogue partner in SCO
“China is very positive for Turkey to become a SCO dialogue partner. However, whether it become dialogue partner it would depend on the consensus of the member states of the SCO”, said Cheng Guoping, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister here at a press conference in which he briefed media on President Hu Jintao’s upcoming state visit to Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Astana the capital of Kazakhstan on June 15.
Turkey's ruling party wins election (updated)
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a decisive victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections, early results showed. With 99 percent of ballots already counted the AKP won 50 percent of the vote, which is enough for it to form a one-party Cabinet.
IAEA: Syria Has 3 More Nuke Facilities
The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Syria has three nuclear installations, in addition to one that was destroyed several years ago by an unknown party. The London-based Arabic-language Al-Hayat newspaper on Sunday published communications between IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon which stated, among other things, that the UN agency had confirmed a report by a US agency that the facility destroyed in 2007 – allegedly by Israeli planes – was linked to three other sites in Syria. The communications do not name those sites, but they do say that Syria is clearly in violation of IAEA regulations and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Knesset speaker to Russia: Don't oppose UN Syria sanctions
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin met with outgoing Russian Ambassador to Israel Petr Stegniy on Thursday, hoping to convince the government in Moscow not to veto the upcoming UN Security Council resolution aimed at Syria's covert nuclear program. Russia said on Thursday it would vote against a Western-led push at the UN nuclear watchdog to report Syria to the Security Council for covert atomic work, including three years of stonewalling of a probe into a site bombed by Israel in 2007.
We Are All Mutants: First Direct Whole-Genome Measure of Human Mutation Predicts 60 New Mutations in Each of Us
Although most of our variety comes from reshuffling of genes from our parents, new mutations are the ultimate source from which new variation is drawn. Finding new mutations is extremely technically challenging as, on average, only 1 in every 100 million letters of DNA is altered each generation.
Pro-Assad crowd attacks Turkish Embassy in Syria
Thousands of pro-regime protesters marched toward the Turkish Embassy in Damascus at a time when Turkey said it would keep its gates open for Syrian refugees fleeing a violent crackdown in a town near the Turkish border.
Lebanon unveils new cabinet led by PM Najib Mikati
Lebanon has announced a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, nearly five months after he took office. The country has been without a functioning government since January, when Hezbollah and its allies toppled the coalition of pro-Western Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. At issue was a UN-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Midwesterners brace for new Missouri River flooding
For flood-weary residents and sandbag crews in the Midwest, Sunday was largely a day of rest. Or, was it just the calm before the storm? To be sure, there were some efforts up and down the Missouri River on Sunday to protect towns, homes and rail lines against the arrival of floodwaters.
Russia objects to US warship in Black Sea
Russia is voicing concern about a U.S. warship now just off its shores in the Black Sea. The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey, which is taking part in annual joint military exercises conducted by NATO and Ukraine, is an integral part of U.S. plans to create a missile shield in Europe, which Russia opposes.
Obama Gives Netanyahu Ultimatum on Resuming Talks
Israel Radio Reported Sunday that The United States gave Netanyahu an ultimatum on renewing negotiations with the Palestinians. According to the ultimatum, Netanyahu has to decide within a month whether he agrees to accept US President Obama’s proposal and resume talks based on 1967 lines.
Fed about to stop easy money flow
The Federal Reserve in the US is preparing its final bond purchases. While the Fed has said it will buy $50 billion of Treasuries, it will be the final series of government bond purchases in the $600 billion program it launched in November 2010 to prevent another recession.
Jordan King’s motorcade attacked with stones and empty bottles in southern city
A group of young men attacked the motorcade of King Abdullah II of Jordan with stones and empty bottles as he visited the southern city of Tafileh on Monday, but no one was hurt, a security official said. Jordan’s King vowed on Sunday reforms leading to parliamentary government and a tougher fight against anti-corruption, warning against “chaos” and the media creating a climate of “hatred.”
SKorea: NKorea may have miniaturized nuke warhead
North Korea may be able to load a nuclear warhead atop a missile, though South Korea has no substantive evidence the North has the technology to do it, Seoul's defense chief said Monday. North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009 and is thought to have enough plutonium for at least a half-dozen weapons. But experts doubt whether the North has mastered the miniaturization technology to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile.
Syrian troops claim Jisr al-Shughur as condemnation of Assad regime grows
SYRIAN troops have seized the flashpoint northern town of Jisr al-Shughur, as international outrage mounted at the regime's harsh crackdown on protesters. Rights activists had earlier reported heavy gunfire and explosions in the town near the Turkish border after troops backed by helicopter gunships and around 200 tanks launched a two-pronged assault.
Dead Sea threatened both by shrinking and flooding
The Dead Sea is dying, goes the conventional wisdom: The water level of the fabled salty lake is dropping nearly 4 feet (1.2 meters) a year. Less well known: Part of the lake is actually overflowing, threatening one of Israel's key tourism destinations.
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Scientists predict rare 'hibernation' of sunspots
For years, scientists have been predicting the Sun would by around 2012 move into solar maximum, a period of intense flares and sunspot activity, but lately a curious calm has suggested quite the opposite. According to three studies released in the United States on Tuesday, experts believe the familiar sunspot cycle may be shutting down and heading toward a pattern of inactivity unseen since the 17th century.
Supreme Court reinstates collective bargaining law
Acting with unusual speed, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial plan to end most collective bargaining for tens of thousands of public workers. The court found that a committee of lawmakers was not subject to the state's open meetings law, and so did not violate that law when it hastily approved the collective bargaining measure in March and made it possible for the Senate to take it up.
Boehner gives Obama Friday deadline on Libya
Stepping up a simmering constitutional conflict, House Speaker John A. Boehner warned President Obama on Tuesday that unless he gets authorization from Congress for his military deployment in Libya, he will be in violation of the War Powers Resolution. In a letter sent Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Boehner, the top Republican in the constitutional chain of succession, said Mr. Obama must provide a clear justification by Friday for committing troops to Libya.
Middle East Christians facing 'extremist atrocities'
The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that there are extreme forces at work that have turned the Arab Spring into a "very anxious time" for Christians. Dr Rowan Williams told the BBC that the vacuum left by the end of autocratic regimes was being filled by extremists. He claimed there had been more killings of Christians and burnings of churches in Egypt than people were aware of.
********* City to give children radiation dosimeters
Japan's ********* city is to give radiation dosimeters to 34,000 children to measure their exposure from the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant. All children aged between four and 15 will wear the devices for three months, and data will be collected monthly. The city lies about 60km (37 miles) from the ********* Daiichi plant, which was badly damaged in the 11 March quake and tsunami.
Barack Obama pledges support in rare Puerto Rico visit
US President Barack Obama has made a rare visit to Puerto Rico, marking the first official trip to the island by a sitting US president since 1961. He backed a referendum on the island's status, saying he would support any choice the Puerto Rican people made. The 3.7 million residents of the US Caribbean territory are US citizens but cannot vote for the president.
Fed chief Bernanke warns of US debt ceiling threat
The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has warned that the country's creditworthiness is at risk if its borrowing limit is not raised. He said the US could lose its coveted AAA credit rating if Congress did not vote in favour of lifting the $14.3 trillion (£8.7 trillion) debt ceiling. If there is no deal by August, the US may start defaulting on obligations.
Russian anti-virus guru predicts future passports for internet access
A global internet police force, digital passports in order for users to go online, cyber crime as an 'integrated part' of virtual reality - this is how Russian anti-virus expert Eugene Kaspersky sees the future of the online world. ...He claims that his vision - global policing, uniform laws and online passports which can be revoked for abusive users - will one day become reality, since "crime is integrated in the cyber world just as much as it is in the real one."
Corn prices rise as multiple floods cut into crop
Water has been rising in fields along the Missouri as federal engineers let more water out of reservoirs upstream to ease conditions there. With the flooding expected to continue into August, it's not clear yet how much farmland will be affected.
Police Training to Stop Mass Invasion of Arab Protesters
Police are conducting a large-scale training exercise in preparation for a possible massive Arab from Judea and Samaria in September.
Palestinians to unveil new Hamas-Fatah unity government next week
Hamas deputy politburo head Mousa Abu Marzook says the name of the new prime minister and new cabinet members will be revealed next Tuesday in Cairo during meet between Fatah's Abbas and Hamas' Meshaal.
Tanks deploy in east Syria; residents flee northern town
Thousands of Syrians fled the historic town of Maarat al-Numaan on Wednesday to escape tank forces thrusting into the country's north in a widening military campaign to crush protests against President Bashar Assad. In the tribal east, where Syria's 380,000 barrels per day of oil is produced, tanks and armored vehicles deployed in the city of Deir al-Zor and around Albu Kamal on the border with Iraq, a week after tens of thousands of people took to the streets demanding an end to Assad's autocratic rule.
Pakistan Arrests C.I.A. Informants in Bin Laden Raid
Pakistan’s top military spy agency has arrested some of the Pakistani informants who fed information to the Central Intelligence Agency in the months leading up to the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden, according to American officials.
Netanyahu: Unilateral declaration of Palestinian state will create negotiation impasse
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the President of the EU Parliament to oppose a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood in a meeting in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
'60 years of Zionism brought only humiliation, destruction'
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched into a brutal attack of the West at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Wednesday, mentioning Zionism as one of history’s worst ills. He said that 60 plus years of Zionism has brought only humiliation and destruction to the Palestinians and the region.
Germany: Unilateral declaration of Palestinian state counter-productive
Palestinian efforts to seek United Nations recognition of their state are counter-productive, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Tuesday. While Germany supports the two-state solution and the right of the Palestinian people to build their own state, "the German government believes unilateral steps could be counter productive," he told reporters in Ramallah.
Turkish organization may cancel Gaza flotilla as IDF prepares at sea
The Turkish organization IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation) is considering the cancelation of the Gaza flotilla due to the tensions along the Syrian-Turkish border, Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper reported Wednesday. “We are reconsidering our plans. We cannot close our eyes to the developments on our doorstep,” Hüseyin Oruç, a board member of the IHH, told the newspaper.
