Thursday, May 27, 2010

Ritter: US to blame for Iraq calamity

Ritter: US to blame for Iraq calamity (plus 99 more items)

Link to Rebel Newsflash

Ritter: US to blame for Iraq calamity

Posted: 23 May 2010 09:18 PM PDT

Former chief United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter says the US policy of "regime change" in pre-war Iraq hampered efforts by the UN to find a diplomatic solution to the case.

Ritter, who served as the chief UN weapons inspector from 1991 to 1998 in Iraq, said that the main reason that Baghdad did not cooperate with his team in resolving the nuclear issue was the fact that the US pursued a policy of regime change towards the country.

Autism higher among immigrant kids

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:45 PM PDT

While genetics and environment are the major factors leading to autism, a new study points out a correlation between being an immigrant and having an autistic child.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, is characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted and stereotyped behavior.

Iran adamant about Ashton meeting

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:45 PM PDT

A draft resolution for fresh sanctions against Iran has no effect on an upcoming meeting between Iran's top nuclear negotiator and the EU foreign policy chief.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington had reached an agreement with other veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council for imposing a fourth round of sanctions against Iran.

Mexico halts search for missing ex-sen.

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:39 PM PDT

Mexican authorities have suspended a probe into the disappearance of a former presidential candidate, Diego Fernandez de Cevallos, on his family's request.

Federal prosecutors investigating the case said in a Saturday statement that they had suspended the investigation at the request of the ex-senator's family members.

Sea sponge can treat various cancers

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:09 PM PDT

An experimental new drug produced from sea sponges has shown promising results in treating various malignancies ranging from breast cancer to soft tissue sarcoma.

Eribulin was first shown to be effective in breast cancer patients. Additional studies also reported the drug to be well tolerated, adding that its use was associated with a few mild side effects.

Ritter: US policies cause of Iraq failure

Posted: 23 May 2010 07:58 PM PDT

Former chief United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter says the US policy of "regime change" in pre-war Iraq hampered efforts by the UN to find a diplomatic solution to the case.

Ritter, who served as the chief UN weapons inspector from 1991 to 1998 in Iraq, said that the main reason that Baghdad did not cooperate with his team in resolving the nuclear issue was the fact that the US pursued a policy of regime change towards the country.

Iran warns Israel against building tension

Posted: 23 May 2010 07:45 PM PDT

With Israel holding a large-scale military drill, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi advises Tel Aviv against looking for any trouble in the region.

"Israel's main problem is its total lack of legitimacy, now adding to existing concerns is the prospect of a military confrontation," Brigadier General Vahidi told reporters on Sunday.

Dozens killed in China accidents

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:32 PM PDT

At least 32 people have been killed in two different transport accidents in China, with a passenger train derailed by a landslide and a truck colliding with a bus.

A train in eastern China was derailed by a landslide, killing at least 10 passengers and injuring 55, a statement from the rescue headquarters said.

Volunteer music festival kicks off

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:16 PM PDT

A festival featuring a wide repertoire of classic and modern music is scheduled to be held by volunteer artists from May 24 to 27 at Tehran's Rudaki Hall.

The festival, dubbed "From Classic to Modern Music," will be held without any state funding, Mehr news agency quoted the Iranian composer and festival secretary Alireza Mashayekhi as saying during a press conference at Vahdat Hall on Saturday.

Iran sanctions on track, Kouchner says

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:10 PM PDT

France says the Tehran declaration on a nuclear fuel swap is not nearly enough to avert the course of a new set of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear activities.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, speaking after a Saturday meeting with Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul, said that sanctions against Iran would go along as planned, since the country has made it clear that it has no intention whatsoever of stopping uranium enrichment.

Rafsanjani slams intl psywar on Iran

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:01 PM PDT

Amid a Western push for fresh sanctions against Iran, an influential Iranian cleric and politician says psychological warfare cannot prevent Tehran from exercising its nuclear rights.

Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani described the Islamic Republic as "determined" to defend its rights and in particular its nuclear rights on the international stage.

Rafsanjani slams west psywar on Iran

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:01 PM PDT

Amid a Western push for fresh sanctions against Iran, an influential Iranian cleric and politician says psychological warfare cannot prevent Tehran from exercising its nuclear rights.

Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani described the Islamic Republic as "determined" to defend its rights and in particular its nuclear rights on the international stage.

