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New discovery means more U.S. states will face a risk from Zika
For the first time in the Western Hemisphere, researchers have detected the Zika virus in Aedes albopictus, the mosquito species known as the “Asian tiger,” a finding that increases the number of U.S. states potentially at risk for transmission of the disease. ...Unlike the aegypti mosquito, which is mostly present in southern United States and along the Gulf Coast, the albopictus has a range as far north as New England and the lower Great Lakes.

Google patents device that you inject into your eyeball
Up next in "terrifying things I don't ever want to have done": Google has filed a patent for a vision-correcting electronic device that has to be injected directly into your eye. The device...designed to help the focusing of light onto the retina...will contain its own storage, radio and lens and will apparently be powered wirelessly from an energy harvesting antenna.

Baghdad bomb targets Shia pilgrims
A bomb has exploded in Baghdad, killing at least 21 people, Iraqi police and hospital workers have said. The blast, near a livestock market in the city's outskirts, is thought to have targeted passing Shia pilgrims. They were on their way to a shrine in the Kadhimiya district to take part in religious commemoration ceremonies.

Argentina: President Macri's reforms denounced by protesters
Thousands of Argentines have staged a noisy protest against job cuts imposed under President Mauricio Macri's economic reforms. The demonstration was organised by two major labour unions, the CGT and CTA, who united against the president's cuts to spending and public sector jobs. The unions say that 100,000 workers have lost their jobs in the public and private sectors since President Macri came to power.

Russia challenges US after Baltic jet face-off
Russia says it was right to confront a US Air Force reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea on Friday. The Pentagon said a Russian jet fighter acted in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner", and performed a barrel roll over its plane. Russia said that the American jet had turned off its transponder signal, which helps others identify it.

Germany AfD meeting: Clashes before right-wing conference
Hundreds of left-wing demonstrators have tried to block people entering a right-wing party conference in the German city of Stuttgart. The Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party is expected to re-brand itself as openly anti-Islamic during the meeting. Police, who surrounded several hundred protesters, fired pepper spray at crowds. Close to 1,000 officers were deployed.

Sailors rush for tattoos as US Navy bends rules to recruit
Until now, sleeve tattoos have been barred under military regulations. The Navy is scrapping the ban -- and going further still -- to adopt the most lenient rules on body art of any US military service. From next month, sailors will also be allowed a tattoo on their neck -- up to one-inch across -- and restrictions will be lifted on ink below the knee or elbow, including on the hands.


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German officials deny reports that the country is reconsidering its commitment to Israel

A German government official denied on Sunday a magazine report which said Berlin might end its unconditional support for Israel due to Chancellor Angela Merkel's increasing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies.



U.S. Puerto Rico won't make $370 million in debt payments Monday

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced that Puerto Rico's government will not make nearly $370 million in bond payments due Monday after a failure to restructure or find a political solution to the U.S. territory's spiraling public debt crisis. Garcia said Sunday that he had issued an executive order suspending payments on debt owed by the island's Government Development Bank, a default that will likely prompt lawsuits from creditors and could be a prelude to a deadline to a much larger payment due July 1.



Here’s why the opioid epidemic is so bad in West Virginia — the state with the highest overdose rate in the US

The current opioid epidemic has plagued the entire US. But it has hit one state harder than the rest — West Virginia. West Virginia had the highest drug-overdose death rate in the US in 2014, according to a recent CDC report.



China is carrying $1 trillion in bad debt and 'unless this vicious cycle is broken, financial crisis or at least a sharp slowdown is an inevitable

The amount of debt being carried in the Chinese economy — mostly by state-owned "zombie" companies — is now so high that it could lead to a financial crisis, according to Macquarie analyst Viktor Shvets and his team. "Unless this vicious cycle is broken, financial crisis or at least a sharp slowdown is an inevitable ultimate outcome," he wrote in a note to investors on April 29.



The government wants your fingerprint to unlock your phone. Should that be allowed?

As the world watched the FBI spar with Apple this winter in an attempt to hack into a San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, federal officials were quietly waging a different encryption battle in a Los Angeles courtroom. There, authorities obtained a search warrant compelling the girlfriend of an alleged Armenian gang member to press her finger against an iPhone that had been seized from a Glendale home.



Russian nuclear sub fires CRUISE MISSILE in chilling footage of Arctic military drill

Is this a warning shot? This chilling footage shows a Russian nuclear submarine launching a cruise missile from underwater to destroy a coastal training target. The 120-metre Severodvinsk submarine can be seen sinking slowly below the surface of the Barents Sea as part of Russian navy Arctic combat drills.



Syria: US presses Russia in bid to halt fighting

The US says it is working on plans to reduce the bloodshed in Syria and revive a nationwide ceasefire. It says its "top priority" is to halt conflict in the city of Aleppo, where at least 200 people have died in a week of government raids and rebel shelling. The US wants Russia to put pressure on the Syrian government to stop what it says is indiscriminate bombardment.



Turkey: deadly car bomb targets Gaziantep police HQ

At least one policeman has been killed in a car bomb blast near a police headquarters in the south-east Turkish city of Gaziantep, officials say. Nineteen police and four civilians are reported to have been injured by the early-morning explosion... Turkey has been hit by a series of deadly blasts over the past year, linked either to Kurdish militants or so-called Islamic State (IS).



Renewed drilling finds NIS 1.2 billion of oil near Dead Sea

The Hatrurim oil and gas exploration license in the Dead Sea area contains an oil reservoir worth NIS 1.2 billion, according to a resources report published by the companies holding the license this morning. The report from Dunmore Consulting states that the best estimate is that the reservoir contains 7 million barrels of oil, while the high estimate is 11 million barrels.



An unlikely trio: Israel, Hamas and Egypt reportedly form alliance to fight ISIS in Sinai

Israel, Hamas, and Egypt have formed an unlikely alliance against the Islamic State in Sinai, who are planning increasingly sophisticated and daring attacks in the region... The Egyptian affiliate, referred to as Wilayat Sinai, is well equipped with weaponry and has been plotting more sophisticated attacks since taking responsibility for the October bombing of a Russian charter plane which killed all 224 passengers aboard.



Iran elections: Hardliners lose parliament to Rouhani allies

Run-off elections have given moderates and reformists a working majority in the Iranian parliament for the first time in more than a decade.



Islamic State claims responsibility for killing Hindu man in Bangladesh

A Hindu man was hacked to death in central Bangladesh in the latest attack claimed by radical Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation, police said. Authorities are investigating whether the killing on Saturday of Nikhil Joarder was connected to a 2012 complaint against him for alleged comments he made against the Prophet Muhammad, said Aslam Khan, a police officer in the district of Tangail, where the attack took place.



Protests in Baghdad throw administration’s Iraq plan into doubt

President Obama’s plan for fighting the Islamic State is predicated on having a credible and effective Iraqi ally on the ground in Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.



N. Korea Vows to Rapidly Advance Nuclear Attack Capabilities

North Korea vowed to make rapid advancements on nuclear attack capabilities if South Korea and the U.S. continue with joint military drills, with the warning coming days before predictions that the nation may conduct its fifth nuclear test for the Worker’s Party Congress on May 6.



Deutsche Bank Unveils The Next Step: "QE Has Run Its Course, It's Time To Tax Wealth"

Helicopter money may be on the horizon, but if Deutsche Bank has its way, there is at least one intermediate step. According to DB's Dominic Konstam, now that the benefits QE "have run their course", it is time for the next, and far more drastic step: "the ECB and BoJ should move more strongly toward penalizing savings via negative retail deposit rates or perhaps wealth taxes. With this stick would also come a carrot – for example, negative mortgage rates."



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Venezuela opposition files 2 million signatures for recall vote
Venezuela's opposition presented reams of signatures to election authorities calling for a referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro, who they say is to blame for a crushing economic crisis.

Visa Unveils Plan To Burden Millennials With Billions In Debt
Visa has come up with a plan to add infinitely more debt to millennials who are working diligently as bartenders and waiters: credit cards. Visa has even unveiled a detailed timeline by which they can accomplish the task.

How infecting carp with herpes can help save dying river systems
The Australian government is now moving to cut populations through the controlled release of carp-specific herpes virus, which it says is capable of killing individual fish off within 24 hours.

Weasel takes down Large Hadron Collider
A small furry animal today took on the largest atom smasher ever made, and won. According to internal documents at CERN, the Large Hadron Collider was knocked out of commission at about 5:30 am CEDT when a weasel caused a "severe electrical perturbation" when it stepped on the bare connections of a 66,000 volt transformer.

GEOMAGNETIC STORMS
G1-class geomagnetic storms are underway on May 2nd as Earth passes through a region of space filled with negative-polarity magnetic fields.

This is what happens 'if there is no God'
J. Edgar Hoover stated: “The criminal is the product of spiritual starvation. Someone failed miserably to bring him to know God, love Him and serve Him.” A rising emphasis on materialism caused a decline of ‘God-centered’ deeds and thoughts.”

‘Not part of Germany’: German right-wing AfD party adopts anti-Islamic manifesto
Delegates from the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have backed an election manifesto which slams Islam as incompatible with the country's constitution and calls for a ban on Islamic symbols.

Israel gathering intelligence on Paris peace summit, Danon says
According to Danny Danon, the current Israel Ambassador to the UN, the upcoming weeks will be especially critical. On May 30, dozens of foreign ministers will gather in Paris for the Israeli-Palestinian peace summit, which is a preliminary event leading up to the peace summit that will take place in the summer in Paris.

Conservatives in Congress urge shutdown of tax-collecting IRS
It's a U.S. taxpayer's dream: make the Internal Revenue Service go away, and the largest conservative group in Congress is endorsing just that. The Republican Study Committee, which counts over two-thirds of House of Representatives Republicans as its members, called recently for "the complete elimination of the IRS."

In the EU capital, churches are now restaurants
Whether or not one cares about the state of Belgium's churches, there is something eerily prophetic in their abandonment.

Noah’s Ark Sails Again
A Dutch Christian organization has announced plans to sail a replica of Noah’s Ark across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in Brazil in time for the summer Olympics.

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes disaster-hit Ecuador: USGS
A powerful aftershock rattles Ecuador just days after a deadly quake destroyed the nation. The magnitude-6 quake has struck the country's north-west coast - but there's no word yet on injuries or damage.

6.1 magnitude earthquake hits western Indonesia Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/52072593.cms?utm_source=contentofintere
JAKARTA: An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Lampung province of Sumatra Island on Monday, the meteorology and geophysics agency said here. No immediate casualties were reported as of now, an official of the agency said.

US Geological Survey records small earthquake in W. Kentucky
The USGS says a preliminary magnitude 3.5 quake was recorded at 2:12 a.m. Sunday about 9 miles north-northwest of La Center - and about 39 miles west-northwest of Paducah.

Kerry hopes to salvage truce as new raids hit Aleppo
US Secretary of State John Kerry says envoys meeting in Geneva are getting closer to an understanding on salvaging the cessation of hostilities in Syria. He told reporters progress was being made on a plan to reduce the violence in the second city of Aleppo, which has threatened to sink the nine-week truce. Mr Kerry was speaking before talks with his Saudi counterpart, who called the situation in Aleppo an "outrage".

Terrorism in the tropics: ISIS turning to recruitment in the Caribbean
There may be trouble in paradise. The extremist group known as Islamic State has apparently begun looking beyond the Middle East and Europe to recruit new members. As European and online security efforts against the group have been bolstered, the radical terrorist group has now apparently turned to the tropical white sands and crystal blue waters of the Caribbean to enlist new operatives.

"Get Out Traitor" - German Justice Minister Flees In Armored Mercedes After Angry Protesters Boo Him Offstage
Heiko Maas, the German Minister of Justice, was unable to finish his Labor Day celebration speech on the 1st of May as he was loudly booed and chased off the stage by the German people. The people repeatedly shouted "traitor", "leftist rat", "get out!", "we are the people" and "Maas must go!", eventually getting him to cancel his speech and flee to his armored Mercedes escorted by his armed bodyguards.

Blast kills 2 officers near police headquarters in Turkey
A car bomb in front of a police headquarters in southeastern Turkey killed two officers and left 22 people injured Sunday, the country's semiofficial Anadolu news agency reported.

Protesters pull out of Baghdad's Green Zone but vow to be back
Protesters who stormed Baghdad's Green Zone retreated Sunday but organizers say the challenge to Iraq's leadership isn't over yet.

Wary of China's Indian Ocean activities, U.S., India discuss anti-submarine warfare
India and the United States are in talks to help each other track submarines in the Indian Ocean, military officials say, a move that could further tighten defense ties between New Delhi and Washington as China steps up its undersea activities.



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Suicide bomber taken down by poisoned arrow
Authorities in northern Cameroon say a local self-defense group used a poisoned arrow to kill a woman with explosives strapped to her body.

FDA Launches $35.7 Million LGBT Anti-Smoking Campaign
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have just launched an anti-tobacco campaign focused on young adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Pope’s exhortation is a ‘breach’ with Catholic Tradition: leading German philosopher
“When it comes to sexual relations which are in objective contradiction to the Christian order of life, I would like to know from the pope after which time period and under which conditions such an objectively sinful behavior becomes a conduct which is pleasing to God,”

Reinstating the Mitzvah That Brings The Third Temple Down From Heaven
When the first holiday marking the beginning of Passover ended a week and a half ago on Saturday night, a group of Jews went out to a field near Sderot in the south of Israel and harvested a small quantity of barley for a purely Biblical purpose rarely fulfilled these days: to offer up the omer, or the wave offering, to God.

German plot to keep EU army a SECRET till June 23 EXPOSED as plans drawn up in Berlin
BRITISH Brexit campaigners have been boosted with news from Berlin that Germany is once more pushing for an EU army encompassing all 28 member states with a joint HQ and shared military planning.

Google AI has access to huge haul of NHS patient data
A data-sharing agreement obtained by New Scientist shows that Google DeepMind's collaboration with the NHS goes far beyond what it has publicly announced.

U.S. Security "Assurances" and the End of UN Resolution 242
John Kerry took Israel's primary requirement -- "secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force" (the language of UN Resolution 242) -- off the negotiating table. Under Kerry's new formulation, Israel's sovereign legitimacy and secure boundaries do not have to be recognized by the Arab states, the Palestinians or anyone else; just determined, accepted and guaranteed by the United States -- and for how long is not clear…

One of Africa’s most active volcanoes is showing new signs of life
What they were hearing was the sound of earthquakes deep below the surface. The movement knocked giant rocks off of the crater walls. And at the same time, a new vent appeared on a ledge. Since that day, the vent explodes about every 30 seconds, throwing lava up to 90 feet in the air. Most of that lava flows back into the volcano, while the rest of it cools in the crater itself.

Earthquake Measuring 5.5 Occurs Off Russia’s Eastern Shikotan Island
A 5.5-magnitude quake occurred Tuesday off the coast of Russia's eastern Shikotan Island, which is part of the Kuril chain, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. According to USGS, the epicenter of the quake was located some 57 kilometers (35 miles) east of Shikotan’s coast at a depth of 69.3 kilometers.

Iranian Supreme Leader Warns U.S.: Flee the Persian Gulf
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei...warned the United States against keeping a military presence in the Persian Gulf and vowed that the Islamic Republic will continue to carry out a range of war drills in the area, despite warnings... Khamenei blasted the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf in wide-ranging remarks that ordered America to return its forces “back to the Bay of Pigs.”

In 6 Months Since Budget Deal: Debt Up More Than $1 Trillion
In the six months that have passed since then-retiring House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cut a budget deal with President Barack Obama that suspended the legal limit on the federal debt until March 15, 2017, the federal debt has increased by more than $1 trillion.

Migrant crisis: EU 'to back' visa-free travel for Turkey
The European Commission will give conditional approval for Turks to travel without visas to Europe's passport-free Schengen area, sources have told the BBC. The move is part of a deal in which Turkey is taking back migrants who have crossed over the Aegean Sea to Greece. But Turkey must still meet EU criteria, and the deal must be approved by the European Parliament and member states.

Houthi leader: Israel participating in the aggression against Yemen
The leader of Ansar Allah, the Houthi rebel movement, accused Israel of taking part in the war in Yemen directly by fighting the war, and indirectly, by training and inspecting the Saudi forces... Abdul Malik al-Houthi said: "It is well-known that everything that is happening in our region serves the interest of one party – the Zionists and the US."

Palestinian Authority Deceives US, Uses Taxpayer Money To Pay Jailed Terrorists
Palestinian Media Watch, an organization that not only monitors Palestinian media but also does research on issues related to the Palestinian Authority, just released a new report detailing a billion-dollar fraud with money donated to the PA by Western countries, including the United States.

Obamacare To Unveil "Price Shock" One Week Before The Elections
Marilyn Tavenner, who until January 2015 ran the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, aka the massive Federal agency that oversaw the rollout of Obamacare and the disastrous implementation of HealthCare.gov and who is now as an insurance lobbyist, said she sees big jumps in Obamacare insurance premiums.

U.S. to Pakistan: Pay for your own F-16s
The United States has told Pakistan it will have to finance the purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets itself after members of the U.S. Congress objected to the use of government funds to pay for them.

Military tests unmanned ship designed for seafaring missions
The military is starting tests on the world's largest unmanned surface vessel — a self-driving, 132-foot ship designed to travel thousands of miles out at sea without a single crew member on board.


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L.A. sees another sharp rise in homelessness and outdoor tents
homelessness increased in the last year in the city and county of Los Angeles, leaving nearly 47,000 people in the streets and shelters despite an intensive federal push that slashed the ranks of homeless veterans by nearly a third, according to figures released Wednesday by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

Getting a Head Start: Scientists to Attempt to Revive Dead Human's Brain
A biotech company in the United States has received ethical permission to carry out an experiment on 20 patients who were medically declared brain dead and are being kept from putrefying by life support equipment, goreadus.com reported.

Obama to name Stonewall 1st national monument for gay rights
New York's iconic Stonewall Inn, where the modern gay rights movement took root, will become the first national monument honoring the history of gays and lesbians in the U.S. under a proposal...Obama is preparing to approve.

Wildfire destroys homes in Canadian city; delays hit evacuation
An out-of-control wildfire destroyed much of one neighborhood in the remote Canadian city of Fort McMurray and badly damaged other areas, the local government said on Wednesday, hours after it ordered all 80,000 residents to leave in the biggest evacuation in the area's history.

Iranian commander threatens to close Strait of Hormuz to US
The comments by Gen. Hossein Salami, carried on state television, follow a long history of both rhetoric and confrontation between Iran and the US over the narrow strait, through which nearly a third of all oil traded by sea passes.

Trump Urges Israel to Keep Building in Ancient Biblical Heartland
Donald Trump, who is all but guaranteed to nab the Republican presidential nomination, declared his support on Tuesday for Israeli construction in the Judea and Samaria regions. The view represents a sea change from the current administration...

Jordanian Parliament Boycotts Israeli Delegation: “We Don’t Recognize the Peace Treaty”
the Jordanian Parliament has refused to approve the attendance of an Israeli delegation at an international summit held in Jordan this week. Tarawneh added that the parliament called on the organizers of the summit to shun any Israeli representation at the event, Jordanian media reported.

Paris to host Saudi, Qatari, UAE, Turkey FMs to discuss Syria Monday
France will on Monday host talks with the Saudi, Qatari, Turkish and UAE foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Syria, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said...

Russia to form 3 new divisions to counter NATO buildup
Russia is to deploy two new divisions in the west and one in the south to counterbalance NATO's increased military presence near Russian borders, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced.

Likely cause for recent southeast US earthquakes: Underside of the North American Plate peeling off
scientists report in a new study a likely explanation for this unusual activity: pieces of the mantle under this region have been periodically breaking off and sinking down into the Earth. This thins and weakens the remaining plate, making it more prone to slipping that causes earthquakes. The study authors conclude this process is ongoing and likely to produce more earthquakes in the future.

Canada wildfire forces mass evacuation in Fort McMurray
The entire population of the Canadian city of Fort McMurray has been forced to evacuate because of a huge wildfire. Some 80,000 people were told to leave as the blaze swept into the city, which is the gateway to the oil sands region. Homes, petrol stations and a hotel are among the buildings destroyed in the city, in the province of Alberta.

Syria conflict: 'Dozens killed' in Aleppo battle
Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in fierce clashes between rebel groups and government forces in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo. Rebels advanced into government-held western districts overnight but were pushed back by the morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The battle was the most intense in Aleppo for more than a year, it added.

Migrant crisis: EU plans penalties for refusing asylum seekers
The European Commission has proposed reforms to EU asylum rules that would see stiff financial penalties imposed on countries refusing to take their share of asylum seekers. The bloc's executive body is planning a sanction of €250,000 (£200,000; $290,000) per person. The Commission wants changes made to an asylum system which has buckled amid an influx of migrants.

Kenya police 'foil anthrax attack' by 'IS-linked group'
Kenyan police say they have foiled a "large-scale" biological attack using anthrax, by a terror group with links to so-called Islamic State (IS). A man, his wife and another woman have been arrested. Rewards have been offered for two other men. Police did not name the network, but said it stretches across the country and outside its borders, including to Somalia, Libya and Syria.

