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01 Jul 11

Missiles 'test fired' in Iran
On Tuesday, Iranian state media said the Revolutionary Guards fired nine Zelzal missiles, two Shahab-1s, two Shahab-2s and a single medium-range Ghadr on the second day of their Great Prophet-6 exercise.

Israel Warns Assad He Is on Death List If He Attacks: Report
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.

Lightning strikes just 'opening act' for summer of storms? 1
An Environment Canada weather guru says the violent thunderstorm that hit Ottawa Tuesday night may just be "the opening act." Tuesday around 6 p.m. The temperature dropped 11 degrees to 17C in just under two hours."That usually signifies a violent arrival," Phillips said. In the next hr,crews responded to eight lightning strikes to buildings resulting in five fires, leaving a dozen people homeless and causing $800,000 in damage.

Russia Slams French Aid to Libyan Rebels
Russia on Thursday condemned an announcement by France that it was supplying weapons to Libyan rebels. "If this is confirmed, it is a very crude violation of UN Security Council resolution 1970," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Russia has expressed concern over the “excessive use of force by NATO,” officials in Lavrov's office said, adding that Moscow sees the French admission as a “flagrant violation” of its responsibilities as a UN member.

Flash flood kills 15 people in southern Philippines
"People in five villages were caught by surprise when the floodwaters rose up to 10 feet deep while most of them were sleeping on Tuesday," Ramos said, adding about 10,000 families moved to higher grounds.Army spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Leopoldo Galon, said seven children under 10 were among the 15 dead. "The flash flood was like a thief in the night, it was gone in a few hours and we now have a sunny weather," she said.

Worst drought in 60 years hitting Horn of Africa-UN
The worst drought in 60 years in the Horn of Africa has sparked a severe food crisis and high malnutrition rates, with parts of Kenya and Somalia experiencing pre-famine conditions, the United Nations said on Tuesday. More than 10 million people are now affected in drought-stricken areas of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda and the situation is deteriorating, it said.

Nato 'kills senior Haqqani militant in Afghanistan'
Nato forces in Afghanistan say they have killed a senior militant they suspect of involvement in the attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. Ismail Jan died in an air strike in the eastern province of Paktia on Wednesday, the alliance said. BBC correspondents say he is a leading commander in the Haqqani network, which is linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Six Moldovan 'uranium smugglers' arrested
Moldovan police have arrested six people suspected of trying to sell a type of uranium that can be used in nuclear weapons. Those held wanted to sell more than 1kg (2.2lb) of uranium-235 with a value of at least $20m (14m euros; £12m), an official said. The were conflicting reports as to whether the men were accused of trying to sell the uranium to an African country, or to an African national.



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Economic WMD? US fears OPEC’s next move after shocking display of disunity among cartel members
Three weeks after OPEC’s shocking display of disunity over oil pricing, mainly an argument between long-time foes Saudi Arabia and Iran, the daily basket price has increased to $103.59 per barrel on 28 June, up from $101.56 the previous day. This is still significantly lower than recent peaks of S113.59 on 14 June and 120.91 on 28 April. US fears sparked a significant drop in oil demand in the US, alleviating some, but not all, upward pressure on oil prices.

Israeli Software Resurrects Debate About the Bible’s Authors
Software developed by an Israeli team is giving intriguing new hints about what researchers believe to be the multiple hands that wrote the Bible. The new software analyzes style and word choices to distinguish parts of a single text written by different authors, and when applied to the Bible its algorithm teased out distinct writerly voices in the holy book

Report: US proposes Syrian road map
Syrian opposition members claimed Friday that Washington is planning to carry out a plan to end the violent riots in the country, while keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power. In a new "road map" presented to the opposition during an conference in Damascus on Monday, and later published by British newspaper The Guardian, Assad is expected to lead his country into democracy, despite calls to remove him from office.

Lebanon braces itself for Hizbollah backlash as senior operatives accused of Hariri assassination
In a long-awaited move which threatens to reawaken sectarian discord throughout the country, the Shia group was blamed by a United Nations Special Tribunal for the car-bomb attack on its leading Sunni opponent. Lebanon's state prosecutor, Saeed Mirza, confirmed the tribunal handed over the first indictment in its long investigation into the crime, which at the time seemed likely to lead to a major realignment in regional politics.

Netanyahu praises U.S. as champion of freedom, ally of Israel at Fourth of July event
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the United States as a champion of freedom and a great ally of Israel in his address to the annual Fourth of July celebration at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Tel Aviv Thursday night. Netanyahu recounted the history of the American Revolution 235 years ago, saying that many of the ideas that fueled the U.S. struggle for independence are applicable to nationalist aspirations today, particularly in the Middle East.

Debt Deal Needed by Mid-July to Avert Default
Negotiators will need to reach agreement on raising the U.S. debt limit no later than July 22 so that legislation can get passed in time to stave off a default on U.S. debt, two Democratic officials familiar with the talks said. The Senate yesterday canceled its July 4 recess to remain in session next week during debt-limit talks after President Barack Obama a day earlier called on Congress to stop taking vacations while the debt-ceiling talks are unresolved.

Gaza aid flotilla: Irish crew accuse Israel of sabotage
Irish activists planning to sail in a flotilla to Gaza have accused Israel of sabotaging their ship. It is the second vessel due to participate that has had its propeller damaged while moored in a Mediterranean port this week. The Israeli military is under orders to prevent an international convoy of ships carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid from reaching Gaza.

Chavez tells of surgery to remove cancerous tumour
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has revealed he has had surgery to remove a cancerous tumour, in his first speech since flying to Cuba for treatment. Speculation about his health had been rife since he left Venezuela three weeks ago for what officials said was an operation on a pelvic abscess. Mr Chavez said he was determined to overcome his health battle and was now on the road to "full recovery".

EU states object to transparency in law-making
EU member states are set to launch an appeal of a lower court decision with the European Court of Justice hoping to prevent greater transparency in decision-making - even about transparency rules themselves. ...According to EU law, the result of all legislative votes in the Council must be made public. But long before this stage of the process, most of the real negotiations happen at a working-group level - and the secrecy of positions at this stage are jealously guarded by all those involved.

Failing to move Russia, EU and US slam Syria at UN
Europe and the United States heaped criticism on Syria at the United Nations on Thursday after failing to persuade Russia to support condemning Damascus for its crackdown on anti-government protesters. The occasion was the renewal of the mandate for a UN observer force in the Golan Heights.

Clinton: Syria running out of time to implement reforms
Syria is running out of time to reform and will face more organized resistance if it does not, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday. Speaking at a news conference in Lithuania, she also said she was disheartened by reports of fresh violence in recent days and that the Syrian government's decision to allow one opposition meeting in Damascus was not sufficient.

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Indonesian volcano erupts
A volcano on Indonesia's Sulawesi island erupted Sunday, spewing ash and smoke 5,000 metres into the air. Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi province erupted at around 6:03 am (2203 GMT Saturday) but people living in the sparsely populated area have not been evacuated, Iing Kusnadi, a scientist at the volcano's monitoring post told AFP.

Greece arrests US captain of Gaza aid ship
The Greek authorities have arrested the captain of a boat that was due to carry activists to the Gaza Strip. John Klusmire, a US citizen, is being held in custody at police headquarters in the port of Piraeus, near Athens.

Eurozone approves Greek loan installment
Eurozone finance ministers have approved urgent financial aid to Greece after the Greek parliament last week passed tough austerity measures. As was widely anticipated, the ministers signed off on the release of the 12-billion-euro ($17.5 billion) aid payment, the fifth tranche from a 110-billion-euro ($160 billion) bailout granted by the European Union and International Monetary Fund last year. Athens urgently needs the money by mid-July to stave off bankruptcy.

Britain to pull 800 troops from Afghanistan: report
Britain will announce this week that it is to withdraw up to 800 troops by the end of next year, according to a report in the Sunday Times newspaper. The move comes after last month's announcement that thousands of U.S. troops would start being withdrawn later this year as part of a process of handing security over to Afghan forces.

Obama says ending tax breaks required to cut deficit
President Barack Obama pressed his case on Saturday for achieving deficit reduction, in part by ending tax breaks and singling out hedge fund managers, oil companies and billionaires to take the hit.

Syria's Assad under pressure as half million march
The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad faced growing pressure Saturday a day after security forces killed at least 11 people as more than half a million took to the streets across the country to demand Assad step down, activists said.


Diplomats: Mideast Quartet to meet July 11
Mideast mediators will meet on July 11 to try to spur a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations as the Palestinians prepare to seek recognition as an independent state, diplomats and a U.N. official said Friday. The meeting of the so-called Quartet -- the U.S., U.N., European Union and Russia -- will take place in Washington, a U.N. diplomat and U.N. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations have been private. September looms large in the quest for Mideast peace because Israel and the Palestinians have agreed on President Barack Obama’s target of September 2011 for a peace agreement, a date endorsed by the EU and much of the world.

EU to Confirm Mideast Peace Conference Plans for July
European Leaders held a summit last week in Brussels, after which they released a 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." Sarkozy described the French initiative as being "a Paris conference, a peace initiative between Palestinians and Israelis,” adding that “this initiative will enable Europe to have a joint position." French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe said that the final decision on the summit will be made during an upcoming Quartet conference in the beginning of July. (JewishVoiceNY Newspaper PDF format,article found on pg 17)

Bihar battles Kala Azar, over 6000 cases reported
Districts like Muzaffarpur,India which are already struggling with a massive load of encephalitis cases caused by an unknown virus, are now facing a rush of Kala Azar. Kala Azar is the second largest parasitic killer after malaria in the world. 62 people are being treated at the government medical college and hospital in Bihar. Till March this year, a phenomenal 6302 cases were reported along with 12 deaths. Bihar accounts for 60% of all Kala Azar cases in India.

Report: Iran smuggled weapons to Iraq, Afghanistan
The Iranian military smuggled new deadly munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months in order to accelerate the US withdrawals from these countries, The Wall Street Journal reported Citing unnamed US officials, the newspaper said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has supplied its allies with rocket-assisted projectiles, which have already killed American troops.

Jordan's PM reshuffles Cabinet
A top government official says Jordan's prime minister is reshuffling his Cabinet. The official says seven Cabinet members will go as part of Saturday's reshuffle of the 27-member government. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to release the information before an official announcement is made.

Hamas slams Greece for blocking departure of Gaza-bound flotilla
Hamas criticized Greece on Friday for blocking the departure of the flotilla set to sail to Gaza, accusing Greece of playing into Israel’s hands, AFP reported. AFP quotes Hamas as saying Greece’s action is “inhumane” and “contrary to international regulations and norms.” "Barring this aid from reaching the Gaza Strip is done as a result of pressure imposed by the Zionist occupiers," the statement also said.

Bahrain: Sunni leaders begin talks with Shia groups
Talks between Bahrain's Sunni-led government and the majority Shia opposition are under way. King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa has said all options are on the table for the meeting, which is being attended by al-Wifaq, the main Shia opposition bloc. The discussions follow months of anti-government protests that have killed more than 30 people.

Russia plans Arctic army brigades
Russia's defence minister has said he plans to create two specialist army brigades to be based in the Arctic. The announcement comes days after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia would strongly defend its interests in the region. The brigades could be based in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk or other areas, Russian news agencies reported.

Libya: Muammar Gaddafi threatens Europe
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has threatened to attack Europe in revenge for Nato's operations in Libya. Col Gaddafi said Libya would target European "homes, offices, families" unless Nato stopped its campaign. He spoke via an audio message broadcast to tens of thousands of supporters gathered in a central Tripoli square.

Panetta sees 'tough budget choices' at Pentagon
Newly installed US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has pledged to maintain the "excellence" of the US military while promising "tough budget choices". "I do not believe in the false choice between fiscal discipline and a strong national defence," he wrote in a letter to the Pentagon. Mr Panetta, sworn in on Friday, promised to be a strong advocate for the troops and their families.

'German far right is less obvious, more dangerous'
'Der Spiegel' reports that right-wing activists, neo-Nazis, are ditching classic garb, increasing tendency towards using violence for cause. The skinhead image of the neo-Nazi is undergoing an aesthetics change, Der Spiegel reported Saturday, making Germany's far right "less conspicuous but more dangerous."

Foreign Ministry denies Irish claim of flotilla sabotage
...Israel was not behind the engine damage caused to an Irish ship participating in the Gaza-bound flotilla, Foreign Ministry officials said on Saturday. Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News reported Friday that the damage caused to the Irish ship might not be a result of sabotage at all. According to the report, investigations have also revealed that the ship was damaged before it entered Turkish waters.


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Google+ Is Everywhere--It's Creepy
Joining any social network introduces a balancing act of sharing versus privacy. Is Google testing these limits? Going back to when I joined Facebook, or Twitter, or LinkedIn life online was different. None of these services took over my online life in the same way Google+ has. Google has its Google+ tentacles wrapped around many popular Google services.

Court Documents Cement Flotilla Organizer’s Connections to Terror
Amin Abou Ibrahim, also known as Amin Abou Rashed, is one of the main organizers of the ”Freedom Flotilla 2″ and a founder of the ECESG, a central organization participating in the flotilla. Recently, the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf cited Abou Rashed as the “brain behind the flotilla”, and noted that according to a Dutch journalist who had spent time with the flotilla organizers, Abou Rashed’s role as the flotilla’s main backer was kept secret until the ships all arrived to Greece.

Weak economy leaves many unemployed
A US jobs report has done nothing to reassure people that the job environment is improving. The weak US economy is still struggling to generate jobs. The Labor Department has said the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits last week was mostly unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 428,000.

Expansion of Japan's nuclear evacuation zone
People in a town near the crippled ********* nuclear plant have been urged to leave. Over 100 households have been warned there is a danger of radioactivity in certain "hotspot" zones. Already tens of thousands of Japanese living near the complex have been displaced.

Obama assumes the offensive in Jewish vote race
United States President Barack Obama plans to take a more assertive stance against his critics with his approach towards Israel, the Washington Post reported this weekend. The US administration has assembled a special team composed of senior Jewish figures and advisers who will tackle criticism against Obama in the media.

Message to US agents: 'We'll chop your heads off'
A spray-painted sign threatening death for U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents was found Friday next to a school in a northern Mexico state capital, officials said. Addressed with profanity to "Gringos (D.E.A.)," the unsigned graffiti warned: "We know where you are and we know who you are and where you go. We are going to chop off your (expletive) heads."

Syria: Tanks and troops 'deployed in restive Hama'
Syrian tanks and troops are being deployed in the restive city of Hama after the sacking of its governor, reports say. Troops are said to be taking up positions at key entrances to Hama, and in the city centre. There are reports of gunfire and mass arrests taking place.

Floods at China mines trap '40'
Rescuers in southern China are trying to reach more than 40 workers in two coal mines after one pit was flooded and the other caved in. They are venting explosive gas and pumping water from a mine in Guangxi region, where three miners died.

ExxonMobil pipe leaks oil into Yellowstone River in US
An ExxonMobil pipeline in the US state of Montana has ruptured, leaking hundreds of barrels of crude oil into the Yellowstone River, officials say. The company said the pipe had been shut down and the segment where the leak happened had been isolated. Nearby residents were evacuated, but later allowed to return to their homes.

Palestinian efforts for sovereignty not limited to the UN
The Palestinian plan for achieving statehood this September is not limited to a vote recognizing a state in the United Nations General Assembly. While several overseas trips in the past month by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman have been focused on enlisting countries to vote against the expected UN resolution, Palestinians officials are discussing other measures to increase the PA’s sovereignty – either alongside the UN bid or in the case of its failure.


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IDF intel chief: Iran intervening in Egyptian elections
Head of IDF Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned of Iranian intervention in Egyptian elections, speaking regime in a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting on Tuesday. “Iraq is attempting to influence the political process in Egypt through efforts to connect with the Muslim Brotherhood,” Kochavi said.

US envoy in Israel to Rivlin: Obama will visit Israel soon
US President Barack Obama will visit Israel soon, US ambassador to Israel James B. Cunningham told Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday. "The president wants to visit and he will do so," Cunningham told Rivlin. Though he did not specify a date for the visit, Cunningham said it was on Obama's agenda.

The Rev. Robert Schuller Reportedly Ousted from Crystal Cathedral Ministries
Schuller, 84, who began his ministry in an Orange, Calif., drive-in theater more than 50 years ago, was voted off the board of the Crystal Ministries, which has been plagued by financial problems and familial discord, according to the paper.

Quartet to Meet Next Week on PA Statehood Bid
The meeting of the Quartet of peacekeeping nations – the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations – is set for July 11.

Iran’s Tentacles Spread from Syria to Sudan: Intelligence Chief
Iran is spreading its tentacles and is directly helping Syrian President Bashar Assad, aiding the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and assisting Sudan...

India health minister calls homosexuality an unnatural ‘disease’
India's health minister has derided homosexuality as an unnatural "disease" from the West...

French FM participates in Union for Mediterranean meeting in Spain
French foreign minister Alain Juppe flies to Barcelona, Spain, tomorrow to participate in a meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean (UM), foreign ministry spokesman said Monday. Bernard Valero added that Juppe would participate in the meeting on the occasion of assumption of office of UM Secretary General Yusuf Omrani. Juppe, he said, affirmed France's desire to have a concrete partnership between the European and North African countries overlooking the Mediterranean.

