Friday, April 16, 2010

THE RAIN IS TOXIC

Dimmer (plus 87 more items)

Link to Rebel Newsflash

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 06:15 PM PDT

john kaminski Turn out the lights, the party's over.

THE RAIN IS TOXIC!

Forget about the 9/11 hoax, the continuing extermination of the Palestinians, the bogus wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, depleted uranium, election frauds, financial robberies, and poison medicines. All those colossal catastrophes pale into insignificance, are wiped from your mind when the impact of this one sentence hits you.

UK National Gallery to unveil its fakes

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 04:11 PM PDT

London's National Gallery is slated to exhibit a collection of its forged replicas, which have been stashed away after being found unauthentic.

Close Examination will display works, which were removed from public view after the gallery's experts found them to be imitations.

Pope seeks penance, victims cry justice

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:53 PM PDT

In a rare reference to sex abuse scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church, embattled Pope Benedict XVI has said the Church needs to do penance for its "sins."

"Now, under attack from the world which talks to us of our sins, we can see that being able to do penance is a grace and we see how necessary it is to do penance and thus recognize what is wrong in our lives," said the Pope at a Thursday mass in the Vatican.

Iraqiya hails 'successful' Iran talks

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:43 PM PDT

The Iraqiya party, which won the most seats in the country's March 7 parliamentary elections, has announced that its members have had a "successful" visit to Iran.

The bloc, led by former prime minister Ayad Allawi, won 91 seats of Iraq's 325-member parliament.

China quake death toll at 760

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:25 PM PDT

The death toll from a massive earthquake which rattled northwest China has climbed to 760 people, according to the Chinese state media.

The 6.9-magnitude quake was centered in a mountainous area 240 kilometers (150 miles) outside the autonomous region of Tibet.

Car bomb shakes Kandahar

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:16 PM PDT

A blast in Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar has wounded at least six civilians and damaged vehicles and shops amid rising violence there.

The explosives were reportedly hidden in a car in the area.

Turkish soldier killed in PKK clash

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:03 PM PDT

A Turkish soldier has been killed in a fresh military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the south-eastern province of Batman.

The clashes took place on Wednesday when the members of the military patrolling between Sason and Kozluk districts came across a group of PKK members. They called upon the militants to surrender, who in return opened gunfire.

Canadian troops 'shot Afghan teenager'

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 02:51 PM PDT

A former translator has accused Canadian troops of killing an unarmed Afghan teenage boy and arresting innocent civilians in the war-weary country.

Malgarai Ahmadshah told lawmakers in Ottawa that the Canadian forces he was working with wrongly shot an Afghan boy.

Royal scribe tomb found in Egypt

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 02:39 PM PDT

Egyptian archeologists have unearthed the elaborate burial tomb of an ancient royal scribe near Ismailia, east of the capital city of Cairo.

The tomb, dating back to the 19th Dynasty, is the first Ramesside-period tomb ever found in Lower Egypt, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said on Wednesday.

Sudan ends election amid tension

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 02:38 PM PDT

Polling stations across Sudan have officially closed, as Africa's largest country ended its first multi-party election in more than two decades.

Election centers closed doors at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Thursday, the fifth day of a historic presidential, parliamentary and local elections in which 16 million people had registered to vote.

Iran-Africa ties no threat to others

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 02:08 PM PDT

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has stressed that the Islamic Republic's relations with African countries are not in opposition to any other country.

He made the remarks during a Thursday press conference with Central African Republic's Foreign Minister Antoine Gambi in Tehran.

Pakistan Senate curbs pres. powers

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 01:17 PM PDT

Pakistan's Senate has unanimously approved constitutional reforms that will strip the president of key powers and would turn him into a ceremonial head of state.

The bill passed through the upper house of parliament on Thursday.

DR Congo ravaged by sexual violence

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 01:10 PM PDT

An alarming new report by a renowned aid and development charity says sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is becoming rampant and "normal."

The Oxfam International study, published on Thursday, underscores a 17-fold rise in civilian-committed rapes between 2004 and 2008, roughly 38 percent of the total assaults in the four-year period.

Israeli tourism advert banned in UK

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 12:59 PM PDT

Britain has banned an Israeli tourist office press campaign in which pictures of Noble Sanctuary and the al-Aqsa Mosque have been displayed as part of Israel.

