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Analysis - Sarkozy takes gamble with EU governance push
Sarkozy's Thursday evening speech (from Toulon) will lay the groundwork by discussing the causes of the debt fiasco, sympathizing with public anger at three years of economic gloom and explaining why giving Brussels more clout could save the euro, according to advance briefings given to friendly newspapers. European Council President Herman van Rompuy will present plans for treaty changes at a December 9 summit.- EU officials say Paris and Berlin are exploring more radical ideas for fiscal integration among a smaller number of countries, if some of the 27 EU member states block treaty change.

TWS SCWXA Upgrades Major Pacific Storm to Category Four, Five possible
TWS Senior Meteorologist Kevin Martin is putting his credibility on the line in calling an usual storm system to hit parts of Southern California tonight through Friday and has upgraded the system confidence. TWS will continue to give this system the spotlight on the site as it is a rare and powerful event.

Strong winds coming to Southern California
The National Weather Service issued a high wind and fire watch for Wednesday evening through Saturday, with possible hurricane-speed gusts of 80 mph or more in the mountain passes of Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties. Gusts of more than 60 mph are possible in some lower-lying areas.

Solar storms increasing through 2013
"The effects on Earth are really dramatic, and in particular, the more we depend on space assets, satellites for communication or navigation or even high altitude flights, the more of an impact it will have on us on the Earth. For instance, the particles from a solar flare can disrupt the electronics in a satellite and cause dropouts in communication so if you are using your GPS device and the GPS satellite goes out, than you're lost and stuck without navigation."

PA presents map with 1.9% land swap
The Palestinians transferred the Middle East Quartet a document relating to security arrangements and the prospective borders of a Palestinian State, in which they agreed to a 1.9% land swap of West Bank territory. A Palestinian official on Thursday noted that the document, which included a map marked with the 1967 borders, was submitted to Quartet representatives during a November 14 meeting they held with Saeb Erekat.

Central Banks Prepare to Distribute Foreign Currency at Home
The Federal Reserve and five other central banks set up agreements to distribute each other’s currencies in the event of a global funding crisis. Central banks agreed to establish temporary bilateral currency swap arrangements “so that liquidity can be provided in each jurisdiction in any of their currencies should market conditions so warrant,” the Fed said today in a press release, calling the agreement a “contingency measure.” The European Central Bank and the central banks of Canada, Japan, Switzerland and the U.K. agreed to the arrangements.

Obama to N.Y. Jews: No ally is more important than Israel
President Barack Obama defended his policy toward Israel at a political fundraiser on Wednesday, saying that Israel was the U.S.'s most important ally. Obama, who has been criticized by some of Israel's U.S. supporters for being tough on a close ally and has had strained ties with Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu, offered strong assurances of his commitment to Israel's security.

'Prepare for armageddon'
City regulator the Financial Services Authority has told banks to ready themselves for armageddon by running "stress tests" on their balance sheets. And EU chiefs warned Europe had TEN DAYS to solve the debt crisis or face catastrophe.

Germany probing alleged Iran plot to attack U.S. bases on its soil
German prosecutors have opened an inquiry into allegations of an Iranian plot to attack U.S. bases on German soil, prosecutor-general Harald Range confirmed in Karlsruhe on Thursday. He was referring to a report in the mass-circulation newspaper Bild that a German businessman was suspected of espionage for the purpose of sabotage. He was alleged to have secretly met with Iranian diplomats posted to Berlin, the newspaper said.

Iran is a rabid rogue state that could tip the world into a new dark age
As Britain orders the closure of Iran’s embassy in London and expels its diplomats after frenzied mobs attack the UK’s diplomatic compounds in Tehran, MICHAEL BURLEIGH sees in Iran a desperate regime that is lashing out - and dangerous.

"China Will Not Hesitate To Protect Iran Even With A Third World War"
"It is puzzling to some that Major General Zhang Zhaozhong, a professor from the Chinese National Defense University, said China will not hesitate to protect Iran even with a third World War... Professor Xia Ming: "Zhang Zhaozhong said that not hesitating to fight a third world war would be entirely for domestic political needs...."

US Congress warns of Nigeria's Boko Haram
A US Congressional report says Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram is an "emerging threat" to the US and its interests. Boko Haram has carried out a spate of bombings, including in the capital, Abuja, as well as in the mainly Muslim north where the group originated. The report said it may be forging ties with al-Qaeda-linked groups in Africa.

Global central banks take action to prevent EU credit crunch
The US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the central banks of some of the world's key economies announced a co-ordinated emergency action to make it easier for banks to borrow US dollars - in effect preventing a global credit crunch. The ECB and the Fed together with the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank on Wednesday agreed to lower by by 50 basis points the cost of dollar currency swaps.

ADL condemns anti-Semitic crimes in New Jersey
The Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday condemned a spate of vandalism targeting Rutgers Hillel and Chabad and Jewish-owned stores in Highland Park, New Jersey in a crime spree that took place over the past few days. ...“We are appalled by the targeting of Jewish stores and Jewish campus institutions at Rutgers,” said Lawrence Cooper, ADL New Jersey Regional Board Chair.

Billy Graham hospitalized with possible pneumonia
Billy Graham, one of America's best-known evangelists, is in a North Carolina hospital with possible pneumonia, and is listed in stable condition, officials with the facility said on Wednesday.

Greeks strike against new government's "starvation" budget
Greek schools shut, hospitals worked with emergency staff and train services ground to a halt on Thursday as unions held a 24-hour general strike to test the resolve of a new national unity government. The strike is the first such test for new technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, who has had little time to celebrate since European leaders this week approved an 8 billion euro tranche of aid to prevent Greece from going bankrupt.

Netanyahu to Livni: Only Israel's elected government can negotiate with Palestinians
The only Israeli body fit to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority is the elected government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni on Thursday, a day after the Kadima chairman met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

ECB's Mario Draghi warns of increased 'downside risks'
Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has told the European Parliament that "downside risks" to the eurozone economic outlook have increased. He also said that temporary measures by the ECB, such as buying up government debt, would be limited. In doing so, he restated the bank's central role of controlling inflation.

Iran releases students who stormed British Embassy
Iran has released 11 hardline protesters detained for storming the British Embassy and diplomatic compounds in Tehran this week, the semi-official Fars news agency said Thursday. Fars said 11 people, described as students, were set free late on Wednesday, a day after they were arrested for storming and ransacking the embassy and British diplomatic compounds in Tehran.

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Syria: 'Iranian, N. Korean rocket experts hold Damascus meetings'
Dozens of officials from North Korea and Iran have conducted meetings with representatives of the Syrian government in Damascus to help president Bashar al-Assad obtain weapons following the implementation of sanctions by members of the Arab League and other countries.

U.S. Says Americans Are MILITARY Targets in the War on Terror … And that the Prez Alone Can Decide Who Is a Target
The government can also kill American citizens. For more than a year and a half, the Obama administration has said it could target American citizens for assassination without any trial or due process.

Global surveillance supermarket offered to dictators
Posted online today, the tranche of 287 documents details the wide choice of cellphone and internet surveillance technologies on offer from 160 intelligence contractors - and show, in part, that dissidents using common tools like Google's gmail service, or devices like Apple's iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry, stand little chance of hiding their missives from authoritarian regimes - unless they know how to use the Tor anonymising network.

New Icelandic volcano eruption could have global impact
Hundreds of metres under one of Iceland's largest glaciers there are signs of an imminent volcanic eruption that could be one of the most powerful the country has seen in almost a century. Mighty Katla, with its 10km (6.2 mile) crater, has the potential to cause catastrophic flooding as it melts the frozen surface of its caldera and sends billions of gallons of water surging through Iceland's east coast and into the Atlantic Ocean.

UN Hacked by Anti-"New World Order" Group
A group of anti-world government hacker activists or “hacktivists” under the banner of “TeamPoison” hacked the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), releasing hundreds of passwords belonging to the organization’s bureaucrats. The release also included a message blasting the global body and its affiliates for corruption, fraud, and atrocities, along with a warning of more attacks to come. “The UN has become a beast that must be stopped or tamed!” the group said...

Conspiracy theory confirmed: bankers do want to rule the world
One of the longest running conspiracy theories in the global mindset is that the banking cartels would like nothing more than to control the economic and social domains of nations through a centralized authority, which would then be run by a select few. On November 24th, this theory may have finally come out of the darkness and into the light as an executive member of the European Central Bank (ECB) called for nations in the Euro Zone to be willing to give up economic sovereignty to the EMU over fiscal, structural, and economic polices.

How central banks’ dollar-swap move saved the world
Britain masterminded this week’s central bank effort to avert a liquidity crunch, its central bank chief said on Thursday, laying claim to the genesis of a plan that began to take shape around 10 days ago and was ready by the weekend. Bank of England governor Mervyn King said he instigated the move by the central banks of the United States, euro zone, Japan, Canada, Britain and Switzerland to provide cheaper dollar funding for starved European banks, which provided a longed-for fillip to market sentiment.

France and Germany must take charge of Europe, says Sarko
Europe must be 'refounded' with France and Germany at its heart, Nicolas Sarkozy said last night. In a major speech on the future of Europe, he said the two countries would campaign together for a new EU treaty, which would deepen integration and abolish a string of national vetoes.

Sarkozy Says Euro Risks Breakup Without Economic Convergence
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the 17-nation euro area would risk “exploding” if members fail to converge economically. The countries sharing the currency must prepare their budgets in common, narrow competitiveness gaps and face tougher automatic penalties for rule breaking, Sarkozy said today in Toulon, France,

Wind storms lash America's west
High wind warnings and advisories were also issued for Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. The blustery weather is expected to eventually hit Oklahoma, Missouri and Indiana. The storms were the result of a dramatic difference in pressure between a strong, high-pressure system and a cold, low-pressure system, meteorologists said. This funnels strong winds down mountain canyons and slopes.

Report: Iran authorities behind attack on U.K. embassy
The storming of the British embassy in Tehran earlier this week was not an improvised student protest but an attack planned and supervised by Iranian authorities, sources told the Al-Arabiya News Channel on Thursday. The attack was planned by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei and supervised by the commander of the Basij paramilitary forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqd, the sources said.

UN: Syria now in state of civil war, death toll at more than 4,000
Syria is now in a state of civil war with more than 4,000 dead and increasing numbers of defecting soldiers taking up arms against the government of President Bashar Assad, the top United Nations human rights official said on Thursday. "We are placing the figure at 4,000, but really the reliable information coming to us is that it is much more than that," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told a news conference.

Report: Russia delivers anti-ship missiles to Syria
Russia has delivered anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, the Interfax news agency cited an unnamed military source as saying on Thursday, days after a United Nations commission of inquiry called for an arms embargo on Damascus. Economic and diplomatic pressure has isolated Syrian President Bashar Assad following a nine-month government crackdown against protesters in unrest the United Nations says has killed more than 4,000 people.

Muslim Brotherhood Takes Elections by Storm
Judges overseeing the vote count in Egypt's parliamentary elections say Islamist parties have won a majority of the contested seats in the first round. The judges spoke on condition of anonymity because official results are expected to be released later Thursday. They say the Muslim Brotherhood could take 45 percent of the seats up for grabs.

Russian vote watchdog under pressure before elections
Russia launched an investigation on Thursday into the country's chief independent election watchdog, in what the group described as the culmination of a state-sponsored campaign to silence the monitor just three days before parliamentary polls. Moscow city prosecutors said in a statement the investigation followed a complaint filed by lawmakers objecting to watchdog Golos's foreign financing and calling for it to end vote monitoring.

Iran diplomats to leave UK after Tehran embassy attack
Diplomats working at the Iranian embassy in London must leave Britain by Friday afternoon. They must depart by 14:00 GMT. Their expulsion was ordered by Foreign Secretary William Hague after the British embassy in Tehran was stormed. About 120,000 people in the UK hail from Iran, as well as many students.

'PA won't 'back down' from UN statehood bid'
The Palestinian Authority "will not back down" from their efforts to become a member of the United Nations, even though the PA has acknowledged that they would not succeed were the Security Council to vote today, senior PA negotiator Saeb Erekat told Ma'an News Agency Thursday. Erekat said the PA would persist even if the request fails to pass in the Security Council, adding that the PA leadership knew from the outset that United States would use its veto on the initiative.

US Senate OK's sanctions on Iran central bank
The US Senate unanimously approved tougher sanctions against Iran on Thursday, voting to penalize foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran's central bank, the main conduit for its oil revenues. The Senate acted despite warnings from Obama administration officials who said threatening US allies might not be the best way to get their cooperation in action against Iran.

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WHO issues Europe measles warning
European countries need to act now to tackle measles outbreaks, the World Health Organization warns. The WHO report says there were over 26,000 measles cases in 36 European countries from January to October 2011. Western European countries reported 83% of those cases, with 14,000 in France alone.

Church of England bans hosting civil partnership ceremonies
The Church of England will not allow its churches to be used for civil partnership ceremonies unless the full General Synod gives consent, it says. A new law which allows civil partnership ceremonies to be conducted in places of worship in England and Wales comes into effect on Monday. The Church said it would not host them just as a "gentlemen's outfitter is not required to supply women's clothes".

'Honour' attack numbers revealed by UK police forces
UK police recorded at least 2,823 so-called honour attacks last year, figures from 39 out of 52 forces show. A freedom of information request by the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (Ikwro) revealed that nearly 500 of these were in London.

Hugo Chavez hosts summit of new regional group minus US
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is hosting a summit of a new regional bloc that brings together 33 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean. The general aim of the group, which does not include the US or Canada, is to foster regional ties. Mr Chavez has described the bloc as a counter to US influence in the region.

Santa Ana winds cut power in western US
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without power after 48 hours of ferocious winds across a swathe of states in the western US. A state of emergency was declared in Los Angeles County, California as schools closed, trees were downed and lorries overturned on motorways.

Egypt Islamists tell rivals to accept vote result
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood called on its rivals to accept the will of the people on Saturday after a first-round vote set its party on course to take the most seats in the country's first freely elected parliament in six decades. Preliminary results showed the Brotherhood's liberal rivals could be pushed into third place behind ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists, mirroring the trend in other Arab countries where political systems have opened up after popular uprisings.

Jacques Delors: Euro was flawed from beginning
One of the main architects of the single European currency, Jacques Delors, has said the eurozone was flawed from the beginning. He told Britain's Daily Telegraph that the lack of central powers to co-ordinate economic policies allowed some members to run up unsustainable debt.

Australia's governing Labor party backs gay marriage
Australia's ruling Labor party has backed gay marriage, although Prime Minister Julia Gillard is against it. The party's national conference also endorsed Ms Gillard's amendment to allow a free vote on any bill aiming to legalise same-sex marriage.

US urges Israel to end 'isolation in Middle East'
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has urged Israel to "mend fences" with Turkey, Egypt and others in the Middle East to reduce its growing isolation. In a speech in Washington, he said Israel was not entirely to blame, referring to an "international campaign" to isolate it.

Israel defense chief: Iran sanctions won't work
Israel's defense minister says Israel has no desire to go to war with Iran over its nuclear program but warns that at some point there may be no other option. Ehud Barak says Israel "would be very glad" if sanctions and diplomacy would lead Iran to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program but that he doesn't think that will happen.

Rights body condemns Syria; Shell pulls out
The main U.N. human rights forum condemned Syria's crackdown on protests on Friday and Royal Dutch Shell shut down oil work there because of EU sanctions, signs of the deepening isolation of President Bashar al-Assad.

Germany's Merkel fights for euro, Cameron for UK
British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened on Friday to obstruct a Franco-German drive for swift change to the European Union's treaty, a sign of the difficulty leaders will face transforming Europe to save the euro. France and Germany are reaching a consensus that euro zone economies need to be bound more closely together if the single currency is to survive, which could mean changing the EU treaty to give Brussels powers to punish spendthrift euro states.

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China not prepared to pay European debt
China has indicated it will not go any further with a Europe bail-out plan. In a strong statement, China's vice foreign minister Fu Ying, said China would not bail the euro zone out of the debt crisis.

Website presents photos of 'Israeli espionage device'
A Hezbollah-affiliated website uploaded photos of an alleged Israeli espionage device in south Lebanon which was supposedly exposed by Hezbollah on Friday. "This device, which was bombed by the Israeli Air Force, illustrates the extent of Israeli violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and a violation of Security Council resolution 1701 as well as Hezbollah's achievement in exposing it," the website said.

Report: Israel concession on PA funds forced by German submarine deal
Israel's decision to release frozen public funds to the Palestinians last week came after Germany insisted it did so as a condition for the completion of the sale of a submarine, a German newspaper reported Sunday. The Welt am Sonntag quoted sources as saying Germany had told Israel it could not go ahead with the purchase of the submarine unless it made political concessions.

Canada May Save $6.7B by Exiting Kyoto Pact
Canada, the country furthest from meeting its commitment to cut carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, may save as much as $6.7 billion by exiting the global climate change agreement and not paying for offset credits. The country’s greenhouse-gas emissions are almost a third higher than 1990 levels, and it has a 6 percent CO2 reduction target for the end of 2012. If it couldn’t meet its goal, Canada would have to buy carbon credits, under the rules of the legally binding treaty.

As Putin plans to stay, many Russians want out
...As Vladimir Putin's party prepares to dominate weekend parliamentary elections in a prelude to his planned return to the presidency in spring, an increasing number of Russians are contemplating leaving their homeland in search of a brighter future abroad. A March presidential election victory for Putin — all but taken for granted — raises the prospect of his being in the top job for 12 years.

Syria unrest: Arab league issues new Sunday deadline
Syria is facing a new Arab League deadline to accept proposals to allow observers into the strife-torn country. Arab foreign ministers meeting in Qatar said Damascus had until Sunday to agree to the league's plan. The Qatari prime minister threatened further sanctions if there was no response. The league also confirmed sanctions already approved after Syria ignored a previous deadline last weekend.

Russians vote in nationwide parliamentary poll
Russians are voting in polls that will decide the shape of the lower house, or Duma, for the next five years. There have been allegations of violations of election law, with Russia's only independent monitoring group, Golos, logging 5,300 complaints. Its head was held at a Moscow airport after refusing to hand over her laptop.

Iran: Price of crude would double if oil exports blocked
Iran's Foreign Ministry believes that if the West seriously considered blocking Tehran's ability to export oil, the global price of crude would more than double, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying on Sunday. "As soon as such an issue is raised seriously the oil price would soar to above $250 a barrel," he told the reformist daily Sharq.



US Jewish outcry over Israeli expat 'return' ads
The Israeli government has ordered adverts that urge Israelis in the US to return home to be pulled amid outcry from the American Jewish community. The ads suggest expats could lose touch with their Israeli identity because of assimilation into the US.

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A reluctant saviour in eurozone’s darkest hour
Germany has become Europe’s reluctant saviour. With other European powers overwhelmed by the proportions of the debt crisis, Germany stands as the lone eurozone nation capable of salvaging the continent’s economy.

Euro zone economy heading for steep contraction in Q4: PMIs
The escalating sovereign debt crisis has already pushed the euro zone economy into a contraction that could be far worse than economists had expected, business surveys suggested on Monday.