Slave America, Holocaust By Deceit

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:56 PM PDT

Gordon Duff Millions of illegal aliens, thousands members of dangerous drug gangs, have taken over city after city, state after state. Do you really think our government couldn't have closed the border in days? The illegals are here for a purpose. They killed trade unions, suppressed the minimum wage, worked as slaves for corporate agriculture, filled our prisons and courts, all of this and more was part of a plan. Follow the money. Illegal immigration is a product of lobbyists who fought to protect it, the National Association of Manufacturers and the US Chamber of Commerce in particular. Big agricuture spent millions to keep our borders open and their hero, California Governor Ronald Reagan, chief "coyote" of all time.

India still vague on plane crash

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:56 PM PDT

The Indian aviation minister has abstained elaborate on the reasons for the country's recent plane crash, as experts believe pilot error could be the cause of the accident.

Praful Patul said Saturday night that the inquiry by both the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air India (AI) will establish the cause of the accident, The Times of India reported.

Obama tasks panel to probe oil spill

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:46 PM PDT

US President Barack Obama has blamed the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on "a breakdown of responsibility," tasking an official commission to investigate the disaster.

Speaking on his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday, President Obama said, "First and foremost, what led to this disaster was a breakdown of responsibility on the part of BP and perhaps others, including Transocean and Halliburton."

UK Police censure proposed reforms

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:37 PM PDT

British police chiefs express outrage at proposed reforms announced by the new Home Secretary Theresa May, accusing the government of undermining public safety.

The Home Offices' plans to reduce bureaucracy include publicly-elected police commissioners that oversee chief constables, causing fury within the police force. In a letter to the Observer, police chiefs denounced the proposed reforms, branding them "driven by dogma" and "uncosted."

UK forces accused of helping Taliban

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:35 PM PDT

Most of the Regional Command in the South of Afghanistan will be shifted from the UK to the US, as British forces are accused of having links with the Taliban.

Based on new arrangements, British forces in the south that includes Kandahar province will be placed under American control as part of a radical restructuring plan being drawn amid a new phase of war against the Taliban.

American moms thank Iran hospitality

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:17 PM PDT

The mothers of the three Americans caught trespassing Iranian territory have expressed gratitude for Tehran's hospitality during their stay in the country.

"We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Iranian government for allowing us to visit Shane, Sarah and Josh in Tehran. We greatly appreciate the kindness of the Iranian officials who did so much to help us during our all too brief stay," read a joint statement by Nora Shourd, Laura Fattal, and Cindy Hickey on Saturday.

US wants more access to China market

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:12 PM PDT

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for Chinese cooperation with American companies, saying the US deserves "fair access" to the Chinese market.

Speaking in Shanghai a day before the start of high-level talks called "Strategic and Economic Dialogue," Clinton said American companies want to compete in China.

Larijani blasts US for anti-Iran UN bid

Posted: 23 May 2010 04:20 PM PDT

Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker blasts new US effort to impose sanctions on Tehran, warning it would turn Iran against a nuclear swap deal.

Ali Larijani cautioned Sunday that if the US engages in (such) adventurism in the UN Security Council or the US Congress, it would destroy all the efforts that Turkey and Brazil have put into the Tehran nuclear declaration, cancelling the operational procedure of any nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran, IRNA reported.

Iran film wins top prize in Slovakia

Posted: 23 May 2010 03:35 PM PDT

Iranian director Jafar Noor-Mohammadi has received the top award at the 16th International Environmental Film Festival in Slovakia for his movie, "the Hunter."

The five-day festival, which officially kicked off on May 10 in several cities of Slovakia, sought to knock on human senses to spread a message about the worsening state of our environment and its growing risks.

Voting underway in Ethiopia

Posted: 23 May 2010 03:33 PM PDT

Ethiopians have begun voting in national elections that are expected to return Meles Zenawi, the long-serving prime minister, to power in the first ballot since a disputed poll in 2005 turned violent.

Polling stations started opening as planned at 6:00am local time (0300 GMT) on Sunday.

Israeli military begins war games

Posted: 23 May 2010 03:21 PM PDT

The Israeli military has begun a five-day-long war game, which has raised regional tensions that the hawkish Tel Aviv regime is preparing for another war.

The military drills, called "Turning Point 4," began on Sunday morning and will be conducted in 68 cities and towns.

Protesters break up BA-Unite talks

Posted: 23 May 2010 03:13 PM PDT

Socialist Workers Party protesters have broken up negotiations between British Airways and Unite, as the possibility of a cabin crew strike continues to linger.