PA says it'll drop UN bid if Israel accepts 67 lines
The Palestinian Authority will abandon its plan to ask the UN in September to recognize a Palestinian state along pre-1967 lines if Quartet members ­ the US, EU, UN and Russia ­ recognize the two-state principle as the basis for a settlement and call on Israel to withdraw from the territories captured in 1967, including east Jerusalem, an advisor to PA President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday. Nimer Hammad, political advisor to Abbas, said that the Quartet should also call for a full cessation of construction in Jewish settlements and set a clear timetable for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Greece crisis: S&P warns of debt default
Standard & Poor's has warned that current proposals for restructuring Greece's debt would effectively constitute a default. The ratings agency said plans for the private sector to roll over debts could trigger a default under its ratings criteria. Last week, the Greek parliament passed tough austerity measures to secure further financial aid.

Syrian troops descend on central city, shoot 20
Syrian troops raided homes and made sweeping arrests in Hama on Monday, wounding at least 20 people before sealing off the city just days after about 300,000 protesters there held the largest demonstration since the uprising against President Bashar Assad erupted in mid-March, activists said.

Israelis, Palestinians Brace for Potential Outbreak of Violence After U.N. Vote
Israeli and Palestinian security forces are already taking precautions to avoid an outbreak of violence after an expected U.N. vote for Palestinian independence in September, officials on both sides said Sunday, reflecting shared concerns about the possibility of renewed fighting this fall.

NATO hashes out missile defense cooperation with Russia
The NATO military alliance on Friday sought increased rapprochement with its former Soviet eastern partners, as the bloc began hashing out plans for a joint missile defense system with Russia. "We have not agreed on how to build (a common missile defense) architecture," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Friday. "But it is about a common objective, namely the effective protection of populations, in Russia as well as NATO countries, against a real threat."

McCain, Graham: Afghanistan Drawdown Is 'Unnecessary Risk'
Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, visiting U.S. troops in Afghanistan over the Fourth of July weekend, used the term "unnecessary risk" on Sunday to describe President Obama's decision to remove 10,000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Pakistani Military Still Cultivates Militant Groups, a Former Fighter Says
The Pakistani military continues to nurture a broad range of militant groups as part of a three-decade strategy of using proxies against its neighbors and American forces in Afghanistan, but now some of the fighters it trained are questioning that strategy, a prominent former militant commander says.

Thai women cheer first female prime minister
After six prime ministers in six years of sometimes bloody political upheaval, Thais might be excused for shrugging their shoulders about voting in number seven.

Turkey cuts diplomatic ties with Gaddafi's Libyan gov't
Turkey cut its diplomatic ties with Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan government and recalled its ambassador, the Turkish Official Gazette reported over the weekend. The move came after Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi on Sunday and pledged $200 million in aid to the rebel Transitional National Council . That was in addition to a $100 million fund announced in June.

Egypt gas pipeline hit by explosion
Officials in Israel later told Ynet that the pipeline is internal and does not lead to Israel. They said the gunmen did not touch the pipe leading to Israel or the one next to it, which leads to Jordan. They noted that the gas flow will be restarted later Monday or Tuesday.

Republicans Might Accept ‘Mini’ Deal on Debt Ceiling, Senate’s Cornyn Says
Republicans might accept a “mini” deal with the Obama administration on raising the debt limit, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a Republican leader, said yesterday on “Fox News Sunday.” The idea may delay politically difficult decisions if it’s structured to postpone action on a larger package of spending cuts or revenue increases until after the 2012 election cycle, an analyst said.


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Japan to hold stress tests at all nuclear plants
Japan is to conduct safety tests on all its nuclear reactors in the wake of the crisis at the ********* plant following the 11 March earthquake and tsunami. Trade Minister Banri Kaieda said Japan's 54 reactors would undergo "stress tests" to determine how well they can withstand major disasters. Only 19 reactors are still operating, causing a drawn-out energy crisis.

Somalia Islamists lift aid ban to help drought victims
Somalia's militant Islamist group al-Shabab has lifted a ban on foreign aid agencies, as the region is hit by its worst drought in 60 years. Al-Shabab imposed the ban in 2009, accusing them of being anti-Muslim. It now says all charities, whether "Muslims or non-Muslims", can give emergency aid as long as they have "no hidden agenda".

Analysis: Iran's nuclear steps deepen Western suspicions
Iran's determination to press ahead with a nuclear program it says is for purely peaceful purposes suggests that tougher Western sanctions are so far failing to force the Islamic state to back down in the long-running dispute over its atomic aims.

Canadian forces leave Afghanistan as mission ends
Canadian troops have begun to return home from Afghanistan, as the country's nine-year combat mission comes to a close. At a flag-lowering ceremony on Tuesday, troops officially handed over control of their last district to US forces. Canada's 2,800 troops are mandated by parliament to return home in 2011.

Iceland's Hekla volcano shows signs of activity
Scientists are monitoring unusual underground activity that could signal an eruption at the Hekla volcano in southern Iceland. University of Iceland geophysicist Pall Einarsson said Wednesday that magma appears to be moving deep beneath the volcano. He says that does not necessarily mean an eruption is imminent. But scientists expect Hekla, one of Iceland's most active volcanoes, to erupt soon.

Foreign buyers lifting U.S. home sales
For the 12 months ending in March, 31% of Florida's home sales were to foreign buyers, up from 10% in 2007, according to a survey by the National Association of Realtors. In Arizona, 6% of sales in the same period were to foreigners. That was down from 11% last year but still up from 5% in 2007, the data show.

Navy braced for Gaza-bound French boat that left Greece
The Israel Navy is prepared to stop a French vessel that set sail from near Greece on Tuesday and that is believed to be heading to the Gaza Strip in an effort to break an Israel-imposed sea blockade, said government officials. On Tuesday afternoon, organizers announced that the small French yacht named Dignity had left waters near Greece with eight passengers on board en-route to Gaza.

UNSC plans to discuss Palestinian statehood bid in July
The UN Security Council plans to discuss in July the possibility of Palestine becoming a United Nations member state, the Security Council president said on Tuesday. The Arab League has said it would request UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with east Jerusalem as its capital at the UN General Assembly in September.

PM: We will bar 'aerial flotilla' activists from entering
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu toured Ben Gurion International Airport along with Police Insp.-Gen. Yochanan Danino and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch Wednesday morning to discuss preparations for the arrival of hundreds of Gaza activists arriving from Europe this Friday, Army Radio reported. Following the tour, the prime minister will head to Romania and Bulgaria. Keeping the airport functioning as usual will be the most important goal for security officials as activists arrive, most of whom will likely be difficult to identify, Army Radio said.

Massive Dust Storm Descends on Phoenix Area
A massive dust storm descended on the Phoenix area on Tuesday night, drastically reducing visibility and delaying flights as strong winds toppled trees and caused power outages for thousands of residents in the valley. The towering dust cloud that hit the area had originated in an afternoon storm in the Tucson area before moving north across the desert, said National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Iniguez. Before bearing down on the Phoenix valley, radar data showed the storm's wall of dust had reached as high as 8,000 to 10,000 feet, he said.

Pre-2012: Minnesota a Possible Curtain Raiser for Washington
As both sides dig in and are encouraged to hold their ground by voters from their parties the deadlock deepens, leading to a government shutdown.

Shocking Report of Norway's Anti-Semitism
The study found that 33 percent of the Jewish students regularly experience bullying at school. According to the definition used, this means that at least two or three incidents of verbal or physical abuse target these Jewish students per month.

UN Security Council to discuss Palestinian bid for statehood in July
The UN Security Council plans to discuss in July the possibility of Palestine becoming a United Nations member state, the Security Council president said on Tuesday.

U.S. Officials Behind 'Fast and Furious' Gun Sales Should Be Tried in Mexico, Lawmaker Says
While the investigation continues into the U.S. operation that helped send thousands of guns south of the border, Mexican lawmakers say they'll press for extradition and prosecution in Mexico of American officials who authorized and ran the operation.

Mind-reading scientists predict what a person is going to do before they do it
Researchers monitoring brain activity can now determine what action a person is planning before he carries it out. Although it is currently only possible to know what someone is going to do just moments before it happens, the implications of the breakthrough are huge.

Ezekiel 37 and End-Times Bible Prophecy: Fulfillment Before Our Very Eyes
This means that Israel's current possession of Jerusalem signals that God has begun to turn his attention toward Israel for salvation. Since that salvation will occur during the seven years immediately preceding the return of Christ to establish God's kingdom upon the earth, the initiation of that seven-year period cannot be far away.

John MacArthur Says America Is Under Divine Judgment
“Materialism, drunkard pleasure seeking, arrogant conceit, defiant sinfulness, moral perversion, and corrupt leadership… Do you not see [them] in America?” MacArthur asked a roughly 3,000-strong Christian audience at the four-day conference which began June 24.

Germans angry over Saudi tank sale reports
German opposition parties and even some members of the ruling parties were up in arms Tuesday over reports that the government wants to overturn its export rules and sell hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia. Germany has declined for over 20 years to sell such heavy weapons to Saudi Arabia because of concerns over human rights and fear for Israel's security.

Earthquake rocks New Zealand's north island
A POWERFUL earthquake struck New Zealand's North Island today but there are no immediate reports of casualties or damage and no tsunami warning was issued. The US Geological Survey reported the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3 and occurred at a depth of 161km. Another agency in New Zealand, GeoNet, measured the earthquake at magnitude-6.5.

Gov't to consider adding Sunday as day of rest
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday tasked the Head of the National Economic Council, Professor Eugene Kandel, with examining the possibility of making Sunday an additional day of rest instead of a regular work day. According to the proposal, Saturday and Sunday will be official days of rest while Friday will become a half day work-wise.

Alarming rise in clashes between settlers and Palestinians in West Bank
The IDF is alarmed by the increase in clashes in the West Bank between Palestinian villagers and settlers in nearby outposts and by the growing harassment of senior army officers and civil servants by right-wing extremists. The commanders are concerned that the situation may deteriorate even further with the diplomatic crisis looming in September when Palestinians make their bid for UN recognition.

Moody's warns over China bad debt
Bad debts held by local governments in China are a far bigger problem than first estimated, ratings agency Moody's has warned. Chinese banks had lent 8.5tn yuan ($1.3tn; £820bn) to the local governments in 2010 in an attempt to boost growth. However, the agency said the debt burden could be 3.5tn yuan larger than auditors had estimated.

Japan Reconstruction Minister Ryu Matsumoto quits
Japan's Minister for Reconstruction Ryu Matsumoto has announced his resignation after just a week in the job. He had been widely criticised for making insensitive remarks to governors of areas badly affected by March's deadly earthquake and tsunami. He had said the government would not help them financially unless they came up with good rebuilding proposals.

Greece faces 'massive' loss of sovereignty
Eurozone finance ministers over the weekend staved off looming bankruptcy in Greece by agreeing to release the next tranche of aid to the country, but Athens will pay with a massive loss of its sovereignty, the eurozone chief has said. In return for the €12 billion - the fifth payment from the €110 billion EU-IMF loan agreed last year - Greece will have to push through a swathe of privatisations reminiscent of the selling of East German firms in the 1990s after the fall of Communism.

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Ashton: Quartet meeting aim to set framework for talks
... foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Wednesday said that the goal at a Quartet meeting in Washington scheduled for Monday will be "to try and adopt a statement that will help the Israelis and Palestinians to bridge the gap, and allow for a return to the negotiating table."

China state media dismiss reports of Jiang's death
China on Thursday dismissed as rumor reports that retired President Jiang Zemin, who led the country through massive changes after the crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement, has died.

Glenn Beck and Knesset Member to Ascend Temple Mount
Beck added, “The only power broker, the only seat of government that can and will solve this problem with or without us is G-d. It is time to return inside the walls that surround Jerusalem and stand with people of all faiths, all around the world.

Israel fears Iran and North Korea strengthening ties
Iran and North Korea are tightening their relations after a lull, defense sources have told Haaretz. Israeli defense officials are concerned about the development, saying it may reflect an expansion of North Korean aid to Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

Abbas postpones formation of unity government in bid to appease Western allies
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may hold off on the formation of a unity government with the Islamic militant group Hamas to avoid alienating his Western allies ahead of a UN vote on statehood, a senior PLO official said Thursday.

Palestinian official: UN vote on statehood won't contradict peace process
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat attended a meeting with U.S. officials at the U.S. State Department Wednesday, at which U.S. officials were expected to push the PA negotiator to accept American terms for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

Iceland's 'Gateway To Hell' Ready To Erupt
One of Iceland's most feared volcanoes looks ready to erupt, raising fears of a new ash cloud over Europe. "The movements around Hekla have been unusual in the last two to three days," University of Iceland geophysicist Pall Einarsson said. While this might not necessarily mean an immediate blast, "the volcano is ready to erupt," he stressed.

Oil rises to above $97 after US crude supply drop
Oil prices rose to above $97 a barrel Thursday in Asia as a report showed U.S. crude supplies fell more than expected for a second week, suggesting demand is improving. Benchmark oil for August delivery was up 73 cents to $97.38 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude lost 24 cents to settle at $96.65 on Wednesday.

EU slams ratings agencies after Portugal downgraded
European politicians accused credit rating agencies on Wednesday of anti-European bias after Moody's downgrade of Portugal's debt to "junk" cast new doubt on EU efforts to rescue distressed euro zone states without debt restructuring. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the decision to cut Lisbon's rating by four notches so soon after it became the third country to receive an EU/IMF bailout was fuelling speculation in financial markets.

Court orders immediate end to ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the U.S. government must immediately stop enforcing the military ban on openly gay service, despite the Pentagon's insistence it needs time to gradually implement the change.

“Officer Of The Year” Suspected Of Drug Dealing
Considered a role model by his peers and named “Officer of the Year” in 2010, Boynton Beach police officer David Britto has been charged with conspiring to sell more than 500 grams of methamphetamines between June 2009 and March 2011.

Med Union chief vows to support Arab spring
The new head of a 43-nation Mediterranean union said Tuesday he will support Arab Spring reforms while insisting the West can no longer dictate terms for democracy. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which has struggled since its birth in 2008 to deal with tensions in the Middle East, now faces upheaval in its Arab member states."Today reforms and democratic modernisation are the order of the day in most of the countries. The UfM must work and propose projects in the areas of democracy and civil society," he told the daily El Pais.

Tempest-from-hell seen on Saturn
One of the most violent weather events in the Solar System began to erupt on Saturn last December and is still enthralling astronomers, the British journal Nature reported on Wednesday.

EU to Confirm Mideast Peace Conference Plans for July
‎(JewishVoiceNY Newspaper PDF format,article found on pg 17) Sarkozy described the French initiative as being "a Paris conference, a peace initiative between Palestinians and Israelis,” adding that “this initiative will enable Europe to have a joint position." French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe said that the final decision on the summit will be made during an upcoming Quartet conference in the beginning of July.

Magnitude 7.8 quake hits off New Zealand: USGS
A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the Kermadec Islands, northeast of New Zealand, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Wednesday. The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.9, triggered a tsunami warning for New Zealand, the Kermadec Islands and Tonga, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Center said.

Gérard Errera: The Paris Conference Can Foster Mideast Peace
The United Nations General Assembly is currently on track to endorse the unilateral proclamation of a Palestinian state in September. The United States will oppose the measure, while a majority of Europeans nations will approve it and the Israel-Palestinian conflict will only deepen. This is why French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé announced recently that France will convene an international conference in Paris to try to resolve the issue.

Pacific earthquake triggers New Zealand tsunami warning
A tsunami warning has been issued for New Zealand after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean north of the country. The quake hit at 12:03 p.m. local time about 161 kilometres east of Raoul Island in the remote Kermadec Islands. The quake's epicentre was about 913 km south of Nuku'alofa in Tonga. The Kermadec Island and Tonga are also covered by the tsunami warning.

Egyptian official: Holocaust a lie and 9/11 made in USA
A leader of Egypt's most influential secular party on Wednesday dismissed the Holocaust as a "lie," the Diary of Anne Frank as a "fake" and the September 11th attacks as "made in the USA." The comments by the vice chairman of the putatively liberal Wafd Party pour cold water on lingering hopes that post-Hosni Mubarak Egypt could serve as an exemplar of modern, progressive democracy in the Arab world's most populous state.

Iranian power in play as President threatens to expose state graft
PRESIDENT Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has deepened the rift in the Iranian regime with a scarcely veiled threat to expose corruption in the Revolutionary Guards if his enemies seek to arrest his closest aides. He has accused unnamed government agencies of using their own dockyards to import goods without paying customs duties. He singled out the illegal import of cigarettes, saying the market was so huge that it attracted not only international criminals, but "our own smuggling brothers".

US airlines protest EU carbon cap in court
US AIRLINES took their battle against the European Union's emissions cap to court, arguing that charging foreign companies for carbon permits violates international agreements. Starting on January 1, the EU will force foreign airlines flying to and from Europe to buy carbon permits under the 27-nation bloc's Emissions Trading System (ETS).

‘Howling Winds’ Drive Massive Dust Storm Across Phoenix
A massive dust storm has swept into the Phoenix area and drastically reduced visibility on highways and roads across much of the valley. The wall of dust moving from the south descended on the valley on Tuesday night and could be seen from downtown Phoenix. Winds brought in the storm that KSAZ-TV reported to be roughly 50 miles wide.

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China plans to sell 'combat, surveillance drones' to Pak, Middle East, Africa: Report
With an accelerating drone industry, China is fast catching up to the United States and plans to sell combat and surveillance drones to Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa, according to a news report. The large number of drones at recent exhibitions underlines not only China's determination to catch up in that sector by building equivalents to the leading US combat and surveillance models, the Predator and the Global Hawk, but also its desire to sell this technology abroad, The Washington Post reports.

As Plastic Reigns, the Treasury Slows Its Printing Presses
The number of dollar bills rolling off the great government presses here and in Fort Worth fell to a modern low last year. Production of $5 bills also dropped to the lowest level in 30 years. And for the first time in that period, the Treasury Department did not print any $10 bills. The meaning seems clear. The future is here. Cash is in decline.