3.8 magnitude earthquake felt in northern Israel
The epicenter of an earthquake felt across northern Israel Sunday was in the Hula and Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) area, the Geophysical Institute of Israel stated.

Scientists a step closer to cloning mammoth
The teams from the Sakha Republic's mammoth museum in eastern Russia and Kinki University's graduate school in biology-oriented science and technology will launch full-fledged joint research next year to clone the giant mammal, which is believed to have become extinct about 10,000 years ago, they said.

Stormy sun could knock out power grids: report
The sun follows a predictable 11 year activity cycle, with the next period of stormy activity expected to begin in 2012-13. The report by German insurance group Allianz said a high impact solar storm, not easily predicted due to its recorded rarity, could cause blackouts and economic losses of over $1 trillion and that the worst case scenario would be even worse.

Syria: fall of Bashar al-Assad will bring war to Middle East, warns Iraq
Iraq has raised renewed fears that the Middle East will be engulfed by sectarian bloodshed if Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is deposed as the country falls into civil war.

Secret war against Iran's nuclear threat is build-up to allies' blitz
AFTER months in the shadows the undercover war on Iran’s nuclear menace has exploded into action. Sleeper agents in Tehran received coded signals and moved on their targets. Their weapons were bombs made from household substances. The result was more than a dozen fire-bomb attacks on the homes and offices of some of Iran’s leading nuclear scientists.

Senate Approves Bill that Legalizes Sodomy and Bestiality in U.S. Military
The Senate on Thursday evening voted 93-7 to approve a defense authorization bill that includes a provision which not only repeals the military law on sodomy, it also repeals the military ban on sex with animals–or bestiality.

Will this be the first time the world sees the Ark of Covenant? Leaking roof in Ethiopian chapel 'will lead to relic being revealed'
A very British problem of a leaky church roof could be about to give the world the chance to glimpse the legendary Ark of the Covenant. That's because the claimed home of the iconic relic - a small chapel in Ethiopia - has sprung a leak and so the Ark could now be on the move.

Iran threatens to retaliate for US drone shot down within its territory
...Quoting an unnamed military source, Fars said the drone "was downed with slight damage." "It is now under the control of our forces." The source warned that Iran's armed response would "not be limited to our country's borders" for the "blatant territorial violation."

Italian PM Monti backs fresh taxes, spending cuts
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, in his first test since taking office two weeks ago, outlined a three-year plan made up of €30 billion ($38bn) in spending cuts, tax increases, pension overhauls and growth-boosting measures. The Italian austerity package will likely be followed by Franco-German proposals later today to create a new regime for budget policies in the eurozone, which European leaders could adopt at a summit on December 8-9.

Iran threatening to cut Hamas funds, arms supply if it flees Syria
Iran had applied intense pressure to Hamas in an effort to persuade it not to leave Damascus, threatening even to cut off funds to the organization if it did so, Palestinian sources have told Haaretz. The Iranian pressure also included an unprecedented ultimatum - namely, an explicit threat to stop supplying Hamas with arms and suspend the training of its military activists.

Israeli researchers develop substance that attacks antibiotic-resistant germs
Israeli researchers are laying the groundwork for a spray which they say will make it easier to get rid of the antibiotic-resistant germs that plague hospitals, here and around the world. If used on a large scale, their method could change the nature of hospital-acquired infections "toward being more susceptible to antibiotics rather than more resistant," the researchers say in an article in this month's issue of Applied and Environment Microbiology, a journal published by the American Society for Microbiology.

Syria accepts Arab League plan to send observers into country
Syria has accepted an Arab League request to send observers to the country in an effort to end its eight-month crisis, a move that could ease Arab sanctions on Damascus, the foreign ministry spokesman said Monday. The Syrian statement came after Damascus announced it has conducted wide military maneuvers over the weekend in an apparent show of force as President Bashar Assad's regime defies pressures over its deadly crackdown on opponents.

Putin's United Russia party suffers poll setback
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party has seen a sharp drop in support in parliamentary elections. With 96% of votes counted, electoral officials said United Russia had just under 50%, down from 64% in 2007. The vote is being seen as a popularity test of Mr Putin, who is running for the presidency in March.

China 'ill-prepared' for unrest, says security chief
China's security chief has warned that the government needs better methods to deal with social unrest due to a slowing economy. Zhou Yongkang, a member of the politburo, asked provincial officials for improved "social management". China has seen an increase in labour unrest in recent weeks.

3.8 magnitude earthquake felt in northern Israel
The epicenter of an earthquake felt across northern Israel Sunday was in the Hula and Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) area, the Geophysical Institute of Israel stated. The earthquake's Richter scale impact was 3.8 and was felt by residents of Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and Tiberius. Police said there was no immediate knowledge of damages or injuries.

'Embattled Assad may start conflict with Israel'
Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Shaul Mofaz warned Monday that the duress which Syrian President Bashar Assad finds himself under could soon lead to an armed conflict between Syria and Israel. "The closer the Assad regime in Syria gets to death's door, the bigger the threat against Israel becomes," the Kadima Mk stated in an interview with Army Radio.

'Iran violating int'l norms, becoming pariah state'
A senior US official on Monday said the situation over Iran's nuclear program was becoming increasingly worrying and an urgent diplomatic solution needs to be found. The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran's nuclear facilities if diplomacy fails to resolve a dispute over a program they suspect is aimed at developing atomic weapons.

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Court: NYC Can Ban Churches From School Buildings
The Supreme Court has rejected an evangelical church’s plea to overturn New York City’s ban on renting public schools for religious worship services. That means the city now has a green light to begin evicting congregations who pay rent to use public school buildings for church services.

Recent Charges of Sexual Abuse of Children in Hollywood Just Tip of Iceberg, Experts Say
Martin Weiss, a 47-year-old Hollywood manager who represented child actors, was charged in Los Angeles on Dec. 1 with sexually abusing a former client. His accuser, who was under 12 years old during the time of the alleged abuse, reported to authorities that Weiss told him "what they were doing was common practice in the entertainment industry." On Nov. 21, Fernando Rivas, 59, an award-winning composer for “Sesame Street,” was arraigned on charges of coercing a child “to engage in sexually explicit conduct” in South Carolina.

Merkel, Sarkozy propose new powers
French President Nicolas Sarkozy conceded to German insistence on deficit limits as a prerequisite to any aggressive assistance to Europe’s debt-addled governments beyond the bailouts already extended. Last week, European Central Bank president Mario Draghi also lent his support to a fiscal pact, alluding to “other elements” that might follow, he said, seeming to suggest central bank intervention in sovereign bond markets.

108 giant Chinese infrastructure projects that are reshaping the world
From highways spanning the continent, to the largest wind power base in the world, to a modern Silk Road that links Europe and India, to new cities in the desert, China is showing what it really means to do big things.

Argentina launches naval campaign to isolate Falkland Islands
The confrontation strategy targetting foreign boats marks an escalation of tensions in seas that Duke of Cambridge, a Flight Lieutenant with the RAF, is set to patrol during a tour of duty last year.

Worst drought in 200 years paralyses Danube river shipping
The worst drought in more than 200 years has paralysed shipping on the Danube river, including popular pleasure cruises, as shrinking water levels expose bombs and debris from the Second World War.

No Senator Spoke Out Against Repeal of Military's Ban on Sodomy and Bestiality
Not a single member of the Senate spoke out last week against a provision in the defense authorization bill that will repeal the military's ban on sodomy and bestiality if the bill becomes law.

Ebola vaccine developed
The researchers said that this is the first Ebola vaccine to remain viable long-term and can therefore be successfully stockpiled. The vaccine protects 80% of the mice injected with the deadly strain, and survives being "dried down and frozen," said biotechnologist Charles Arntzen from Arizona State University who was involved in its development.

Prince Turki al-Faisal calls for stronger Gulf bloc, says Saudi may join nuke arms race
Prince Turki al-Faisal, chief of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, on Monday called on Gulf states to make the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) a powerful regional bloc with a unified armed force and a unified defense industry, a Saudi daily reported.

'Saudi Arabia may join nuclear arms race'
"Our efforts and those of the world have failed to convince Israel to abandon its weapons of mass destruction, as well as Iran... therefore it is our duty towards our nation and people to consider all possible options, including the possession of these weapons," Faisal told a security forum in Riyadh.

North Korea making missile able to hit U.S.
The intelligence was revealed in a classified Capitol Hill briefing last month. Its existence was made public in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta from five House Republicans.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards prepare for war
An order from Gen Mohammed Ali Jaafari, the commander of the guards, raised the operational readiness status of the country’s forces, initiating preparations for potential external strikes and covert attacks. Western intelligence officials said the Islamic Republic had initiated plans to disperse long-range missiles, high explosives, artillery and guards units to key defensive positions.

Russia election protests: Troops sent to Moscow
Thousands of police and interior ministry troops are being deployed in Moscow, after protesters accused the authorities of rigging the election. Troop lorries were seen heading for the centre as the interior ministry said it aimed "to ensure the security of the citizens". Several thousand people attended Monday's protest, one of the biggest in the centre of the capital in years.

Vaccine developed against Ebola
Scientists have developed a vaccine that protects mice against a deadly form of the Ebola virus. First identified in 1976, Ebola kills more than 90% of the people it infects. The researchers say that this is the first Ebola vaccine to remain viable long-term and can therefore be successfully stockpiled.

Mexico's Calderon says drug gangs threatening democracy
Organised crime poses an "open threat" to democracy in Mexico, President Felipe Calderon has warned. Mr Calderon said attempts by drug gangs to manipulate elections was a "new and worrying fact". Speaking as his sixth and final year in office began, Mr Calderon also defended his decision to use troops to tackle the cartels.

US agency issues ultimatum to triple-A euro countries
US ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has warned it might lower the grade of all six triple-A eurozone countries if the upcoming EU summit does not deliver. The Wall-Street-based firm said on Monday (5 December) that a bad summit would hit the ratings of 15 eurozone economies, excluding Cyprus and Greece which already have rock-bottom levels.

UAE leader downplays fear of Iran strike on Israel
The prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates on Monday said during an interview with CNN there was little chance of Iran building a nuclear bomb and hinted that Tehran would find little use for the weapon. "What can Iran do with a nuclear weapon?" Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum asked during the interview with CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront". "For example, will they hit Israel? How many Palestinians will die? And you think if Iran hits Israel, their cities will be safe? They will be gone the next day."

Nasrallah comes out of hiding, calls to arm against Israel
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made a rare public appearance on Tuesday morning in southern Beirut during a ceremony to mark Ashura, according to official Hezbollah television station al-Manar. Dozens of security guards accompanied Nasrallah, who had not made a public appearance of this kind since 2008, during the ceremony which is the most important day in the Shi'ite calendar and commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad.


Syria's war games raise Israeli concerns as Damascus responds "positively" to AL protocol
Syrian armed forces conducted late Sunday war games with live ammunition under war-like circumstances, a move that Israeli officials believe was a bid to strut Syrian military prowess in the face of recently-imposed Arab League (AL) sanctions against the regime.-Shaul Mofaz, former Israeli defense minister, said Monday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may try to attack Israel in order to distract world attention from the unrest in his own country. Mofaz, who chairs the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has reportedly said that "the closer the Assad regime in Syria gets to death's door, the bigger the threat against Israel becomes."

Merkel, Sarkozy Favor Treaty Change
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said they will use an EU summit on Thursday and Friday to propose enshrining fiscal discipline into EU treaties. Should some countries decide not to participate, the 17 members of the euro zone will forge ahead with a more integrated union, they said. "We will see whether it will be 17 or 27," Mr. Sarkozy said during a joint news conference with Ms. Merkel. "But we're going full steam ahead to re

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Russia protests: Activists defiant after 800 arrests
Protesters against election fraud in Russia have called for new rallies as arrests in Tuesday's crackdown in Moscow and elsewhere reached 800. As police patrolled the capital, calls went out on social media for new protests to be held on Saturday, near the Kremlin and in other cities. State TV channels have ignored the protests, giving coverage only to rallies in support of the government.

Hu Jintao tells China navy: Prepare for warfare
China's navy should speed up its development and prepare for warfare, President Hu Jintao has said. He told military personnel they should "make extended preparations for warfare". China is locked in territorial disputes with several other nations in the South China Sea. Political tension is also growing with the US, which is seeking to boost its presence in the region.

Libya authorities 'to disarm Tripoli by 31 December'
The head of Tripoli's council has said residents of the Libyan capital have until the end of the month to hand over their weapons to the authorities. Abdul Rafik Bu Hajjar said he had been assured by the interim government that the entire city would be disarmed. Brigades of revolutionary fighters from outside the capital would leave by 20 December, and the Tripoli brigade would be dissolved on 31 December, he added.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood claims wins in run-off votes
The Muslim Brotherhood has said its political party has won a majority of run-off contests in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary election. Official results are not expected until Thursday, but the Freedom and Justice Party said it had won 36 of the 56 seats awarded to individual candidates. The Islamist group won almost 37% of the vote in earlier polling, which awarded seats according to party lists.

Van Rompuy: EU could avoid full treaty change via legal trick
The European Union may be able to winkle out of the fraught process of a full treaty change via a clever legal trick, EU Council President Herman van Rompuy has suggested. According to a two-page report from the Belgian EU chief submitted to national capitals on Tuesday (6 December), by amending a protocol attached to the Lisbon Treaty rather than changing the treaty itself, the lengthy and politically uncertain path of referendums and ratification by national parliaments can be avoided entirely

Assad denies responsibility in Syrian crackdown
...Speaking with Barbara Walters, Assad said that "There is a difference between a deliberate policy of repression, and the presence of some errors committed by some officials. There is a great difference," Assad reportedly said, adding that acts of violence were carried out by "individuals," and not ordered by the Syrian government.


After String of Disasters, Aid Organizations Struggle to Meet Demands
It's been a relentless run of disasters around the world lately, earthquakes in Japan, Haiti and Chile, tornadoes in the U.S., floods in Pakistan, Australia, and China. For relief organizations, it's been a challenge to keep up. (video)

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State: Mom who shot kids, self denied food stamps
A Texas woman who for months was unable to qualify for food stamps pulled a gun in a state welfare office and staged a seven-hour standoff with police that ended with her shooting her two children before killing herself, officials said Tuesday. The children, a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, remained in critical condition Tuesday. The shooting took place at a Texas Department of Health and Human Services building in Laredo, where police said about 25 people were inside at the time.

More than 1,900 people show up for free food at St. Petersburg charity
More than 1,900 people showed up to receive free boxes of food at Beaming Hope Church on Tuesday. Organizers planned for 500.

School Yanks Carols Featuring Santa, God & Christmas
A New Jersey high school admits that it “inadvertently” censored Christmas songs that include the words God, Jesus, Santa, Christmas and Chanukah – in place of music that would not be “belief-specific.” Colin Curran, a student at West Windsor – Plainsboro High School South, wrote about the incident in a Huffington Post blog titled, “Christmas, I mean Holiday, Music.”

'US unsure what might prompt Israel to attack'
The Obama administration does not know Israel's intentions regarding potential military action against Iran, and the uncertainty is stoking concern in Washington, where the preferred course for now is sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Although Israel remains one of the United States' closest allies and the two countries' officials are in regular contact, US officials have a "sense of opacity" regarding what might prompt an Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear sites, and about when such an attack might occur, according to a senior US national security official.

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China's Hu urges navy to prepare for combat
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday urged the navy to prepare for military combat, amid growing regional tensions over maritime disputes and a US campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power.

Egypt's military leaders to appoint council to oversee drafting of new constitution
The announcement followed a surprisingly strong showing by Islamist groups who took the overwhelming majority in the first round of parliamentary elections. The outcome caused concern among the liberals who drove Egypt's uprising and the military, which took power from ousted leader Hosni Mubarak. "We are in the early stages of democracy," said Gen. Mukhtar Mulla, a member of the ruling military council. "The parliament is not representing all sectors of society."

German Politician: Euro Downgrade Is an American Plot
But it was Rösler’s colleague Rainer Brüderle who had perhaps the most extreme reaction. Brüderle is the chair of the FDP group in the German Bundestag. “I am no fan of conspiracy theories,” Brüderle told the German business daily Handelsblatt, “But sometimes it is hard to avoid the impression that some American ratings agencies and fund managers are working against the euro zone.”

Hamas demands Palestinian elections be held in East Jerusalem
Hamas will only agree to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next May if voting takes place in East Jerusalem and Hamas is allowed to participate, Haaretz has learned - a condition to which Israel will almost certainly object. This puts Hamas and Fatah's agreement to hold elections in the West Bank and Gaza in a different light.

Lawmakers Blast Administration For Calling Fort Hood Massacre 'Workplace Violence'
Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday blasted the Defense Department for classifying the Fort Hood massacre as workplace violence and suggested political correctness is being placed above the security of the nation's Armed Forces at home. ...the Maine Republican referenced a letter from the Defense Department depicting the Fort Hood shootings as workplace violence. She criticized the Obama administration for failing to identify the threat as radical Islam.

Documents: ATF used "Fast and Furious" to make the case for gun regulations
In Fast and Furious, ATF secretly encouraged gun dealers to sell to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels to go after the "big fish." But ATF whistleblowers told CBS News and Congress it was a dangerous practice called "gunwalking," and it put thousands of weapons on the street. Many were used in violent crimes in Mexico. Two were found at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. ATF officials didn't intend to publicly disclose their own role in letting Mexican cartels obtain the weapons, but emails show they discussed using the sales, including sales encouraged by ATF, to justify a new gun regulation called "Demand Letter 3".

2011 saw record number of high-cost weather disasters
The United States had a dozen weather disasters that each caused at least $1 billion in damages in 2011, the greatest frequency of severe weather that caused costly losses in more than 30 years of federal government tracking.

Solar Weather Forecasting Becomes Vital as Sun Gears Up for Wild Ride
Following an extended quiet period, the sun is ramping up for an era of intense activity, and researchers are prepping to prevent solar storms from disrupting life here on Earth.

France and Germany detail sweeping changes to eurozone set-up
The Franco-German powerhouse at the heart of the EU has proposed a series of sweeping changes to the bloc's institutional set-up in an effort to bring an end to the eurozone crisis that has laid low European economies and threatened the survival of the Union. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkosy in a joint letter to EU Council President Herman van Rompuy delivered on the details of what they agreed last week must be altered in the eurozone.

This lunar eclipse will include an 'impossible' sight
This year's second total lunar eclipse on Saturday morning will offer a rare chance to see a strange celestial sight traditionally thought impossible. Ringside seats for the lunar eclipse can be found in Alaska, Hawaii, northwestern Canada, Australia, New Zealand and central and eastern Asia. Over the contiguous United States and Canada, the eastern zones will see either only the initial penumbral stages before moonset, or nothing at all.

Putin says US encouraged election protests
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States of encouraging protests over Russia's parliamentary election and said hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign funds were used to influence the vote. In his first public remarks about daily demonstrations by protesters alleging Sunday's vote was fraudulent and unfair, Putin said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "gave a signal" to Kremlin opponents.

