IRGC ready to escort Gaza aid ships (plus 99 more items)

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 10:17 PM PDT

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has expressed readiness to escort aid convoys seeking to pierce the three-year Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The announcement comes nearly one week after Israeli navy commandoes killed nine activists onboard the Turkish flagship of the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of nine ships carrying aid to the impoverished Palestinians trapped inside the enclave since 2007.

Israel releases 7 Gaza activists

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:58 PM PDT

Israel has released seven of the people it detained for trying to challenge Tel Aviv's siege of the Gaza Strip by carrying humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

The activists, among whom were Malaysian lawmaker Mohd Nizar Zakaria and three staff of a peace organization, were received by Jordanian officials on Sunday, AFP reported.

Karzai orders Taliban detainees review

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:50 PM PDT

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered a review of all Taliban suspects being held in the country's prisons after Jirga agreed on peace moves with the militants.

Karzai's office said in a statement on Sunday that a committee would be set up to oversee the investigations. It also said any militant arrested on doubtful evidence must be released.

OIC seeks legal action against Israel

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:40 PM PDT

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has called for the formation of an international investigation committee to probe Israel's deadly attack on Gaza-bound aid ships.

"I have invited our OIC Ambassadorial Groups in both New York and Geneva to act in concert in favor of the adoption of an international stand condemning this odious crime and of lifting the lawless blockade on the Gaza Strip," OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said on Saturday in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Eating too much meat causes IBD

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:30 PM PDT

While a meat-rich diet had long been linked to heart problems, a new study says following such a diet may cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in women.

Inflammatory bowel disease, a group of gastrointestinal disorders characterized by severe inflammation in the digestive system, consists of ulcerative colitis, which typically affects the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can attack the entire digestive tract.

Tehran to unveil intl. artworks

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:21 PM PDT

Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Arts is set to unveil a collection of works by renowned international artists during an exhibition in the Iranian capital.

Manifestations of the World's Contemporary arts will display more than 40 paintings, sculptures, illustrations and installations by famous contemporary artists.

Antidepressants up cataract risk

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:06 PM PDT

Apart from various side effects reported for antidepressants, a new study links the widely prescribed type of these drugs to high cataract risk among seniors.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) are a group of medication typically used as antidepressants in treating depression, anxiety disorders and some personality disorders.

Iran denies 45bn euro conversion

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:03 PM PDT

The head of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has denied reports that the country is converting 45 billion euros from its reserves into dollars and gold ingots.

A Wednesday report carried by Iranian daily Jaam-e-Jam said the country planned to sell 45 billion euros from its foreign exchange reserves in reaction to the eurozone debt crisis.

Iran's inflation sinks to 9.9 percent

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 06:11 PM PDT

Iran's inflation rate has finally reached single digits, as pledged by President Ahmadinejad's Administration.

The Chief Executive of Iran's Central Bank Mahmoud Bahmani announced that the country's rate of inflation declined to 9.9 percent. By the end of the second Iranian month of Ordibehesht (May 21).

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 06:08 PM PDT

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says he will present a set of 'constructive' proposals to resolve the crisis engulfing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"After careful deliberation, Iran has come up with a set of tangible and practical proposals to stop Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip and resolve the crisis in the sliver," IRNA quoted him as saying on Sunday.

Israel raps Turkey 'embrace' of Iran

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 06:02 PM PDT

Days after determined refusal to make an apology over the killing of Turkish nationals aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship, Israel moves to shift focus to the close ties between Turkey and Iran.

Relations between Turkey and Israel took a turn for a worst on May 31 when Israeli soldiers opened fire on the Turkish vessel M.V. Mavi Marmara as it attempted to transport humanitarian aid and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip.

Powerful blast rocks Jalalabad

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 05:45 PM PDT

A powerful blast has rocked Afghanistan's eastern city of Jalalabad a few hours after a roadside explosion in the southern areas of the country had killed three people.

According to a Press TV correspondent, gunfire was also heard in the capital city of Nangarhar province -- Jalalabad -- on Sunday.