Socialist Workers Party members stormed the Acas conciliation service headquarters last night where talks were being held to divert a British Airways cabin crew strike, after the country's court of appeal had overturned a previous injunction against a series of strikes planned to begin May 18.

S Korea to take ship case to UN

Posted: 23 May 2010 03:06 PM PDT

South Korea will take the case of its sunken naval vessel Cheonan to the UN Security Council, as pressure mounts on North Korea, which is accused of torpedoing the ship.

Lee Myung-bak, the South Korean president, will deliver a speech about the incident on Monday, Lee Dong-kwan, the presidential spokesman, said.

Iran seeks Iraq war compensation

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:56 PM PDT

More than twenty years after Iraq launched a full-scale invasion of Iran, a top Iranian lawmaker says Tehran's demands for war compensation should be met.

"Iran has a legal right to seek compensation for the damages it endured during the war imposed by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and this matter should be pursued in all seriousness," Kazem Jalali, Rapporteur of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said on Sunday.

Gaza children's camp destroyed

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:50 PM PDT

Dozens of masked men have broken into a UN-run Gaza summer camp for children and set it on fire, after beating up the guard and destroying the plastic tents.

The men blocked Gaza Strip's main coastal highway on Sunday before destroying the facility, one of the largest of several summer camps across the occupied Palestinian territory run by UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Berlusconi wiretap bill stirs worries

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:48 PM PDT

The Italian government has drawn opposition fire for a controversial draft law on wiretapping rules, which will restrict the courts' use of wiretapping.

The bill, due for presentation before the Senate next week, will undermine anti-mafia efforts in the country, the opposition to the ruling right-wingers say.

Inter reaches acme of European soccer

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:31 PM PDT

Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti says his dream came true after 45 years when his side won the Champions League title against Bayern Munich.

Striker Diego Milito scored two goals at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Saturday to complete a treble for Inter following its Italian league and Cup double.

'Secret Ops' cause of US deaths in Iraq

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:29 PM PDT

An international anti-war organization, the War and Peace Foundation, says continued fatalities of US troops in Iraq is a sign of their involvement in secret operations.

Speaking to Press TV on Saturday, Director of the War and Peace Foundation Kevin Sanders said the fact that the US soldiers are killed off-base in Iraq shows that the US is violating certain restrictions.

Ethiopia's legislative elections open

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:55 PM PDT

Voting has begun in Ethiopia to elect members of the lower House of Representatives and local councilors amid rights groups' criticism of "shrinking freedom."

Some 32 million voters have been registered for the May 23 national elections that are meant to determine the fate of 547 seats in the lower House of Representatives and regional councils.

UK vows inquiry into torture claims

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:49 PM PDT

Foreign Secretary William Hague will investigate allegations that the British intelligence service was complicit in the use of torture against detainees.

The Con-Lib coalition government is apparently working out details of an investigation as allegations continue to surface concerning the use of torture against inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Turkish aid ships set sail for Gaza

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:44 PM PDT

A contingent of Turkish ships has set sail for the Gaza Strip in order to break the blockade of the region and deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans.

The three cargo vessels left Istanbul on Saturday to join an international fleet organized by the human rights organization, Free Gaza Movement.

Iran: US main root of Afghan extremism

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:35 PM PDT

Iran's foreign minister calls US the main perpetrator of radicalism in Afghanistan reiterating that the country's difficulties can only be resolved through regional collaboration.

Flawed policies imposed on Afghanistan (by Western forces) have inflicted "extensive negative consequences" on this region's states and people, said Manouchehr Mottaki in a meeting with the Special Representative of UN Secretary General for Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura, IRIB reported Sunday.

Iran declaration 'beginning of new era'

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:35 PM PDT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says a newly-issued declaration by Tehran on a nuclear fuel swap will open a new chapter in the international political arena.

"Iran's nuclear declaration is the beginning of a new era in the international political arena and offers a great opportunity for interaction and dialogue," IRNA quoted President Ahmadinejad as saying in a phone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.

Turkey's opposition picks new head

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:21 PM PDT

Turkey's main opposition party has elected its new leader, after the former chairman resigned this month over a sex scandal.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu stood unopposed for the leadership of the pro-secular Republican People's Party (CHP), and will challenge Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, in elections due next year.

Poland flood claims lives

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:42 PM PDT

Authorities say that 12 people in Poland have been killed in the worst flooding that the country has seen in 60 years.