Ahmadinejad moves to limit authority of reinstated Iran intelligence chief
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad restricted the authority of his intelligence chief by cancelling his membership of an influential economic council, state media reported Wednesday. Intelligence chief Heydar Moslehi became focus of an internal struggle in April when he was dismissed by the president but then reinstated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Russia: U.S. missile shield threatens global security
Russia won the backing of China and other members of a regional security body in criticizing U.S. plans for a missile shield, saying on Wednesday that it could undermine global security.
Arizona Wildfire May Be Biggest in State History
A massive wildfire in eastern Arizona is burning more acres than the largest in state history, although some of that area is in New Mexico, where flare-ups that skipped along treetops Tuesday threatened a small mountain town.
Forecast Predicts Biggest Gulf Dead Zone Ever
Scientists predict this year's "dead zone" of low-oxygen water in the northern Gulf of Mexico will be the largest in history -- about the size of Lake Erie -- because of more runoff from the flooded Mississippi River valley.
North Korea 'may have developed nuclear warhead for ballistic missile'
North Korea may have developed a nuclear warhead small enough to be loaded onto a ballistic missile, the South Korean defence minister said yesterday, warning that risk of another “surprise provocation” by the Stalinist regime was now rising.
Suicide attack kills 8; mortar hits Afghan center
A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded four in a strike Wednesday on a governor's office in the northeast, while a mortar targeted a building where NATO and Afghan officials were inaugurating the country's largest police training facility in central Afghanistan. The two attacks, which occurred at about the same time, were a stark reminder that insurgents can strike anywhere in this volatile country.
Wisconsin's High Court Says Controversial Union Law Can Take Effect
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state's contentious union rights law can go into effect, giving Republican Gov. Scott Walker a major victory. Walker pushed the law that eliminates most of public employees' collective bargaining rights and forces them to pay more for their health and pension benefits. He says it's needed for the state to address its budget problems.
Gay judge's same-sex marriage ruling upheld
A federal judge on Tuesday upheld a gay judge's ruling to strike down California's same-sex marriage ban. Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware said former Chief Judge Vaughn Walker did not have to divulge whether he wanted to marry his own gay partner before he declared last year that voter-approved Proposition 8 was unconstitutional.
Peres: Changing Jerusalem's status would be catastrophic
President Shimon Peres, speaking during a visit to the Bedouin village of Hura, said on Tuesday that peace does exist in Jerusalem, but it could easily be destroyed. "People live and work in peace," Peres said about the current state of Jerusalem, and any new agreement on the city's status would be explosive.
EU pushing peace plan based on Obama's '1967 borders' speech
Following a French initiative to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority by convening a Middle East peace conference in Paris, the European Union is now advocating an international peace plan as an alternative to a unilateral Palestinian plan to secure state recognition at the UN in September. -"The EU has (also) advocated that Jerusalem be the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state. "
Lebanese minister resigns from newly formed cabinet
Lebanon’s prime minister announced a new government Monday dominated by the militant Hezbollah and its allies, putting an Iranian proxy at the helm at a time when Washington’s influence in the Middle East is on the wane. Lebanon had been without a functioning government since January, when Hezbollah forced the collapse of the previous, Western-backed administration.
China rules out use of force in tense South China Sea, tells US to butt out
CHINA today told its worried neighbours it would not resort to the use of force in the tense South China Sea but flatly asserted its right to the whole disputed sea and its islands and told the US not to interfere. Beijing criticised Washington over a US senator's call for multilateral negotiations to resolve festering disputes in the South China Sea, saying only those countries with territorial claims in the vast resource-rich waters should get involved in such discussions.
Overseas bankers trying to overturn new US tax rule
Overseas banks have begun a big campaign against sweeping US tax law reforms. The reforms, that will force overseas institutions to report on the holdings of American clients, were passed by Congress last year. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act comes into force in 2013.
Gaddafi ready for talks with NATO, opposition - Ilyumzhinov
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has claimed in a conversation with president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov that he was ready to proceed in talks with NATO and rebels, but ruled out the possibility of his resignation.
Obama slammed for soft approach to Syria violence
US President Barack Obama has come under attack in recent days for failing to take a tough stance on the Syrian regime's violent crackdown on anti-government protesters, as he did in Libya. US senators, lead by Lindsey Graham, are urging the president to put military force on the table as Damascus launches an all-out assault on protesters.
Scientists race to avoid climate change harvest
Growing populations, changing diets and insatiable demand for grains, meat and vegetables is putting pressure on global food production and prices like never before. Soaring food prices, civil unrest and worries about weather have spurred a global race to create more productive crops that can thrive in a warmer -- and more prosperous -- world
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Longest lunar eclipse for a decade turns moon blood red
A LUNAR eclipse is under way, turning the morning Melbourne sky a stunning blood red colour. The specific phenomenon, known as a deep lunar eclipse, often exudes a coppery colour but it has been enhanced today because of the amount of ash in the atmosphere.
European Parliament: East Jerusalem should be Palestinian capital
The European Parliament supports the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, its president said Wednesday. It embraced the vision for peace in the Middle East as outlined by U.S. President Barack Obama in a May 19 address in Washington, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said. -he backed the Palestinians on the issue of Jerusalem, explicitly saying East Jerusalem should become the capital of their state.
Sudanese Minister: Powers Striving to Create New Israel in Southern Sudan
Visiting Sudanese Minister of Youth and Sports Hag Majid Swar warned that the recent efforts made by the arrogant powers to disintegrate Southern Sudan from the mainland is a new plot to create another Israel in the region. 'Arrogant powers are seeking to establish a new version of the Zionist regime after achieving success in separating South of Sudan from the mainland.'
Iran's president calls for post-Soviet security alliance to unite in alliance against West
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Wednesday for a security alliance of several former Soviet nations and China to form a united front against the West. Ahmadinejad's address to fellow heads of state at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kazakhstan will likely deepen suspicions that the bloc is intended as a counterweight to the United States across the region.
Russia has no plan to reconsider relations with Iran
Moscow has no plan to reconsider its stance on Iran in order to please the U.S. and NATO, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Tuesday. He told local military reporters that Russia doesn't agree that Iran is its enemy. "Iran is our neighbor and partner," he was quoted by the state- run Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
Iran FM hails strategic ties with China
“Tehran-Beijing ties are strategic and their prospects are bright,” Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters on Thursday in the Kazakh capital Astana, IRNA reported. Salehi is currently in Astana as part of an Iranian delegation led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that is attending the 10th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. Salehi made the remarks after a meeting between Ahmadinejad and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
More aftershocks hit NZ city; fears worse to come
Big aftershocks are still shaking the earthquake-weary city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and raising fears of worse to come. A pair of aftershocks woke many residents about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, with the larger measuring magnitude-5.0. A smaller cluster hit in the afternoon.
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Syrian rebels call for new wave of protests in Arab capitals
The protests are planned for the first week of July in the hope of persuading Arab governments to turn against the regime, Wissam Tarif, a prominent activist said. Meanwhile, refugees who have set up camps inside Syria near Turkey are forming "people's committees" and arming against further government retaliation.
Arab MK Praises Hizbullah, Calls for Caliphate
Ibrahim Sarsour, an Israeli-Arab Knesset Member, calls to establish Islamic Caliphate centered in Jerusalem and praises Hizbullah for defeating Israel.
Iran successfully launches second satellite into orbit
Iran has successfully launched a second domestically-built satellite into orbit, Iran's Arabic language al-Alam television reported on Wednesday. "Iran launched a domestically built rocket and the Rasad 1 (satellite) has been put into orbit," al-Alam reported.
European Parliament: East Jerusalem should be Palestinian capital
In a speech before the Knesset, European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said he backs Obama's peace plan, and that negotiations are the 'only solution.'
U.S. envoys return to Mideast in bid to renew Israeli-Palestinian talks
Senior U.S. diplomats have returned to the Middle East for an unannounced visit to try to find a way to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed last year and now face new challenges. Dennis Ross and David Hale's visit, confirmed by Israeli and Palestinian officials Wednesday, is their first to the region since special Mideast envoy George Mitchell resigned last month after failing to break the negotiations deadlock.
Erdogan, the strongest leader in the Mideast
The thousands of refugees who fled Syria in the past week are providing Erdogan with an opportunity to determine the fate of Syria.
Jordan's Abdullah: Israel is not interested in peace
In interview with Washington Post, Jordan King Abdullah laments Israeli public's gravitation toward the right, rejection of 1967 borders, saying prospects for Middle East peace are grim.
Gaza flotilla will still sail, say organizers, with or without Turkish group
Organizers of the Gaza flotilla said Wednesday that they are determined to set sail even if the heads of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH ) do not participate. The flotilla is currently scheduled to depart in one week to mark the anniversary of last year's raid by Israel on the Gaza-bound flotilla, in which nine Turkish activists died.
Jordan's Abdullah: Israel is not interested in peace
Jordanian King Abdullah expressed alarm over Israel's prevailing political opinions in an interview with the Washington Post Thursday, saying that the Israeli public is not interested in a return to 1967 borders, with its leadership no longer working toward a two state solution or peace. The Jordanian king noted a marked shift toward the right in Israel in recent years, quoting statistics stating that 85 percent of Israelis are not interested in a return to 1967 borders.
Nato chief urges Europeans to boost defence spending
Nato's Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has told the BBC that European members of the alliance need to spend more on defence. Mr Rasmussen said Nato was needed more than ever, but that European countries needed to "step up to the plate". He echoed the comments made last Friday by the outgoing US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, who criticised the Europeans for not doing enough.
Ayman al-Zawahiri appointed as al-Qaeda leader
The long-serving second-in-command of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has been appointed its head following the death of Osama Bin Laden, the militant organisation said in a statement. Bin Laden was killed by US forces in Pakistan in early May. Al-Qaeda warned it would continue to fight a holy war against the US and Israel under Zawahiri's direction.
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Argentine towns suffer under falling volcanic ash
The government of one province in Argentina declared an economic emergency on Thursday to aid towns where falling ash from Chile's erupting volcano is endangering livestock and keeping tourists away.
Stiff winds test gains of wildfire crews in Arizona
Fire crews battling stubborn flames in eastern Arizona's mountainous pine forests faced a return of stiff winds on Thursday that threatened to reverse gains against the largest wildfire in state history.
