Saturday, June 5, 2010

Israeli forces kill three Palestinians

Israeli forces kill three Palestinians (plus 84 more items)

Link to Rebel Newsflash

Israeli forces kill three Palestinians

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:47 PM PDT

The Israeli military has killed at least three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a day after Israeli commandos killed 20 activists aboard six aid ships in international waters.

Medics in Gaza announced that the Palestinians were killed in northern parts of the strip on Tuesday, AFP reported.

Iran to participate in KOTFA 2010

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:41 PM PDT

Iran is planning to take part in the 23rd edition of the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA 2010), introducing the country's culture and tourist attractions.

Some nine Iranian travel agencies, tour operators and hotel groups will participate at the event, presenting Iran's diverse tourism potentials.

UN blames Israel, siege for bloodshed

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:32 PM PDT

The UN secretary general has blamed Israel for imposing three years of blockade on the Gaza Strip saying it caused the recent bloodshed aboard aid ships.

"Had Israelis heeded to my call and to the call of the international community by lifting the blockade of Gaza, this tragic incident would not have happened," Ban Ki-moon said in a Tuesday interview with AFP.

'Iran welcomes talks with EU': Mottaki

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:32 PM PDT

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has met with Leader of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament Martin Schulz in Brussels.

In the meeting on Tuesday, the top Iranian diplomat touched upon key regional and international issues, namely Iraq and Afghanistan.

EU says murder on Flotilla 'inexplicable'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:11 PM PDT

The European Union has voiced regrets over the killing of pro-Palestinian activists on a Gaza-bound aid convoy by Israeli forces, calling the incident "inexplicable."

At a joint summit with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday, EU President Herman Van Rompuy offered his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims.

Global Outrage as Israel Kills 20 on Aid Flotilla

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:47 PM PDT

At least 15 civilians were killed by Israeli forces on 31 May 2010 when the Israelis launched a pre-dawn commando raid on the international civilian aid flotilla headed for the blockaded population of Gaza. The Israeli raid occurred in international waters which makes it a "gross breach of international law", as a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry noted.

Punish Israel: Iran Jewish community

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:41 PM PDT

Iran's Jewish community has slammed Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid Flotilla, calling for the punishment of the "criminals" responsible for the attack.

"Tehran's Jewish community condemns the inhuman act of the Zionists in attacking a non-military Flotilla," a statement from the Tehran Jewish Community read Tuesday.

What if Iran had carried out the Gaza carnage?

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:35 PM PDT

It's not unjustifiable to consider Israel as the absolute incarnation of fraudulence, relentlessness and brutality. Since its establishment, the Zionist regime has carried out actions which contravene the international regulations and cancel out the human rights in a way or another. Only a brief look into the account of Israel's bloody interaction with the Palestinian people over the past years shows us that this fabricated regime does not deserve "the right of existence", as the U.S. and European officials put it periodically.

Iran urges Asia to sever Israel ties

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:31 PM PDT

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani Asian countries to sever relations with Israel in response to Tel Aviv's raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy.

"The parliaments of Asian countries should call on their respected governments to cut political and economic ties with Israel," Larijani said.

Eurozone jobless rate hits record high

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:21 PM PDT

Unemployment rate in the Eurozone counties has jumped to a historic 10.1 percent -- its highest since the introduction of Euro.

According to statistics released by the European Union, almost 16 million people living in the Eurozone countries are currently out of jobs.

Russia: Israel raid on Flotilla unjustified

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:08 PM PDT

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has characterized Israel's killing of international activists on a Gaza-bound aid Flotilla as "absolutely unjustified."

Addressing a Russia-EU summit in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on Tuesday, Medvedev said, "The loss of people is irretrievable and absolutely unjustified."

US fighting oil spill with 'toxins'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:54 PM PDT

Apart from the concerns raised about the environmental impact of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, many say chemicals used to fight the spill are toxic.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated on Monday that the underwater use of dispersants has shown promising results in breaking up oil from the BP spill, stressing that the strategy has no negative effects on aquatic life.

Turkey: Punish Israel for massacre

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:39 PM PDT

The Turkish prime minster says Israel must be punished for the 'massacre' it committed aboard the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid ships.