A police spokesman said that emergency forces were out in massive force, using helicopters and boats to monitor the situation and evacuate people in flood-stricken areas.

Turkey's CHP picks new head

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:39 PM PDT

A former lawmaker has been elected as Turkey's main opposition party leader after an alleged sex tape scandal forced the former veteran head of the party to resign.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu won the leadership of the Republican People's Party (CHP) on Saturday to become the party's seventh chairman.

Deaths in Mogadishu attack

Posted: 23 May 2010 11:41 AM PDT

Somalia's al-Shabab, the armed anti-government group, has attacked the presidential palace in Mogadishu, leaving at least 14 civilians dead, officials and witnesses say.

Government forces backed by African Union troops retaliated on Saturday against the fighters, whose attack came as Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Somali president, was attending a conference in Turkey.

Battle for Mogadishu rages, 16 killed

Posted: 23 May 2010 11:35 AM PDT

At least 16 people, including six children, have been killed and dozens injured in heavy gun battles in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, residents and medics say.

The clashes erupted after Somali fighters launched an attack on government troops' bases in northern districts of Shibis and Bondhere, a Press TV correspondent reported on Sunday.

Palestinian Youth Wounded By Army fire In Beit Lahia

Posted: 23 May 2010 11:27 AM PDT

'War-torn

Palestinian medical sources reported Sunday that Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a Palestinian youth north of Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers opened fire at Palestinian workers collecting stones, sand and scrap material to be used in construction due to the ongoing siege.

Three killed in China train accident

Posted: 23 May 2010 10:16 AM PDT

Landslides have derailed a passenger train in China's southeastern province of Jiangxi, leaving at least three people dead and almost a dozen injured.

The incident came on Sunday at dawn when a train's locomotive and nine of its 17 carriages went off the track in Dongxiang county of Fuzhou city, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry of Railways as saying in a press release.

Occupiers' base in Kandahar attacked

Posted: 23 May 2010 10:14 AM PDT

Gunmen have attacked the main military base for US-led forces in southern Afghanistan as anti-US sentiment in the war-weary nation reaches new heights.

On Saturday evening, five rockets were fired into the NATO base in the southern province of Kandahar, pushing all personnel into security lock-down and leaving a number of soldiers injured.

Japan, US agree on Okinawa base shift

Posted: 23 May 2010 10:13 AM PDT

Tokyo and Washington have agreed on a plan to relocate a US base in southern Japan despite local opposition and divisions in Japan's ruling coalition.

In an effort to adhere to his campaign pledge, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama initially resisted pressure from Washington to implement a 2006 deal to move Futenma airbase inside Okinawa Island.

Siege hinders reconstruction of Gaza

Posted: 23 May 2010 09:43 AM PDT

The United Nations Development Program says that the Israeli blockade has drastically slowed down all reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

Little has been done to reconstruct property and infrastructure damaged in the Israeli war on Gaza, and aid efforts have also been largely ineffective, the UNDP wrote in a report issued on Saturday.

Abbas signs Karama Pledge

Posted: 23 May 2010 09:10 AM PDT

The acting Palestinian Authority chief has signed the Karama Pledge to boycott goods produced in illegal West Bank settlements.

Mahmoud Abbas affixed a sticker to his door on Saturday declaring his home "free" of the offending products, the Ma'an news agency reported.

Talks to halt BA strike broken up

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:52 AM PDT

Negotiations to try to halt a planned strike by British Airways cabin crews have been abandoned after dozens of noisy protestors stormed a building in London where a meeting was being held.

On Saturday, police were called to the headquarters of the conciliation service Acas after members of the Socialist Workers Party managed to get to the 23rd floor where leaders of the Unite union were meeting with BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh.

Hariri meets Erdogan in Ankara

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:39 AM PDT

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has held talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the meeting with the Turkish prime minister on Saturday afternoon, Hariri stressed the need for Lebanon to protect itself from all external threats and dangers, adding that the threats that are being issued against Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine can be resolved through peaceful means.

India investigates air crash cause

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:33 AM PDT

The Indian government has set up an investigative body to look into the cause of a air crash that killed 158 people.

An Air India Express jet was landing just outside the port city of Mangalore on India's southwest coast when it burst into flames on Saturday.

3 Muslim nomads killed in Nigeria

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:25 AM PDT

Three nomadic herdsmen from Nigeria's Muslim Fulani community have been killed in a Christian village near the city of Jos.

The men were killed late on Saturday in the area of the mainly Christian village of Tusung in the Barki Ladi region, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Jos, when they were reportedly looking for lost cattle.