'Zionists worse than animals,' post shared by UK Labor official reads
In yet another row concerning the UK's Labor party...two elected officials were discovered to have supported "extreme" social media posts...with one message saying that "Zionists were worse than animals,"... Labor party Councillor Aslam Choudry said he was "unreservedly" apologetic following the discovery that he shared an offensive Facebook post that compared Zionist to animals...

Gulf Shi'ites paying religious tax to Iran are funding terror, Sunni campaign says
The age-old Sunni-Shi'ite split is now the underlying cause of a new Sunni outcry against the expansionist policy of Iran in the Middle East. A social media campaign launched recently by Sunni Muslims seeks to protest over the transfer of a religious tax payed by Shi'ites living in the Gulf to the main centers of Shia scholarship in Iran and Iraq.

Israel to open permanent office at NATO HQ, five years after Turkey blocked move
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that Israel would accept an invitation from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to open a permanent office at its Brussels headquarters, a move Turkey claimed it had blocked some five years ago. The move represents a significant upgrade for Israel's ties to the 28-nation NATO.

'Decrease of violent attacks against Jews, but rise in institutional anti-Semitism in 2015'
Violent attacks against members of the Jewish community dropped significantly worldwide in 2015 despite an increase in institutionalized anti-Semitism, an annual report released Wednesday found. According to the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University, recorded cases of anti-Semitic violence decreased substantially throughout the world by 46 percent.

Britain’s left is melting down over rampant anti-Semitism
If you think Hitler was a Zionist, you might be an anti-Semite. If you say “problem solved” if Israel were transferred to mid-America, you might be an anti-Semite. If you — well, if you live in Britain you know the rest.

Ted Cruz drops out of presidential race
Ted Cruz dropped out of the presidential race on Tuesday night, ending one of the best-organized campaigns of 2016 after a series of stinging defeats left Donald Trump as the only candidate capable of clinching the nomination outright.

China Said to Explore Taking Stakes in Some News Websites
China is considering taking board seats and stakes of at least 1 percent in operators of some Internet portals and mobile apps in exchange for granting news licenses, according to people familiar with the plan.

In N.Y., White House poised to create first monument to gay rights
President Obama is poised to declare the first-ever national monument recognizing the struggle for gay rights, singling out a sliver of green space and part of the surrounding Greenwich Village neighborhood as the birthplace of America’s modern gay liberation movement.

US combat death in Iraq reflects intensifying war
The combat death of a U.S. Navy SEAL who was advising Kurdish forces in Iraq coincides with a gradually deepening American role in fighting a resilient Islamic State, even as the Iraqis struggle to muster the military and political strength to defeat the militants.


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The San Andreas Fault Is ‘Locked and Loaded,’ a Leading Seismologist Warns
A leading earthquake expert has warned that a section of the San Andreas Fault in Southern California may be “ready to go,” and that a major temblor that could shake the Los Angeles metropolitan area is long overdue.

Airstrike at Syrian refugee camp kills at least 28
At least 28 people were killed when warplanes struck a refugee camp Thursday in Syria, the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, with many of the dead women and children.

Paul Ryan: 'I'm just not ready' to back Donald Trump
House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday he cannot yet support presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Israel says found second Hamas tunnel from Gaza since 2014 war
Israel's military said it had discovered a cross-border tunnel on Thursday built by the Islamist group Hamas from the Gaza Strip during a rare flare-up of violence along a border that has been largely quiet since a 2014 war.

Man seeks restraining order against God
An Israeli man has petitioned the Haifa Magistrate’s Court for a restraining order against God, claiming the Almighty has been particularly unkind to him.

Obama slaps ‘Scarlet T’ on Christian colleges
The Department of Education, under the leadership of Barack Obama, whose pro-homosexual agenda has been unparalleled, has launched a website critics say is dedicated to the “shaming” of Christian colleges that follow biblical principles rather than a leftist social agenda.

Fort McMurray wildfire: state of emergency declared as 1,600 buildings engulfed in flames
Alberta firefighters said on Thursday morning that the blaze was yet to be contained, but praised the efforts of scores of volunteers who rushed to the city to provide fuel for those fleeing the devastation by car. More than 80,000 people have been forced to flee Fort McMurray, while fresh evacuation orders have been issued for other towns standing in the wildfire's path.

Islamic State militants seize gas field in eastern Syria
Islamic State militants on Thursday captured the main Shaer gas field in eastern Syria in the first gain for the ultra hardline jihadists in the Palmyra desert area since they lost the ancient city in March, rebel sources and a monitor said.

‘Islam does not belong in Germany’: 60% agree with AfD
Political rivals may brand the right-wing German party AfD xenophobic for claiming that there is “no place for Islam in Germany” in its political program, but 60 percent of the country's citizens agree with the idea, according to a new poll.

Kremlin to NATO: Resurgent Russia not a threat, but will defend its interests
"We have repeatedly said that a resurgent Russia is not a threat to anyone," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with journalists. "But at the same time Russia certainly cannot ignore any actions that may pose a direct or potential threat to its national interests and, traditionally, the Russian side will defend its interests if need be."

Gibraltar ON ALERT: Royal Navy 'OPENS FIRE' on Spanish ship 'harassing' submarine
It comes as tensions heighten around the UK-controlled peninsula after a series of aggressive acts by Spain. A source said: “This is not only a very dangerous game for the Spanish to play but it is unbecoming of a NATO ally to treat the US Navy with such contempt.

Kerry Draws Red Line, Says Syria Better Start Removing Assad By Aug 1
John Kerry just gave Syria a hard deadline for starting the political transition to get rid of Syrian President Bashar Assad: Aug. 1. Kerry told reporters Tuesday if Syria doesn’t begin the process of removing Assad by Aug. 1, there will be serious consequences, The Associated Press reports.

Romanian Claims He Hacked Hillary’s Email Server;
The Romanian computer hacker known as Guccifer said he has hacked into Hillary Clinton’s private email server and that doing so “was easy.” he said Clinton’s claim that her server was safe is “a lie.”

IDF finds another Hamas attack tunnel
The IDF has found another Hamas attack tunnel inside the Gaza Strip that is burrowing towards Israel, it was cleared for publication on Thursday. The new tunnel is 28 meters deep and it was found in southern Gaza not far from the tunnel found last month, which was the first to be found since Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

April Marks 12th Straight Month of Record Gun Sales
This April saw the most gun-related background checks of any April on record, making it the 12th month in a row to achieve a high water mark for gun sales. The FBI ran 2,145,865 checks through the National Instant Background Check System last month, according to the agency’s records. That represents more than a 400,000 increase over the previous record set in April 2014.

Turkey PM 'to quit' in rift with President Erdogan
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will stand down at an extraordinary congress of his ruling AK party later this month, local media report. Reports that the congress will be held on 22 May came after Mr Davutoglu met with the party's executive committee. Speculation of his resignation has been rife since Mr Davutoglu met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe to print own version of US dollar
Zimbabwe is set to print its own version of the US dollar in order to ease a cash shortage in the country. Central bank governor John Mangudya said the cash, known as bond notes, will be backed by $200m (£140m) support from the Africa Export-Import Bank. The specially-designed two, five, 10 and 20 dollar notes will have the same value as their US dollar equivalents.

Siren brings Israel to a halt as country marks Holocaust Remembrance Day
Israel commemorated the six million Jews who were murdered by Nazis in the Holocaust on Thursday with a two minute siren that brought the country to a halt at 10 a.m. Events marking Holocaust Remembrance Day began on Wednesday evening at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Sexual predator jailed after claiming to be ‘transgender’ to assault women in shelter
A biological man claiming to be ‘transgender’ so as to gain access to and prey on women at two Toronto shelters was jailed “indefinitely” last week after being declared by a judge a “dangerous offender.”

China Warns 'Will Respond To Trump Presidency'
Speaking through its mouthpiece Global Times, China has published its first reaction to "unpredictable" Trump's position as presumptive Republican nominee and their expectations of a Trump vs Clinton fight for The White House...

Russia Announces New Military Divisions to Counter NATO Deployments in Eastern Europe
Russia on Wednesday warned against NATO’s proposed military buildup in Poland and the Baltic region, saying it would retaliate by shoring up its western and southern flanks with three new divisions.

We must declare a gang-violence war
You would think that Knoxville gang members would be circumspect after the national attention paid to their brutal killing of Zaevion Dobson. But no, they shoot his cousin at a family park with seeming impunity. It's time to take the gloves off. As a civil society we cannot allow thugs to kill our children, terrorize our neighborhoods and show such blatant contempt for the law.

Epic wildfire threatens to engulf Canadian city as 88,000 flee
A massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of all 88,000 people in the western Canadian oil city of Fort McMurray and burned down 1,600 structures has the potential to destroy much of the town, authorities said on Wednesday.

San Andreas fault 'locked, loaded and ready to roll' with big earthquake, expert says
Southern California’s section of the San Andreas fault is “locked, loaded and ready to roll,” a leading earthquake scientist said Wednesday at the National Earthquake Conference in Long Beach.


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US Takes Tougher Tone on Israeli Settlements in New Report
The United States will endorse a tougher tone with Israel in an upcoming international report that takes the Jewish state to task over settlements, demolitions and property seizures on land the Palestinians claim for a future state, diplomats told The Associated Press.

Images show North Korea may be preparing fifth nuclear test: think tank
North Korea may be preparing to carry out a fifth nuclear test in the near future judging by commercial satellite images of the country's nuclear test site taken on May 5, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.

Less Than 1 Percent Of Immigrants Who Overstayed Visas Were Deported In 2015
Less than one percent of the more than 480,000 immigrants who overstayed their visas were deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in fiscal year 2015. Only 2,456 aliens who overstayed their visa were deported from the United States in fiscal year 2015, according to figures provided by ICE to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Another Labour activist has been suspended for anti-Semitic social media posts
A Labour activist has been suspended from the party over yet another case of antisemitic social media posts.

US sends troops to Yemen, steps up anti-Qaeda strikes
The Pentagon acknowledged for the first time Friday it has deployed US troops to Yemen since the country's collapse last year, in a push to bolster Arab and local government forces battling Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

It's Hate-Before-Profits In Kuwait Airways' Flight Ban Of Israelis (And Israeli-Americans)
Oil-rich Kuwait is a land of disturbing contradictions. The citizens of this monarchy enjoy high literacy, yet suffer huge restrictions on speech and press. It’s a deeply religious country, yet bribery is widespread and public officials engage in corruption with impunity. There are no laws in Kuwait protecting women from domestic violence or sexual harassment, and yet its women are among the freest in the Arab business world. Case in point: Rasha Al Roumi, the chairperson and CEO of Kuwait Airways, the country’s wholly-owned flagship carrier.


Caught On Tape: 100s Of M1 Abrams Tanks Roll Through Houston, TX
Just days after we exposed Texas police planning for riots and conducting mass arrest drills, the site of hundreds of M1 Abrams battle-tanks rolling on a train through Houston raised more than a few eyebrows...

Trump tells Israel ‘keep building settlements’
Donald Trump raised eyebrows in the evangelical Christian community when he said during a GOP presidential debate earlier this year that he would be “neutral” in negotiating a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

United Europe ‘an illusion’: Top 3 EU politicians paint grim picture of bloc’s future
Three of the EU’s most senior politicians have painted a grim picture of the bloc saying the idea of a united European Union is “an illusion,” while it was also described as being a “fertile ground for populists.”

Sanctifying the Mount
How can such a sacred place be such an unholy mess? Instead of a unique place of worship, it is the scene of endless confrontations – between Jews and Arabs no less than among Jews. Instead of being an inspiration for piety, it is the focus of a turf war over who can worship where, from Muslims denying Jews access to the Temple Mount above, to ultra-Orthodox Jews denying the non-Orthodox access to the Western Wall below.

Lifting Anti-Russian Sanctions: Which Side Will France Choose?
the French National Assembly voted in favor of a resolution calling to lift anti-Russian sanctions. The proposal was submitted by a group of lawmakers who welcome Russia as an alternative to the US in cooperation with France, according to an article in Atlantico.

Waffen EUGENDFOR: The EU’s “Crisis Reaction Mechanism”
Screened from public view in North Rhine-Westphalia, units of European police and military have carried out a major exercise in putting down unrest and civil war-like actions. It is especially the financing of this exercise by the EU Commission that has prompted questions. The suspicion arises that EU functionaries are in the process of developing a Europe-wide anti-insurgency troop directly answerable to them.

Clinton to be interrogated by FBI over email scandal, possibly before California primary
FBI investigators will interrogate Hillary Clinton in the coming weeks over her use of a private email server for state communications, according to officials cited by CNN late Thursday. The news came after MSNBC interviewed the hacker “Guccifer”, who exposed the server containing 2,200 emails, 22 marked "top secret", and claimed its security was easy to compromise.

Nuclear Waste Leak Continues at ‘America’s F u k u s h i m a’33 Left Ill by Radioactive Fumes
A nuclear waste leak at the Hanford Site in Washington state that rapidly intensified last month has left 33 workers ill from possible exposure to chemical vapors, while others scramble to pump the remaining waste out of the storage facility.

Fort McMurray Wildfire Explodes To 210,000 Acres; Now Larger Than Chicago
A large wildfire that has been burning for days exploded in size around Fort McMurray, Canada, growing eight times larger from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in a Thursday news conference that the blaze grew from 25,000 acres to 210,000 acres in just 24 hours, making the fire larger than the city of Chicago.

3.8-magnitude quake hits northwest Arizona; swarm continues
Another swarm of earthquakes shook the ground in northwestern Arizona near Littlefield shortly before 7 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Arizona Geological Survey. Additional small aftershocks were anticipated.

Lampung Hit by 5.3-Magnitude Earthquake
Jakarta - A 5.3-magnitude earthquake has struck Tanggamus, Lampung on Friday. The earthquake had no potential to trigger a tsunami, it also did not damage buildings nor caused casualties.

Earthquake felt in Mesquite is a wake-up call to prepare for larger future quakes
An earthquake shook Mesquite and Bunkerville Thursday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey says it was a 3.8 magnitude quake with an epicenter about 21 miles south of Mesquite.

Americas, Asia do what OPEC wouldn't: cut oil production
Wildfires in Canada. Instability in Venezuela. Stalling U.S. frackers. Drops in oil output are happening so fast that it looks as if the Americas alone could resolve global oversupply. The 70 percent oil price slide...has been pegged to one problem: production exceeding demand...But oversupply is evaporating quickly due to output cuts in the...United States, Canada and Latin America - and also increasingly in Asia.

Small magnitude earthquake swarm continues at Mount St. Helens
Beginning March 14, 2016, a number of small magnitude earthquakes have occurred beneath Mount St. Helens, at a depth between 2 and 7 km (1.2 to 4 miles). Over the last 8 weeks, there have been over 130 earthquakes formally located by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and many more earthquakes too small to be located. ...Earthquake rates have been steadily increasing since March, reaching nearly 40 located earthquakes per week.

Palestinians to demand protection from war crimes at UN Security Council
The Palestinians plan to ask for international protection from alleged Israeli war crimes at Friday afternoon’s informal meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. The document presented to the council...states, “For nearly 50 years, since Israel occupied the West Bank...east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip...Palestinian...population has endured...human rights violations, and...war crimes...

Defense Ministry: Israel's war and terror casualty toll now at 23,447
Days ahead of Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers, the Defense Ministry released updated figures on the number of war and terrorism casualties, which currently stands at 23,447. The casualty count includes all those who fell since 1860. Sixty eight new casualties were added to the figure since the previous Remembrance Day. Additionally, fifty nine disabled IDF veterans died as a result of their condition.

IAF strikes Hamas targets in Gaza in response to continued mortar fire
The Israeli Air Force struck multiple targets in the Gaza Strip in response to the continued mortar assault on IDF forces on Friday morning after a series of incidences in which the IDF and Hamas' forces in the Gaza strip exchanged fire. The IDF was carrying out operational activities in the Gaza border communities when the mortars were fired.

A dictatorship in the making?
Recep Tayyip Erdogan maneuvered to force out Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, demonstrating that the powerful president does not need the strong executive presidency he seeks since he already wields almost absolute power. This is the latest sign that Erdogan has consolidated power to such an extent that he can do almost anything he wants.


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Out of the Shadows: Wicca Grows in Austin and Beyond
Because Wicca is a highly decentralized religion with no central authority, it’s hard to get a tally of its members. The American Religious Identification Survey, which periodically surveys 50,000 Americans, said the number of self-identified Wiccans increased to 342,000 in 2008, up from 134,000 in 2001. The 2008 figures are the most recent available.

Earthquake swarm detected beneath Mount St. Helens
Magma stores are recharging inside Mount St. Helens, setting off a swarm of small earthquakes since last month, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Lara Logan Says She Has Been Living in Pain Ever Since 2011 Sexual Assault in Egypt
CBS News correspondent Lara Logan is opening up about her life after being sexually assaulted in Egypt in 2011 and admitting that she hasn’t lived without pain ever since.

N. Korea leader says will only use nuclear weapons under threat
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told a rare ruling party congress that the country would only use its nuclear weapons if its sovereignty came under threat from another nuclear power, state media said Sunday.

US to take tougher tone on Israeli settlements in new report
Diplomats say the U.S. will endorse a tough new tone with Israel in an upcoming international report. The report is to take the Jewish state to task over settlements, demolitions and property seizures on land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

‘Sick and twisted’: Scientists keep embryos alive outside womb up to 13 days for experimentation
Two teams of scientists have announced that they have been able to keep human embryos alive outside the womb for 13 days for the purpose of conducting scientific experiments. “No human being should be used for lethal experimentation, no matter their age or stage of development,” said Dr. David Prentice, a professor of molecular genetics and an Advisory Board Member for the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center.

Texas AG to Target: Show me how you’ll protect women and kids from criminals
The latest backlash Target received as a result of its transgender bathroom policy was a letter from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asking the company to provide its safety policies to protect women and children from “those who would use the cover of Target’s restroom policy for nefarious purposes.”

Watch Los Angeles Get Destroyed Twice By Two Simulated "Big-Ones"
Quotes from earthquake experts saying the San Andreas is "locked, loaded, and ready to roll," somehow, aren't persuasive enough for you to put aside a few days worth of food and water in preparation for the inevitable cataclysm

Christian Leader Calls UN Temple Mount Resolution a Threat To Jews and Christians Alike
Laurie Cardoza-Moore, a Christian representative to the UN, is calling for Christians to condemn the UNESCO resolution that declared the Temple Mount to be a Muslim holy site, saying the move was worse than Holocaust denial, threatening Jews and Christians alike.

Iran says several of its soldiers killed near Aleppo
Several Iranian soldiers were killed near Aleppo, the Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday, in what appeared to be one of Iran's biggest losses in Syria since it deployed forces to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Swarm of earthquakes strikes Mount St. Helens
In the past eight weeks, more than 130 small earthquakes have trembled beneath the surface of Mount St. Helens. At this point, "there is absolutely no sign that it will erupt anytime soon, but the data we collect tells us that the volcano is still very much alive," the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Israel raids hit Gaza as violence flares for fourth day
Israeli aircraft hit two Hamas targets in Gaza early on Saturday in response to rocket fire as the worst flare-up of violence since a 2014 war entered a fourth day.

'More than 50' IS mass graves found in Iraq, says UN envoy
A UN envoy has said more than 50 mass graves have so far been found in parts of Iraq that were previously controlled by so-called Islamic State (IS). Jan Kubis told the UN Security Council that it was "evidence of the heinous crimes" IS had committed. The graves have been discovered in recent months as territory has been re-captured from IS.


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Kerry slams Trump's wall, tells grads to prepare for 'borderless world'
Secretary of State John Kerry took a shot at Donald Trump during his Friday commencement speech at Northeastern University, by saying no wall is big enough to keep dangerous terrorists out of the United States.

North Korea party congress pushes nuclear weapons expansion
North Korea's first ruling party congress for nearly 40 years formally endorsed leader Kim Jong-Un's policy of expanding the country's nuclear arsenal, as South Korea on Monday dismissed his proposals for military talks and improved ties.

Army shrinks to smallest level since before World War II
The Army’s latest headcount shows that nearly 2,600 soldiers departed active service in March without being replaced, an action that plunges manning to its lowest level since before World War II.

Netanyahu vows to press hunt for Gaza tunnels
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticised the deputy head of Israel's armed forces for remarks appearing to compare contemporary Israeli society to Nazi Germany.

Turkey's Erdogan pours cold water on hopes of progress on EU deal
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday poured more cold water on hopes for progress with Europe on a deal to curb migration, suggesting Ankara would not change its anti-terrorism laws just to meet European Union requirements. The EU has asked member states to grant visa-free travel to Turks in return for Ankara stopping migrants from reaching Europe...

Hamas, Israel agree to de-escalation
Hamas has agreed and committed itself again to a de-escalation on the border of Israel and Gaza, Ynet learned on Sunday morning. A general agreement has been reached between the warring sides after tremendous mediation effort by international parties in recent days and a great number of messages exchanged via intermediaries.