"The bloody massacre Israel carried out against ships carrying aid to Gaza deserves condemnation," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Gaza raid slammed in Asia-Pacific

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:30 PM PDT

Nations in the Asia-Pacific region have lent voice to the global condemnation of Israel's attack on a humanitarian aid Flotilla headed for Gaza.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Tuesday strongly rebuked the deadly Israeli raid, and called for an "immediate, independent inquiry" into the incident, urging the findings from the probe must then be passed to the United Nations Security Council.

Sarkozy backs Africa seat on UNSC

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:05 PM PDT

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has backed Africa's proposed permanent membership in the UN Security Council calling the lack of representation "completely abnormal."

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 25th Africa-France summit in Nice, Sarkozy threw his political weight behind Africa's bid to be granted a permanent seat on the United Nations decision-making body saying, "Africa is our future" and must be given a greater say in international forums.

Palestinians killed near Khan Yunis

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:55 PM PDT

Amid a global furor over Israel's recent attack on a Gaza aid convoy, Israeli military officials report that they have killed two Palestinians near Khan Younis.

Israeli troops on Tuesday gunned down two Palestinians, claiming the victims were armed men who had crossed a separation fence near the Israeli-controlled Kissufim border crossing.

Colombia heads for run-off election

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:31 PM PDT

Colombia is set for a June run-off election, as no candidate managed to claim an outright victory in Sunday's first round of presidential polling.

Former defense minister Juan Manuel Santos, who gathered 47 percent of the ballots, fell just short of the numbers needed to succeed President Alvaro Uribe.

Leader: West to blame for Gaza aid raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:19 PM PDT

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the United States, Britain and France must be held accountable for an Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy.

The Leader said the attack on the international convoy was an act of lunacy, adding that the attack brings Israel closer to its end.

'Israel's aid raid sign of weakness'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:11 PM PDT

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili has rapped an Israeli attack on the Gaza aid convoy saying the assault is a sign of Israel's weakness.

The Iranian official made the remark during a telephone conversation with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani on Monday night.

Agatha devastates Central America

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Floods and mudslides, triggered by the powerful tropical storm Agatha, continue to ravage Central America, raising the death toll to at least 145.

The worst-hit country is Guatemala, where authorities say at least 120 people have been killed. Neighboring Honduras and El salvador have also suffered death and destruction by 'Agatha', where at least 25 people have lost their lives.

OIC lashes out at Israeli violence

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 04:09 PM PDT

The Organization of the Islamic Conference voices its condemnation of Israel's bloody takeover of a humanitarian aid convoy heading for the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Islamic body on Monday condemned the use of violence by Israeli forces against hundreds of international activists onboard the six-ship flotilla heading to the Palestinian coastal sliver.

Don't Ask, Don't Think

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 03:55 PM PDT

The Senate Armed Services Committee and the House of Representatives have voted to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"—forcing open homosexuality in the military. Liberal lawmakers are pushing the bill forward even though the Pentagon has not yet released its own recommendations on the issue. Amendments in the House and Senate both say the bill would not become law until after the Pentagon study is issued; premature passage assumes the study will be favorable.

Fresh clashes kill dozens in Somalia

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 03:55 PM PDT

Somali government forces have pushed back opposition fighters and retaken parts of a strategic town as fresh clashes claim the lives of at least 15 with 28 others wounded.

On Monday, government troops forced their way into Hizbul Islam's positions on the outskirts of the strategic town of Beledweyne, the administrative capital of Hirran region, 335 kilometers north of the capital Mogadishu.

Ahmadinejad urges action against Israel

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 03:47 PM PDT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has once again condemned an Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy as "brutal," urging decisive action against Israel.

In a speech in the western province of Ilam on Tuesday, President Ahmadinejad said that the "brutal" attack on the convoy was "in contravention of human values, [international] law and justice."

In Japan, Mottaki discusses 'declaration'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 03:38 PM PDT

Days after Iran issued a declaration on a possible nuclear fuel swap, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki discussed details of the declaration with his Japanese counterpart.

The Iranian senior official held talks over Tehran's nuclear energy program including the Tehran declaration with Katsuya Okada in Tokyo on Monday.

Israel vows more attacks on aid ships

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 03:07 PM PDT

A defiant Israel downplays international condemnations of its deadly raid against a Gaza-bound aid convoy, vowing to prevent all aid ships trying to break the Gaza siege.