Peres Says Peace Possible Before September
Ignoring the slow-burn of criticism in Israel's Hebrew-language press that an Israeli president is supposed to avoid politics, especially matters of potential controversy, and serve in a purely ceremonial capacity, Peres said an Israeli-PA peace accord could be reached before September.
Peres warns: Israel in danger of ceasing to exist as Jewish state
President says that Israel 'doomed' unless negotiations with the Palestinians leading to a peace agreement begin in the immediate future.
Netanyahu is dooming Israel to live eternally by the sword
By declaring the conflict insoluble, Netanyahu is leaving no opening for reconciliation and understanding with the Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim world.
Russia eyes bigger role in Afghanistan, wants to rebuild: envoy
Although Russia has refused to send troops to join the NATO-led war in Afghanistan, Moscow has been flexing its muscles in the region bordering much of ex-Soviet Central Asia, which Russia views as its traditional sphere of influence.
UN rights council backs 'historic' gay equality bill
The resolution "affirms that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms ... without distinction of any kind."
China military paper urges steps against U.S. cyber war threat
China must boost its cyber-warfare strength to counter a Pentagon push, the country's top military newspaper said on Thursday after weeks of friction over accusations that Beijing may have launched a string of Internet hacking attacks.
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Political turmoil, financial markets in vicious cycle
The instability rocking Greece this week is the latest manifestation of a troubling new phase in the global financial crisis: political turmoil is sweeping through Europe, toppling governments and threatening to undermine efforts to rescue the financial system and, ultimately, the euro zone itself.
NATO targets Tripoli with daytime raid
NATO warplanes dashed into the Libyan capital Tripoli at midday Friday, pounding a target in the south of the city and sending a thick cloud of black smoke rising high into the air. A series of explosions rumbled across other parts of the city as fighter jets could by heard flying overhead. Fire engines raced through the streets, sirens blaring.
Merkel and Sarkozy united in support for Greece
The German and French leaders emerged from a meeting in Berlin on Friday with a common message on helping the ailing Greek economy. The pair called for a swift solution to the country's debt crisis, which threatens the stability of the euro single currency.
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Abbas calls on EU to recognize Palestinian state
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called upon European Union nations on Friday to recognize a Palestinian state, according to an AFP report. According to the report, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Abbas had held a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, during which he "affirmed that the Palestinian position was to resume the peace process" with Israel and expected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume negotiations and stop settlement construction, especially in Jerusalem.
European credit crunch going global, central banker Jean-Claude Trichet warns
Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, told The Times of London yesterday the sovereign debt threats are "not only a euro area issue, but have a European aspect and a global aspect". "We were not at ease with the idea that, in the heat of the crisis, all countries were called on to spend as much as possible, embark on deficits as much as possible," he said. "I believe the tensions we are observing in Europe today are part of a much more global phenomenon."
U.S. considering charging Assad with war crimes
The United States says is it considering if war crimes charges can be brought against Syria's president as part of a larger diplomatic effort to get his government to end its crackdown on dissent. In a telephone conference with reporters Friday, two senior White House officials said the U.S. is also considering economic sanctions against Syria's oil and gas sectors.
Tea Party summer camps for 8 year-olds to learn about defending economic liberty
Now American children as young as eight are being raised as the Tea Party's next generation, at summer camps where they are taught about God, the constitution, and how to defend their economic liberty. Across the US, hundreds of youngsters are paying up to $15 (£10) for a week of classes that compensate for what their parents call an anti-religious liberal bias in the public school system.
Two large fires break out in North, vacationers evacuated
Two large fires broke out on Saturday in Israel's North, in the Galilee and the Golan Heights. There have not been any reports of human injuries thus far, but vacationers have been evacuated from those areas. ...Police officers are evacuating vacationers to Meshushim Pool, fearing that the fire will continue to spread. Golan Heights police shut down traffic on Road 888 due to heavy smoke hanging over the area.
Changing Tides: Research Center Under Fire for 'Adjusted' Sea-Level Data
Is climate change raising sea levels, as Al Gore has argued -- or are climate scientists doctoring the data? The University of Colorado’s Sea Level Research Group decided in May to add 0.3 millimeters -- or about the thickness of a fingernail -- every year to its actual measurements of sea levels, sparking criticism from experts who called it an attempt to exaggerate the effects of global warming.
Democrat: We Need 'Analysis of How Christian Militants … Might Bring Down The Country’
At a congressional hearing on Muslim radicalization in U.S. prisons, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said that investigators needed to analyze Christian militants in America because they too might try to “bring down the country.” ...Rep. Lee then said, “As we look to be informational, we should include an analysis of how Christian militants or others might bring down the country. We have to look broadly, do we not?”
Britons warned to leave Syria now
British nationals have been urged to leave Syria now because of the civil unrest in the Middle East country. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said Britons should use commercial flights to leave while they are still available. In a statement the FCO said it would be "highly unlikely" that its embassy in Damascus would be able to help if the situation were to deteriorate further.
Afghanistan's Karzai: US 'in peace talks with Taliban'
The US is engaged in talks with the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said, in the first high-level confirmation of US involvement. Mr Karzai said that "foreign military and especially the US itself" were involved in peace talks with the group. Hours later, suicide bombers attacked a Kabul police station, killing two.
Radiation spike halts work at Japan nuclear plant
A rise in radiation halted the clean-up of radioactive water at Japan's ********* nuclear power station on Saturday hours after it got under way, a fresh setback to efforts to restore control over the quake-stricken plant. The power plant has been leaking radiation into the atmosphere ever since the March 11 quake and tsunami and both China and South Korea have expressed concern over the possibility of further leaks into the sea.
Syrian tanks storm town near Turkey border
Syrian troops and gunmen loyal to President Bashar Assad stormed a town near the Turkish border on Saturday, burning houses and arresting 70 people, witnesses said, in wide-ranging military assault to crush a three month uprising. "They came at 7 a.m to Bdama. I counted nine tanks, 10 armoured carriers, 20 jeeps and 10 buses. I saw shabbiha (gunmen) setting fire to two houses," said Saria Hammouda, a lawyer from the small town of Bdama.
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Royal Betrothal Between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
According to the announcement, Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, son of Bahrain's king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, signed the marriage contract last week with the daughter of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.
Turkey warns Assad: You have less than a week to start implementing reforms
A senior Turkish official warned Monday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has less than a week to start implementing long-promised political reforms demanded by Syrian protesters before foreign intervention begins.
Iowa residents wait, watch river's rising waters
After weeks of worrying about the rising Missouri River, people are fluent in the language of flood and names like Oahe, Fort Randall and Gavins Point. Those are the dams that control what happens here and downstream along the swollen river...
Cooper Nuclear Station declares "Notification of Unusual Event"
Cooper Nuclear Station, an electric power plant in southeast Nebraska, declared a "Notification of Unusual Event" this morning at 4:02 a. m. The declaration was anticipated throughout Saturday by the power plant's operators, who closely tracked the river's steady increase in elevation due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' releases from dams upstream.
Iran to link nuclear plant to grid 'in August'
Iran's first nuclear power plant, built by Russia, is to be connected to the national grid in early August, the Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Reza Sajjadi, said in media reports on Sunday. "Russian officials announced that they are ready to inaugurate the (Bushehr) plant and connect its electricity to the national grid in the first 10 days of August," Sajjadi said, quoted by the English-language paper Iran Daily.
Vatican to set up clergy sexual abuse help centre
The Vatican is to set up a new e-learning centre to help safeguard children and victims of sexual abuse by clergy, as part of its efforts to deal with damaging scandals. The Roman Catholic Church is preparing for a major conference on abuse to take place next February in Rome. The Vatican has told bishops to come up with guidelines to combat abuse, in line with local laws.
Obama's Puerto Rico visit spurs anger, discontent
President Barack Obama may have been in Puerto Rico for only four hours, but his brief fundraising visit has unleashed a growing political furor in this U.S. Caribbean territory. Legislators of Puerto Rico's pro-statehood ruling party say they are resentful that he swooped in to raise about $1 million and did not offer any help or solutions as the island battles a soaring crime rate and higher unemployment compared with any U.S. state.
UK banks abandon eurozone over Greek default fears
Senior sources have revealed that leading banks, including Barclays and Standard Chartered, have radically reduced the amount of unsecured lending they are prepared to make available to eurozone banks, raising the prospect of a new credit crunch for the European banking system.
Muslim Brotherhood Reveals Plans for Egypt: ‘A Nation of the True Islam’
The night breeze blew foul wafts from a nearby canal black with garbage and pollution. The streets jammed with trucks and motorized rickshaws were so shattered that they hardly seemed paved at all. It was to Cairo’s slum of Munib on a recent evening that the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s biggest Islamic group, brought its election campaign message: The country must turn to Islam to rebuild.
Weiner's mother-in-law a member of Muslim Brotherhood
The mother-in-law of disgraced Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Saudi Arabia, according to Arabic news sources cited by a former Palestinian Liberation Organization operative.
As Kabul Sees More Bloodshed, Karzai Drops Another Bombshell
The streets of central Kabul's bustling open-air Mandavi market was cleared of shopkeepers and shoppers early this afternoon after Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a large police station on the area's main street. The three attackers killed five civilians, three policemen and an intelligence officer when they breached the gate of the compound and opened fire, the Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement, according to Afghan news sources agencies. The insurgents were killed when the police returned fire.
Greek PM: Talks on new bailout package under way
Greece's prime minister confirmed Sunday that his country is now in talks over a second bailout package "roughly equal" to the first euro110 billion ($157 billion) rescue it accepted a year ago. Prime Minister George Papandreou also blamed Greece's bloated and inefficient state sector for bringing the country to its knees and vowed to effect deep changes with a fall referendum on the constitution that would make it easier to get rid of inept officials or workers.
IDF holds drill simulating mass missile attacks across Israel
The Israel Defense Forces began a nation-wide Home Front defense drill on Sunday, to prepare security forces for an array of possible attacks. The exercise, codenamed Turning Point 5, includes a number of scenarios, including a strike on a power plant, missiles being fired at targets across the country and one of hackers breaching into key Israeli computer systems.