Colombia to send jets against criminal gangs
The Colombian government says it will launch air raids against gangs involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining. Defence Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said the full force of the state, including the military, would be used to fight them. The gangs emerged from right-wing paramilitary squads disbanded under the last government of Alvaro Uribe, in office until five years ago.

Rescue operation as China Fujian landslide buries 35
Rescuers are trying to reach 35 construction workers who have been buried under rocks and mud in China, state media report. The landslide hit a workers' dormitory at the site where a hydropower project was being built. An office building was also hit by the landslide in Taining county, Fujian province in the early hours of Sunday, Xinhua news agency said.

Egypt's Islamist Authority blasts ISIS organ harvesting
Dar al-Ifta, Egypt's official religious institution tasked with drafting edicts, issued a fatwa according to which human organ harvesting is "a violation of Sharia," the London-based daily Arab newspaper a-Sharq al-Awasat reported on Sunday. According to the edict, issued on Saturday, ripping out human organs from a live captive to transplant them in another body is prohibited, whether or not it endangers someone's life.

Gunmen kill eight Egyptian policemen south of Cairo
Gunmen shot dead eight plainclothed Egyptian policemen in the Helwan district south of Cairo, the interior ministry said Sunday. The policemen were travelling in a minivan when the assailants in a pickup truck blocked their path and sprayed the vehicle with automatic rifle fire, the ministry said.


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3 college students have been kicked out of school after charges that they lied about being hate-crime victims
Three State University of New York at Albany college students who claimed that they were the victims of a hate crime were punished by the Student Conduct Board for violating the code of conduct, the Times Union reported.

Emails From Hillary Clinton’s IT Director at State Department Appear to Be Missing
The State Department said today it can’t find Bryan Pagliano’s emails from the time he served as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s senior information technology staffer during her tenure there.

Senior Islamic State official in Iraq killed in air strike: Pentagon
An air strike by a U.S.-led coalition killed a senior Islamic State official in Iraq last week, a Pentagon spokesman said on Monday. The strike on May 6 killed Abu Wahib, Islamic State's chief military official in Anbar province, said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook. The strike was on a vehicle carrying Abu Wahib, also known as Shakir Wahib, and three other Islamic State members near the town of Rutba, Cook said.

Yellow fever: World on brink of global emergency over deadly outbreak, academics warn
Urgent action is needed to combat a yellow fever epidemic in Africa amid signs it is turning into a global health emergency and a severe shortage of the vaccine, academics have warned.

Is Online Free Speech Under Attack?
Regulators in Washington are showing increasing interest in tightening rules on political speech on the web, arguing that the dissonant voices enabled by "new media" have become too influential. If that effort is successful, experts wonder whether it could impact more traditional media as well, especially in how it relates to conservatives.

London’s Iconic Red Buses To Declare ‘Glory To Allah’
Britain’s largest Islamic charity says it wants to “break down barriers” and portray Islam positively by launching a new advertising campaign which will slap the phrase “glory to Allah” on the side of London buses.

CRISPR-Cas9: Catalyst for Oncology Clinical Trials?
The ethics and policies surrounding the capability of CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the DNA of any cell are also of interest. CRISPR-Cas9 readily promises to enable or improve the ability to decipher the underlying genetic control, diagnosis and interventions of many diseases, including cancers.

Scientists Explain Why It Is Inevitable That America Will Be Hit By Absolutely Monstrous Earthquakes
Have you noticed that the crust of the Earth is starting to become a lot more unstable? Over the past couple of months, major earthquakes have shaken areas all over the planet and major volcanoes have been erupting with a frequency that is more than just a little bit startling.

Iran claims to successfully test missile that can reach Israel
“We test-fired a missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers and a margin of error of eight meters,” Brigadier General Ali Abdollahi was quoted as saying at a Tehran science conference. The eight-meter margin means the “missile enjoys zero error,” he told conference participants.

Israeli Police Issue New Guideline: ‘Beware of Attacks with Poisoned Syringes’
The Judea and Samaria Police District is concerned about a new kind of Arab terrorism, using poison-filled syringes against Israeli security personnel, Walla reported Monday. Police base their concern on an attempted attack a week and a half ago, in which an Arab female, 15, tried to stab soldiers with a syringe that was filled with detergents.

STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM
For the past 24+ hours, Earth's magnetic field has been reverberating with geomagnetic storms. At their most intense on May 8th, G3-class storms sparked bright auroras around both poles, parts of four continents, and more than a half a dozen US states. In Antarctica, everything turned green.

7-Year-Old Child Executed by ISIS for “Cursing Divinity”
In yet another monstrous act exercising their reign of terror, the Islamic State (ISIS) executed a 7-year-old boy for “cursing divinity” in Syria last Thursday. The boy, identified as Muaz Hassan, was playing soccer with some friends in Raqqa, Syria, when ISIS members overheard him speaking out against religion, an act which “was considered an insult to the Caliphate, regardless of the age of the boy....

North Korea says to push nuclear program, defying U.N. sanctions
Secretive North Korea said it will strengthen self-defensive nuclear weapons capability in a decision adopted at a congress of its ruling Workers' Party congress, its KCNA news agency reported on Monday, in defiance of U.N. resolutions.

London’s First Muslim Mayor Defended 9/11 Terrorists
Sadiq Khan, may be hiding some rather disturbing skeletons in his proverbial closet. countless concerns have come to light regarding his connections to Islamic extremism and his history defending terrorist activities.

Mount St. Helens experiencing small earthquakes as Magma move underneath
Worries about another eruption have grown as scientists have detected a swarm of earthquakes under the mountain. A new study indicates that there has been a swarm of earthquakes underneath Mount St. Helens since March,

Mexico rumbled by 5.9 magnitude quake, no damage reported
An earthquake of 5.9 magnitude on the ritcher scale shook southern Mexico before dawn on Sunday. The quake was felt as far away as Mexico City, prompting buildings to sway and some people to rush into the streets. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Putin calls for non-aligned international security system in face of global terror threat
Vladimir Putin said Russia is all for creating a non-aligned system of international security to counter global terror. The president, speaking at the V-Day parade in Moscow, called on all nations to learn the lessons of WWII.

EARTHQUAKE FELT IN BARBUDA AND PARTS OF ANTIGUA
Several residents have reported that they were shaken by an earthquake at 9:48 this morning. It had a magnitude of 5.2 on the richter scale but there were no reports of injuries or damages.

Afghanistan hangs 6 Taliban inmates in face of increasing violence
Afghan officials hanged six Taliban prisoners Sunday, a resumption of executions in the war that makes good on President Ashraf Ghani’s recent promise to deal harshly with insurgents, now that hopes for peace negotiations have evaporated.

The Outspoken Pakistani Journalist Khurram Zaki Has Been Gunned Down in Karachi
Pakistani journalist and activist Khurram Zaki was gunned down on the streets of Karachi on Saturday night, in the latest sign that campaigners face severe risks for speaking out against extremism in the country.

Greek lawmakers pass painful reforms to attain fiscal targets
Greece's parliament on early Monday passed a package of unpopular pension and tax reforms that the country's leftist-led government hopes will persuade official creditors to unlock bailout cash.



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U.S. destroyer sails near disputed Chinese island
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday sent a guided missile destroyer within 12 miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea where China has built an airstrip -- prompting China to scramble fighter jets and dispatch warships to "expel" the American ship.

Bangladesh executes Islamist leader Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes
Bangladesh has executed a top leader of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami party, Motiur Rahman Nizami, for war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence to break away from Pakistan, Bangladesh's state-run news agency said.

Deception on—Not Just in—Iran
A bombshell exploded this past weekend with the White House at the epicenter. And while the repercussions should have been felt throughout America, most observers merely shrugged. The president’s deputy national security advisor, Ben Rhodes, lied to the nation repeatedly about negotiations with the Iranians over the nuclear deal. The administration told Congress and the American people that the nuclear deal was essential because it was a vehicle for Iranian moderates—whom the Obama team was supposedly negotiating with—to drive Iranian policy.

Obama to make historic visit to Hiroshima
President Obama will visit Hiroshima when he travels to Japan this month for a summit of key industrialized nations, the White House announced Tuesday. It will be the first visit to the city by a sitting president since World War II, but the Obama administration said he will not apologize for the decision to destroy that city with an atomic bomb.

Top Hillary Clinton Aide Walks Out In Middle Of FBI Interview
With the FBI's noose closing around Hillary and her closest State Department cohorts as the Federal agency nears the end of its criminal probe, some are getting increasingly concerned about what they will and will not say on the record. One such person is Hillary's former State Department Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, who according to the WaPo walked out of an interview with federal investigators when an FBI official began to discuss a topic considered off-limits.

Harvard Law Professor Says Treat Conservative Christians Like Nazis
Liberals, stop being so defensive. That’s the message of Harvard law professor Mark Tushnet in a new post at Balkinization, titled “Abandoning Defensive Crouch Liberal Constitutionalism.” The problem, according to Tushnet, is that liberals have been too defensive when it comes to advancing their agenda in the courts.

THE TRUTH ABOUT MUSLIMS IN OUR GOVERNMENT
People are stunned to learn that the head of the U.S.CIA is a Muslim! Do hope this wakes up some! You mean until it hits you like a ton of bricks read it again, until you understand! We now have a Muslim government. John Brennan, current head of the CIA converted to Islam while stationed in Saudi Arabia. Obama’s top adviser, Valerie Jarrett, is a Muslim who was born in Iran where her parents still live. Hillary Clinton’s top adviser, Huma Abedin is a Muslim, whose mother and brother are involved in the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Thousands of names now on new Panama Papers online database
Fallout from the Panama Papers on Monday cut substantially deeper for those involved when an investigative journalism group launched a new searchable online database that names persons and companies behind hundreds of thousands of offshore accounts -- some with the intention of skirting their respective nations' tax laws.

Analysis: Obama Administration Fighting Netanyahu Via AP Leak
threats and attacks delivered through well placed leaks with the major news outlets, which are intended to foster anxiety in Jerusalem. A case in point is this weekend’s AP story, citing US and other diplomats who say Obama plans to endorse a “tougher tone” against Israel in the upcoming report by the so-called “Quartet” of mediators from the US, the EU, Russia and the UN.

Saudi Arabia to invest in Russia’s Chechnya – Kadyrov
Kadyrov added that, according to Al-Khatib, Russian-Saudi relations are “at an all-time high” and that the kingdom is implementing projects worth $10 billion in Russia.

U.S. warship sails by disputed reef in South China Sea
A U.S. navy warship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Defense official said, prompting anger in Beijing which denounced the patrol as illegal and a threat to peace and stability.

Teen Hamas terrorist gives up wealth of information
a youth affiliated with Hamas's military wing was arrested and is now being questioned by authorities. He gave up extensive information about Hamas's tunnels and their exit points, which are intended to allow fighters to enter Israel. He also spoke of tunnels intended for emergency uses by the Nahba, Hamas's elite unit.

Scientists monitoring Mt Ruapehu after volcano displays signs of elevated activity
...temperatures in the active volcano’s bubbling Crater Lake rose to the hottest on record. On Saturday, a tourist flight over the Crater Lake observed “vigorous steaming” at the lake and disturbance of the surface itself with “upwelling bubbles.” This sort of activity had not been seen in years...

Obama Has Last Laugh as Iran Deal Lies Revealed Too Late
Like the Biblical serpent in the Garden of Eden, the Obama administration has manipulated the American public into supporting a nuclear deal, possibly against their own best interests, a senior security advisor gloated to The New York Times.

Ladies, Keeping Men Out of Your Bathroom is Jim Crow Style Discrimination
The problem with Lynch’s lawsuit, however, is fundamental to the anti-science claims made by the left. The left, you see, has decided that you can pick whether you are a boy or a girl. Basic biology is out the window in their religious doctrines on sexuality and gender. But the law Lynch is using against North Carolina, Title IX, uses the term “sex” in prohibiting discrimination.

Yellow fever: World on brink of global emergency over deadly outbreak, academics warn
Urgent action is needed to combat a yellow fever epidemic in Africa amid signs it is turning into a global health emergency...academics have warned. With nearly a billion people at risk...in Africa and Latin America and the danger of an outbreak in Asia...a professor in global health law, called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare an emergency saying delays over Ebola had "cost lives".

Obama administration sues North Carolina over anti-LGBT law
The US Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina over its controversial anti-LGBT law, calling it "state-sponsored discrimination". The law requires people to use public toilets that correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificate. It also invalidated several local anti-discrimination measures that protected gay and transgender people.

Chile's biggest ever 'red tide' threatens sea life
Chile's southern coast has been hit by the biggest ever "red tide" in history. The phenomenon is caused by algae which kills sea life with a toxin that paralyzes the central nervous system. The local fishing economy is struggling to cope, as Laura Westbrook explains.

Germany knife attacker kills man at Grafing station
One man has been killed and three others wounded by a knife-wielding man near Munich, with police investigating a possible Islamist connection. The man attacked four commuters...on Tuesday at Grafing station. One of the victims died of his wounds in hospital. ...Some witnesses said he shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is great" in Arabic) but the motive for the attack is unclear.

South China Sea: US warship sails near disputed reef
A US naval warship has sailed near a contested reef in the South China Sea, in what Washington described as a "freedom of navigation" operation. The ship neared the disputed Fiery Cross Reef, which China controls, on Tuesday, US officials said. China said the move was illegal and "damaged regional peace".

Masked Palestinian terrorists stab 2 elderly Jewish women in backs in Jerusalem
A peaceful morning stroll by a group of elderly Jewish women on a promenade...quickly devolved into a bloody nightmare, when two young masked Palestinian terrorists stalked and stabbed two of the octogenarians in their backs. At approximately 8:30 a.m., police said that five women, all in their 80s, were walking together...before being abruptly attacked from behind by the suspects.

Cannabis arteritis: Australian diagnosed with marijuana-related disease that can cause loss of limb
An Australian man who smokes up to a gram of cannabis per day has narrowly escaped amputation after becoming the first in the country to be diagnosed with a rare disease linked to cannabis use.

London's New Muslim Mayor Fears Donald Trump Would Keep Him Out of US
London Mayor-elect Sadiq Khan said he fears he would be unable to visit the United States because he is Muslim if Donald Trump were elected president

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Turkey 'losing hope' for EU visa-free deal
The Turkish minister for European Union affairs has told the BBC he is losing hope of getting a deal on visa-free travel for Turks within Europe. Volkan Bozkir said changing anti-terror laws in Turkey would be impossible. The EU insists that Turkey needs to narrow its definition of terrorism - as well as meet four other key criteria - to qualify for visa-free travel.

ISIS says it's behind Iraq blasts that kill scores
The Sunni terror group ISIS says it's behind a series of attacks in Iraq's capital Wednesday that targeted Shiites and left more than 90 people dead. At least 64 people were killed when a car bomb went off at a market in Baghdad, according to Iraqi police. Another 87 people were wounded in that attack in the largely Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City.

‘I want you to lose’: Harry Reid has face-to-face confrontation with Democratic Senate candidate
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid had an unusual and feisty in-your-face confrontation on Wednesday with a high-profile Democratic Senate candidate. The Associated Press reported that Reid was speaking before the Congressional Progressive Caucus when the Senate candidate, Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, interrupted him.

Italy overrules Church with green light for gay unions
taly on Wednesday joined the rest of the Western world in extending legal recognition to same-sex relationships with parliament overwhelmingly backing gay civil unions after a long battle to overcome opposition led by the Catholic church.

We will not stop Islamist extremism by ‘tiptoeing around’ the issue – minister
The problem of extremism in the Muslim community is real and people must stop “tiptoeing around” the issue, a minister has warned. Nick Boles, the skills minister, insisted the Government was “not in the business of trying to be diplomatic” and would not shy away from acknowledging the existence of the problem “in certain communities”.

Star pupil finds lost Mayan city by studying ancient charts of the night sky from his bedroom
“I was really surprised and excited when I realised that the most brilliant stars of the constellations matched the largest Maya cities,” he told the Journal de Montréal. In hundreds of years of scholarship, no other scientist had ever found such a correlation. Studying 22 different constellations, William found that they matched the location of 117 Mayan cities scattered throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Scores die as Baghdad hit by three bombings in one day
Islamic State suicide bombers have killed at least 94 people in three attacks on Baghdad on the bloodiest day for terrorism the world, let alone Iraq, has seen this year.

Dystopia: Venezuelans Are Now Killing Cats, Dogs, and Birds For Food Because Socialism Can't Provide Matt Vespa Matt Vespa |Posted: May 09, 2016 2
So, you know Venezuela is on the verge of economic collapse. The price of oil has dropped precipitously over the past few years—that’s a budgetary nightmare for a nation dependent on its oil exports. As a result, basic necessities, like toilet paper, are being rationed.

Dutch euthanasia deaths up again in 2015: jumped 50% in five years
Euthanasia statistics for 2015 have been released in the Netherlands, showing a significant increase of 4 percent as compared with 2014. The rise is mainly due to the increase of euthanasia for demented, elderly people as well as psychiatric patients, two categories that raise even more questions than “ordinary” euthanasia for untreatable physical pain.

Woman takes abortion pill, sees her 7-week-old baby
Christina was told by Planned Parenthood that her abortion by pill would “feel like a heavy period,” so she was unprepared for the agonizing cramps, heavy bleeding, and having to see the perfectly formed body of her aborted baby.

'Strong' 4.7 earthquake near Christchurch
A strong quake that some likened to a "baby King Kong" has once again rattled Cantabrians this evening. Thousands reported feeling the 4.7 quake that struck at a depth of seven kilometres, 10 kilometres south-east of Christchurch at 8:45pm.

'Target opened Pandora's Box over transgender bathroom policy'
the problem with Target is that they don’t have to dress up like women; they can just march in there if they want to with their Iphone - there has already been a number of glaringly perverted cases that have already come to fruition in just in the last couple of weeks. So it’s not that these transgender people will be doing this.

Erdogan accuses EU of harboring terror groups, urges bloc to fix own laws
Turkey’s president has refused to bring the country’s anti-terror laws in line with EU standards, claiming Europe lecturing Ankara is a “black comedy”, as it offers safe haven to terrorist groups’ political wings and refuses to fix its own flawed laws.

ISIS buries alive dozens of defectors who fled Iraq battlefield – reports
Islamic State has reportedly buried dozens of its own militants alive, after the jihadists refused to fight and fled the battlefield in the face of the Iraqi government’s push to retake ground in northern province of Nineveh, which has been ruled by the terrorists since 2014.

US will not seek death penalty against Benghazi attack suspect
Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case against Abu Khatallah, the man charged in the 2012 attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to court documents filed Tuesday. Attorney General Loretta Lynch made the decision.

PA PM: We're following the path of the Nazi Mufti
The PA Prime Minister went on to say the Conference is inculcating the path of former Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini, who infamously sealed a pact with the genocidal Nazi regime to wipe out all Jews.

White House to release earth-shattering 9/11 report
Former Governor and Senator Bob Graham, who was co-chairman of the bipartisan panel investigating the attacks, says the documents indicate Saudi Arabia aided the terrorists. Others back Graham's assertion, even as the Saudis deny having a role in the attacks.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims Pray Together in Jerusalem in Defiance of Terror
The multifaith group joined together in prayer at the Tantur Institute for Ecumenical Studies, which stands symbolically on the border between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

These Signs Prove That We Are Looking at the ‘Last Generation of Human History’
Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of famed evangelist Billy Graham, believes that “God is removing himself” from America, revealing in a recent interview the two biblical signs that she believes indicate that this could be the “last generation of human history.”

Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits Tibet, causing landslides
A shallow magnitude-5.5 earthquake struck the mountainous region of Tibet on Wednesday, injuring 60 people, collapsing houses and damaging bridges and roads, authorities said.

Measles Outbreak in Memphis Began at Mosque
The first reported case of a person with measles in the recent Memphis outbreak, which now numbers seven confirmed cases, was at a local mosque on April 15, according to the Shelby County Health Department. “The first public place where there was a public exposure potentially [to measles] was the Masjid Al-Noor Mosque on April 15,” Dr. Alisa Haushalter, Director of the Shelby County Health Department, tells Breitbart News.

Mexico Won’t Take Cuban Migrants, Tells Panama to Dump Them on U.S. Border
Mexico is allowing Panama to dump nearly 4,000 Cuban migrants on the U.S. border, revealing the hypocrisy of Mexican officials as they attack Trump’s immigration policies. The Cubans have been stranded in Panama after Nicaragua closed its border last year, preventing them from traveling north to the U.S., so the Panama government asked Mexican officials if they can simply fly the Cubans just south of the U.S./Mexico border.

Iran to sue US over court seizure of $2 bn in frozen funds
Iran is preparing international legal action to recover nearly $2 billion that the US Supreme Court has ordered be paid as compensation to American victims of terror attacks, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday. "We will soon take the case of the $2 billion to the international court," Rouhani said in a televised speech. "We will not allow the United States to swallow this money so easily,"...