Doomsday war games: Pentagon's 3 nightmare scenarios
...in war games in Washington this week, US Army officials and their advisers debated three nightmare scenarios in particular. Here are the doomsday visions that Pentagon planners have been poring over:

'US expects direct Israeli-Palestinian talks'
Both the US and the Quartet expect Israelis and Palestinians to meet in direct talks and exchange comprehensive proposals there on the issue of security and territory, US Ambassador Dan Shapiro said Thursday. Shapiro, at a press conference in Tel Aviv, said that this position has been made clear to both sides.

Billionaire Jim Rogers: Euro collapse will lead to end of world as we know it
“Jim, economic collapse with the euro: will that lead to a recession?” asks Glenn Beck. “That will lead to the end of the world as we know it,” answers Jim Rogers, founder of Rogers International Commodities Index. “That will certainly lead to the end of the world as Washington D.C. knows it. There’s no question about that.”

IDF strikes Gaza terror cell, thwarts attack from Sinai
The IDF thwarted an attack from the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday after the Air Force bombed targets in northern Gaza, killing a number of senior Hamas terrorists involved in plotting attacks against Israel. Palestinians reported that two people were killed in the attack and at least two others injured.

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Failure of EU treaty deal brings a new ‘two-speed Europe’
The amendments to the EU treaty would have meant closer fiscal integration aimed at saving the euro, but now the eurozone countries, plus possibly another six EU members, will have to go it alone.

Megaquake warning for the high Himalayas
Take a hotspot of potential conflict and add a magnitude 9 earthquake. It sounds like a nightmare scenario, but it could play out in the troubled Kashmir region of the Indian subcontinent, according to Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Earthquake reported near Alaska's HAARP array
The quake's epicenter was about 14 miles from the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), which has been linked by many a conspiracy theorist to other calamitous events, particularly big temblors. HAARP spokesmen claim scientists out there are learning how to create aurora borealis and lightning. Others hold the program responsible for the March 2011 Japan earthquake as well as the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Putin Blames Clinton for Unrest
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday of instigating the public protests against the State Duma elections as tens of thousands signed up to rally over the weekend.

Holder: "Lying" To Congress Depends On "State Of Mind
Eric Holder attempts to avoid question about lying to congress. Saying that lying depends on one's state of mind.

Texas Macy’s Employee Fired for Allegedly Violating Store’s LGBT Policy
Johnson, 27, was employed at the River Center Macy’s in San Antonio until last week. She said a teenager caught her attention because the teen was shopping for women’s clothing, but Johnson was convinced the shopper was male. “I had to just be straightforward and tell him, ‘You’re a man,’ and of course that … really got him steamed,” Johnson told KSAT.

New Perry TV ad cites 'liberal attacks' on religion
The Texas governor says in the 30-second TV spot: “You don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.

EU Banks 'Need Billions More To Survive Crisis'
European banks need an extra 114.7bn euros (£97.7bn) to survive the eurozone debt crisis, the region's banking authority has said. The European Banking Authority said the overall shortfall, including an emergency capital buffer, is 13.1bn euros (£11.1bn) for German banks and 7.3bn euros (£6.2bn) for French banks.

Economist warns global slowdown will be of Biblical scale
"Akin to Pharaoh's dream for Egypt, the global economy could well be in the midst of seven lean years, as the debt-financed bounty of the prior expansion left a growth famine in its wake," Avery Shenfeld said in his year-end economic outlook.

Syrian army masses outside Homs amid reports of imminent assault
Homs has been a centre of unrest since the onset of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in February. The Free Syrian Army, a nascent rebel movement comprised largely of defectors from the security forces, has units operating inside the city. ..."The regime is paving the way to commit a massacre in order to extinguish the revolution in Homs," said a statement from the SNC. With 1.6m people, Homs is divided between Syria's main religious groups.

Iran shows film of captured US drone
Iranian TV has shown the first video footage of an advanced US drone aircraft that Tehran says it downed 140 miles (225km) from the Afghan border. Images show Iranian military officials inspecting the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth aircraft which appears to be undamaged. US officials have acknowledged the loss of the unmanned plane, saying it had malfunctioned.

French bank ratings downgraded again by Moody's
Credit rating agency Moody's has downgraded France's three big banks due to their difficulty borrowing money. The agency cut Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas from Aa2 to Aa3, and Societe Generale from Aa3 to A1. The move follows a previous rating cut by Moody's for Credit Agricole and Societe Generale in September.

Alliance pushes for climate deal
The EU and some of the world's poorest nations have launched a joint bid for a strong outcome at the UN climate talks. Ministers from rich and poor countries stood shoulder to shoulder at a news conference urging big emitters such as China and the US to move to a deal.

Scotland storm: Work to restore power to homes
Engineers are trying to reconnect more than 70,000 Scottish homes left without power overnight but many may not have electricity until the weekend. Thursday's storm, the worst of its kind in a decade, brought down trees, closed roads and schools and knocked out power lines. The storm eased in the central belt on Thursday evening but caused problems across the north and north east.

Gaza rocket fire continues: 3 more Kassams fired at Israel
Three Kassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip exploded in southern Israel Friday morning, the latest in a spate of rocket attacks in the past 24 hours. Two of the rockets exploded in the Ashkelon Regional Council shortly after 12 p.m. and another in the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council around 9 a.m. No damage or injuries were reported. Overnight, the Israel Air Force struck targets connected with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip in response to rockets Thursday,

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Euro crisis: US General Martin Dempsey warns of unrest
The top US military commander, Gen Martin Dempsey, says he is concerned about "the potential for civil unrest" as Europe's financial crisis unfolds. Gen Dempsey said it was unclear the latest steps taken by EU leaders would be enough to hold the eurozone together, adding that a break-up could have consequences for the Pentagon. Twenty-six of the 27 EU countries have agreed to forge a tighter fiscal union.

Skywatchers enjoy lunar eclipse
Skywatchers have begun enjoying the last total lunar eclipse until 2014. The spectacle, which occurs when the earth casts its shadow over the moon, will be visible from Australia, Asia and North America. But indirect sunlight can still illuminate the Moon, turning it a dramatic shade of red.

Turkey: We won't allow Syria to threaten security of region
Turkey cannot stand by and watch if Syria's crackdown on a popular uprising puts security in the region at risk, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday. While Turkey has no desire to interfere in Syria's internal affairs, it has a duty to tell Syria "Enough!" if it puts Turkey's security at risk by fighting its own people and forcing people to flee the country, he said.

Newt Gingrich: Palestinians are an 'invented' people
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich thrust himself into controversy on Friday by declaring that the Palestinians are an "invented" people who want to destroy Israel. The former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives predictably sided with Israel in its decades-old dispute with the Palestinians but took it a step further in an interview with the Jewish Channel.

IAF strikes Gaza targets; 2 more rockets fired at Israel
Two rockets were fired into the Eshkol Regional Council area from the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, bringing the total number of rockets fired in the past 24 hours to 15, Army Radio reported. No injuries or damages were reported. Responding to a series of rockets fired into Israel on Friday, the Israel Air Force struck targets associated with terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip earlier Saturday morning, the IDF Spokesman's Office said in a statement.

Euro crisis: US General Martin Dempsey warns of unrest
The top US military commander, Gen Martin Dempsey, says he is concerned about "the potential for civil unrest" as Europe's financial crisis unfolds. Gen Dempsey said it was unclear the latest steps taken by EU leaders would be enough to hold the eurozone together, adding that a break-up could have consequences for the Pentagon.

Russian election: Moscow braced for fresh protests
Moscow is braced for what the opposition claims will be the biggest demonstration in Russia for 20 years. Tens of thousands are expected to gather in a square south of the Kremlin, in the latest show of anger over disputed parliamentary polls.

Drone crash unmasks U.S. spying effort in Iran
The crash of a CIA drone in Iran has brought into the open what U.S. intelligence agencies would prefer kept secret: intense spying efforts in a country where the United States has no official presence.

Radioactive water leaks inside Japan plant
Radioactive water leaked inside a nuclear power plant in southwestern Japan but did not escape into the environment, the government said Saturday, the latest problem for the country's nuclear industry amid an ongoing crisis at another plant.


Obama Has Found Jesus!
Just in time for the "holiday season," Barack Hussein Obama has apparently found Jesus. More likely, he read the most recent presidential approval poll, which indicated that his weakest demographic is composed of those who attend church regularly and, conversely, that his strongest is composed of those who don't.

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Satellite Images Suggest Something Happened at Iranian Nuclear Facility -- But Was It an Explosion?
The first clear pictures of Iran’s nuclear site near Isfahan have been published and analyzed following an explosion at or near the site on Nov. 28, and they provide another piece of the puzzle. But what happened there remains a mystery. Iran’s uranium conversion facility sits outside Isfahan.

UN Calls For Eco-Fascist World Government At Durban Summit
Bureaucrats at the UN Climate Summit in Durban have outlined plans for the most draconian, harebrained and madcap climate change treaty ever produced, under which the west would be mandated to respect “the rights of Mother Earth” by paying a “climate debt” which would act as a slush fund for bankrolling an all-powerful world government.

Syrian protests trigger new deadly clashes
At least 24 people have been killed in renewed anti-government protests across Syria, activists say. Eleven of the deaths were in and around the city of Homs, while five were in the suburbs of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Another activist group, the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), put Friday's death toll at 35.

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Durban climate change: last minute talks produce 'historic deal to save the planet'
The United Nations (UN) climate change summit in Durban, South Africa looked certain to fail after India threatened to walk out. ...But in a highly unusual form of on-the-hoof diplomacy, the warring female ministers were forced to go into a public ‘huddle’ to find a resolution. The so called “10 minutes to save the world” resulted in a form of words both parties could live with and relieved applause from the other 190 countries present.

Israeli aircraft strike Gaza, as cross-border violence continues
Israeli aircraft struck the Gaza Strip early Sunday, wounding a 12-year-old girl and her father, according to a Palestinian health official. The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement that it targeted a weapons factory in response to rockets fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza into southern Israel.

New Israel ambassador to arrive in Egypt this week, sources say
Israel's new ambassador to Egypt is set to arrive in Cairo this week after his predecessor was pulled out when the embassy was attacked by protesters in September, Egyptian and Israeli sources said on Sunday. Yaakov Amitai, the new envoy, replaces Yitzhak Levanon, who was ambassador when the embassy was stormed during protests over the killing in August of Egyptian guards by Israeli troops pursuing militants who had killed eight Israelis on the border.

N Korea furious at South's Christmas lights plan
North Korea has warned South Korea of "unexpected consequences" if it lights up a Christmas tree-shaped tower near their tense border. The North's state-run Uriminjokkiri website said it would amount to a form of "psychological warfare". Seoul's annual tradition of lighting up a Christmas tree tower was suspended in 2003 following a warming of ties.

Mexico earthquake kills two in Guerrero state
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake has struck Mexico, shaking buildings and sending people rushing out on to the street. The quake, which struck the western state of Guerrero at 19:47 local time (01:47 GMT), was strongly felt in Mexico City. At least two people have died in the state, but reports suggest the country has escaped major damage.

Netanyahu re-establishes PM Bible class
Taking a page out of David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin’s playbook, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will begin hosting a regular Bible study group in his official residence for researchers, public officials and invited guests. Netanyahu announced the establishment of the study circle on Friday at a ceremony marking 30 days since the passing of his father-in-law, Shmuel Ben-Artzi. The study group will be named after Ben-Artzi, a noted poet and Bible teacher.

Defectors fight loyalist forces in southern Syria
Hundreds of army defectors in southern Syria fought loyalist forces backed by tanks on Sunday in one of the biggest armed confrontations in a nine-month uprising against President Bashar Assad, residents and activists said. Troops, mainly from the 12th Armoured Brigade, based in Isra, 40-km from the border with Jordan, stormed the nearby town of Busra al-Harir.

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Internal DOJ Email: Kagan Was Brought Into Loop on Mark Levin’s Obamacare Complaint
In another internal DOJ email communication that same week, Kagan alerted the chief of DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel to the constitutional argument that a former U.S. Appeals Court judge was making against the use of this rule.

Police employ Predator drone spy planes on home front
Janke knew the gunmen could be anywhere on the 3,000-acre spread in eastern North Dakota. Fearful of an armed standoff, he called in reinforcements from the state Highway Patrol, a regional SWAT team, a bomb squad, ambulances and deputy sheriffs from three other counties. He also called in a Predator B drone.

Eurozone banking system on the edge of collapse
Senior analysts and traders warned of impending bank failures as a summit intended to solve the European crisis failed to deliver a solution that eased concerns over bank funding.

U.S. radars behind Mars probe failure: ex-General
The stricken Russian Mars probe, Phobos-Grunt, may have fallen victim to U.S. military radars in Alaska, according to a retired Russian General. The General was apparently referring to the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Programme (HAARP) site in Gakona, Alaska.

MP Warns of Tough Military Response to Violation of Iranian Airspace
If the United States' spy drone that was recently downed by the Iranian Armed Forces in the Eastern parts of the country had been a jet fighter, we would have hit all the US military bases throughout the world, a senior Iranian lawmaker warned on Friday.

Syria arms missiles with chemical warheads
The Syrian regime, which has endured nine months of civil unrest spurred by the Arab Spring as it swept across the Middle East, has armed its medium-range missile arsenal with chemical warheads. Damascus armed 600 one-ton chemical warheads to use in the event of a foreign military intervention.

Police to test laser that 'blinds rioters'
The technology, developed by a former Royal Marine commando, temporarily impairs the vision of anyone who looks towards the source. It has impressed a division of the Home Office which is testing a new range of devices because of the growing number of violent situations facing the police.

U.S. Proposes Unmanned Border Entry With Mexico
The bloody drug war in Mexico shows no sign of relenting. Neither do calls for tighter border security amid rising fears of spillover violence. This hardly seems a time the U.S. would be willing to allow people to cross the border legally from Mexico without a customs officer in sight. But in this rugged, remote West Texas terrain where wading across the shallow Rio Grande undetected is all too easy,...

'Iran will definitely strike Turkey if attacked'
An Iranian security official said that Iran would "definitely" strike NATO positions in Turkey if it was attacked, according to a Monday report by the Turkish daily Hurriet. “We are closely monitoring the relations with Turkey in the National Security Commission of the parliament. Iran has warned Turkey before about the deployment of the system will have grave consequences." said Hossein Ibrahimi, vice-chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission.

'US-listed firms told to reveal Syria, Iran links'
At least a dozen US-listed companies have been told by the US Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose business activity in and with Syria, Iran and others deemed "state sponsors" of terror by the state department, the Financial Times said on Sunday. The inquiries are part of SEC reviews of companies' investment risks to security holders.

Health Squeeze: UK's free health care under threat
In January, the government introduced a new health bill that many fear will bring even more draconian cuts and competition from private providers. The bill, now in the process of being adopted, will ax more than 20,000 health jobs in the next two years and shut an undisclosed number of hospitals, possibly including the iconic St. Mary's in London, where Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. The medical profession is outraged.

Israel OKs funding to block African migrants
The Israeli Cabinet voted unanimously Sunday to finance a $160 million program to stanch the flow of illegal African migrants by stepping up construction of a border fence and expanding a detention center to hold thousands of new arrivals.Some 50,000 Africans, mostly from Sudan and Eritrea, have illegally entered southern Israel since 2006 through the porous border with Egypt's Sinai desert, according to government estimates.

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Jerusalem's Mugrabi Bridge closed
Western Wall Heritage Foundation closes bridge connecting Kotel and Temple Mount despite Jordan's warning due to safety hazards detected by Jerusalem city's engineer who says structure is highly flammable. Move draws extensive criticism by Palestinians

U.N. Floats Global 'Climate Court' to Enforce Emissions Rules
The rules of the road the court would presumably enforce are based on the view that these developed countries owe developing countries a "debt" over climate change, and must provide financial aid in addition to taking major steps toward cutting emissions.


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Iran must chose between a bomb or survival: Israel
A senior Israeli cabinet minister on Monday said Iran must be forced to face an existential question over its nuclear drive: choose between getting an atomic bomb, or survival. "We believe that in order to stop the Iranian military nuclear project, the regime in Tehran should face a dilemma -- whether to have a bomb or to survive," Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon told reporters in Jerusalem.

Religious police appears in Tunisia following Islamic victory at polls
Islamic operatives have formed a police force in Tunisia. The so-called Salafists have established what was termed a religious police force. The force, called “Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice,” was meant to be modeled after the religious police force in Saudi Arabia.

Syria should be referred to ICC, UN's Navi Pillay says
The top United Nations human rights official has told the Security Council that Syria should be referred to the International Criminal Court over its crackdown on anti-government protests. Navi Pillay said she felt widespread killings and torture in the country "constituted crimes against humanity". Ms Pillay put the number of those killed by security forces in the nine-month uprising at more than 5,000.

Obama: We asked Iran to give us our drone back
President Obama has a message for Iran: He would like America's downed spy drone back. Obama revealed the request for the return of the drone--which fell to earth in Iran recently, and has since been flaunted in video footage by the Iranian government--during a Monday White House news conference. The president shared the podium with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as both leaders discussed the future of American-Iraqi relations after the withdrawal this month of the last remaining U.S. troops.

Hezbollah identifies undercover CIA officers
The militant group Hezbollah has revealed the identities of CIA officers working undercover in Lebanon, a blow to agency operations in the region and the latest salvo in an escalating spy war. Hezbollah made the names public in a broadcast Friday night on a Lebanese television station, al-Manar. Using animated videos, the station recreated meetings purported to take place between CIA officers and paid informants at Starbucks and Pizza Hut.

Canada to withdraw from Kyoto Protocol
Canada will formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the minister of the environment has said. Peter Kent said the protocol "does not represent a way forward for Canada" and the country would face crippling fines for failing to meet its targets.

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Rare H1N2 Virus Found in Minnesota Infant
Disease specialists are carefully monitoring the case of a Minnesota infant who developed a unique type of H1N1. It’s called the H1N2 virus and it’s only the second case ever detected anywhere. The Minnesota Department of Health is minimizing the threat but at the same time, they are saying this is an example of how difficult the flu virus is to pin down. That is also why the threat is always there that a new deadly strain can always emerge. The H1N2 virus is common in pigs in the Upper Midwest.

'Fountains' of methane 1,000m across erupt from Arctic ice - a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide
They made a terrifying discovery - huge plumes of methane bubbles rising to the surface from the seabed. 'We found more than 100 fountains, some more than a kilometre across,' said Dr Igor Semiletov, 'These are methane fields on a scale not seen before. The emissions went directly into the atmosphere.'

Realtors: We Overcounted Home Sales for Five Years
Data on sales of previously owned U.S. homes from 2007 through October this year will be revised down next week because of double counting, indicating a much weaker housing market than previously thought.

Catholic parents fear Ontario’s anti-bullying bill means accepting gay lifestyle
A private group of Catholic parents is worried Ontario’s proposed anti-bullying legislation, Bill 13, will force the religious schools their children attend to change fundamental Church teachings on homosexual behaviour.

Strong 7.3 magnitude quake hits PNG
A spokesman from Geoscience Australia confirmed the earthquake had occurred on land north of Port Moresby. Geoscience Australia's website said the quake could be felt by people 1,523 kilometres away. It says damage may have occurred within a 122-kilometre radius.