"We will not let any ships reach Gaza and supply what has become a terrorist base threatening the heart of Israel," AFP quoted Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai as saying on Tuesday.

Japan PM says he will stay as leader

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:50 PM PDT

Japan's Prime Minister vows to continue to lead his country despite growing calls from his own party to resign following his decision over a US military base.

Calls have emerged in Yukio Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) for the premier to step down to restore the party's chances in the upper house election expected in July, Reuters reports.

6.1 quake rocks Costa Rica

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:30 PM PDT

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale has rattled the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, with no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The United States Geological Survey said the tremor hit 46 miles (74 km) southwest of the capital San Jose at 0326 GMT on Tuesday.

Al-Qaeda No. 3 killed in Pakistan

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:26 PM PDT

Al-Qaeda has announced that its top leader in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, has been killed in a US airstrike in Pakistan within the past two weeks.

"His death will only be a severe curse by his life upon the infidels," al-Qaeda said late Monday in a statement quoted by the New York Times.

Africa condemns Freedom Flotilla raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:19 PM PDT

Amidst international fury over the Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy, the African Union (AU) condemns the attack and demands an investigation.

"The AU commission is deeply shocked by the bloody boarding operation carried out by the Israeli security forces on May 31, 2010 against a humanitarian mission destined for Palestine, causing a large number of deaths and injuries," the African Union announced in its statement.

Iran reacts to new IAEA report

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:06 PM PDT

Iran says the latest IAEA report has failed to mention significant events on the country's nuclear activities including the recent Tehran declaration.

In a new nine-page report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) covered the very recent developments regarding Iran's nuclear work including enrichment and reprocessing activities but failed to mention the recent Tehran declaration signed between Iran, Turkey and Brazil on a swap deal to provide fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR).

Security Council slams Gaza aid raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:46 PM PDT

The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy, demanding the immediate release of the ships and the civilians onboard.

The Security Council condemned "those acts which resulted in the loss of at least 10 civilians and many wounded," AFP quoted a statement by the Council's President.

Anti-Israeli protests erupt in US

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:33 PM PDT

Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered in the streets of Washington and New York to protest Israel's deadly attack on a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla.

In Washington on Monday, protesters who had at first crowded near the Israeli Embassy drew together in front of the White House to express their outrage at the US government's relentless support of Tel Aviv.

Israel jails 480 Gaza aid activists

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:30 PM PDT

Israel has jailed 487 international activists captured during its deadly commando strike on a Gaza aid convoy, while 48 others are to be "expelled."

Those detained remain in custody at the southern Israeli prison of Ashdod, while the other 48 will be taken to Ben Gurion international airport to be sent back to their home countries, AFP quoted a report by Israel's public radio as saying on Tuesday.

Spaniards protest flotilla deaths

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:27 PM PDT

Hundreds of protesters have demonstrated outside the Spanish Foreign Ministry against Israel's raid on an aid fleet, calling for the closure of Israel's embassy in their country.

Waving the Palestinian flag and chanting slogans against Israel in front of the Spanish Foreign Ministry and throughout the streets of the Spanish capital Madrid, hundreds of people vented their frustration over the deadly Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla aid convoy en route to Gaza.

Global rallies continue over Israel

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:00 PM PDT

Activists around the world are continuing to protest Israel's deadly action against a convoy of aid ships headed to Gaza that killed at least 10 people.

Thousands of people took to the streets in several Indonesian cities on Tuesday, waving banners and flags condemning Israel for its attack on the so-called Freedom Flotilla.

Airlines meet Hammond over volcano

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 12:58 PM PDT

Several companies will meet with Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond to demand compensation for the closure of British airspace.

Airline officials are appealing to Hammond for compensation of hundreds of millions of pounds from the ban imposed on air travel for six days in April, when Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted, sending an immense ash cloud into European skies.

BP was aware of rig vulnerability

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 11:15 AM PDT

Reports say British Petroleum had been aware of operational problems on the Deepwater Horizon rig back in March well before it exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

New documents released by officials in Washington show that BP engineers had reported problems in controlling the oil well at least a month before the explosion.

Japan PM urged to quit over base

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:52 AM PDT

Japan's prime minister is facing growing pressure to resign over his handling of the relocation of a contentious US Marine base on the southern island of Okinawa.

