Saturday, May 29, 2010

US drone attack kills 11 Sub Humans in Pakistan

US drone attack kills 11 in Pakistan (plus 99 more items)

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US drone attack kills 11 in Pakistan

Posted: 29 May 2010 01:25 AM PDT

A fresh US drone strike has left at least 11 people dead and several others wounded in the troubled northwestern Pakistan, intelligence officials say.

A US drone fired missiles into a suspected militant hideout in North Waziristan on Friday, DPA reported.

UN: 60 killed in Mogadishu clashes

Posted: 29 May 2010 01:19 AM PDT

The UN says over 60 civilians have been killed and 14,300 others have been displaced in recent clashes between government troops and opposition forces in Mogadishu.

"According to information we are seeing in field reports, at least 60 people have been killed and more than 50 wounded and injured in street clashes", AFP quoted Andrej Mahecic, a spokesman of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as saying.

Oil spill threatens 'total destruction'

Posted: 29 May 2010 01:12 AM PDT

The British Petroleum oil spill is threatening the entire eastern half of the North American continent with "total destruction," reports say.

An ominous report by Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources warned of the impending disaster resulting from the British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas leak in the Gulf of Mexico, calling it the worst environmental catastrophe in all of human history, the European Union Times reported.

India train collision death toll at 80

Posted: 29 May 2010 01:11 AM PDT

The death toll from India's train collision has reached 80 with dozens injured as the New Delhi government moves to blame the incident on Maoist rebels.

The accident happened after a high speed train derailed into the path of an oncoming freight train.

Turkey: Powers should dismantle nukes

Posted: 29 May 2010 12:48 AM PDT

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says nuclear powers that accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons should eliminate their own stockpiles.

"When we hear people talking about stopping Iran getting nuclear weapons -- who are they to talk against the idea of having nuclear weapons," AFP quoted Erdogan as saying on Friday.

Iran expects 'positive' IAEA response

Posted: 29 May 2010 12:45 AM PDT

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says he expects a positive response from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tehran's nuclear declaration.

On Monday, Iran formally informed the IAEA about the joint declaration issued on May 17 with Brazil and Turkey. The agency forwarded the document to the Vienna group -- which includes France, Russia and the US.

BP uncertain about 'top kill' method

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:48 PM PDT

As thousands of gallons of oil enter the Gulf of Mexico everyday, British Petroleum remains uncertain about its latest operation to cap the spill.

By applying the so-called "top kill" plugging method, BP injects heavy drilling mud into the well shaft to contain the gushing oil.

Lahore attacks death toll hits 80

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:18 PM PDT

Violent clashes in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore have claimed the lives of at least 80 people, leaving dozens of others injured.

The clashes erupted after gunmen attacked two separate prayer sites belonging to a minority sect in Model Town.

Berlin bars Muslim boy from prayers

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:08 PM PDT

A German court has rejected a legal bid by a 16-year-old Muslim student to have the right to conduct prayers at his school, reports say.

The court in Berlin ruled on Thursday against Yunis' bid to pray, stating that it would upset peace in the school, and abuse students' rights to the entitlement of a calm and educational environment, Reuters reported.

'World tired of West double standards'

Posted: 28 May 2010 10:47 PM PDT

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says world powers cannot use their nuclear weapons to bully other nations into giving up efforts to obtain peaceful nuclear energy.

In a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart in Sofia, Mottaki said, "Today, the world public opinion and the international community do not accept double standards and selective dealings."

US, Japan to support S Korea at UNSC

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:55 PM PDT

The United States and Japan have vowed to support any request made by South Korea at the UN Security Council regarding the world body's action against North Korea.

Pyongyang is accused of torpedoing a South Korean warship in an incident that resulted in the death of 46 South Korean sailors.

BP admits oil leak is 'catastrophe'

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:39 PM PDT

British Petroleum has admitted that the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is an "environmental catastrophe," as the criticism of the handling of the situation continues to rise.

Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive, who had earlier stated that the oil slick would have a "modest" impact, reassessed his evaluation of the environmental impact of the crisis after experts revealed that, between 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of oil have been leaking into gulf waters daily, CNN reported.

Japan minister fired over US airbase

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:17 PM PDT

The Japanese premier fires a minister for rejecting Tokyo's recent compromise with Washington on a controversial US air base on Okinawa Island.

Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama dismissed consumer affairs minister Mizuho Fukushima, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

US stockpile of money shrinks in Q1

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:14 PM PDT

New data presented by M3 Money Supply shows the stock of money in the United States has fallen from 14.2 to 13.9 trillion dollars in the first quarter of 2010.

The plunge represents a 9.6 percent contraction on an annual basis.

Freedom Flotilla exposes international community's failure

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:07 PM PDT

The Freedom Flotilla of nine vessels sailing to the Gaza Strip is exposing the partisan nature of the response of the United Nations and the international community to Israel's three-year siege on Gaza. The siege -- enforced by land, air and sea -- has blocked the import and export of supplies, goods and persons in and out of the Gaza Strip for 35 months, punishing 1.4 million Palestinians in the tiny territory. More than half of Gaza's population are children and nearly 80 percent of the population lives in poverty. Ninety percent of the natural sources of water are undrinkable, and school and health services continue to deteriorate, 17 months since Israel's military invasion of Gaza in 2008-09.

UN 'to urge halt in US drone strikes'

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:37 PM PDT

A senior UN official is expected to urge Washington to stop the CIA-operated drone strikes in Pakistan that have killed hundreds of civilians, a report says.

A New York Times report said Thursday that UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston will present his report on the US spy agency's attacks to the Human Rights Council on June 3.

Cleric raps West's sanction campaign

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:35 PM PDT

A prominent Iranian cleric has criticized the reaction of the UN Security Council's permanent members on Iran's nuclear fuel swap declaration.

Iran, Brazil and Turkey singed a tripartite declaration on May 17, under which Tehran agreed to send 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for 120 kg of 20 percent-enriched nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor.

World Bank relieves Haiti of debt

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:10 PM PDT

The World Bank has cancelled Haiti's $36m debt in an effort to help the impoverished country recover from a devastating earthquake that struck the nation more than four months ago.

The move, announced on Friday, means Haiti will not have to repay its remaining debt owed to the International Development Association (IDA), the bank's fund for the world's poorest countries.

Obama's Oil Spill Response: The Story behind the Story

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:57 PM PDT

I have received a number of emails about the environmental impacts of the BP oil spill. The size of the spill and the impacts on wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems have prompted a number of readers to write:

"Bob, it looks like you are right, the environmental damage and pollution are the goal and not the unintended consequences."

UN approves partial DRC withdrawal

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:50 PM PDT

The United Nations Security Council has approved a partial withdrawal of its peacekeeping force from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The council's vote on Friday would remove 2,000 troops from the country by June 30, "where the security situation permits."

Brushing teeth important for heart health

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:21 PM PDT

Those with poor oral hygiene are at greater risk of heart problems while brushing the teeth twice a day helps avoid heart disease, a Scottish study says.

The study was conducted on 11,000 adult test subjects. It showed that 70% of those with poor oral hygiene had an increased risk of heart disease over those who brushed twice a day.

China to hold talks with Japan, S Korea‎

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:14 PM PDT

Chinese Prime Minster Wen Jiabao has arrived in Seoul to hold trilateral talks with Japan and South Korea on the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Wen is slated to attend the third trilateral summit of China, Japan and the Republic Of Korea (ROK) in the southern resort island of Jeju on Friday.

Russian official hails Iran declaration

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:12 PM PDT

A recent Tehran nuclear declaration on a fuel swap with the West has been appraised as a breakthrough by Head of Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev.

In a telephone conversation on Thursday with Saeed Jalili, Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Patrushev welcomed the Tehran nuclear declaration signed by Iran, Brazil and Turkey.

Czech voters go to polls

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:03 PM PDT

Czech voters go to polls to elect the country's leader for the next four years, putting an end to the rule of a caretaker cabinet.

In the voting which kicks off on Friday at 2 pm and continues on Saturday, some 5000 candidates are competing for 200 seats in the Czech parliament, AFP reports.

Excitement as iPad reaches Europe

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:55 PM PDT

The much-awaited iPad, Apple's latest piece of technology, has finally arrived in Europe and parts of Asia. The product is being touted as a revolution in personal computing and has drawn huge crowds to the stores. Al Jazeera's Charlie Angela reports from London.

NPT future engulfed in uncertainty

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:47 PM PDT

The prospect for global nuclear disarmament remains bleak as participants of the NPT review summit seem to find it difficult to even reach consensus on a final draft.

Most countries of the world are in New York to discuss measures to improve the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) during a month-long review conference held at the UN headquarters.