Slovenes vote on Piran Bay access

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 05:44 PM PDT

Following a border dispute over the Bay of Piran in the Adriatic Sea, the Slovenes are voting in a referendum as to whether to accept a deal with Croatia.

On Sunday, the Slovenes vote in a referendum to decide whether to have the matter settled through international mediation, with a panel of five judges including a Slovene and a Croat.

South Korea softens tone with North

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 05:44 PM PDT

The South Korean president strikes a conciliatory tone with the North over the sinking of its warship, saying he wants the South to live in peace and prosperity along with its northern neighbor.

"We have an unachieved dream… It is to become a unified country living in freedom, peace and prosperity with North Korean compatriots who are still suffering from poverty and suppression," the Associated Press quoted President Lee Myung-bak as saying on Sunday.

Israel thumbs nose at world anger

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 05:11 PM PDT

Israel has triggered a new tide of global outrage after it started circulating a video that pokes fun at the Freedom Flotilla activists, recently attacked by armed Israeli commandos.

While world countries and international organizations are up in arms over a deadly Israeli attack on a ship carrying aid for Gazans, Tel Aviv continues to refuse to show any remorse for its violent actions.

Egypt may rule against Israeli spouses

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 04:35 PM PDT

An Egyptian court has backed annulling the citizenship of Egyptians married to Israelis in cases which Egypt's national security may be at stake.

The Saturday's ruling by the State Council's Supreme Administrative Court comes in response to an appeal by Egypt's Interior Ministry over an earlier lawsuit in a lower court, where Egyptians with Israeli spouses were described as national security risks. A lawyer in the case had argued that such Egyptians could potentially serve as Israeli spies.

UK mulls financial disaster scenarios

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 03:21 PM PDT

Britain's Financial Services Authority (FSA) has asked the country's largest banks to model a number of disaster scenarios in response to Europe's deepening financial crisis.

According to analysts, banks in Britain have a total exposure of more than £100 billion to Greece, Portugal and Spain alone. In one scenario, British banks have been asked to model the possibility of Greece defaulting on its loans.

Another aid ship to set sail for Gaza

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 03:20 PM PDT

Pro-Palestinian activists have launched a campaign to send another aid ship to the Gaza Strip in continuing efforts meant to break the siege of Gaza.

The organizers of the initiative, "Free Palestine Movement" and "Reporters Without Limits," say the vessel will be carrying educational supplies for children of the besieged Palestinian strip.

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 03:17 PM PDT

Amid continuing outrage over a recent Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calls for an investigation into the brutal incident which left nine activists dead.

Ban called for the establishment of a committee headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer to investigate the assault on pro-Palestinian campaigners, Israel's Ynet reported on Sunday.

Erdogan plans breaking Gaza siege

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 03:12 PM PDT

As Turkey mourns the death of activists by Israeli forces, Turkey's Prime Minister considers travelling to the Gaza Strip to break the slivers siege personally.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Mustaqbal reported on Saturday that Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan told close associates about his plan to visit the strip to "break the Israeli blockade."

Iran-Turkey-Pakistan railway to begin

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 02:49 PM PDT

The cargo rail system between Iran, Turkey and Pakistan will begin regular operations by next August.

Pakistani Minister of Railways Haji Gholam Ahmed Billour announced that the tri-nation cargo railway will inaugurate August 1, 2010, when Turkey is to launch the first cargo train in Istanbul destined for Islamabad, Fars News Agency reported Sunday.

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 02:31 PM PDT

As the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill pushes wildlife into apocalypse, British Petroleum says it will not be able to fully stop the flow of oil before August.

Seeking to put an end to the worst oil spill in US history, BP started drilling its first relief well in early May and is expected to reach the blown-out well in early August, the Miami Herald reported on Sunday.

Pakistan to increase defense spending

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 02:20 PM PDT

Pakistan says it is to increase its defense spending by 17 percent in the coming fiscal year, as the country steps up combating militants based near the Afghan border.

Pakistan's Finance Minister, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, announced Saturday that the country's defense spending will be raised to more than $5bn for the 2010-11 fiscal year beginning on July 1, Reuters reported.