Saudi official says Saleh won't be going home
Riyadh: Embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, being treated for shrapnel wounds in Riyadh, will not return home, a top Saudi official told AFP yesterday, contrary to Sana’a’s claims that he will return soon. “The Yemeni president will not return to Yemen,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
Worst flooding since 1955: 2 million suffer in China
More than 2 million people have been displaced or otherwise affected by flooding in China's eastern province of Zhejiang, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday. Torrential rains have left huge areas of the relatively wealthy province underwater, with 42,254 acres of farmland inundated, according to Xinhua.
Israel to US: Let spy attend father's funeral
Israel's prime minister has asked the Obama administration to let a former U.S. navy intelligence analyst convicted of spying for Israel leave prison to attend his father's funeral, an aide said Sunday. The White House had rebuffed Israeli requests to let Jonathan Pollard, who has become a cause celebre here, visit his father before he died Saturday. Pollard's mother died in 2001 without his being given a furlough.
Explosion strikes German convoy in Afghanistan
A suicide attacker blew up his explosives-laden car next to a German military convoy in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing three Afghan civilians, officials and witnesses said. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Ash cloud's return causes flight chaos in Australia
Thousands of travellers were stranded after Qantas cancelled all domestic flights in and out of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra on Tuesday afternoon, until at least Thursday. International flights have also been affected, with all Qantas planes due to land on Wednesday diverted or delayed until Thursday.
Tracking Severe Storms
The main threats are damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes.
Abbas: Palestinians will not turn to UN if given alternative solution
Palestinian president says Israel, U.S., and Europe should present alternative if they want to stop UN bid, stresses Salam Fayyad must stand as head of unity government so not to 'bring about another blockade.'
Greek Streets 'Explosive' as PM Faces Confidence Vote
The new Greek government faces a vote of confidence on Tuesday night, with the outcome critical to the survival of the government, and to the disbursal of loans from the 'Troika' of the European Union (EU), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB). Voting is expected to take place at midnight, and most analysts are predicting that Papandreou will survive the vote. By bringing more PASOK party insiders into his cabinet – at the expense of technocrats – the Prime Minister should be able to head off opposition from within his own party.
Assad issues general amnesty as thousands in Syria attend pro-regime rally
Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a general amnesty on Tuesday, a day after he promised wide-ranging but vague reforms to counter a three-month popular revolt against his autocratic rule. Activists and analysts had dismissed Assad's promises on Monday, saying they failed to engage the demands of protesters who for three months have defied a fierce military crackdown in rallying for greater freedoms, posing the gravest challenge to his 11-year tenure.
Hurricane Beatriz brushes Mexico's Pacific coast
Hurricane Beatriz brushed Mexico's resort-studded Pacific coast with powerful rains and winds early Tuesday, flooding streets as tourists hunkered down in hotels. Authorities closed the ports of Acapulco, Manzanillo and Zihuatanejo and urged hotel owners to tell guests not to go to the beach. As of late Monday, one tourist had been injured when a tree fell on him in Acapulco.
6.5 magnitude quake strikes north of Chile
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake has struck the Antofagasta region of northern Chile this morning, however there have been no reports of damage or injuries. The tremor struck at 12.35pm local time (3.35am NZT), at a depth of 111km and was located 89km northeast of the city of Calama, a city of 100,000 people, the United States Geological Survey said.
Radioactive tritium leaks found at 48 US nuke sites
Radioactive tritium has leaked from three-quarters of U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping, an Associated Press investigation shows.
Hill Poll: 72% Say US Involved in Too Many Wars
Almost three-fourths of American voters believe that the United States is embroiled in too many foreign wars and should pull back, according to a new poll from The Hill. In addition to the 72 percent who contend that U.S. troops are spread too thin, voters polled said having U.S. soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq hasn’t made the homeland safer.
22 killed in suicide car bombings south of Baghdad
Suicide bombers detonated two explosives-laden vehicles early Tuesday near a government compound by a southern Iraqi governor's home, killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens, Iraqi officials said.
'Misery' Levels Hit 28-Year-High in US
The monthly index, an unofficial measurement created by economist Arthur Okun back in the 1970s using the simple premise to total the inflation and unemployment rates, is now 62 percent higher than when President Barack Obama first took office in 2009.
Winds pose problems in fight against Southwest fires
High winds posed a tough challenge to firefighters battling wildfires on Sunday in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, where powerful gusts helped the blazes spread quickly.
Fed policy trumps state amnesty law
The 9th Circuit panel recently voted to uphold a lower court’s decision to gut the law enforcement provisions of Arizona S.B. 1070 that were designed to help state and local law enforcement officers better enforce federal immigration laws. The constitutionality of those aspects was challenged by the Obama administration shortly after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law.
Levees in northern Missouri breached, overtopped
Several levees in northern Missouri were failing Sunday to hold back the surge of water being released from upstream dams, and locals braced themselves for more breaches as the Missouri River dipped but then rose again.
Researcher embarrassed for media
A conservative media watchdog says it was embarrassing for the mainstream media to try and dig up some kind of dirt from Sarah Palin's gubernatorial e-mail messages, only to find nothing.
War Evolves With Drones, Some Tiny as Bugs
The base’s indoor flight lab is called the “microaviary,” and for good reason. The drones in development here are designed to replicate the flight mechanics of moths, hawks and other inhabitants of the natural world.
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China urges U.S. to stay out of sea dispute
China urged the United States on Wednesday to leave the South China Sea dispute to the claimant states, saying that U.S. involvement may make the situation worse, its most direct warning to Washington in recent weeks.
The Word's words matter
At its annual gathering last week, members of the Southern Baptist Convention argued that changes in the new NIV Bible alter the intended theological message.
Abbas in Turkey as Obama Tries to Pull ‘Peace Process’ Strings
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ask for help to promote unity with Hamas terrorists after U.S. President Barack Obama called Erdogan to push the ”peace process.”
Mexico arrests head of notorious crime family
José de Jesús Méndez Vargas, known as El Chango, or The Monkey, was arrested in the central state of Aguascalientes without confrontation or casualties, according to federal security spokesman Alejandro Poire.
Syria FM on EU sanctions: 'We will forget that Europe exists'
"To European officials, I say: stop interfering in Syrian affairs and stop encouraging chaos and strife," Moallem said in a press conference in Damascus.
AZ Sheriff: Why More Troops at Korean Border Than U.S. Border?
Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu said the Obama administration’s decision to extend the deployment of 1,200 U.S. National Guard troops along the U.S. border with Mexico until Sept. 30 is “pandering” and that those numbers “fall far short” of what military power is needed to keep the country safe.
Lebanon files UN complaint over Israel-Cyprus EEZ deal
Beirut has issued a complaint to the UN over an agreement made between Cyprus and Israel demarcating an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at the maritime border between the two Eastern Mediterranean countries, Lebanese English-language newspaper the Daily Star reported Tuesday. According to the report, Lebanese Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Adnan Mansour issued a letter to Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-moon, saying “This agreement is a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and economic rights and threatens peace and security in the area."
Flooding forces evacuations in two Midwest states
About 12,000 residents of Minot have been ordered to leave their homes by 6 p.m. Wednesday local time -- four hours earlier than originally planned -- as heavy water releases from reservoirs along the Souris River threaten to overwhelm barriers, officials said.
10,000 troops leaving Afghanistan this year
Obama is expected to withdraw roughly 10,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year, with one brigade of about 5,000 forces leaving this summer and a second brigade of similar size coming home by the end of the year, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.
New iPad application calls for "third intifada"
A new iPadapplication was released on Tuesday calling for a "third intifada." It calls on Muslims world-wide to rise up violently against Israel. In response, MK Yuli Edelstein, Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, wrote a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs asking him to remove the application. 'Also, as a leader in its area, I am convinced that you are aware of this type of application's ability to unite many toward an objective that could be disastrous," wrote MK Edelstein.
Germany detects first human-to-human E. coli transmission
Germany has detected the first case of human-to-human transmission of the deadly E. coli bacteria strain. According to the country's health officials, a female kitchen worker of a catering company near Frankfurt was infected with the strain after eating sprouts. She later transmitted the bacteria to 20 people through food she prepared for them. German officials claimed they have an evidence which shows that a human passed on the bacteria to the vegetables, which subsequently spread to other humans.
Anti-austerity protests spread across Europe
Anti-austerity rallies have been held across Europe – in Spain thousands marched to protest against high unemployment and their government’s handling of the economic crisis.
Obama warns of new US tactical spats with Israel
President Barack Obama warned that new "tactical" disagreements loomed between Israel and Washington, but vowed to leverage his administration's "creative powers" in the cause of peace. Obama, who has had a testy relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke at length on the stalled peace process at a fundraiser for his 2012 reelection campaign grouping Democratic friends of Israel.
IMF tells EU: Stop 'unproductive debate' and integrate 'now'
The International Monetary Fund has bluntly warned the European Union it must put an end to its "unproductive debate" over debt restructuring and, in an unprecedented outside intervention in the construction of the European Union, told the bloc it must integrate faster and more deeply in order to stop a global disaster.
Obama tells Jewish donors he strongly backs Israel
US President Barack Obama reassured Jewish donors on Monday he strongly supports Israel, stressing close ties between the United States and the Jewish state, but also emphasizing that changes in the Middle East will require a fresh look at the region. "Both the United States and Israel are going to have to look at this new landscape with fresh eyes. It's not going to be sufficient for us just to keep on doing the same things," Obama said at the first of two big-ticket fund-raisers where he was speaking on Monday evening.
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Buildup Unlikely to Spark Abrupt Climate Change, Scientists Find
"There might be other mechanisms by which greenhouse gases may cause an abrupt climate change, but we know of no such mechanism from the geological record," said David Battisti, a University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor.
Obama wrong -- border not secure
A border enforcement advocacy organization says the murder of a Houston police officer at the hands of an illegal alien gang member proves that despite the president's claim, America's southern border is not secure.
Obama to move US closer to leaving Afghanistan
Obama will move the United States a step closer to ending the war in Afghanistan when he announces plans Wednesday to bring thousands of American troops home, beginning next month.
China's military build-up 'game'
A national defense analyst and Pentagon advisor says the Chinese are "playing a game" in their continued efforts to fool the United States about the extent of their military build-up.