US bid for exit timetable rejected

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:44 PM PDT

The US Senate has rejected by an 80-18 vote a proposal that would have required Barack Obama to submit a detailed exit timetable for US forces in Afghanistan.

Defeated Thursday, the bill was proposed by Democrat Russ Feingold who argued it would avoid future "emergency" funding bills, such as the $33 billion one now before the Senate, Reuters reported.

Deaths in Pakistan mosques raids

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:44 PM PDT

Assailants with guns and grenades have attacked two mosques in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 70 people.

The co-ordinated assaults on mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect wounded scores more in different residential neighbourhoods of the city shortly after Friday prayers, police said.

China seeks to defuse Korea tension

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:39 PM PDT

China's premier, seeking to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula, has told officials in Seoul that his country "will not protect" whoever sank a South Korean warship in March.

Wen Jiabao, who is in the South Korean capital at the start of a three-day visit, told Lee Myung-Bak, the country's president, that he will review the results of an investigation into the sinking, which killed 46 sailors.

Gunmen attack mosques in Lahore

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:32 PM PDT

Gunmen have attacked two mosques in the Pakistani city of Lahore, taking hostages from among people gathered for prayers, according to police.

The attacks occurred on Friday at Garhi Shahu and the Model Town areas of Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province.

Israel denies US student entry

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:53 PM PDT

Civil rights groups have criticized Israel for denying entry to a US university student of a Palestinian descent for a study-abroad program.

The Palestine Cultural Office, Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, National Lawyers Guild and other organizations held a news conference on Thursday to support Abeer Afana of the Detroit suburb of Novi.

Indian villagers take on Maoists

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:37 PM PDT

India's government says Maoist rebels represent the country's greatest internal security threat. To fight the so-called Naxalites, the government relies on the support of local village groups, who fight at a huge personal risk, but with no official recognition. Now, many of these local groups are calling on the government to do more to look after those willing to fight and die on its behalf. Al Jazeera's Kamal Kumar has the latest report in our exclusive series on the Naxal movement. [28 May 10]

'Bushehr plant nears reactor fueling'

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:06 PM PDT

The thermal testing of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran will soon be over, paving the way for loading its reactor with nuclear fuel, an official says.

The thermal tests will be over in three weeks' time ahead of preparations for the stocking up of the reactor with live fuel, IRNA quoted Ali Rousta, an official with the Bushehr plant as saying on Thursday.

Czechs head to polls in tight race

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:46 PM PDT

Czech voters are heading to the polls in a tightly contested two-day election that will bring an end to the country's ongoing political limbo.

Polls have indicated that the left-wing Social Democrats (CSSD) are likely to come out ahead of their right-wing Civic Democrat (ODS) rivals, but still fall some way of an outright majority.

US national security strategy redefined

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:29 PM PDT

President Obama redefines America's national security strategy, stressing multilateralism and revitalization of the country's economic and moral strength.

Released Thursday, the 52-page document considers terrorism as one threat to the homeland, along with natural disasters, cyber attacks and pandemics.

Africa HIV treatment plans in danger

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:23 PM PDT

HIV patients in Africa face threats of more severe illness and even death, as the funds for AIDS treatment are being cut by the donor countries.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, called on rich countries to stick to their commitments towards poor nations, warning that years of progress in rooting HIV out of Africa might fail if the donation cuts continue, the Associated Press reports.

Iran builds Natanz II enrichment plant

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:22 PM PDT

Iran is planning to build a new enrichment plant similar to the Natanz uranium enrichment facility to fuel future nuclear power stations, report say.

"Our organization is installing a new generation of centrifuges at the Natanz plant and we are on the look-out for another location to construct a similar plant, which will enable us to establish a new center for providing fuel for our reactors within 10 years.

Iran to build Natanz II enrichment plant

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:22 PM PDT

Iran is planning to build a new enrichment plant similar to the Natanz uranium enrichment facility to fuel future nuclear power stations, report say.

"Our organization is installing a new generation of centrifuges at the Natanz plant and we are on the look-out for another location to construct a similar plant, which will enable us to establish a new center for providing fuel for our reactors within 10 years.

Many dead in Pakistan mosques raid

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:19 PM PDT

Assailants with guns and grenades have attacked two mosques in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore killing at least 13 people.

The assaults on mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in different residential neighbourhoods occurred shortly after Friday prayers, police said.