Blast kills 4 policemen in Baghdad

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 01:46 PM PDT

At least four police officers have been killed after a bomb exploded outside a police station in the capital city of Baghdad, authorities say.

The car blast took place on Sunday morning, an unnamed source in Iraq's Interior Ministry told Reuters.

UN calls for end to Gaza blockade

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 01:43 PM PDT

A top UN official says Israel's attacks on ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is an "opportunity" to push Israel into lifting the blockade on the coastal sliver.

Nine people died last week when Israeli commandoes attacked a flotilla of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. Forty others were injured in the attack on the peace activists.

Iran's Army plans major ground drills

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 01:17 PM PDT

Iran's Army commander announces a major military exercise involving five divisions, seven sovereign units, and new domestically-developed weapons systems.

General Amir Pourdastan said the expansive drills will be carried out in the southwestern Khouzestan Province as well as the southern portion of the western Ilam Province, ILNA reported Saturday.

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 01:11 PM PDT

A recently-freed Press TV correspondent has revealed new details about an attack by Israeli commandos against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla aid convoy.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV on Saturday, Hassan Ghani said Israeli soldiers threw stun grenades and used rubber bullets against the people onboard the aid ships.

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 12:33 PM PDT

An Irish-American activist, who was among hundreds of abducted aid activists on the Freedom Flotilla seeking to break the siege of the Gaza Strip, was brutally beaten by Israeli security forces.

Ken O'Keefe said on Saturday that he was brutally attacked by Israeli soldiers at the airport before being sent off to Turkey.

Israel to free Irish ship activists

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 12:15 PM PDT

One day after Israel stopped another Gaza-bound aid ship as part of its crippling blockade on the impoverished strip, Tel Aviv says it will deport activists abducted on the new vessel.

The Israeli Navy on Saturday intercepted and later seized an Irish aid ship, the Rachel Corrie, which was carrying 1,000 tons of aid for the impoverished people of Gaza.

Unite workers continue to strike

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 12:05 PM PDT

The Unite union has begun its third five day strike against British Airways, as thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled or rescheduled.

The latest industrial action will continue until Wednesday, in an ongoing dispute between British Airways and its cabin crew, who are demanding better working conditions and protections against retaliation by BA for exercising their legitimate right to strike.

More demos against Greece cuts

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 11:30 AM PDT

Following extensive protests in Athens, another demonstration against the country's new austerity measures takes place as thousands show their fury at the cuts.

On Saturday, two Greek labor unions, representing more than 2.5 million workers, staged a protest in central Athens against a planned pension reform.

Flotilla activist plans to sue Israel

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 10:20 AM PDT

Israeli-Swedish peace activist and artist Dror Feiler says he will file a lawsuit against Israel for assaulting and falsely imprisoning him.

On May 31, the Israeli military launched an assault on one of the ships in the Freedom Flotilla, the Turkish vessel M. V. Mavi Marmara, killing nine activists and wounding 50. The Freedom Flotilla was carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and was clearly in international waters.

Bashir warns of 'explosive situation'

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 10:16 AM PDT

The government in Khartoum warns against the prospects of south Sudan breaking away in a 2011 referendum while it gives the key oil ministry to the opposition.

"Parts of the border could be explosive... like in the case of Ethiopia and Eritrea, or even India and Pakistan," President Umar al-Bashir said in an address to his ruling National Congress party.

'The beginning of the end for Israel'

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 10:09 AM PDT

The former speaker of Iran's Parliament, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, says the Israeli assault on the Freedom Flotilla is "just the beginning of the end for Israel."

He made the remarks on Saturday during a meeting with Press TV correspondent Hassan Ghani, a Freedom Flotilla activist who was recently released by the Israelis.

Anti-occupation demo held in Tel Aviv

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 09:43 AM PDT

Thousands of people have held a demonstration in Tel Aviv to protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories since the Six-Day War of 1967 and the attack on the Freedom Flotilla.

Amid a heavy police presence, the activists — both Israelis and Arabs — marked the 43rd anniversary of the Six-Day War and protested against the "43 years of occupation."

Somali MPs elect new deputy speaker

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:51 AM PDT

Somali MPs have elected a new deputy parliament speaker after a third round of voting, although deep divisions remain between the country's lawmakers.