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PRESIDENT OBAMA PULLING ALL 33,000 US ‘SURGE’ TROOPS BY SEPTEMBER 2012
President Barack Obama announced a plan on Wednesday to start withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan in a first step toward ending the long, costly war and returning America’s focus toward its own troubled economy. Mr. Obama said he would pull 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by year’s end, followed by about 23,000 more by the end of next summer and a steady withdrawal of remaining troops after that.
UN General Assembly elects new president
Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, permanent representative of Qatar to the UN, has been elected president of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly due to begin in September. Al-Nasser was nominated by the Asian Group as the sole candidate for the annual presidency, Xinhua reported. He will assume office at the opening of the session in New York Sep 13.
‘Fertility Management’: Al Gore Calls on Women to Have Fewer Children…to Curb Pollution
On Monday, former Vice President Al Gore discussed climate change and pollution control at the Games for Change convention in New York City. Aside from his usual litanies of environmental advice nuggets, the 2000 presidential candidate delved into…family planning. Curiously, Gore said that couples need to learn to “feel comfortable having small families” so that pollution can be curbed. When asked about what could be done to address population growth, he said:
Iran arrests Ahmadinejad ally Malekzadeh
Iran's judiciary has arrested Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, an ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on unspecified charges, an unnamed official told the semi-official Fars news agency on Thursday. "Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh was arrested a few hours ago," Fars said. Malekzadeh resigned from his position as deputy foreign minister on Tuesday.
Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson will participate in fasting and prayer for more cooperative spirit in the city
To help Harrisburg out of its financial crisis, area Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have called for three days of fasting and praying for a more cooperative spirit among Harrisburg government leaders, the business community and residents. The voluntary event will start at midnight on Tuesday and run through 5 p.m. Friday. During that time, various churches and temples will be open to the public.
Italy breaks ranks to call for ceasefire over Libya so aid can get through
Italy broke ranks with Nato yesterday and demanded an urgent halt to hostilities in Libya. Franco Frattini, the foreign minister in Rome, called for an 'immediate suspension' of military operations to allow humanitarian aid to be brought to the wartorn country. He also said military leaders should provide more details about Nato bombing raids following mistakes which led to civilians being killed.
Federal Reserve cuts its US economic growth forecast
The Federal Reserve has cut its growth forecast for the US economy in the face of the impact of higher energy prices. It now estimates that the US economy will expand between 2.7% and 2.9% this year, down from its April forecast of 3.1% to 3.3%. The US central bank also warned that unemployment would remain stubbornly high throughout 2011.
Syrians flee to Turkey as troops amass on border
Hundreds of Syrian refugees fled across the border into Turkey on Thursday to escape an assault on border regions in an escalating military campaign to punish popular dissent against President Bashar Assad, witnesses said. "They are running in panic. They have seen what happened to their villages," said one refugee, a farmer from the Jisr al-Shugour area who gave his name as Maan. Witnesses claimed that Syrian troops had massed on the Turkish border overnight Wednesday.
ComEd says most power should be restored by Thursday night
Commonwealth Edison expects to restore power to most of its customers by Thursday night, two days after a violent wave of storms that spawned at least two tornadoes and packed 80 mph winds at one point left about 440,000 customers without electricity throughout the Chicago area.
Earthquake shakes Japan awake - 6.7
A magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled northeast Japan early this morning in the same area where a massive quake triggered a deadly tsunami in March.
"Frantic’ Arms Race in Middle East, Says Air Force Chief
"The Middle East is in the throes of a frantic arms race, both in numbers of weapons and unbelievable financial costs", Maj. Gen. Ido Nehoshtan, the commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), told IsraelDefense this week.
EU's Ashton to Haaretz: UN vote on Palestinian state not a done deal
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, says she is not sure that there will be a vote in the United Nations in September on recognition of a Palestinian state and that the wording of the resolution is still uncertain.
'Hezbollah preparing for war against Israel to protect Syria's Assad'
Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group is preparing for a possible war with Israel to relieve perceived Western pressure to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, its guardian ally, sources close to the movement say.
All signs say Iran is racing toward a nuclear bomb
Iran's leadership is undaunted by the sanctions imposed on the country, or by the damage the Stuxnet computer worm caused to the program that operates the centrifuges at the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
USGS reports 6.8 magnitude earthquake east of Japan
The U.S. Geological Survey on Wednesday reported at 6.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Honshu, Japan, 85 miles (136 kilometers) southeast of Hachinohe at 21:50 GMT. The quake was followed by a 6.7 magnitude quake a few seconds later in the same region of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no warning or watch currently in effect for the area.
Hizbullah May Attack Israel to Take Spotlight off Syria
Lebanese terror organization and political force Hizbullah is preparing for a possible war with Israel as a means of shifting Western pressure away from the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, the Lebanon Daily Star reported Wednesday.Citing sources close to the radical Shiite terror organization, which has a powerful militia armed by Damascus and Iran, the Star said Hizbullah is watching the unrest in Syria with alarm and is determined to prevent Assad, their ally and protector, from being ousted from power.
Israeli leaders test nuclear bunker in defence drill
Officials said it was the first time the security cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had tested the "National Management Centre" carved out beneath the government complex in Jerusalem over the past decade."This is the proper place from which to run the State of Israel in wartime," Homefront Defence Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio in an interview.
Mediterranean union: Hamas must accept Quartet terms
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, including Egypt and PA, drafts unusually Israel-friendly resolutions, MK Whbee says.The assembly, which has 23 member-states and aims to foster cooperation among Mediterranean countries, also called for a return to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and an end to the conflict. “This is the first time, after 17 assembly meetings, that Israel is not the central topic and is not attacked from all sides,” said Whbee, who is one the assembly’s vice presidents.
PIMCO's El-Erian predicts Greece, others will default
The head of PIMCO, the world's biggest bond fund, predicted that Greece and other European economies would default on their debts to resolve their problems as the euro area deals with its debt crisis.
Minot residents evacuate as historic rise in Souris River approaches
Minot was a city in full retreat Tuesday. Many Minoters were moving as many possessions as possible out of homes, apartments and businesses through snarled traffic and muddy streets. Others surrendered, resigned to accept whatever emotional pain and physical damage the relentless Souris River chooses to inflict. All indications are it will be substantial.
Multiple Ocean Stresses Threaten 'Globally Significant' Marine Extinction, Experts Warn
The scientific panel concluded that: The combination of stressors on the ocean is creating the conditions associated with every previous major extinction of species in Earth's history. The speed and rate of degeneration in the ocean is far faster than anyone has predicted.
Sudan to block oil pipeline if south will not pay
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has threatened to shut pipelines carrying South Sudan's oil if a deal on oil is not reached before it secedes in July. He said either the south could continue to hand over half of its oil revenue to the north, or it could pay for using the north's oil infrastructure. Mr Bashir warned that if neither was accepted, he would block the pipeline.
Leon Panetta confirmed by Senate as new Pentagon chief
The US Senate has voted unanimously to approve the nomination of CIA chief Leon Panetta to succeed Robert Gates as US defence secretary. Lawmakers voted 100-0 in favour of Mr Panetta, 72, who was the head of the CIA during the operation that led to the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
Poland blocks climate efforts in 'dark day' for Europe
Poland has scuppered an attempt to tighten European Union carbon emission targets, sparking widespread concern just days before Warsaw is set to take over the EU's six-month rotating presidency. EU environment ministers met in Luxembourg on Tuesday (21 June) to discuss the European Commission's '2050 Roadmap' towards a greener economy, with all-but-one member states agreeing on the need to do more.
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Islam Buys Out Western Academia
Founded in 1789 by the Jesuits, Georgetown, the oldest Catholic university in the United States, must explain why it accepted $325.000 from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which the FBI identifies as the US channel of Hamas.
Iran arrests Ahmadinejad ally as rift deepens between president and hardline opponents
Analysts interpret move as attempt to clip Ahmadinejad's wings after he tried to grab more power; in past months president's allies have been dismissed, detained, and banned on various grounds.
Palestinian UN envoy: Talks with Israel won't stop bid for state recognition
The Palestinians will seek membership as an independent state at the UN in September even if peace negotiations with Israel are underway, the Palestinian UN envoy said on Thursday.
New U.S. jobless claims up more than expected
New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, a government report showed on Thursday, suggesting little improvement in the labor market this month after employment stumbled in May.
Ahmadinejad: Iran Not Afraid to Build Nuclear Weapons
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that the Islamic Republic is not afraid of manufacturing nuclear weapons, but does not intend to do so. "If we do want to make a bomb, we are not afraid of anybody," Iran's state television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
China, Russia sign revised currency agreement
The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, said on Thursday that it has signed a revised bilateral currency settlement agreement with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.According to the revised agreement, individuals and corporations from both countries will be able to conduct settlements and payments using the yuan, the ruble and freely convertible currencies-Analysts said the move will be of great significance in reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar in bilateral trade.
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Erdogan to garner support for Palestinian state
Turkish PM meets Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, vows to help Palestinians achieve recognition and form their own state. Erdogan also said Turkey was prepared to contribute toward Palestinian efforts to form a unity gov't. "We don't want brothers to shed each other's blood," he noted. Abbas thanked the Turkish gov't and reaffirmed his commitment to Palestinian unity, saying, "there will be no turning back from the road to reconciliation."
Alaska Earthquake: Magnitude 7.2 Temblor Strikes In Pacific Ocean
The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says a major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 has been recorded in the Pacific Ocean off Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands.
U.S. Jews Not Able To Fly On Delta Flights To Saudi Arabia
Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly code-share flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta Air Line's new partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines that is set to begin in 2012.
Huge Alaskan quake triggers tsunami alert
Hundreds of people walked, drove and rode in the back of pick-up trucks as they fled the coast after the 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck 130km northeast of the seafood port of Dutch Harbor, home to some 4400 people. The temblor struck at 7.10 pm local time (1pm Friday AEST), triggering a tsunami warning from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre.
US recruiting station in the sights of Muslim converts
Two men have been arrested in the US over a plot to attack a US military recruiting station. The men were charged in the city of Seattle over attempting to murder US employees, conspiracy to use grenades and other offences. They were found with machine guns and grenades.