Turkey silent on nuclear stockpile

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:15 PM PDT

As a month-long Nuclear Non-Proliferation summit in New York draws to a close, participants are still debating how best to achieve a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East. The problem at the heart of it all is Israel, a country with an undisclosed but known nuclear-weapons capability. Israel decided not to come to the US meeting, knowing it would face scrutiny and criticism. Meanwhile, while it is still not clear whether Iran really wants or intends to militarise its fledgling nuclear industry, the potential has already increased tension throughout the Middle East and led to warnings of a new arms race there. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, has been among the most outspoken on the issue, saying many times that it is unreasonable to call just for restraints on Iran, while not dealing with the nuclear capability of Israel. But the one issue that Erdogan never mentions is Turkey's own nuclear weapons stockpile. As a founding member of Nato, and a straegically-located state, Turkey is one of five Nato countries with nuclear weapons stationed on its soil. And as many domestic analysts are now observing, this evident contradiction is no longer helpful for Ankara's's newly neighbourly and avowedly peaceful foreign policy. Anita McNaught reports from Istanbul.

Jamaican unrest toll rises

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:08 PM PDT

Jamaican police have said that at least 73 bodies have been found in morgues, some in a state of decomposition, after a four-day-old assault in the capital Kingston.

Most of the dead are civilians, some who were reported to be unarmed, as security forces battled to arrest Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, an alleged drug kingpin, in his slum stronghold - Tivoli Gardens.

15 killed in Pakistan clashes

Posted: 28 May 2010 02:29 PM PDT

At least 10 militants and 5 policemen have been killed in two separate incidents, a gunmen attack and a clash with militants in Pakistan.

Police say four policemen were killed on Friday when unidentified gunmen attacked a police vehicle in Satellite Town, a neighborhood of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province in southwest Pakistan.

Scores dead in Indian train crash

Posted: 28 May 2010 02:25 PM PDT

At least 68 people have been killed and dozens more injured after an overnight passenger train derailed in eastern India, in a suspected act of sabotage by Maoist rebels.

The passenger train, which was going to Mumbai from the eastern metropolis of Kolkata, was derailed in the West Bengal state's Jhargram area at around 1:30am local time (2000 GMT) on Friday.

Greek ex-minister charged with bribery

Posted: 28 May 2010 02:21 PM PDT

Former Greek Transport Minister is charged with receiving money from Siemens Electronics amid a government campaign for rooting out corruption in the country.

Tassos Mantelis, Minister of Transportation from 1997 - 2000, told a parliamentary committee he received 100,000 euros form Siemens as a "campaign donation" in 1998, the BBC reports.

Ray McGovern Gives His Insight into The Coming Israel/Iran Conflict

Posted: 28 May 2010 02:15 PM PDT

Alex also talks with Ray McGovern, a retired CIA officer who presented morning intelligence briefings at the White House for a number of presidents. Ray talks to Alex about the situation in Iran. www.infowars.com

India train collision leaves 65 dead

Posted: 28 May 2010 02:06 PM PDT

At least 65 people have been killed and 120 others injured in a train collision in eastern India after a blast on the tracks caused a derailment, railway officials say.

The accident took place early on Friday in an area known to be a stronghold of Maoist rebels, who are suspected of being behind the explosion, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

'Fragmented' Education in Occupied Palestine

Posted: 28 May 2010 02:04 PM PDT

A 2007 UNESCO/Save the Children UK report titled, 'Fragmented foundations: education and chronic crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory' addressed issues 'in emergency and reconstruction situations, as well as in chronic conflict.' It explained that in 1994, the Palestinian Authority established the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) with formal responsibility for the system, including planning, budgeting and coordination throughout the Territories.

Gunmen kill four policemen in Pakistan

Posted: 28 May 2010 01:50 PM PDT

At least four Pakistani policemen have been killed by unidentified gunmen in the southwestern part of the country.

According to officials, the officers were killed on Friday in Satellite Town, a neighborhood of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.

Russia favors advance in Iran N talks

Posted: 28 May 2010 01:32 PM PDT

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has voiced readiness to assist in the advancement of Iran's nuclear talks and to help resolve the standoff with the West.

In a telephone conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Thursday, Lavrov also stressed the need for a viable diplomatic and political solution to the nuclear issue, IRNA reported.

Mosques attacked in Pakistan city

Posted: 28 May 2010 01:29 PM PDT

Assailants with guns and grenades have attacked two mosques in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore killing at least 13 people.

The assaults on mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in different residential neighbourhoods occurred shortly after Friday prayers, police said.