The British Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday that the UK advertising regulator imposed a ban on the advertisement over display of the sites, both of which are in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) and part of the Palestinian occupied territories.

German troops killed in Afghanistan

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 12:21 PM PDT

The German military says at least four of its soldiers, under the US command, have been killed in fierce clashes with Taliban militants in northern Afghanistan.

According to German officials, the troops came under fire when they were travelling from the city of Kunduz to Baghlan.

Danish hotel guests cycle for free food

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 12:15 PM PDT

Guests of a Danish hotel can get free meals by exercising on pedal-power generators and providing enough electricity for the 366-room building.

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers is installing two generator-hooked exercise bicycles, which will be used by guests to produce the most possible amount of electricity.

Iran invites investment in N plants

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 12:11 PM PDT

A senior Iranian lawmaker has called on other countries to take advantage of the "opportunity" to invest in the construction of new nuclear power plants in Iran.

"Launching the Bushehr nuclear power plant is a suitable opportunity for investment of other countries in the construction of (nuclear power) stations in Iran," IRIB quoted Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, as saying on Thursday.

Ex-leader Bakiyev leaves Kyrgyzstan

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 12:04 PM PDT

Ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has left the country on a plane for neighboring Kazakhstan, according to Russian news agencies and Kyrgyz' AKI-Press.

Bakiyev has been in hiding south of the country since an anti-government revolt drove him out of the capital, Bishkek on April 7.

Police chief removed over Turk attack

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 11:27 AM PDT

The police chief of Turkey's Samsun province has been temporarily removed from his post over an attack on the former leader of defunct Democratic Society Party.

Former DTP leader Ahmet Turk was attacked when as he was about to get in his car after talking to reporters. Turk suffered a broken nose and deep cuts in his forehead and was hospitalized.

Cold UK winters, solar activity linked

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 11:21 AM PDT

New studies suggest that low solar activity will cause more frequent cold winters in the United Kingdom and the continental Europe in future.

According to the study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers found a link between fewer sunspots and atmospheric conditions that 'block' warm, westerly winds from reaching Europe during winter.

Iceland volcanic ash triggers air chaos

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 11:08 AM PDT

A drifting cloud of ash from Iceland's second volcanic eruption in a month has disrupted flights and paralyzed airports across northern Europe.

As the perilous ash is capable of damaging airplane engines and high-tech probes as well as undermining visibility, the no-fly zone is now stretching to airports more than 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles) away.

China's ex-police chief faces death

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

A former Chinese police chief has been sentenced to death for a series of charges including rape, corruption and receiving more than $2 million in bribes.

The conviction of the 54-year-old Wen Qiang, also a former judiciary chief in China's Chongqing metropolitan city, marks the climax in a series of trials that have lifted the lid on the seamy underworld in the megacity of more than 30 million people.

Mazda to recall 90,000 faulty vehicles

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 10:52 AM PDT

Automaker Mazda has joined other Japanese car manufacturers to recall nearly 90,000 vehicles sold in Japan and China because of an oil hose defect.

The company said in a Thursday statement that the recalls will target Mazda 3 or Axela model cars assembled between January 2006 and March 2009.

China quake death toll passes 600

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 10:45 AM PDT

Rescue teams are being rushed to China's mountainous Qinghai Province, where the death toll from a massive earthquake has passed 600 people.

The 6.9-magnitude quake was centered in a mountainous area 240 kilometers (150 miles) outside the autonomous region of Tibet.

Ex-mayor arrested in Israel bribe case

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 10:32 AM PDT

Former mayor of Jerusalem has been arrested on suspicions of receiving some $750 thousand in bribe in Israel's biggest real estate scandal.

Uri Lupolianski, who was arrested on Wednesday, allegedly received NIS 3 million (nearly $750,000) in bribes during the construction of the contentious Holyland project in Jerusalem.

China's economic growth at 11.9%

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 10:15 AM PDT

China's economic growth has accelerated to the fastest pace in almost three years in the first quarter of 2010, a spokesman for the National Statistics Bureau says.

The 11.9 percent growth is more than economists had expected, but raises new questions about the risks of overheating.