Tony Blair and Ben Page discuss new IpsosMORI research on faith and globalisation
Yesterday Tony Blair spoke at an Tony Blair and Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos MORI led a discussion on globalisation, development, and the role of religion in London. They explored new research by Ipsos MORI highlights how much religion matters in the world.

US warns airlines of threat of 'implanted bombs'
The US has warned airlines of a potential threat from militants surgically implanting explosives. It came after the Department of Homeland Security issued a memo to security officials and foreign counterparts alerting them to the threat of "body packing". ...Air passengers could now face even tougher screening measures.

US and Mexico end cross-border trucking dispute
US and Mexico have signed a deal to allow their trucks to use each other's roads, after a 17-year dispute. The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement called for Mexican trucks to have full access to US highways, but they were kept to a border buffer zone. In 2009, Mexico imposed higher tariffs on dozens of US products in response.

'Gay' illegal allowed to stay
federal officials recently cancelled deportation proceedings of an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who is involved in a homosexual relationship. The ruling comes in the wake of Attorney General Eric Holder's announcement that the administration views the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional and will not defend it in court.

UN: Israel, protesters at fault in Nakba Day clash
Israel used force "not commensurate to the threat" when it fired live ammunition during a Palestinian Nakba Day demonstration in May, but the protesters also behaved in a provocative and violent way, a UN report released on Wednesday said. The IDF fired on a demonstration at a Lebanese border village on May 15, security sources and the Lebanese army told Reuters at the time. Israel claimed that the Lebanese army was responsible for much of the shooting.

IAEA worried over Iran plans to triple uranium production
The UN nuclear chief said on Wednesday that he planned to meet with Iran's foreign minister next week and that he was "quite concerned" over plans by Tehran to triple uranium production capacity. Yukiya Amano, director general of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Reuters in the Colombian capital, Bogota, that he planned to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi next week, but had no firm details.

Gov't announces measures on entities dealing with Iran
The Bank of Israel, Finance Ministry and Israel Securities Authority published new draft directives on Thursday regarding the risks entailed in dealing with entities designated on international lists as aiding Iran’s nuclear program and programs related to it. The directives, coordinated between the regulators, are part of a range of steps being taken by Israel in its struggle against Iran’s nuclear program, the three bodies said.

'French Gaza-bound flotilla ship halted by Greeks in Crete'
A French boat participating in the flotilla hoping to break the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip was detained along with its crew by Greek authorities in Crete on Thursday, CNN reported. On Tuesday afternoon, organizers announced that the small French yacht Dignity had left waters near Greece with eight passengers on board en-route to Gaza. The Dignity was stopped while attempting to refuel in Crete, CNN quoted Maxime Gimberteau of "A Boat for Gaza" as saying.

The Singularity is Here
One of Kurzweil's central ideas is the "The Law of Accelerating Returns" which describes the exponential rate of growth that information technology follows, eventually leading towards a Singularity in which we transcend the limitations of biology.

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How bad is it? Pawn shops, payday lenders are hot
As the jobless rate inches up and the economic recovery sputters, investors looking for a few good stocks may want to follow the money -- or rather the TV, the beloved Fender guitar, the baubles from grandma, the wedding ring.

Rapture predictor recovering in nursing home
The California radio preacher who predicted the world's end on May 21 has been moved to a nursing home, where he is recovering from a stroke he suffered last month. Harold Camping's daughter confirms her father recently moved from an area hospital to a skilled nursing facility. He is undergoing rehabilitation there to regain his strength following the June 9 stroke.

Evangelical pastor says America is being judged for sin
Is the United States being judged for sin? Are the current woes facing the nation a result of America mimicking Israel and turning away from God? One leading evangelical leader says the answer to both questions is a resounding “yes.”

The Tipping Point: Embracing the Muslim Brotherhood
The Obama administration chose the eve of the holiday marking our Nation's birth to acknowledge publicly behavior in which it has long been stealthily engaged to the United States' extreme detriment: Its officials now admit that they are embracing the Muslim Brotherhood (MB or Ikhwan in Arabic). That would be the same international Islamist organization that has the destruction of the United States, Israel and all other parts of the Free World as its explicit objective.

Uncertain World: Out of the confusion, conspiracy theories emerge
America is confused and demoralized as it approaches default. The strictly technical matter of raising the debt ceiling has become a showdown between the two parties, carrying the threat of total economic upheaval. Even China, which has stood above the fray in global politics for the last few years as an indestructible monolith, is showing some signs of nerves.

Saturday will see the birth of the newest nation in Africa
At the stroke of midnight Friday, South Sudan will become the world’s newest independent nation and across the country the South Sudanese are preparing to celebrate their first independence day. In January of 2011, South Sudan, which makes up around a third of the Sudan, held a referendum on whether to break away. The result was an overwhelming vote in favour of independence from the north.

Administration to propose steps on gun safety
Six months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot, the White House is preparing to propose some new steps on gun safety, though they're likely to fall short of the bold measures activists would like to see. Spokesman Jay Carney said that the new steps would be made public "in the near future." He didn't offer details, but people involved in talks at the Justice Department to craft the new measures said they expected to see something in the next several weeks.

Congress votes in favor of PA aid suspension
A week after the Senate approved a similar proposal; the US House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly backed the idea of suspending aid to the Palestinian Authority if it continues to refuse a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also rejected Palestinian pursuit of statehood through the United Nations.

HSBC's Steven Major: 'Greece is heading for default, it's just a matter of time'
At the end of last week, the finance ministers of the euro bloc approved the last phase of assistance for Greece. The European Union will lend the Greek government 12 billion euros, the last tranche of aid totaling 110 billion euros. The International Monetary Fund is also expected to approve further aid to Greece after Athens managed to push through an austerity plan, and after it fulfills other conditions.

Syria accuses U.S. of inciting unrest after U.S. ambassador visits Hama
Syria accused the United States of inciting unrest on Friday, saying the U.S. ambassador's unauthorized trip to the flashpoint city of Hama proved Washington has a hand in the four-month uprising seeking to topple the country's autocratic regime. The strong allegations comes as Syrians are expected to take to the streets across the country in a weekly show of defiance against the 40-year-old family dynasty of President Bashar Assad.

Spacecraft Eyes Gigantic Mystery Storm on Saturn
Soon the tempest enveloped the ringed planet, triggering lightning flashes thousands of times more intense than on Earth. At the height of the storm, Cassini detected 10 lightning strikes per second. Scientists said the electrical activity emitted by the bursts were 10,000 times stronger than lightning on Earth.

Israel blocks 200 pro-Palestinian activists from flying into country
Israel successfully prevented the entry of 200 passengers attempting to fly into Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on Friday in a bid to stymie an influx of pro-Palestinian activists to the country, according to the police. The 200 activists were on a list of 342 blacklisted passengers scheduled to arrive in Israel later Thursday and early Friday, submitted by the Transportation Ministry to foreign airlines on Thursday.

All signs say Iran is racing toward a nuclear bomb
The procession of cars carrying Fereidoun Abbasi Davani sped down Vienna's Wagramer Strasse this Monday and into the underground car park of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Outside the building, on the bank of the Danube River, some 30 protesters from the Stop the Bomb movement demonstrated, waving signs denouncing the Iranian nuclear scientist. But Iranian security officers seemed more concerned about the prospect of someone trying to exploit Abbasi Davani's controversial visit to finish the job.

Iceland 'Gateway to Hell' Volcano to Erupt Again, Experts Say
One of Iceland's most feared volcanoes, Hekla, looks ready to erupt, with measurement instruments showing likely magma movement, an Icelandic geophysicist said Wednesday.

Egypt: Thousands of protesters gather in Tahrir Square
Thousands of Egyptian protesters have gathered in central Cairo to press for speedier reforms from the government. Opposition activists have called for a million-person protest in Tahrir Square, the focus of February's uprising. They particularly want to see ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his officials put on trial more quickly.

US debt limit: Obama says sides are 'still far apart'
Democrats and Republicans remain "far apart on a wide range of issues" in budget talks aimed at averting a looming default on US government debt, President Barack Obama has said. Mr Obama spoke after concluding a meeting with congressional leaders and said talks would resume on Sunday. The deadline to raise the $14.3tn (£8.9tn) US debt ceiling is 2 August.

Europe's central bank gives helping hand to Portugal
In a move similar to the Greek case, the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday (7 July) suspended a minimum rating requirement for Portuguese bonds after one of the major credit rating agencies earlier this week downgraded Portugal to 'junk status'. In response to the downgrade announced by Moody's on Tuesday, the European Central Bank has decided to suspend "until further notice" the minimum rating threshold required for Portuguese bonds, ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet said during his monthly press conference in Frankfurt.

At site in Israel, archaeologists seek to sketch the lives of Goliath’s countrymen
The city of Gath, where the annual digging season began this week, is helping scholars paint a more nuanced portrait of the Philistines, who appear in the biblical story as the perennial enemies of the Israelites.

Texas executes Mexican despite White House plea
Humberto Leal was executed Thursday evening for the 1994 rape and murder of a San Antonio teenager after his attorneys, supported also by the Mexican government and other diplomats, unsuccessfully sought a stay. They argued that Leal was denied help from his home country that could have helped him avoid the death penalty.

Bomb Implants on the Horizon? TSA Increases Security
U.S. officials warn that Al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen are eyeing surgically implanted explosive devices as the latest in suicide-bomber chic in order to blow up airliners, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Murdoch Nukes News of the World
Rupert Murdoch has blindsided the media world - and his own staff - with the closure of Britain's highest selling Tabloid after 168-years of print.

Israel to recognize South Sudan as independent state
Israel is expected to recognize South Sudan as an independent state in the coming weeks, according to sources at the Foreign Ministry. South Sudan will declare its independence tomorrow at a ceremony attended by representatives from all over the world.

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Millions face famine in East Africa
With the United Nations warning that that the Horn of Africa and other parts of Africa are facing their worst drought in 60 years, Christian Aid and several other relief agencies have called on their supporters to dig deep into their pockets and help - despite recession and the present worldwide mood of economic uncertainty."More than 10 million people are thought to be affected across the region, with Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia hardest hit"

Iraq signs contract with German company to build 5 power stations
Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity has signed a contract on Thursday with the German MBH Company for the building of 5 fast-construction power stations, according to a ministerial statement.

Another Iceland volcano stirs, causing flooding–official
A massive flood of meltwater poured out of Iceland’s Myrdalsjoekull glacier Saturday, raising fears of an eruption from the powerful Katla volcano underneath, but experts said a large blast was unlikely. “At around 3:00 am (0300 GMT) … we had a glacial meltwater runoff from underneath the glacier,” Evgenia Ilyinskaya, a volcanologist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told AFP. The giant flood took out a bridge and part of the main road that circles Iceland and prompted evacuations, but there were no reports of injuries.

Finding Goliath? Archaeologists Uncover Details About the Bible‘s ’Bad Guy’ Philistines
At the remains of an ancient metropolis in southern Israel, archaeologists are piecing together the history of a people remembered chiefly as the bad guys of the Hebrew Bible. The city of Gath, where the annual digging season began this week, is helping scholars paint a more nuanced portrait of the Philistines, who appear in the biblical story as the perennial enemies of the Israelites.

'Israel-Turkey talks to resume in NY'
After failing to resolve their differences during three-day talks this week, Israel and Turkey will resume negotiations later this month in New York, Özdem Sanberk, the Turkish member of the UN panel investigating the Israeli raid on the aid ship Mavi Marmara, told the Hürriyet daily on Friday. Jerusalem and Ankara have been trying to solve the crisis in the past few months ahead of the publication of the UN report, but to no avail. The report's release has been postponed to July 27.

Libya's Gadhafi threatens 'martyr' attacks in Europe
Muammar Gadhafi threatened on Friday to send hundreds of Libyans to launch attacks in Europe in revenge for the NATO-led military campaign against him. "Hundreds of Libyans will martyr in Europe. I told you it is eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. But we will give them a chance to come to their senses," the Libyan leader said in an audio speech carried on Libyan television.

Somalis gather in internal camps to escape drought
Camps of people fleeing East Africa's worsening drought have started forming inside Somalia, says medical aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres. One camp had more than doubled in size in a matter of days, and now holds around 5,000 people. The aid agency can provide medical help, but has no food to give them.

Obama stimulus funded 'guns-to-drug-lords' plan
Just a day after U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., called for Attorney General Eric Holder's removal, alleging a White House connection to the "Project Gunrunner" that allowed weapons to be delivered to Mexican drug lords, confirmation has come that the program originated at the highest levels of the Obama administration.

Eurozone set for a busy summer of crisis talks
The eurozone's hope that it could enjoy a summer lull in its crisis has vanished as quickly as it appeared. Last week, it seemed all sides would get a time out. Greece had avoided a default on its huge debts. Banks had agreed to roll over their holdings in Greek bonds, and finance ministers signaled that a second bailout would be agreed — though not before the autumn.

South Sudan becomes world's newest nation
South Sudanese citizens, international dignitaries and the world's newest president are convening in the new country capital of Juba to celebrate the birth of a nation. South Sudan became the world's newest country Saturday with a raucous street celebration at midnight.

Debt ceiling: Why Sunday could be make-or-break day for 'grand bargain'
President Obama is pushing for a comprehensive deal to raise the debt ceiling and trim long-term deficits. But any big deal will require arm-twisting in Congress, and time is running out.

US jobs creation stalls in June
The number of new jobs created in the US in June was the lowest in nine months as the employment recovery stalled, new data has shown. Only 18,000 new jobs were created in the month, way below expectations of a 90,000 rise, which had been raised by strong private sector hiring figures released on Thursday. The unemployment rate also rose, to 9.2% from 9.1% a month earlier.

Clinton swears in Dan Shapiro as US Ambassador to Israel
Dan Shapiro became the new US Ambassador to Israel on Friday in a celebratory swear-in ceremony lead by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton expressed that she has every confidence in Shapiro’s ability to represent the country and the Obama Administration.

Iran: We've fired missiles to Indian Ocean for first time
Iran said on Saturday it test-fired two long-range missiles into the Indian Ocean earlier this year, the first time it has fired missiles into that sea, according to state television. "In the month of Bahman (Jan 21-Feb 19) two missiles with a range of 1,900 km (1,180 miles) were fired from Semnan province(in northern Iran) into the mouth of the Indian Ocean," Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace division, told a news conference some of which was shown on television.

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Somalia Drought is Worst Humanitarian Crisis
The head of the U.N. refugee agency said Sunday that drought-ridden Somalia is the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world after meeting with refugees who endured unspeakable hardship to reach the world's largest refugee camp.

Deadlocked Debt Talks to Resume as Clock Ticks
Negotiations at the White House deadlocked Sunday as the president continued to push his "grand bargain" -- $4 trillion plan that includes tax increases and changes to Medicare and Medicaid and took a short-term idea off the table, a source close to the discussions told Fox News.

IMF chief calls on US to raise borrowing limit
The International Monetary Fund's new chief foresees "real nasty consequences" for the U.S. and global economies if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit.

Geithner says hard times to continue for many
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (GYT'-nur) says many Americans will face hard times for a long time to come.

Palestinians are preparing for September, but is Israel?
A simulation exercise by Palestinians, designed to help them assess what will happen after the UN vote in September, leads to a few conclusions. One is that widespread violence is possible - but not inevitable or desired.

Slow progress at ********* plant 4 months after disaster
Four months after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, operators at the ********* Daiichi nuclear power plant are still grappling with the crisis the disaster unleashed but say they are making slow progress.

Top US military official in China to improve ties
The top military officers from China and the United States are meeting in an attempt to improve relations amid tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The visit to China by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the first of its kind in four years. Mullen and top Chinese general Chen Bingde are trying to improve military-to-military ties after setbacks over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, cyberattacks traced to China and concern about Beijing's military plans.

Gonorrhoea strain found to be 'resistant to antibiotics'
A new strain of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea has become resistant to antibiotics, international research shows. Analysis of the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea found a new variant which is very effective at mutating.

Cyprus: Eight dead in blast near Zygi naval base
At least eight people have been killed in a blast at a munitions dump in southern Cyprus. Early reports said a fire broke out near the Evangelos Florakis naval base at Zygi in the early hours of the morning.

White House: US suspending $800M in Pakistan aid
President Barack Obama has ordered the suspension of $800 million in aid to the Pakistani military, his chief of staff said Sunday, as part of what experts say is a tougher line with a critical U.S. partner in the fight against terrorism. Top aide William Daley described the U.S. relationship with Pakistan as "difficult" and said it must be made "to work over time." But he added that until "we get through that difficulty, we'll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers are committed to give" Pakistan.

Rio state has 60,000 unsolved murders in 10 years
Rio de Janeiro's public defenders' department says the Brazilian state has accumulated more than 60,000 unsolved murders in the last 10 years. The survey shows that 24,000 of the victims haven't even been identified.

Exclusive: EU calls emergency meeting as crisis stalks Italy
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has called an emergency meeting of top officials dealing with the euro zone debt crisis for Monday morning, reflecting concern that the crisis could spread to Italy, the region's third largest economy.

Netanyahu: Maritime borders proposed by Lebanon encroach upon Israel territory
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday to a recent dispute on Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon, saying at a cabinet meeting that the lines delineated in a Lebanese proposal are significantly further south than those recognized by Israel and determined in previous deals.

Obscure clause may help US avert default AFP
The White House could resort to an little-known line in the US constitution to prevent a ruinous default if Democrats and Republicans do not agree to raise the debt ceiling by August 2, experts say. ...But resorting to it could spark a constitutional crisis over just who -- the Congress or the White House -- controls the power of the federal purse, analysts say.