Dozens dead in China accidents

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:20 AM PDT

Two transport accidents in China have claimed dozens of lives, with a passenger train derailed by a landslide and a truck and colliding with a bus.

State media said 32 people were killed on Sunday when a truck travelling in the wrong direction on an expressway collided head-on with a bus in the country's northeast.

PM: Thailand returning to normal

Posted: 23 May 2010 08:11 AM PDT

Thailand's prime minister has said the country is "calm and returning to normality" four days after a deadly military crackdown unleashed a rampage of arson and looting.

"Everything is calm and returning to normality," Abhisit Vejjajiva said in his regular Sunday television address, appearing relaxed and confident.

Brazil hints US should accept fuel swap

Posted: 23 May 2010 07:47 AM PDT

Brazilian officials have hinted that the US should accept Iran's nuclear fuel swap declaration since it contained provisions suggested by US President Barack Obama.

The Obama administration is pursuing a fourth round of UN sanctions on Iran, despite the deal brokered this week by Brazil and Turkey to ship half of Iran's low-enriched uranium to Turkey for a nuclear fuel swap.

Ethiopians go to the polls

Posted: 23 May 2010 07:12 AM PDT

Ethiopians have begun voting in national elections that are expected to return Meles Zenawi, the long-serving prime minister, to power in the first ballot since a disputed poll in 2005 turned violent.

Polling stations started opening as planned at 6:00am local time (0300 GMT) on Sunday.

Senator wants corporate welfare for BP

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:43 AM PDT

US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member Lisa Murkowski has urged Congress not to overreact legislatively to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

On May 13, Murkowski and other Republicans blocked Senate Democratic attempts to pass the "Big Oil Bailout Prevention Liability Act" which would cap BP's liability at $10 billion, even if damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill surpass that figure. The company already estimates that the spill will cost $450 million to clean up.

Obama, Merkel discuss economy

Posted: 23 May 2010 06:22 AM PDT

US President Barack Obama has called German Chancellor Angela Merkel to congratulate her on Berlin's plan to contribute to a fund to stabilize the European economy.

In a 10-minute telephone call, Obama congratulated Merkel on the German parliament's vote on Friday to approve Germany's share of a trillion-dollar emergency rescue package to protect debt-stricken European Union members, the White House said.

Obama blames BP and orders probe

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:15 AM PDT

The US president has blamed the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on "a breakdown of responsibility" at energy giant BP as he unveiled a commission to investigate the disaster.

Barack Obama, in his weekly radio and internet address on Saturday, also said offshore oil drilling could only go forward if there were assurances that such an accident would not happen again.

Settlers Torch Farmlands In The Jordan valley

Posted: 23 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT

'File

A group of fundamentalist settlers torched on Saturday several farmlands in Wad Al Maleh in the northern plains of the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.

The torched lands were planted with wheat and barley.

Iran's 'Oyan' shines at Italian filmfest

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:08 AM PDT

Iranian director Esmaeil Monsef has received the Best Short Film award of the 58th edition of Italy's Trento Film Festival for his Oyan.

The 19-minute film, which received the Silver Gentian award of the event, depicts the daily life of a young postman who takes letters from across the border to a village in western Iran.

Time for Barack Obama to choose paranoia or sanity

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:07 AM PDT

paul j balles

During the Vietnam War, preemptive thinking was referred to as the domino theory. It held that if one country fell under communist influence or control, its neighbouring countries would soon fall like dominoes.

The theory originated after World War II out of Winston Churchill's wish to "deter aggression" by communist Russia. The Truman doctrine, the policy of aiding nations defending themselves against communist forces, followed.

'Iran to boost 'cyber war' deterrence

Posted: 23 May 2010 02:01 AM PDT

Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi has said technological advances have amplified the need for defensive preparations against "cyber war."

"At present, information and communication technologies are of great importance for different countries and we must prepare and equip ourselves against any form of cyber warfare," IRNA quoted Brigadier General Vahidi as telling a gathering of army commanders in Tehran on Saturday.

Texas man fakes way into US Army

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:55 AM PDT

A Texas man, who had not received military training, infiltrated the US Army and secured himself a leadership post as a noncommissioned officer.

The US Army screening process and record system received a blow for allowing Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, into its ranks, positioning him as a sergeant, an AP report said on Friday.

'UNSC making historic mistake on Iran'

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:23 AM PDT

Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency criticizes Western powers for using Iran's nuclear program as an "excuse" to change IAEA mandates.