Gunfire erupts near Kyrgyz ex-leader

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 10:00 AM PDT

Gunshots have been heard in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, where thousands have gathered to rally in support of ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

The shots were fired shortly after Bakiyev took the podium and began speaking.

Iran says swap offer still stands

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 09:51 AM PDT

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said Tehran's offer for a nuclear fuel swap deal is still on the table if the West is willing to accept equal conditions.

"We need 100 kilos [of 20 percent enriched uranium] and we currently have the equivalent of that amount in 3.5 percent processed fuel. That is what we can negotiate on," Mottaki said in a live televised interview on Wednesday night.

Mexico plane crash leaves seven dead

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 09:39 AM PDT

Seven people have been killed after a cargo plane crashed near an airport in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, officials say.

The Airbus A300, owned by Aero Union, crashed in wet weather around midnight local time on Wednesday while en route to Monterrey International Airport.

Iran: Thank West for Israeli crimes

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 09:20 AM PDT

Iran's deputy ambassador to the United Nations has lashed out at the Western countries for their "full-fledged support" of Israel.

Ishaq Ale-Habib said Wednesday that the underlying cause of the problems in the Middle East lied in the West's full support of Israel.

Turkish FM: We oppose Iran sanctions

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 09:18 AM PDT

Turkey's foreign minister has said Ankara does not support new US-led sanctions against Iran, indicating that Washington still lacks full backing for the move.

"We don't want to see sanctions. It will affect us. It will affect the region," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters on Wednesday.

The Monstrous Winston Churchill

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 09:17 AM PDT

In his book Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World, Pat Buchanan places particular emphasis on the role of Winston Churchill for his role in promoting both World War I and World War II. Buchanan is scathing in his criticism of Churchill, correctly pointing his bellicosity, his vanity, and his desire for personal power. There are also strong hints of his corruption as a result of being rescued by wealthy Jews from near bankruptcy after the stock market crash of 1929.

India's storm death toll hits 122

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 09:05 AM PDT

At least 122 people have been killed in a violent storm that devastated an estimated 100,000 homes in impoverished rural areas of eastern India and Bangladesh.

"The storm has left a trail of destruction everywhere," West Bengal minister of state for civil defense, Srikumar Mukherjee, told local television from the disaster scene in North Dinajpur district.

CIA deputy, torture advocate to quit

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 08:57 AM PDT

Steve Kappes, the influential deputy director of the US spy agency and a purported sponsor of using torture on terror suspects, has decided to resign, CIA says.

Kappes, who had a role in the conducting of 'anti-terrorism' operations under former President George W. Bush and was involved in secret CIA operations for years, is due to be replaced by intelligence analyst Michael Morrell, said CIA Director Leon Panetta on Wednesday.

Mom to sue over child abuse at US base

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 08:42 AM PDT

An American woman has been entitled to take legal action against the US army over its failure to prevent the death of her five-year-old daughter.

A US court has ruled that Tarshia Williams can sue the US army for its unresponsiveness to the beating death of Talia by his father, Naeem, and stepmother, Delilah, at the Wheeler Army Air Force Base in Hawaii in 2005.

Allawi urges US meddling in Iraq vote

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 08:29 AM PDT

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi warns of a sectarian war if a Shia coalition takes power in the country and urging US intervention.

Allawi's Iraqiya bloc garnered the largest number of seats in Iraq's March 7 parliamentary election, ahead of incumbent Premier Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition which ended up in second place.

4 peace-keepers kidnapped in Darfur

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 08:07 AM PDT

As Sudan's controversial voting nears its end, four UN Peace keepers go missing in the country's most troubled region of Darfur.

The unarmed advisors, including two women and two men, went missing from their base at Nyala on Sunday afternoon, raising fears that they may have been kidnapped by rebel groups fighting the government in the region.

Iran: Oil sector immune from sanctions

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 07:53 AM PDT

Iran's Oil Minister says US-led sanctions against Iran have failed as the country has managed to become self-sufficient in oil production and products.

"International sanctions are not a new issue and we have no problem in dealing with them," Masoud Mirkazemi told reporters on Wednesday after a cabinet session.