Yukio Hatoyama's approval ratings have plummeted after he backtracked last week on a campaign promise to move the Futenma Marine Air Station off the island.

Russian opposition holds demos

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Russian police have broken up opposition protests held in defense of the constitutional guarantee of the freedom of assembly in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

At least 60 people were detained in St. Petersburg and more than 130 in Moscow on Monday.

42 pro-Taliban militants killed‎ in Orakzai

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:24 AM PDT

A militant commander and 42 suspected pro-Taliban militants have been killed in airstrikes in Pakistan's Upper Orakzai Agency.

In a series of assaults in the country's northwest, Pakistani jets and helicopter gunships attacked seven militant strongholds where the troops have intensified their attacks in recent weeks.

12 killed in Lahore gun battle‎

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:14 AM PDT

At least 12 people were killed and many more injured in a brazen attack on Jinnah Hospital in Lahore, where victims of Friday's mosque attacks are being treated.

The attackers, disguised in police uniforms, stormed the gate of the hospital late on Monday and started shooting indiscriminately outside the emergency ward.

German president resigns

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:05 AM PDT

German President Horst Koehler has stepped down from his post after criticism sparked by his controversial comments on the war in Afghanistan.

During a recent radio interview, he said that German troops could be deployed abroad to defend Berlin's interests.

Death toll from Agatha storm rises

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:04 AM PDT

A tropical storm that lashed across three central American countries over the weekend has left at least 144 people dead and tens of thousands homeless, officials have said.

Tropical Storm Agatha, which was downgraded to a depression on Sunday, unleashed massive floods in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, triggering many landslides.

'Israel committed an act of war'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:38 AM PDT

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has condemned Israel's attack on peace activists on a flotilla of ships carrying relief supplies to the Gaza Strip.

Chavez called the attack "an act of war undertaken by the Israeli army against defenseless civilians" who were trying to break through Israel's "criminal blockade."

UN decries Israeli flotilla raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:30 AM PDT

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Jerusalem on the storming of the flotilla and its aftermath

The UN Security Council has condemned acts leading to the deaths of civilians during Monday's Israeli attack on a humanitarian aid convoy that was headed to the Gaza Strip.

'Iran haze contains depleted uranium'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 09:18 AM PDT

An Iranian lawmaker says the haze that arrives in Iran from Iraq is polluted with depleted uranium due to the US military's use of the prohibited weapon in the neighboring country.

MP Mohammad-Mehdi Shahriari called for urgent measures to prevent the diffusion of the Iraqi haze over Iran.

US kills al-Qaeda 'number three'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:47 AM PDT

The US government has said that it killed Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, an Egyptian man described as al-Qaeda's "number three" official.

Al-Qaeda confirmed al-Yazid's death in a message posted on internet forums on Monday.

South Africa censures Israel

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:37 AM PDT

South Africa has strongly condemned Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla and called for a concerted global effort to find a solution to the question of Palestine.

In a statement issued by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria strongly condemned all military aggression by Israel against innocent civilians, including the people of the occupied West Bank and Gaza, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Australia acts over Japan whaling

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 08:06 AM PDT

Australia has launched legal case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in an effort to halt Japanese whaling in the seas off Antarctica, officials in Tokyo have said.

Hirofumi Hirano, Japan's top government spokesman said on Tuesday that the move was "extremely regrettable".

The Gaza Flotilla – Your Move, Mr. President

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:59 AM PDT

President-elect Obama stayed silent when, back in December of 2008 and January of 2009, Israel declared war on the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip prison camp. (In my view that was a demonstration of naked Israeli state terrorism). As I write from America, with the drama and implications of Israel's murderous attack on the Gaza Flotilla still being played out, I find myself wondering if President Obama will have the balls to say to Israel, "Enough is enough".

He would not dare to say that in those words, but he could break with precedence by refusing to veto a Security Council resolution condemning Israel.

UN urges probe into Thai unrest

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:38 AM PDT

The United Nations' high commissioner for human rights has called for an independent investigation into the recent deadly violence in Thailand, saying that a full examination of events is essential for political reconciliation.

Speaking at a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Navi Pillay said that anyone found to be responsible for rights violations should be held accountable.

The Lakers' Wilt Chamberlain is Still a Superstar

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:36 AM PDT

Starting Thursday, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers meet for the twelfth time in the National Basketball Association finals. The Lakers have traditionally showcased superstars, from George Mikan, the NBA's first big man in the 1940s, through Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal, to Kobe Bryant today. In contrast, the Celtics, at their best, have exemplified team play.