"Iran will resist pressures and sanctions so that Western countries will not be able to use this excuse on other Arab and Muslim nations," Ali Asghar Soltanieh was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency on Saturday.

Greenland's ice melting rapidly

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:18 AM PDT

Global warming has accelerated the pace at which Greenland's ice is melting, making the land underneath rise at a more rapid speed, a new study says.

"During ice ages and in times of ice accumulation, the ice suppresses the land," said co-author Shimon Wdowinski.

3 US-led troops killed in Afghanistan

Posted: 23 May 2010 01:06 AM PDT

Three US-led foreign soldiers and a civilian working with NATO have been killed in Afghanistan amid a surge in militant attacks against the foreign forces in the country.

Two soldiers along with the civilian employee were killed in a militant attack in Afghanistan's volatile south region on Saturday, NATO said in a statement.

Scores dead in Indian plane crash

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:30 AM PDT

Mangalore is a coastal city, around 320km west of Bangalore, the main city of Karnataka state.

Air India Express is a budget airline run by Air India, a state-run carrier.

Iran, Georgia to sign visa waiver accord

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:23 AM PDT

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Iran and Georgia will soon sign an agreement to eliminate visa requirements.

Mehmanparast, who is in Tbilisi to improve media cooperation between the two countries, expressed Iran's desire to increase relations with Georgia.

4 PKK militants killed in Turkey air raids

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:19 AM PDT

Four militants have been killed in recent Turkish airstrikes on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions in northern Iraq.

"Four fighters were killed and five wounded in large-scale Turkish air raids on Thursday," Ahmed Denis, a spokesman for the PKK, was quoted by AFP as saying.

Obama appoints oil spill panel

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:10 AM PDT

The US president has appointed a commission to probe the real causes of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, urging its members to offer suggestions to avoid similar plights.

In his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday, US President Barack Obama promised to seek guarantees that such offshore drilling accidents will not happen in the future.

Rudy Giuliani Confronted by We Are Change Idaho

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:06 AM PDT

Rudy Giuliani came to Idaho in April 2010 for a Get Motivated Seminar. He also attended a campaign fundraising dinner for Idaho Governor C.L. Butch Otter. We wanted to know why he sent the victims' remains to the landfill and shipped the evidence overseas. As a former prosecutor he knew 'destruction of a crime scene' was a crime in itself. Ask questions, demand answers!!

Iran transgenic kids fight heart disease

Posted: 23 May 2010 12:05 AM PDT

Royan scientists have succeeded in producing two transgenic kids, paving the way for Iran to join countries with the technology to generate drugs from transgenic animals.

In January 2010 following the birth of 'Shangoul' and 'Mangoul', Iran became the first Middle Eastern country to produce transgenic goats with foreign proteins in their milk, which renders them valuable sources of human factor IX for treating individuals suffering from hemophilia B.

UK to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

Posted: 22 May 2010 11:54 PM PDT

In a U-turn in Britain's policy regarding the Afghan war, senior government officials say they want UK soldiers to return home as soon as possible.

In an interview with The Times newspaper before arriving in Kabul on Saturday, Defense Secretary Liam Fox described the Afghan war as Britain's most urgent priority.

Putin in talks with Georgian opposition

Posted: 22 May 2010 11:36 PM PDT

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says his meeting with Georgian opposition leaders could be the start of closer relations between the countries.

"We are developing dialogue with the people with whom it had been rather difficult to talk to until recently," said Putin, referring to Georgian opposition leader Nino Burjanadze.

Larijani questions US logic for sanctions

Posted: 22 May 2010 11:34 PM PDT

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has described circulating a draft resolution on a new round of sanctions against Iran as one of the wonders of American diplomacy.

"They should have let the Tehran declaration to move forward and if they had anything to say, they could have said it within that context," ILNA quoted Larijani as saying in a meeting with the families of martyrs in Khoramshahr.

Lebanon slams Israel military drills

Posted: 22 May 2010 11:09 PM PDT

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri has condemned Israel for planning to launch a new military drill, saying such a move runs counter to Middle East peace efforts.

"If Israel wants to talk about peace with the Palestinians, why is it carrying out military maneuvers?" said Hariri on Saturday, a day before Israel will begin its week-long exercise.

Brazil arrests Polish pedophile priest

Posted: 22 May 2010 10:48 PM PDT

In the latest episode of a sexual abuse scandal surrounding the Roman Catholic Church, Brazil has put a Polish Catholic priest on trial.