IMF: High Jobless rate till 2011

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 07:42 AM PDT

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it expects unemployment in developed countries to remain high this year and next, at an average rate of 9 percent.

In a report released Wednesday, the agency said the United States and other industrialized countries still need to implement government stimulus and other policies to make up for slow private job creation.

Tottenham beats Arsenal in derby

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 06:32 AM PDT

Goals from Danny Rose and Gareth Bale have helped Tottenham Hotspur secure a 2-1 victory against Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Tottenham took an early lead 10 minutes into the critical north London derby when 19-year-old winger Rose hit an absolute bullet of a volley from 25 yards at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.

UN: WB settlement pause inadequate

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 06:30 AM PDT

The United Nations political chief reiterates the demand for Israel to halt illegal settlement expansions, saying Israel's 10-month freeze is 'insufficient'.

"This policy falls short of Israel's Roadmap obligation of a full settlement freeze and excludes settlement activity in East Jerusalem (al-Quds)," UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council on Wednesday.

US forces leave Afghan risky valley

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 06:10 AM PDT

US troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan's Korengal Valley ending nearly nine years of NATO presence and intense fighting there.

The isolated mountainous region of caves and canyons on the eastern border with Pakistan has been the scene of near daily exchanges of fire between NATO and Taliban militants that use the area as a route for infiltrating weapons and fighters into Afghanistan.

France rejects US extradition bid

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 05:55 AM PDT

French prosecutors have rejected a US request to extradite an Iranian engineer accused by US authorities of illegally exporting military technology to Iran.

During a court hearing in Paris, the prosecutors explained the French arms agency DGA had concluded that the electronics components purchased by Majid Kakavand could not be considered as potentially dangerous, dual-use technology that could be modified for military applications.

The Federal Reserve Created This Financial Mess

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 05:51 AM PDT

When you watch the mainstream news, how often do you hear them identify the Federal Reserve as the ultimate source of all of our financial problems? Never? Well, there is a good reason. The Federal Reserve was created and continues to benefit the elite international bankers that are raping the United States blind financially. Many of the same financial powers own large interests in the 6 gigantic media companies that dominate U.S. mainstream media. So you won't hear the truth from them. On this website we go on and on about how bad the U.S. national debt is. And it is really, really, really bad. But rarely do you hear from anyone who we owe all of this money to. Yeah, we owe large amounts to Japan and China and a bunch of other nations, but the biggest holder of our debt by far is the Federal Reserve. Just like the owner of your mortgage or your car loan, they expect to be paid back – with interest.

US Fed Chief warns on climbing deficit

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 05:34 AM PDT

The US Federal Reserve chairman says the government needs a credible plan to address its gaping deficits in order to raise consumer confidence.

A realistic plan to reduce the massive fiscal imbalance could improve economic confidence while reducing long-term interest rates, said Ben Bernanke in a testimony before the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress.

US Astronauts slam Obama's space bid

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 05:33 AM PDT

US astronauts have blasted US President Barack Obama's vision for future space explorations, saying Obama's plans would relegate America to a third-rate country.

Veteran US astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Eugene Cernan and James Lovell have signed a letter criticizing US government's plans to cut certain National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) plans for space, saying that the Obama Administration would undermine the US role in space leadership.

Army Report Says Christians Threaten U.S. Foreign Policy

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 05:06 AM PDT

Last Friday, I told readers of this column that I had come across a very disturbing government report and that I would be exposing that report during my Sunday address this past Sunday morning. I did exactly that, and anyone wishing to see an archived video of that address can do so by using this link (the video should be uploaded by this weekend)

The report's header reads, "Strategic Implications of American Millennialism, A Monograph by MAJOR Brian L. Stuckert, U.S. Army. This monograph was defended by the degree candidate on 01 May 2008 and approved by the monograph director and reader named below. Approved by: Timothy Challans, Ph.D., Monograph Director; Robert Taylor, COL, MI, Monograph Reader; Stefan J. Banach, COL, IN, Director, School of Advanced Military Studies; Robert F. Baumann, Ph.D., Director, Graduate Degree Programs." The School of Advanced Military Studies, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, produced the report.

US raises fears of 'Iran bomb'

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 04:56 AM PDT

The United States military has once again claimed that it is possible for Iran to produce an atomic bomb 'within six years' time.