IS conflict: Car bombing at Baghdad market kills dozens
A car bomb at a crowded Baghdad market has killed at least 64 people, officials say, in one of the worst recent attacks in the Iraqi capital. At least 87 others were wounded in the blast, in the Shia Muslim district of Sadr City during the morning rush hour. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it had carried out the attack.

France labour reforms: Protests as government pushes through bill
Protests have broken out across France after the government forced through controversial labour reforms. In Nantes, protesters clashed with security forces. In Paris police fired tear gas at demonstrators outside the National Assembly. Earlier, the cabinet approved using special powers to pass the changes without parliamentary approval.

Netanyahu: Remembrance Day is a time for internal reconciliation for Israel
Speaking at a Remembrance Day ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech commemorating the fallen soldiers Israel has lost fighting for its survival over its 68 year history. Netanyahu paid his respects to the families who have lost loved ones in the numerous wars Israel has fought over the years, saying that the whole nation was heavyhearted.

Feds Promote Rainbow Badges for Teachers, Staff at Public Schools to Identify as LGBT 'Allies'
The federal government’s anti-bullying website posted a blog last month touting the OUT for Safe Schools program started by homosexual activists in the Los Angeles, Calif., public schools where “rainbow badges” are worn by teachers and staff to identify them as “allies” of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender students.’



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Hezbollah suffers big blow as top commander killed
Top Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine has been killed, the Lebanese group said on Friday, the biggest blow to the Iranian-backed organization since its military chief was killed in 2008.

Socialism Is An Immoral System
The American economic system, and in fact the world’s economic system is failing, and that failure is being attributed by many on the left (and some on the right) as a failure of capitalism.

First Senate Appropriations Bill Passed Spends More Than Obama Requested
The U.S. Senate’s first spending bill of 2016 spends more than President Barack Obama requested and lacks significant conservative amendments, but it still sailed to passage in the Republican-led Senate Thursday.

He’s an Atheist. A Satanist. And He Wants Your Vote
Steve Hill in many ways is a typical candidate running for elected office in California. He’s a former U.S. Marine looking to reform public schools, reduce the state’s mass incarceration rates, and create jobs. But a couple things are holding him back: He’s an avowed atheist and Satanic Temple organizer.

There's a 'very dangerous situation' taking place in the Comex's gold vault
Something big is happening with gold. Over the past few years, if you bought and owned gold and gold mining shares, it’s been frustrating with gold prices in the doldrums of 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012. That’s four years of downside correction. But, that was then, and this is now. Let’s discuss what’s happening and nail down some serious opportunity…

Israel Turns From Mourning to Joy as Nation Celebrates Independence Day
One of the most difficult transitions of the year for Israel is the one between the mourning of Memorial Day and the celebrations of Independence Day, marked back-to-back each year.

Shallow 4,2 magnitude earthquake jolts Cyprus
A 4,2-magnitude earthquake jolted the southern coastal town of Larnaca, in Cyprus, early in the morning of Thursday. No damage or injuries have been reported so far.

Earthquake jolts The Geysers
The Geysers region rocked Wednesday night with a 3.5-magnitude earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Geysers region is about 24 miles north of Santa Rosa in the hills between Sonoma and Lake counties.

Persian Gulf Sheikhs Gave Bill & Hillary $100 Million
As a presidential candidate, the amount of foreign cash the Clintons have amassed from the Persian Gulf states is “simply unprecedented,” says national security analyst Patrick Poole. “These regimes are buying access. You’ve got the Saudis. You’ve got the Kuwaitis, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. There are massive conflicts of interest. It’s beyond comprehension,”

China Building Missiles to Strike Guam
China is building up intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles that pose a growing threat to Guam, the strategic Pacific island that is central to the U.S. military pivot to Asia, according to a congressional report made public Tuesday.

Iran Shows Off Third Underground Missile Site
Iran’s military recently publicized a third underground missile facility and showed the launch of a new ballistic missile through the top of a mountain. U.S. intelligence agencies said in a recent internal report on the launch that the new underground missile facility was disclosed by Iran in March.

'Not a SINGLE migrant should be able to stay illegally' Hungary strengthens its border
The Hungarian government’s already tough stance on migrants is set to harden further with senior figures promising no immigrants will stay in the country illegally. Minister Karoly Kontrat said: "Not a single migrant should be able to stay in our territory illegally."

Bill to ban Muslim Brotherhood gains support from Dems
A bill to brand the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization appears to be on a fast track on Capitol Hill, clearing important committees and gaining new backers each day – including now even Democrats. The legislation is expected to pass a floor vote later this year, possibly teeing it up for a President Donald Trump to sign into law next year.

Brazil Senate puts Rousseff on trial, ending 13 years of leftist rule
Brazil's Senate voted on Thursday to put leftist President Dilma Rousseff on trial in a historic decision brought on by a deep recession and a corruption scandal that will now confront her successor, Vice President Michel Temer.

Unsolved: Russian scientists reveal Earth's magnetism is more mysterious than ever
"Put simply, the paradox is that in this model, so much heat escaped from the core via conduction that there wasn't enough energy left over to fuel convection (when heat creates motion) in the liquid outer core. The implication: Earth's magnetic field shouldn't exist,"

Kremlin: US missile shield in Romania threat to Russia
Activation of a US-backed missile shield in Romania constitutes a threat to Russia's national security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "Without doubt, the deployment of the PRO system really is a threat to the security of the Russian Federation," Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

FBI's Comey: I feel 'pressure' to quickly finish Clinton email probe
"We want to do it well and we want to do it promptly. I feel pressure to do both of those things," Comey told reporters during a roundtable at FBI headquarters. "As between the two things, we will always choose 'well.'" Comey indicated he's not taking into account political events, including the upcoming conventions or the fall election. "I don't tether to any external deadline," the FBI chief said.

Earthquake shakes Guadalajara, Mexico: emergency services
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook Mexico's second most populous city Guadalajara on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

5.2 quake strikes Masterton
The quake was felt across the lower North Island when it hit just before 8am today. It’s the second large quake of the morning for the region after an earlier 4.7 quake struck at 7.15am. The latest quake was centred 10km west of Masterton at a depth of 35km and was felt as far as afield as New Plymouth to Nelson.

Violent shaking felt in Taipei as 5.6-magnitude quake hits
Buildings shook violently in Taiwan’s capital Taipei Thursday as a 5.6-magnitude quake hit off the island’s northeast coast, with strong aftershocks.

Iran threatens to sink US warships
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) threatened to "drown" any US warships approaching Iran, a top general said Tuesday, according to state-controlled media. “We have informed Americans that their presence in the Persian Gulf is an absolute evil,” Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi stated to state media. “Americans are aware that Iran would destroy their warships if they take a wrong measure in the region.”

United Nations ambassadors wish Israel a Happy Independence Day
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, released a new video clip in honor of the Jewish state’s 68th birthday featuring dozens of ambassadors congratulating Israel on its Independence Day with the traditional greetings of “Yom Haatzmaut Sameach.”

Netherlands sees sharp increase in people choosing euthanasia due to 'mental health problems'
The Netherlands has seen a sharp increase in the number of people choosing to end their own lives due to mental health problems such as trauma caused by sexual abuse. Whereas just two people had themselves euthanised in the country in 2010 due to an "insufferable" mental illness, 56 people did so last year, a trend which sparked concern among ethicists.

Italian parliament gives gay unions the green light
The Italian parliament voted to allow civil unions between homosexuals on Wednesday, the last Western European country to introduce the measure after years of rancorous debate. The law had been fiercely resisted by conservative politicians and the Catholic Church, which argued that same-sex relationships should never be accorded the same status as marriage between a man and a woman.

US approves United Nations use of force to protect civilians in conflict
The United States on Wednesday pledged to support a set of principles that give a green light for United Nations peacekeeping troops and police to use force to protect civilians in armed conflicts. US ambassador Samantha Power...saying the United States was "proud" and "humbled" to be joining 28 other countries that have signed on to the Kigali Principles.

Abortion study: 25% of pregnancies terminated, estimates suggest
One in four pregnancies ends in an abortion each year, global estimates from the World Health Organization and Guttmacher Institute suggest. The report in the Lancet said 56m induced abortions take place annually - higher than previously thought. Researchers acknowledge rates have improved in many rich countries but warn this masks no change in poorer areas over the past 15 years.

US to activate missile shield base in Romania
The US is to activate a land-based missile defence station in Romania, which will form part of a larger and controversial European shield. Senior US and Nato officials are expected at the ceremony in Deveselu, southern Romania. The US says the Aegis system is a shield to protect Nato from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from the Middle East.

Ethiopians die in floods and landslides after heavy rain
At least 50 people in Ethiopia have died in floods and landslides caused by heavy rain, a state-affiliated broadcaster has reported. The rainfall follows one of the worst droughts in more than 50 years, made worse by the El Nino phenomenon. Administrators in the southern district of Wolaita said 41 people had died in landslides on Monday.

Gold demand just hit an all-time high
Global gold demand surged in the first three months of 2016, boosted by heightened economic uncertainty and increasingly-innovative monetary policy from the likes of the Bank of Japan and European Central Bank.

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Scientists Talk Privately About Creating a Synthetic Human Genome
Scientists are now contemplating the fabrication of a human genome, meaning they would use chemicals to manufacture all the DNA contained in human chromosomes.

Argentina ex-President Fernandez de Kirchner charged with fraud
The former Argentine President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has been charged with defrauding the state. She is accused of manipulating the Central Bank to sell dollars at an artificially low price in the months before she left office.

Boko Haram links to IS alarm UN Security Council
The UN Security Council has said it is alarmed by ties between Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist militants and the Islamic State (IS) group. In a statement, it said Boko Haram - which pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 - continued to "undermine the peace and stability" in West and Central Africa.

Russia will act to neutralize U.S. missile shield threat: Putin
A ballistic missile defense shield which the United States has activated in Europe is a step to a new arms race, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, vowing to adjust budget spending to neutralize "emerging threats" to Russia.

Arizona sheriff violated court orders in racial profiling case: judge
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and three of his top officials were found to be in civil contempt on Friday after a federal judge ruled that he violated court orders stemming from a 2007 racial profiling case.

Venezuela president declares emergency, cites U.S., domestic 'threats'
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a 60-day state of emergency on Friday due to what he called plots from within the OPEC country and the United States to topple his leftist government.

Cause Of Earthquakes In Southeastern United States? Research Finds Parts Of Earth's Mantle Peeling Off
Researchers cited the possibility of the bottom of the North American tectonic plate peeling off and affecting the plates where the southeastern states lie.


Flight logs show Bill Clinton flew on sex offender's jet much more than previously known
Former President Bill Clinton was a much more frequent flyer on a registered sex offender’s infamous jet than previously reported, with flight logs showing the former president taking at least 26 trips aboard the “Lolita Express” -- even apparently ditching his Secret Service detail for at least five of the flights, according to records obtained by FoxNews.com.

Study predicts chance of mega-earthquake in the Aleutians
There's a nine percent chance a magnitude 9 or larger earthquake will strike the Aleutian Islands in the next 50 years. That is the prediction offered by scientists from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa -- made with the help of a newly designed computer model. Researchers say an earthquake of that size could send a mega-tsunami in the direction of the Hawaiian Islands.

Hezbollah MP says Israel responsible for commander's death and is starting 'open war
Nawar al-Saheli, a Hezbollah member of Lebanon's parliament, accused Israel on Friday of being responsible for the death of their top commander, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, and called the attack part of an "open war."

Declassified documents detail 9/11 commission's inquiry into Saudi Arabia
An interrogation report prepared after the questioning of the Saudi diplomat in February 2004 is among the most tantalizing of a sheaf of newly declassified documents from the files of the staff of the 9/11 commission. The files, which were quietly released by the National Archives over the last 18 months and have drawn little public scrutiny until now,

Federal Funds Won’t Be Gutted Over North Carolina Bathroom Bill Drama
Gov. Pat McCrory stood his ground, suing the DOJ for “baseless and blatant overreach.” Attorney General Loretta Lynch absurdly claimed this law is akin to Jim Crow laws of the segregationist South. Well, after all the chest beating, it looks like North Carolina won’t be at risk of losing federal funds (via USA Today):

OBAMA ISSUES GENDER WARNING TO SCHOOLS: COMPLY... OR ELSE
The Obama administration will send a letter to every public school district in the country telling them to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their chosen gender identity, as opposed to their birth certificate.

Show of Force: US Sends M1 Abrams Tanks to Georgia to 'Impress' Russia
The US Department of Defense deployed M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks to Georgia to take part in the Noble Partner 16 war-games in what appears to be the latest display of Washington's military power at a time when NATO's muscle flexing has become increasingly frequent close to Russia's border.

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes Taiwan
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake rocked northern Taiwan on Friday afternoon, just a day after two other temblors exceeding magnitudes of 5 hit the same area off the island's northeastern coast.

Obama Admin. to Direct Public Schools to Let Transgender Students Use Bathroom of Their Choice
The Obama administration will direct public schools across the country on Friday to permit transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. “A school may provide separate facilities on the basis of sex, but must allow transgender students access to such facilities consistent with their gender identity,” said a letter...being sent to schools.

The global internal displacement crisis is the worst it's ever been
In the 12 months of 2015, there were 27.8 million new displacements equivalent to the combined populations of New York City, London, Paris and Cairo, according to a report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). Although the current migration crisis is by no means a small issue, the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) is double the number of refugees worldwide, IDMC said.

Russia Calls New U.S. Missile Defense System a ‘Direct Threat’
As American and allied officials celebrated the opening of a...missile defense system in Europe...Russia on Thursday suggested the system had raised the risks of a nuclear war. Russian officials reiterated...the American-built system imperiled Russia’s security. But the public discussion in Russia was darker...how a nuclear confrontation might play out in Europe...that Romania...might be reduced to “smoking ruins.”

Federal judge rules Obamacare is being funded unconstitutionally
House Republicans won...a potentially historic lawsuit Thursday when a federal judge declared the Obama administration was unconstitutionally spending money to subsidize health insurers without obtaining an appropriation from Congress. Last year...Judge Rosemary Collyer broke new ground by ruling the...House of Representatives had legal standing to sue the president over how he was enforcing his signature healthcare law.

Syria aid convoy denied entry to besieged suburb of Darayya
Syrian government forces have blocked what would have been the first aid convoy to a besieged Damascus suburb for more than three years. The convoy had been given permission "from all parties" to proceed, the UN and Red Cross said. About 4,000 people are thought to be trapped in the rebel-held suburb of Darayya.

A quiet alliance: Jordanian and Israeli cooperation on the rise
Despite the fact that much of the Jordanian population sees Israel as the enemy, cooperation and people-to-people relations are quietly and slowly growing. The second batch of 500 Jordanian day workers was recently approved to work in hotels in Eilat, and the government hopes to eventually reach 1,500 Jordanian workers in the Red Sea city.

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Las Vegas Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Pledges $100M for Trump Presidential Campaign
Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson has reportedly pledged $100 million, and possibly more, to help finance GOP candidate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

OpIcarus: Anonymous hackers shut down Bank of England, call for ‘online revolution’
Hackers affiliated with Anonymous also claimed to have shut down several international banks over the past four days, including the National Reserve Bank of Tonga, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the central banks of Sweden, Myanmar and Laos. A hacktivist who goes by the name ‘S1ege’ claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating they want to “start an online revolution” to retaliate against the “elite banking cartels putting the world in a perpetual state of chaos.”

Hezbollah killing: Jihadists blamed for Badreddine death
Without naming any group, the Hezbollah statement said: "Investigations have showed that the explosion, which targeted one of our bases near Damascus International Airport, and which led to the martyrdom of commander Mustafa Badreddine, was the result of artillery bombardment carried out by takfiri groups in the area." Takfiri is used to describe militants who believe Muslim society has reverted to a state of non-belief.

U.S. sees China boosting military presence after island-building spree
China is expected to add substantial military infrastructure, including surveillance systems, to artificial islands in the South China Sea this year, giving it long-term "civil-military bases" in the contested waters, the Pentagon said on Friday.

Shoppers Hold Man Accused of Choking, Molesting 8-Year-Old Girl in Store Bathroom
A group of shoppers and store clerks surrounded and detained a man until police arrived after witnesses say he choked an eight-year-old girl unconscious and attempted to molest her in a store bathroom in Chicago’s South Loop, police report.

A link between high-speed solar wind streams and explosive extratropical cyclones
The new statistical evidence corroborates the previously published results (Prikryl et al., 2009). This evidence shows that explosive extratropical cyclones tend to occur after arrivals of solar wind disturbances such as high-speed solar wind streams from coronal holes when large amplitude magneto-hydrodynamic waves couple to the magnetosphere-ionosphere system.

SIXTH SENSE This woman, a self-described cyborg, can sense every earthquake in real time
“I modified my body, to modify my mind,” says Ribas. But why the need for the surgically-implanted body hack? “I want to perceive movement in a deeper way, “

Scientists Talk Privately About Creating a Synthetic Human Genome
Scientists are now contemplating the fabrication of a human genome, meaning they would use chemicals to manufacture all the DNA contained in human chromosomes. The prospect is spurring both intrigue and concern in the life sciences community because it might be possible, such as through cloning, to use a synthetic genome to create human beings without biological parents.

Putin says Russia will 'neutralise threats' after US opens missile base
President Vladimir Putin has escalated Russian criticism of a new US missile defence station in Romania, saying his country will "neutralise emerging threats". He argued it was aimed at weakening Russia's nuclear power and vowed to increase Russian defence spending. US President Barack Obama voiced concern about Russia's "growing aggressive military presence".

Spain toxic tyre dump at Sesena forces mass evacuation
People living near a "toxic cloud" from a burning tyre dump near the Spanish capital Madrid have been told to leave their homes. Local officials ordered the evacuation of the Quinon de Sesena area, where 9,000 people live, saying human health might be at risk. However, many residents have already left their homes and it is thought that just 1,000 people are still there.



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Beijing blasts Pentagon report on Chinese military as damaging trust
China condemned the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on the Chinese military...calling it deliberate distortion that has "severely damaged" mutual trust. In its annual report to Congress...the U.S. Defense Department said...China is expected to add substantial military infrastructure, including communications and surveillance systems, to artificial islands in the South China Sea this year.

Obama doesn’t think rapists, armed robbers, drug dealers are ‘criminals’
It’s only May, but I think I’ve found the euphemism of the year: According to Team Obama, criminals should now be declared “justice-involved individuals.” The neo-Orwellianism comes to us from the bizarre flurry of last-minute diktats, regulations and bone-chilling threats collectively known to fanboys as Obama’s Gorgeous Goodbye.

Israeli leader: Iran mocks WWII Holocaust, prepares another
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Iran Sunday for staging a Holocaust-themed cartoon contest that mocked the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews during World War II and said the Islamic Republic was busy planning for another one. Iran has long backed armed groups committed to Israel's destruction and its leaders have called for it to be wiped off the map.

Iraq conflict: IS suicide bombers hit Taji gas plant
The Islamic State (IS) group has staged a suicide attack on a gas factory near Baghdad in which 14 people were killed and 20 wounded, Iraqi officials say. The assault began when three car bombs exploded at the gate of the plant in Taji, north of the capital. Six men wearing explosive belts rushed in and blew up gas tanks, before security forces won back the facility.

Egypt jails 51 for protesting against Saudi islands deal
Egypt has sentenced 51 people to two years each in prison for protesting against a decision last month to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. There were 33 defendants present in the Cairo courtroom to hear the verdicts, while the rest were out on bail. Family and friends of the defendants cried in shock outside the courthouse, reports said.

Jordanian parliament speaker: We oppose the peace treaty with Israel
Jordanian House Speaker, Atef Tarawneh, has stated that the Jordanian parliament, which represents the Jordanian people, adamantly disagrees with the government over the peace treaty with Israel. ..."The Jordanian parliament is an independent authority which represents the Jordanian people. Its opinion toward the peace treaty with Israel is different in essence from the government's position," Tarawneh said.

Israel’s Islamic Movement: Overcoming obstacles
Just over six months since the government outlawed the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement...its leader, Raed Salah, began a nine-month jail sentence this week for incitement... As one intellectual associated with the movement told The Jerusalem Post, the ban and the jailing of Salah have become a rallying cry, and the movement’s narrative compares the measures to the banning of Islam and the way of life it dictates.

Syria conflict: IS 'overruns hospital in Deir al-Zour'
Militants from the Islamic State (IS) group have briefly overrun a hospital complex in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zour, reports say. Activists say about 35 pro-government fighters were killed and some medical staff taken hostage. More than 20 IS fighters were also reported killed.

Venezuela crisis: Maduro threatens seizure of closed factories
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has threatened the seizure of factories that have stopped production, and the jailing of their owners. In a speech to supporters in the capital Caracas, he said the country had to recover the means of production, to counter its deep economic crisis.

Clarence Thomas tells graduates to simply be good citizens
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urged college graduates who seek to "preserve liberty" to do so by fulfilling the duties of their daily vocations rather than attempting to achieve sweeping political goals.