Fighters Exchange Fire With Soldiers Near Khan Younis

Posted: 28 May 2010 01:02 PM PDT

The Palestine Eagles Brigades reported Friday that its fighters exchanged fire with Israeli infantry troops in Sheikh Hammouda area, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

The brigades said that its fighters ambushed the Israeli forces invading the area and opened fire at them, while soldiers topping military towers near the borders returned fire to provide a cover-up for the infantry brigades to withdraw.

Education in Occupied Palestine

Posted: 28 May 2010 01:00 PM PDT

steve lendman A 2007 UNESCO/Save the Children UK report titled, "Fragmented foundations: education and chronic crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" addressed issues "in emergency and reconstruction situations, as well as in chronic conflict." It explained that in 1994, the Palestinian Authority established the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) with formal responsibility for the system, including planning, budgeting and coordination throughout the Territories.

US, Japan agree over air base

Posted: 28 May 2010 12:58 PM PDT

Tokyo and Washington issue a statement, saying a controversial American air base on the southern island of Okinawa would be relocated to a new site on the island in a bid to end a dispute between the allies.

"The United States reiterated its unwavering commitment to Japan's security. Japan reconfirmed its commitment to playing a positive role in contributing to the peace and stability of the region," the statement said.

Iran FM to attend BSEC meeting

Posted: 28 May 2010 12:42 PM PDT

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has left Tehran to attend a meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) in Bulgaria.

Mottaki will deliver a speech at the one-day meeting on Friday.

Acres of land burnt by Israeli war games

Posted: 28 May 2010 12:35 PM PDT

Military exercises conducted by the Israeli army have set fire to thousands of acres of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, destroying plant life in the region.

Firefighting teams put out the fire on more than 17,000 acres, Israeli news outlet Ynet reported on Thursday.

Egypt Uncovers 17 Tunnels

Posted: 28 May 2010 12:31 PM PDT

File - Tunnel

Egyptian security personnel uncovered 17 tunnels across the border with Rafah during a campaign carried out overnight targeting siege-busting tunnels.

The tunnels were uncovered near border marker 4 and in the areas of Abu Halawa, the Unknown Soldier, and Al Sarsouriyya; all near Salah Ed Deen border area.

Israel partially opens W Bank road

Posted: 28 May 2010 12:21 PM PDT

Israel has opened part of a major West Bank highway, known as Route 443, to Palestinians after a discriminatory policy was challenged at Israel's high court by human rights groups.

But Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from the West Bank, said that Palestinians are not happy with the partial opening of the road and the introduction of even more roadblocks and checkpoints.

PCHR Weekly Report: 2 killed, 30 wounded by Israeli forces this week

Posted: 28 May 2010 12:09 PM PDT

Palestinian home destroyed by Israeli strike in Khan Younis (PCHR photo)

In its Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the week of 20– 26 May 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that two Palestinian militants were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip this week, while 30 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children and 6 women, were injured and dozens of civilian facilities were destroyed or damaged.

'Maoist behind' Indian train crash

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:53 AM PDT

At least 65 people have been killed and dozens more injured after an overnight passenger train derailed in eastern India, in a suspected act of sabotage by Maoist rebels.

The passenger train, which was going to Mumbai from Kolkata, the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, was derailed in the state's Jhargram area at around 1:30am (2000 GMT) on Friday.

UN 'to ask' CIA to end drone raids

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:34 AM PDT

A senior United Nations official is planning to call on the US to end Central Intelligence Agency aerial drone strikes against alleged al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan, according to the New York Times.

The call is expected to come next week, a report in the newspaper's web edition said on Friday.

UN 'to seek' end to CIA drone raids

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:34 AM PDT

A senior United Nations official is planning to call on the US to end aerial drone attacks by the Central Intelligence Agency against alleged al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan, according to the New York Times.

The call is expected to come next week, a report in the newspaper's web edition said on Friday.

Salah: "We Don't Need Israel's Permission To Break The Siege"

Posted: 28 May 2010 11:33 AM PDT

Sheikh Raed Salah

Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, stated that solidarity ships heading to Gaza, all acts of solidarity with the Palestinians people and breaking the illegal siege, do not need Israel's approval.

Australia to act on Japan whaling

Posted: 28 May 2010 10:34 AM PDT

Australia says it plans to take Japan to the International Court of Justice to argue that its annual whale hunt in the Antarctic violates international obligations.

The announcement on Friday is seen as a major escalation of Australia's campaign against its important trading partner's whaling missions in the southern seas.