A senior US general told Congress on Wednesday that Iran could produce enough highly-enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb in one year, but it would take another three to five years to actually produce a "deliverable weapon that is usable."

Russia: Bushehr's launch set for August

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 04:31 AM PDT

Head of Russia's state nuclear corporation says Iran's much-delayed nuclear power plant in south of the country will become operational in August.

"The launch is scheduled for August. We're now on schedule," Sergei Kiriyenko told reporters in Argentina on Wednesday.

Larijani: We desire peace for Iraq

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 04:21 AM PDT

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says establishing a stable and peaceful Iraq is in the interest of all countries in the region.

"A stable and peaceful Iraq is beneficial to all regional countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran is eager to see the Iraqi people live in peace and prosperity," Larijani said in a meeting with Iraq's visiting deputy Prime Minister, Rafe' al-Isawi.

Release of Red Cross captives in Congo

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 04:15 AM PDT

Eight Red Cross workers kidnapped by an armed group in the Democratic Republic of Congo are set to be released Thursday "without condition."

Adrien Idi Amin, who is a leader of the Union of the Congolese People for Revolution, an offshoot of the Mai Mai militia, said that the seizure of the aid workers had been a mistake, AFP reported, quoting UN-sponsored Radio Okapi.

Teacher Working Against Tea Party Investigated

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:59 AM PDT

A Beaverton middle school teacher behind an effort to embarrass the tea party movement is under investigation for possible misconduct.

Jason Levin works at Conestoga Middle School and started Crash the Tea Party, a group that hopes to "dismantle and demolish" the tea party, a conservative movement that is holding rallies across the U.S. on tax filing day.

Settlers uproot WB olive orchards

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:58 AM PDT

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian orchards in central West Bank, damaging a vast area of olive stands by uprooting hundreds of trees.

The assault came Monday night in groves near the village of Mukhmas, a few kilometers northeast of Jerusalem (al-Quds), close to the illegal outpost of Migron, Haaretz reported.

Iran renews call for release of captives

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:24 AM PDT

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has renewed calls for the release of Iranian nationals, including a senior broadcast journalist detained in Italy.

Italy arrested two Iranians in March accusing them of involvement in arms exports to Iran in violation of Western sanctions against Iran.

Accelerating Fascism in Israel

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 03:14 AM PDT

steve lendman Occupied Palestinians and Israeli Arabs never had rights in a state affording them solely to Jews. Now even they're at risk as democratic freedoms fast erode on their way to extinction; to wit, free expression, a right without which all others are endangered. It includes free speech, a free press, freedom of thought, culture, intellectual inquiry, and the right to challenge government authority peacefully, especially in times of war and cases of injustice, lawlessness, incompetence, and abuses of power.

Israel has no constitution or specific laws guaranteeing equality or free expression. Yet its Basic Laws protect human dignity and liberty as fundamental democratic values, more rhetoric than fact given its persecution of journalist Anat Kam and Haaretz's national security reporter Uri Blau.

Iran's Zob Ahan enters AFC-CL R16

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 02:54 AM PDT

Iran's Zob Ahan has qualified for the 2010 AFC Champions League Round 16 despite a 1-0 defeat against the UAE side Al Wahda at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The hosts Al Wahda broke a deadlock after a successful 30-yard shot by Hassan Amin in the 71st minute secured their first points on the table in this year's AFC Champions League on Wednesday night.

Iran says prison attackers arrested

Posted: 15 Apr 2010 12:03 AM PDT

Days after an attack on a prison in western Iran, the Intelligence Ministry says three people have been arrested over the incident.

The ministry said on Wednesday that the perpetrators had been handed over to judicial authorities.

'Pakistan war on militancy useless'

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 11:48 PM PDT

Some top Afghan officials believe that the Pakistani army offensive against militants in border areas is doing little to combat terrorism.

Abdul Qayyum Katawazy, Governor of Paktika province, bordering Pakistan's North and South Waziristan, said on Wednesday, the Pakistani army "does not want to fight militants who are against the Afghan government and coalition forces."

'Hezbollah entitled to end occupation'

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 11:17 PM PDT

Lebanon's foreign minister says Hezbollah has been granted the right to use power against the occupation of Lebanese territories.