Iran says fires missiles to Indian Ocean for first time
Iran said on Saturday it test-fired two long-range missiles into the Indian Ocean earlier this year, the first time it has fired missiles into that sea, according to state television. "In the month of Bahman (Jan 21-Feb 19) two missiles with a range of 1,900 km (1,180 miles) were fired from Semnan province(in northern Iran) into the mouth of the Indian Ocean," Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace division, told a news conference some of which was shown on television.

Greece to get next part of IMF financial rescue package
The International Monetary Fund has backed the latest 3bn-euro (£2.6bn) instalment of a rescue package for Greece. It is the latest tranche in the IMF's joint bail-out with the European Union aimed at helping the country pull back from an impending debt default. A 110bn-euro rescue package was drawn up for the country last year.

US army chief Mullen begins China visit to improve ties
The top US military officer has begun a visit to China, aimed at improving strained military ties between the two countries. Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Washington and Beijing should work harder on developing "strategic trust." Adm Mullen's trip is the first of its kind in four years.

Earthquake off Japan triggers tsunami alert
A strong earthquake has jolted north-east Japan, the same area that was devastated four months ago. It triggered a small tsunami in Iwate prefecture, measuring 10cm (4in). ...But there are no reports of damage or injury so far, and the alert now has been lifted.

Somalis escaping the drought flee to the capital
Somalis are fleeing the region's worsening drought by going to the capital, Mogadishu, even though it is severely damaged by years of fighting. The government says around 1,500 people arrive in the city every day, but they have little aid to offer them. Ordinary people are providing what help they can, for families sheltered in the ruins of former government buildings.

As Arab Spring roils, hunger emerges
The Arab Spring was supposed to bring democracy, peace and prosperity. But stalemates between governments and opposition forces are paralyzing economic life, exacerbating food shortages that were already in the making due to unfavorable weather and rising world prices.

FM: Turkey 'shut door' on reconciliation with Gaza stance
Turkey's leader has "shut the door" on reconciliation by insisting Israel end the Gaza blockade and apologize for storming a Turkish ship sailing towards the Palestinian enclave, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday. But in a possible reflection of disagreement within the government, another official said rapprochement talks continued with Turkey ahead of the publication of a UN report which Israel has predicted will largely vindicate its actions.

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Dollar falls to 79.18 yen in London, lowest since March
The U.S. dollar fell to as low as 79.18 yen at one point Tuesday in London, the lowest level since March 18 when Group of Seven advanced economies jointly intervened in the currency market to stem the yen's surge following a massive earthquake in Japan.

Archbishop warns of coming affirmation for infidelity
Roman Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan warns that the ongoing redefinition of marriage soon will include the idea of "nonmonogamy" – or the concept that faithfulness between a man and a woman in marriage is outdated.

Philippines Earthquake 2011: Magnitude 6.2 Temblor Strikes Off Coast
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake has struck off Negros Island in the Philippines, according to the U.S. Geological survey.

Sovereign Debt Crisis Menaces Italy As Securities Tumble
By showing its determination in the manageable countries, the European Union was hoping to deflect concern about the major economies that were in financial trouble, These are mainly Spain and Italy.

2012: Iran's Atomic Daydreams
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khameni has ordered the revolutionary guards to "immediately" proceed with the completion of an atomic bomb with hopes of a test in 2012, Iran Press News reports.

Middle East Quartet meeting 'excellent', says U.S. official
Representatives of the U.S., Russia, the EU and the UN dined in Washington and discussed renewing direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, but made no public statement.

81% of Israelis support EU membership, BGU poll finds
Survey also finds 64% of Israelis would support NATO deployment of peacekeeping troops to West Bank, Gaza; Merkel most popular EU leader.

No sign of Middle East talks after Quartet meeting
Meeting on ways to avert diplomatic showdown at UN in September ends with no progress; senior US official: "We need to do more work, privately."

Syria opens 'national dialogue' with opposition
The Syrian government is holding a two-day meeting with members of the ruling Baath party and its opponents. The government says the Damascus meeting will begin discussion of possible reforms, including multi-party elections and a new media law. But many opposition leaders and protest organisers have refused to attend.

Misleading data target gun owners in scandal that could rock Obama
Under the Obama administration, a controversial government project that runs guns into Mexico has contributed to fraudulent statistics seemingly targeting U.S. gun owners. The misleading data raise questions about the intentions of Project Gunrunner, which some believe could be a defining scandal for the White House.

Pakistan: US aid cut will not harm fight against terror
Pakistan's army spokesman has said a cut in US military aid will not affect its ability to combat terror groups. Gen Athar Abbas told the BBC that Islamabad had not yet been officially told of the reason for the $800m (£500m) cuts or what they would entail. The money equates to about a third of the annual US security aid to Pakistan.

China: EU bailout leaves 'fundamental problems' unresolved
China's ambassador to the EU has said Greece might default despite EU and IMF efforts, but indicated that Beijing will continue to support the single currency. "Despite the recent payment of €12 billion by the EU and IMF, some of the fundamental problems in Greece have not yet been resolved ... People are still discussing if there will be a restructuring [of Greek debt] or a default, obviously a restructuring would have much smaller negative consequences," ambassador Song Zhe told press at an event in Brussels on Friday (8 July).

Top eurozone officials meet amid alarm on Italy
Top eurozone officials are meeting on Monday (11 July) morning to discuss the debt crisis in the 17-nation single currency region amid concerns that it could spread to Italy. European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet, EU monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn, eurozone chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Jose Manuel Barroso, the head of the European Commission, are attending the specially-convened event in Brussels.

'Israel painted as bad guy to speed Lebanese drilling'
Following the cabinet’s decision on Sunday to approve a demarcation of the country’s northern maritime borders for UN submission, an energy policy expert said that Lebanese claims to Israeli exploratory territory may be fueled by a need to position Israel as the “bad guy” in order to get its own laws on the matter passed faster.

US defense chief warns of Iran supplying weapons in Iraq
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Monday the United States is concerned about Iran providing weapons to Iraq militants and will take unilateral action when needed to deal with the threat. Fourteen US military personnel were killed in Iraq in June, the highest monthly toll in three years.

Mideast Quartet meets to avoid looming crisis
Envoys from the Middle East diplomatic Quartet meet on Monday in Washington in one of the final attempts to avoid a major confrontation at the United Nations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

In Israel, diggers unearth the Bible's bad guys
The city of Gath, where the annual digging season began this week, is helping scholars paint a more nuanced portrait of the Philistines, who appear in the biblical story as the perennial enemies of the Israelites.

Small tsunami reaches Japan after major quake
Small tsunami waves reached the Pacific coast of northern Japan Sunday after a major quake hit the region heavily damaged by the March earthquake and tsunami, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

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Glenn Beck at Knesset: Biblical Esther and Ruth Guided Me
“Esther knew she had no choice but to come out and speak,” he said, referring to Queen Esther’s risking her life to save the Persian Jewish community. "I knew I had no choice but to speak the truth. I came here in 2002, looked for the truth, and when I got home and told it, I received my first death threat."

Palestinian envoy to UN: European states will recognize Palestine before September
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, is in the forefront of the Palestinian diplomatic move − now gaining momentum − before the General Assembly meet in September. In the coming weeks, Mansour will submit to the UN secretary general an official request for Palestine to be accepted as a full member of the world body.

Europe considers Greek default, leaders to meet
European Union leaders are poised to hold an emergency summit after finance ministers acknowledged for the first time that some form of Greek default may be needed to cut Athens' debts and to stop contagion spreading to Italy and Spain.

Deadly Church Bombing in Nigeria: Police Blame ‘Militant Islamist’ Group
The All Christians Fellowship Mission church was bombed in Nigeria Sunday, killing 3 and wounding 7. Officials say their first priority is tending to the victims. According to Reuters, this is not the first time the Christian community has been targeted for attack. So far, a reported 150 have died in similar incidents this year.

Obama Executive Orders Impose New Gun Rules
“In an effort to stem the illicit flow of weapons into Mexico, the Justice Department announced Monday that all gun shops in four Southwest border states will be required to alert the federal government to frequent buyers of high-powered rifles. Under the new policy, federal firearms licensees in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico must report purchases of two or more of some types of rifles by the same person in a five-day span.

Gunmen blow up Egypt gas pipeline
At least four masked gunmen attacked the station, near the town of Al-Arish, about 30 miles west of the Israeli border, in the early hours of Tuesday. The attackers ordered the guards on duty to leave and then blew up the terminal, starting a fire that could seen from 12 miles away, There were no reported casualties. It was the fourth attack on facilities supplying Egyptian gas to Israel this year.

Israel and Palestinian sources to Haaretz: U.S. peace efforts have failed
The intensive U.S. efforts to create an agreed outline for renewed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have failed, Israeli and Palestinian sources have told Haaretz. The sources said the Palestinian leadership is more determined than ever to pursue the recognition of an independent Palestinian state at the United Nations in September.

Urban plants' role as carbon sinks 'underestimated'
Plants in cities and towns make a major contribution towards removing carbon from the atmosphere, a study suggests. The authors say the research is the first of its kind in Europe to quantify how much carbon is stored within this urban vegetation. They add that the data are vital because local authorities are key in helping the UK reach its target of cutting CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.

Bolivia appeals for help as snow strands thousands
The worst snow storms in Bolivia in the last 20 years have left thousands of people stranded, as more snow is forecast for the coming days. The Bolivian government has appealed for help from neighbouring countries. It says it needs helicopters to drop aid to isolated communities and heavy machinery to clear the roads.

EU moots changing bailout rules to calm markets
Pressed by Italy's sudden trouble on the markets, eurozone finance ministers on Monday night (11 July) decided to increase the "flexibility and the scope" of the eurozone's bailout fund (EFSF), so far a taboo for Germany and the Netherlands.

Syria says Clinton's remarks on Assad 'provocative'
Syria denounced on Tuesday a statement by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which she said Syrian President Bashar Assad had lost legitimacy and was "not indispensable." "Syria strongly condemns the statements of the American foreign minister... these remarks are provocative and aim at continuing the internal tension," Syria's state news agency SANA said.


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Moody's Announces It Will Review America's Rating, May Downgrade
Moody's Investors Service yesterday (July 13) threatened to downgrade America's credit rating, rattling the White House and lawmakers.

Egypt fires hundreds of police as protests grow
Egypt's security chief fired nearly 700 police officers Wednesday in a step to cleanse the much-hated force, the latest concession military rulers have made under pressure from protesters holding a sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the past six days.

51st state? Small step forward for long-shot 'South California' plan
A Republican member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors wants his county and 12 others to secede from California and form the 51st state. His colleagues gave him an unenthusiastic go ahead Tuesday to explore the idea.

Comet's Death by Sun Photographed for First Time
The death of a comet that plunged into the sun was captured on camera this month for the first time in history, scientists say. The comet met its fiery demise on July 6 when it zoomed in from behind the sun and melted into oblivion as it crashed into the star. It was NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a satellite orbiting Earth that studies the sun, which witnessed the comet's death-blow.

World sea attacks rise as pirates become bolder
Sea piracy worldwide surged to 266 attacks in the first half this year, up 36 percent from a year ago, as Somali pirates became bolder and raided more vessels, a global maritime watchdog said Thursday.

Shift in petrodollar investment to unnerve Western mkts
The long-standing support from petrodollars for Western financial markets is gradually waning as oil-rich countries favor recycling their windfall revenues closer to home and away from low-yielding developed economies mired in the debt crisis.

New Force Driving Earth's Tectonic Plates
Using analytical methods to track plate motions through Earth's history, Cande and Stegman's research provides evidence that such mantle plume "hot spots," which can last for tens of millions of years and are active today at locations such as Hawaii, Iceland and the Galapagos, may work as an additional tectonic driver, along with push-pull forces.

Underwater Antarctic Volcanoes Discovered in the Southern Ocean
The research is important also for understanding what happens when volcanoes erupt or collapse underwater and their potential for creating serious hazards such as tsunamis.

Bolton: Obama worst president for Israel – ever
Obama bought in to what he said was the “European line” that if you make progress between Israel and the Palestinians “freedom and light” will break out in the region, and every other problem from Iran to terrorism will be easier to solve. “I think that is like looking through the wrong end of the telescope,” he said.

China's military modernisation in numbers
A look at the key figures that tell the tale of China's increasing military power:



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Are U.S. Cops Preparing Widespread Use of Facial Recognition iPhone?
Starting as early as September, cops across the country may be using a new iphone-based device to identify people based on a picture of their face, iris scan, or a fingerprint reader, raising concerns about how the data will be gathered, stored, and used.

Libyan Rebels Train Boys Age 7 on Anti-Aircraft Guns to Fight Gaddafi’s War
This time, the gang that couldn’t shoot straight is made up of seven year old boys firing bazookas and automatic assault rifles. Yes, while most seven-year-olds are in school making friends and learning to read and write — maybe even pretending to fight with toy guns — in Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya, little boys are being trained by rebel forces to fight and overpower the Colonel‘s loyalist troops in the country’s bloody civil war.

Report: Iran moving nuclear program to bunker
Iran is moving its nuclear program into a mountain facility able to withstand air and missile strikes, the Telegraph reported Thursday, citing recent intelligence reports. The report says Iran disclosed the Fowrdow facility's location, inside a mountain near Qom, after Western intelligence sources reported of its existence.

German mayor calls for reintroduction of border controls on Polish border
Klaus-Dieter Hubner, the mayor of Guben, claimed that since Poland joined the Schengen zone in 2007 thefts in the region have soared by 32 per cent. "The fear of being checked at the border at any time would deter criminals," from taking stolen goods across the border, he explained.

Tainted Beef Hits Japanese Market
Japan grappled with a fresh radiation scare Tuesday, as authorities found that beef contaminated with radioactive cesium had been shipped to shops and restaurants throughout the country. The beef, from six cattle raised on a farm near the stricken ********* Daiichi nuclear plant, registered radioactive-cesium levels up to seven times that permitted by Japanese food-safety standards. Some of the meat had already likely been eaten, government officials said.

Earthquake hits English Channel
An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 has struck in the English Channel, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. The quake had a depth of 10km and its epicentre was south of Portsmouth, according to the BGS. ...David Kerridge, from the BGS, said it was the biggest incident of its kind in the area for nearly 300 years.

Spinal cord repair restores independent breathing
The ability to breathe has been restored to mice with spinal cord injuries, in what US researchers describe as a medical first. Some patients with damaged spinal cords need ventilators as they are unable to breathe on their own. A report in the journal Nature showed a nerve graft, coupled with a protein, could restore breathing.

Horn of Africa drought: Kenya row over Somali refugees
A row has broken out in Kenya's government over the huge influx of Somalis fleeing the region's worst drought in 60 years. About 370,000 Somalis are at an over-crowded camp and the government is divided over opening a second camp. One minister said a new camp would encourage more Somalis to cross the border.

Egypt to sack 700 police over killing of protesters
Almost 700 senior police officers in Egypt are being removed from their jobs over the killing of protesters during the revolution earlier this year. Interior Minister Mansour Essawy said 505 generals and 164 officers would end their service on 1 August. The move comes as protests continue in Cairo's Tahrir Square, calling for the speedy trials of police officers and corrupt Mubarak-era officials.

Ireland downgraded to 'junk' in spiralling euro-crisis
US-based credit rating agency Moody's on Tuesday (11 July) downgraded Ireland's debt to junk status, amid growing market concerns about the stability of the eurozone as the debt crisis reaches Italy and Spain. ..."Although Ireland's Ba1 rating indicates a much lower risk of restructuring than Greece's Caa1 rating, the increased possibility of private sector participation has the effect of further discouraging future private sector lending and increases the likelihood that Ireland will be unable to regain market access on sustainable terms in the near future," it said.

Hezbollah warns Israel against maritime border 'threats'
Hezbollah on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Jerusalem, vowing to protect its maritime rights against "Israeli threats." The comments by Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem came on the background of Israeli plans to mark the two countries’ maritime border to ensure unrestricted access to lucrative natural gas reserves.

Religious Freedom Group Sues Perry Over Planned All-Day Prayer Event in Texas
A Wisconsin-based religious freedom group is suing Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a possible Republican presidential contender, in an effort to block his promotion of and participation in an all-day Christian prayer event to be held Aug. 6, arguing that it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

52% think Intifada will follow statehood declaration
Majority of Israelis think violent Palestinian uprising will come after statehood bid whether or not UN recognizes state.


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Syria’s crisis reshapes ties with Iraq
The popular uprising that threatens to depose President Bashar Al Assad and his Baath party from power in Syria has reshaped relations with the neighboring Iraq, also formerly ruled by the Baath party. Iraq has now become Syria’s only open door to the world after the closure of the border with Jordan and the deployment of troops along the borders with Lebanon and Turkey.

U.S. drawdown begins in Afghanistan
U.S. Lt. Col. Wayne Perry, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said about 650 troops who had completed their rotation in Afghanistan left on Wednesday as scheduled, and would not be replaced.

Texas Drought Causing Cattle Deaths...
Add into that mix the fact that some water supplies are becoming dangerous for the cattle to drink, and you have a classic "danged if you do, danged if you don't" scenario.

'Massive heat wave' on way; Oklahomans urged to pray
..."The stage is being set for a massive heat wave to develop into next week as a large area of high pressure is anticipated to circulate hot and humid air over much of the central and eastern U.S.," the National Weather Service warned. ...In the thick of the heat wave is Oklahoma where Gov. Mary Fallin asked Oklahomans to pray for rain this Sunday.