US, Brazil differences on Iran 'serious'

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:36 AM PDT

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that the US and Brazil have "very serious disagreements" over Iran's nuclear program.

"Certainly we have very serious disagreements with Brazil's diplomacy vis-à-vis Iran," Clinton said on Thursday in her most candid remarks yet about Brazil's work with Turkey in brokering the Tehran declaration.

Tensions rise over Gaza aid fleet

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:30 AM PDT

The UN chief has called for restraint as some 700 activists from around world vow to deliver 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to break the blockade of Gaza.

Israel has cautioned that the Freedom Flotilla would be stopped, if necessary by force.

Israel's Gaza PR offensive

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:23 AM PDT

While boats battle to get through the siege of Gaza, Gazans can eat out in fancy restaurants and have no need of aid. That's what Israel has been telling journalists, at least. Sherine Tadros picks apart the media campaign.

Russia wants trade with Iran unaffected

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:19 AM PDT

A senior Russian lawmaker says that Moscow does not want a US-proposed UN Security Council resolution against Iran to affect trade ties between Tehran and Moscow.

"For us it is important that the possible sanctions, to be specified in the resolution, do not affect existing contracts in the trade and economic sphere," said Mikhail Margelov, head of the Russian upper house of parliament's international relations committee.

Mac Bundy Said He Was 'All Wrong'

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:00 AM PDT

The debate over foreign policy that culminated in President Barack Obama's address to the nation on December 1, 2009, concerns a war that began with the attack of a mainly Saudi Arabian group of politically radicalized Muslim men on New York and Washington, targets symbolic of American capitalism and alleged imperialism. These attacks, according to the group's leader, were to punish the United States for its decision, following the first Gulf War, to establish permanent American military bases in the region, blasphemously located (in the view of Osama bin Laden and his followers) in the holy territories of Saudi Arabia.

Memo to Congressman David Obey

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:00 AM PDT

It is amazing how you've changed, Dave, in the 25 years since you told then-Secretary George Shultz from your subcommittee chairman seat, "I did not take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States until I got tired." (As you'll recall, Shultz had made the mistake of saying, in effect, screw the law; the American people are tired of hearing about Iran-Contra.)

Israeli Human Rights Activist: I Was Tortured

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:00 AM PDT

JonathanCook

A leading human rights activist from Israel's Palestinian Arab minority was charged yesterday with the most serious security offences on Israel's statute book, including espionage.

Prosecutors indicted Ameer Makhoul, the head of Ittijah, an umbrella organization for Arab human rights groups in Israel, with spying on security facilities on behalf of Hezbollah after an alleged meeting with one of its agents in Denmark in 2008.

Switch On Your B-S Detector

Posted: 28 May 2010 09:00 AM PDT

When people ask me the "what do you do?" question in casual conversation, and I answer "I write a column on foreign affairs," my interlocutor is invariably impressed: wow, you mean you write about all that really heavy, important stuff, the sort of stuff that's Greek to us everyday ordinary types? That's great!

Well, actually, it isn't all that great, or, rather it's not as great as they might imagine, because, you see, all too often I'm dealing with subject matter that's light as a feather, intellectually – and also, essentially, bullsh*t. Due to the fact that a lot of what I write about concerns the pronouncements of public officials, whose ability to generate b-s is unrivaled. Take, for example, the recently released "National Security Strategy of the United States," [.pdf] a document issued by successive US administrations since the advent of the cold war to obfuscate our real aims behind a smokescreen of catchphrases, bromides, and oily evasions, all woven together in a decorative wreath of grandiose phrases. All of this is meant to put a benevolent face on what is a policy of unrelenting aggression directed at any target that represents even a potential threat to American hegemony.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

UN urges Israel to ease Gaza siege

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:55 AM PDT

The UN has called on Tel Aviv to "act with a sense of care" in dealing with pro-Palestinian activists who aim to break a three-year Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza.

The appeal came after Israel threatened to divert an aid-laden flotilla of nine ships to its southern port of Ashdod and detain the activists onboard.

Berlusconi leadership in Mussolini words

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:44 AM PDT

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has resorted to a quote from fascist dictator Benito Mussolini to illustrate his democratic leadership.

"As prime minister, I have never had the feeling that I was in power," he said at a news conference at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris.

Obama breaks with Bush security policy

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:34 AM PDT

Barack Obama, the US president, has unveiled a new national security strategy that moves away from the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive strikes to one which stresses international co-operation. However, the US maintains the right to act unilaterally and it is not softening its push for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington. [May 28, 2010]

Nepal on brink of political crisis

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:33 AM PDT

Nepal is facing its latest political crisis, with its parliamentary term due to end and opposing leaders unable to come to agreement on an extension.