Abdiwali Sheikh Ibrahim won 192 votes out of a total of 322, defeating Khadija Mohamed Derie, the only female candidate, who got 130 votes, the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu quoted Somali Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden as saying after the parliamentary session on Saturday.

Swedish union to blockade Israeli ships

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:34 AM PDT

Swedish dockworkers plan to launch a blockade of Israeli ships and goods to protest the May 31 attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla.

According to Peter Annerback, the spokesperson for the Swedish Port Workers Union, the workers of the union will block Israeli ships and not handle any of their goods from June 15 to 24.

'Israelis threw 4 injured into the sea'

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 07:37 AM PDT

Activist Idris Simsek, who was on board one of the six ships of the Freedom Flotilla during the Israeli attack, claims that four wounded activists were thrown into the sea.

The Israeli troops also put immense psychological pressure on the activists of the Freedom Flotilla, the Turkish daily Today's Zaman quoted Simsek as saying in an article published on Saturday.

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 12:46 AM PDT

The last ship in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, the MV Rachel Corrie, was captured by the Israeli navy early Saturday morning in international waters about 35 miles off the coast of Gaza. The ship was in sight of the crowd of desperate Gazans who had gathered on the port to welcome its arrival when the Israeli navy boarded the ship, took it over, and brought it to the port of Isdud (Ashdod) in what is now Israel.

The MV Rachel Corrie had set sail from Ireland a few days later than the other six ships in the flotilla, which were violently attacked by Israeli forces last Monday, who killed 9 and wounded 60 aid workers. No injuries were reported in the forced takeover of the MV Rachel Corrie, although there is still no word from the 11 captured aid workers as to their status.

Posted: 05 Jun 2010 12:46 PM PDT

Around 35 miles off the coast of Gaza, at least three Israeli naval ships have blocked the passage of the MV Rachel Corrie, a humanitarian aid ship trying to deliver aid, to the Gaza Strip. The Navy says they will force the ship and its passengers to re-route to the Israeli port of Isdud (Ashdod), where international media have assembled, and right-wing Israelis have arrived to harass members of the Arabic-language press.

At the port of Isdud (Ashdod) in Israel, fundamentalist Israelis attacked Arab reporters saying, "No Arabs should be here. All Arabs must leave!" Various media outlets are gathered at the top of a cliff in Isdud (Ashdod) overlooking the port, but only the Arab media are being harassed by the Israelis.

Posted: 05 Jun 2010 08:08 AM PDT

MV Rachel Corrie in port (photo from freegaza.org)

As the Irish-Malaysian aid ship MV Rachel Corrie approaches within 25 miles of Gaza, communication with the passengers and crew has been cut. This development occurred just after 6:30 am Saturday morning, after passengers on board the ship notified their support team in Cyprus that they were being followed by the Israeli navy.

This is the same thing that occurred just before the Israeli navy attacked the rest of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla of six ships early Monday morning, so supporters are worried that the cut-off of communications could mean that the Israeli navy plans to board the ship, MV (Maritime Vessel) Rachel Corrie.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 08:19 PM PDT

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi (Photo: Free Gaza)

Four civilians were injured in the weekly anti-wall protest in the village of Bil'in including Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, member of the Palestinian Parliament, two journalists and another protester.

Villagers and their International and Israeli supporters marched towards the construction site of the wall carrying Palestinian and Turkish flags and small boat-like structures representing the Freedom Flotilla and placed 40 flags on top of them.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:54 PM PDT

Palestinians carrying Turkish and Palestinian Flags in Nilin (Photo: Ahmad Musleh)

In the village of N'ilin, near Ramallah hundreds of the villagers were joined by International supporters as they held the Friday prayer on the lands on which Israel is planning to build the wall.

The villagers were also joined by Sheikeh Ikrima Sabri, the Sheikh of al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:14 PM PDT

Palestinian villagers praying on their land in Wad Rahal (Photo: File daylife.com)

Around 150 Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis marched, on Friday, in the village of Wad Rahhal near Bethlehem to protest Israel's construction of the wall on their land and to protest the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla passengers.