US 'in talks to remove tactical nuclear weapons from Europe'
Washington is talking with other Nato member nations about the withdrawal of all shorter-range, tactical nuclear weapons that have been deployed in Europe since the Cold War era, the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun said. In-depth discussions will take place in coming months and the talks should conclude by the time Chicago hosts a Nato summit next May, the liberal daily said, citing a senior US official tasked with nuclear disarmament policies.

GOP Debt Ceiling Ace in the Hole: Obama’s Birthday Bash
the president is planning an extravagant fundraising bash Aug. 3 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, including a birthday concert teeming with celebrities and – for couples contributing $35,800 – a private dinner with the president. All this just one day after the government is scheduled to run out of cash!

Indonesians flee volcano eruption on Sulawesi
Thousands of people on an Indonesian island have been forced to flee a fierce volcanic eruption. Mount Lokon, on Sulawesi, started erupting at around 2230 local time (1530 GMT) on Thursday, according to reports. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Legionnaires' Cases Reported by Guests at Las Vegas Hotel
Spokeswoman Stephanie Bethel of the Southern Nevada Health District said Thursday that six cases of the sometimes-deadly form of pneumonia have been reported among Aria guests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pentagon admits suffering major cyber attack in March
The Pentagon has admitted it suffered a major cyber attack in which thousands of files were taken by foreign hackers. Deputy Defence Secretary William Lynn said that in a March attack and other breaches, hackers had taken information on "our most sensitive systems". The admission came as the Pentagon rolled out a strategy for strengthening US cyber capabilities and addressing threats and attacks in cyberspace.

Taking Liberties: Legislator Proposes Alternative Currency in Response to the Diminished Dollar
Fifteen other states, (Wash., Idaho, Mont., Utah, Colo., Okla., Mo., Ind., Tenn., Ga., S.C., N.C.,Vt., Iowa, N.H.) are currently or have recently considered proposals for creating alternative currencies.

U.S. national debt: dancing on the brink of a world crisis
The times have changed, and the national debt and deficit have become too astronomical to be treated as an American eccentricity, especially considering the U.S.-bred financial crisis of 2008 and the backdrop of failing finances in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal (likely to be followed by Spain and Italy) and the patently pre-crisis condition of the Euro.

6 in 10 Palestinians reject 2-state solution, survey finds
Only one in three Palestinians (34 percent) accepts two states for two peoples as the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to an intensive, face-to-face survey in Arabic of 1,010 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip completed this week by American pollster Stanley Greenberg. ...Seventy-three percent agreed with a quote from the charter (and a hadith, or tradition ascribed to the prophet Muhammad) about the need to kill Jews hiding behind stones and trees.

Iran developing centrifuge to speed uranium enrichment
Iran is stepping up centrifuge development work aimed at making its nuclear enrichment more efficient, diplomats say, signaling a possible advance in the Islamic Republic's disputed atomic program. Two newer and more advanced models of the breakdown-prone machine that Iran now operates to refine uranium are being installed for large-scale testing at a research site near the central town of Natanz, the diplomats told Reuters this week.

New Aircraft Flies Without Wings or Helicopter Blades
The Austrian research company IAT21 presented a revolutionary new type of aircraft called the D-Dalus at the Paris Air Show. Unlike other aircraft, the D-Dalus does not use wings or rotors to achieve flight. It’s a rectangular sled that can takeoff using to four mechanically-linked contra-rotating cylindrical turbines.

Former U.S. envoy to UN: PA bid for UN recognition means 'next to nothing'
John Bolton visits Israel, says even with General Assembly support in September, U.S. will veto recognition of Palestinian state in Security Council.

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Ireland censures Vatican on silence
THE Irish government has summoned the Vatican's ambassador for a rare face-to-face confrontation, as anger over Rome's advice to bishops not to report pedophile priests to police reignited the country's child abuse scandal. The Catholic "seal of the confessional" is also under threat in Ireland, with priests who refuse to disclose details of sex-abuse crimes revealed in the confessional or elsewhere, facing prison sentences of up to five years. It is the first time this has happened anywhere.

Debt showdown: Obama presses for 'something big'
Struggling to avert an unprecedented national default, congressional leaders jettisoned negotiations on a sweeping deficit-reduction package Friday despite a plea from President Barack Obama to "do something big" to stabilize America's finances.

Israeli aircraft strikes Gaza for fourth day in a row
An Israeli aircraft struck Gaza overnight for the fourth time in as many days, wounding a Palestinian who was about to fire a rocket, Palestinian security sources said on Saturday. The Palestinian was admitted to hospital but his injuries were not life-threatening, the sources said. An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed that an air strike had targeted a Palestinian.

8 banks flunk controversial European stress test
Eight of 90 European banks flunked stress tests projecting how they would fare in another recession, and 16 more barely passed -- but analysts doubted Friday's results would succeed in restoring confidence in the continent's shaky financial sector. Some countries challenged the results as inaccurate and overly pessimistic, saying they would not force their weaker banks to raise new cash. Economists warned that the tests were insufficient because they did not simulate the main risk hanging over Europe, a default by Greece.

China, Iran ink major infrastructure, trade deals
China and Iran on signed several on infrastructure and trade collaboration agreements Saturday, further testifying to the already strong political and economic ties between the two countries. He Guoqiang, of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh witnessed the signing ceremony.

US recognises Libyan rebel TNC as legitimate authority
he United States has recognised the Libyan opposition as the country's "legitimate governing authority". The move means billions of dollars of Libyan assets frozen in US banks could be released to the rebels. The decision was announced by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a diplomatic meeting in Istanbul.

'Syria increasing arms shipments to Hezbollah'
Damascus is increasing shipments of advanced missiles and other weapons to Hezbollah amid continuing unrest in Syria, The Times of London reported Friday quoting Western intelligence officials. The officials said Syria provided Hezbollah with eight Scud D missiles that have a range of 700 kilometers

Top CIA officer: Israel will probably attack Iran in Sept.
Israel will probably attack Iran in September, Robert Baer, a veteran CIA officer who spent 21 years in the Middle East including in Lebanon and Syria, told a Los Angeles radio show on Tuesday. While the CIA officer didn't reveal the sources behind his prediction, he referred to former Mossad chief Meir Dagan's warnings of an Israeli attack on Iran as "no bluff."

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Israeli defense officials want to repair ties with Turkey
Israel’s defense establishment wants to see ties with Turkey repaired, even supporting an apology to Ankara for a bloody 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Israel’s Haaretz daily reported Sunday. Relations between the former allies have been in tatters since the military operation, in which nine Turkish activists were killed when Israeli commandos raided a flotilla trying to breach a blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Three Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel overnight
Three Qassam rockets were fired into southern Israel overnight Saturday, exploding in open areas and causing no casualties or damage. The first rocket fell in the boundaries of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and the other two Qassams fell an hour later in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council.

Arab Spring hardening into summer of stalemates
Among the protest banners in Cairo's Tahrir Square was a hand-drawn map of the Arab Spring with black target symbols covering each country hit by anti-government uprisings since the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt were ousted earlier this year. But the bull's-eyes could easily be replaced with question marks as the groundswell for change has splintered into scattered and indecisive conflicts that have left thousands dead and Western policymakers juggling roles from NATO airstrikes in Libya to worried bystanders in Syria and Yemen.

Europe's crumbling economy leaving West defenseless?
NATO nations struggling with economic woes are on the verge of being unable to defend themselves in a crisis, and the go-to backup of the Unites States of America is warning it may not be able to catch everything that falls, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

Syrian troops enter border town, hundreds detained
Syrian troops backed by tanks stormed a town Sunday near the border with Lebanon as security forces rounded up more than 500 people, including a leading opposition figure, across the country over the past two days, activists said.

Late night explosions rock Libyan capital
A series of NATO airstrikes rocked the Libyan capital before dawn Sunday, sending up huge plumes of smoke over the city after hitting what Libyan state television said were civilian and military targets.

Indonesia volcano spews ash in biggest eruption
A volatile volcano in central Indonesia unleashed its most powerful eruption yet Sunday, spewing hot ash and smoke thousands of feet (meters) into the air and sending panicked villagers racing back to emergency shelters. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

NATO airstrikes target Taliban in east Afghanistan
NATO warplanes on Sunday bombed a school in eastern Afghanistan taken over by an unknown number of Taliban fighters as Afghan troops battled with insurgents holed up inside the building, a provincial official said.

Troops march in San Diego gay pride parade
About 200 active-duty troops and veterans wearing T-shirts advertising their branch of service marched Saturday in San Diego's gay pride parade with American flags and rainbow banners, marking what is believed to be the first time a military contingent has participated in such an event in the U.S.

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Big Brother Creep Out: 7 Ways US Govt. Invades Brains
With increasing frequency it seems agencies of the government are looking to tap into the public consciousness to gather information on everything from how you surf the Web to how they can use information generated by you to predict the future. It's all a little creepy, really. Here we take a look at seven programs announced this year that in some cases really want to crawl into your brain to see what's happening in the world.

Herman Cain Says U.S. Communities 'Have the Right' to Ban Mosques
"They have the right to do that. That's not discriminating ... against that particular religion. That is an aspect of them building that mosque that doesn't get talked about," he said. Cain again argued that residents were objecting to "the fact that Islam is both a religion and a set of laws, Shariah law. That's the difference between any one of our other traditional religions."

Polluted China plans carbon emissions trading scheme
CHINA will introduce a pilot scheme for carbon emissions trading and gradually develop a national market as the world's largest polluter seeks to reduce emissions and save energy, state media said. China will promote the market's development through “punitive” electricity tariffs on power-intensive industries and other new policies, Xie Zhenhua, a top climate official, was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

African nations urged to respond to drought crisis as UN begins airlifts
The United Nations has begun efforts to airlift supplies to refugee camps and areas in need of help during the worst drought in 60 years in the Horn of Africa, while pressure is mounting on major African countries to act. The United Nations Children’s Fund has airlifted emergency nutritional supplies and water-related equipment to Baidoa in southern Somalia, the group said in a statement.

Patraeus hands over NATO command in Afghanistan
The United States’ commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan is due to hand over control of the mission to his successor. General David Petraeus while be replaced by Lieutenant General John Allen, the Pentagon has confirmed, with Petraeus moving on to take charge of the Central Intelligence Agency from September.

Indonesia's Mount Lokon volcano erupts twice
An Indonesian volcano spewed hot gases and ash in two eruptions Monday that show high and unpredictable activity from the volatile mountain, experts said. The second blast at Mount Lokon was the larger of the two afternoon eruptions, spewing ash as high as 2,000 feet (600 meters) into the air, said Farid Ruskanda Bina, a government volcanologist stationed near the volcano on northern Sulawesi island. The eruptions were about 10 minutes apart.

Protest ship trying to reach Gaza on Tuesday
Pro-Palestinian activists say a protest ship trying to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip expects to reach the territory Tuesday. Activist Thomas Sommer says the Dignity al-Karama ship is traveling slowly in international waters and aims to reach Gaza after daybreak Tuesday.

Firefighters gain control over Jerusalem fire, police suspect arson
Firefighters have gained control over a large fire that broke out Sunday in the Jerusalem Forest and Mount Herzl area, in the western part of the city. The fire almost reached the Har Nof, Bayit Vagan neighborhoods and the Pi Glilot oil refinery. Rescue teams evacuated the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial nearby, and police have asked nearby residents to close their windows.

Gold reaches record high as markets stressed by banks and eurozone worries
Gold tipped above $1,600 an ounce in Europe on Monday as investors spooked by the eurozone debt crisis and the threat of a US default piled into the metal as a safe haven from risk.

Thai-Cambodian troops 'must leave Preah Vihear temple'
The UN's highest court has ordered Thailand and Cambodia to withdraw troops from a disputed border region near an ancient temple complex. Cambodia had asked the International Court of Justice for a ruling after fighting broke out around the Preah Vihear temple earlier this year. The temple belongs to Cambodia but much of the surrounding area is in Thailand.

Heat Wave Continues Throughout Midwest as Temperatures Climb
Heat advisories and warnings were in place in 17 states, from Texas to Michigan, as temperatures and humidity combined to make being outside uncomfortable for millions. One National Weather Service forecaster called the heat wave "unrelenting" and said sweaty residents shouldn't expect any relief soon: A so-called "heat dome" over the region isn't moving much.

64 missile warheads stolen from Romanian train
Authorities say they are investigating the theft of 64 missile warheads from a train transporting military equipment to Bulgaria.

EU foreign ministers call on sides to return to talks
As both Israel and the Palestinian Authority are actively wooing Europe before the PA's expected effort to ask for statehood recognition at the UN in September, the EU's foreign ministers issued a statement Monday calling on the sides to act responsibly and resume "direct and sustentative talks." In what could be interpreted as a signal to the PA that the EU was not enamored with its UN bid, the statement issued after a meeting of the EU's 27 foreign minister in Brussels read, "The EU reiterates its concern at the continuing stalemate in the Peace Process and calls on the parties to show the highest sense of responsibility and to resume direct and substantive talks."

7,500 earthquakes hit shattered New Zealand city
Seismologists have recorded 7,500 earthquakes in Christchurch since September — an average of more than 20 a day. The rumblings are rattling the psyche of the still-battered city. They have left the land under thousands of homes unsafe to build on. Some people have left town entirely.

Police "gun down" rioters in China's Xinjiang, at least 4 dead
Police in western China's restive Xinjiang on Monday "gunned down" several rioters who attacked a police station and killed at least four people, though an exile group said the incident started when police fired on peaceful protesters.

Site of Lithuanian 'Holy Ark' Found
Restoration work in the old Jewish Quarter of Vilnius, Lithuania led to an emotional discovery last week – the finding of the site of the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) of the Great Synagogue of Vilnius, a five-story structure that sat at the heart of what was known in pre-Holocaust days, as “the Jerusalem of Lithuania.”

Palestinians Plan 'Masssive' Push for Recognition
The Palestinian Authority is planning a massive diplomatic campaign to gain recognition of statehood from both the United Nations as well as individual countries, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Sunday

European Debt Fears Hit Markets After Stress Tests
Worries that Europe's debt crisis will spread to Italy and Spain weighed on markets Monday after stress tests into the continent's banks failed to ease tensions ahead of an emergency meeting of EU leaders.

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Iranian Troops Attack Kurdish Camps in Iraq
Thousands of Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) troops crossed into northern Iraq over the weekend, bombarding Iraqi Kurdish villages.

Coburn Proposes $9 Trillion Deficit Cut Measure
One of the Senate's staunchest budget-cutters has unveiled a massive plan to reduce the deficit by $9 trillion over the coming decade.

Obama's Proposal: Increase Debt Extra $26B This Year, $83B Next Year, $2.7T Over Decade
While the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted this year to approve House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's (R.-Wis.) proposal--that would put the government on a gradual path to a surplus by 2040--and plans to vote on a balanced budget amendment next week that would cap federal spending at 18 percent of GDP, the only budget proposal President Obama's has publicly revealed in 2011 would, according to the Congressional Budget Office, increase the deficit by $26 billion this year, $83 billion next year, and $2.7 trillion over the next decade.

U.S. scrambling to prevent Israel-Turkey ties from worsening
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton relayed a message during her visit to Istanbul late last week to Turkish President Abdullah Gul from President Barack Obama, on the crisis in Turkish-Israeli relations. A senior Israeli official noted that Clinton told the Turkish president that Obama considered the restoration of ties between the two countries very important and would like to see relations between the two U.S. allies return to their previous levels.

Newborn Wildlife Abandoned Because of Heat, Drought
The extreme heat and persistent drought seen in much of Texas is taking its toll on wildlife, with deer, birds and other animals abandoning or unable to feed their young. Pregnant does are having problems carrying fawns to term, and most of them born prematurely aren't surviving, according to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Other does are abandoning their newborns because drought-induced malnutrition has robbed them of their ability to produce milk.

India: 'Massive' uranium find in Andhra Pradesh
India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh may have one of the largest reserves of uranium in the world, the country's chief nuclear officer says. Studies show Tummalapalle in Kadapa district could have reserves of 150,000 tonnes of the mineral, Atomic Energy Commission chief S Banerjee said. India has estimated reserves of about 175,000 tonnes of uranium.

Libya conflict: US officials met Gaddafi envoys
US officials have held face-to-face talks with representatives of Col Muammar Gaddafi's government, the US state department has confirmed. The US said the meeting reiterated its demand that Col Gaddafi step down, and involved no negotiations. A spokesman said the Libyan government supported dialogue with the US but only if it was free from preconditions.

Beck moving J'lem rally over fears of 40,000 Muslims
Conservative radio and former Fox News commentator Glenn Beck announced that he is moving a mass rally planned for August from the Southern Wall of Jerusalem's Old City. On his radio show Monday, Beck said that warnings from security officials led him to fear that the event could turn violent and possibly result in the outbreak of "World War III." Noting that "this is a country that has experienced the death of Yitzhak Rabin," Beck said, "obviously, that would be horrific in nature if something like any kind of violence would happen" at the rally.

Strong El Niño Could Bring Increased Sea Levels, Storm Surges to US East Coast
it was found that in strong El Niño years, these coastal areas experienced nearly three times the average number of storm surge events (defined as those of one foot or greater). The research also found that waters in those areas saw a third-of-a-foot elevation in mean sea level above predicted conditions.

2011 Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone' Could Be Biggest Ever
Researchers from Texas A&M University have returned from a trip to examine the scope and size of this year's "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico and have measured it currently to be about 3,300 square miles, or roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, but some researchers anticipate it becoming much larger.