Report: NY Times, CNN, & CBS to Ride Along With Anti-Israel Gaza Flotilla
A correspondent for the liberal magazine The Nation is reporting that CNN and CBS have sent camera crews to join the new Gaza flotilla preparing to set sail from Greece in order to break an Israeli navy blockade. He also says he’s heard the New York Times has sent a reporter. ...While it’s hard to blame reporters for seeking out a colorful story, they should realize by joining the activists on the boat they are actually making themselves a part of the story.
Oil dives to 4-month low as emergency stocks unleashed
The International Energy Agency announced it would inject 60 million barrels of government-held stocks in the global market, immediately increasing world supply by some 2.5 percent for the next month and sending prices spiraling, with U.S. crude prices erasing all of the year's gains. The move shocked traders who had been expecting the IEA to give top exporter Saudi Arabia more time to make up for the supply shortfall following OPEC's failed meeting on June 8, when other members blocked Gulf efforts to hike output.
Tax Dispute Stalls Debt Talks
The drive for a major deficit-reduction deal entered a new phase Thursday when Republican negotiators pulled out of bipartisan talks, leaving it to President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner to resolve the toughest issues. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) said he was backing out of the talks for now because the group had reached an impasse over the question of whether tax increases should be included in the deal.
Thousands of Syrians march, defying army's guns
In a weekly ritual of defiance, thousands of protesters took to Syria's streets Friday calling for the downfall of President Bashar Assad's autocratic regime, despite a bloody military crackdown that has failed to silence a pro-democracy movement that has now lasted more than 100 days.
EU names Iranian Guard commanders in Syria sanctions
More than 1,500 Syrian refugees fled to Turkey on Thursday as Syrian President Bashar Assad's military crackdown on protests swept up to the border, Turkish officials said on Friday. The European Union meanwhile extended sanctions against Syrian and Iranian officials.
Va. AG urges clergy to be politically active
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is urging pastors to speak out politically, warning them that failure to do so concedes the battle over Christian values to "the other side."
Shocker! Churches promoting Islam
Dozens of churches, from Park Hill Congregational in Denver to Hillview United Methodist in Boise, Idaho, and First United Lutheran in San Francisco to St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Honolulu, are planning to send "a message both here at home and to the Arab and Muslim world about our respect for Islam" with a time to read the Quran during worship this Sunday. It's not just wrong, but dangerous, according to Christian trends analysts.
Chinese warships cross high seas off Japan island
Japan's Defense Ministry said Thursday 11 Chinese warships were spotted in international waters off the country's southern island of Okinawa. No territorial violations were claimed by Japan, but the movements are sensitive because Japan and China have a dispute over small islands in the East China Sea.
Senate GOP Poised to Win 4-Seat Majority
Senate Republicans are looking strong going into the 2012 election, poised to pick up enough states to create a four-seat majority and possibly a filibuster-proof lead if the eventual GOP presidential nominee routs President Obama, according to party leaders and a new election analysis.
US to Lose Second Place in World Trade to India
In less than 40 years India will overtake the US as the world’s second-largest trading nation, pushing today's superpower into third place and Europe in to the little leagues, according to a new report by Citi.
Police Report: All Assault Rapists in Oslo Follow Muhammad
Defenders of Islam call it a "religion of peace" but many Norwegian women are learning that Islam is the religion of rape. According to an amazing police report released there this month, every single solved case of assault-rape in the country in 2010 was carried out by a Muslim immigrant.
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Obama: We Can't Just Cut Way to Prosperity
President Barack Obama said Saturday he remained committed to working with Congress to find a solution to the government's debt problem, but the focus could not only be on spending cuts. Obama's comments come as the president prepared to meet separately with Senate Democratic and Republican leaders Monday to attempt to revive negotiations that collapsed Thursday when Republicans walked out over Democrats' demands for tax hikes.
Ahmadinejad, Mansour: Israel is major source of terror
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met privately with Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Monsour on the sidelines of Tehran's "International Conference for the Global Fight against Terrorism" on Saturday, Iran's PressTV reported. During Ahmadinejad and Mansour's meeting, the two discussed the idea that Israel "remains the main threat and a major source of terror and instability in the region," according to PressTV.
'Hezbollah may transfer weapons cache if Assad falls'
A report in Le Figaro published Friday shed more light on a reported stash of Lebanese weapons destined for Hezbollah and hidden in Syria. In May, The Jerusalem Post reported that concern is growing among Western intelligence agencies that Hezbollah might try to transfer the advanced weaponry it reportedly maintains on Syrian soil if it feels that President Bashar Assad’s reign is on the verge of ending.
Asteroid to Pass Extremely Close By Earth On Monday
Here's something to dwell on as you head to work next week: A small asteroid the size of a tour bus will make an extremely close pass by the Earth on Monday, but it poses no threat to the planet The asteroid will make its closest approach at 1:14 p.m. EDT (1714 GMT) on June 27 and will pass just over 7,500 miles (12,000 kilometers) above the Earth's surface, NASA officials say.
Chávez Illness Sparks Succession Talk
Venezuelan officials scrambled Thursday to reassure compatriots that President Hugo Chávez was not seriously ill after his brother said the president would remain in a Cuban hospital for up to 12 more days, making it likely that Mr. Chávez will be away from the country for nearly a month.
Syria: Deadly protests erupt against Bashar al-Assad
At least 15 people are said to have died in renewed protests across Syria against President Bashar al-Assad. Activists said security forces fired tear gas and bullets after Friday prayers in Damascus and elsewhere, but Syrian state TV blamed unidentified gunmen for some deaths. Meanwhile, the EU has expanded sanctions against the Assad government.
Egypt drops plans for IMF loan amid popular distrust
Egypt has dropped plans to seek loans from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Finance Minister Samir Radwan has said. The move comes after the planned deficit in the 2011-12 budget was revised down from 11% to 8.6% of GDP, Mr Radwan told Reuters news agency. An adviser told AFP news agency the decision had been partly a response to the "pressure of public opinion".
New York governor signs law approving gay marriage
Governor Andrew Cuomo made same-sex marriages legal in New York on Friday, a key victory for gay rights ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections. New York will become the sixth and most populous US state to allow gay marriage. State senators voted 33-29 on Friday evening to approve marriage equality legislation and Cuomo, a Democrat who had introduced the measure, signed it into law.
EU tells crisis-hit Greeks to unite for new bail-out
EU leaders have urged all Greek politicians to support new spending cuts and tax hikes, saying there is no alternative if debt-laden Athens is to qualify for a second massive bail-out. The second rescue is being negotiated in Brussels. It is expected to be about 120bn euros (£107bn; $171bn).
House rebukes Obama but won't halt funds for Libya
Challenging presidential power, a defiant U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Friday to deny President Barack Obama the authority to wage war against Libya. But Republicans fell short in an effort to actually cut off funds for the operation in a constitutional showdown reflecting both political differences and unease over American involvement.
Car bomb outside Afghan clinic kills at least 25
A suicide attacker blew up his sport utility vehicle packed with explosives outside of a small medical clinic in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, Afghan authorities said. Some reports put the death toll as high as 60.
NY Legislature legalizes gay marriage
New York lawmakers narrowly voted to legalize same-sex marriage Friday, handing activists a breakthrough victory in the state where the gay rights movement was born. New York will become the sixth state where gay couples can wed and the biggest by far. "We are leaders and we join other proud states that recognize our families and the battle will now go on in other states," said Sen. Thomas Duane, a Democrat.
Souris River Overcomes Levees, Floods Minot Homes
The epic Minot, North Dakota flood is in full-destructive force Friday, already flooding some 2,500 homes before the day ends. Another 1,500 homes, or a total of about 4,000 homes, are projected to be flooded by the end of Friday. About 11,000 people, or a quarter of Minot’s population, have been evacuated.
Why the Eurozone and the Euro Are Both Doomed
Papering over the structural imbalances in the Eurozone with endless bailouts will not resolve the fundamental asymmetries. Beneath the endless announcements of Greece's "rescue" lie fundamental asymmetries that doom the euro, the joint currency that has been the centerpiece of European unity since its introduction in 1999.
Obama steps into high-stakes debt-limit talks
Struggling to break a perilous deadlock, President Barack Obama took direct control Friday of national debt-limit negotiations with both Republicans and Democrats. With the White House warning the nation's economic stability is at stake, it's one of the most severe tests yet of Obama's presidency.
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Is the ‘Peace Process’ the Road to War?
Last week, President Shimon Peres warned that written peace agreement on Jerusalem will cause a “world war.” Now, leading Kadima Knesset Member and former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz says conflict is the fate of a United Nations declaration recognizing the Palestinian Authority as a country.
Palestinians officially decide to seek UN recognition for statehood in September
The Palestinian Authority officially announced Sunday its intention to turn to the United Nations in September in an effort to attain recognition of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.
IDF prepares for possible escalation in run-up to vote on Palestinian state
The Israel Defense Forces is carrying out a two-day general exercise to prepare for the possibility of clashes erupting on Israel’s borders, in light of the Palestinian plan to seek recognition of statehood from the United Nations in September.
Mutated scarlet fever fuels Hong Kong outbreak
Ultramodern Hong Kong is tussling with a centuries-old bug long forgotten in many developed countries—an outbreak of drug-resistant scarlet fever that has killed the first children there in a decade. And with it is the rise of a mutated strain that appears to be more contagious.
Iran to hold 10-day military exercise in response to growing U.S. presence in region
Iranian state television says Tehran will hold 10 days of ground, naval and missile exercises starting this week. The Sunday report says the exercises, dubbed "The Great Prophet Six," will begin Monday and include tests of long-range missiles such as the Sajjil, which boasts a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles).
Iran official: Bushehr nuclear plant will be operational by end of August
The nuclear power plant of Bushehr in southern Iran was expected to become operational by the end of August, Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Monday. “All technical problems have been resolved and the plant would be secure for connection to the national electricity network after the fasting month of Ramadan, or the end of August,” Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency quoted Salehi as saying.
Egypt: Muslim extremists 'surround church and threaten to kill priest'
Hundreds of Muslim extremists surrounded a church in central Egypt and threatened to kill the local priest, the Assyrian International News Agency reported. The extremists began targeting the church in a village 7 kilometres south of the city of Minya in March after renovation work began, threatening to demolish the church.