Alexandre Abrahao Teixeira who is overseeing the case described the priest, identified only by his initials as MMS, as "a person compulsively attached to sex with adolescents," AFP reported on Saturday.

Turkey writes to 26 states on Iran

Posted: 22 May 2010 10:44 PM PDT

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has underscored the need for diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program in a formal letter to 26 heads of state.

The letter encloses details of the May 17 Tehran Nuclear Declaration and stresses Ankara's rejection of nuclear weapons and the need for a nuke-free Middle East, IRNA reported Saturday.

Afghan Nato base comes under attack

Posted: 22 May 2010 10:32 PM PDT

Suspected fighters have launched a rocket and ground attack on Nato's main military base in southern Afghanistan, days after a similar assault on the coalition's military base in Bagram.

Nato officials said the fighters fired a number of rockets and mortars at the Kandahar Air Field on Saturday, wounding an unspecified number of Nato troops.

Chile orders Pakistani back to jail

Posted: 22 May 2010 10:28 PM PDT

A court in Chile has ordered back to jail a Pakistani man who was briefly detained and charged after being found with traces of explosives at the US embassy in Santiago, the Chilean capital, officials have said.

The court labeled Mauhannas Saif ur Rehnab Khan, 28, "a danger to society" and revoked his freedom on Saturday after he was released last week on probation following charges of illegally possessing weapons.

Two US soldiers killed in Iraq

Posted: 22 May 2010 10:10 PM PDT

The US military has announced that two of its combat troops have been killed in separate incidents in the restive regions of northern Iraq.

The army said in a statement that one of the soldiers was killed near Iraq's northern city of Mosul on Friday. The military statement gave no details on the circumstances leading to his death.

Yoga improves sleep in cancer survivors

Posted: 22 May 2010 09:59 PM PDT

Yoga can help cancer survivors not only to sleep better but also to have more energy during the day time, a new study finds.

"Physicians and oncologists are often uncomfortable advising patients who want to use therapies that are complementary to standard cancer therapy," said the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Douglas Blayney.

Turkey bombards PKK in northern Iraq

Posted: 22 May 2010 09:18 PM PDT

The Turkish Army has conducted cross border attacks into northern Iraq, targeting some 50 positions used by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants, a report says.

On Thursday, 20 Turkish fighter jets bombed the positions in the Zap-Khakurk region in northern Iraq, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported.

Irregular mense linked to heart disease

Posted: 22 May 2010 09:14 PM PDT

Women with a history of irregular menstrual periods are placed at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, a new study finds.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition in which ovaries produce higher-than-normal amounts of male hormones and is characterized by irregular menstrual periods, is linked with higher risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Thai PM cancels Russia visit amid crisis

Posted: 22 May 2010 08:59 PM PDT

Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has cancelled a trip to Russia following a successful crackdown on red-shirt protesters.

Abhisit Vejjajiva decided not to go on a three-day visit to deal with what he calls one of the worst episodes Thailand has ever faced.

Maryland Citizens Face Felony Charges for Recording Cops

Posted: 22 May 2010 08:59 PM PDT

In Maryland, it is a felony to record thuggish cops as they push around skateboarding teenagers, beat sports patrons, and pull guns on motorists for speeding.

"Several Marylanders face felony charges for recording their arrests on camera, and others have been intimidated to shut their cameras off," reports WJZ 23 in Baltimore.

Oil spill to reach Europe, Arctic

Posted: 22 May 2010 08:47 PM PDT

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is gradually finding its way toward Europe and the Arctic to damage, endangering wider ecological basins, scientists say.

Briefing a congressional panel on Friday, senior US scientists warned that the bad consequences of the massive oil leak are not confined to the US coasts, and the wildlife are endangered in a far broader scope.

Statins have uncovered side effects

Posted: 22 May 2010 08:16 PM PDT

While statins had long been known as magic drugs against heart diseases, a new study says these cholesterol-lowering drugs may cause various side effects.

Commonly prescribed in individuals with high cholesterol levels and those at risk of cardiovascular disease, statins have cardioprotective properties and can prevent possible heart attacks and strokes.

Aid convoy sets off for Gaza

Posted: 22 May 2010 07:02 PM PDT

The biggest attempt by international aid groups to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip has gotten underway.

Nine ships under the banner, Freedom Flotilla, began their journey to Gaza on Saturday, despite warnings from Israel that they will be stopped for "breaching Israeli law".