Al Qaeda Expected to Shift Focus to Western Targets Outside U.S.
Al Qaeda is expected to shift strategy under new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, placing a higher priority on attacking the U.S. and Western targets overseas, where plots are easier to execute than on the U.S. homeland

Giant Dust Storm Sweeps Through Phoenix Area
The dust wall was about 3,000 feet high and created winds of 25 to 30 mph, with gusts of up to 40 mph, said Austin Jamison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Visibility was down to less than a quarter-mile in some areas, he said.

Gold soared to $1,610.10 per ounce at 0720 GMT on the London Bullion Market
Gold prices have raced to another record high level as investors seek shelter from the eurozone debt storm.

Destruction of First Temple Commemorated with Day of Fasting
Hundreds of thousands of observant Jewish families begin the "Three Weeks" of gradually-increasing mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temples and Israel's exile on Tuesday, with the fast of the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz.

Albuquerque copper thief likely injured by jolt
Albuquerque police say at least one vandal was likely seriously injured trying to steal copper from an elementary school because the thieves left behind several melted tools and a scorched T-shirt.

Israel Navy takes over Gaza-bound French ship 'Dignity'
After crew of over a dozen pro-Palestinian activists refuses to divert course away from closed naval blockade of Gaza, IDF soldiers board, commandeer ship with no resistance; yacht will be brought to Ashdod Port. Talkbacks () The Israel Navy commandeered and intercepted the Gaza-bound French ship Dignity - Al-Karama after negotiations to persuade 15 pro-Palestinian activists aboard to divert their course away from the Strip's closed naval blockade failed.

Iran says it is installing 'better' nuclear centrifuges
Iran says it is installing centrifuges with "better quality and speed" to improve the uranium enrichment process at its nuclear plants. The foreign ministry statement comes despite international demands for Iran to halt its nuclear activities. It said the UN atomic watchdog had "full supervision" of the centrifuges.

Syrian troops 'kill civilians in Homs assault'
Syrian security forces have shot dead several civilians in the city of Homs, eyewitnesses and activists say. Intense gunfire was reported overnight in Homs, with one resident telling Reuters there were "troops and armoured vehicles in every neighbourhood".

Israeli navy takes over Gaza-bound ship
Israeli naval commandos on Tuesday took over a French ship attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, reporting no resistance during the takeover in international waters. The navy boarded the ship after the 16 pro-Palestinian activists on board ignored calls to change course.

House to vote on tea party-backed debt plan
House Republican leaders are giving the tea party a chance to do things its way in the latest chapter in the saga over increasing the government's borrowing limit and avoiding a first-ever default.

Heat wave scorches central United States
A stifling heat wave in the nation's midsection intensified on Monday, closing government buildings that lacked air-conditioning and prompting warnings to residents to keep as cool as possible. The National Weather Service put 18 states stretching from North Dakota to Texas and East to Ohio under a heat warning, watch or advisory. It said as many 13 deaths in the past week in the Midwest could be blamed on the effects of the heat.

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Bolton: PA Statehood Bid Means "Next to Nothing"
Former United States envoy to the United Nations John Bolted said the PA statehood bid at the UN in September means "next to nothing" without a peace agreement with Israel, The AP reported."You don't want to invest authority and legitimacy in something that doesn't have authority and legitimacy," - The significance of the move, "as a practical matter, is next to nothing," he said. The US and Israel say a Mideast peace deal and PA statehood should come about only through the bilateral framework of the Oslo Accords, which are what allow the PA to exist in the first place.

New cauldrons forms in Mýrdalsjökull glacier (Katla volcano)
According to the news here in Iceland there have been a formation of at least three new cauldrons in Mýrdalsjökull glacier, where they have not been before in the glacier. This means that the hydrothermal areas under the glacier are growing in size due to new magma pushing up into the crust and warming it up. This is a clear sign that Katla volcano is warming up to a eruption. When that might happen is still a question with no answers.

Cornell Team Builds Space-Time Invisibility Cloak
The theoretical possibility of an "event cloak" -- a metamaterial space-time device that could theoretically conceal an entire event in time from the view of an outsider -- has been written about for years. And while some bright minds have been talking about bending space-time to their whims, a team at Cornell was doing it. And it works.

UN declares Somalia famine in Bakool and Lower Shabelle
The United Nations has declared a famine in two areas of southern Somalia as the region suffers the worst drought in more than half a century. The UN said the humanitarian situation in southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle had deteriorated rapidly. It is the first time that the country has seen famine in 19 years.

New York holds gay marriage lottery
New York City is holding a lottery to award couples the right to marry on Sunday, the first day same-sex couples can be wed under a new law. The lottery will select 764 couples, and opposite sex couples are eligible. "The number of couples who want to marry on Sunday is more than the City Clerk's offices could possibly handle," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

Saudi Arabia's 'Anti-Witchcraft Unit' breaks another spell
When the severed head of a wolf wrapped in women's lingerie turned up near the city of Tabouk in northern Saudi Arabia this week, authorities knew they had another case of witchcraft on their hands, a capital offence in the ultra-conservative desert kingdom. Agents of the country’s Anti-Witchcraft Unit were quickly dispatched and set about trying to break the spell that used the beast’s head.

Barghouti urges Palestinian march to back UN statehood bid
Jailed terrorist leader calls on Palestinians "to go out in a peaceful, million-man march during week of voting in September"; says move will open the door to "peaceful, popular resistance."

Iran claims to have shot down U.S. spy drone over nuclear site
Iran has shot down an unmanned U.S. spy plane over its Fordu nuclear site, a state-run website reported on Wednesday, a day after it confirmed it was installing a new generation of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges.

China urges U.S. to boost confidence in debt, dollar
China pressed the United States to take "responsible" measures to boost market confidence in the dollar and U.S. government debt on Wednesday, underscoring investor worries that Washington could default on its debt.

Hurricane Dora Gains Strength off Mexican Coast
Hurricane Dora grew stronger offshore on Wednesday as it brought rain to the Mexican coast. The fourth hurricane of the eastern Pacific season was forecast to move parallel to the shoreline for several days. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm was centered about 225 miles south-southwest of Acapulco and was moving west-northwest at 18 mph with top sustained winds near 80 mph.

Russia herds former Soviet states into economic union
More than 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia is again herding former Soviet republics into a union to reap political advantages if not economic ones, analysts said on Wednesday.

Day the sky turned brown: 3,000ft high dust cloud rolls across Arizona AGAIN
Arizona was hit by its second giant dust storm in two weeks yesterday, turning the sky brown, delaying flights and causing mayhem for motorists, with llow visibility causing an eight-truck crash.

Midwest heat wave expected to persist this week
Seventeen states issued heat watches, warnings or advisories on Monday, when the heat index easily surpassed 100 degrees in many places, including 126 in Newton, Iowa, and 119 in Madison, Minn.

Syrian Death Squads Massacre Mourners at Funerals
A mother and brother of a victim of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s death squads were gunned down as they tried to bury the victim until security forces fired at crowds. Five others were killed and more than 40 were wounded.

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Massive heat wave spreads across United States
Crowds flocked to waterfronts and swimming pools on the East Coast and in the Midwest on Thursday to try to cope with a massive heat wave that has killed at least 22 people this week. The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for wide areas of the central and eastern United States, saying the combined heat and humidity could push the "real feel" temperature to 115 Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) through Saturday.-By the weekend, the heat wave is expected to cover half of the United States and affect nearly half of its 310 million people, AccuWeather.com forecaster Mary Yoon said. "What makes this heat wave so impressive is the pure size and longevity," said Yoon.

Popular Campus Crusade for Christ to Drop ‘Crusade’ and ‘Christ’ from Name
Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) — the popular, large-scale Christian organization — has decided to make a major change. In early 2012, the multi-faceted para-church group will officially drop the name it has held for 60 years, replacing it with a three-letter word — “Cru.” While many within the group are praising the change, some outsiders wonder if the ministry, which seeks to “build spiritual movements everywhere so everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus Christ,“ is making the wrong decision by removing ”Christ” from its title.

If debt deal near, Obama would OK stopgap measure
Running out of time, President Barack Obama softened his stand and signaled Wednesday he would back a short-term deal to prevent a disastrous financial default on Aug. 2, but only if a larger and still elusive deficit-cutting agreement was essentially in place. He called lawmakers to the White House in a scramble to find enough votes from both Republicans and his own party.

U.N. calls emergency meeting on east Africa famine
The United Nations has called an emergency meeting on July 25 to discuss mobilizing aid for drought-stricken east Africa, where famine has been declared in parts of Somalia. A wide swathe of east Africa, including Kenya and Ethiopia, has been hit by years of severe drought and the United Nations says two regions of southern Somalia are suffering the worst famine for 20 years, with 3.7 million people facing starvation.

Israel urged to stop faking foreign passports
Various countries have sent secret messages to Israel informing Jerusalem that they are aware that Mossad agents are using their passports in overseas operations, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday. The countries, all friends of Israel, demanded to halt all use of such passports in messages to Israeli embassies and as part of the consular discourse.

Lawyer: Cop scanner ‘crosses line’
Civil libertarians are raising the alarm over the state’s plans to create a Big Brother database that could map drivers’ whereabouts with police cruiser-mounted scanners that capture thousands of license plates per hour — storing that information indefinitely where local cops, staties, feds and prosecutors could access it as they choose.

US report warns of al-Qaida terror threat to utility plants
US officials fear al-Qaida will attempt a massive September 11 anniversary attack by sabotaging a major utility facility with the use of insiders that the terrorist organization has successfully planted in such facilities, a US intelligence report released on Wednesday states.

Blistering heat wave stressing nation's power grid
A lengthy, blistering heat wave that is blanketing the eastern half of the United States is putting significant stress on the nation's power grid as homeowners and businesses crank up their air conditioners. Utilities say they're ready for high power demand and widespread electricity shortages or outages are unlikely.

Climate change 'threatens peace', UN official warns
Climate change poses a major threat to future peace and security, a senior UN official has warned. Achim Steiner from the UN Environment Programme said climate change would also "exponentially" increase the scale of natural disasters.

Germany and France agree common position on debt crisis
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have hammered out a common position on the euro debt crisis. A statement by the French president's office said agreement had been reached after seven hours of talks in Berlin.

Arizona seeks donations to build Mexico border fence
The US state of Arizona is soliciting private donations to build a fence along its border with Mexico. The effort's Republican backer warns the fence is needed to keep out "drug cartels, violent gangs... illegal aliens, and even terrorists". He hopes to raise $50m (£31m) for the effort.

US report warns of al-Qaida terror threat to utility plants
US officials fear al-Qaida will attempt a massive September 11 anniversary attack by sabotaging a major utility facility with the use of insiders that the terrorist organization has successfully planted in such facilities, a US intelligence report released on Wednesday states. ABC quoted the new US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report as warning that violent extremists have obtained such insider positions and are planning physical and cyber attacks at a major facility, including a chemical or oil refinery.

Pastors: Homosexuality not a sin
More than 100 ordained Christian ministers have signed the proclamation, including leaders from Lutheran, Episcopalian, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.

California -- bad for business
Burdened by taxation and regulations, more and more companies in California are fleeing the state. The Golden State has been labeled as the worst state to conduct business, with a shaky state budget and increasing number of companies relocating to states such as Texas and Florida.

Federal Reserve Actively Preparing For The Possibility Of U.S. Default
Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Plosser said the Fed has for the past few months been working closely with Treasury, ironing out what to do if the world's biggest economy runs out of cash on August 2.

China, U.S. heading toward South China Sea faceoff
A confrontation is looming between China and the United States over Beijing claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea in conflict both with U.S. assertions of its right to patrol there and claims from other nations that they, too, have rights in the gas- and oil-rich region

John Bolton Takes on UN and Obama at CUFI
Speaking to the Chairman's club dinner at the sixth annual Christians United for Israel (CUFI) national summit in Washington DC, Bolton said “the most powerful force on earth is not nuclear weapons, but an aroused American public.”

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Deady Explosion Rocks Oslo; Attack Also Reported At Youth Camp
Two tragic stories are playing out in Norway, where a large explosion today — or possibly more than one blast — caused deaths, injuries and extensive damage to government buildings in Oslo. At the same time, there are reports that an individual dressed as a police officer opened fire at a youth Labor Party camp on an island in a fjord about 45 minutes from Oslo. It is not known at this hour (1 p.m. ET) if the incidents are related. Nor is it known who is responsible for them. Authorities suspect, though, that terrorists were likely behind the explosions.

Ahmadinejad said to be pushing for open atom work
'Reliable intelligence assessment' obtained by AP says Iranian president wants to continue with developing nuclear weapons openly but is opposed by Tehran's clerical leadership: Khamenei, whose word is final on nuclear & other issues, "wants to progress using secret channels, due to concern about a severe response from the West," the report said.

Napolitano: Domestic Terrorists Central to Threat
Napolitano’s comments come on the heels of a new Department of Homeland Security progress report that examines whether the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations are being implemented. The 9/11 Commission was a bipartisan, independent study group created in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks to account for what happened and to find ways to prevent the next attack.

North Korea and Iran increase collaboration on nuclear missile, report claims
According to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), North Korea's weapons programmes are now benefiting from technology from Iran. Pyongyang also possesses technology that would enable Iran's uranium enrichment programme to increase its output. However concrete evidence that North Korea has supplied the Iranians with its superior equipment has not been uncovered by IISS.

DHS Video Characterizes White Americans as Most Likely Terrorists
A new promotional video released by the Department of Homeland Security characterizes white middle class Americans as the most likely terrorists, as Big Sis continues its relentless drive to cement the myth that mad bombers are hiding around every corner, when in reality Americans are just as likely to be killed by lightning strikes or peanut allergies.

Beijing develops pulse weapons
China's military is developing electromagnetic pulse weapons that Beijing plans to use against U.S. aircraft carriers in any future conflict over Taiwan, according to an intelligence report made public on Thursday. Portions of a National Ground Intelligence Center study on the lethal effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons revealed that the arms are part of China’s so-called “assassin’s mace” arsenal - weapons that allow a technologically inferior China to defeat U.S. military forces.

Somali Islamists maintain aid ban and deny famine
Somalia's al-Shabab Islamists have denied lifting their 2009 ban on Western aid agencies and say UN reports of famine are "sheer propaganda". The UN on Wednesday said that parts of Somalia were suffering a famine after the worst drought in 60 years. A spokesman for al-Shabab, which has ties to al-Qaeda and controls much of the country, accused aid groups of being political.

European Central Bank chief does not exclude Greek default
European Central Bank chief Jean Claude Trichet on Thursday (21 July) said that he could not prejudge if ratings agencies would declare a 'selective' default of Greek bonds, but noted that eurozone leaders have prepared for that event with €55bnn for bank recapitalisations and improving the creditworthiness of Greek government debt.

Abbas: UN approval will allow us to treat Israel as equals
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday the Palestinians were seeking membership in the United Nations so they could enter negotiations with Israel as equal partners. Abbas said during a visit to Barcelona, Spain, that once the Palestinians gain membership in the UN, they would return to the negotiating table with Israel.

Beijing develops pulse weapons
China's military is developing electromagnetic pulse weapons that Beijing plans to use against U.S. aircraft carriers in any future conflict over Taiwan, according to an intelligence report made public on Thursday

UK scientists want human-animal tests monitored
British scientists say a new expert body should be formed to regulate experiments mixing animal and human DNA to make sure no medical or ethical boundaries are crossed.

Extreme Heat: Emergency Rooms Report Increase in Patients
The extreme heat system scorching the nation is on the move eastward toward major cities today as it impacts airports, tourist spots and emergency rooms.

Syria Warns US Ambassador to Stay in Capital
The Syrian government has warned U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford not to leave Damascus. But the U.S. government has demanded full freedom of movement in the country for its envoy, and that of France.

Poll: Majority of U.S. Jews support Mideast peace plan based on 1967 borders
According to the poll, 83% of the American Jews support a U.S.-brokered solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while 70% want the administration to offer a peace plan that proposes set borders and security arrangements.

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Gunman's background puzzles police in Norway
The 32-year-old suspected of gunning down scores of young people at a summer camp and setting off a bomb in downtown Oslo that killed at least seven is a mystery to investigators: a right-winger with anti-Muslim views but no known links to hardcore extremists. "He just came out of nowhere," a police official told The Associated Press.

US arrests 2,000 in anti-drug sting
US authorities have arrested nearly 2,000 people on narcotics charges in a 20-month sting targeting Mexico's La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, the US Justice Department said Thursday. The ongoing multi-agency takedown saw 1,985 people arrested, along with the seizure of about $62 million in US dollars, and more than 12 tons of drugs.

Iran: Nuclear scientist 'shot dead' in Tehran
An Iranian nuclear scientist has been shot dead outside his home in Tehran, Iranian media sources say. The Isna news agency named him as Daryoush Rezaei, 35, adding that his wife was wounded. His identity has not been officially confirmed.

US Federal Reserve prepares for the worse
The US Federal Reserve is preparing for the possibility that Congress will not fall into line with the president on raising the government’s borrowing limit. All parties will have to agree by August 2nd to ensure the US does not go into default. Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has already said a lack of agreement will send the world’s financial markets into a spiral.

In West Bank city of Nablus, archaeologists uncover biblical ruin
Dutch and Palestinian archaeologists are preparing to open the site of the ancient city of Shekhem as an archaeological park next year. ...The patriarch Abraham, for example, was passing near Shekhem when God promised to give the land of Canaan to his descendants in the Book of Genesis. Later, Abraham's grandson Jacob was camped outside the walls when a local Canaanite prince raped his daughter, Dinah. Jacob's sons sacked the city in vengeance.