'Israel has lost all legitimacy'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:33 AM PDT

The Turkish foreign minister has told the UN Security Council that Israel should be held accountable for its deadly attack on the flotilla carrying humanitarian assistance for Gaza.

Ahmet Davutoglu said that Israel has "lost all legitimacy" because of the onslaught that left at least 20 peace activists dead and many others wounded. Most of those killed in the assault were from Turkey.

Quake hits off Andaman Islands

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:56 AM PDT

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 struck east of India's Andaman Islands in the early hours of Tuesday and triggered a local tsunami warning.

The quake struck 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands at a depth of 79.4 miles (127.7 km). It occurred at 1:21 a.m. Tuesday (1951 GMT Monday), the US Geological Survey and Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported.

Iran 'pursuing' further enrichment

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:45 AM PDT

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog says Iran is pushing ahead with higher-level uranium enrichment and has failed to answer its questions about possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said Tehran refused to address concerns about possible undisclosed nuclear activities in a report the US said "clearly shows Iran's continued failure to comply with its international obligations and its sustained lack of co-operation with the IAEA".

Africa seeks permanent seats on UNSC

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:19 AM PDT

Ahead of the 25th Africa-France summit, the leaders of 38 African countries have called for drastic reform of the United Nations Security Council and a stronger role for their continent.

The 38 African leaders plan to attend the summit, hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which opens on Monday in the Riviera city of Nice, AFP reported.

UN tells Israel to end siege of Gaza

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:03 AM PDT

UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has called on Israel to end its "unacceptable" blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Fernandez-Taranco, who was speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, said that Israel's Monday attack on peace activists on a flotilla of ships off the coast of Gaza would not have happened without the blockade.

Israeli troops storm Gaza flotilla

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:03 AM PDT

Israeli forces have attacked aid ships attempting to break the blockade of Gaza. Commandos lowered themselves from helicopters and onto the Mavi Marmara - the lead ship in a flotilla of six vessels which are carrying humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory. Israeli Army Radio said up to 16 people may have been killed in the operation. Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal on board the Mavi Marmara sent this report before communications were cut. [May, 31, 2010]

Questions over US policy on Middle East conflict

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 06:02 AM PDT

Even before the Gaza aid flotilla crisis, both Barack Obama, the US president, and Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had been trying to erase the perception of strained US-Israel relations. But among some quarters in Washington, questions over unqualified US support for Israel remain. The US military is starting to show concern over the cost of supporting Israel, at a time when it has thousands of troops in the Arab and Muslim world. Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher explains.

Oil crisis threatens more US states

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:23 AM PDT

Oil gushing out of a BP well in the Gulf of Mexico could spread and threaten two more US states, forecasters have warned.

Louisiana's wetlands and fishing grounds have been the worst hit so far by the spill, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Monday that winds this week may start moving oil closer to the Mississippi and Alabama coasts.

EU condemns attack on flotilla

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 04:56 AM PDT

The European Union has condemned the Israeli attack on a flotilla of ships carrying aid to Gaza and has called for an "immediate, full and impartial inquiry" into the incident.

"The EU condemns the use of violence that has produced a high number of victims among the members of the flotilla and demands an immediate, full and impartial inquiry into the events and the circumstances surrounding it," ambassadors from the 27 EU countries said in a statement issued in Brussels on Monday.

Anti-Israeli demos held in France

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 04:33 AM PDT

Hundreds of French people have taken to streets of Paris to protest against the deadly Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla.

Tel Aviv is facing a wave of international criticism and condemnation over the assault on the six ships that left at least 20 peace activists dead and about 50 injured.

Blair does damage control

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 03:58 AM PDT

Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair has expressed "deep regret and shock" at the tragic Israeli massacre of international activists on a flotilla of ships heading to Gaza.

On Monday, the former British prime minster called for a full investigation into the matter, AFP reported.

Wall of China's secret ingredient found

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:38 AM PDT

Chinese scientists have found that the Great Wall of China owes its strength and longevity to the sticky rice paste used as its mortar 600 years ago.

The Ming dynasty sections of the Great Wall were made by a mixture of sticky rice flour and slaked lime, which bound the bricks together so tightly that in many places weeds still cannot grow.