The South Asian nation needs to find a breakthrough before the current parliament expires at midnight on Friday, a day after last-minute talks called by Ram Baran Yadav, the president, failed to find a resolution.

US base to stay on Okinawa

Posted: 28 May 2010 08:25 AM PDT

Japan and the United States have agreed to keep a contentious US marine base on the southern island of Okinawa, despite years of protests from local residents.

The deal announced is broadly in line with an agreement struck between the two countries in 2006.

Inside Story - Zenawi: A source of stability?

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:59 AM PDT

The Ethiopian prime minister has been re-elected but opposition parties alleged fraud and some have called for a re-run. What do these election results and the calls for a fresh vote mean for the country? Has Zenawi been a source of stability in a volatile area?

Six Wounded As Army Bombards Gaza

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:45 AM PDT

File - Maan Images

Palestinian medical sources reported on Thursday at night that six residents were wounded after the Israeli army bombarded Al Zeitoun neighborhood, east of Gaza city.

Local sources said that Israeli war-jets and artillery fired several shells at the neighborhood leaving six residents wounded.

India train collision leaves 25 dead

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:39 AM PDT

At least 25 people have lost their lives in a train collision in eastern India after a blast on the tracks caused a derailment, railway officials say.

The accident took place early on Friday in an area known to be a stronghold of Maoist rebels, who are suspected of being behind the explosion, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Paul Craig Roberts Reveals How The Government Abandoned Vietnam POWs

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:37 AM PDT

Paul Craig Roberts: Government Abandoned Vietnam POWs Kurt Nimmo www.infowars.com www.prisonplanet.tv May 27, 2010 John McCain worked overtime to make sure Vietnam POWs never came home. Appearing on the Alex Jones Show today, Paul Craig Roberts talked about the shameful abandonment of POWs by the US government.

'Sabotage' behind India train crash

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:34 AM PDT

At least 20 people have been killed and dozens more injured after an overnight passenger train derailed in northeastern India, flinging its coaches into the path of an oncoming goods train.

A spokesman for Indian railways said sabotage was suspected as the cause of the collision.

Villagers ask for Taliban permit to shop

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:32 AM PDT

A former Afghan official says that the Taliban militants are forcing villagers to ask for permission form militants before they can leave villages for Kandahar.

"People of this area are victims of the Taliban's slavery. The Taliban are present here around the clock and they have deprived the people of their freedom," Niaz Mohammad Sarhadi, the former governor of Zhari district of Kandahar, told Press TV on Thursday.

Jamaica 'drug lord' eludes capture

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:12 AM PDT

Jamaican security forces have claimed control of an alleged drug kingpin's slum stronghold after days of fighting, but say they have no idea of the whereabouts of the wanted man.

Authorities said on Wednesday that they had control over all tall buildings in the area, and were conducting door-to-door raids in search of Christopher "Dudus" Coke and his armed supporters.

Brazil, Turkey slam Iran sanctions talks

Posted: 28 May 2010 07:10 AM PDT

Brazil and Turkey have urged world powers to support the Tehran declaration, instead of talking about new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Brasilia on Thursday and urged Western powers against neglecting the Tehran declaration that was signed on May 17.

US troops deployment irks Mexico

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:50 AM PDT

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has expressed discontent with a US decision to deploy 1,200 soldiers along the two countries' shared border.

Mexico does not object to US plans to station troops along the border between the two nations as long as the soldiers do not arrest Mexicans trying to get into the United States, President Felipe Calderon said on Thursday.

15 European Parliamentarians Enter Gaza

Posted: 28 May 2010 06:36 AM PDT

File - Palestine-Info

The Borders and Crossings Authority in the Gaza Strip reported Thursday that fifteen European parliamentarians entered the coastal region via the Rafah terminal, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

They were welcomed by a delegation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Israel urged to decommission nukes

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:58 AM PDT

A British lawmaker says in order to create a nuclear-free Middle East Israel should join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"There are a number of countries that clearly have nuclear weapons, with India, Pakistan and Israel being the three best known," Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour member of the British parliament told Press TV in an interview on Thursday.

French workers on strike over retirement

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:55 AM PDT

Union workers in France have gone on a countrywide strike to protest against government plans to extend the minimum retirement age.