The march started after the Friday prayers and arrived at the lands slated for confiscation for the construction of the wall.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:15 PM PDT

Gilad Atzmon, a British writer and musician who was born in Israel and served in the Israeli army, believes that the raid will lead the world to see what Israel is all about".

"They are convinced that the more people they kill, the more people will be deterred to jeopardise what they regard as their security," Atzmon told RT.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 09:51 AM PDT

Iran's ambassador to the UN has called for an "all-out boycott" of Israel, saying that a recent attack on ships carrying aid to Gaza showed Tel Aviv's brutality.

Mohammad Khazaei made the comments at an emergency meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in New York on Thursday, IRNA reported.

Turkey says Israel losing friend

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 09:31 AM PDT

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Israel that it is losing its "best friend in the region," urging Tel Aviv to "immediately" review its policies.

Speaking on Thursday in the aftermath of a deadly Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla, Erdogan blamed Israel for its "violent policy" that will not lead to positive results.

No quick fix for Japan economy: Kan

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 08:28 AM PDT

Naoto Kan, the candidate most likely to become Japan's new prime minister, says he has no quick solution for bringing the country's public debt under control.

Finance Minister Kan said that he will announce a new strategy for growth and fiscal discipline later this month, but warned that it would take time to fix the country's economic woes.

US to probe American death on Flotilla

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 08:19 AM PDT

The United States says it will launch an investigation into the death of an American citizen, who was killed during an Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla.

The Obama administration "will look into the circumstances of the death of an American citizen," State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley told reporters.

UN calls for probe into secret prisons

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 08:14 AM PDT

UN rights experts have called on the United States and 65 other countries to end the secret detention of alleged terror suspects.

On Thursday, authors of a UN study on secret detentions linked to counterterrorism called for an independent and transparent investigation into all hidden facilities, AFP reported.

Ukraine withdraws NATO bid

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:17 AM PDT

Ukraine's parliament has approved a bill that prevents the country from joining NATO, Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov says.

Azarov said on Thursday that President Viktor Yanukovych had proposed to give up integration into NATO and declare Ukraine a neutral state.

Anti-Israeli rallies continue worldwide

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:13 AM PDT

Demonstrators across the world continue to hold protests condemning Israel's fatal attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy that left several peace activists dead.

In Spain, hundreds of protesters took into streets of the northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao to condemn the deadly assault.

Ahmadinejad advice to Israel supporters

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:03 AM PDT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has advised Tel Aviv's allies to withdraw their support because the era of Israel has come to an end.

"The era of the Zionist regime is over and it has lost the philosophy behind its fabrication," Fars News Agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying on Thursday.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 07:00 AM PDT

One year after President Obama's Cairo speech on the relationship between the United States and Muslims around the world, the American Civil Liberties Union reiterates its call for improvements to national security policies that unfairly target Muslims. Many of the discriminatory policies identified by President Obama last year still exist but do not make America any safer.

Bangladesh inferno claims 87 lives

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 06:13 AM PDT

Fire raging through a row of multi-story buildings in Bangladesh has killed at least 87 people killed, leaving more than 100 others injured.

Police believe an electrical malfunction caused fire in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, on Thursday evening.

Myanmar 'nuclear plans' exposed

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 05:23 AM PDT

An investigation by an anti-government Myanmar broadcaster has found evidence that it says shows the country's military regime has begun a programme to develop nuclear weapons.

Journalists from the Norway-based Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) have been gathering information about secret military projects in Myanmar for years.

US to bill BP $69mn for oil spill

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 05:20 AM PDT

The White House has slapped BP with a 69-million-dollar bill for the recovery operations relating to the oil spill in Gulf of Mexico.

"The Obama administration on Thursday sent a preliminary bill for 69.09 million dollars to BP and other responsible parties for response and recovery operations relating to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill," the government said in a statement on Thursday.

Obama 'furious' over Gulf oil spill

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:48 AM PDT

The US president has said he is "furious" about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, adding that oil giant BP had not responded quickly enough to disaster.

In an interview with the CNN on Thursday, Barack Obama said BP had felt his anger over the spill but he added "ultimately this isn't about me and how angry I am."