Governments of several countries condemn Israeli attack on aid ship

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:26 AM PDT

Aid convoy - items considered 'security risk' to Israel include dolls and crayons

The government of Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel Monday, and a number of countries issued strong condemnations of the Israeli attack on humanitarian aid ships that left 19 people dead, according to the latest count. Greece, Sweden, France, Austria, Spain, China and Russia all condemned the Israeli attack and summoned the Israeli ambassadors in their respective countries to provide an explanation of Israel's actions.

The response from the US government was more guarded, with the White House spokesman ironically using the same words that the Israeli Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi used in response to the attack, "We deeply regret the loss of life", leading some to speculate that the White House was coached by Israel on what to say in response to the attack.

UNSC begins meeting over Israeli raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:10 AM PDT

The United Nations Security Council has kicked off its emergency meeting on the deadly Israeli raid against the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla.

The UNSC started the session on Monday after Turkey urged a meeting over the brutal killing of activists in international waters by Israeli forces, AFP reported.

Israeli troops storm Gaza flotilla

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 02:02 AM PDT

Israeli forces have attacked aid ships attempting to break the blockade of Gaza. Commandos lowered themselves from helicopters and onto the Mavi Marmara - the lead ship in a flotilla of six vessels which are carrying humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory. Israeli Army Radio said up to 16 people may have been killed in the operation. Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal on board the Mavi Marmara sent this report before communications were cut.

'Obama wants facts on tragic aid raid'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:56 AM PDT

US President Barack Obama has called on the Israeli premier to launch an investigation to find "all the facts" surrounding the attack on the Freedom Flotilla.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to meet Obama at the White House on Tuesday. However, he cancelled the visit following Israel's attack on a Gaza-bound convoy of humanitarian aid which resulted in the killing of 20 international activists.

Brazil summons Israeli envoy over raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:53 AM PDT

Brazil has joined a host of countries across the world to summon the Israeli ambassador over Tel Aviv's deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy.

At least 20 people were killed and 50 others injured when the Israeli navy stormed the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to the coastal enclave, early on Monday.

Iran sees 'global threat' in Israel

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:40 AM PDT

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili says Israel's deadly attack on the Gaza-bound aid Flotilla has turned the regime into a global threat.

"The Zionist regime's folly shows that this regime is a threat to the independent world, just as defending Palestine and Gaza is protecting liberty," Jalili was quoted as saying in a statement from the council secretariat.

World condemns Israel raid on Gaza aid convoy

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:38 AM PDT

People all over the world have protested against Israel's attack on an aid-carrying convoy bound for Gaza that left several pro-Palestinian activists on board dead and many more injured. The Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of six ships carrying hundreds of activists, political leaders and journalists from around the world, was trying to deliver about 10000 tonnes of basic aid including food, medicines, and construction material, in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

'Facebook apologizes over blasphemy'

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:35 AM PDT

Pakistan says Facebook has apologized to the country and has removed the blasphemous content that had prompted Islamabad to ban the social networking website.

"In response to our protest, Facebook has tendered their apology and informed us that all the sacrilegious material has been removed from the URL," Najibullah Malik, secretary of Pakistan's information technology ministry, was quoted by AP as saying on Monday.

Emergency protests organized around the world in response to Israel's murder of 19 aid workers

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 01:05 AM PDT

Paris protest (photo Amoonam)

Hundreds of protests were organized Monday calling on the world's governments to hold Israel accountable for carrying out an unprovoked attack on civilian ships in international waters.

10,000 people gathered in Istanbul, Turkey and tried to storm the Israeli consulate. Although the names of the killed have not yet been released, Turkish protesters say they believe that most of the killed are Turkish, as they were on the Turkish aid ship when the Israeli military attacked.

Israel tows aid ships to Ashdod, detains 700 activists including Parliament members and dignitaries

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 12:47 AM PDT

Israeli forces board aid ship (photo from freegaza.org)

After attacking a group of humanitarian aid ships, killing up to 19 passengers, Israeli naval vessels transported the ships to the port of Ashdod (formerly the Palestinian city of Isdud) in what is now Israel, 16 hours after the initial assault. There, the humanitarian aid workers were placed in a makeshift prison camp prepared in advance by the Israeli military, where they await deportation to their respective countries.