Ali al-Shami told Press TV on Wednesday that the movement has been given the right by the government to liberate the country's occupied territories.

Depleted uranium is destroying life

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 10:02 PM PDT

jerry mazza I have long heard sound-bites or seen passages about depleted uranium that sounded more than dire. But given my own cognitive dissonance, and the fact that I was writing about many other dire topics at the time, I filed depleted uranium in my cranium for future investigation, which, given the human aversion to bad news, could have been never.

Obama Takes a Small Step

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 09:23 PM PDT

Benjamin Netanyahu has done it again. The Israeli prime minister has dug his head this time deeper into the sand on the eve of the international conference on nuclear security held in Washington, for fear that Turkey, Egypt and others would raise the issue of Israel's unmonitored nuclear arsenal.

Typically, this extremist right-wing Israeli government took two missteps in an attempt to divert international attention over the absence of Netanyahu from the 47-nation conference initiated by President Obama. Israel was only represented by a cabinet minister at this largest assemblage of several heads of state in the U.S. capitol in 60 years as when President Theodore Roosevelt helped launch the United Nations.

Dispatch from China: Number 15 Has Left the Building

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 09:20 PM PDT

Li Changchun is often referred to as one of the most powerful men in China, in Asia and, increasingly, in the world. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee. On April 8, he awaited our arrival at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Between him and I stood a group of newspaper editors from throughout Asia, along with giant pillars, thick walls and a strict protocol that had to be followed to the letter, or to the number.

Yes, to the number. I was Number 15. I needed to remember this fact at all times. I also needed to be constantly aware of the identities of Number 14 and Number 16. This was to ensure the lineup was adhered to without fail wherever we were - whether lining up outside the Great Hall of the People, standing in line to shake Li Changchun's hand, or sitting in the large, well-lit room among a circle of editors. The editors sat and assiduously listened to Li, who spoke with the authority and power of a man known to be Number 5 in China. Or was it Number 3? Frankly, I cannot remember; I was nervously trying to remember my own number, and the ones before and immediately behind me.

Ethnic Hegemonies in American History, Part 2

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 09:00 PM PDT

tours Civil War and Empire

Since colonial times Southerners had used imported African slave labor. Consequently they lived symbiotically with the most genetically different of Earth's peoples.[23] Slavery continued after the Revolutionary War and became increasingly important as commercial cotton cultivation spread westward through the Gulf Coastal region at the start of Scots-Irish hegemony. The resultant Cotton Kingdom, ruled by a mix of Southerners from the old Atlantic coastal colonies and Scots-Irish from the interior, sought expansion into Latin America by conquest, while New England, which then valued ethnic, cultural, and religious homogeneity, opposed it.

Tape shows US police beating student

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 08:55 PM PDT

A newly-surfaced video showing US police officers brutally beating up an unarmed university student has provoked outrage across the US.

John McKenna, 21, the University of Maryland student is still recovering from the physical injuries he suffered last month when he got caught up in a celebration of his school basketball team's win over Duke.

Jordan summons Israeli ambassador

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 08:49 PM PDT

Jordan has summoned the Israeli ambassador over the regime's new threat to force out tens of thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank.

Israel ambassador Dani Nevo was summoned to the Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and given a "strongly-worded protest" over a military order that classes Palestinians living in the West Bank without the proper document as "infiltrators," the official Petra news agency reported.

Russia asks Iran for its rare leopards

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 07:57 PM PDT

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has asked for Iran's help in reviving a rare population of Persian leopards that disappeared in Russia decades ago.

Caucasian or Persian leopards disappeared from the Caucasus Mountains around the resort of Sochi in southern Russia in the 1920s due to excessive hunting.

Key powers meet on new Iran sanctions

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 07:02 PM PDT

Envoys from six major world powers have met in New York to discuss a US-drafted proposal for a new round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

In Washington, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns said that the fresh talks come as there is "a sense of urgency" in crafting a fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran.

Israeli regime worse than apartheid

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 06:07 PM PDT

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat says Israel has turned into a regime worse than South Africa before the collapse of apartheid.