Pentagon spending bill includes sweeping detention measures
“The homeland is part of the battlefield and people can be held without trial whether an American citizen or not,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, one of the key backers of the new authority. For instance, U.S. agents tipped off by their Canadian counterparts as part of new intelligence-sharing pacts could detain a Canadian, ship him to Guantanamo and imprison him there forever.

Muslim Brotherhood plans to turn Egypt's holiday resorts 'sin-free'
The Muslim Brotherhood, which won success in the first round of parliamentary elections in Egypt last month, is reportedly set on turning the country's holiday resort 'sin-free'. Azza al-Jarf, a candidate for the Muslim Brotherhood, told supporters: "Tourists don't need to drink alcohol when they come to Egypt; they have plenty at home."

Last secret door of Great Pyramid 'to be opened in 2012', says British company
The secret gates at the heart of the Great Pyramid may be opened for the first time in 2012, a British robot company believes - solving a mystery that has puzzled archaeologists since 1872.

U.S. probing alleged cyberattack plot by Venezuela, Iran
U.S. officials are investigating reports that Iranian and Venezuelan diplomats in Mexico were involved in planned cyberattacks against U.S. targets, including nuclear power plants.

US units exiting Iraq deployed in Jordan to forestall Syrian attack
As the US completes its final withdrawal from Iraq, American special forces troops have been diverted to positions in Jordan opposite a Syrian tank concentration building up across the kingdom's northern border,

Report: Syria forces fire into Lebanon border town, wound 2
At least six people were killed by Syrian security forces in two dissident provinces on Wednesday, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Five of the deaths occurred in the central province of Hama when security forces opened fired on a car near a checkpoint, according to the London-based organization.

China protest worsens in Guangdong after villager death
A stand-off between villagers and the authorities is continuing in southern China's Guangdong province. Police have blocked roads leading to the village of Wukan. Local people are trying to keep them out. The row - over village land taken by the local government - has been simmering for some time.

Egypt elections enter second round
Egyptians are going to the polls for the second round of elections to a new parliament - the first since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. The first round earlier this month was dominated by Islamist parties, with the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party winning 36.6% of vote.

Bumpy ride for fiscal compact in Dublin, Prague, Helsinki
The EU’s new fiscal compact is again getting a bumpy ride from a number of quarters in member states, with opposition parties in Ireland warning over loss of sovereignty and the leaders of the Czech Republic and Finland also underlining concerns.

'Iran to move enrichment operations if necessary'
Iran will move its uranium enrichment plants to safer sites if conditions make this necessary, the semi-official Mehr news agency on Wednesday quoted a senior Revolutionary Guards commander as saying. Controversy over Iran's uranium enrichment program has resulted in Western powers imposing increasingly tight economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, and Israel and the United States say they have not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to persuade Tehran to suspend its sensitive nuclear work.

Ben-Eliezer: IDF should've shot activists who attacked base
MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) said on Wednesday that the IDF should have shot at the activists that attacked soldiers earlier this week. "The gang of criminals took a brick, threw it at an officer's head and almost killed him," he said during a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Meeting with head of the IDF Manpower Directorate, Maj.-Gen. Orna Barbivai. "Too bad the IDF didn't arrest anyone; too bad they didn't shoot; too bad they didn't react."

Government to receive archive of every tweet ever sent...
Tweets, emails and other electronic communications can be considered "government documents" and must be preserved. The National Archives handles official government materials, while the Library of Congress' mandate is to deal with anything that may have long-term historical interest.

Amnesty says Saudi beheading for sorcery "shocking"
Rights group Amnesty International has described as "deeply shocking" Saudi Arabia's beheading of a woman convicted on charges of "sorcery and witchcraft," saying it underlined the urgent need to end executions in the kingdom. Saudi national Amina bint Abdul Halim bin Salem Nasser was executed on Monday in the northern province of al-Jawf after being tried and convicted for practicing sorcery, the interior ministry said, without giving details of the charges.

Analysis: Isolation fears push outsiders to embrace euro zone
A determination not to be sidelined is driving EU countries that don't use the euro to support deeper integration in the single currency area, even though they reject joining the club until Europe's sovereign debt crisis is resolved.

Abbas raises Palestinian flag at UNESCO
The Palestinian flag was raised at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris Tuesday, in a ceremony attended by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Netanyahu calls urgent meeting after rightists attack IDF base
The situation is intolerable," Netanyahu said at the opening of the discussion. "We must take care of these rioters with a firm hand. We will not tolerate a situation in which IDF officers and soldiers are attacked and distracted from protecting Israeli citizens."

Scientists At Cern 'Glimpse God Particle'
Scientists are set to confirm they have caught a glimpse of the elusive 'God particle' - the so far theoretical concept that helps to explain some of the mysteries of the universe.

Russian billionaire challenges Putin for Kremlin
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov announced on Monday that he would challenge Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the upcoming presidential elections next March. In order to register, Prokhorov needs either to be nominated by any of the existing seven registered political parties or needs to collect 2 million signatures in support of his bid. The billionaire added that he has opted for the latter choice.

Just a test, but Verizon's 'civil emergency' text message spells fear, confusion around N.J.
The unfamiliar noise from Jaclyn Boruch's cell phone startled her. She reflexively grabbed it. What she saw next scared her. In bold red letters were the words "CMAS Alert" followed by "Civil Emergency in this area until 1:24 PM EST Take Shelter Now U.S. Govern."

UN: Syria death toll over 5,000
Close to 5,000 people have now been killed in the Syrian government's crackdown on protests, UN rights chief Navi Pillay told the UN Security Council on Monday.

The Iranian Army Says It Will 'Practice' Shutting Down The Strait Of Hormuz
Increasingly irritated by the world's critique of its blossoming nuclear program, Iran announced Monday it is gearing up its military to practice closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Russian protesters distracted during Moscow demo against Putin... by 'UFO' flying over Kremlin
Bizarre footage has emerged of an apparent 'unidentified flying object' soaring above Moscow during a political protest. Amateur footage in the Russian capital at the weekend caught the 'sighting' of the flying object in the sky, which drew bemused looks from onlookers who were meant to be protesting.

Obama to slash National Guard force on U.S.-Mexico border
Citing budget cuts, the Obama administration early next year will cut the number of National Guard troops patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border by at least half, according to a congressman who was briefed on the plan. The National Guard said an announcement will be made by the White House “in the near future,” but Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican who has learned of the plans, said slashing the deployment in half is the minimum number, and he said it will mean reshuffling the remaining troops along the nearly 2,000-mile border.

'Iran to reverse-engineer, mass produce US drone'
Iran will reverse-engineer the US drone it captured on December 4, Iran's Press TV quoted a senior Iranian official as saying Sunday. Parviz Sorouri, member of the Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said that his country will "mass produce" the drones in the near future.

US House-Senate panel approves Iran sanctions
Leaders of a US House and Senate negotiating panel on Tuesday said they had agreed to compromise legislation imposing new sanctions that target Iran's central bank, despite Obama administration misgivings over the measure. They said they hoped to pass it this week. The lawmakers, the leaders of armed services committees from both political parties, said they had made some changes sought by the administration.

Ahmadinejad: Iran can control US drone
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Venezuelan television on Tuesday that Iran can control the American unmanned spy plane it downed, according to CNN. "There are people here who can control this spy plane, surely we can analyze this plane too," CNN quoted Ahmadinejad as telling VTV. "The systems of Iran are as advanced as this system."

PM convenes emergency meeting on attack on IDF base
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting with senior security officials in his office following an attack by some 50 settlers on an army base in the West Bank. Among those attending were Defense Minister Ehud Barak, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrahi, Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Yochanan Danino and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch.



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Could hackers develop a 'computer virus' to infect the human mind?
'I advocate that cells are living computers and DNA is a programming language.' 'I want to see life programmed and used to solve global challenges so that humanity can achieve a sustainable relationship within the biosphere,' he says.It's growing fast. It will grow faster than computer technologies.'

FBI Director Denies Cover-Up Involving 'Fast and Furious' Guns Found at Border Agent's Murder
It's the latest in a broader back-and-forth over tactics used by investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to target gun-runners in Arizona. Launched in late 2009, "Fast and Furious" was said to be designed to follow gun purchasers in hopes that suspects would lead them to the heads of Mexican cartels.

China must protect Iran even with WWIII
Major General Zhang Zhaozhong said, "China will not hesitate to protect Iran even with a third World War."

U.S. to leave Iraqi airspace clear for strategic Israeli route to Iran
The US. military’s fast-approaching Dec. 31 exit from Iraq, which has no way to defend its airspace, puts Israel in a better place strategically to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Footage of WMD Stockpiles Uncovered in Libya, Defense Ministry Assures They‘re in the ’Safe Hands’ of Rebels
The diligent crew over at MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) has brought us yet another insightful video out of the Arab world. New footage has emerged out of Libya featuring stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. The following are excerpts from a report on the uncovered WMD’s that aired on Alaan TV December 11. The anchor opens the segment by saying that the Libyan army discovered “stockpiles of mustard gas, nerve gas, as well as plant for their production” in the Al-Rawagha and Sokna regions.

Is the FBI Using Carrier IQ for Domestic Surveillance?
Smartphone users were told that Carrier IQ was only being used for diagnostic information but what exactly does this mean? And if it’s only being used for diagnostic information, why is the FBI denying a FOIA request for records of how that agency has used data from the software for law enforcement purposes?

WH OKs military detention of terrorism suspects
"By signing this defense spending bill, President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in U.S. law," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "In the past, Obama has lauded the importance of being on the right side of history, but today he is definitely on the wrong side."

Israel prepares to release 550 Palestinian prisoners in Hamas deal
Israel began preparations on Thursday to release 550 Palestinian prisoners in the second stage of a deal with Hamas that brought home soldier Gilad Shalit after five years of captivity in the Gaza Strip. Israel's Prisons Service posted on its website the list of prisoners whose jail terms are to be cut and a spokeswoman said they would be assembled in two jails prior to release on Sunday.

Arab uprising could spark unrest in UK: general
Britain's top soldier warned on Wednesday that pro-democracy uprisings in the Middle East could spawn militant Islamist activity in Britain, but said the greatest threat was economic. In his end-of-year analysis of the dangers facing Britain, the chief of the defense staff, General David Richards, said the Arab Spring could stir unrest in Britain's immigrant communities.

Vandals try to start fire in West Bank mosque
Vandals have started a fire in a mosque in a West Bank village, in the second such attack in two days. Officials in Burka, east of Ramallah, said that carpets and chairs were burnt in the local mosque and Hebrew graffiti saying "war" was scrawled on the wall. On Tuesday, a fire was started in a 12th Century mosque in Jerusalem.

US to lower flag to end Iraq war
The flag of American forces in Iraq has been lowered in Baghdad, bringing nearly nine years of US military operations in Iraq to a formal end. The US Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, told troops the mission had been worth the cost in blood and dollars. He said the years of war in Iraq had yielded to an era of opportunity in which the US was a committed partner.

US rules out eurozone bail-out, as recession looms
The US Federal Reserve has no plans to contribute to a bail-out of Europe, but a euro collapse would have devastating effects on the economy, its chief, Ben Bernanke, told Republican senators on Wednesday (14 December) at a closed-door hearing. Several senators confirmed after the meeting that Bernanke said he did not "have the intention or the authority" to provide support for the euro crisis.

US fears Iran weeks from producing 20% enriched uranium
The Obama administration is concerned Iran is on the verge of being able to enrich uranium at a facility deep underground near the Muslim holy city of Qom, which may strengthen those advocating tougher action to stop Iran’s suspected atomic weapons program. Iranian nuclear scientists at the Fordow facility appear to be within weeks of producing 20 percent enriched uranium, according to Iran analysts and nuclear specialists who are in close communication with US officials and atomic inspectors.

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China ‘Incredibly Aggressive’ in Cyber Theft: Ex-CIA Chief
China is stealing online information from the United States and feeding the data to homegrown companies for commercial benefit, Michael Hayden, Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency said at the Black Hat Technical Security Conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

First satellite image of Chinese aircraft carrier reveals absence of key component
While its decks have been given a fresh coat of paint and heat resistant tiles installed the carrier is understood to be missing arrestor wires used to prevent jet fighters going into the sea after landing. But after an initial sea trial ended in uncertainty over how advanced the warship had become there is growing speculation that the ship is developing apace and is likely to field a strike force before the Royal Navy's own new carriers come into service.

Rarely seen ancient Ten Commandments scroll to be exhibited for 1st time in NYC
A well-preserved 2,000-year-old scroll of the Ten Commandments discovered in a cave is going on display in the city for the first time beginning Friday. The tiny scroll will be shown for 10 days at the Discovery Times Square exhibition space before returning to Israel.

Top Turkish military council reviews preparedness for war
A statement released by General Staff in its web-site on Thursday said Supreme Military Council (YAª) discussed activities of Turkish military in domestic and border security, adding that it reviewed Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) preparedness for war.

New Foreclosure Wave is Coming
Despite a seasonal slowdown in overall foreclosure activity, and a process still bogged down and backed up by the "robo-signing" processing scandal, the U.S real estate market is about to be hit by another surge of bank repossessions, according to a new report from the online foreclosure sale site RealtyTrac. As banks resubmit millions of documents and courts begin hearing cases again, the backlog of over four million delinquent loans will start surging through the pipeline again.

Brussels accord on the verge of collapse
The banks that were downgraded last night include US banks Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, Barclays and France’s BNP Paribas. Switzerland’s Credit Suisse and Germany’s Deutsche Bank were also cut. The downgrade could raise the cost of borrowing for these banks.

IMF warns that world risks sliding into a 1930s-style slump
On a day that saw an escalation in the tit-for-tat trade battle between China and the United States and a deepening of the diplomatic rift between Britain and France, Christine Lagarde issued her strongest warning yet about the health of the global economy and said if the international community failed to co-operate the risk was of "retraction, rising protectionism, isolation".

'Turkey's policies brought Israel to its knees'

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday that Turkey's recent, firm policies in the Middle East "have brought Israel to its knees" and isolated the Jewish state both regionally and internationally. According to the Turkish website Today's Zaman, Davutoglu's statement, made before the Turkish Parliament, was meant to counter claims by the opposition suggesting that Turkey's foreign policy was dependent on Western countries, and that Turkey's foreign policy is shifting towards the East.

U.S. Jewish lawmaker: Palestinians have to prove they deserve a state
The Palestinians need to prove they deserve an independent state before on is recognized, a leading U.S. lawmaker said on Thursday, criticizing what he said was a Palestinian culture of "resentment." ...Addressing the week-long conference on Thursday, the Republican leader discussed what he called the Palestinian "culture of resentment and hatred," adding: "As we say in Hebrew, Am Israel Chai, and what people of Israel want is to live in peace.

Israel's treatment at the UN 'obsessive' and 'ugly,' U.S. diplomat says
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice denounced the treatment Israel receives in the United Nations on Thursday, adding that American support of Israel's security was an "essential truth." Speaking at the annual reception of the Conference of Presidents Fund in New York, Rice said that the treatment Israel receives at the UN was “obsessive, ugly, bad for the United Nations and bad for peace.”

‘Indefinite Detention’ Bill Heads To Obama’s Desk As White House Drops Veto Threat
Obama has dropped his threat to veto the bill and is now expected to sign it into law. Remember – it was Obama’s White House that demanded the law apply to U.S. citizens in the first place. The bill which would codify into law the indefinite detention without trial of American citizens is about to be passed and sent to Obama’s desk to be signed into law, even as some news outlets still erroneously report that the legislation does not apply to U.S. citizens.

Syria crisis: Russia circulates surprise UN resolution
Russia has circulated a UN Security Council resolution aimed at resolving the crisis in Syria, in a move that surprised Western nations. The draft condemns the violence by both Syria's government and the opposition, but does not mention sanctions. Western nations said the proposal was not tough enough but that they were prepared to work on the document.

Russia set to become WTO member after 18 years of talks
Russia is finally set to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Friday at a ceremony in Switzerland, after 18 years negotiating its membership. The Swiss brokered a deal between Russia and Georgia earlier this year that removed the last obstacle to Russia's accession. Georgia had tried to block Russia's WTO entry since the two countries fought a short war in 2008.

Institutional Dutch Catholic abuse 'affected thousands'
Tens of thousands of children have suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945, a report says. The report by an independent commission said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages. Based on a survey of more than 34,000 people, the report estimates that one in five children in Catholic institutions suffered abuse.

Japan PM declares 'cold shutdown' at *********
Engineers have brought the crippled ********* nuclear plant to a "cold shutdown condition", nine months after the earthquake and tsunami, Japan has confirmed. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda made the announcement at a nuclear task-force meeting. Declaring a cold shutdown condition is seen as a key milestone in efforts to bring the plant under control.

IMF chief warns of new Great Depression
International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde has warned the Great Depression of the 1930s may repeat itself unless the EU pulls together and gets foreign help. Fresh unemployment statistics added to the gloom by highlighting the social cost of austerity. “If the international community does not work together, the risk from an economic point of view is that of retraction, rising protectionism, isolation.

Fitch cuts ratings on 8 major banks
Fitch Ratings on Thursday downgraded its viability ratings on eight of the world's biggest banks, citing increased challenges facing the banking sector due to weak economic growth and heightened regulation. The firm lowered its viability ratings for Bank of America Corp., Barclays PLC, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse AG, Deutsche Bank AG, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley and Societe Generale.

MSNBC apologizes to Mitt Romney campaign over ‘irresponsible,’ ‘incendiary’ KKK segment
MSNBC has apologized to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign for airing a segment that connected Romney's use of the expression "Keep America American" to the Klu Klux Klan. "During the 11AM hour on MSNBC, we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK in the 1920s," Chris Matthews said on Wednesday. "It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this and showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize, we really do, to the Romney campaign."

China trims holdings of US Treasury debt
China bought less U.S. Treasury debt in October and total foreign holdings dipped for the first time since July. Total foreign holdings of Treasury debt edged down 0.1 percent to $4.66 trillion, the Treasury Department reported Thursday.

Christopher Hitchens, militant pundit, dies at 62
Christopher Hitchens, the author, essayist and polemicist who waged verbal and occasional physical battle on behalf of causes left and right and wrote the provocative best-seller "God is Not Great," died Thursday night after a long battle with cancer. He was 62.

Sungrazing Lovejoy Comet Could Shine in Daylight Skies
The Lovejoy comet is expected to make an appearance in the Earth’s skies in the hours before it grazes the solar surface from a distance of only 140,000 kilometers at about midnight Friday UTC. Scientists say the streaking ball of ice and frozen gas likely will be completely destroyed in the intense heat of the Sun’s upper atmosphere, which is called the corona.

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EU diplomats: 'Jewish state' is becoming too Jewish
EU countries have raised a red flag over Israel's treatment of its Arab minority in a complaint that touches the heart of its identity as a "Jewish state." The deputy heads of EU embassies in Tel Aviv put forward their concerns in a 27-page-long internal report sent to the European Exernal Action Service (EEAS) earlier this month.