China renews call for dialogue on Iran

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:47 AM PDT

China says any action taken by the UN Security Council should be aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the standoff over Iran's nuclear program.

"We believe that any action taken by the Security Council must be conducive to the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation," China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Thursday.

Blagojevich pleads not guilty

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:42 AM PDT

The former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, who is on trial for corruption, has pleaded not guilty to all charges leveled against him.

Blagojevich, 53, pleaded not guilty to 24 counts including racketeering, wire fraud, attempted extortion and bribery.

Turkey mourns Flotilla victims

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:36 AM PDT

Thousands of people have attended a mass funeral procession in Istanbul to commemorate the victims of Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla.

The mourners chanted anti-Israel slogans while carrying the coffins of eight Turks and one American who were killed during the Monday Israeli assault.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:34 AM PDT

Can you imagine what would happen if members of Congress called for the murder of Dennis Kucinich on the floor of the House for his opposition to the illegal war in Afghanistan? Or if Michele Bachmann was violently threatened for her support of the Arizona immigration law?

Haneen Al-Zoubi, a Palestinian Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, found herself precisely in this unenviable position yesterday.

'UNSC to vote on Iran next week'

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 04:14 AM PDT

The White House says the UN Security Council is expected to vote on a US-proposed resolution that calls for tougher Iran sanction.

"We've seen sanctions introduced in the UN Security Council that we believe will be voted on next week and approved by the UN Security Council," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

Hezbollah hails Flotilla activists

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:46 AM PDT

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah praises the activists aboard the Freedom Flotilla for their "courage" and "humanitarian efforts."

"We saw the Gaza Flotilla, and I saw courage and the scenes of responsibility. This Gaza aid convoy was heading to break the inhumane siege witch has been imposed on Gaza," Nasrallah said on Thursday.

'Price to pay' for opposing Israel

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:33 AM PDT

Though international criticism has been mounting against Israel's raid on civilian aid ships bound for Gaza, reaction from the United States has been cautious. Glenn Greenwald, a former constitutional lawyer and civil rights litigator, said this muted response is due to the "huge political price" US politicians must pay for being seen as adversarial to Israel. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Greenwald, a contributing editor for Salon.com, said what is clear is that the Obama administration has given its full support to the Israeli government once again.

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:26 AM PDT

Obama's counsel, Robert Bauer, does not think you have a right to know where Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan stands on the issues. Obama wants to sweep the radical Kagan into the Court without review.

"In a letter to Sen. Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee Republican, Robert Bauer, counsel to Obama, implied the president may use executive privilege to hide some memos Elena Kagan wrote when she served in the Clinton White House," reports the Kagan Watch website.

Turkey will 'never forgive' Israel

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:13 AM PDT

The Turkish president has said that Israel's military raid on civilian aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip has caused "irreparable" damage to his country's relations with Israel, and will "never" be forgiven.

"From now on, Turkish-Israeli ties will never be the same. This incident has left an irreparable and deep scar," Abdullah Gul said in a televised speech on Thursday, as thousands gathered in the streets of Istanbul to pay their respects to the humanitarian activists killed during the raid.

What Is To Be Done

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 03:13 AM PDT

Israel's most recent outrage has meant harsh criticism from almost everywhere but the USA. Our captive nation status continues as those who usually echo our commands express embarrassment at the conduct of the world's most self righteous regime. But Americans who demand that Israel come to its senses need to come to their own. Nothing about Israel will change until everything about America's uncritical support for Israel changes.

Belgian judge, clerk shot in court

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 02:14 AM PDT

A man has shot to death a female judge and a clerk in a courtroom in the Belgian capital of Brussels before fleeing the scene.

The gunman opened fire in a building near the main Palais de Justice in Brussels at about 1115 (0915 GMT) on Thursday, BBC reported.

Koreas may go to war at 'any moment'

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:43 AM PDT

Pyongyang has warned of an imminent war in the Korean Peninsula amid rising tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship back in March.

"The present situation of the Korean Peninsula is so grave that a war may break out any moment," Ri Jang Gon, North Korea's deputy ambassador to Geneva, said in a speech on Thursday.