Should convicted drug dealers be allowed to sell medical marijuana?
If you committed a felony for something that is no longer illegal, should your criminal record keep you out of the business now? A California law denying medical marijuana licenses to those with felony convictions for drug possession answers that question with a "yes," and it touches on the debate about how long a felony record should follow someone who has served their time.

Right-wing Turkey party in bid to oust longtime leader
Members of Turkey's right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) plan an extraordinary congress on Sunday at which they will begin moves to try unseat longtime party leader Devlet Bahceli and recover ground lost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party.

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This April Was The Hottest on Record, NASA Says
It was the hottest April on record this year, according to NASA, and increasing temperature patterns show 2016 is on the way to becoming the hottest year in recorded history.

Iran cracks down on models posing without headscarves online
Iranian police have arrested eight people in a new crackdown targeting "un-Islamic acts" online such as female models posting images of themselves without their hair covered, state media reported Monday, part of a larger cultural struggle in the Islamic Republic over the country's future.

Changing superdelegate rules would still leave Sanders behind
Bernie Sanders, in response to Hillary Clinton's significant delegate lead, has called for wholesale changes to the Democratic Party's primary system, suggesting that is it both un-democratic and tilted in favor of the former secretary of state.

Sheriff Clarke: Calif. law is normalizing criminal behavior(video)
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke discusses how shoplifting law changes in California are causing a spike in crime.

China to buy $90 billion gold vault in London
The Chinese state-owned ICBC Standard Bank (IDCBF), the world's biggest bank by assets, has agreed to buy Barclays precious metals storage business, including its state-of-the-art storage facility in London. The deal will boost China's access to London's gold market, and expand the country's role in the gold business.

A New Earthquake Swarm Is Rocking Oregon’s Mt. Hood
A FEW WEEKS back, we heard news of an small earthquake swarm underneath Mount St. Helens. Now, media-driven hyperbole aside, that swarm was business-as-usual for a Cascade volcano, where magma slowly rises back into the upper parts of the system. So, it should be no surprise when other volcanoes in the range show similar behavior.

Israel Hits Peak of Massive Record-Breaking Heat Wave
Brush fires rage through the country and hundreds suffer from heat-related maladies as a massive, record-breaking heat wave reaches its peak, with temperatures shooting up mercilessly from north to south.

ISIS Declares ‘State of Emergency in Raqqa’ But Reasons Are Unclear
“We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, we know this enemy feels threatened, as they should,” U.S.-led coalition spokesperson Col Steve Warren told CNN. “They see the Syrian Democratic Forces, along with the Syrian Arab Coalition, maneuver both to their east and to their west.

Italian MP on Muslim mayor of London: When will you blow up?
The head of the Five Star Movement (M5S) then added: "Now I want to see when he blows himself up in front of Westminster."

Ancient Biblical System of Code and Numerology Reveals Role of Trump, Clinton in Age of Redemption
It is also remarkable to note that Donald Trump (424) is the Gematria of “Messiah for the House of David” (משיח בן דוד). That is not to say that Donald Trump is the Messiah, but that his presidency will usher in the Messianic era.

Trump calls London Mayor Khan ‘ignorant’ & predicts poor relations with Cameron
“The world is blowing up and it’s not people from Sweden that’s doing the damage okay. So we have a real problem.”

Israel has no interest in multilateral peace talks, urges direct dialogue with Palestinians
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has poured cold water on the French peace initiative, saying that foreign power involvement would give Palestine an "escape hatch" to avoid recognizing Israel. The PM insists only direct talks will work.

ISIS covers fighters’ hefty bills in Turkish hospitals, leaked phone taps reveal
Islamic State terrorists wounded on the Syrian battlefield regularly travel to Turkey for complex and costly medical treatment, according to tapped phone calls apparently ignored by Ankara’s security forces, and handed to the media by opposition MP Erem Erdem.

Rare whale found on Australian beach believed to be evolutionary throwback
The beaked whale, found dead on Waitpinga beach in February, confounded examiners from the South Australian Museum who discovered two mysterious teeth previously unseen in that family of deep diving mammals.

Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Shakes French Colony of New Caledonia
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake occurred Monday off the coast of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

The Geophysical Institute of Israel said the tremors were slightly stronger than usual, but not serious
Tremors were felt in Israel in the early hours of Monday morning, after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck 25 kilometers northeast of Dhahab, Egypt some 100 kilometers northwest of Eilat in Israel, according the the US Geological Survey (USGS).

5 earthquakes hit Aqaba today
The strongest quake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale was registered at around 4:46am, preceded by four aftershocks, the Jordan Seismological Observatory (JSO) said. The geology director at the Energy Ministry, Ali Sawarieh, told Petra that the JSO today recorded a "seismic storm" that began at dawn with a 5.1 magnitude earthquake that was centered at a depth of 13 kilometers and took place 66 kilometers south of Aqaba.

5.1 magnitude quake hits Egypt early on Monday, no casualties reported
The quake, which measured 5.1 on the Richter scale, was centered in the Gulf of Aqaba, according to Mohamed Abed Rabbo, a professor of Seismology at theNational Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG).

Hidden Microphones Exposed As Part of Government Surveillance Program In The Bay Area
Hidden microphones that are part of a clandestine government surveillance program that has been operating around the Bay Area has been exposed. Imagine standing at a bus stop, talking to your friend and having your conversation recorded without you knowing. It happens all the time, and the FBI doesn’t even need a warrant to do it.

India to 'divert rivers' to tackle drought
India is set to divert water from its rivers to deal with a severe drought, a senior minister has told the BBC. Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati said transferring water, including from major rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Ganges, to drought-prone areas is now her government's top priority. At least 330 million people are affected by drought in India.

Light earthquake measuring 4.8 hits southern Israel; No injuries reported
A light earthquake struck southern Israel just after dawn on Monday. According to seismologists, the tremor, which was felt most in the Negev region stretching from Eilat to Beersheba, registered 4.8 on the Richter scale.

Ex-London Mayor Boris Johnson compares EU's aims to Hitler's
Former London Mayor Boris Johnson compared the European Union's efforts to unify the region under a single "authority" similar to Adolph Hitler's attempts.

The End Of Hegemony? Russian Bond Yields Plunge Below Pre-US Sanctions Levels
It appears another key element of American's hegemony is also breaking down. When the US (and its European vassal states) unleashed sanction on Russia in July 2014, it sent bond yields spiking from 9% to over 14% as political and social risks were priced in (as demanded by Treasury). However, despite the ongoing sanctions and the pressure (whether implicit or explicit from Washington) on oil prices, Russian bond yields have disobeyed America and are back below 9% - the lowest level of risk since before sanctions were imposed.

The GOP Finally Gets It: "People Just Don't Care, Trump Rewrote The Playbook"
In a shocking moment of clarity, that should also send shivers up the spine of the Democratic party, Republican chairman (and implicity voice of 'the establishment') Reince Priebus admitted on various Sunday talk-shows that campaign traditions don't apply to the so-called Teflon Don noting that "the public just wasn't interested" in his taxes or the various 'stories' that the Deep State is throwing at him.

Mark Zuckerberg To Meet With Glenn Beck, Top Conservatives Amid Bias Claims
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will meet Wednesday with TV and radio host Glenn Beck and other prominent figures on the right following allegations the social media giant’s “Trending Topics” feature has been biased against conservatives.

Decades after war, churches near Jesus' baptism site to be cleared of mines
On a sunburnt stretch of desert near the Jordan River, a weather-beaten Romanian Orthodox church waits for its first visitor in 50 years. The gated entrance has long since fallen apart, its marble column leaning toward the morning sun. The path to the church -- if it ever was a path -- is a thick quilt of shrubs and thistles.

IS attack and bombings leave 29 dead across Iraq
The Islamic State group launched a coordinated assault Sunday on a natural gas plant north of Baghdad that killed at least 14 people, while a string of other bomb attacks in or close to the capital killed 15 others, Iraqi officials said.

Merkel's Folly: Most Germans Want Islam Out
Chancellor Angela Merkel's public calls for tolerance and inclusivity are increasingly falling on deaf ears, a new survey into Germany's attitudes towards Islam shows. A new poll shows almost two-thirds of Germans think Islam does not "belong" in their country. In a marked increase from a similar survey conducted six years ago in which a minority of Germans (47 per cent) thought Islam had no place in their nation, the latest poll shows the figure is now at 60 per cent.


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22% of Refugees in Minnesota Positive for TB
One of every five refugees resettled in Minnesota by the federal government tested positive for latent tuberculosis in 2014, according to the state’s Department of Health.

Russia Is Not Happy About New American Anti-Missile System
A new American anti-missile system in Romania has prompted bitter complaints from neighboring Russia. The system, designed to shoot down missiles aimed at Europe from the Middle East, is seen by Russia as a threat to its own nuclear deterrent.

Texas is 'laying the groundwork' for electronic gold-based money
Last year, we covered a story coming out of Texas in which the state government was planning to institute a state-controlled "gold depository" that would allow individuals to store their gold in a presumably safe place outside the United States banking system.

TSA watchdog spills secret behind long airport lines
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson warns air travelers to prepare for much longer than usual airport security lines, but a Transportation Security Administration watchdog says this mess is simply a matter of the government failing to manage its resources responsibly.

With U.S. Troops Already in Libya, U.S. Now Supports Arming the Fledgling Government
In addition to the U.S. troop presence in Libya, the United States plans to send weapons to Libya's Government of National Accord, to help quell the Islamic State spillover from Iraq and Syria.

Obama Gives Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz $5 Million Grant to Target Kids as Young as Five
The Obama Administration has put forth more than $5 million towards Planned Parenthood providing sex education to the children, some as young as 5, but pro-lifers and concerned parents are working to keep the abortion giant away from Iowa children, according to One News Now.

Drones Target Unborn Babies in Poland Dropping Off Abortion Pills
A Dutch group promoting women doing a medical abortion themselves sent on Saturday its first "abortion drone," carrying pills to kill unborn babies, from Germany to the strictly Roman Catholic country of Poland, and called it a "success," as "two Polish women swallowed the abortion pills."

The ‘peace process’ did not fail — the Palestinian Authority did
After 20 years of generous support for the PA (the highest per capita funding ever given to a state or a population), the PA failed to construct the infrastructures required to establish a functional, sustainable state.

Carolyn Walker-Diallo, Muslim judge, sworn in on Koran in Brooklyn
A routine municipal ceremony has become seeped in controversy after a Brooklyn Civil Court judge was sworn in using a Koran.

‘State must be secular, single-religion states end badly’ – Pope Francis to French Catholic paper
Pope Francis believes that a healthy secularism paired with a strong law that grants above all a religious freedom is the key to a successful and peaceful state, while states tied to a single religion don’t have a future.

Texas to ignore Iran nuclear deal and maintain sanctions, Governor says
Texas will not lift its sanctions on Iran and will take no part in the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with the Islamic republic, which has made the world a “more dangerous and compromised” place, Texas Governor Greg Abbott told Jewish media at a special meeting in New York on Monday afternoon.

5 earthquakes hit Aqaba today
Five earthquakes early Monday struck the port city of Aqaba, 330km south of the capital, but no damages or casualties were recorded. The strongest quake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale was registered at around 4:46am, preceded by four aftershocks, the Jordan Seismological Observatory (JSO) said.

Isil 'sets off earthquake by blowing up major gas field' in Syria
Islamic State jihadists were last night reported to have blown up a major gas field in eastern Syria, setting off a minor earthquake in nearby Palmyra. The Syrian regime has been fighting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant north of Palmyra, since it retook the town with the help of Russian air strikes and Iranian-supplied militias in March.

Assad's forces have 'used sarin nerve gas' for the first time since Syria's notorious 2013 massacre
Syria’s regime has used sarin nerve gas for the first time since 2013, dropping bombs laden with the chemical agent on Isil fighters outside Damascus, according to a senior Israeli official. This use of sarin would show that Bashar al-Assad has retained the ability to gas his enemies despite an agreement that supposedly disarmed Syria of its chemical arsenal.

Syria conflict: World powers seek to revive peace talks
World and regional powers have begun fresh talks aimed at putting the Syrian peace process back on track. Germany's foreign minister told reporters in Vienna that the aim was to strengthen a fragile truce and boost humanitarian aid. That would encourage the opposition to resume negotiations on a political settlement to end the war, he said.

Libya: US backs arming of government for IS fight
The US and other world powers have said they are ready to arm Libya's UN-backed unity government to help it fight the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group. Speaking in Vienna, US Secretary of State John Kerry said world powers would back Libya in seeking exemption from a UN arms embargo. He said IS was a "new threat" to Libya and it was "imperative" it was stopped.

France delays May Israeli-Palestinian parley to allow for US to attend
France on Tuesday agreed to delay the May 30th launch of its new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative until some time this summer to allow for the US to attend. It had intended to hold a ministerial meeting at the end of the month with representatives from some 20 countries — not including the Israelis and Palestinians — to lay the groundwork for a larger international peace conference in the fall.


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T’S ON! Depositions Start This Week In Hillary Email Lawsuit
The watchdog group Judicial Watch will interview several Hillary Clinton aides and State Department officials over the next few weeks, it announced on Tuesday. The first interview will be conducted on Wednesday with Lewis Lukens, the former deputy assistant secretary of state and executive director of the Executive Secretariat.

Netanyahu, Herzog Welcome Egyptian Leader’s Overture for Peace
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi offered to act as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday, an overture that immediately drew favorable responses from both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog.

African King in Israel to Claim Lost Tribe Status: We are All Jews Under the Kingdom of God
On Sunday, the Israeli Religious Affairs Minister, David Azulai, received an unusual visit from a member of royalty with an even more unusual request: the ruler of the Republic of Togo, King Francois A. Ayi, came to ask that the State of Israel officially recognize the people of Togo as one of the lost tribes of Israel. His mission is not only nationalistic; it is Messianic, and includes all of Africa.

Huawei Prepares for Robot Overlords and Communication with the Dead
Chinese technology giant Huawei is preparing for a world where people live forever, dead relatives linger on in computers and robots try to kill humans.

Islam and Christianity Share Roots in "Conquest", Claims Pope Francis
Islam and Christianity share the “same idea of conquest”, and for that reason, Islam should not be viewed as a threat, said Pope Francis in a newspaper interview this week.

Israel’s Leading Rabbis Proclaim: Israel Has No Permission from God to Give Up Land
John Kerry, typically push Israel’s leaders to meet Palestinians ‘in the middle’ on the assumption that such a solution will undoubtedly bring peace to the region. Religious leaders and right-wingers, however, are appalled at the notion of giving up Israeli land, as it goes directly against God’s instructions.

5.0-magnitude earthquake jolts SW China
The quake struck Yunlong County, Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Dali, at 12:48 a.m., causing cracks to appear in building walls, according to the provincial civil affairs department.

Obama's 'propagandist': Iran deception was business as usual
Obama's senior White House aide Ben Rhodes on Tuesday refused to say he regrets his comments to the New York Times earlier this month, in which he revealed he and other officials misled the public on the controversial Iran nuclear deal sealed last July.

US slaps China steel imports with fivefold tax increase
The US has raised its import duties on Chinese steelmakers by more than fivefold after accusing them of selling their products below market prices. The taxes of 522% specifically apply to Chinese-made cold-rolled flat steel, which is used in car manufacturing, shipping containers and construction.

Mark Zuckerberg will meet Glenn Beck and other conservatives to talk about Facebook bias
Mark Zuckerberg is going to meet with the heads of conservative media outlets this week. The Wednesday (May 18) sit-down will address allegations that Facebook trending news curators habitually suppressed stories with a conservative bent.

Magnitude 3.9 one of 300 earthquakes near Gerlach; University of Nevada, Reno seismology lab reports no damage
The magnitude 3.9 is the largest of more than 300 earthquakes that have been located in the area since April 20.

Earthquake Reported In Western Ky. Area
The NBC affiliate in Paducah is reporting an earthquake mildly shook the area Tuesday evening. According to Local 6, The US Geological Survey reported a 2.7 magnitude in the area of Bardwell.

After April Earthquake, 6.8 Magnitude Aftershock Hits Ecuador
Ecuador was hit by an aftershock of 6.8 magnitude Wednesday at 2:57 a.m., striking the northern coast, near Rosa Zarate and Muisne. It was a result of the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 16 that cost almost 700 deaths and 12,000 injuries, with over 24,000 buildings and homes damaged.

Obama spending millions to find summer jobs — for refugees
The Obama administration wants to make sure Utica, New York’s young refugees aren’t without a job, so he’s spending millions to make sure it doesn’t happen. “Access to a job in the summer and beyond can make all the difference to a young person – especially those who don’t have access to many resources and opportunities,” President Obama said of his new Summer Opportunity Project.

Nightmare Russian facial recognition app is one step closer to the end of privacy
While facial recognition technology has a number of positive uses, such as finding missing people, an alternative form of ID, and even tagging friends on Facebook, it does have worrying implications when it comes to privacy. In Russia, a new face recognition app is becoming so popular that it could result in the end of public anonymity, according to a report in The Guardian.

More quakes rumble under Northwest volcanoes
As of 1 p.m. Monday, Oregon's Mount Hood has seen about 40 earthquakes in close proximity over less than 18 hours. Such clusters of earthquakes are known as a swarm... Alicia Hotovec-Ellis is a volcano seismologist at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington and an expert on earthquake swarms. She says the swarms have happened in the same place before.

Yemen conflict: Houthis 'carry out wave of detentions'
Houthi rebels in Yemen have carried out a wave of arrests of their opponents, seizing them at gunpoint and torturing some, Amnesty International says. An examination of 60 cases revealed a pattern of arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, according to a new report by the human rights group. Politicians, journalists, academics and activists have been among those held.

Sri Lanka mudslide leaves scores missing
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are searching for scores of people missing after massive landslides following days of rain. The Red Cross says more than 200 families are feared buried in the mudslides that hit three villages in central Kegalle district. At least 13 bodies have been recovered so far. Another three bodies were found elsewhere in the district.

Nigeria unions pressing ahead with strike despite court ruling
Nigeria's main trade union federation is pressing ahead with a general strike, despite a court injunction against the action. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced the strike after the government raised fuel prices by 67%. It is not immediately clear how widely the strike is being observed. Public schools in Abuja remain open.

Could Egypt's Sisi help birth a unity government in Israel?
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi could follow in the traditions of the mother and sister of Moses...by helping give birth to a national unity government in Israel... Likud and Labor officials were thankful to Sisi for aiding the effort to build a new government, both behind the scenes and in a speech he made Tuesday in which he stated his commitment to contributing toward the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort.

Iranian Officials Accuse Kim Kardashian of Being a Secret Agent Working to Corrupt Young People and Women
Iranian officials are questioning Kim Kardashian West’s Instagram popularity. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp – an organization tasked with protecting the country’s Islamic system and preventing foreign interference – has reportedly accused Kardashian West, 35, of working with Instagram as part of a complicated ploy to corrupt the Islamic republic’s lifestyle, targeting “young people and women” with provocative photos depicting a lifestyle at odds with Islam.

Authorities move to stop California highway killings
A California city has moved to install surveillance cameras along a stretch of highway as authorities investigate a spate of freeway shootings that have taken the lives of six people, including a young mother of four, in the suburbs east of San Francisco.


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ISIS, Radical Islam Will Invade Israel if Peace Talks Fail, Abbas Warns
Mahmoud Abbas called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday to accept a French initiative to revive peace talks between the two parties, Breitbart reported. Speaking to a delegation from Israel’s left-wing Meretz party in Ramallah, Abbas warned that not doing so would bring the Islamic State (ISIS) to Israel.

Nazis created 'basic plan' for European Union, Ukip MEP Gerard Batten says
The Nazis drew up the “basic plan” for the European Union decades before it was actually established, a Ukip MEP has claimed. “If this all sounds all very familiar it is because the basic plan for the European Economic Community of 1942 was very similar to the actual European Economic Community that came into existence in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome.”

Lawyers Present FBI With A Dilemma In Hillary Clinton Email Server Investigation
Lawyers seeking access to FBI records about Hillary Clinton’s private email server presented the Department of Justice with a dilemma on Monday when they filed a court document that may require the government to turn over the records or admit that the FBI investigation of the Clinton server is criminal in nature.

Have Bags Packed for Emergency Evacuation, Defense Ministry Warns Israelis on Gaza Border
Fearing a worst-case scenario following a recent rise in tensions between Israel and Gaza, the Defense Ministry issued a written warning on Tuesday for all residents living near the Gaza border to have packed bags at the ready. “In the event of an emergency, there is a decision to completely evacuate,” the letter stated.

12 Signs That A Cloud Of Insanity Has Descended On The Land
it is almost as if a “cloud of insanity” has descended upon the United States and much of the rest of the western world. From our top leaders on down, people are engaged in incredibly self-destructive behavior and are making extremely irrational decisions. Some would describe it as being given over to a depraved mind...

US Senate passes bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia
Obama has said he will veto the legislation, which still needs to be passed by the House

‘You Need to Repent’: Famed Pastor Holds Little Back in Addressing Politicians Who Defend Planned Parenthood
In fact, Rodriguez, author of the new book ”Be Light,” called it “morally reprehensible” for Bible-believers to stand behind candidates who openly defend the controversial women’s health care organization.