Sixteen activists were taken to Israeli prison for refusing to identify themselves, along with 16 others picked out by the Israeli military for unknown reasons and taken directly to prison for interrogation.

Many dead in Pakistan hospital raid

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 12:10 AM PDT

At least 12 people have been killed, and up to 40 wounded, in an attack on a hospital in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, local officials and media say.

At least three armed men
attacked the hospital on Monday, taking several patients hostage, a senior doctor told the Reuters news agency.

'Israel is a Lunatic State' - Finkelstein on Gaza Flotilla Attack

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:57 PM PDT

Political scientist Norman Finkelstein has spoken to RT to give his assessment of Israel's raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

Gazans unite in call for solidarity with Freedom Flotilla

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:36 PM PDT

We Gaza-based Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and international activists call on the international community and civil society to pressure their governments and Israel to cease the abductions and killings in Israel's attacks against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza, and begin a global response to hold Israel accountable for the murder of foreign civilians at sea and illegal piracy of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Is being media savvy and having a camera enough to be a journalist?

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:21 PM PDT

Having a laptop and cell phone with a camera built into it doesn't necessarily make you a journalist, the journalist and writer Pierre Asselin said on Monday at the 'Democracy and its Challenges' conference sponsored by the French Embassy in cooperation with Haaretz.

Readers are not journalists, Asselin said, adding that the experience gained working at a newspaper was needed to make that transition.

The Madness of Arrogance – Israel's Attack on the Gaza Aid Flotilla

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:17 PM PDT

Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla on America's Memorial Day was all too predictable, although the form it took surprised even me. And it confirms the old proverb that "Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad," for the attack was the kind of madness only unbridled arrogance can assume.

It wasn't just that foreigners as well as Palestinians, flying flags other than that of Palestine, were attacked. Israel has a long history of doing such things, especially to the UN. But except for the USS Liberty incident in 1967, it has generally done that on inland sites — Gaza, the West Bank, the Lebanon — where it can largely block news and visual evidence, and control the spin it puts on events, counting on its friends in the US and other mainstream media to say little or nothing to contradict them.

France backs Africa for UN seat

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:16 PM PDT

Sarkozy said it was 'not normal' that African did not have a permanent seat on the Security Council [AFP]

The French president has said Africa should be represented on the UN Security Council, promising to back changes when France leads the G8 and G20 groups of big economies next year.

Gaza And The Sea

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:06 PM PDT

Is it just a new-fangled scenario that adjoins our grieve? Is it an added collection of martyrs ? Should we rejoice the joining of International martyrs to the flock of Palestinian Martyrdom ?

Israel once again ….preparing itself since the morning to criminalize the victims and spreading salt on the dead bodies and hindering injuries and again and again diffusing its devilish face this time in frontage of the world..

Israel Forces Fired On Sleeping Civillians Under Cover Of Darkness

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:03 PM PDT

While the Israeli government is praising it's soldiers as heroes and saying they were acting in self defence by firing on unarmed civilians flying a white flag in international waters, one group involved with the Freedom Flotilla has a quite different story.

A spokeswoman for Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Avital Leibovich, claims that Israeli officers gave several warnings before boarding the the Turkish boat, the Mavi Marmara.

Storming of Gaza aid convoy

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:01 PM PDT

Israeli commandos armed with guns attacked the lead ship of a flotilla of aid-carrying vessels bound for Gaza on Monday, leaving several of the pro-Palestinian activists on board dead and many more injured. The Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of six ships carrying hundreds of activists, political leaders and journalists from around the world, was trying to deliver about 10000 tonnes of basic aid including food, medicines, and construction material, in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza. While Israel has said activists were the first to attack the troops with bats and knives when they boarded the ship, the flotilla's organisers said that Israeli forces were the ones to open fire first. Al Jazeera's Ayman Moyheldin reports from Jerusalem.

The EU Condemns Israel's Attack On The Gaza Aid Flotilla

Posted: 31 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT

High Representative/Vice-President Catherine Ashton deeply regrets the loss of life as a result of the Israeli military operation against the Flotilla sailing to Gaza.

In a press statement Catherine Ashton extended her sympathies to the family and friends of those killed and wounded in this event. At least 19 civilians were killed as the Israeli navy attacked the Free Gaza Flotilla while on its way to the Gaza Strip.

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