Low-lying Pacific islands not sinking

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:36 AM PDT

Geologists have found that global warming is not a grave danger to many low-lying Pacific islands, which are said to be growing instead of sinking.

According to the study published in the New Scientist, Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia are among the islands that have grown due to coral debris and sediment.

Merkel urges probe into flotilla raid

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:34 AM PDT

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has proposed that the International Middle East Quartet join a probe into an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy.

"The Chancellor suggested that representatives of the Middle East Quartet, to which the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the United States belong, take part in the investigation," Merkel's spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm was quoted as saying by AFP.

'No operation against Punjab militants'

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:28 AM PDT

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has ruled out a military offensive against pro-Taliban militants in the eastern province of Punjab.

"No military operation is planned against banned [militant] outfits in Punjab... [but] effective action would jointly be taken [with the Punjab government] to eliminate them," Pakistan's official APP news agency quoted Malik as saying on Thursday.

Moroccans aboard aid convoy freed

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:26 AM PDT

Four of the seven Moroccans on a Gaza-bound flotilla aid convoy that was attacked by the Israeli commandos last week have been released.

On Thursday, one of the four Moroccans, Abdelkader Amara, a deputy belonging to the Justice and Development Party (PJD), described the Israeli attack on the flotilla which killed 20 people as "intolerable," AFP reported.

'Consensus broken on Iran sanctions'

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 01:21 AM PDT

Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi says the Tehran declaration broke the global consensus led by the US to impose tougher sanctions against Iran.

"With the issuance of the Tehran declaration, the global consensus on US-led efforts to impose sanctions against Iran broke and the ball is now in their court," Salehi said.

Nasrallah honors Imam Khomeini

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:41 AM PDT

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah has praised the founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini, for steering Muslim nations to the right path.

"Imam Khomeini planted in our hearts the culture of standing up to tyrants and oppressors. He reinvigorated the culture of a dignified life, a life wherein man rejects humiliation," Nasrallah said in Beirut on Thursday.

New LED brings quantum computing closer

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:15 AM PDT

Toshiba scientists have invented a device which can create entangled light, key for a quantum computer, using a voltage driven power source.

Toshiba Corp's researchers in Cambridge announced on Wednesday that their Entangled Light Emitting Diode (ELED) can make superfast quantum computing possible.

PA granted passport to Flotilla crew

Posted: 04 Jun 2010 12:01 AM PDT

In a move to appreciate the struggles for exposing the realities behind Israeli occupation, the Palestinian Authority has granted Palestinian nationality to all the activists in the Flotilla.

The Chief of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday thanked the international activist in the Flotilla for their struggle for liberation and expressed hope that the ships would not be the last effort to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Scores killed in Bangladesh fire

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:47 PM PDT

Apartment fires are common in Bangladesh where building regulations are rarely enforced [AFP]

China 'avoiding military ties with US'

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:43 PM PDT

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says China is reluctant to expand military ties with the US amid growing differences between the two countries.

"The PLA (People's Liberation Army) is significantly less interested in developing this relationship than the political leadership of the country," AFP quoted Gates as saying on Thursday ahead of a security conference in Singapore.

Obama, Brewer to discuss immigration

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:37 PM PDT

US President Barack Obama is going to meet with Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer over the state's controversial immigration law.

The meeting that is to be held on Thursday at the White House comes after Mrs. Brewer's request for a face-to-face talk with Mr. Obama.

German minister to delete Facebook page

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:28 PM PDT

Germany's consumer affairs minister has said she will delete her Facebook account, since it still fails to protect privacy despite measures planned last week.

"I will end my membership," Ilse Aigner told AFP in a Thursday news conference in Berlin after talks with Facebook policy director for Europe, Richard Allan.

German minister to cancel Facebook

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:28 PM PDT

Shams resigns as Iran Futsal coach

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:26 PM PDT

Hossein Shams has quit as Iran's national Futsal team, following a successful career which led Iran to three consecutive Asian Championship titles.

The decision comes only a week after Iran won its tenth AFC Futsal Championship title after beating Uzbekistan in the final match.