"Never in the darkest hours of South African apartheid were the blacks prevented (from using) roads that whites were using," the official said, referring to measures taken by Israel to segregate Palestinian allegedly to secure Jewish settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israel demolishes two WB homes

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 05:30 PM PDT

Israeli forces backed by bulldozers have demolished two homes in the occupied West Bank, leaving at least nine Palestinians homeless.

Palestinian rights organizations said on Wednesday that the bulldozers destroyed a home in the village of Khader, near Bethlehem.

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:57 PM PDT

Another White male — the list is endless — has been fired for poltically incorrect speech. Allen Zaruba, an adjunct art professor at Towson University in Maryland, quickly that racial issues today are what sexual issues were during the Victorian age. You might well have seen "Governess Fired for Mentioning Unmentionables" in the English press a century ago.

Esteqlal reaches AFC-CL last 16

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:27 PM PDT

Iran's Esteqlal has booked its place in the last 16 round of the 2010 AFC Champions League, following a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli in Group A.

Striker Mehdi Salehi opened the scoring after 25 minutes in front of spectators at Tehran's Azadi Stadium on Wednesday.

George H.W. Obama?

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:17 PM PDT

Now that Barack Obama's nuclear-security summit has concluded, the world is taking a fresh look at the U.S. president's foreign policy. Even the White House chief of staff is having his say. In Wednesday's New York Times, Rahm Emanuel went on the record with this assessment of his boss's worldview.

"Everybody always breaks it down between idealist and realist," Emanuel said. "If you had to put him in a category, he's probably more realpolitik, like Bush 41 ... He knows that personal relationships are important, but you've got to be cold-blooded about the self-interests of your nation."

Eastern India storm kills 84

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:03 PM PDT

At least 84 people are killed and thousands of others are rendered homeless as a result of a tropical storm that swept through parts of eastern India.

The storm hit the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, bordering Bangladesh, knocking down homes and phone lines.

Gates criticizes Wikileaks Iraq video

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:59 PM PDT

The US Secretary of Defense has blasted the release of a video footage by the Internet group WikiLeaks showing the killing of Iraqi civilians by a US helicopter fire.

Robert Gates said on Tuesday that the WikiLeak video footage is out of context and depicts an incomplete picture of the battlefield.

CFR, Trilateral Commission Member to Replace Poland's Kaczynski?

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:51 PM PDT

BusinessWeek reported yesterday that Andrzej Olechowski will enter a presidential race in Poland to replace Lech Kaczynski.

"The Polish Peasants' Party, the junior partner in the governing coalition, will probably nominate its leader, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak, and Andrzej Olechowski, a former foreign minister and finance minister, will run as an independent," it is reported.

S. African union strike gets violent

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:38 PM PDT

Members of the South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) have resorted to violent protests in major cities on Wednesday after three days of strikes.

SAMWU members have stoned cars, overturned trash cans and set garbage on fire in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Police spokesperson Captain Johan Rheede said.

Lebanon detains 5 Israeli spy suspects

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:30 PM PDT

Lebanese police and army intelligence servicemen have arrested five people across the country on charges of espionage.

According to the Beirut-based As Safir newspaper, the suspects were arrested in different parts of northern Lebanon over the past few days.

Roman pots found off Italy's coast

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:17 PM PDT

Researchers have stumbled upon a collection of rare Roman pots while scouring ship wrecks off the Italian coast of Capo Palinuro, near Policastro.

The British team from the Aberdeen-based Hallin Marine International energy company found hundreds of ancient pots 1,640ft under the sea while trawling modern wrecks for radioactive materials.

Chagas increases risk of stroke

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 03:05 PM PDT

Being infected with a tropical parasitic disease known as Chagas may place the individual at an increased risk of developing stroke, a new study finds.

Latest figures have revealed that 18 million individuals in the world suffer Chagas, a disease caused by a parasite named Trypanosoma cruzi. The majority of them, however, are unaware of being infected.

Col. Morris Davis Defends the Rule of Law, Calls for Prosecution for Torturers

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:59 PM PDT

Col. Morris Davis Yesterday, I was delighted to receive an email from Morris Davis, the retired Air Force colonel and former chief prosecutor for the Military Commissions at Guantánamo Bay, who asked if I had a contact at the Huffington Post for an op-ed he had just written defending the importance of the rule of law — and how it applies to everyone — written in a blistering style that America needs more of.