France rejects Russia’s Syria resolution as ‘unacceptable’
Russia’s draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria is unacceptable to France, but Moscow’s recognition that the body must react to the bloodshed is a positive step, France's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.-“It (France) is ready to work with all of its partners but it underlines that the Russian text has elements that are not acceptable in their current form,” Valero said. “It’s in particular unacceptable to put the Syrian regime’s repression on the same level as the Syrian people's resistance,” he added.

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The bottom line: Obama speaks Jewish, Republicans don’t
Indeed, they must have been tearing their hair out, the Republicans, to see the audience give wave after wave of ecstatic applause and standing ovations to the man who, as Mitt Romney put it, “threw Israel under a bus” - especially after weeks of having fallen over themselves to express their undying love and uncritical support for the Jewish state.

Regulators sue former top Fannie, Freddie execs
The case is one of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's biggest actions against high-level financial industry executives, although the regulator did not specify a dollar amount for damages in the alleged fraud. Many lawmakers consider Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at least partly responsible for the 2008 crisis, saying they encouraged lax lending to home buyers that led to a massive real estate bubble.

US sues Lebanese firms for 'laundering Hezbollah funds'
Three Lebanese financial institutions linked to Hezbollah laundered more than $300m (£193m) through the US second-hand car market, US prosecutors say. A civil suit says the Lebanese Canadian Bank and two money-exchange firms used drug-trafficking and criminal proceeds to buy and ship cars to West Africa.

US Congress strikes deal linking payroll tax to pipeline
US lawmakers have agreed to extend a payroll tax break for two months, after Republicans won their fight to attach a provision on a controversial pipeline. A vote is expected on Saturday on the bill, which would force the Obama administration to make a decision on the oil project early next year.

Iraq sends delegation to Syria for crisis talks
Iraq has sent a delegation to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and his opponents in an attempt to help end months of violence in its neighbor, a senior government official said on Saturday. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government has resisted Arab League calls for sanctions against Assad, and Iraqi leaders are worried that unrest in Syria will spill across the frontier and upset Iraq's own delicate sectarian balance.

Myanmar seeks "everlasting peace" in 3 years: minister
U.S. officials say the peace process might prove the toughest challenge ahead for civilian leaders who are eager to bring the long-isolated Southeast Asian nation in from the cold after five decades of iron-fisted army rule.

Gingrich rises in new presidential poll
The rise of New Gingrich has turned the Republican presidential race into a two-man affair, but a third of GOP voters say they're still undecided, a poll finds. A Harris poll released Friday indicated with Republicans Sarah Palin, Michele Bachman, Rick Perry and Herman Cain effectively out of the presidential running, the primary has turned into a contest between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Gingrich.

US sues Lebanese firms for 'laundering Hezbollah funds'
Three Lebanese financial institutions linked to Hezbollah laundered more than $300m (£193m) through the US second-hand car market, US prosecutors say. A civil suit says the Lebanese Canadian Bank and two money-exchange firms used drug-trafficking and criminal proceeds to buy and ship cars to West Africa.

Egypt violence resumes near parliament building
Protesters in Egypt have clashed with the security forces near parliament in Cairo, a day after eight people were killed in unrest there. The demonstrators threw stones at riot police who had sealed off the streets around the building with barbed wire.

Russia seizes Iran-bound radioactive material
Russia's customs service said Friday it had seized radioactive sodium-22, an isotope that is used in medical equipment but has no weapons use, from the luggage of a passenger planning to fly from Moscow to Tehran.

Typhoon hits Philippines killing nearly 180
A typhoon hit the southern Philippines triggering flash floods and landslides that killed nearly 180 people and forced about 100,000 from their homes, government and army officials said Saturday. Typhoon Washi, with winds gusting up to 90km/h (56 mph), hit the resource-rich island of Mindanao late Friday, bringing heavy rain that also grounded some domestic flights and left wide areas without power

Moody's cuts Belgium ratings by 2 notches
Moody's on Friday cut Belgium's credit rating by two notches, saying the euro zone debt crisis increases funding risks for countries with high public debt burdens. Concerns about Belgium's economic growth prospects and its banking system, particularly with contingent liabilities stemming from the Dexia group bailout, also contributed to the decision, Moody's said.

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French credit downgrade could come 'within days'
France could be stripped of its triple-A credit rating before Christmas, raising new doubts about the survival of the euro, analysts have predicted. Standard & Poor's – one of the three top rating agencies – is expected to cut France's rating within days, in a move that would weaken its ability to raise funds on financial markets.

Russia oil rig capsizes off Sakhalin, dozens missing
At least two people have died and more than 50 are missing after an oil drilling rig sank in freezing seas in the Russian far east. The Kolskaya rig was being towed some 200km (125 miles) off Sakhalin island when it capsized in a fierce storm.

Egypt's gas pipeline to Israel bombed for 10th time
An Egyptian pipeline carrying gas to Israel and Jordan was bombed on Sunday, the 10th such attack this year, but no fire erupted because the line that runs through North Sinai was already disabled, a security source said. The blast took place in an area five km (three miles) south of the Mediterranean coastal town of El-Arish.

Incoming EU president: Europe to block deals with Israel until peace process moves forward
Some would see it as poetic justice, a tale of small-scale retribution. Walking down a corridor of the European Parliament is a stunning young woman with black hair and a slender figure, "straight out of a magazine." Martin Schulz, not the most impressive peacock in the building, is walking past her, accompanied by two aides. The gorgeous woman's eyes sparkle as she looks at him and flashes a wide smile. Schulz nearly chokes. "Was that smile for me?" he asks, seeking verification. "It wasn't aimed at you, right?"

Israel to free 550 Palestinian prisoners in Hamas deal
Israel was scheduled to release 550 prisoners Sunday, in the second stage of an exchange with Hamas in Gaza. In the first stage in mid-October, Israel released 477 Palestinian militants, many serving multiple life sentences, in return for Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held hostage by the Islamist movement ruling Gaza for more than five years.

U.S. commander wants U.S. military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014
Gen. John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, told reporters Saturday he would like to keep a U.S. "military presence" in Afghanistan beyond 2014 when NATO is scheduled to withdraw its forces. Allen suggested the presence could last as long as 2016 when the Afghan Air Force is completed.

N. Korea 'agrees to suspend uranium enrichment'
North Korea has agreed to suspend its enriched-uranium nuclear weapons programme, a key United States demand for the resumption of disarmament talks, according to news reports. Yonhap news agency and the Chosun Ilbo daily quoted an unidentified diplomatic source saying the Washington had also agreed to provide the North with up to 240,000 tonnes of food aid.

Arabs may take Syria peace plan to United Nations
Arab states may take their proposals for ending Syria's crackdown on protests to the U.N. Security Council next week unless Damascus agrees to implement the initiative, Qatar's foreign minister said on Saturday. Expressing frustration that Syria had not carried out the plan, six weeks after it was first agreed, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said the window for an Arab solution to the crisis was closing.

Last US troops withdraw from Iraq
The last convoy of US troops to leave Iraq has entered Kuwait, nearly nine years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The final column of about 100 armoured vehicles carrying 500 soldiers crossed the southern Iraqi desert overnight.

Philippines steps up search for flood survivors
Rescuers are continuing the search for survivors after floods killed more than 500 people and left hundreds more missing in the southern Philippines. Naval vessels are scouring the coast along the island of Mindanao while soldiers searched swollen rivers. Officials said many bodies remained unclaimed, suggesting entire families had been swept away.

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Sale weatherman: Get ready for ‘worst winter in 200 years’
Now the amateur forecaster, from Sale, says the coming weeks could see Britain gripped by a ‘mini Ice-Age’ last encountered 200 years ago. Harry, who began his hobby as a merchant seaman, uses a system developed by the German army during the Second World War known as ‘similarity forecasting’. He matches conditions with those of previous years and then predicts the future weather will follow a similar pattern – often with great accuracy.

Thousands Rally to Save Nativity Scene
As many as 5,000 attended a rally in a small Texas community to show their support for a Nativity scene under attack by a Wisconsin-based atheist group, according to a minister who organized the event.

Appointment of IDF's new 'Iran Command' chief raises eyebrows
Maj. Gen. Shai Avital was named head of the new corps, which has already earned the somewhat overstated sobriquet "the Iran Command."

The Silver Rush at MF Global
It's one thing for $1.2 billion to vanish into thin air through a series of complex trades, the well-publicized phenomenon at bankrupt MF Global. It's something else for a bar of silver stashed in a vault to instantly shrink in size by more than 25%. That, in essence, is what's happening to investors whose bars of silver and gold were held through accounts with MF Global.

World stocks jolted by North Korean leader's death
European markets edged tentatively higher Monday, stabilizing after losses in Asia, as investors weighed the potential consequences of the death of North Korea's absolute ruler, Kim Jong Il. Markets' first reaction was to drop on the news of Kim Jong Il's death, which analysts warned could cause an uncertain power transition and put the brakes on talks aimed at getting the secretive communist state to give up its nuclear weapons.

AP IMPACT: EPA rules threaten older power plants
More than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be forced to shut down and an additional 36 might have to close because of new federal air pollution regulations, according to an Associated Press survey. Together, those plants - some of the oldest and dirtiest in the country - produce enough electricity for more than 22 million households, the AP survey found. But their demise probably won't cause homes to go dark.

Fatah and Hamas resume talks on Palestinian reconciliation
Hamas and Fatah officials met in Cairo on Sunday in order to renew talks on Palestinian reconciliation. The two sides are due to meet on Tuesday to sign a reconciliation agreement, although its implementation is expected to be postponed since the parties decided to delay the discussion on the formation of a Fatah-Hamas unity government until after January 26.

Exclusive: Secret U.S., Taliban talks reach turning point
After 10 months of secret dialogue with Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents, senior U.S. officials say the talks have reached a critical juncture and they will soon know whether a breakthrough is possible, leading to peace talks whose ultimate goal is to end the Afghan war. As part of the accelerating, high-stakes diplomacy, Reuters has learned, the United States is considering the transfer of an unspecified number of Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay military prison into Afghan government custody.

Egypt's Islamists claim sweep of second round vote
Egypt's two leading Islamist parties said on Sunday their separate party lists secured about three-quarters of votes cast in the second round of a parliamentary election, extending their lead in the three-stage vote. A source from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) said it was on track to win about 40 percent of votes for party lists, based on results from most districts.

China villagers threaten to march on government offices
Protesting villagers in southern China said they will march on government offices this week unless the body of a local leader is released and four villagers in police custody are freed. The 13,000 residents of Wukan, in the wealthy province of Guangdong, are in open revolt against officialdom and have driven out local Communist Party leaders who they say have been stealing their land for years.

Blizzard Unfolding Over the Western Plains
As much of the nation prepares for last-minute holiday shopping and preparations, a storm will bring a plethora of precipitation to the country starting with the Southwest This storm system will eventually bring a threat for some snow and light icing to the Great Lakes and Northeast later Tuesday into early Wednesday.

Egypt violence: Further clashes hit Tahrir Square
At least one person has died in fresh clashes between protesters and troops in the Egyptian capital Cairo, bringing the death toll since Friday to 11. Soldiers and police moved into Tahrir Square before dawn, using batons and tear gas to drive out the protesters, who retaliated by throwing stones.

Mass burial for Philippines floods victims
A mass burial has been organised in the Philippines for scores of people killed by flash floods on the southern island of Mindanao. Health officials in the city of Iligan say unclaimed bodies are being buried after being marked for possible future identification.

Iran state TV shows 'CIA spy confession'
Iranian state TV has broadcast what it says is the confession of an alleged CIA spy, a US man of Iranian descent. The man, named as Amir Mirzai Hekmati, was shown allegedly confessing to a mission to infiltrate Iran's intelligence services. The report said Mr Hekmati joined the US Army in 2001 and received special training before being sent to Iran.

Syria signs Arab League initiative to admit monitors
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem said Monday that Damascus will welcome monitors from Arab countries after his deputy signed an Arab League peace initiative in Cairo aimed at ending a nine-month crackdown on protests against President Bashar Assad's rule. ...Syria has stalled for weeks over signing the protocol on monitors, although it had agreed to other parts of the plan.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il dead at age 69
Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader, has died of heart failure. He was 69. In a "special broadcast" Monday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train due to a "great mental and physical strain" on Dec. 17 during a "high intensity field inspection." It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and "fully confirmed" the diagnosis.

Russia to build 100-ton ICBM to penetrate US missile defenses
A decision has been made to create a new silo-launched heavy missile that will have “enhanced capability to breach a hypothetical US missile defense system,” he said. The new missile will replace the Voyevoda R-36M2 Satan ICBM. Russia’s solid-propellant ICBMs may be unable to penetrate missile defenses, the general said.

Protesters March Golden Bull To Capitol Hill, Pray For Higher Taxes At Boehner's Office
A handful of protesters marched to Capitol Hill on Thursday carrying a large golden bull with them before praying outside the office of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in hope that he'll raise taxes. The paper-mâché bull was designed to look like the iconic Wall Street statue in New York's financial district. The marchers, who mainly came from two interfaith groups and the National Nurses United union, walked around the Capitol building, where they were hassled by the Capitol Police for not having a permit, and then on to the United Methodist Building adjacent to the Supreme Court, where they parked the bull.

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Euro zone IMF loan target in danger as UK declines help
Euro zone ministers agreed on Monday to boost IMF resources by 150 billion euros to ward off the debt crisis and won support for more money from EU allies, but it was unclear if the bloc would reach its 200 billion euro target after Britain bowed out.

Kim Jong-il death: North Korea pays last respects
Mourners in North Korea have been paying their last respects at the open coffin of late leader Kim Jong-il. State TV showed pictures of his son and heir, Kim Jong-un, and other senior officials at a memorial palace.

Syria unrest: Dozens of army deserters 'gunned down'
Dozens of army deserters have been shot dead by Syrian troops as they tried to flee their bases and join anti-government protests, reports say. Activist groups said more than 70 defectors were gunned down in the north-western Idlib province.

Pat Robertson Blasts SNL Tebow Skit: ‘There’s an Anti-Christian Bigotry‘ That’s ‘Disgusting’
Televangelist Pat Robertson doesn’t mince words when it comes to faith and this time is no exception. The outspoken faith-keeper blasted Saturday Night Live‘s recent skit of Denver Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow on Monday, calling the parody a “disgusting” attack on Christianity.

Supreme Court Schedules Unprecedented Full Week for Obamacare
The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will use an unprecedented week's worth of argument time in late March to decide the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's historic healthcare overhaul.

Germany: Israel plan for new West Bank homes 'devastating' to peace
Israel must refrain from constructing new settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a top aide of German Chancellor Angela Merkal said on Monday, following Israel's announcement of over 1,000 new housing units beyond the Green Line. Merkel spokesperson Georg Streiter said that Israel's recent announcement that it would seek contractors to build apartments in both areas conveys "a devastating message with regard to the current efforts to resume peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians."

Presidential Frontrunner Warns Martial Law Being Established in America
Leading GOP candidate Ron Paul has warned in recent interviews that the amendments passed in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are not only dangerous, but authorize the establishment of total martial law inside the United States. Not only does the bill, in sections 1031 and 1032, declare the unconstitutional right to detain Americans indefinitely without trial, but it authorizes an Internet offensive and online Pentagon takeover under the pretext of cybersecurity and stopping online piracy.

‘Hundreds’ of North Korean Nuke Scientists in Iran
Hundreds of nuclear scientists from North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong-il died Saturday, are working in 10 different locations in Iran, The South Korean-based Korea Times reported this week.

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Interstates reopening after Great Plains snowstorm
Holiday travelers were breathing a sigh of relief Wednesday after a snowstorm that shuttered interstates across the Great Plains moved out of the region, allowing crews to plow away snow drifts and free stranded motorists from roadside hotels.

Mind-reading computers land on IBM’s annual list of technological innovations to watch for
The computer giant released its “5 in 5” list for 2011, an annual report of the biggest tech advances it plans for the next five years — and one of those is to make a computer that can read someone’s mind.

Terror fear as scientists DELIBERATELY create 'Armageddon' bird flu virus in labBy Fiona Macrae
A super-strain of bird flu that could infect and wipe out millions has been developed in a laboratory. Dutch scientists who created the ‘Armageddon virus’ say it is ‘probably one of the most dangerous viruses you can make’. Their research focused on what it took to convert bird flu – which can kill more than half of those infected but does n

Gov’t Will Share Medicare Patients’ Data With New ‘Accountable Care Organizations’
Under the new system, individual medical claims filed with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be shared with doctors and hospitals unless Medicare patients opt out of the data-sharing. Starting on Jan. 1, 32 health care organizations from across the country will take part in a "Pioneer Accountable Care" initiative, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Monday.

UN adopts Islamic organization's scheme on religious tolerance
The resolution was prepared by the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which had won majority approval in UN rights bodies in Geneva and at the UN General Assembly for annual resolutions on “combating defamation of religions” since 1998. The call on countries to prohibit “defamation” had been included in a non-binding resolution on combating religious intolerance passed annually by the 193-nation assembly. The resolution, approved on Monday, also expressed concern about the incitement to religious hatred and the failure of some states “to combat this burgeoning trend.”

The Unpaid Spies In The Financial System
There’s a little known division of the Treasury Department called the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) whose mission is to “to enhance U.S. national security, deter and detect criminal activity, and safeguard financial systems from abuse by promoting transparency in the U.S. and international financial systems.” Here’s a government agency rule of thumb: The more noble-sounding the mission statement, the more villainous the agency.

World economy at a 'very dangerous juncture': IMF chief
She said the IMF's revised global growth forecast expected in January looked to be lower than the previous one in September, which was four percent, already down from June's outlook. "And what's more, there are downside risks on the horizon that are really threatening the recovery process that had started" after the 2008-09 global financial crisis, she said.

Syria conducts war games to deter attack
The Syrian military held live-fire exercises today to test the readiness of their armed forces in case of a war, according to state television. The government has come under heavy criticism for its handling of the nine month long protest against president Bashar al-Assad.

Official: Israel unprepared for wartime
The Israeli government's watchdog agency says the country is short on bomb shelters and is ill-prepared to protect its citizens in case of war. The state comptroller's annual report, published in part on Tuesday, says Israel has not learned the lessons from the 2006 Lebanon war, when dozens of Israeli civilians were killed by Hezbollah rockets.

FCC official: ‘Internet freedom’ threatened
The 193-member International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a U.N. agency, will meet in Dubai next December to renegotiate the 24-year-old treaty that deals with international oversight of the Internet. A growing number of countries are pushing greater governmental control and management of the Web’s availability, financial model and infrastructure. They believe the current model is “dominated” by the U.S., and want to “take that control and power away,” Mr. McDowell said.

Investors Lose Faith in Stocks As Billions Pour Out of Funds
Investors appeared to have lost faith in stocks this year. Just over a week ago, equity mutual funds globally had the second-biggest one-day outflow of money in 2011, capping four straight weeks of net redemptions, according to data from EPFR Global.

Egyptian Women March, Decry Abuse by Military
Thousands of Egyptian women descended on downtown Cairo's central Tahrir Square on Tuesday to protest what many have described as systematic abuse of female activists by the interim ruling military regime. The women joined thousands of male protesters, whose violent demonstration against military rule continued for a fifth day. The death toll rose to 13, the state news agency reported.