Mitchell warns of peace talks halt

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 11:11 PM PDT

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has warned that the Israel's attack on Freedom Flotilla should not hinder the prospect of peace talks.

"The tragedy... cannot be allowed to spiral out of control and undermine the limited but real progress that has been made," Mitchell said in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Thursday.

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:55 PM PDT

A tour of Israeli media is enough to realize the fatal mistake the Zionist entity has committed in international waters last Monday, when the Israeli navy commandos shot and killed nine Turkish activists on board the Freedom flotilla that was carrying aids to the besieged people of Gaza.

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:52 PM PDT

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has praised the 1979 Islamic Revolution for weakening the tyrannical grip of oppressive powers.

"If the Iranian nation had not made the exploitation, monopoly and control of the resources of nations difficult for domineering powers by choosing the path of the Revolution it would not become the target of such enmity and malice," Ayatollah Khamenei said Thursday at a gathering of eulogists and poets in Tehran.

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:48 PM PDT

Remember Linda Sánchez? She is the California Democrat and Obama super delegate who sponsored the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act that would imprison people for using the internet and other "electronic means" to say unkind things about other people.

Law professor and blogger Eugene Volokh pointed out in May of 2009 that the law was so broad it might be used to ensnared newspaper reporters and journalists after they write acrimonious editorials. "The examples could be multiplied pretty much indefinitely," writes Volokh. "The law, if enacted, would clearly be facially overboard (and probably unconstitutionally vague), and would thus be struck down on its face under the First Amendment," Volokh wrote.

BP takeover fears as shares plunge

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:41 PM PDT

BP has lost about 35 per cent of its share value, around $60bn, since its Deepwater Horizon well blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, causing a massive oil spill. A criminal investigation has been launched into the cause of April's accident and the British energy giant's plunging share price could make it a takeover target for one of its rivals. Jonah Hull reports from London.

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:40 PM PDT

It's estimated that more than half a million people try to enter the United States illegally each year. Since the World Trade Centre attacks on September 11, border security has increased and getting into the country has become more difficult. The federal government has also increased efforts to locate and deport undocumented immigrants. In part two of Al Jazeera's special series - Immigration in America, Al Jazeera's Mike Kirsch has this report.

US detention centres face legal limbo

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:38 PM PDT

When undocumented workers are caught they get sent to a detention facility run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There are dozens of detention facilities across the US and some immigrants are even kept in actual prisons with convicted criminals. There have been accusations of mistreatment, lack of medical care, and lack of attorney access at some of these detention facilities. The ACLU successfully sued the ICE to have undocumented families removed from one of the detention facilities because of the conditions. Now, the ACLU is calling for federal oversight for the detention centres to ensure that there are standards in place. Al Jazeera's Mike Kirsch reports.

Iran issues €250mn South Pars bonds

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:19 PM PDT

Tehran begins to offer 250 million euros ($306.6 million) in bonds in Iranian banks abroad to finance the development of the country's South Pars gas field.

Iran plans to issue a total amount of one billion euros in bonds in four stages in a bid to develop the giant gas field.

BP says leaking oil pipe severed

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:19 PM PDT

Undersea robots have sheared off the oil pipe responsible for leaking millions of litres of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, raising hopes that the gushing well can be capped to bring the leak under control in coming days.

Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive, said on Thursday severing the pipe was an "important milestone" in efforts to plug the leak, which has wreaked environmental damage throughout the gulf.

French lady fined for wearing niqab

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:11 PM PDT

The French police have fined a woman for wearing niqab while driving near the Northern town of Maubeuge, after first mistaking her for a masked man.

The 23-year-old French lady, who has not been named, was fined 35 euros ($43) for "driving with a reduced field of vision," AFP reported.

Posted: 03 Jun 2010 10:11 PM PDT

Interview with Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary US Treasury, Associate Editor Wall Street Journal, Professor of Political Economy Center for Strategic and International Studies Georgetown University Washington DC.

London Wallpaper

Saturday, June 12, 2010

IRGC ready to escort Gaza aid ships

IRGC ready to escort Gaza aid ships (plus 99 more items)

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