Return of Mass Layoffs a Grim Sign for U.S. Workers
Putting pressure on an already lousy job market, the mass layoff is making a comeback. In the past week, Cisco, Lockheed Martin and Borders announced a combined 23,000 in job cuts. (See: Another Retailer Bites the Dust: Borders Doomed by Amazon Deal, Davidowitz Says) Those announcements follow 41,432 in planned cuts in June, up 11.6% from May and 5.3% vs. a year earlier, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Large Hadron Collider results excite scientists
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has picked up tantalising fluctuations which might - or might not - be hints of the sought-after Higgs boson particle. But scientists stress caution over these "excess events", because similar wrinkles have been detected before only to disappear after further analysis.

Heatwave breaks records in parts of US and Canada
A heatwave has baked eastern parts of the US and Canada, as temperatures surged to record-breaking highs in some parts. The mercury in Newark, New Jersey, reached 108F (42C) on Friday, the highest ever recorded in the city. In Canada, an extreme heat alert remained in effect, a day after two dozen cities and towns broke their previous single-day heat records.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner quits debt talks
Republican House Speaker John Boehner has walked away from crunch debt ceiling talks at the White House with US President Barack Obama. Mr Obama said Mr Boehner had rejected an "extraordinarily fair deal" that would have included $650bn (£400bn) of cuts to entitlement programmes. ...Mr Boehner told a news conference afterwards that Mr Obama had "moved the goal posts" by demanding a tax hike.

Salehi: 'Iran ready to talk with US without preconditions'
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told Iranian official news agency IRNA that the Islamic Republic is willing to negotiate with the United States as long as the dialogue is between "equals" and without preconditions. "The US wants to treat Iran like it did before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and base its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran according to its political tendencies," Salehi said in the interview.

Erdogan: 'Unthinkable' for ties to improve without apology
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said it was "unthinkable" for Turkey to repair relations with Israel until it apologized for the raid on the Mavi Marmara last year, AFP reported. "As long as Israel does not apologize to Turkey, pay compensation to the families of the victims and lift its blockage on the Gaza strip, a normalization of relations is unthinkable," he said during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Istanbul.

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Biblical Jewish Roots Irrelevant, Says PA Activist
The Bible is an “ancient holy book” that is irrelevant to the Palestinian Authority's aim to take over all of Judea and Samaria from the Jews, a PA activist said in a rare debate last week with a “settler” in a Washington synagogue. Ibish’s comments were in answer to Ha’Ivri’s statement that Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible and not at all in the Koran and that most of the Biblical narrative relates to events in Judea and Samaria. The live debate on the subject “Palestinian State or Jewish Homeland?” came less than two months before the Arab League is expected to ask the United Nations to recognize “Palestine” as an independent country based on the Arab world’s territorial and political demands, which deny recognizing Israel as a “Jewish” state.

Rare gold bell discovered in excavations in Jerusalem
A rare gold bell with a small loop at its end was discovered during an archaeological excavation in the drainage channel that begins in the Shiloah Pool and continues from the City of David to the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden, near the Western Wall. According to the excavation directors, archaeologists Eli Shukron and Professor Ronny Reich of Haifa University, "It seems the bell was sewn on the garment worn by a high official in Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period." In the Book of Exodus, there is a description of the high priest Aaron's robe: "All of blue... it shall have a binding of woven work... And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about."

Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Hits Northeast Japan, Near Honshu, Tsunami Warning Issued
A very strong earthquake has rocked northeastern Japan, the same region that was devastated by March’s massive earthquake and tsunami: The US Geological Survey reported that the magnitude-6.4 quake was centered 22 miles below the sea bed in the Pacific Ocean, 257 miles northeast of Tokyo, which is the same area where over 22,000 people were killed or went missing after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. The U.S. Geological Survey provides more details on the earthquake here.

Police Say Oslo Suspect Admits to ‘Facts’ in Massacre
The Norwegian man charged with attacks in and near Oslo, killing over 90 people, has admitted “to the facts” of the case, the police and his lawyer said on Sunday, and claims to have acted alone in a strike eerily foretold in a detailed manifesto calling for a Christian war to defend Europe against the threat of Muslim domination.

Police: 6 Killed In Grand Prairie Roller Rink Shooting
A shooter opened fire at a skating rink during a private family event Saturday night, killing five and wounding four before turning the gun on himself, Grand Prairie Police spokesman John Brimmer said.

Leaders seek debt deal before Asian markets open
Congressional leaders planned to work on a fiercely hot Sunday in Washington to try to reach a bipartisan accord to avert a debt-ceiling crisis on Aug. 2.

Pawlenty: Obama not showing courage in debt crisis
GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty says President Barack Obama is showing no courage in the debt showdown. "If you're the leader of the free world, would you please come to microphone and quit hiding in the basement about your proposals, and come on up and address the American people? Is he chicken?" the former Minnesota governor told CNN's "State of the Union."

Iran blamed U.S., Israel for killing of scientist
A senior Iranian official on Sunday blamed the United States and Israel for the killing of an Iranian scientist, who the deputy interior minister said was not linked to Iran's nuclear program as reported by media.

Vows Make New York Largest Gay-Marriage State
Gay-rights activists Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd were legally married the very first moment they could be during a midnight ceremony at Niagara Falls that ushered in same-sex marriage in the state and marked a pivotal moment in the national drive for recognition.

Schuller's Crystal Cathedral may be reborn as Catholic
A Roman Catholic diocese made a $50 million cash offer to buy Southern California's financially struggling Crystal Cathedral, officials said Friday.

Lawyer: Norway suspect wanted anti-Muslim crusade
The man blamed for attacks on Norway's government headquarters and a youth retreat that left at least 92 dead said he was motivated by a desire to bring about a revolution in Norwegian society, his lawyer said Sunday. A manifesto that he is believed to have written ranted against Muslim immigration to Europe and vowed revenge on "indigenous Europeans" who he accused of betraying their heritage.

8 people reported shot at low-rider car show
Eight people were shot at a a low-rider car show south of Seattle after a fight on Saturday afternoon, police said. Police were searching for several people believed involved in the shooting, NBC station KING 5 reported.

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World stocks fall as US debt deadlock continues
World stock markets were lower Monday after U.S. political leaders failed to reach a deal to raise Washington's debt limit and avoid a default. Oil prices fell to near $99 a barrel in Asia amid investor concern the lack of a debt agreement might damage the world's biggest economy and reduce demand for crude.

Turkey threatens diplomatic action pending Israel apology for Gaza flotilla raid
The Turkish government has formulated a back-up plan that it has threatened to execute should Israel continue to refuse to apologize for the commando raid that killed nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists aboard the Gaza-bound ship Mavi Marmara in May 2010. This plan includes further downgrading relations with Israel which are already on shaky grounds, according to a report on Monday in the Turkish paper Hurriyet Daily News.

Vatican recalls Irish papal envoy after Cloyne report
The Vatican has recalled its special envoy in Ireland after a ****ing report on the Catholic Church's handling of child abuse by priests. Vatican radio has reported that Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Leanza is being called back to Rome to discuss the impact of the recent Cloyne Report. It showed how allegations of sex abuse by priests in Cork had been covered up.

'China, Iran discussing barter system to bypass sanctions'
Iran and China are discussing using a barter system to exchange Iranian oil for Chinese goods and services, as US sanctions have blocked China from paying at least $20 billion for oil, the Financial Times said. The paper, citing people familiar with the problem, said US financial sanctions against Iran, which make it hard to conduct dollar-denominated business, meant China might owe the oil-rich country as much as $30 billion.

United Nations' End Run Around Constitution?
"What are you going to do with her once 'The Empire' bans your shotguns?" he asked. For a moment I was lost. "The Empire?" "Yeah," he said, "The U.N. -- the global imperial government in New York. 'The Empire' wants to control who can buy or keep a shotgun."

Believers in Mysterious Planet Nibiru, Comet Elenin Await Earth's End
The waxing obsession with the planet Nibiru , which conspiracy theorists say is a planet swinging in from the outskirts of our solar system that is going to crash into Earth and wipe out humanity in 2012 — or, in some opinions, 2011 — shows that an astonishing number of people "are watching YouTube videos and visiting slick websites with nothing in their skeptical toolkit," in the words of David Morrison, a planetary astronomer at NASA Ames Research Center and senior scientist at the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

Anti-Zionists Try to Blame Mossad for Norway Terror
It did not take long for anti-Zionists to try to pin the massacre in Norway on Israel. The theory began with a way-out blog but now has reached Al Jazeera.

Jesus' baptismal site in Jordan Valley reopens to pilgrims
The Jordan Valley site where Christians believe Jesus was baptized was reopened to the public at large last week, in a ceremony hosted by Minister Silvan Shalom.

Israel looking into revoking Oslo Accords in response to Palestinian UN bid
A team headed by National Security Adviser Ya'akov Amidror is looking into calling off the Oslo Accords in response to the Palestinian Authority's unilateral plan to gain United Nations recognition for an independent state.

Gold hits new high as debt talks stall
Gold rose to fresh record high on Monday as talks over lifting the debt ceiling appeared to be stalling just days before the August 2 deadline, raising the prospect of a debt default.

Return of Mass Layoffs a Grim Sign for U.S. Workers
Putting pressure on an already lousy job market, the mass layoff is making a comeback. In the past week, Cisco, Lockheed Martin and Borders announced a combined 23,000 in job cuts.

150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years
The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases. The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.

Futures slump as debt talks result in no deal
U.S. stock index futures fell sharply on Sunday as failure so far by the government to strike a deal on the debt ceiling made the prospect of default -- once considered an impossible outcome -- more likely.

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Outbreak of rare illness reported in Arizona, Mexico
An outbreak of a rare illness that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis has been reported in southwestern Arizona and a neighboring community in Mexico. Seven cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome were reported in the Arizona communities of San Luis and Yuma. Another 17 case were found in and around San Luis Rio Colorado in the Mexican state of Sonora. A Mexican man who had a pre-existing chronic condition died from the illness about three weeks ago.

Iraq, Syria and Iran sign Mou for gas pipeline
Oil ministers for Iraq, Syria and Iran have signed an Mou for the construction of a gas pipeline to transfer Iranian gas to Europe. The 1500 km pipeline will transfer natural gas from Iran’s South Pars gas field in the Gulf to Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon and then potentially onto the Mediterranean Sea. The pipeline will take 3 - 5 years to build and will require the investment of up to US$ 10 billion.

Syria ends ban on opposition parties but ensures they will never win power
Meeting at the behest of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, the cabinet gave its approval to a bill that will allow organised political opposition for the first time in nearly five decades. The draft legislation will be presented to Syria's pliant parliament next week. The reform is being presented as part of a package of political concessions meant to mollify protesters.

Two Chinese fighters 'pursue' US spy plane
Taiwan's Defence ministry said it sent two F-16 fighters to intercept the Chinese Sukhoi-27 jets near the central line across the 113-mile wide Taiwan Strait. The ministry said it was the first time that Chinese jets have breached its airspace since 1999 and that the two Chinese jets quickly turned around.

India raises interest rates in a bid to slow inflation
India's central bank has raised interest rates by more-than-expected as it continues to fight rising prices. The Reserve Bank of India raised its main rate to 8% from 7.5%, the eleventh increase since March 2010. Inflation has been accelerating and a key measure of price growth hit 9.44% in June, pushed up by higher food and fuel costs.

Israel announces housing reforms amid large protests
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has announced a series of reforms to address the country's growing housing crisis. He said his plans would bring "huge changes" and significantly improve the housing situation of young couples, students and demobilised soldiers. Protests over a lack of affordable housing have continued for 12 days.

UK GDP figures show slower growth of 0.2%
Growth in the UK economy slowed in the three months to 30 June, partly because of the extra bank holiday in April. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.2% in the second quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics, down from 0.5% in the previous quarter. The ONS said growth had also been slowed by some other one-off factors, including the Japanese tsunami.

US debt limit: Obama and Boehner trade blows on impasse
US President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner have blamed each other for the standoff over the federal debt crisis, as a deadline to avert a default looms. Mr Obama condemned the Republicans' insistence on steep budget cuts and warned of a "reckless" outcome if the debt ceiling is not raised by Congress. Mr Boehner responded by accusing the president of seeking a "blank cheque".

ATF Accused in Congressional Report of 'Arming' Cartel for 'War' Through Operation Fast and Furious
The failed federal anti-gunrunning program known as Operation Fast and Furious got so out of control in November 2009, it appeared the U.S. government was single-handedly "arming for war" the Sinaloa Cartel, documents show, even as ATF officials here kept lying to fellow agents in Mexico about the volume of guns it helped send south of the border.

Storm batters Philippines, 10 people dead, 5 missing
Ten people died and five fishermen were missing in the central Philippines as storm Nock-Ten battered the main island of Luzon, suspending schools and grounding domestic flights and ferries, local officials said on Tuesday.

Existence of God particle to be decided by next year
If it is tracked down, it will explain how particles come to have mass and provide the final piece in the Standard Model of physics that was first set out in the 1970s, while if it turns out not to exist then the textbooks could be ripped up.

US Protests Iran’s Anti-Christian ‘Convert of Die’ Verdict
The United States is “outraged” at Iran’s decision to uphold a court’s “choose Islam or die” verdict for a Christian pastor. The verdict was upheld although Iran officially grants Christians freedom of religion.

Tel Aviv Will Be Bombed in Next Gaza War, Says Minister
"In the next conflict with Gaza, even if it at a much lower intensity than a war, missiles will fall on Gush Dan -- for all purposes, inside Tel Aviv,"

Rick Perry Will Give the Republicans A Heavy Hitter for 2012
The Texas Governor has enough of a record to rally social and economic conservatives. He is pro-life and he signed a law in Texas enshrining traditional marriage. Economically he cut state spending.

3,000-year-old altar uncovered at Philistine site suggests cultural links to Jews
Head of the archeological dig on Tel Tzafit Prof. Aren Maeir says the find indicates that the two peoples thought of as bitter enemies may have been closer than we think.

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MSNBC sued for defamation
A lawsuit seeking in excess of $50 million has been prepared against MSNBC and its talk-show entertainer Rachel Maddow over statements she made about a Minnesota-based ministry.

Russia threatens to wreck the reset
Russia has threatened the Obama administration that it will end cooperation on Iran and prevent the transfer of material to Afghanistan if Congress passes a law criticizing Russian human rights practices. The White House argues that the U.S.-Russian "reset" of relations has had three positive results: the New START nuclear reductions treaty, Moscow's cooperation in sanctioning Iran, and approval (for a price) for U.S. military goods to transit Russian territory on the way to Afghanistan.

Priests, rabbis, muftis meet to promote green behavior
Christian, Jewish, Muslim clerics talk about environmental awareness; "We are tourists on this land, and will leave it one day." Representatives from Israel’s Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities met on Monday to talk about instilling their congregants with environmental awareness.

Philippines reels after deadly storm Nock-ten
More than 20 people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled their homes after a tropical storm battered the Philippines for a third day. Tropical storm Nock-Ten caused floods and landslides across the island of Luzon. Power supplies were cut off in many areas on Tuesday, dozens of flights and ferries were cancelled, and schools and offices were closed.

Boehner debt plan falters as Obama considers veto
The White House has warned that President Obama could veto a debt limit plan proposed by top House Republicans. Meanwhile, Speaker John Boehner's plan to trim public spending and raise the limit met with resistance from rank-and-file members of his own party. A House of Representatives vote on the plan was delayed from Wednesday after doubts arose over the cuts it proposed.

Canadian ruling highlights problem that could plague U.S.
A Canadian pro-family activist is applauding the decision by a Canadian court to deny an illegal alien coverage under the country's universal healthcare system. The Globe & Mail says the precedent-setting decision could discourage others from traveling to Canada to obtain free healthcare. The case relates to a Grenadian national who entered the country in 1999 as a visitor and has lived in Toronto ever since. But when Nell Toussaint developed severe medical problems, she was ineligible for free healthcare, because she was in the country illegally.

Boehner debt plan falters as Obama considers veto
The White House has warned that President Obama could veto a debt limit plan proposed by top House Republicans. Meanwhile, Speaker John Boehner's plan to trim public spending and raise the limit met with resistance from rank-and-file members of his own party. A House of Representatives vote on the plan was delayed from Wednesday after doubts arose over the cuts it proposed.

Texas Lawmaker Calls for Congressional Probe Into Ban of Christian Prayers at Military Funerals
“The Obama administration continues to try to prevent the word ‘God’ from being used at the funerals of our heroes,” said. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas).

US foreign aid package may put conditions on PA funding
A US House subcommittee unveiled a foreign assistance package Tuesday that fully funds aid to Israel but gives money to its neighbors on conditions, including a provision that would bar the Palestinian Authority from receiving aid if it seeks statehood at the UN or includes Hamas in a unity government.

Bill O’Reilly Debunks The ‘Christian Terrorist’ Canard Regarding Norwegian Mass Murderer Brevik
Brevik, the Norwegian mass murderer of non-Muslims, is an isolated monster with no Christian religious affiliation whatsoever. The jihad, however, is a mass Islamic religious phenomenon of monstrous proportions, with some 17,500 jihadist attacks having been committed worldwide since 9/11, consistently targeting non-Muslims of all religious backgrounds

Gold strikes new record high on US default fears
Gold forged a record high above $1,625 per ounce here on Wednesday, as investors parked their cash in the precious metal in the face of heightened concerns over a potential US default.

China says rebuilt aircraft carrier for research
China officially acknowledged Wednesday that it is rebuilding an aircraft carrier bought more than a decade ago, but says the refurbished ship will be used only for research and training — a strong indication it plans to build carriers of its own.

Stocks weighed down by US debt fears
Global stocks were weighed down again on Wednesday by worries that the U.S. could default on its debt or see its credit rating cut as lawmakers in the world's largest economy appear no nearer to agreeing on raising the borrowing limit.