Obama forms oil spill panel

Posted: 22 May 2010 06:58 PM PDT

Obama made his first reference to the possibility of a separate criminal probe into the disaster [AFP]

Barack Obama, the US president, has formed an independent presidential commission to probe the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Germany's Parliament Votes to Give 66% of Country's Annual Income Tax Revenue to Banks

Posted: 22 May 2010 06:34 PM PDT

Germany's parliament today passed a bill that will mean that about 66 per cent of the country's income tax revenue each year will go to banks in the form of interest payments on souvereign dent bonds held by Greece, Portugal and other eurozone nations.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition government voted to give 123 billion as Germany's portion of a 750-billion euro loan guarantee package prepared by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to enable governments to keep up interest payments to banks on souvereign debt.

Whatever Germany does, the euro as we know it is dead

Posted: 22 May 2010 06:27 PM PDT

For Angela Merkel, leader of the eurozone's richest country, a queue is forming of high-quality adversaries. As she tips German Geld und Gut into the furnace of a rescue package for the euro, while going it alone in a misguided ban on market "manipulators", the brass-neck Chancellor has infuriated domestic voters, angered her EU partners (in particular the French) and invited the so-called wolf pack of global traders to do its worst.

IOEC handed major Indian oil project

Posted: 22 May 2010 06:13 PM PDT

General oil and gas contractor Iranian Offshore Engineering and Construction Company (IOEC) has won the tender for a major Indian off-shore oil project.

Ali Taheri, managing director of the company, said that the consortium of the Indian Essar Offshore Subsea Limited and the IOEC offered a quota of $235 million and managed to get the lowest tender for India's D-1 field development project.

Jews are 8 times over-represented in UK parliament

Posted: 22 May 2010 06:08 PM PDT

stuart littlewood

'Proportional Representation' is a big buzz-word in the UK these days. It implies fairer voting and fairer government. It is claimed to give minorities a better chance of being heard and therefore, they say, it should be incorporated into the "new politics" our shiny new Coalition government has promised us.

But one minority group needs no help in that direction.

UN urges support for Somali gov't

Posted: 22 May 2010 05:57 PM PDT

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on the international community to support Somalia's transitional federal government to end instability in the country.

"The only way to restore stability is to support this government in its reconciliation effort and its fight against extremism," Ban said as he opened an international conference on Somalia on Friday.

Saudi King slams intelligence leak

Posted: 22 May 2010 05:57 PM PDT

The King of Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized the country's intelligence officials for disclosing a secret document, which shows Riyadh has links with terrorist activities carried out by al-Qaeda in Iraq.

According to a report by Iraq's Buratha news agency on Friday, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz ordered a special committee to investigate the intelligence leak and inform him about those liable in the case.

Star found eating planet

Posted: 22 May 2010 05:40 PM PDT

The Hubble Space Telescope has detected a star devouring a planet that has ventured 'too close' to the sun-like celestial object in the Milky Way galaxy.

The planet, WASP-12, is located almost 600 light-years away in the constellation Auriga and is being eaten by its parent star, ScienceDaily reported on Friday.

Shiraz handicraft expo begins

Posted: 22 May 2010 05:38 PM PDT

Iran has launched a handicraft exhibition in the southern ancient city of Shiraz on the occasion of the country's cultural heritage week.

The six-day exhibition was inaugurated in the presence of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) head Hamid Baqaei and a number of Fars Province officials on Wednesday.

Do Animated Movies Prepare Children for Sodomy?

Posted: 22 May 2010 05:34 PM PDT

Once we understand that animation picture makers carefully choose every little thing and gesture that goes into a film, it is very interesting to look at all the messages scattered throughout the virtual sets, on book covers, street signs, clothes and so forth.

NATO chopper shot down in Afghanistan

Posted: 22 May 2010 05:21 PM PDT

US-led forces have confirmed that one of their helicopters has been shot down by militants in Afghanistan's restive Helmand province.

The helicopter was shot down after an attack by militants in Nad Ali district in the Helmand province in southwest Afghanistan, US-led forces said in a statement on Saturday.

No War for Israel in Iran! - Keep Americans Safe!

Posted: 22 May 2010 04:45 PM PDT

The Zionists are at it again. The Jewish extremists in the American media and government told us the colossal lie that Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction" and that Saddam posed a threat to the United States. In truth, he had ten years earlier destroyed such weapons and had never hurt a single American. (unlike Israel)

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