Syria dissidents meet in Damascus to discuss transition
Some 150 Syrian dissidents are attending a conference in Damascus on Monday to discuss the country's crisis. It is the first time such an event is taking place since anti-government protests broke out in March. Some of those attending have spent time in prison in the past for their political activities.
EU leaders call US bluff on 1967 borders in Israel
EU countries have called on the US to get behind an initiative to revive Middle East peace talks based on a format disliked by Israel. The EU leaders in a communique at the summit in Brussels on Friday (24 June) said they "fully support the high representative's call for the Quartet to create a credible perspective for the re-launching of the peace process as a matter of urgency."
Japan moves 'giant step' toward resolving nuclear crisis
The operator of Japan's ********* nuclear plant moved closer to ending its radiation crisis on Monday with the start of a system to cool damaged reactors that could also help avoid dumping highly contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean. The move was hailed as "a giant step forward" by Goshi Hosono, an adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
PM orders defense establishment to stop Gaza-bound flotilla
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday ordered the defense establishment not to allow any ship to reach Gaza's shores, Israel Radio reported. Netanahyu made the comments during a meeting of the security cabinet over preparations Israel was taking to deal with a new flotilla expected to set sail for Gaza this week.
Here comes another lost tribe
The Bnei Menashe, or “sons of Manasseh,” are descendants of one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, which were exiled by the Assyrian empire more than 27 centuries ago. Three times a day, every day, they turn in silent prayer toward Jerusalem, pleading with the Creator to put an end to their long exile and bring them home to Zion. That dream is now poised, at last, to become a reality.
Palestinians soften on Israeli settlements
THE Palestinians are ready to ease their demand for a freeze on Israeli settlement construction to get peace talks back on track, a top official says. The softened position reflects the Palestinians' growing realisation that their alternatives to talks - reconciling with the Hamas militant group and seeking unilateral recognition at the UN - are both in trouble.
Iranian guards supplied condoms to rape Tehran prisoners, say families of victims
Letters written by prisoners in Iran make for startling disclosures—namely that prison guards are handing out condoms to criminals, encouraging them to rape opposition activists. These shocking revelations about the mass rapes were reported by the Guardian in letters smuggled out by Mehdi Mahmoudian, a jailed member of Iran’s Participation Front, a reformist political party.
If Libya threatens to become a no-win for NATO, for China and Russia it’s a win-win
US Admiral Samuel Locklear, NATO’s joint operations chief in Naples, is not a man who minces his words when defining his mission in Libya. It is a definition that confirms China and Russia’s worst fears and has strengthened their determination to thwart any US or European attempt to embark on a repeat performance in Syria or anywhere else in the Middle East and North Africa.
‘The United States of Islam’: Muslim Brotherhood Spokesman Calls on Arab Youth to Launch a Revolution in the West & Establish a Global Islamic State
“The Muslim Brotherhood is organized in 80 countries, and they and the Islamists have a right to establish a global movement, much like global socialism or Zionism…” “Why Shouldn‘t We Have A Country Called ’The United States Of Islam’… I Propose That the Arab Peoples… Take To the Streets With the Slogan ‘The Arab People Wants To Remove the Borders [Between Its Countries]‘
No 'him' or 'her'; preschool fights gender bias
STOCKHOLM (AP) - At the "Egalia" preschool, staff avoid using words like "him" or "her" and address the 33 kids as "friends" rather than girls and boys. From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes.
Thousands evacuated after flooding in North Dakota
The National Weather Service predicted the river's crest later in the weekend would be two feet lower than earlier projected – welcome news in the battered community. The city's sewer system, which had been a concern, is still functioning as are the city's electric and water supplies.
Israel warns foreign journalists: Joining Gaza flotilla is illegal
Israel's Government Press Office issued a letter Sunday to foreign journalists, warning them that participating in the upcoming flotilla sailing to Gaza is illegal under Israeli law, and could result in anyone who joins the convoy being barred from Israel for up to 10 years. The letter, signed by GPO director Oren Helman, states that the flotilla "is a dangerous provocation that is being organized by western and Islamic extremist elements to aid Hamas."
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French Mideast conference plan sows confusion
Europe's leaders Friday backed a French plan for a Palestinian donor conference as President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted it had a wider goal of gathering Palestinians and Israelis together for peace talks. Confusion surfaced when EU leaders issued a summit statement backing "a conference in Paris to provide economic support for the construction of the Palestinian state in the framework of a re-launched peace process." The wording of the European Union statement stopped short of endorsing efforts by Paris to transform its plan for July donor talks into a wider Middle East peace conference, but left the door open to this possibility should the peace process resume any time soon.
New Mexico Wildfire Forces Evacuations, Closes Government Nuclear Lab In Los Alamos
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. -- Thousands of residents calmly fled Monday from the mesa-top town that's home to the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory, ahead of an approaching wildfire that sent up towering plumes of smoke, rained down ash and sparked a spot fire on lab property where scientists 50 years ago conducted underground tests of radioactive explosives.
Obama Will 'Co-Invest' Tax Dollars in Corporate-Government Partnership
In his weekly address released Saturday, President Barack Obama called for a campaign of "nation building here at home," citing as an example of what is needed to rebuild the American economy an initiative he announed Friday to "invest" tax dollars in what he called a "partnership" between the federal government and an initial group of 11 major corporations.
Wildfire threatens US nuclear facility
The raging fire encroached onto the grounds of the nuclear site - a vast complex that houses research laboratories and a plutonium facility - as the ferocity of the blaze took fire officials by surprise. Located in the Jemez mountains of northern New Mexico, the Los Alamos laboratory ensures the safety and reliability of the US nuclear stockpile.
Alien encounters 'within twenty years'
Russian scientists expect humanity to encounter alien civilisations within the next two decades, a top Russian astronomer said on Monday. "The genesis of life is as inevitable as the formation of atoms ... Life exists on other planets and we will find it within 20 years," said Andrei Finkelstein, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Applied Astronomy Institute, according to the Interfax news agency.
Worse drought in 60 years hits 10 mln in east Africa
Ten million people in the Horn of Africa have been hit by the worst drought in 60 years, with the situation deteriorating to the point of famine in some areas, the UN said Tuesday.
French banks agree to Greek debt rollover
France offered a radical solution Monday for banks to roll over some Greek debt for 30 years as the Greek government fought for political support of its five-year austerity plan to avert bankruptcy.
Greece gripped by general strike over austerity package
A 48-hour general strike has begun in Greece, as parliament prepares for a key vote on tough austerity measures. Thousands of protesters have gathered outside the parliament in Athens and public transport in the capital has largely ground to a halt.
Philippine-US joint naval drill amid tension with China
The Philippines and the US have begun 11 days of joint naval exercises amid growing tensions with Beijing over disputed waters in the South China Sea. US missile destroyers will join much older Philippine warships for the drills off the south-west Philippines.
Dollar seen losing global reserve status
The US dollar will lose its status as the global reserve currency over the next 25 years, according to a survey of central bank reserve managers who collectively control more than $8,000bn. More than half the managers, who were polled by UBS, predicted that the dollar would be replaced by a portfolio of currencies within the next 25 years.
Somalia fleeing to Kenya in large numbers
War and drought in Somalia are leading an unprecedented number of people to flee across the border into Kenya, an aid agency says. Save the Children is reporting that every day, about 1,300 people - at least 800 of them children - are arriving at the Dadaab refugee camp.
'PA presents Quartet with 4 conditions for resumed talks'
Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the PA has given the Quartet its four official demands for restarting peace negotiations, which could preempt its bid to seek a declaration of statehood in the United Nations this September.
PA butts heads with US over September bid at UN
The US administration on Monday reiterated its opposition to the Palestinian Authority’s plan to petition the UN in September for recognition of a Palestinian state on the pre- 1967 lines.
'Egyptian curricula states Jews, Christians are infidels'
Egypt’s school curriculum, laden with anti-Semitic and anti-Christian sentiment, must undergo drastic reform to comply with international standards, according to a new report to be presented this week at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Egypt has to conduct fundamental reforms in its curricula, which present a national identity based solely on the Islamic religion,” said Yohanan Manor...
PM: I want to hear Abbas say he will accept a Jewish state
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, saying: "I want to hear him say those six words: 'I will accept a Jewish State.'"
China-Germany trade: Wen meets Merkel in Berlin
Chinese and German leaders are meeting for trade talks in the German capital Berlin, with the Chinese seeking new investment by hi-tech companies. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived on Monday evening on the final leg of his European tour, and is meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Iran fires 14 missiles in 2nd day of war games
Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested 14 missiles on Tuesday, the second day of war games intended a show of strength to the Islamic Republic's enemies in Israel and Washington. The Iranian-made surface-to-surface missiles, with a maximum range of 2,000 km (1,250 miles), were fired simultaneously at a single target, the official IRNA news agency reported.
International Judges Order Arrest of Muammar al-Qaddafi
the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant Monday for Muammar al-Qaddafi, accusing him of crimes against humanity for killing civilians who rose up against his rule.
Greek Unions Strike as Papandreou Seeks Support
Greek unions shut down government services, halted public transport and disrupted flights as Prime Minister George Papandreou urged lawmakers to obey their “patriotic conscience” and back tougher austerity measures. Unions began their fourth general strike of the year at midnight, protesting Papandreou’s five-year plan of budget cuts and asset sales. Police estimated about 12,000 people joined rallies and marches to Parliament in Athens on the first day of the 48-hour walkout.
‘Big Boys’ Are Focusing on a Narrower Deal on U.S. Debt as Deadline Nears
President Barack Obama and Republicans are narrowing the debate on a deficit-cutting plan to a reduction of $1 trillion to $2 trillion, though whether that would settle the issue through the 2012 presidential election remains in doubt, according to budget and debt experts.
Court Tests Broadcast Profanity, Nudity Limits
The U.S. Supreme Court, accepting a case that will reshape the speech rights of broadcasters, agreed to decide whether federal regulators are violating the Constitution by imposing fines for on-air profanities and nudity.
Billionaire George Soros Trying To Stack the Courts, Critics Say
a less well-known Soros priority -- replacing elections for judges with selection-by-committee -- now has critics accusing him of trying to stack the courts.
Iran Can Build Longer-Range Missiles
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander claimed on Tuesday that his country has the ability to produce even longer range missiles than those currently in its arsenal.