IDF fears Syrian army will back up border protesters
The army is preparing for the possibility that Syrian soldiers will deploy along the border and actively defend men who try to infiltrate the Golan Heights during demonstrations expected to break out following the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nations in September. The IDF got its first taste of the demonstrations along the Syrian border on May 15 when Palestinian protestors crossed into Majdal Shams.

Green algae in the Yellow Sea
the bright green goop has inspired a slew of amazing photographs. In some photos, the algae, which now covers 200 square miles of the Yellow Sea, looks so thick that it resembles a fairway on a golf course. You can check out a collection of photos below.

New York mayor officiates Jewish gay marriage for staff members
Michael Bloomberg weds Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz and Criminal Justice Coordinator John Feinblatt after New York legalizes same sex marriage.

Afghan war: Mayor of Kandahar killed in suicide attack
The mayor of the volatile Afghan city of Kandahar, Ghulam Haidar Hameedi, has been killed in a suicide attack, officials say. The attacker detonated explosives in his turban as the mayor made an address at the city hall, police said.

Texas Lawmaker Calls for Congressional Probe Into Ban of Christian Prayers at Military Funerals
A Texas lawmaker is calling for a congressional investigation of the Houston National Cemetery after he went undercover and determined that cemetery officials are still preventing Christian prayers at the funerals of military veterans. “The Obama administration continues to try to prevent the word ‘God’ from being used at the funerals of our heroes,” said. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas).

South Korea landslides leave 19 dead, 1 missing
A quick blast of heavy rain sent landslides barreling through South Korea's capital and a northern town Wednesday, killing 19 people and leaving one missing, officials said. Ten of the 13 killed in an early morning landslide in Chuncheon, about 68 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Seoul, were college students who had been doing volunteer work, said Byun In-soo of the town's fire station. They were staying in a resort cabin when the mud and debris engulfed them. Also killed were a married couple and a convenience store owner.

North Korea demands peace treaty with US
North Korea is calling for a peace treaty with the United States as one of its senior diplomats visits New York to try to restart six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that a peace treaty officially ending the Korean War could go a long way toward resolving a deadlock over Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons.

U.S. Downgrade May Cost $100B a Year: JPMorgan
Political wrangling over a plan to reduce the deficit may cost the U.S. its AAA rating, adding $100 billion a year to government costs while dragging down economic growth, according to Wall Street bond dealers. A U.S. credit-rating cut would likely raise the nation’s borrowing costs by increasing Treasury yields by 60 to 70 basis points over the “medium term,” JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Terry Belton said today on a conference call hosted by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Standard & Poor’s, which has given the U.S. a top ranking since 1941, reiterated on July 21 that the chance of a downgrade is 50 percent in the next three months and may cut the nation as soon as August.



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Foreign investors flock to Iraq despite rising violence
Even as Iraq suffers an upsurge of violence – June alone saw 155 civilians killed in attacks, the most since January – foreign investors are flocking to the country. Dunia Frontier Consultants, a Washington DC-based consulting firm, estimates that foreigners were responsible for $45.6 billion in investments, service contracts and other business in Iraq in the first half of the year. That was double the amount the same time in 2010.

New Poll: ‘Trouble for the West’ as Egyptians On Pace to Elect Muslim Brotherhood
Remember Amr Moussa? He’s the Egyptian presidential candidate — who is also a part of the Muslim Brotherhood — who said in May that Hamas — the terror group — is not a terror group. Now, a new Newsweek/Daily Beast poll finds that he‘s the likely winner in Egypt’s upcoming election, and his party is likely to gain power. And according to Newsweek, that’s bad news for Israel and America.

Health care lawsuit reaches Supreme Court
A conservative law firm asked the Supreme Court Wednesday to strike down the health care overhaul, challenging the first federal appeals court ruling that upheld President Barack Obama's signature domestic initiative. The appeal filed by the Thomas More Law Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., said Congress overstepped its authority in requiring Americans to purchase health insurance or pay financial penalties.

Abbas tells Palestinians: Step up Arab Spring-style protests against Israel
President Mahmoud Abbas urged Palestinians on Wednesday to step up peaceful protests against Israel, urging "popular resistance" inspired by the Arab Spring to back a diplomatic offensive at the United Nations. Abbas, addressing a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) meeting, reiterated his decision to seek full UN membership for Palestinian state alongside Israel, saying it was a diplomatic move resulting from paralysis in the U.S.-backed peace process.

U.S. report recommends ending loan guarantees to Israel at end of 2011
An internal report of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State recommends terminating the U.S. loan guarantee program to Israel at the end of 2011. The report, which deals with the performance of the U.S. embassy in Israel, says American diplomats have difficulty mustering support for the Obama administration's policies and implies the embassy failed completely in its PR efforts during the Obama administration.

PA Uses Archaeology ‘To Rewrite History of Palestine’
Muslim clerics often have rewritten the Bible, claiming that the “binding of Isaac (Yitzchak)" actually refers to Ishmael. Clerics in the Palestinian Authority and the entire Muslim world also have frequently argued that the Holy Temples never existed and that Rachel's Tomb at Bethlehem actually is an ancient Muslim holy site.

Libya condemns UK for recognising rebels as sole power
Tripoli has condemned the UK for recognising the rebels as Libya's "sole governmental authority" after similar moves by France and the US. Khaled Kaim, deputy foreign minister in Muammar Gaddafi's government, told reporters the decision was unprecedented and irresponsible. Libya would seek to reverse the decision through the courts, he said.

Sergei Magnitsky: Russia angry over US visa ban
Russia and the US have become embroiled in a fresh row over the high-profile prison death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky two years ago. The Russian foreign ministry says the US decision to place a visa ban on Russian officials linked to the death could harm diplomatic relations.

EU says Kosovo tensions 'unacceptable'
The EU on Wednesday said the escalation of violence at the Kosovo-Serbian border is "unacceptable" and called on both Pristina and Belgrade to defuse tensions "immediately" after one Kosovo policeman was killed and border posts set on fire. ...The violence erupted on Monday when the government in Pristina sent special forces to border check points in the majority-Serb populated areas in the northern part of the country to enforce a recent trade embargo with Serbia.

Charges predicted as weapons scandal heats up
Second Amendment analyst and investigative Internet journalist Mike Vanderboegh says the recipient of an indictment could be former Phoenix ATF Field Office Special Agent in Charge William Newell.

Tomb of St. Philip the Apostle Discovered in Turkey
Italian professor Francesco D'Andria said archeologists found the tomb of the biblical figure -- one of the 12 original disciples of Jesus -- while working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported Wednesday.

Knights Templar Invoked by Norway Suspect, Mexican Cartel to 'Cloak Horror,' Historian Says
A group of medieval knights created nine centuries ago to protect Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land are now being referenced by a Mexican drug cartel and the self-confessed mass murderer of last week's terror attacks in Norway to "cloak the horror" of their own deeds, a medieval historian told FoxNews.com

RPT-Russia's Putin considering Kremlin return-sources
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is close to a decision to bid for the presidency in an election next year because he has doubts about his protege, President Dmitry Medvedev, senior political sources say.

Trojan asteroid tags along on Earth's orbit
Turns out the moon's not the Earth's only traveling companion. Space scientists have discovered an asteroid that's been following our fair planet for thousands of years, at least — and there may be many more where it came from, according to a recent study.

Americans' debt rage boils over
Furious over the bipartisan foot-dragging on the nation's debt crisis, the US public yesterday unleashed a massive barrage of phone calls, e-mails and even a nasty Twitter campaign, #F- -kYouWashington, to vent their fury over DC's dithering.

Gay Pride returns to Jerusalem
Israel’s LGBT community will march Thursday in Jerusalem’s annual Gay Pride Parade, an event that in past years has sparked great tension and violent clashes in the city.

U.S. report recommends ending loan guarantees to Israel at end of 2011
Report says U.S. diplomats have difficulty mustering support for Obama administration's policies, implies the embassy failed completely in its PR efforts during the Obama administration.

Radical Islamists Trying to Take Over Temple Mount
On the 90th anniversary of the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the vast Islamic Caliphate regime which fell in 1921 after WWI, thousands of members of the Radical Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir rallied on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They called for Muslims to unite and embrace the Caliphate rulership once more.

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U.S. threatens to stop sharing ballistic missiles intelligence with Turkey
Ankara would have to operate without NATO’s intelligence information on incoming ballistic missiles if it chooses to buy Chinese or Russian systems for its national air and missile defense program, officials of the Western alliance have warned Turkey, according to Hürriyet Daily News.-Many Western officials and experts say that since the Russian and the Chinese systems are not compatible with NATO systems, their potential eventual victory might provide them with access to classified NATO information, and as a result may compromise NATO’s procedures.

Economy Grew Only 1.3% in Spring After Nearly Stalling in Winter
The U.S. economy grew less than forecast in the second quarter, after almost coming to a halt at the start of the year, as consumers retrenched. Gross domestic product rose at a 1.3 percent annual rate following a 0.4 percent gain in the prior quarter that was less than previously estimated

Explosion hits Syrian oil pipeline
A bomb exploded Friday in the Syrian city of Homs, leaving a 50-foot crater near a pipeline carrying crude oil, an official said. Ghassan Abdul-Aal, the governor of Homs, told the official Syrian Arab News Agency that saboteurs were to blame for the explosion.

Blast hits Iran-Turkey gas pipeline, cuts supplies
A blast early Friday hit a pipeline carrying natural gas from Iran to Turkey, forcing a cut in supply, an Iranian oil official said. "The export of gas to Turkey has been temporarily halted after an explosion struck the pipeline" in northwestern Iran, spokesman for National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Majid Boujarzadeh told the oil ministry's news agency SHANA.

IMF chief warns of dollar decline if no US debt deal
Failure by the United States to raise the debt ceiling by the Aug 2 deadline could lead to a fall in the value of the dollar and raise "doubts" among those using it as a reserve currency, the head of the IMF said. "It would probably entail a decline of the dollar relative to other currencies, and probably doubts in the mind of those people who reserve currencies as to whether the dollar is effectively the ultimate and prime currency of reserve," Christine Lagarde told PBS NewsHour in an interview on Thursday.

US debt crisis: Republicans abandon vote as panic grows
Mr Boehner and other party leaders had delayed the vote for more than four hours as they tried to twist arms, but gave up at around 10pm when it became clear they could not muster the necessary 217 votes from the 240 members in the Republican caucus. Congress now only has four days to meet a deadline set by Timothy Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, to raise the national borrowing limit or risk defaulting on loans or failing to make millions of routine payments to Americans.

A rising hunger among children
Doctors at a major Boston hospital report they are seeing more hungry and dangerously thin young children in the emergency room than at any time in more than a decade of surveying families. Many families are unable to afford enough healthy food to feed their children, say the Boston Medical Center doctors. The resulting chronic hunger threatens to leave scores of infants and toddlers with lasting learning and developmental problems.

Egypt uprising: Islamists lead Tahrir Square rally
Tens of thousands of people have packed Cairo's Tahrir Square, after the first call by Islamist leaders for nationwide demonstrations since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February. The demonstrators - dominated by Muslim Brotherhood supporters - are calling for an Islamic state and Sharia law. Correspondents say the rallies will be a worrying development for secularists.

'Brain Cap' Technology Turns Thought Into Motion; Mind-Machine Interface Could Lead to New Life-Changing Technologies for Millions of People
"Brain cap" technology being developed at the University of Maryland allows users to turn their thoughts into motion. Associate Professor of Kinesiology José 'Pepe' L. Contreras-Vidal and his team have created a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software that soon could be used to control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, motorized wheelchairs and even digital avatars.

EU scrambling for measures against 'lone wolf' terrorists
An Oslo-type of attack would be hard to prevent in any EU country, since the 'lone-wolf' terrorist went to great lengths to avoid being detected, an EU counter-terrorism expert has said. ...EU experts, pending the results of the Norwegian investigation, are now looking at the possibility of making stricter rules on access to chemicals that can be used to make bombs, such as ammonium nitrate and hydrogen peroxide. Further restrictions on the sale of weapons may also be taken into consideration, Jones said.

African-American Middle Class Eroding As Unemployment Rate Soars
The unemployment situation across America is bad, no doubt. But for African-Americans in some cities, this is not the great recession. It’s the Great Depression.

NASA Study: Global Warming Alarmists Wrong
"The satellite observations suggest there is much more energy lost to space during and after warming than the climate models show. There is a huge discrepancy between the data and the forecasts that is especially big over the oceans."

Tropical Storm Don: Warning for Texas, Energy Operators Evacuate
A tropical storm warning has been issued across the Texas coast early Thursday. Tropical Storm Don is violently blasting its way into the central Gulf of Mexico and forecasters are telling those in the path of the storm to stay on alert over the coming days.

Peres holds secret talks with Palestinians in bid to restart negotiations
President Shimon Peres has been holding intensive talks with Ramallah in an effort to resume negotiations and head off a unilateral Palestinian statehood bid at the UN in September.

Recruiters pressed to reach out to gays once ban is lifted
An underground gay group in the military wants recruiters to reach out to the gay community in the same way they target blacks, Hispanics and women. The Pentagon’s ban on openly gays members is due to be lifted Sept. 20, meaning avowed gay people can sign up, those in the ranks can come out of the closet and the military will no longer discharge personnel because of sexual preference.

Nurse struggles to save starving Somali children
Nurse Serat Amin works in the world's largest refugee camp treating the stream of starving children coming into Kenya from famine-struck Somalia, and although he has painful memories of the children who have died, watching the weak get stronger gives him the courage to carry on.

Economy Growing at Slowest Pace Since Recession
The economy likely grew in the first half of the year at the slowest pace since the recession ended, and the second half isn't looking much better. Weak consumer spending, dismal hiring and cuts in government spending likely held back growth in the April-June quarter. The government will report on second-quarter growth on Friday.

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US planning India-style civilian nuke pact with Saudi Arabia
The United States is secretly moving ahead with its plans to hold talks with Saudi Arabia next week over a potential civilian nuclear pact, similar to the one it had recently concluded with India. The Christian Science Monitor quoted congressional sources as saying that the Obama administration plans to hold "exploratory talks" in Riyadh next week over the issue, and also to explore whether the Saudi government would accept restrictions to ensure its nuclear fuel is used purely for civilian purposes.

Turkey's top four military chiefs quit ahead of key meeting
Turkey said on Friday its top four military chiefs were all seeking retirement, in moves that appeared to reflect a deep rift between the secularist military and a government with roots in political Islam. State-run Anatolian news agency said the head of the armed forces General Isik Kosaner and the commanders of the ground, naval and air forces were all stepping down, in what some Turkish media initially described as resignations.

House panel approves broadened ISP snooping bill
Internet providers would be forced to keep logs of their customers' activities for one year--in case police want to review them in the future--under legislation that a U.S. House of Representatives committee approved today. The 19 to 10 vote represents a victory for conservative Republicans, who made data retention their first major technology initiative after last fall's elections, and the Justice Department officials who have quietly lobbied for the sweeping new requirements, a development first reported by CNET.

Egypt uprising: Islamists lead Tahrir Square rally
Tens of thousands of people have packed Cairo's Tahrir Square, after the first call by Islamist leaders for nationwide demonstrations since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February. Many protesters - dominated by Muslim Brotherhood supporters - are calling for an Islamic state and Sharia law. Correspondents say the rallies will be a worrying development for secularists.

President Barack Obama takes debt battle to Twitter, loses more than 40,000 followers in one day
President Obama brought his debt battle to Twitter and he lost – more than 40,000 Twitter followers. Obama asked Americans Friday to call, email, and tweet Congressional leaders to “keep the pressure on” lawmakers in hopes of reaching a bipartisan deal to raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt limit ahead of an Aug. 2 deadline.

NATO bombs Libyan state TV transmitters
NATO warplanes bombed three Libyan state TV satellite transmitters in Tripoli overnight, targeting facilities that have been used to incite violence and threaten civilians, the military alliance said Saturday. A series of loud explosions echoed across the capital before dawn. There was no immediate comment from Libyan officials on what had been hit, but state TV was still on the air in Tripoli as of Saturday morning.

Norway massacre suspect had 'several' other targets, police say
Anders Behring Breivik told police he had "several targets" in mind when they quizzed him after the attacks that killed 77 people, police prosecutor Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said Saturday. "During his interrogations [Breivik] said in general terms that he was interested in other targets," the prosecutor told a press briefing, declining to give details other than "they were targets that would seem natural for a terrorist."

Egypt: Militants attack gas pipeline to Israel
Egyptian security officials say a militant Islamist group has blown up a terminal along the Egyptian natural gas pipeline to Israel in the northern Sinai Peninsula. Officials say Saturday's attack on the terminal in al-Shulaq destroyed the last terminal before the line enters the sea on its way to Israel.

Dems, GOP still at loggerheads as clock ticks
The GOP-controlled House and the Democratic Senate remain at loggerheads over debt legislation required to avoid a first-ever default on U.S. financial obligations as lawmakers and the White House head into a pressure-packed weekend in search of compromise.

Improving Mexican economy draws undocumented immigrants home from California
There are fewer undocumented immigrants in California – and the Sacramento region – because many are now finding the American dream south of the border. Mexico's unemployment rate is now 4.9 percent, compared with 9.4 percent joblessness in the United States.

Growth anemic, debt row poses recession risk
The economy stumbled badly in the first half of 2011 and came dangerously close to contracting in the January-March period, raising the risk of a recession if a standoff over the nation's debt does not end quickly. Output increased at a 1.3 percent annual pace in the second quarter as consumer spending barely rose, the Commerce Department said on Friday. In the first three months of the year, the economy advanced just 0.4 percent, a sharp downward revision from the previously reported 1.9 percent gain.

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