Moe also pulled no punches when it came to explaining why torture is a criminal offense, and why those who authorize it must be prosecuted — an unsurprising, but important opinion, given that he resigned as chief prosecutor when placed in a chain of command under Pentagon counsel Jim Haynes, who, as he explained in December 2007, had been involved in "authorizing the use of the aggressive interrogation techniques" — in other words, torture — which conflicted with his own insistence that prosecutors in the Military Commissions "would not offer any evidence derived by waterboarding, one of the aggressive interrogation techniques the [Bush] administration … sanctioned."

McCain Wants to "Pull Trigger" On Iran

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:57 PM PDT

Tea Party Sarah's favorite senator, John McCain, wants to "pull the trigger" on Iran.

Prostate cancer ups blood clot risk

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:56 PM PDT

Prostate cancer victims are placed at a greater risk of developing blood clots particularly if they are receiving hormone therapy, a new study finds.

Previous studies had pointed out that cancer patients, regardless of the type of their tumor, are at a four times greater risk of developing blood clots and subsequently pulmonary embolism.

Iran needs 1.5 kg nuclear fuel per month

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:49 PM PDT

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, has said Tehran needs one-and-a-half kilos of nuclear fuel every month.

According to Salehi, Iran is prepared to swap low enriched uranium for high-enriched uranium, but only after the West wins back Tehran's trust.

Aspirin can treat migraine attacks

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:47 PM PDT

While many rely on strong painkillers and special remedies to alleviate migraine headaches, a new study finds a single dose of aspirin can treat these patients.

According to the study carried out by the Cochrane Library, taking a single dose of 900 - 1000mg aspirin substantially alleviates moderate to severe headache within two hours in more than 50 percent of migraineurs.

Major National Poll: Election 2012 — Barack Obama 42%, Ron Paul 41%

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:22 PM PDT

Major National Poll: Election 2012 Barack Obama 42%, Ron Paul 41% 140410RP

A major national poll of voters has found that a hypothetical 2012 election race between president Obama and Texas Congressman Ron Paul results in an almost dead heat.

The Rasmussen survey of likely voters finds Obama with 42% support and Paul with 41% of the vote. Eleven percent (11%) say they prefer a different candidate, with 6% declaring themselves undecided.

How the Holy Father Lost the Fatherland

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:43 PM PDT

To understand the predicament of the European Catholic Church as Pope Benedict XVI's tenure becomes increasingly mired in scandal, it's worth remembering why the former Joseph Ratzinger chose that name in the first place.

Speaking to the crowds in Vatican City's St. Peter's Square on April 27, 2005, immediately after succeeding John Paul II, Ratzinger made clear the choice of the name was meant in large part because of his desire to look to the example of St. Benedict of Norcia, the influential sixth-century cleric whose ideas led to the founding of the Benedictine order.

Rasmussen: Mere 4% Support Establishment Political Class

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:29 PM PDT

Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters nationwide now hold populist, or Mainstream, views of government. That's up from 62% last September and 55% last March.

Mainstream Americans tend to trust the wisdom of the crowd more than their political leaders and are skeptical of both big government and big business (see crosstabs). While Republicans and unaffiliated voters are more likely to hold Mainstream views than Democrats, a majority of those in the president's party (51%) hold such views.

Yahoo News Rewrites History of Tea Party

Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:23 PM PDT

The establishment is petrified by the Tea Party movement and its pro-Constitution philosophy. In order to shut it down and render it into another harmless false right-left paradigm circus sideshow distraction, they mischievously launched a concerted effort to turn it into a milquetoast wing of the Republican party and appoint media diva Sarah Palin and disinfo operative Glenn Beck as its leaders and founders.

MSNBC and CNN have turned somersaults to portray the movement as a marginalized gaggle of racists, nativist troglodytes, and retarded rednecks who spit on black Democrats. Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, and the "progressive" teleprompter reading crowd reciting from Pentagon scripts continually warn — with a little help from their friends at the SPLC — that the movement will morph into a Timothy McVeigh inspired domestic terrorist cell ready to blow up federal buildings and attack the IRS.

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