Major Eruption Imminent? Earthquake Swarms Reported At Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier And Mt. St. Helens
Is an eruption of one or more of the major volcanoes in the northwest United States imminent? In recent days, very large earthquake swarms have been reported at Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens. It is certainly not unusual for each of these volcanoes to experience earthquake swarms from time to time, but right now we are seeing this happen at all three volcanoes simultaneously

'Its a synagogue, church, and mosque all in one'
An interfaith group is laying the groundwork for what will likely be the world’s first ever joint house of prayer. The center of worship, which will be called the “House of One," will combine simultaneous Jewish, Muslim, and Christian prayer services.

MINOR GEOMAGNETIC STORMS POSSIBLE THIS WEEK
NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% to 60% chance of minor G1-class geomagnetic storms on May 19-20 when Earth enters a stream of solar wind flowing from a coronal hole on the sun.

ISIS carrying out 'crucifixions,' atrocities in Libyan city of Sirte, rights group says
A leading international rights group on Wednesday released a report documenting atrocities by Libya's Islamic State affiliate — including instances of "crucifixions" and shooting a man to death for "cursing God" — in the coastal city of Sirte, a stronghold of the militants.

More than 200 families feared buried by landslides in Sri Lanka
Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains crashed down onto three villages in the central hills of Sri Lanka, and more than 200 families were missing Wednesday and feared buried under the mud and debris, the Sri Lankan Red Cross said.

‘Volcano of Fire’ erupts in Guatemala, prompting evacuations
Guatemala’s National Institute for Seismology and Vulcanology are reporting that an ash column reaching 5,500 meters (18,000 feet) above sea level has emerged, while “moderate” lava flow is pouring out of the mountain.

‘Volcano of Fire’ erupts in Guatemala, prompting evacuations
Guatemala’s National Institute for Seismology and Vulcanology are reporting that an ash column reaching 5,500 meters (18,000 feet) above sea level has emerged, while “moderate” lava flow is pouring out of the mountain.

Christian girl burnt alive by Isil tells her mother before dying in her arms: Forgive them
As she lay dying in her mother's arms having been burnt by Isil fighters who set the family home on fire, a child told her parent: forgive them. Jacqueline Isaac, a human rights advocate, told the story of a Christian family - mother and daughter - whose home was set on fire while they were inside in Mosul, Iraq.

Black Lives Matter Leader Charged With Pimping A 17-Year-Old Girl
A Black Lives Matter activist who operates a social justice charity was arrested last month on charges of sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl.

In Search For Cures, Scientists Create Embryos That Are Both Animal And Human
A handful of scientists around the United States are trying to...make embryos that are part human, part animal. The researchers hope these embryos, known as chimeras, could eventually help save the lives of people with a wide range of diseases. One way would be to use chimera embryos to create better animal models to study how human diseases happen and how they progress.

Two deadly earthquakes jolt Ecuador
Wednesday's initial shake was a magnitude-6.7 quake that struck before 3 a.m., and that was followed by a 6.8 tremor around midday.

Tim Cook wants to sell iPhones so badly he prayed to an elephant-headed god
Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off his first official trip to India in the wee hours of May 18. His early morning call, however, was not to discuss business but seek divine blessings. Cook visited the high-profile Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai before dawn on Wednesday to offer prayers to the Hindu elephant-headed god, Ganesha.

Chinese jets intercept US spy plane over South China Sea, Pentagon says
Two Chinese fighters have carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a US military aircraft over the South China Sea, the Pentagon says. The incident happened in international airspace on 17 May as the US maritime reconnaissance aircraft carried out a routine patrol in the area, it added. However, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson denied any "dangerous manoeuvres from Chinese aircraft".

Sri Lanka mudslide: Army fears 134 missing are dead
Sri Lankan teams searching for scores of people missing after a landslide fear there may be no more survivors. So far 150 people have been rescued from the worst-hit site in central Kegalle district, but hopes are fading for another 134 still unaccounted for. No more people were found overnight, dead or alive - on Wednesday 14 bodies were pulled from the mud.

EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo crashed
An EgyptAir flight reported missing between Paris and Cairo has crashed, French President Francois Hollande confirmed. The Airbus A320 with 66 people on board disappeared from radar at 02:30 Cairo time (00:30 GMT), soon after leaving Greek airspace. Greece's defence minister says Flight MS804 made "sharp turns" and plunged before dropping off the radar.

Hapless TSA Symbolizes a Can’t-Do America
Last week, the Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J. complained to the TSA that security lines at the region’s three main airports were unacceptable—hitting 55 minutes recently—and getting worse. Between March 15 and April 15 of this year, the average wait time was 21 minutes, up from 11.5 minutes a year earlier—an 82 percent increase. During that same month-long period a year ago, travelers at Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark had to endure security-line waits of more than 20 minutes only 10 times. This year, it was a shocking 253 times.

British General Says A Nuclear War With Russia In 2017 Is "Entirely Plausible"
With tensions between Russia and the West at post-cold war highs, a former NATO deputy military chief is now saying that a nuclear war with Russia over the Baltic nations in 2017 is "entirely plausible" according to RT.

Syrian government force, Hezbollah allies seize town near Damascus: monitors
Syrian government forces and allies including Lebanese Hezbollah fighters seized a strategic town southeast of Damascus from insurgents on Thursday, a monitoring group said.

Superbugs will 'kill every three seconds'
uperbugs will kill someone every three seconds by 2050 unless the world acts now, a hugely influential report says. The global review sets out a plan for preventing medicine "being cast back into the dark ages" that requires billions of dollars of investment.

H.I.V. Rates Among Gay Men Are Higher in South, Study Finds
More than a quarter of gay and bisexual men in some cities and states in the South are living with H.I.V., according to a new study — a far higher rate than in the country as a whole.

EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo disappears from radar
n EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo is feared to have crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after disappearing from radar overnight. The Airbus A320 went missing at 02:30 Cairo time (00:30 GMT), soon after leaving Greek airspace.

Chinese jets conduct 'unsafe' intercept of US spy plane: Pentagon
Two Chinese fighters have conducted an "unsafe" intercept of a US spy plane in international air space over the South China Sea, the Pentagon said Wednesday. "The Department of Defense is reviewing a May 17 intercept of a US maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft by two tactical aircraft from the People's Republic of China," Pentagon spokesman Major Jamie Davis said in a statement.

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A California sheriff's department issued a warning about marijuana that's worth heeding
It's common knowledge that one has to wash her greens before she eats them — but based on the findings of one Sheriff's department, the same logic may apply to your marijuana, and for good reason.

Watch: First Interview With Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff Since the Senate’s Impeachment Vote
President Dilma Rousseff was suspended from the presidency when the Senate voted, 55-22, to try her on the impeachment charges, approved by the lower house, involving alleged budgetary maneuvers (“pedaladas”) designed to obscure the size of public debt. Although she nominally remains the president and continues to reside in Brasília’s presidential palace, her duties are being carried out by her vice president, Michel Temer — now “interim” President Temer — and the right-wing, corruption-tainted, all-white-male cabinet he has assembled (due to Brazil’s coalition politics, Temer is from a different party than Rousseff).

Hypocrite! Leo takes private jet to collect environmental award
Leo DiCaprio picked up an environmental award in NYC this week — but hypocritically expanded his carbon footprint by 8,000 miles when he obtained the honor, by taking a private jet from Cannes, then flying straight back to France on another jet for a model-packed fund-raiser a night later.

Trump rallies gun owners, wins National Rifle Association endorsement
As he seeks to unite a fractured party, Donald Trump rallied one of the Republican Party’s most faithful constituencies on Friday, telling an audience of thousands of gun owners at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention that he will be a faithful defender of the right to bear arms if he wins the presidency.

Israel: Right-Wing Temple Mount Activist To Replace Defense Minister In Parliament
Israel’s departing defense minister Moshe Yaalon on Friday announced that he is leaving Israeli politics for good after being forced to stand down as the government’s defense chief in Israeli coalition negotiations. He is set to be replaced as a lawmaker by right-wing activist Yehuda Glick, who advocates Jewish prayer at a Jerusalem holy site sacred to both Jews and Muslims.

M4.9 Earthquake Strikes off Oregon Coast
A moderate Magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon this morning at 3:01 Am eastern US time. The temblor hit at the Blanco Fracture Zone which is west of the Cascadia Subduction Zone as seen on the map below.

GOP Lawmaker Calls for ‘Civil Disobedience’ on Transgender Bathroom Directive
Representative Steve King, R-Iowa, has said that federally-funded schools are not required to comply with a law that is “unconstitutional.” "There's no reason for us to follow an unconstitutional edict from the president, who is on his way out the door,"

Vatican invites Exorcist Director William Friedkin to Meet a Real Dybbuk
Jewish American filmmaker William Friedkin, 80, who directed the truly terrifying 1973 horror movie “The Exorcist,” this week told an audience at the Cannes film festival that he was invited by the Vatican’s chief exorcist to film a real exorcism earlier this month, AFP and The Local reported.

‘Clinton as president is danger to world peace’ – far-right French leader Le Pen to RT
“There is a candidate who appears a lot more dangerous for France than the others – that’s Hillary Clinton,” the head of the National Front told RT France in an exclusive interview. “I’m not American so I don’t need to make a choice. But… in the interests of France, Hillary Clinton is probably the worst choice out there.”

Edward Snowden warns CIA ‘never destroys something by mistake’
Edward Snowden has responded to reports the CIA inspector general’s office “mistakenly” destroyed its only copy of a comprehensive Senate 'torture report' with a stinging rebuttal: “When the CIA destroys something, it's never a mistake.”

Oklahoma legislature passes bill making it a felony to perform abortions
Lawmakers in Oklahoma approved a bill Thursday that would make performing abortions a felony and revoke the medical licenses of most physicians who assist in such procedures.

'EU is in process of collapsing on itself' – Marine Le Pen to RT
the European Union is in the process of collapsing on itself for one simple reason. The two pillars on which it’s founded – Schengen and the euro – are in the process of crumbling,”

U.S. House Passes Religious Freedom Bill Protecting Bris Milah, Shechitah
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill expanding the protection offered by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include male circumcision and ritual animal slaughter.

NASA Mini-Balloon Mission Maps Migratory Magnetic Boundary
observations saw something never seen before. During a fairly common space event called a solar storm – when a cloud of strongly magnetic solar material collides with Earth's magnetic field – BARREL mapped for the first time how the storm caused Earth’s magnetic field to shift and move. The fields’ configuration shifted much faster than expected: on the order of minutes. These results were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on May 12, 2016.

Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick slated to be next Likud MK after Ya'alon resignation
Glick is a controversial figurein religious and political life in Israel, becoming the face of the Jewish struggle for prayer rights at the Temple Mount.

Lacking new ideas, G7 to agree on 'go-your-own-way' approach
A rift on fiscal policy and currencies is likely to set the stage for G7 advanced economies to agree on a "go-your-own-way" response to address risks hindering global economic growth at their finance leaders' gathering on Friday.

State Dept. Official’s Deposition Was ‘Embarrassing’ For Hillary
The president of the watchdog group Judicial Watch says that information that a former State Department official provided about Hillary Clinton and her private email system in a lawsuit deposition conducted on Wednesday will be embarrassing for the former secretary of state. The testimony was not helpful for Clinton or the State Department,” Fitton told TheDC in a phone interview.

China’s Nuclear Subs Are Ready to Terrorize the Sea
...After decades of development, 2016 could be the year the Chinese navy finally sends its ballistic-missile submarines...to sea for the first time for operational patrols with live, nuclear-tipped rockets. If indeed the Jin-class subs head to sea this year, China will achieve a level of nuclear strike capability that, at present, just two countries—the United States and Russia—can match or exceed.

NATO finalises military build-up to counter Russia
NATO foreign ministers were on Thursday finalising the alliance's biggest military build-up since the end of the Cold War to counter what they see as a more aggressive and unpredictable Russia. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the two-day meeting would address "all the important issues" to prepare for a "landmark" summit in Poland in July.

China says it's ready if US ‘stirs up any conflict’ in South China Sea
China's attempts to claim a nearly 1.4-million-square-mile swathe of open ocean are without precedent and probably without legal merit, but Beijing...increasingly puts its claims in military terms. Speaking to...reporters...a...Chinese official made his warning clear: The United States should not provoke China in the South China Sea without expecting retaliation.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon resigns
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon has resigned, saying he lacked trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It comes amid moves by Mr Netanyahu to bring hardliner Avigdor Lieberman and his party into the ruling coalition, likely offering him the defence post. The deal would shore up Mr Netanyahu's one-seat majority in parliament.

EgyptAir crash: 'Debris found' from flight MS804
Egypt's military and national airline say debris from the crashed EgyptAir flight has been recovered in the Mediterranean. Flight MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew when it vanished early on Thursday. Egypt's army spokesman said wreckage and passenger belongings were found 290km (180 miles) from Alexandria.

Arabs demand that UN remove a panel from Israeli exhibition
Arab and Islamic nations are demanding that the United Nations remove a panel from an Israeli exhibition that calls Jerusalem "the spiritual and physical capital of the Jewish people."

Judge orders ethics classes for 'deceptive' DOJ attorneys
A federal judge has ordered annual ethics classes for Justice Department attorneys as a punishment for being "intentionally deceptive" during litigation over President Obama's executive immigration orders.

Second abducted Chibok girl rescued: Nigerian army
A second Chibok schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram more than two years ago has been found during military operations in northeast Nigeria, the army said on Thursday. Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said she was among 97 women and children rescued by troops and civilian vigilantes in the Damboa area of Borno state at about 11:00 am (1000 GMT) on Thursday.

Isis executes 25 Iraqi 'spies' by lowering them in nitric acid until their 'organs dissolve'
The Islamic State (Isis) has executed 25 alleged spies by lowering them into a huge tub of nitric acid, until their 'organs dissolved', claim Iocal news sources in Iraq. The alleged spies were captured in the IS (Daesh) stronghold of Mosul, in northern Iraq, accused of working for the Iraqi government's security forces.

New Surveillance System May Let Cops Use All of the Cameras
THE 30 MILLION or so surveillance cameras peering into nearly every corner of American life might freak you out a bit, but you could always tell yourself that no one can access them all. Until now.

Lake Mead Shrinks to Record Low Amid Ongoing Western Drought
The surface level at Lake Mead has dropped as planned to historic low levels, and federal water managers said Thursday the vast Colorado River reservoir is expected to continue to shrink amid ongoing drought.

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'At least 60,000 dead' in Syria regime prisons
At least 60,000 people have died in Syrian government prisons over the past five years from torture or due to dire humanitarian conditions, including a lack of food, a monitor said Saturday.

Afghan Taliban leader in Pakistan likely killed in U.S. drone strike
The United States conducted a drone strike on Saturday against the leader of Afghan Taliban, likely killing him on the Pakistan side of the remote border region with Afghanistan in a mission authorized by U.S. President Barack Obama, officials said.

Smoke, cockpit woes signal chaotic end for EgyptAir plane
Leaked flight data showing trouble in the cockpit and smoke in a plane lavatory are bringing into focus the chaotic final moments of EgyptAir Flight 804, including a three-minute period before contact was lost as alarms on the Airbus 320 screeched one after another.

Death toll from Indonesian volcano climbs to 6: official
The death toll from a volcanic eruption in western Indonesia has climbed to six, an official said Sunday, with fears more could have been trapped by the hot ash.

Decapitated Churches in China’s Christian Heartland
Along the valleys and mountains hugging the East China Sea, a Chinese government campaign to remove crosses from church spires has left the countryside looking as if a typhoon had raged down the coast, decapitating buildings at random.

Volcano ash covers Costa Rica towns
A volcano has erupted in central Costa Rica, belching smoke and ash up to 3,000m (9,840ft) into the air. Hundreds of people have gone to hospital, complaining of breathing difficulties and skin problems. Some schools were shut and some flights into the country cancelled or diverted.

Migrant crisis: Greek judges tell Syrian refugee Turkey is unsafe
Greek judges have ruled that a Syrian asylum seeker should not be sent back to Turkey because it is not safe. Amnesty International campaigners say the decision throws the EU-Turkey migrant deal into doubt. They say migrants in Turkey do not have basic human rights and many are at risk of being taken to Syria.

Zika virus strain 'imported from the Americas' to Africa
The Zika virus strain responsible for the outbreaks in Brazil has been detected in Africa for the first time, the World Health Organization says. The WHO said it was concerned that the latest strain was spreading and was "on the doorstep of Africa". It is currently circulating in Cape Verde, an archipelago off the north west coast of Africa.

UN Plots War On Free Speech To Stop "Extremism" Online
The United Nations Security Council wants a global “framework” for censoring the Internet, as well as for using government propaganda to “counter” what its apparatchiks call “online propaganda,” “hateful ideologies,” and “digital terrorism.” To that end, the UN Security Council this week ordered the UN “Counter-Terrorism Committee” — yes, that is a real bureaucracy — to draw up a plan by next year. From the Obama administration to the brutal Communist Chinese regime, everybody agreed that it was time for a UN-led crackdown on freedom of speech and thought online — all under the guise of fighting the transparently bogus terror war.



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Magnitude 6.1 quake hits central Australia
The magnitude 6.1 quake hit at 3.44am (6.14amNZT) today about 125km west of Uluru and 450km southwest of Alice Springs, according to Geoscience Australia. "Australia in recorded history hasn't had that many earthquakes of magnitude-6 and above," Geoscience Australia senior seismologist Jonathan Bathgate told AAP.

Scientists Creating Human-Animal Embryos Raises Ethical Concerns
Such embryos are called "chimeras," named after creatures from Greek mythology and which are created artificially by combining genetic material from different species into a single embryo. The adult animals that develop as a result have different populations of cells that reflect different contributions from the species from which they were produced.

Isil carrying out chemical experiments on its prisoners as it moves labs into residential neighbourhoods
Islamic State has moved its chemical weapons operation to densely populated residential areas and is testing homemade chlorine and mustard gas on its prisoners, residents of the Iraqi city of Mosul have claimed. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) is reported to have set up laboratories in built-up neighbourhoods in the heart of its so-called caliphate to avoid being targeted by coalition air strikes.

Ex-Witch Reveals How the Occult Is Affecting Your Life Every Day
In a recent video blog, ex-witch Beth gave a rundown of some of these items, including horoscopes, fortune telling, contacting the dead, speaking to the dead, Ouija boards, chakras, channeling energy, yoga and incantations, among others. "When each time they do witchcraft they are inviting in demon spirits. Each spirit brings something in with it to connect them within your person...

Cyclone Roanu: Half a million flee in Bangladesh
Cyclone Roanu has pounded coastal areas of Bangladesh, forcing half a million people to flee their homes and leaving at least 24 dead. It made landfall at noon local time (06:00 GMT) on Saturday, causing floods, landslides and submerging homes. The storm system has since weakened but heavy rainfall is continuing.

'F**k Israel, long live the Intifada' angry mob screams at Jewish UC student
An angry anti-Israel mob at the University of California...chased a Jewish student into a building while chanting anti-Semitic epithets... ...Eliana Kopley was attempting to enter the showing of the Israeli documentary "Beneath the Helmet" about the IDF... The angry mob proceeded to pound intimidatingly on the windows and doors while shouting "Long live the Intifada!" and "F**k Israel!"

Cabinet approves Levianthan gas deal
Government ministers approved a revised version of the Leviathan natural gas development outline on Sunday that will allow future governments to have input in the country's natural gas policy. On March 27, the Supreme Court struck down the agreement due to a stability clause which would have put a 10-year freeze on Israel's gas prices and regulations.

Netanyahu: A government with Liberman makes pursuing peace with Palestinians easier
A broader coalition will allow Israel to pursue a peace process with the Palestinians with the help of regional actors, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet on Sunday. “I want to clarify that the government will continue to strive for a diplomatic process with the Palestinians, with the help of regional actors,” Netanyahu said.

Why Deutsche Bank Thinks A Fed Rate Hike Would Unleash A Stock Market Crash
Following this week's FOMC Minutes shows, which violently repriced June rate hike odds from 4% to 30% and July from 20% to 50%, the cries of lenienecy have begun, and nobody is doing so louder than Deutsche Bank which in an overnight credit summary note tries to make it clear that "the market is not ready for a June hike."

Protesters storm Baghdad's Green Zone again, dozens hurt
raqi security forces opened fire on protesters who stormed into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Friday and entered the cabinet building, drawing calls for revolt from a powerful Shi'ite Muslim cleric.


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Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe Under FBI Investigation For Possible Campaign Violations
The former chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2000 to 2005, McAuliffe was also a co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. Records show more than 100 donors contributed to both the foundation and McAuliffe's campaign.

Hamas plans 13 public executions in Gaza, and not for collaborating with Israel
Authorities in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip plan to publicly execute more than a dozen criminals in the coastal enclave, the top judicial figure in the territory said on Sunday. “Capital punishments will be implemented soon in Gaza,” attorney general Ismail Jaber said, the Times of Israel reported. “I ask that they take place before a large crowd.”