Public sector workers, some transport workers, teachers and postal workers walked off the job on Thursday.

Rabbi bans women from public office

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:45 AM PDT

An Israeli rabbi has banned women from running for local administration offices, saying the females lacked the authority to stand for the jobs.

"Women must only be heard through their husbands," chief Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, who is living in the Elon Moreh settlement near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, wrote in a local newspaper, Ynet reported.

The Sestak Scandal: Something Rotten in the State?

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:40 AM PDT

When does a political deal become a bribe?

At the 1952 Republican National Convention, California's favorite son, Gov. Earl Warren, released his delegation reportedly in return for Ike's promise that he would give Warren the first open seat on the Supreme Court.

Florida Keys hit by oil threat

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:38 AM PDT

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is having economic effects even in areas where, so far, there has been no oil. In the Florida Keys off the southeastern United States, the vital tourism industry has been hit hard as visitors cancel trips because, local officials say, there is a "perception" that oil has come ashore. One local charter boat company has even filed a lawsuit against BP for loss of business. Al Jazeera's Anand Naidoo went to the Florida Keys to see what's at risk. (May 28, 2010)

Poverty key issue in Colombia poll

Posted: 28 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT

For eight years Colombia's outgoing president, Alvaro Uribe, has focused on fighting leftist rebels and trying to attract foreign investment. But millions of Colombians remain poor and feel the government needs to focus more on social programs that will help them climb out of poverty. Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo reports from Algarrobo in the north of the country. (May 28, 2010)

Obama vows to hold BP accountable

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:39 AM PDT

US President Barack Obama has promised to hold oil giant BP responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and has admitted that the US was short of the technology to deal with such a crisis.

"Make no mistake -- BP is operating at our direction. Every key decision and action they take must be approved by us in advance," he said during a news conference at the White House on Thursday.

Iran declaration critics 'envious'

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:32 AM PDT

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says those who criticize Iran's nuclear declaration envy the diplomatic breakthrough made by Tehran, Ankara and Brasilia.

"The countries criticizing this accord are envious. Because Brazil and Turkey brokered and pulled off a diplomatic success that other countries had been negotiating without result for many years," Erdogan said in a joint news conference with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on Thursday.

Haniyeh: Palestinians welcome flotilla

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:22 AM PDT

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh says the Gaza Strip will welcome the flotilla carrying aid for Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

Hundreds of activists from 50 countries are aboard nine ships en route to Gaza loaded with 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid and building materials to break Israeli-imposed blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Once Upon a Time in Afghanistan...

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:13 AM PDT

On a recent trip to Afghanistan, British Defense Secretary Liam Fox drew fire for calling it "a broken 13th-century country." The most common objection was not that he was wrong, but that he was overly blunt. He's hardly the first Westerner to label Afghanistan as medieval. Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince recently described the country as inhabited by "barbarians" with "a 1200 A.D. mentality." Many assume that's all Afghanistan has ever been -- an ungovernable land where chaos is carved into the hills. Given the images people see on TV and the headlines written about Afghanistan over the past three decades of war, many conclude the country never made it out of the Middle Ages.

Israel indicts tortured rights activist Ameer Makhoul

Posted: 28 May 2010 04:05 AM PDT

A leading human rights activist from Israel's Palestinian Arab minority was charged yesterday with the most serious security offenses on Israel's statute book, including espionage.

Prosecutors indicted Ameer Makhoul, the head of Ittijah, an umbrella organization for Arab human rights groups in Israel, with spying on security facilities on behalf of Hizballah after an alleged meeting with one of its agents in Denmark in 2008.

Blast causes India train collision

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:56 AM PDT

More than a dozen people are feared dead after an explosion derailed a passenger train in northeastern India, flinging its coaches into the path of a speeding goods train.

The incident early on Friday occurred in an area of West Bengal state known to be a stronghold of Maoist fighters and a spokesman for Indian railways said sabotage was suspected.

Obama to meet Abbas, Netanyahu

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:34 AM PDT

US President Barak Obama has invited the acting Palestinian Authority (PA) chief and the Israeli prime minister for separate meetings over indirect peace talks.

The White House announced on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Obama on Tuesday, while acting PA chief Mahmoud Abbas will visit the US in June, Reuters reported.

Alex Covers The Latest News About N. Korea & Iran on Alex Jones Tv

Posted: 28 May 2010 03:25 AM PDT

Alex Covers The Latest News About N. Korea & Iran on Alex Jones Tv

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