Close Shave! Asteroid Buzzes Earth
An asteroid the size of a tour bus zipped by Earth Monday -- a flyby so close that the space rock was nearer to the planet than some satellites.
'Lost Civilization' Appears Above Chinese River
As mist settled over the river at dusk, tall buildings appeared to rise from nowhere, leading residents in nearby Huanshan City to speculate that the vision may be a "vortex" to a lost civilization.
'Project Gunrunner' Whistleblower Says ATF Sent Him Termination Notice
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is being accused of retaliating against an agent who helped publicize the agency’s role in allowing thousands of guns to cross the U.S. border and fall into the hands of Mexican drug gangs.
Small Asteroid to Whip Past Earth On June 27, 2011
Near-Earth asteroid 2011 MD will pass only 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) above Earth's surface on Monday, June 27 at about 9:30 EDT. The asteroid was discovered by the LINEAR near-Earth object discovery team observing from Socorro, New Mexico.
Is The E-ZPass Box A Trojan Horse For Privacy Invasions?
a Princeton professor specializing in media theory and surveillance, says Americans are already accustomed to giving up their rights when they fly. We hand over our private data for convenience all the time, he says. "In Germany the default setting is: You can do nothing with my data unless I tell you otherwise," he says. "In the United States, the default setting is you can do everything with my data until I tell you otherwise."
Cave Researchers Explore Stream-Filled Cavern at Entrance to Jerusalem
"This cave is the largest and most impressive of its type that has yet been found in Israel," said Frumkin. He pointed out that the cave is situated in an area about which there is uncertainty regarding the direction of the flow of water in the mountain aquifer, and this cave can assist in achieving a better understanding of that phenomenon.
Ocean Currents Speed Melting of Antarctic Ice: A Major Glacier Is Undermined from Below
Stronger ocean currents beneath West Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf are eroding the ice from below, speeding the melting of the glacier as a whole, according to a new study in Nature Geoscience. A growing cavity beneath the ice shelf has allowed more warm water to melt the ice
TSA Pats Down Cancer-Stricken 95-Year-Old Woman, Removes Adult Diaper
TSA security officers at Florida's Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport patted down a cancer-stricken, 95-year-old woman and forcibly removed her adult diaper during the search, CNN reports.
Enter the dragon 'to save the euro’
It is in the interest of cash-rich China to help resolve the eurozone debt crisis, but Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, who is visiting Britain and Continental Europe, will want a share of the West’s buying power in return .
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'World economy at stake' in Greek austerity vote
Europe ramped up pressure on the Greek parliament Tuesday to approve drastic austerity measures, warning that it would otherwise face a swift debt default that would rock the world economy.
Scientist Predicts Proximate Encounter with Extraterrestrials
Russian scientists expect humanity to encounter alien civilizations within the next two decades, a top Russian astronomer said on Monday.
Israel Warns Assad He Is on Death List If He Attacks
A Kuwaiti newspaper reports that Israel has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that if he will be targeted if he tries to start a war with Israel to take the glare off his brutal suppression of the uprising in his country
Tropical Storm Arlene Becomes First Storm of 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season
The government of Mexico on Tuesday issued Tropical Storm warnings for the northeastern coast from Barra De Nautla north to Bahia Algodones. The storm is predicted to hug much of the coast over the next few days.
Towns Near N.M. Fire, Nuclear Lab Wary of Radioactive Smoke
Residents downwind of a wildfire that is threatening the nation's premier nuclear-weapons laboratory are worried about the potential of a radioactive smoke plume if the flames reach thousands of barrels of waste stored in above-ground tents.
Ahead of talks, NKorea threatens to attack SKorea
North Korea threatened Wednesday to launch a "sacred war" against South Korea even as a delegation from Seoul traveled across the countries' heavily fortified border for a meeting on a stalled joint tourism project.
US 'strongly condemns' Kabul hotel attack
The United States condemned Tuesday a Taliban suicide attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, offering condolences to victims but providing no details on the number of casualties. At least one suicide bomber and several gunmen attacked the hotel typically frequented by foreigners and Afghan officials, police and officials said, in a brazen strike claimed by the Taliban.
Flash floods in Philippines kill 11; 13 missing
Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have swept away dozens of houses in the southern Philippines and killed at least 11 people, most of them children. Civil defense officer Fe Austria Kalimpo says eight of the victims were between the ages of 3 and 8. She says they drowned when heavy rains swamped five villages in Davao city late Tuesday, overflowing rivers and triggering a deluge that reached 10 feet (3 meters) high in some places.
Malaysia state mulls rewarding good polygamous men
A Malaysian state governed by a conservative Islamic party plans to reward "good" Muslim men who declare their polygamous marriages and are able to take proper care of their multiple households, an official said Wednesday. Muslim men in mainly Muslim Malaysia can have up to four wives at one time but must fulfill various requirements, including obtaining consent from existing spouses and from the state religious department.
Why Greece will likely pass austerity measures, despite protests
Europe is nervous. The July 15 deadline for Greece to pay off a chunk of its debt is looming, and between strikes, protests in the streets, and political infighting, there's plenty of reason for concern that it will miss the boat, bringing down other struggling economies with it.
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Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood welcomes idea of US contacts
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood says that it welcomes formal contacts with the United States as a way to clarify its institutional vision. But no such contacts have yet been made, a spokesman for the Islamist group said on Thursday. A senior US official said on Wednesday that the United States had decided to resume formal contacts with the Brotherhood, a step that reflects its growing political weight but is almost certain to upset Israel and its US backers.
Middle East sees fragmenting as helping West
The turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa may be part of an effort to politically fragment the region and prevent its Arab influences from uniting and offering a potential threat to Israel and Western interests...
Fire crews are trying to protect Los Alamos nuclear laboratory from wildfire
Los Alamos National Laboratory has been closed "because of risks presented by the Las Conchas Fire and the mandatory evacuation of Los Alamos town site," the laboratory announced on its website. About 350 firefighters, five helicopters and 12 trucks are battling the flames across 27,920 hectares of wildfire. So far, firefighters have contained three per cent of the blaze, according to New Mexico authorities.
Riyadh will build nuclear weapons if Iran gets them, Saudi prince warns
A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon. Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to Washington, warned senior Nato military officials that the existence of such a device "would compel Saudi Arabia … to pursue policies which could lead to untold and possibly dramatic consequences".
Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake Jolts Japan; 7 Injured
A magnitude-5.4 earthquake has rattled central Japan and at least seven people are hurt. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake hit Thursday in Nagano, some 105 miles northwest of Tokyo. The quake was just 2.5 miles deep. No tsunami warning was issued, the agency said.
Al Qaeda Remains Top Threat to U.S.
The Obama administration said Wednesday that al Qaeda and its acolytes—including radicalized Americans—remained the "preeminent security threat to the United States" even after the death last month of Osama bin Laden.
Jordan to Oppose PA Statehood Bid
"Jordan's top national interests will be in danger if the Palestinian Authority declares statehood unilaterally – especially in everything related to the issue of refugees, water, Jerusalem, and the borders," a senior jordanian official told the paper on condition of anonymity.
House of Caiaphas Ossuary is Authentic
The High Priest known as Caiaphas was an adversary of Jesus (Yeshua) and played a key role in his crucifixion, according to the Christian bible.
U.S. Senate passes resolution threatening to suspend aid to Palestinians
The United States Senate has passed a resolution threatening to suspend financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority if its leaders "persist in efforts to circumvent direct negotiations by turning to the United Nations or other international bodies,” and called on U.S. President Barack Obama to veto a UN vote on unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.
EU to Greece: No more solidarity if you vote No
On the eve of perhaps the most significant vote in the Greek parliament since the return of democracy to the country in 1974, the European Commission has warned Greek deputies that if they do not vote the right way, then "everything changes" as to whether "EU solidarity continues".
Egypt: Fresh clashes erupt in Cairo's Tahrir Square
Egyptian police have clashed with hundreds of anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, leaving several people injured. Riot police fired tear gas to try to disperse the protesters, many of whom hurled stones at the police lines. Tahrir Square was the epicentre of February's revolt that led to President Hosni Mubarak being toppled.
How the demise of a trusted adviser could bring down Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's irascible, unpredictable but devout president, may be forced to resign in the coming weeks as a political crisis far greater than the massive street violence which followed his re-election in 2009 threatens to overwhelm him and his court favourites in the government.
UK: Iran conducting secret ballistic missile tests alongside public military maneuvers
Britain’s foreign secretary says Iran has conducted covert tests of ballistic missiles alongside a 10-day program of public military maneuvers. William Hague told the House of Commons on Wednesday that there had been secret experiments with missiles and rocket launchers.
Gaza-bound flotilla underway
French ship Dignity which departed for the rendezvous with vessels participating in the Gaza flotilla on Saturday has apparently decided to skip the Athens stop and is en route to Gaza. Flotilla organizers refused to officially confirm the ship is approaching the region and are maintaining secrecy. Jordanian activists said they purchased an additional ship for $805,000 which could carry as many as 200 activists.
Caliphate Convention Set to Take the Netherlands by Storm
The Blaze recently asked if you were ready for a world governed by Islamic law. The report discussed an international political group called Hizb ut-Tahrir and its plans to host a “Khilafah Conference” in the UK on July 9th. Well, Hizb ut-Tahrir is certainly making tracks as it just launched a new video promoting yet another khilafah, or, caliphate conference on July 3rd.
U.K. Unions Plan Massive 750,00-Worker Strike for Thursday
Thousands of British schools will close and travelers will face long lines at airport immigration this week when three quarters of a million workers go on strike – the first blast in what unions hope will be a summer of discontent against the cost-cutting government’s austerity plans. The government hopes it will fizzle into a summer of hardheaded acceptance.
France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde first woman to head IMF
Lagarde will be the first female managing director of the 66-year-old global lending organisation and the 11th European. Next week, she will begin a five-year term. Among her challenges, she will have to prod fellow Europeans to take painful steps to prevent a default by Greece. She'll face pressure from developing nations that want a greater voice at the IMF.
If you thought feds wanted to track you before, check out now
The federal government is arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court that police investigators and other authorities should be allowed to track American citizens in the U.S. to develop the "probable cause" needed for search warrants and other investigative tools.
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