Romanian hacker who says he breached Clinton server finalizing plea deal
The Romanian hacker who claimed he easily breached Hillary Clinton’s personal email server is finalizing a plea deal with the FBI and U.S. attorney, Fox News has learned.

You’ll Never Guess How Signs of Messianic Days are Manifesting in Modern Technology
Upon watching this technology in action, it’s natural that the curse of the Tower of Babel would occur to the Bible-minded.

ISIS Calls for “Month of Conquest and Jihad” Against Europe, America
The Islamic State (ISIS) is apparently looking for followers to mark the upcoming month of Ramadan with increased attacks against Western targets, reports Breitbart. A thus far unauthenticated recording appeared on Twitter Saturday, calling on ISIS hopefuls to use their positions to further the Islamic cause in Europe and America. “Ramadan, the month of conquest and jihad. Get prepared, be ready …

Quake shakes southern Mexico
Mexico's Seismological Institute reported the quake with a magnitude of 5.7, while the US Geological Survey put it at 5.2 and at a depth of 120.5 km.

'Son of Hamas' tells Jerusalem Post conference: Islam is the problem
“We cannot fool ourselves,” he continued, but “there is an Islamic problem,” going on to mention various radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram and Islamic State.

Yehudah Glick Visits Temple Mount for Last Time Prior to Becoming Knesset Member
Glick, an American-born rabbi with a distinctive red beard, is an outspoken advocate for Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. Currently, parts of the site are open to visits by small groups of Jews, but only Muslims may pray or perform any acts of worship, per a “status quo” agreement set up by Prime Minister Netanyahu with the Islamic Waqf and the Kingdom of Jordan, due to fear of Islamic violence.

Target stock continues to plunge amid boycott
Target Corporation stock is continuing to sink in value as it faces the boycott of over one million Americans. The American Family Association (AFA) launched the boycott after the retail giant announced its new policy allowing men to access women’s restrooms and changing rooms.

Netanyahu rejects Paris peace bid, but offers to meet Abbas
Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Monday the French initiative for an multinational conference to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, telling French Prime Minister Manuel Valls that direct negotiations were the only path forward toward a lasting agreement.

Royce concerned Obama will support French peace initiative
House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce expressed concern on Sunday that the Obama administration is preparing to support an initiative at the United Nations on the Middle East peace process.

5.3-magnitude earthquakes hit Tibet, no casualties reported
Two 5.3-magnitude earthquakes hit the southern part of Tibet in southwest China on Sunday morning, with no casualties reported to local authorities so far.

Judicial Watch President: State Dept. Official’s Deposition Was ‘Embarrassing’ For Hillary
information that a former State Department official provided about Hillary Clinton and her private email system in a lawsuit deposition conducted on Wednesday will be embarrassing for the former secretary of state.

Tight U.S. labor market may put pressure on inflation
A relatively tight labor market in the United States may put upward pressure on inflation, raising the case for higher interest rates, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said on Monday. The comments come as financial markets have increased expectations for a U.S. interest rate hike in June or July and a range of policymakers are now stating that a rise is firmly on the table for the next policy meeting in June.

The FBI’s secret biometrics database they don’t want you to see
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) wants to prevent information about its...biometric database, which contains fingerprint, face, iris, and voice scans of millions of Americans, from getting out to the public. The Department of Justice has come up with a proposal to exempt the biometric database from public disclosure. It states...(NGI) should not be subject to the Privacy Act...

Threat from Russian and Chinese warplanes mounts
Chinese and Russian warplanes have been increasingly aggressive intercepting U.S. military aircraft and patrolling near America’s West Coast, prompting the Air Force’s top combat officer to label their provocations one of his top worries. Air Force Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, who leads Air Combat Command, said... that meeting the challenge...to flights in international airspace is essential but dangerous.

Islamic State group leader urges attacks in Europe and US
An Islamic State group spokesman has urged sympathizers in Europe and the U.S. to launch attacks on civilians there if they are unable to travel to the group's self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq. ...Abu Mohammed al-Adnani told his followers that, "the tiniest action you do in the heart of their land is dearer to us than the biggest action by us ... there are no innocents in the heart of the lands of the Crusaders."

Yemen conflict: IS suicide bomber kills army recruits in Aden
At least 40 army recruits have been killed in a suicide bomb attack claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS) in the Yemeni city of Aden, officials say. The bomber targeted young men queuing to enlist, at the home of a senior army commander in the Khormaksar district. Shortly afterwards there was a second blast at a nearby army base.

Falluja assault: Iraq PM announces start of operation against IS
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the start of a military operation to retake Falluja from so-called Islamic State (IS). "Zero hour for the liberation of Falluja has arrived. The moment of great victory has drawn near," he said, adding IS had "no choice but to flee." Iraq's military has already warned civilians to leave the town.

Syria conflict: Deadly blasts rock Assad strongholds
At least 78 people have been killed in a series of bomb attacks in two government strongholds on Syria's Mediterranean coast, state media say. A suicide bomber and a car bomb blew up within minutes of each other at a bus station in the port city of Tartous. A bus station and a hospital were also among the targets of four bombings in Jableh, a town to the north.

London airport mulls plans to adopt Israeli 'ring of steel' security regime
Amid warnings of a fresh campaign of ISIS terror attacks, Heathrow Airport in London is reportedly considering the implementation of a new security mechanism that is employed at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport. According to a British Times report Sunday, the initiative - dubbed "ring of steel" - would see the deployment of plainclothes security personnel throughout one of Europe's busiest travel hubs.

U.S. Ends Decades-Long Arms Embargo On Vietnam
The U.S. is ending a decades long arms embargo on Vietnam, President Obama announced Monday in Hanoi. At a press conference alongside Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the president said lifting the embargo, which has been in place since 1975, will further normalize relations between the two countries.

Suspect in Massachusetts police officer's death killed in shootout
An 18-hour manhunt for the person who killed a police officer ended with an exchange of gunfire Sunday afternoon that left the suspect dead and a state trooper wounded, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said.

Iranian commander: We can destroy Israel ‘in under 8 minutes’
A senior Iranian military commander boasted that the Islamic Republic could “raze the Zionist regime in less than eight minutes.”

Iraq announces start of operation to retake Fallujah
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday announced the start of a military operation to retake the city of Fallujah from the Islamic State group. The fight to recapture the jihadist bastion, which has been out of government control for nearly two and a half years, will be one of the toughest in Iraq's war against IS.

The Hit on the Taliban Leader Sent a Signal to Pakistan
The death of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in an American drone strike is a significant but not fatal blow to both the Taliban and their Pakistani Army patrons. The critical question Afghans and Pakistanis are asking is whether this is a one-off or the beginning of a more aggressive American approach to fighting the war in Afghanistan.

China Has Quietly Bailed Out Over $220 Billion In Bad Debt In The Past 2 Months
Two months ago we were amazed to read that according to the latest "deus ex machina" proposed by the PBOC, China would "sweep away" trillions in bad loans by equitizing them in the form of debt-for-equity exchanges. This is how we tried to explain this unprecedented move on March 10 when Reuters first hinted it was coming:





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EPA Just Declared War On Millions of Car Owners
The EPA’s proposal to increase the amount of ethanol that must be blended into gasoline is a trifecta of regulatory abuse. It will do nothing for the environment, it will do nothing for energy security, and it could wreck millions of car engines.

Satellite imagery reveals ISIS's successful attack against a Russian airbase in Syria
In war, even the most advanced aircraft can be shot down, special operations forces can be ambushed, and well-defended airports and army bases can be shelled and weakened from afar by simple, indirect-fire weapons. Such was the case in an attack claimed by the Islamic State on a strategic loyalist air base in central Syria.

2 more journalists go missing in lawless area of Colombia
Two more journalists were reported missing Tuesday in a lawless region where Colombian security forces were already carrying out an extensive search for a prominent Spanish journalist who disappeared over the weekend.

Woman Trying to Prove ‘Vegans Can Do Anything’ Dies of Altitude Sickness on Mount Everest
An Australian woman who set out to climb Mount Everest to prove that “vegans can do anything” died Saturday after developing altitude sickness.

40 Volcanoes Are Erupting Right Now As The Crust Of The Earth Becomes Increasingly Unstable
ave you noticed that our planet has begun to shake, rattle and roll? Over the past few days we have seen major volcanic eruptions in Costa Rica and Indonesia, and according to Volcano Discovery 40 volcanoes around the planet are erupting right now as you read this article.

China’s scary lesson to the world: Censoring the Internet works.
But try telling that to Beijing. Far from knocking down the world’s largest system of censorship, China in fact is moving ever more confidently in the opposite direction, strengthening the wall’s legal foundations, closing breaches and reinforcing its control of the Web behind the wall. China is trumpeting its vision of “Internet sovereignty” as a model for the world and is moving to make it a legal reality at home. At the same time — confounding Western skeptics

Small 2.2 Earthquake DIRECTLY ON New Madrid Fault!
A small earthquake has taken place directly on the New Madrid Seismic Fault; the most active fault east of the Rocky Mountains. The quake was centered 5.6 miles north of New Madrid, MO at a (shallow) depth of 9.5 miles. Whether this is a fore-shock of a coming larger quake, is tough to tell.

MAPPED: The expanding EMPIRE of the EU and the countries that could be next to join...
THE EU’s expanding empire already covers most of Europe with Turkey and a series of Balkan states next in line to join the 28-member bloc.

Biblical Numerology Hints at Obama’s Destructive Role in the Messianic Process
The Gematria of his full name is equal to the Gematria of the word יִּשְׁמְעֵאלִּים (Ishmaelites), who are considered by most Biblical commentaries to represent Arabs and the world of Islam. The Gematria of Barack Obama, without his middle name (בּרק אובּאמה), is 357, the same value as קוראן (Koran), the holy book of the Ishmaelites.

Tectonic plate quake-trigger spots accumulating in Nankai Trough
Locations known as slip-deficit regions, which could trigger powerful earthquakes, are accumulating underground in the Pacific Ocean off central Japan where the Nankai Trough quake is forecast, research by a team of Japan Coast Guard officers published Tuesday in the British science journal Nature showed.

New York City Lets You Choose From 31 Different Gender Identities
Individuals living in New York City can choose from a minimum of 31 different gender identities, many of which allow them to fluctuate between some version or combination of male or female identities. Businesses that don’t respect and accommodate an individual’s chosen gender identity risk incurring six-figure fines under rules implemented by the city’s Commission on Human Rights.

Baltimore Blames ‘White People’ After Cop Found Not Guilty In Freddie Gray Case
"If that would have been a white person, things would have been very different,” Resident Ivy Carter told TheDCNF. “They’re ready to turn Baltimore into pieces.”

Preliminary 3.5-Magnitude Quake Rattles Upland Area
The temblor, which hit about four miles northwest of the Rancho Cucamonga area at 7:28 p.m., had recorded more than 330 responses on the USGS website from residents who said they felt it.

Asian stocks near 11-week lows, dollar bounces on Fed rate view
Asian shares stumbled to near 2-1/2-month lows on Tuesday and the U.S. dollar pared some of its recent losses as investors worried about the likelihood of a U.S. interest rate increase in coming weeks. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slid 0.5 percent, taking its losses to more than 7 percent so far this month and nearing its lowest levels since March 9.

Egypt seeks to advance own Israeli-Palestinian peace initiaitve
While France has pushing for an international peace summit in Paris...Egypt has been working behind the scenes on its own diplomatic initiative. The last few days have seen significant diplomatic efforts led by Egypt designed to organize a summit between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Iran hardliner Jannati elected head of Assembly of Experts
A hardline conservative has been elected chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts, a powerful clerical body which selects the country's supreme leader. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, 90, was one of the few hardliners to secure re-election to the assembly in February. Reformists and moderates asked their supporters to vote tactically to stop most of them retaining their seats.

Mount Sinabung: Thick layer of ash covers villages after eruption
A thick layer of ash has covered several villages in Indonesia after the eruption of Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island. At least seven people died after clouds of hot ash and gas consumed farmland around the mountain on Sunday. Rescuers are still searching for survivors.

ISIS plans to ignite ethnic war in Fallujah upon leaving the city, secret document reveals
Shortly after the Iraqi government launched a military operation to retake the ISIS-held city of Fallujah, a document issued by ISIS reveals that the terror organization has been planning to fight for the city by pitting its Sunni majority against Shi'ite Iraqi liberation forces. The document was issued in May by ISIS' Fallujah province and was recently obtained by the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units...

Who Will Lead Taliban Next? Four Contenders Emerge
As the Taliban collected the body of its slain leader on Monday, the insurgent group also began discussing his replacement, insiders say — a choice that could spark furious infighting and signal whether there's any chance of a negotiated peace in Afghanistan.

North Korean envoy rejects Trump overture to meet leader
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

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Obama administration officials warn lawmakers over Iran sanctions
Obama administration officials told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday they would oppose new sanctions on Iran if they interfere with last year's international nuclear agreement, laying the groundwork for a potential fight over any legislation.

Struggling energy companies are getting money from an unlikely source
Banks have been pulling back from lending to energy companies. Hedge funds and buyout firms have been stepping in to the void.

Militants are controlling OPEC's oil production
Oil watchers have been waiting for a production cut for almost two years. But while OPEC hasn't yet participated in a coordinated effort, the cartel of oil-producing countries technically has slashed its output.

India’s roads melt as record-breaking heat wave continues
India’s on-going heat wave, which set a new record for the country’s highest-ever recorded temperature last week, is melting tarmac on the roads of some of India's busiest cities.

Israel is Ready for a New Public Disputation, Says Jerusalem-Based Rabbi
He encouraged Israel’s Chief Rabbinate to invite “the papal representatives living in Israel and from other countries, as well as Islamic scholars” to debate spiritual matters with Israel’s leading Jewish scholars, in a public forum. The time has come, Rabbi Kahana explained, to encourage the world to begin to relate to Israel from a spiritual perspective, rather than a political or economic one.

Pope Exchanges Kisses and Praise with Grand Imam During Vatican Visit
Pope Francis met with the grand imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque at the Vatican on Monday, embracing his Sunni Muslim visitor in a sign of improved ties between the two religions. According to The Times of Israel, this historic meeting is the first between the leader of the Catholic world and Sunni Islam’s highest authority to take place at the Vatican.

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake Reported Near Duchesne
Utah (ABC4 Utah)- Seismograph stations in Utah reported a small earthquake near Duchesne Wednesday morning. It was a 4.1 magnitude on the Richter scale, according to officials.

Pew Poll Proves Progressive Democrats Are Not Fans of Israel
Making this poll even worse is despite the fact that progressive Democrats tend more supportive of the Palestinians, American Jews continue to vote them in office.

Hundreds of Syrian refugees flood in Monday
The State Department admitted 80 Syrian refugees on Tuesday and 225 on Monday, setting a single-day record, as President Obama tries to meet his target of 10,000 approvals this year — renewing fears among security analysts who say the administration is cutting corners to meet a political goal.

Entering Knesset, Temple Mount activist brushes off doomsday predictions
“I don’t understand that complaint,” the US-born Orthodox rabbi told The Times of Israel, referring to the argument that his activism stokes violence and fatalistic predictions that his entry to the Knesset Wednesday could trigger attacks — or a World War III.

UNICEF lobbies Canadian Parliament to allow euthanasia for children
UNICEF Canada is pushing for assisted suicide and euthanasia for children — or “mature minors” — arguing that this conforms with the Charter, Canadian legal precedent and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. That would include euthanasia or assisted suicide for mature minors who suffer from a non-terminal illness or disability, according to UNICEF Canada’s policy director Marvin Bernstein.

Does Newest Knesset Member Yehudah Glick Fulfill Jerusalem Prophecy of Zachariah? Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/68439/temple-mount-ri
An unlikely series of events has brought Temple Mount rights activist Rabbi Yehuda Glick to the position of Likud’s newest member of Knesset. Glick will bring a powerful voice to the Israeli government that may help move Israel towards a new era of serving God and bringing the Temple Mount to its proper place as a house of prayer for all nations. Indeed, his role may even have been foreseen by the Bible.

US reviews plan to infect mosquitoes with bacteria to stop disease
Biotech firm seeks government approval to market mosquitoes as a pesticide to prevent spread of Zika and dengue viruses.

Facial profiling: Israeli start-up says its tech can detect terrorists from just looking at a face
Israeli start-up Faception is claiming it can spot terrorists by simply analyzing their faces and says it is working with “a leading Homeland Security Agency” to identify potential threats.

60 Arabs Arrested for Incitement to Violence on Facebook
At least 60 Arabs from the Palestinian Authority have been arrested for posting deliberate incitement to violence against Israelis on Facebook, the IDF told the USA Today newspaper this week.

Quake jolts Azerbaijani sector of Caspian Sea
An earthquake has today hit the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, according to the Republican Seismological Service Center of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. The quake was recorded at 02:56:26 local time in the Caspian Sea.

Magnitude 5.5 earthquake rocks Crete
Greek authorities say a strong earthquake with preliminary magnitude 5.5 has occurred off the southern island of Crete, but no damage or injuries have been reported.

This State Could Be First to Put Gun Owners Into Federal Database
Hawaii could become the first state in the United States to enter gun owners into an FBI database that will automatically notify police if an island resident is arrested anywhere else in the country. Most people entered in the “Rap Back” database elsewhere in the U.S. are those in “positions of trust,” such as school teachers and bus drivers... Hawaii could be the first state to add gun owners.

Khamenei: US ‘can’t do a **** thing’ about our missile program
Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Monday said the United States cannot “do a **** thing” about the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program. “They have engaged in a lot of hue and cry over Iran’s missile capabilities, but they should know that this ballyhoo does not have any influence and they cannot do a **** thing,” Khamenei said, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

US elections: Violent protests at Trump New Mexico rally
Demonstrators outside a Donald Trump rally in New Mexico have set fire to campaign merchandise and clashed with police. Protesters threw burning T-shirts and plastic bottles at police outside the rally at a convention centre in Albuquerque. Demonstrators held banners that read "Trump is Fascist" and "We've heard enough", and some waved a Mexican flag.

Avigdor Lieberman named as Israel's defence minister
The controversial right-wing Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman has agreed to bring his Yisrael Beitenu party into the country's governing coalition. The deal, which shores up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's one-seat majority in parliament, will see Mr Lieberman appointed defence minister. Mr Lieberman pledged his commitment to "responsible, reasonable policy".

Afghan Taliban announce successor to Mullah Mansour
The Afghan Taliban have announced a new leader to replace Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed in a US drone strike. In a statement, the Taliban acknowledged Mansour's death for the first time and named his successor as Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada. Analysts say it is unlikely the group will change direction under hardline religious scholar Akhundzada.

Reembracing Islamic Jihad, Iran to renew financial aid for Palestinian terror group
After a two-year cessation, Iran is attempting to bring Islamic Jihad back to its fold by renewing its financial support for the Palestinian terror organization... Iran's decision to reembrace Islamic Jihad after two years of strained relations came following a visit to Iran in April by a high-level delegation from the organization, headed by Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shalah.

Obama Tells Vietnam: U.S. 'Still Striving to Live Up to Our Founding Ideals'
In an address to the people of communist-ruled Vietnam on Tuesday, President Obama made a case for the importance of upholding human rights, prefacing it by saying that the United States, too, “is still striving to live up to our founding ideals.”

Judge rules in California’s open-bathrooms fight
President Obama’s open-bathrooms campaign already has been taken to court by the state of North Carolina, as well as a civil and religious rights organization, the Alliance Defending Freedom, on behalf of several schools, and decisions are somewhere in the future. But the overall effort took a major hit just days ago in California, where a judge ruled in a case that has been in the courts for several years already that agenda critics deserve to have more information on the government’s actions.


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North Korea Linked to Digital Attacks on Global Banks
Security researchers have tied the recent spate of digital breaches on Asian banks to North Korea, in what they say appears to be the first known case of a nation using digital attacks for financial gain.

Billy Graham's Daughter: God Keeping My Father Alive Might Have Something to Do With the 'Return of Jesus'
Billy Graham's daughter Anne Graham Lotz told a gathering of pastors Thursday that the 97-year-old legendary evangelist's vital signs are great and there must be a reason why God is keeping him alive.

Brexit would be serious risk to global economic growth: G7 leaders
A British exit from the European Union would be a serious risk to global economic growth, Group of Seven leaders said in a summit declaration on Friday, although German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the issue had not been discussed.

Plans to create an EU army 'kept secret' from voters
Plans to move towards the creation of a European army are reportedly being kept secret from British voters until the day after next month’s referendum.

Peak Petro-State - The Oil World In Chaos
Pity the poor petro-states. Once so wealthy from oil sales that they could finance wars, mega-projects, and domestic social peace simultaneously, some of them are now beset by internal strife or are on the brink of collapse as oil prices remain at ruinously low levels.