EU airline carbon tax backed by European Court
EU plans to levy an emissions tax on airlines are valid, according to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The decision means all airlines flying to and from the 27 states of the European Union will face a tax on emissions from 1 January. US, Canadian and other carriers argue the charges violate climate change and aviation pacts.

US House votes down payroll-tax extension plan
The House of Representatives has rejected a bipartisan plan for a short-term payroll tax break, as Congress ends the year in yet another deadlock. Republicans demanded immediate negotiations with the Senate on a year-long extension of the measure.

Doubts increase over usefulness of new fiscal treaty
Just a few days into the making of a new intergovernmental treaty on fiscal discipline, serious questions are being raised about whether the slight draft offered to date is either useful or necessary. Following the first day of negotiation on the proposed 14-article treaty, first circulated at the end of last week, the three MEPs at the table noted that virtually all the provisions could be done using the current EU treaties.

UN nuclear agency says Iran visit possible
The UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday it may visit Iran for talks, a day after a senior Iranian official said Tehran was prepared to discuss international concerns and remove "ambiguities" about its disputed nuclear program. "We're working on a possible visit," Gill Tudor, spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an e-mail response to a question. She gave no further details.


U.S. Defense Secretary: Iran could get nuclear bomb within a year
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Monday that Iran will have a nuclear weapon within one year, if not less. Speaking in an interview with CBS Evening News, Leon Panetta said that it would probably take a year for Tehran to assemble a nuclear bomb, but said that one provision is if the Iranians have a hidden facility that "may be enriching fuel."

Alarm as Dutch lab creates highly contagious killer flu
A deadly strain of bird flu with the potential to infect and kill millions of people has been created in a laboratory by European scientists – who now want to publish full details of how they did it. The discovery has prompted fears within the US Government that the knowledge will fall into the hands of terrorists wanting to use it as a bio-weapon of mass destruction.

Activists plotting Egypt’s fall, claims general
Egypt’s military rulers accused pro-democracy demonstrators of being part of a “systematic plan to destroy” the country as clashes between the security services and angry youths continued for a fourth day on Monday.

Clashes rage in Egypt's Tahrir Square for fifth day
Egyptian police and soldiers fired weapons and used batons and teargas for a fifth day on Tuesday in the latest effort to clear Cairo's central Tahrir Square of opponents of army rule, amid mounting international concern about the violence.

Perry talks about his faith, debates Iowan on energy
He told the crowd that he had a hole in his spiritual heart until around the age of 27 when he fully accepted Jesus Christ into his life. He quoted a Bible verse that instructs people of faith to pray for their leaders. “It’s those that I refer to as the politically correct police who say you can’t bring your faith into the public arena. You will be criticized but don’t be intimidated,” Perry instructed the crowd.

Israel forms corps for strategic strikes
Amid deepening tension between Iran and its principal adversaries -- the United States and Israel -- the Jewish state has formed a Special Forces command to carry out strategic strikes deep inside hostile territory.

Democrat firm advising Obama's communist Kenyan pal
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga – who Barack Obama helped place in office in a power-sharing agreement in 2008 after supporters of Odinga's losing presidential campaign sparked deadly rioting – has hired a Washington, D.C.-based, Democratic Party-oriented consulting firm in another bid for the East African nation's presidency, according to WND sources.

Walter Reed accidentally bans Bibles
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is backtracking on an order that banned family members from bringing Bibles and other religious materials to injured soldiers and a religious organization is demanding an explanation. Issued on the date of the official consolidation of the region's two military medical centers, the memo on visitor and patient policy contained a section stating "No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit."

Christianity goes global as world's largest religion
Europe was the clear center of world Christianity one hundred years ago, but today the Americas are home to more than a third of all Christians. In fact, the United States has the world's largest Christian population, of more than 247 million, followed by Brazil and Mexico. China also appears on the list of top 10 largest Christian populations - with an estimated 67 million Christians, it has more followers of the faith than any western European country.

Alarm as Dutch lab creates highly contagious killer flu
A deadly strain of bird flu with the potential to infect and kill millions of people has been created in a laboratory by European scientists – who now want to publish full details of how they did it. The discovery has prompted fears within the US Government that the knowledge will fall into the hands of terrorists wanting to use it as a bio-weapon of mass destruction.

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Pays Homage to Obama—But Not Jesus
The 63-foot Sierra White Fir lighted at the U.S. Capitol Grounds on Dec. 6 as the official 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree includes a prominently displayed ornament paying homage to President Barack Obama, but includes no ornament readily visible to a person standing near the tree's base that uses the word “Christmas,” or includes an image of the Nativity, or bears the name or image of Jesus Christ.

India cold wave death toll rises to 39
The death toll in a cold wave sweeping through northern India has risen to 39, media reports say. The majority of deaths were in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Punjab and Haryana are among the other northern states badly hit. Most deaths take place among the homeless and the elderly.

US Lockheed Martin F-35 chosen as Japan fighter jet
Japan has chosen the US-made F-35 stealth fighter jet to replace its aging F-4s as the mainstay of its air defence fleet. Tokyo announced it would buy a total of 42 of the Joint Strike Fighters from defence giant Lockheed Martin, in a deal worth some $8bn (£5bn). The jet was chosen over the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Philippine floods: President declares national calamity
Philippines President Benigno Aquino has declared a national calamity after a typhoon killed nearly 1,000 people. Typhoon Washi hit southern Mindanao island and surrounding areas at the weekend. Visiting the area, Mr Aquino reassured survivors the government would be there to help but reportedly acknowledged mistakes might have been made.

US tops world charitable giving index
The US has been rated as the world's most charitable country in 2011 by the Charities Aid Foundation's (CAF) World Giving Index, up from fifth in 2010. The Irish Republic came second, then Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The survey suggested more people were likely to perform charitable acts this year compared with 2010, but less likely to give money.

EU states fail to cobble together €200bn for IMF
Eurozone countries on Monday (19 December) agreed to pay €150bn to a special IMF fund but failed to reach their total ceiling of 200bn among all EU states, as pledged at a summit on 9 December, with Britain refusing to contribute to the euro-saving scheme.

Lebanon: Israel arranged rocket fire from Lebanon
Lebanon believes that Israel organized the firing of rockets from southern Lebanese territory into the Jewish state in efforts to "undermine security and stability" in Lebanon, Lebanese English newspaper the Daily Star reported Tuesday. Lebanese Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn told the Star that "The party that has launched mysterious rockets from the south is known," allegedly insinuating Israel.

'Syrian conflict too complex for Western involvement'
Western powers will not likely intervene to stop the crisis in Syria because of the "complexity" of the issue, Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby told Egyptian daily Al Shorouk Tuesday. "There won't be repeat of scenario we saw in Libya in Syria," Elaraby said, referring to the military assistance provided by NATO to Libyan rebels who overthrew the regime of leader Muammar Gaddafi


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Americans will be transferred to foreign prisons under Indefinite Detention act
If you’re upset that congressional approval of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 can send you away to military prisons and be tortured in America, don’t worry — it could be worse. The US could send you somewhere else. No, really. They could. And they can. Anywhere else, too. Really.

Hamas moves to join Palestine Liberation Organization
Hamas has moved to join the Palestine Liberation Organization - a key step toward unifying the long-divided Palestinian leadership, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. Hamas' leader Khaled Meshal on Thursday joined a committee that will prepare for elections to the PLO leadership, according to AP.

U.S. warns of new international action against Syria after two-day ‘massacre’ leaves 250 dead
Washington warned of new international measures against Syria, and said if Damascus did not fully implement an Arab League plan to contain the violence, “the international community will take additional steps to pressure the Assad regime to stop its crackdown.”

The head of Britain's biggest state-controlled bank has warned that a eurozone country could leave the single currency during 2012, sending shockw
Swiss newspapers claim the deadline for the US ultimatum passed on Tuesday night. However, banks are keeping tight lipped over claims that they would also have to provide all correspondence with offshore clients over the past 11 years.

RBS Chairman Warns Of Euro Split In 2012
The head of Britain's biggest state-controlled bank has warned that a eurozone country could leave the single currency during 2012, sending shockwaves around Europe's banking system.

LHC reports discovery of its first new particle
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on the Franco-Swiss border has made its first clear observation of a new particle since opening in 2009. Known as Chi-b 3P, it is a boson - the label given to particles that carry the forces of nature. The as-yet unpublished discovery is reported on the Arxiv pre-print server.

Russia: Medvedev urges bold political reforms
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed reinstating direct elections of regional governors, in a far-reaching plan for political reform. Direct elections were abolished by his predecessor Vladimir Putin in 2004, since when the governors have been Kremlin appointees. Mr Medvedev was addressing the full Russian parliament, live on television.

Mexico to cash in on 2012 Mayan end of the world apocalypse prophecy
The country's tourism agency, which stressed it does not itself believe the world will end, hopes to attract 52 million visitors to southeastern areas that were the heart of Mayan territory over the course of next year. The whole of the country usually attracts 22 million visitors annually

Tanzania floods: Heavy rains inundate Dar es Salaam
At least 13 people have died in floods after unusually heavy rains hit Tanzania's main city of Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) has warned that the downpours are set to continue and has told those living in the city's valleys to move. The BBC's Aboubakar Famau in Dar es Salaam says the city's business activities have come to a standstill.

Republicans under pressure on payroll tax
US House Republicans are coming under pressure to pass a bipartisan deal on extending a payroll tax cut, in a wrangle that has split the party. The editorial page of the conservative Wall Street Journal has labelled the episode a "fiasco" that could end up re-electing President Barack Obama. Senate Republicans have criticised their House colleagues and demanded they pass the package.

Iran navy to hold 10-day war games
Iran's navy will launch a 10-day war game in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, state television quoted Navy Commander Habibulah Sayari as saying on Thursday. The war game, named Velayat-90, will be carried out over an area extending from east of the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Eden, the report said.

N. Korea: Sky glowed before leader's death
North Korea says a fierce snowstorm paused and the sky began glowing red above sacred Mount Paektu just minutes before leader Kim Jong Il's death. State media say the ice on volcanic Lake Chon at the mountain in the far north cracked with a load roar.

Russia speeds work on 'Satan' missile
During campaign season, it never hurts for a presidential candidate facing a frustrated public to display toughness and resolve in the face of an old and familiar adversary. And it also doesn't hurt to throw in some shock-and-awe--say, a ballistic missile nicknamed "Satan."

Syria unrest: Arab League observers set to arrive
Monitors from the Arab League are due to arrive in Syria under an initiative aimed at ending the violent crackdown on anti-government protests. The UN says some 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since protests began in March but right groups say the figure is much higher.

Iraq bombs kill at least 40 in Baghdad
Co-ordinated bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, have killed at least 40 people and injured more than 130, say officials. The interior ministry said 13 locations had been attacked, including al-Amil in the south of the city and Halawi and Karrada closer to the centre. Attacks remain common in Iraq despite an overall fall in violence.

Turin Shroud made by ‘flash of light’
The image on the Turin Shroud could not be the work of medieval forgers but was instead caused by a supernatural “flash of light”, according to scientists. Italian scientists have found evidence that casts doubt on claims that the relic - said to be the burial cloth of Jesus - is a fake and they suggest that it could, after all, be authentic.

Activists say more than 100 killed in Syrian town
Syrian troops have killed 111 people in one of the deadliest incidents since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March, activists said Wednesday. "It was an organized massacre. The troops surrounded people, then killed them," said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the organization. "The situation is absolutely getting worse by the day"

Expert: Iran will Produce 5 Nukes at First
Iran will be able to produce a first core for a nuclear bomb in about one year's time, according to Dr. Efraim Askolai, a former member of the Israeli Atomic Energy Committee. He estimated that Iran wants to reach a point where it can produce a bomb at short notice. It will then be able to enrich uranium to a 90% level in a short time, and carry out a nuclear explosion. Right now, Tehran wants to buy time, he added.

Russia Gets to Work on Major Missile Projects
On Monday, the Russian government announced that it had successfully tested a short-range interceptor missile, nicknamed “Satan,” as part of its ongoing effort to develop a domestic missile defense system, reports Russia’s RIA News Agency. Russia also is working on the development of a 100-ton ballistic missile; Russia’s opposition to American missile defense plans in Eastern Europe seems to be at the center of these proceedings.

Mexico Mayan region launches apocalypse countdown
Seize the day. Only 52 weeks and a day are left before Dec. 21, 2012, when some believe the Maya predicted the end of the world. Unlike enthusiasts of other doomsday theories who suggest putting together survival kits, southeastern Mexico, the heart of Maya territory, plans a yearlong celebration.

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U.N. urges Libya to sell off cache of ‘yellowcake’ uranium
U.N. experts are urging Libya to get rid of a large cache of “yellowcake” uranium because the warehouse where it is being kept is neither safe nor secure enough for long-term storage, the U.N. envoy to Libya said Thursday. ...“The present safety and security measures at the facility are not deemed sufficient longer-term,” Martin said. “There appears, however, to be no risk of proliferation given the weight and state of the barrels.”

New Zealand earthquake: dozens injured in Christchurch
The quakes - including one of magnitude 6 and two above 5 on the Richter scale - damaged buildings, cut power, and caused mud and sewage to bubble into streets. Several buildings which were partially demolished after previous quakes collapsed completely.

Syria: Up to 40 dead as two explosions rock Damascus
Within minutes of the blasts Syrian authorities said preliminary investigations had found the attacks bore the "blueprint" of al-Qaeda, arousing ridicule from opposition groups and Syrians using social media. State media reported 40 people had been killed.

Israel gearing for effective separation of East Jerusalem Palestinians
Last week, a new border crossing was opened in East Jerusalem's Shoafat neighborhood, to little fanfare. Two days later, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat asserted that Israel should relinquish Palestinian neighborhoods of the capital that are beyond the separation barrier, despite the fact that their residents carry Israeli identity cards.

NUKE SCIENTIST EXCHANGE PLANNED
Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel B. Poneman is working on a major Obama administration initiative that would renew scientist exchanges between U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories and Chinese nuclear facilities. The idea is aimed at promoting openness and transparency by China’s military about its secret, large-scale buildup of nuclear weapons, according to U.S. officials.

FDA Clears HIV Vaccine For Human Trials
An Ontario doctor is hopeful that a vaccine he developed can stop the transmission of HIV — the virus that causes AIDS. University of Western Ontario researcher Dr. Chil-Yong Kang said his treatment is the only one to use a “whole” genetically modified HIV virus that’s been killed, much like methods used for polio, rabies and flu vaccines.

IMF urges members to boost funding under 2010 plan
IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday urged member countries to quickly sign off on an agreement last year to double IMF resources and give under-represented nations, such as China, greater voting power in the global lender. The changes to members' quotas, which determine how much each country contributes to the IMF and their voting shares, are critical as a euro zone debt crisis escalates and is set to slow global growth in 2012.

Argentina takes control of newsprint supplies
The Argentine government has won control of the country's newsprint supplies, after a vote in the Senate. The legislation, which passed in the lower house last week, says the production, sale and distribution of newsprint is of national interest. Correspondents say it is a victory for President Cristina Fernandez, who has long been at odds with one of the main media groups, Clarin.

US Republicans in climbdown on payroll tax deal
House of Representatives Republican Speaker John Boehner has agreed to accept a bipartisan deal to extend a payroll tax cut, in an abrupt U-turn. He had refused a vote on the bill, which was passed by Republicans and Democrats in the Senate last Saturday. Correspondents say the move amounts to a cave-in by House Republicans, and victory for President Barack Obama.

Egypt activists gather for mass rally against army
Egyptian protesters gathered in Cairo for a mass rally they called for on Friday against the military's handling of protests that killed 17 people and have drawn international criticism of the ruling generals. Protesters who fought soldiers and police in the capital for five days until calm was restored this week want the ruling military council to cede power more swiftly than planned.

Israeli surveillance gear sent to Iran
The clandestine arrangement worked smoothly for years. The Israeli company shipped its Internet- monitoring equipment to a distributor in Denmark. Once there, workers stripped away the packaging and removed the labels. Then they sent it to a man named “Hossein” in Iran, an amiable technology distributor known to them only by his first name and impeccable English, say his partners in Israel and Denmark.

Dreaming of a white Christmas this year? Too bad, Environment Canada says
A white Christmas is looking more like a dream this year for many Canadians. Most of Canada was forecast to experience a green Christmas, Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips said Wednesday. It’s an occurrence not seen on such a national scale since Environment Canada began measuring snowfall levels 56 years ago, he said.

Series of bombings kills at least 60 in Baghdad
A series of bombings hit Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 63 people in the first big assault attack on Iraq’s capital since a sectarian crisis erupted within its government just days after the U.S. troop withdrawal. “The timing of these crimes and the places where they were carried out confirm to all... the political nature of the targets,” PM Maliki said in a statement. “We live in complicated circumstances, a complicated political scene and there is a conspiracy on Iraq from within,” Baghdad security operations spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi said.

Self-Healing Electronics Could Work Longer and Reduce Waste
A team of University of Illinois engineers has developed a self-healing system that restores electrical conductivity to a cracked circuit in less time than it takes to blink.

Geologists wonder if the Northwest is up next for a giant earthquake
From Northern California to British Columbia, an ocean-spanning slab called the Juan de Fuca Plate is pushing beneath the North American plate in the Cascadia subduction zone. Geologists have found evidence of 19 massive earthquakes on this fault in the past 10,000 years. The most recent struck in 1700.

Old Testament prophecy fulfilled before our eyes?
The key verse in question is Isaiah 9:10, which states: "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." (King James Version)

It’s too late to keep details of deadly flu a secret! U.S. scientists say details of virus created in laboratory ‘are already out there’, sparking ren
others argue the virus should never have been created – and warn the potential if it escaped from the lab is ‘staggering’. There are also fears the recipe will be seized on by terrorists looking for a biological weapon. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity chairman Paul Kiem, an anthrax expert, said: ‘I can’t think of another pathogenic organism that is as scary as this one. I don’t think anthrax is scary at all compared to this.’

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Russia test-fires two new nuclear missiles
Russia successfully tested on Friday its two new Bulava intercontinental missiles, which experienced several failures in the past. The Defence Ministry said the 12-meter-long Bulava, or Mace, which Moscow aims to make the cornerstone of its nuclear arsenal, was fired from a submarine in the Arctic White Sea and hit the target, a designated polygon, on Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's far east.

Israeli settler violence exposes hypocrisy
On Tuesday, the four current European members of the UN Security Council - France, Britain, Germany and Portugal - released a statement that included a detailed condemnation of the "price tag" attacks, which have yet to produce a single casualty. "One of the themes that emerged was the severely damaging effect that increased settlement construction and settler violence is having on the ground and on the prospects of a return to negotiations," read the European statement. By contrast, the international community has never viewed Palestinian terrorism, which has claimed the lives of many Israeli Jews, as impeding peace efforts. In fact, the terrorist murder of Jews is usually used to push for even greater Israeli concessions as the need for peace becomes increasingly urgent.

Romney Says He Will Continue Obama's Policy of Having Homosexuals in Military
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, says he has no plans to reverse the Obama administration’s repeal of the ban on homosexuals serving in the U.S. military

It's massive new assault on Christmas across U.S.
Christmas carolers are thrown out of a U.S. Post Office. The U.S. military apologizes for promoting a Christian-based charity and relief program providing holiday gifts to poor children. Across the country, Christmas lights, Christmas trees and menorahs are banned in public areas.

Cenk Uygur Cuts Peter Schiff's Mic After He Says We Have Centrally Planned Economy
“We don’t have the benefits of capitalism any more because we don’t have capitalism — we have a centrally-planned socialist economy, and that is why the average American is getting poorer.”

Christianity May Be Eradicated in Iraq and Afghanistan, Says Chair of U.S. Religious Freedom Commission
Christianity now faces the real threat of eradication in those countries because of severe and persistent persecution of Christians there, according to the chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Walter Reed Banned Family Members From Bringing Bibles to Wounded Warriors
Col. Chuck Callahan, chief of staff of Walter Reed National Medical Center, banned family members from bringing Bibles and other "religious items" when visiting wounded military personnel at the facility.

Earthquake-damaged Washington Monument has cracking, chips
The earthquake-damaged Washington Monument has extensive cracking and chipped stones near its peak that left it highly vulnerable to rainfall, and inspectors found cracks and loose stones along the entire length of the 555-foot structure, according to a report released Thursday by the National Park Service. While the monument remains structurally sound, the cracks left it so exposed that after rainstorms, "a substantial amount of standing water collects on the floors of the display and observation levels," the report found.

Iran starts building a nuclear weapon: US and Israel tighten cooperation
sources report that all these developments were covered in the short and epic conversation between President Barack Obama and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the Gaylord Hotel in Maryland on Dec. 16. It ended with accord on the US and Israeli responses to the new situation arising in Iran. The White House has since accepted the Israeli assessment of Iran's nuclear bomb time table and endorses the conviction that unless Iran retreats from its decision to build a nuclear bomb and steps back from the process it set in train this month, the only option remaining will be a military strike to disable its nuclear program.

Iran Navy to Hold War Games Near Crucial Sea Lanes
The exercises, to start Saturday and last 10 days, are Iran’s first since May 2010 and were described by the official news media as the largest the country ever planned. The scale of the maneuvers appeared intended to demonstrate Iran’s military capabilities as it faces increased isolation over its suspect nuclear energy program.

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Nuke expert: Time to attack Iran
A former special adviser on Iran policy to the Obama Administration said that a US-perpetrated strike on the Islamic Republic on is the "least bad" option in dealing with its nuclear threat. "The truth is that a military strike intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, if managed carefully, could spare the region and the world a very real threat and dramatically improve the long-term national security of the United States," Matthew Kroenig...

U.N. condemns Damascus bombs, expresses grave concern
With world powers arguing about details of a U.N. resolution on Syria, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to the bloodshed and urged the Syrian government to implement a peace plan proposed by the Arab League.

Congress To Fund Massive Expansion Of TSA Checkpoints
Congress is set to give the green light on funding for a massive expansion of TSA checkpoints, with the federal agency already responsible for over 9,000 such checkpoints in the last year amidst increased fears America is turning into a police state following the passage of the ‘indefinite detention’ bill.

Russia warns of religious rift after Arab spring
"There are serious fears about the possible emergence of new zones of instability in the region that could become potential sources of challenges to international stability and security," "If there were an open rift between Sunnis and Shiiites -- and such a threat is fully realistic -- then the consequences could be catastrophic."

New-home sales up in Nov. but 2011 figures dismal
Americans bought slightly more new homes in November, but 2011 will likely end up as the worst year for sales in history. The Commerce Department says new-home sales rose 1.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 315,000. That's less than half the 700,000 new homes that economists say should be sold to sustain a healthy housing market.

Bethlehem Christmas: Christians set for Midnight Mass
Thousands of Christian pilgrims and tourists from around the world have converged on Bethlehem for Christmas. Some 90,000 visitors are expected in the Palestinian West Bank town, which is staging a procession and concerts. Crowds gathered early to sing carols around the 50ft (15m) Christmas tree in Manger Square.

Baghdad blasts: Hashemi accuses government over attacks
Iraq's Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi has said Iraq's government was behind Thursday's series of bombings that killed nearly 70 people in Baghdad. The attack could not have happened on such a scale without government help, he told BBC Persian television. Mr Hashemi, a Sunni Muslim, fled to Iraq's Kurdish region after PM Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia, issued an arrest warrant against him on terror charges.

North Korea: Kim Jong-un hailed 'supreme commander'
New North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been hailed by state media as "supreme commander" of the country's powerful armed forces for the first time. The ruling party newspaper Rodong Shinmun also called on Kim Jong-un to lead North Korea to "eternal victory".

Thousands gather for new protests in Russia
Thousands of people gathered in Moscow on Saturday to call for a disputed election to be rerun, increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin as he seeks a new term as Russian president. The protesters were heartened before the second big rally in two weeks by the Kremlin's human rights council saying a new election should be held, although it is only an advisory body whose recommendations are regularly ignored by Russia's leaders.


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At least 25 dead in explosion at church in Nigeria
An explosion ripped through a Catholic church during Christmas Mass near Nigeria's capital Sunday, killing at least 25 people, officials said. A second explosion later went off near another church in the restive city of Jos, raising fears that a radical Muslim sect was to blame.

Three U.S. citizens killed in Mexico attacks
Three U.S. citizens were among those killed when gunmen attacked buses in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, said a U.S. State Department official said on Saturday. The three were traveling for the holidays when they and several other passengers on the bus were killed by gunmen on Thursday, according to the U.S. official and local media.

California soldier shot at his homecoming party
An Army soldier recovering from injuries suffered in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan has been shot at his homecoming party, and family members say he's paralyzed and in critical condition. Christopher Sullivan, 22, was shot late Friday while trying to break up a fight between his brother and another man at a San Bernardino, Calif., residence.

Tremors continue to hit Christchurch
CHRISTMAS is off to a shaky start for Christchurch residents, with no sign of aftershocks easing up for the festive season. Ten quakes measuring between 2.9 and 3.7 which rocked the city this morning were among almost 60 aftershocks since Christchurch was jolted by two quakes measuring 5.8 and 6.0 on Friday. The quakes cut power to about 26,000 homes and caused issues with water supply and wastewater.

Japan to enter dollar swap agreement with India
The Japanese government is considering a dollar swap arrangement with India to provide emergency liquidity in case the European debt crisis reaches emerging economies, the Nikkei business newspaper said on Sunday. The agreement would set the total swap arrangement at $10 billion, or 780 billion yen, the Nikkei said.

Israeli archaeologists uncover first artifact confirming written record of Temple worship
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered the first archeological find to confirm written testimony of the ritual practices at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. An Israeli Antiquities Authority archaeological survey at the northwestern corner of the Temple Mount yielded a tiny tin artifact, the size of a button, inscribed with the Aramaic words: “Daka Le’Ya,” which the excavation directors on behalf of the IAA, archaeologists Eli Shukron and Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, explain means “pure for God.”

Iraq PM chides Sunni sections pushing for autonomy
Iraq's prime minister warned Saturday that efforts to create an autonomous Sunni region within Iraq would divide the country and lead to "rivers of blood." His comments came as a government crisis has strained ties between two main Muslim sects, Sunnis and Shiites, to the breaking point.

Moscow protest: Thousands rally against Vladimir Putin
Tens of thousands of people have rallied in central Moscow in a show of anger at alleged electoral fraud. They passed a resolution "not to give a single vote to (PM) Vladimir Putin" at next year's presidential elections. Protest leader Alexei Navalny told the crowd to loud applause that Russians would no longer tolerate corruption.

Pope urges end to Syria bloodshed in Christmas message
Pope Benedict XVI has used his traditional Christmas Day message to pray for an end to the bloodshed in Syria. The head of the Roman Catholic Church said: "May the Lord bring an end to the violence in Syria, where much blood has already been shed." He also urged the world to help famine victims in the Horn of Africa.

Jordan Brotherhood calls for arrests after clashes
The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan demanded Saturday that Amman arrest the perpetrators of violence between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in the city of Mafraq northeast of the Jordanian capital Friday. "The government must determine the circumstances of what happened, and quickly arrest the perpetrators," the Islamist group said via a written

Egypt Salafists against improving ties with Israel
Egypt’s leading Salafi movement on Sunday clarified the party's stance on diplomatic relations with Israel, saying that it would oppose an improvement in ties between the two countries. "We will stand firmly against normalization [of ties] between the two countries in a variety of forms, and against any entity that wants to harm Egypt's identity," the movement announced in a written statement quoted by Army Radio.


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Unlikely allies Japan, China come together for regional stability
Death of North Korean leader Kim Jong II and the uncertainty about the new regime, on Sunday saw unlikely allies Japan and China reach out to each other in a bid to promote regional stability. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on a visit to China met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here Sunday to work out the plans to restart talks with North Korea aimed at persuading it to end its nuclear weapons programme.

Nigeria bombings: worshippers fear more attacks
At least 52 others were wounded when the blast went off at St. Theresa Catholic Church near Nigeria's capital. On Monday, women tried to clean the church ahead of Mass, with one man weeping uncontrollably. Rev. Father Christopher Jataudarde told The Associated Press that one victim begged him for religious atonement after Sunday's attack, crying: "Father, pray for me, I will not survive."

Netanyahu: Israel will not negotiate with Palestinians should Hamas join government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented Sunday on the recent moves by Fatah and Hamas to set up a unity government, saying that Israel would not negotiate with the Palestinians should such a government be established. "If Hamas joins the Palestinian government we will not hold negotiations with the Palestinian Authority," said Netanyahu in a speech at a conference for Israeli ambassadors.

Iran Defense Minister: Israeli strike would be a suicide mission
Iran's defense minister said Sunday that any Israeli strike on Iran would constitute suicide, the official news agency IRNA reported. “The Zionist regime is completely isolated and under no circumstances it can attack Iran unless she wants to commit a suicide," IRNA quoted Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as saying. "It is due to the fact that it will receive deadly strikes from Iran which will make it unstable."

Defense department agrees to allow Muslim cadets to wear hijabs
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that the Department of Defense will begin allowing Muslim and Sikh students who wear an Islamic head scarf (hijab) or a turban to participate in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). “We welcome the fact that Muslim and Sikh students nationwide will now be able to participate fully in JROTC leadership activities while maintaining their religious beliefs and practices,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

Web gambling gets boost from Obama administration
The Obama administration cleared the way for states to legalize Internet poker and certain other online betting in a switch that may help them reap billions in tax revenue and spur web-based gambling. A Justice Department opinion dated September and made public on Friday reversed decades of previous policy that included civil and criminal charges against operators of some of the most popular online poker sites.

Egypt Islamists take two-thirds of 2nd-round vote
Egypt's two leading Islamist parties won about two-thirds of votes for party lists in the second round of polling for a parliament that will help draft a new constitution after decades of autocratic rule, the election committee said Saturday. The party list led by the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) won 36.3 percent of the list vote, while the ultra-conservative Salafi al-Nour Party took 28.8 percent, pushing the liberal Wafd party into third place.

IMF's Lagarde warns global economy threatened
The head of the International Monetary Fund said the world economy was in danger and urged Europeans to speak with one voice on a debt crisis that has rattled the global financial system. In Nigeria last week, IMF Christine Lagarde said the IMF's 4 percent growth forecast for the world economy in 2012 could be revised downward, but gave no new figure.

Intel and Kraft's iSample vending kiosks study shoppers
A "smart" vending machine that analyses users' age and gender has been launched in the US by Intel and Kraft Foods. The iSample is being used to offer customers trials of a new dessert. It allows Kraft to tailor the product to the shopper, and exclude children from the adult-focused promotion.

Iraq interior ministry hit by suicide car bomber
At least seven people have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack outside Iraq's interior ministry. At least 27 others were also injured in the attack, which officials say happened at about 04:30 GMT. On Thursday, a series of bombings killed nearly 70 people in the capital.

Syria violence flares as Arab League observers are due
More Arab League observers are due to arrive in Syria as renewed violence hits the central city of Homs. At least 13 people died in gunfire and shelling on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.

'Anonymous' hackers hit US security firm Stratfor
The activist hacker group Anonymous says it has stolen thousands of emails, passwords and credit card details from a US-based security think-tank. The hackers claim they were able to obtain the information because the company, Stratfor, did not encrypt it.

North Korea says South's stance may be 'catastrophic'
North Korea on Sunday lashed out at South Korea for a perceived lack of respect towards Kim Jong-Il, as it reported more scenes of mass grieving in the isolated communist state for the late leader. Saying the whole world is in mourning for "a peerlessly great man", the North for the second time in three days blasted the South over its response to Kim's sudden death on December 17.

Mortars hit Iranian dissident camp in Iraq: Iraqi army
Two mortars hit an Iranian dissident camp in Iraq just days after Baghdad extended a year-end deadline for the camp to be closed as the U.N. negotiated resettlement of 3,000 residents there, the Iraqi military said Sunday.

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Muslim Brotherhood: Hamas is our role model
Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh has met with Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Leader Mohammed Badie in Cairo Monday, and told him that "Our presence with the Brotherhood threatens the Israeli entity."

Palestine’s unity: Israel braces for attacks
Palestine’s Fatah and Hamas rival factions have finally sealed their reconciliation in Cairo. Observers find this controversial and fear that Palestine will toughen its position on the Middle East settlement. The parties split up five years ago when Islamic Hamas took the blockaded Gaza Strip under its control while liberal Fatah controlled the West Bank of Jordan.

Could Revolution Come to Putin's Russia?
History was made yesterday, on Christmas Eve, in snowy downtown Moscow. Tens of thousands of people rallied in response to the election two weeks earlier, which Vladimir Putin's party won amid widespread reports of fraud. It came almost exactly -- and somewhat eerily -- 20 years after the Soviet Union's collapse, on Christmas day 1991.

Report: Russia Offered Assad Asylum
Russia has offered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad political asylum, a report in the Arab media said Sunday. The London-based Arabic daily al-Sharq al-Awsat said that the offer extends to Assad and his family. The government would then be run by Assad's vice-president, Farouk ash-Shara, for a transition period, until new elections are held. Moscow presented the offer to ash-Shara in a meeting several weeks ago, the report said. A source in Russia said that appointing ash-Shara to run the government would immediately reduce tensions, because he was a Sunni Muslim, the same sect as the majority of Syrians, as opposed to an Alawite, the sect Assad belongs to.

Israeli foreign minister calls on Europe to act on Iran
European countries should impose sanctions on Iran in order to stop it from becoming a nuclear power, rather than just talk about them to appease Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday, DPA reported. "There is no need to appease us ... But it is necessary to take brave decisions immediately, and that is what we expect from the international community," he told a gathering of Israeli diplomats in Jerusalem.

'Military action in Syria is lesser evil'
Western military intervention is the “lesser evil” of a range of difficult options in Syria, according to a report released last week by a UK think tank that offers the first comprehensive analysis of a potential armed intervention in the battle-scarred country. The report – entitled “Intervention in Syria? An Assessment of Legality, Logistics and Hazards” – calls for the creation of a political and military base for rebel fighters in the country’s northwest, as well as humanitarian “safe zones” for civilians fleeing the bloodshed. It also offers diplomatic avenues for authorizing military action in spite of continued Russian opposition to taking tougher measures against Damascus at the UN Security Council.

Report: Israeli Jets, Sub Strike in Sudan
Israeli fighter jets, helicopters and possibly a submarine were involved in multiple attacks on targets in Sudan last week, according to local news outlets. -In early 2009, an Israeli raid on a 23-truck convoy carrying weapons to Hamas terrorists in Gaza was reported. Israel does not comment on whether reports of overseas actions such as these are accurate.

Iran's navy launches drills in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's navy began a 10-day drill Saturday, December 24, in international waters near the strategic oil route that passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The exercises, dubbed Velayat 90, could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area. The war games cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch of sea off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden, near the entrance to the Red Sea.

Christmas Eve Solar Eruption
The C5-class eruption hurled a billion-ton coronal mass ejection (CME) into space, but not toward Earth. With the cloud sailing wide-left of our planet, Christmas geomagnetic storms are unlikely. Nevertheless, this active region merits watching as it turns toward Earth in the days ahead, possibly positioning itself for the first storms of 2012.

Magnitude 6.0 - TONGA
Tonga Quake_261211 © USGS Date-Time Monday, December 26, 2011 at 04:48:08 UTC Monday, December 26, 2011 at 06:48:08 PM at epicenter

Ancient Seal Found in Jerusalem Linked to Ritual
Archaeologists say the seal was likely used by Temple officials approving an object for ritual use -- oil, perhaps, or an animal intended for sacrifice. Materials used by Temple priests had to meet stringent purity guidelines stipulated in detail in the Jewish legal text known as the Mishna, which also mention the use of seals as tokens by pilgrims.

Mexican Army Says It Has Arrested Head of Security for Drug Cartel Chief 'El Chapo'
The suspect, who was not identified by name, was captured in the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan and will be presented to the media Monday morning, the army said.

Hackers hit security think tank Stratfor's website
U.S. security think tank Strategic Forecasting Inc (Stratfor) said its website had been hacked and that some of the names of corporate subscribers had been made public.

Largest protest since collapse of Soviet Union rocks Russia
Russia's leadership was forced to defend its legitimacy yesterday after about 100,000 demonstrators rallied in central Moscow to demand democratic reform and fair elections in the largest wave of popular dissent since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Sheldon Adelson to Birthright group: Gingrich is right to call Palestinians 'invented people'
Gingrich’s "invented Palestinians" remarks to the Jewish Channel, a U.S. cable TV network, earlier this month were met with widespread criticism.

Israel's recognition of Armenian genocide could threaten Turkey ties
The Foreign Ministry warned that Israel's possible recognition of the Armenian genocide, which was discussed in a Knesset committee on Monday, could lead to the serious deterioration of Israel's ties with Turkey.

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Anglican Fever: Youth Flock to New Denomination
For decades young people have flocked to seeker-friendly churches that feature culturally relevant services and a casual environment. Now, a new denomination that emphasizes tradition and centuries-old sacraments and practices is drawing them in. The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) officially began in 2009 with hundreds of congregations that severed ties with the Episcopal Church.

If Abraham Were to Come This Year, Temple Mount Would be Closed
“If Jesus were to come this year, Bethlehem would be closed', the London Guardian reported this week. And what if Abraham were to visit?

World 'dangerously unprepared' for future disasters
The fund has been hit hard by a series of natural disasters this year - the tsunami in Japan; an earthquake in New Zealand; famine in the Horn of Africa; and floods in Pakistan and the Philippines.

From 2011's Santa Claus Rally To 2012's Perfect Storm
The Wise Men have decided that the much-ballyhooed Santa Claus rally is not to continue.

The man who might win the Republican Party's first presidential nominating contest fears that the United Nations may take control of the U.S. mone
Campaigning for the January 3 Iowa caucuses, Ron Paul warns of eroding civil liberties, a Soviet Union-style economic collapse and violence in the streets. The Texas congressman, author of "End the Fed," also wants to eliminate the central banking system that underpins the world's largest economy.

Treasury plans for euro failure
The Treasury is working on contingency plans for the disintegration of the single currency that include capital controls. The preparations are being made only for a worst-case scenario and would run alongside similar limited capital controls across Europe, imposed to reduce the economic fall-out of a break-up and to ease the transition to new currencies.