Communists Cheer for Hillary and Bernie
the Communist Party (CPUSA) has been broadcasting its support for the national Democratic Party and both of its candidates. But for some reason, our media have failed to take notice. Since 1980, when Ronald Reagan was elected President, the CPUSA—which was then funded by Moscow—has been organizing what it calls an “all-people’s front” against the “extreme right,” and it usually depends on the Democratic Party as its preferred electoral vehicle.

Jerusalem forest fire prompts residents to evacuate neighborhoods
Environmental officials from Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fun (KKL-JNF) estimated that the fire in Jerusalem broke out at two locations in the Ramot Forest and the Cedar Valley. The fire then spread to toward the residential areas of Ramot, Gilo and Mevasseret Zion.

Cloud-seeding surprise could improve climate predictions
The latest experiments suggest that it may have been cloudier in pre-industrial times than previously thought. If this is so, then the masking effect, and in turn the warming effects of carbon dioxide, might have been overestimated, says Jasper Kirkby, a physicist at the CERN, Europe’s particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland, who led one of the experiments.

Saudi Arabia ups ante with claim US false flagged 9/11
Al-Hayat daily published an article written by Saudi legal expert Katib al-Shammari claiming the U.S. planned the 9/11 attacks to kickstart the global war on terror.

What to expect from the G-7 summit in Japan
The world economy will take centre stage at this summit, with lingering uncertainties clouding the outlook. Financial markets will be hoping for strong commitments from the participating nations to address sluggish global growth, but that might be a tall order.

Inspector General Finds Hillary Clinton Violated Federal Records Act By Deleting Emails
The State Department inspector general concluded that Hillary Clinton did not comply with the agency’s policies on records, according to a report released to lawmakers on Wednesday that also revealed that Clinton and her top aides chose not to cooperate with the review.

Obama races to cement the big Pacific Rim trade deal that all his potential successors oppose
President Obama is racing against the clock to cement a massive Pacific Rim trade deal that all of his potential successors oppose... The effort begins in Vietnam, where Obama spent the last three days touting the merits of the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership, which would link 40% of the global economy...

French labour dispute: Energy supplies hit by strike action
France is braced for further disruption to its energy supplies as workers at oil refineries, nuclear power stations, ports and transport go on strike. But in a sign of the growing pressure on the government, PM Manuel Valls said the labour reforms at the heart of the dispute could be "modified". Motorists have been panic buying fuel, some petrol stations struggled to get supplies.

IAF strikes Hamas targets after rockets launched into Israel
In response to rocket fire launched towards Israel late Wednesday night, the Israeli Air Force attacked two locations that were part of Hamas' terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. The IDF spokesperson released a statement in which they promised to continue to work in order to maintain quiet in the Gaza border communities in Israel.

Knesset warns Arab MKs against Temple Mount visits during Ramadan
The intended ascent of Israeli Arab lawmaker next month during the Islamic month of Ramadan could provoke an escalation of tensions, a Knesset official warned on Thursday. On behalf of Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein, Knesset Guard Sergeant-at Arms Brig.Gen. Yossi Grif underlined in a letter that all Knesset members are barred from visiting Jerusalem's contested holy site.

An Inside Look at the World's Biggest Paper Gold Market
What would happen if there was ever even a small rush to get the physical asset behind the paper? Is there a system in place for such an event, and how does it work?

Europe’s migrant deal with Turkey may be unraveling. But it was flawed from the start
Growing tensions between Europe and Turkey over elements of a deal to end the refugee crisis are raising fears that the accord, signed by the two sides in March, may already be on the verge of collapse.

Switzerland: Muslim students must shake teacher's hand
Muslim students in Switzerland must shake their teacher's hand at the beginning and end of lessons, a regional authority has ruled. A controversial exemption from the tradition had been granted for two teenage brothers whose interpretation of the K


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Obama’s Fast and Furious guns linked to another 69 dead
The failed federal sting operation to trace weapons to Mexican drug cartels has been linked to the killing of another 69 people, including one massacre in which 22 died, according to a report from Judicial Watch, the Washington watchdog organization.

Doctors: Postpone or move Olympics due to Zika
The summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro should be postponed or moved "in the name of public health" due to the widening Zika outbreak in Brazil, more than 100 prominent doctors and professors said Friday in an open letter to the World Health Organization.

Feds expect more Atlantic tropical storms than last 3 years
U.S. government forecasters expect a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season, after three relatively slow years. But they also say climate conditions that influence storm development are making it difficult to predict how many hurricanes and tropical storms will arise over the next six months.

NYC gets OK to issue salt fines during appeal
New York City plans to start enforcing a first-of-its-kind requirement for chain restaurants to use icons to warn patrons of salty foods after getting an appeals court's go-ahead Thursday to start issuing fines. But it's not the final word on whether the regulation will stand.

NASA launches spacecraft to STOP Earth-bound KILLER asteroid
NASA will launch a rocket to land on a giant space rock currently on collision course with EARTH.

Earthquake measuring 6.5 magnitude strikes deep off Tonga
A powerful earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude struck 572 kilometres (355 miles) beneath the earth's surface on Friday about 340 kilometers west of the South Pacific island nation of Tonga, the United States Geological Survey reported.

Israel forming civil defense units in Arab and Jewish villages
Israel is forming civil defense units throughout northern Israel to assist in any future conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Col. Eren Makov, the Northern Regional Commander of the Homefront Command recently stated. "There is a big change in the Arab population in Israel in that they are much more willing to cooperate with us," Makov said in an interview. "We give them training in what to do and they see it as a contribution."

NASA spots monster hole open up on our star
NASA has revealed that a massive hole, measuring more than ten per cent of the Sun's surface area, has opened up on our star. The remarkable footage was captured by the US space agency's Solar Dynamics Observatory between May 17 and 19. The video shows a giant dark area on the star's upper half, known as a coronal hole.

Elderly Christian woman stripped naked and paraded through streets by mob
A 70-year-old Christian woman has been stripped naked, beaten and paraded through the streets by a mob of around 300 Muslim men in a village in southern Egypt. The mob also burned down seven homes belonging to Christian families...after rumours circulated in the village that a Christian man was having a relationship with a Muslim woman.

Syria war: Turkey anger over US commando photos
Turkey has hit out at the US over images said to show US special forces in Syria wearing insignia of Kurdish militia, during joint operations against so-called Islamic State (IS). Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called the US "two-faced" and said the practice was "unacceptable". The images appear to show a US special forces soldier wearing the patch of the YPJ - a Kurdish militia group.

Migrant crisis: UK set to send Royal Navy warship to Libya
The UK is set to send a Royal Navy warship to the Mediterranean to help tackle arms smuggling in Libya, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced. He told the G7 summit in Japan the UK was ready to take an "active leadership role" in helping Libya deal with people trafficking and the migration crisis. The UK already has a survey vessel, HMS Enterprise, operating in the area.

South Africa approves land expropriation bill
South Africa's parliament has approved a bill allowing the government to expropriate land in the public interest. The measure will allow the compulsory purchase of land to place more in black ownership. Most of South Africa's land remains in white ownership two decades after the end of apartheid.

Satanists Plan to Celebrate 6/6/16 in L.A.
June is a time of celebration. Graduations take place. Father's Day is observed. And summer officially begins. It's also when the Satanic Temple of Los Angeles has scheduled festivities for a revered day in the diabolic community — 6/6/16.

U.S. sees first case of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics
U.S. health officials on Thursday reported the first case in the country of a patient with an infection resistant to all known antibiotics, and expressed grave concern that the superbug could pose serious danger for routine infections if it spreads.


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11 States Sue over Obama’s Transgender Directive
Eleven states filed lawsuits this week against the Obama administration over the directive to allow transgender students to choose which bathroom they use in public schools. Obama has excluded the voice of the people. We stand today to ensure those voices are heard," Paxton said.

Bible reading by Republican spurs GOP walkout
Allen read the passage during the GOP’s regular policy meeting in the basement of the Capitol, with apparent attempt to shame those lawmakers who, just hours earlier, had passed the spending bill containing the LGBT protections. “A lot of members were clearly uncomfortable and upset,” an aide to one Republican leader said, the Hill reported.

Once dismissed, shark attacks may hit new record in 2016
As the summer beach season opens in the United States, at least one expert is predicting an increase in shark attacks around the world this year that will surpass last year's record number. a century ago American scientists did not believe sharks would fatally attack humans in U.S. temperate waters without provocation.

1,400 Soldiers & 400 vehicles: US troops head to the Baltics for massive military drills
US servicemen have started Dragoon Ride II, a “2,200-kilometer tactical road march from the town of Vilseck, Germany to Estonia,” before annual drills, the US army official website said.

Netherlands to grow human embryos for research
The Dutch government will allow labs to grow human embryos to be used for research in a limited number of fields, it announced on Friday. Currently scientists have to rely on a limited supply of leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization patients.

Series of high-magnitude earthquakes around the world
The United States Geological Survey reported the 6.3 quake happened at 5.38pm on Saturday [NZ time]. It was centred 572km beneath the earth's surface, about 340km west of Tonga. There was no indication of a tsunami warning, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre. The reading was revised down after initially being recorded at 6.5.

It's Official: Major Apparitions of Mary Are Approved
The apparitions took place in this city over 100 miles from Buenos Aires from Oct. 13, 1983 to Feb. 11, 1990. Our Blessed Mother appeared to a housewife named Gladys Herminia Quiroga de Motta nearly daily, giving 1804 messages. Gladys also received 68 visits and messages from Jesus.

Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Hits South Atlantic Near Antarctica - USGS
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the southern Atlantic Ocean near the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said Saturday.

Facebook Will Now Track You and Force Feed You Ads Even If You Don't Use It
There is no escaping Facebook’s advertising reach. The social network has announced that it will now be foisting ads on to every single person who uses third-party sites that are signed up to its advertising scheme, regardless of whether the user has a Facebook account or not. Until now, Facebook showed ads only to its members when people landed on third-party sites that were signed up to its Audience Network ad system.

Greece's Tsipras condemns sanctions against Russia
The Greek prime minister has said sanctions imposed on Russia over its actions in Ukraine are not productive. The EU is expected to renew sanctions in a matter of weeks. Alexis Tsipras was speaking at a joint news conference in Athens with the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Netanyahu’s government may be near collapse, report says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government may be on the verge of collapse according to Israel’s Channel 10. In a report Friday night, the TV station quoted unnamed “party leaders” saying that Netanyahu’s surprise move to bring the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party into the coalition may be backfiring on him.

San Francisco death: Kate Steinle's family files lawsuit
On Friday, her family filed a federal lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, San Francisco County's former sheriff, the federal Bureau of Land Management and the man who allegedly fired the deadly shot.

United Methodist Church Backs Off Abortion
The United Methodist Church has done a 180 on abortion. After years of supporting the Roe v. Wade decision, the church voted at its General Conference to split ties with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, as well as to repeal a resolution that supported a woman's right to an abortion at any point of her pregnancy.

Putin blasts West on first trip to EU country this year
On his first trip to a European Union country this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday sharply criticized western policy toward Moscow, describing a newly expanded U.S. missile defense system as a threat to his country's security — and vowing to retaliate.

Iowa Supreme Court bans life-without-parole sentences for all juveniles
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that judges are no longer allowed to sentence juveniles who commit first-degree murder to life in prison without parole. The 4-3 decision determined that anyone 17 or under who commits even the most serious crimes should be given the opportunity to prove to the Iowa's parole board they have reformed. The foundation of the majority opinion was that such a sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the Iowa Constitution.

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Israel Thanks Russia for Returning Tank From 1982 War
Israel's prime minister has thanked the Russian President for agreeing to return a tank from a battle in the 1982 Lebanon war from which three soldiers are still missing in action. Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Sunday thanking Vladimir Putin. It says that after the war Syria delivered the tank to the Russian army and it later ended up in a Moscow museum.

Libertarians name former Republican governor as presidential pick
Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico, on Sunday won the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party, a sliver group hoping to make an outsized impact in this election year.

Iran says its pilgrims will not attend haj in Saudi
Iran said on Sunday its pilgrims would not attend the annual Muslim haj pilgrimage, blaming regional rival Saudi Arabia for "sabotage" and failing to guarantee the safety of pilgrims.

California Billionaire Tom Steyer Launches Spanish-Language Ads Attacking Donald Trump
California billionaire Tom Steyer stars in a new Spanish-language television commerical attacking presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The device that eavesdrops on the voices in your head: Mind-reaching machine could soon turn your secret thoughts into speech
A mind-reaching machine that can translate thoughts into speech is coming closer to reality. The research has been ongoing for several years, and recently, scientists successfully managed to playback a word that someone is thinking by monitoring their brain activity...they say this could help victims of stroke and others with speech paralysis to communicate with their loved ones.

ISIS use 50,000 civilians as 'human shields' as Iraqi forces blitz Fallujah
Islamic State fighters hid behind 50,000 civilian hostages as Iraqi forces blitzed Fallujah. The jihadis used the human shield as efforts to retake the ­terrorist stronghold, which kicked off under a US-led coalition on May 22, intensified. Some 70 fanatics have been killed in airstrikes in the past five days in Iraq and Syria, including Maher al-Bilawi, IS’s leader in Fallujah.

Vandals Deface Vietnam War Memorial In Venice
Vandals defaced a memorial to Vietnam war veterans in Venice – an awful sight on this Memorial Day weekend. Stewart Oscars welled up as he looked at the vandalized mural located on Pacific Avenue near Sunset Court. It was covered in graffiti from end to end. ...The memorial was dedicated to service members who were listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War.

Zika expert warns Britons to 'think twice' about trips to Disney World
A leading British expert has warned pregnant women and couples looking to conceive to ‘think twice’ about travelling to parts of the US – including...Walt Disney World – because of the growing threat of the Zika virus. Those considering holidays to southern states including Texas, Louisiana and Florida...should look at alternatives, said Professor Jimmy Whitworth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Lufthansa to suspend flights to Venezuela
The German airline, Lufthansa, has announced that it will suspend flights to Venezuela from 18 June due to economic difficulties in the country. The company also said currency controls in Venezuela made it impossible for airlines to convert their earnings into dollars and send the money abroad. Venezuela's economy has been hit hard by a sharp drop in the price of oil - the country's main source of income.

Australia immigration: Rival Melbourne rallies spark clashes
Australian police have used pepper spray to break up clashes between two rival groups battling over race and immigration in Melbourne. Demonstrators in a march against racism clashed with protesters against immigration, with hundreds of police trying to keep them apart. Several people were arrested for rioting and assaulting police.

European migrant crisis: Shipwrecks 'kill up to 700 migrants'
Up to 700 migrants are feared drowned in a series of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya in the last few days, the UN refugee agency says. The boats sank south of Italy on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as the migrants tried to reach Europe in unseaworthy vessels. Spring weather has led to a surge of people attempting the perilous crossing from Africa to Europe.

Arab League supportive of French peace initiative
The Arab league supported on Saturday France's Middle East peace initiative and all international efforts to create lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, AFP reported. The meeting took place between several Arab foreign ministers and and was held in the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas was also in attendance.

Pakistani men can beat wives 'lightly', say Islamic council
A Pakistani Islamic council has sparked outrage after suggesting husbands may “lightly beat” their wives as a form of discipline in their draft of a women’s protection bill.

Facebook Community Page Touts 'Health Benefits' of Islamic Female Genital Mutilation
Perhaps the gatekeepers of Facebook should take a break from ensuring that no dissident conservative news items pollute the feeds of good digital citizens and take a stern look at the new community page promoting the “health benefits” of Islamic female genital mutilation.

Canada's Trudeau defends assisted suicide bill as deadline nears
A bill legalizing medically-assisted suicide in Canada strikes the right balance between defending fundamental freedoms and protecting against abuses, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday, predicting confusion if it is not approved.

Venezuela Drifts Into New Territory: Hunger, Blackouts and Government Shutdown
The courts? Closed most days. The bureau to start a business? Same thing. The public defender’s office? That’s been converted into a food bank for government employees. Step by step, Venezuela has been shutting down.

Former Morgan Stanley Chief Asia Economist: "Don't Listen To The Ruling Elite, The World Economy Is In Real Trouble"
Andy Xie says the world's elite that are attending the G7, G20, Davos and other wasteful meetings are wrong to try to pin the blame for the turmoil on people’s psychology; all signs point to a prolonged period of global stagnation and instability.

Palestinian Leader Wants Time Cap for Any Talks With Israel
The Palestinian president said Saturday that if an upcoming Paris conference succeeds in relaunching the long-stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, it should also set a time cap and mechanisms to implement their resolutions.

ISIS fighters seem to trying to sell sex slaves online
The woman is young, perhaps 18, with olive skin and dark bangs that droop onto her face. In the Facebook photo, she attempts to smile but doesn’t look at her photographer.


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South Korea says North Korea missile launch likely failed
A North Korean missile launch likely failed on Tuesday, according to South Korea's military, the latest in a string of high-profile failures that somewhat tempers recent worries that Pyongyang was pushing quickly toward its goal of a nuclear-tipped missile that can reach America's mainland.

Heavy air strikes on Syria's Idlib kill and injure dozens: monitor
Heavy air strikes in Syria's rebel-held city of Idlib on Monday evening killed and injured more than 150 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The war monitor said it believed the planes were Russian.

Disfiguring tropical disease sweeps across Middle East
A disfiguring tropical disease is sweeping across the Middle East as a combination of heavy conflict and a breakdown of health care facilities in Isis-occupied areas leaves swathes of people vulnerable to the illness.

Libyan oil guard says captures coastal town from Islamic State after clashes
A force that controls oil terminals in eastern Libya said it had captured the town of Ben Jawad from Islamic State, pushing the militant group back along a coastal strip they control east of their stronghold of Sirte. Spokesman Ali al-Hassi said five Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) fighters had been killed and 18 wounded in fierce clashes in the coastal town, and that fighting was continuing in the nearby town of Nawfiliyah.

Sunni hawk wins Lebanon vote, risking new tensions
A hawkish Lebanese Sunni politician has won local elections in the second largest city of Tripoli in a result that marks a blow to long-established Sunni leaders and risks reviving tensions among rival sectarian groups there.

Pakistan: Proposals to allow men to beat wives who refuse sex – is UK next?
AN ISLAMIC body which advises the Pakistan government has proposed a law to allow men to “lightly beat” their wives for refusing to have sex, wear a hijab or those who talk loudly “so the neighbors can hear”.

Obama 'engagement' policy 'enabled Boston, San Bernardino attacks'
Administration courts terrorist front groups despite its own evidence

Jordan's King dissolves parliament, names caretaker PM
King Abdullah appointed veteran politician Hani Mulqi as prime minister after dissolving parliament by royal decree on Sunday, following the end of its four-year term, and charged him with conducting new elections by October.

Defiant Blair is ready for ‘full debate’ on ‘brutal’ Chilcot report
Leaks have suggested that it is expected to be heavily critical of Blair, but will not call for criminal charges against him.

CHANCE OF STORMS ON MEMORIAL DAY
NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on May 30th when Earth enters a high-speed stream solar wind flowing from this coronal hole..

Spate of earthquakes rattle eastern Taiwan
Three earthquakes rocked eastern Taiwan Monday morning, with the largest one measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

Earthquake jolts Saumlaki, Maluku
A tectonic earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter Scale jolted Saumlaki, the capital of Southwest Maluku, on Monday at 3:20 a.m. local time.

Governments Turn to Commercial Spyware to Intimidate Dissidents
...It used to be that only a handful of countries had access to sophisticated hacking and spying tools. But these days...countries, be they small...like the Emirates, or poor...like Ethiopia, are buying commercial spyware or hiring and training programmers to develop their own hacking and surveillance tools. The barriers to join the global surveillance apparatus have never been lower.

Pleading for Peace in Chicago Amid Fears of a Bloody Summer
During Memorial Day weekend, this city reopens its Lake Michigan beaches, regular fireworks displays start at Navy Pier, and the downtown streets and spruced-up Riverwalk are crowded with tourists. But the holiday weekend is often seen here as the start of heightened violence as well...“If something doesn’t change...I’m worried that we could be looking at a blood bath,” said the Rev. Corey Brooks

Syria conflict: Chief opposition negotiator resigns
The chief negotiator of Syria's main opposition umbrella group, Mohammed Alloush, has resigned over what he called the failure of peace talks. Mr Alloush, from the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said the talks had not brought a political deal or eased the plight of Syrians in besieged areas.

A 22-year-old 'molded' to vote for Hillary Clinton explains why he and his wife are supporting Trump
Trump Voter: We are young, urban, and have a happy future planned. We seem molded to be perfect young Hillary supporters. But we're not. Both of us voted Libertarian in 2012, and ideologically we remain so. But in 2016? We're both going for Trump.

Another Real Estate Crash Looms: Sam Zell Dumps Holdings, Warns "The Fed's Deferred Reality For Too Long"
If you haven’t heard yet, median home prices in the United States are on a tear having reached all-time highs in April. To boot, rental prices have gone insane, showing a year-over-year inflationary increase of 8%. On top of that, stock markets are rocketing back to their own all time highs based on the premise that the U.S. economy is seeing healthy growth. By all official accounts, it appears that we’re back on track.


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