Violence of tremors stuns experts
Earthquake experts were surprised by the violence of the newest tremors beneath Christchurch, with reports showing ground acceleration far greater than expected for magnitude 5 and 6 quakes.

Study: ********* Radiation Has Already Killed 14,000 Americans
[The authors] note that their estimate of 14,000 excess U.S. deaths in the 14 weeks after the ********* meltdowns is comparable to the 16,500 excess deaths in the 17 weeks after the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986. The rise in reported deaths after ********* was largest among U.S. infants under age one. The 2010-2011 increase for infant deaths in the spring was 1.8 percent, compared to a decrease of 8.37 percent in the preceding 14 weeks.

Islamist Anjem Choudary’s Christmas Message: If Jesus Were Alive Today He Would Be Muslim and Implement Sharia Law
Radical Islamist Anjem Choudary, the jihadist who once called for the execution of the pope and whose militant group even asked if “the assassination of President Obama is legal” — has released a Christmas message in which he asserts that Jesus, if alive today, would be a practicing Muslim. Not only that but, according to Choudary, Jesus (who he refers to as “Isa”) would also be leading the crusade to free “Muslim land” and implement sharia law across the world.

Putin says Russian opposition lacks goals and leaders
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the opposition on Tuesday of lacking goals and leaders and promised a transparent presidential election next year, in his first comments since a mass protest against his rule over the weekend. "The problem is that they have no single program," he told his All Russia People's Front, an umbrella movement of his supporters.

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Cyprus confirms gas find, sparking Turkey tensions
President Dimitris Christofias said exploratory drilling had revealed a field containing between 5 and 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea. US firm, Noble energy, has been drilling at the field which is next to a larger Israeli discovery. The find may provoke tension with Turkey, which opposes any drilling.

Gazprom hails ties with Turkey
Russian and Turkish officials, who met in Turkey, said they are pleased with developments in the Blue Stream natural gas pipeline. "During the meeting the parties agreed on cooperation expansion in the medium and long term as well as on main commercial conditions and amounts of gas supplies from Russia to Turkey in 2012," said Gazprom.

US warns Iran against closing key oil passage
The U.S. warned Iran on Wednesday it will not tolerate any disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran threatened to choke off the vital Persian Gulf oil transport route if Washington imposes sanctions targeting its crude exports.'-'Iran's navy chief boasted Wednesday that it would be "very easy" for his country's forces to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a sixth of the world's oil passes daily. It was the second such threat in two days '

'World should bomb Syria'
The clock is ticking. Every passing day means more fatalities, more wounded and more prisoners. This is on top of the personal fears for the safety of family members left behind. “The world must wake up,” both Rahim and Amar say. “This is a call for help and for intervention. Assad will not leave on his own accord. He isn’t Mubarak. In order to prevent more bloodshed the world must do something. Now.” '

Will 2012 be a record disaster year?
From floods that crippled countries, to mega cyclones, huge blizzards, killer tornadoes to famine-inducing droughts, 2011 has been another record-breaker for bad weather. While it is too early to predict what 2012 will be like, insurers and weather prediction agencies point to a clear trend: the world's weather is becoming more extreme and more costly.

Some Call for HBO Boycott in Wake of Bill Maher's Derisive Tweet About Tim Tebow
Maher, who hosts the long-running HBO show "Real Time With Bill Maher," wrote a message on his Twitter account after the Broncos lost to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. "Wow, Jesus just f**ked #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere ... Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler "Hey, Buffalo’s killing them."

6.9 magnitude quake hits southeastern Russia: USGS
An earthquake of 6.9 magnitude hit southeastern Russia near the border with Mongolia on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Insight: Violence creeping into Mexican capital
On a sunny afternoon this month, a group of gunmen drove into a slum in the north of Mexico City, the streets packed with shoppers and children leaving school. In plain sight, the killers lined three crack cocaine dealers against a wall and shot them in the head with AK-47 assault rifles. They then forced another two men into a black van and drove away past terrified onlookers.

2012: Make-or-break year for the eurozone
The euro debt crisis could bring all of Europe to its knees, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a recent speech reflecting on contagion that spread from Greece through also bailed-out Ireland and Portugal before hitting Spain and finally Italy. "What kind of Europe will we have left if the euro disappears, if Europe's economic heart collapses?" he asked.

Sun Storms May Super-Charge Northern Lights Wednesday
Particles ejected by recent solar storms are due to slam into Earth over the next few days, possibly causing super-charged northern lights displays and temporary radio blackouts in some areas, experts say.

Anti-Christian violence concerns London
An opinion article published last week in The Daily Telegraph newspaper accused the British Foreign Office of viewing the plight of the Christian community in the Middle East as being "unworthy of diplomatic attention." British Foreign Secretary William Hague, the article added was seen as "unenthusiastic" about the issue.

Indonesian volcano mudslides kill three
The volcano in Ternate on northern Maluku Island came to life earlier this month and began erupting, spewing clouds of searing ash, the Jakarta Post reported Wednesday.

Al Jazeera: Covering the revolutions or fueling them?
Al Jazeera has closely followed the uprisings in the Arab world, and some even say that the Qatar-based satellite station was a factor in them. The station claims it is neutral, though not everyone agrees.

President of Iran Pushing Government-Approved Clothing for Women
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is taking steps to try and ease confusion in the streets of the Islamic republic where women are required to cover their hair and bodies in public. Ahmadinejad is promoting government-approved apparel for women that is “Islamic and beautiful” at the same time.

Hackers set to publish stolen emails after Stratfor breach
Hackers affiliated with the Anonymous group said they are getting ready to publish emails stolen from private intelligence analysis firm Strategic Forecasting Inc, whose clients include the U.S. military, Wall Street banks and other corporations.

Russia test fires long-range missile with new warhead
The RIA Novosti news agency said that the RS-18 missile was now carrying a new warhead aimed at overcoming missile defence systems at a time of growing tensions over plans for a US missile shield in Europe.

Nigerian Christians warn of religious war following Christmas day bombings
The warning was made in a statement by the northern branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an umbrella organization comprising various denominations including Catholics, Protestant and Pentecostal churches.

Home Prices Fall in Most Major US Cities: Case-Shiller
For the year, home prices were down 3.4 percent in October.

New Obamacare Fee Coming to Health Insurance in 2012
Starting in 2012, the government will charge a new fee to your health insurance plan for research to find out which drugs, medical procedures, tests and treatments work best. But what will Americans do with the answers? The goal of the research, part of a little-known provision of President Barack Obama’s health care law, is to answer such basic questions as whether that new prescription drug advertised on TV really works better than an old generic costing much less.

Gun sales at record levels, according to FBI background checks
With a few days left in December, the FBI reports the number of background checks has already topped the previous one-month record -- set only in November -- of 1,534,414 inquiries by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System also known as NICS. Almost half a million checks were done in just the last six days before Christmas.

Banks Bunker Hundreds of Billions in Deposits at ECB
The sum of overnight deposits at the European Central Bank (ECB) is often considered to be an indicator of the level of fear brewing within the financial sector. The greater the degree of distrust between banks, the more money banks tend to deposit on a daily basis with the ECB, where interest rates are low, but deposits more secure. This week has seen the level of deposits at the ECB's overnight facility rise to close to €412 billion ($538.4 billion) -- the greatest amount seen since the euro's introduction, and representing a single overnight increase on Monday of €65 billion.

Vladimir Putin ready to fight clean presidential election
In his first comments since an estimated 80,000 turned out on Christmas Eve calling for a rerun of the controversial parliamentary elections held on December 4, the Russian prime minister attacked his opponents for their apparent aimlessness. "The elections are over. The parliament has started its work and a speaker elected. The State Duma is working ... There can be no talk of any review," Mr Putin said.

Israel strikes Gaza Strip for second time in hours, IDF says
A statement by the IDF Spokesman's Office said that the second strike targeted a global Jihad terror cell in the northern Strip that was planning to attack the western part of Israel's border with Egypt. The IDF identified the two operatives targeted in the second strike as Rami Daud Jaber Kaferana, a global Jihad operative from the Gaza town of Jebalia and Hazzam Muhammad Saadi al-Shaker, a global Jihad man from the town of Beit Hanun.

Iran seeks death penalty for American 'CIA spy'
In a closed court hearing, the prosecution applied for capital punishment, the report said, because the suspect, identified as Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, "admitted that he received training in the United States and planned to imply that Iran was involved in terrorist activities in foreign countries" after returning to the U.S. The prosecutor said Hekmati entered Iran's intelligence department three times.

Obama to ask for debt limit hike: Treasury official
The White House plans to ask Congress by the end of the week for an increase in the government's debt ceiling to allow the United States to pay its bills on time, according to a senior Treasury Department official on Tuesday. The approval is expected to go through without a challenge, given that Congress is in recess until later in January and the request is in line with an agreement to keep the U.S. government funded into 2013.

Iran threatens to block Strait of Hormuz oil route
Iran says it may close a vital oil-trade route if the West imposes more sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme. Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that "not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz" if sanctions are widened. Iran's navy chief Admiral Habibollah Sayari later said closing the strait would be "easy".

Nigeria Boko Haram clashes: 'Thousands flee Damaturu'
About 90,000 people have been displaced in clashes between militant Islamists and the security forces in Nigeria's Damaturu city, an official has said. The Boko Haram group and troops were involved in heavy gun battles in the north-eastern city last week. The militants also planted bombs in Damaturu and outside a church near the capital, Abuja, on Christmas Day.

US house prices fall in October despite low rates
US home prices have fallen further in October despite record low mortgage interest rates, according to new data. The Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller index of 10 major metropolitan areas fell 1.1% from a month earlier and its 20-city index fell 1.2%. Atlanta was one of the worst performing cities, down 5% month-on-month.

Sears and Kmart to close up to 120 stores on poor sales
Shares in US retail giant Sears fell 27% by the end of the day in Wall Street after it announced plans to close up to 120 Sears and Kmart stores. Sears Holdings, the department store group which owns the two major retail chains, blamed falling sales. In the eight weeks to Christmas Day, sales at Kmart fell 4.4% and by 6% at Sears.

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson to retire
Democratic Senator Ben Nelson will not seek re-election next year - in a blow to efforts by President Barack Obama's party to keep control of the chamber. Sen Nelson, 70, was facing a tough campaign for a third term in the Republican-leaning Mid-west state of Nebraska in November 2012. ...A net gain of four seats would give Republicans control of the Senate.

Ireland plans referendum body to prepare for possible EU treaty poll
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has said he intends to establish a permanent referendum commission so that the public is fully prepared for a possible poll on the fiscal discipline treaty currently being drawn up by member states. "I cannot give you an indication now as to whether there will actually be a referendum in respect of the inter-governmental agreement from the European business until the text is finalised and we get the advice of the attorney general," said Kenny on Tuesday (28 December), according to PA.

'IDF must change retaliation policy against Gaza'
MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, expressed his disappointment on Wednesday with Israel's response to violence coming from the Strip, saying that IDF needs to act vigorously to destroy terror cells and deter future attacks. "Israel needed to respond differently to the violence coming from the Strip," he explained in an interview with Army Radio. "Not to occupy Gaza, but to act in a way that would cause terrorist organizations to think twice before firing long-range missiles."



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Fearing split, pastors urge GOP candidates to quit
Two politically active pastors in Iowa's robust evangelical conservative movement said Wednesday that an effort has been under way to persuade either Rick Santorum or Michele Bachmann to consider quitting the Republican presidential race and endorsing the other to avoid splintering this influential voting bloc's influence in the state's caucuses.

China Clamps Down on Gold Trading Frenzy
Gold exchanges in China outside of two in Shanghai are to be banned, authorities said in a statement released on Tuesday. Gold exchanges have mushroomed across China, from the northern port city of Tianjin to Guangxi bordering Vietnam, as spot prices in the precious metal have soared to record highs and speculation has boomed.

India and Japan sign new $15bn currency swap agreement
India and Japan have signed a $15bn (£9.7bn) currency swap agreement as the two nations seek to boost financial co-operation. It will see them swap currencies for US dollars and tap into each other's foreign exchange reserves to ease any liquidity problems.

Priests brawl in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity
Scuffles have broken out between rival groups of Greek Orthodox and Armenian clerics in a turf war at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. Bemused tourists looked on as about 100 priests fought with brooms while cleaning the church in preparation for Orthodox Christmas, on 7 January. Palestinian police armed with batons and shields broke up the clashes.

Nigeria Christians 'to defend churches from Boko Haram'
Nigerian Christians will have "no other option" but to defend themselves if attacks by Islamist militants continue, church leaders have said. The Christian Association of Nigeria said the Boko Haram group had declared war with its recent violence. More than 40 people were killed in attacks on churches in northern and central areas on Christmas Day.

NHS Confederation: Hospital-based care 'must change'
The NHS in England must end the "hospital-or-bust" attitude to medical care, says the body representing health service trusts. At least one in four patients would be better off being treated by NHS staff at home, figures suggest. 2012 will be a key year for the NHS as it tries to make £20bn in efficiency savings by 2015, according to the head of the NHS Confederation, Mike Farrar.

US warns Iran over threat to block oil route
The US Navy has said it will not tolerate disruption to a vital oil-trade route, following an Iranian threat to close it. Iran warned it would shut the Strait of Hormuz if the West imposed more sanctions over its nuclear programme. The US and its allies believe Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon - a charge Tehran denies.

Iran Says U.S. Aircraft Carrier Has Entered Zone Near Key Oil Route
An Iranian surveillance plane has shot video and photographed a U.S. aircraft carrier during Iran's ongoing navy drill near a strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.

Barna: 8 out of 10 young Christians can’t apply their faith to everyday life
One of the most favorable discoveries by pollsters was that three-quarters of Americans see churches as a positive factor in their communities. Only 5 percent consider the church’s influence to be negative. However, “Americans are struggling to determine how faith, Christianity and church fit into modern life,” reports Barna.

Proposed New Calendar Would Make Time Rational
a Johns Hopkins University astronomer wants to replace the Gregorian calendar, with its leap years and floating dates and 15th-century effluvia, with a sleek and standardized system for the world.

Precious metals tank as euro hits 11-month low
RENEWED investor demand for cash slammed precious metals overnight, sending silver to its lowest levels in almost a year and gold to its lowest price in five months.

DHS Creates Accounts Solely to Monitor Social Networks
An online privacy group is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accusing it of not releasing records from the agency's covert surveillance of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

China denies sending troops to North Korea
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said reports claiming that Chinese force had entered North Korea as requested by the country to help maintain its stability were “totally groundless.”

‘US, Israel discuss ‘triggers’ for Iran attack’
American news site The Daily Beast reported that in recent weeks, Washington had taken steps to reassure Israel “that the administration had its own ‘red lines’ that would trigger military action against Iran, and that there is no need for Jerusalem to act unilaterally.”

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KAHLILI: The coming war with Iran
Iran’s tyrannical leaders, determined to make the Islamic regime a nuclear-armed state, are preparing for war. That’s exactly what the United States and Israel might have to deliver, and soon. @-Text.rag:Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the Revolutionary Guards in May to speed up the regime’s nuclear-bomb program and arm its missiles with nuclear warheads.

Alaska volcano sends ash plume up to 15,000 feet
A volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands sent up an ash cloud Thursday that prompted scientists to increase the alert level for commercial aircraft traffic. The Alaska Volcano Observatory said satellite images at 4:02 a.m. Alaska time showed Cleveland Volcano had spewed ash 15,000 feet into the air in a cloud that moved east-southeast. U.S.

‘Fast and Furious’ Linked to Immunity Deal Between U.S. and Sinaloa Cartel, Trafficking Defendant Alleges in Court Papers
The defendant in a trafficking case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Vicente Jesus Zambada-Niebla, also claims the immunity deal allowed the criminal cartel to “continue to smuggle tons of illicit drugs” into the United States.

Court Revives NSA Dragnet Surveillance Case
A federal appeals court on Thursday reinstated a closely watched lawsuit accusing the federal government of working with the nation’s largest telecommunication companies to illegally funnel Americans’ electronic communications to the National Security Agency without court warrants.

The Russian Billionaire Running For President Wants To Create A New Currency For Europe
The Russian billionaire challenging Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in March's presidential election said Thursday that he will push for a common currency with the European Union and liberalize the nation's political scene if elected.

Satellite Photo Shows New Island Rising from Earth's Red Sea
The island was created by a wild eruption that occurred in the Red Sea earlier this month. It is made of loose volcanic debris from the eruption, so it may not stick around long. According to news reports, fishermen witnessed lava fountains reaching up to 90 feet (30 meters) tall on Dec. 19, which is probably the day the eruption began,...

China Unveils Space Mission Plans Through 2016
The 17-page white paper, "China's Space Activities in 2011," reiterates China's focus on lunar exploration, with robotic lunar landers and a lunar sample-return mission slated for launch by 2016. The country's well-publicized development of its manned space station in low Earth orbit is also a priority.

'Stuxnet virus used on Iran was 1 of 5 cyberbombs'
The Stuxnet virus that last year damaged Iran's nuclear program was likely one of at least five cyber weapons developed on a single platform whose roots trace back to 2007, according to new research from Russian computer security firm Kaspersky Lab. Security experts widely believe that the United States and Israel were behind Stuxnet, though the two nations have officially declined to comment on the matter.

Iran-U.S. brinkmanship over Strait of Hormuz nears breaking point
A showdown between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers worsened Thursday with warships from each side giving weight to an increasingly bellicose exchange of words.

US sells $30bn in F-15 jets to Saudi Arabia
The United States has confirmed the sale of nearly $30bn (£19.5bn) of fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The US will send 84 Boeing F-15 jets to its key Middle Eastern ally, and upgrade 70 existing Saudi F-15s. The agreement is part of a $60bn arms deal covering 10-15 years, approved by the US Congress last year.

Russian nuclear submarine fire contained but not out
huge fire that engulfed a Russian nuclear submarine undergoing repairs in the northern Murmansk region is contained but not out, officials say. Firefighters battled the blaze for nine hours after it broke out on Thursday on a wooden deck near the Yekaterinburg.

Iowa's evangelicals moving to Santorum
Signs that Rick Santorum is suddenly a contender in the race for the Republican nomination for president were all over Iowa on Thursday. The former Pennsylvania senator - who has built his long-shot campaign around trying to appeal to evangelical Christians in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday - received a boost when several prominent preachers said their followers were coalescing behind Santorum.

Alaska teen who was injected with heroin dies
An Alaska teenager allegedly injected with heroin by a 26-year-old man died Thursday, almost a week after suffering the drug overdose, Anchorage police said. Jena Dolstad of Anchorage had been listed in critical condition since she was taken to the hospital last Friday with a drug overdose. The 14-year-old died at the hospital shortly after noon Thursday, police spokeswoman Anita Shell said.

Air traffic alert after Alaska volcano spews ash cloud
A remote volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands erupted violently early on Thursday, spouting an ash cloud 15,000 feet into the sky and prompting an air-traffic alert, scientists said. The Cleveland Volcano, located on an uninhabited island 940 miles southwest of Anchorage, had been oozing lava and gas since July.

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