22 Mar 12

A first look at world's future battleground
Unmanned boats, cars and tanks and small remote-control operated aircraft are just some of the new developments presented at this week's AUVSI conference hosted by Israel's Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.  

Egypt's Brotherhood mulling run for president
The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful political group, said Wednesday it is considering running its own candidate in upcoming presidential elections, dropping its previous decision to avoid direct participation in the race. ...If a Brotherhood fields a candidate and wins the presidency, the group would control the two main branches of power.  

Poll: 'Anti-Semitic notions' on rise among French, other Europeans
The French have grown more likely to believe that Jews hold too much power in business or world finance, as well as other "classical anti-Semitic notions," according to a new survey from the Anti-Defamation League that compares attitudes in 2009 and 2012. The poll, released Tuesday, found nearly half of the French people surveyed said they think it is "probably true" that Jews there are more loyal to Israel than France, an increase from years past.  

U.S. top court backs landowners, limits power of EPA
The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that landowners can sue to challenge a federal government compliance order under the clean water law, a decision that sides with corporate groups and puts new limits on a key Environmental Protection Agency power. The justices unanimously rejected the government's position that individuals or companies must first fail to comply with an EPA order and face potentially costly enforcement action before a court can review the case.  

NYPD says Iran has conducted surveillance in NYC
Authorities have interviewed at least 13 people since 2005 with ties to Iran's government who were seen taking pictures of New York City landmarks, a senior New York Police Department official said Wednesday. Police consider these instances to be pre-operational surveillance, bolstering their concerns that Iran or its proxy terrorist group could be prepared to strike inside the United States, if provoked by escalating tensions between the two countries.  

Inside the Ring: Beijing coup rumors
U.S. intelligence agencies monitoring China’s Internet say that from March 14 to Wednesday bloggers circulated alarming reports of tanks entering Beijing and shots being fired in the city as part of what is said to have been a high-level political battle among party leaders - and even a possible military coup.  

U.S. battles Obama's 'tremendous evil'
At the “Stand Up For Religious Freedom – Stop the HHS Mandate” rallies across the nation, the crowds will protest the recent contraceptives mandate and publicly voice their demand that the government protect religious liberty and stop forcing religious groups to cover drug-induced abortions.  

Opposition reports Syrian army tanks are shelling Hama
Opposition groups in Syria say a district of Hama is being "heavily shelled" by government tanks. They say there is heavy fighting in the Arbaeen quarter of the city, which is one of the main centres of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad. It follows clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the security forces in the area on Wednesday.  

Lawyers in China to swear allegiance to Communist Party
The Justice Ministry in China says lawyers are now required to swear allegiance to the ruling Communist Party for the first time. All lawyers obtaining or renewing their professional licence will have to pledge their loyalty to the country and the leadership of the party. Critics see the move as lacking legal basis and ''inappropriate''.  

EU to restrict foreign firms' access to public tenders
Chinese, Russian or Brazilian companies bidding for public contracts in Europe may face restrictions if their governments do not open up their own state-run projects to European firms, the EU commission said Wednesday (21 March). ...the US, Japan and emerging countries where we have no secure access to tenders for highways, urban buses, construction projects - all is closed," internal market commissioner Michel Barnier said during a press conference.  

Wisconsin town plagued by mysterious booming noises
The strange disturbance sounds like distant thunder, fireworks or someone slamming a heavy door. At first, many people were amused. But after a third restless night Tuesday into Wednesday, exasperation is mounting. And some folks are considering leaving town until investigators determine the source of the racket.  

Sheriff Joe: 'Tons' more shocking Obama info
“I’m not going after the president to keep him off a ballot or anything else, but that could happen,” Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. “I’m going at it strictly as a law-enforcement guy investigating a possible forgery and fraud. I’m sticking with that, but I’ll tell you one thing. We got tons of other information that could be very shocking, too, but I’m sticking now with just the [forgery] investigation and possible criminal violations.”  

Vibrating tattoo patent would let you 'feel' incoming calls
One cell phone company is taking steps to make sure you never miss another call. Nokia has filed a patent for a tattoo that would vibrate whenever someone calls your cell phone.  

Army examining mental health programs
The Army inspector general is conducting a system-wide review of mental health facilities to determine whether psychiatrists overturned diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder to save money, a move that comes as the case of a U.S. soldier suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians has brought fresh attention to the strains of war.  

Controversial 'One State Under God' license plate goes on sale in Texas
A license plate that declares Texas "One State Under God" went on sale this week, despite an outcry from critics who say government tags shouldn't be endorsing religion.  

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21 Mar 12

University: Classes No Longer Cancelled For Christian, Jewish Holidays
New York’s Stony Brook University has decided to no longer cancel classes for major Christian and Jewish holidays in an effort to ensure that some religions aren’t given special treatment and to “afford equal support and equal respect to students and faculty from all faiths.”  

Strong earthquake hits Japan
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Japanese Meteorological Agency issued a brief tsunami advisory, warning of a half-meter wave.  

6.2-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia, on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  

Drought spreads to Brazil, crop yields hit
Drought has spread from Argentina and Paraguay to Brazil and is hitting soy yields at a time of concerns that regional economic growth may suffer as pressures mount on commodity prices.  

Hundreds of homes damaged in Mexico quake
Guerrero state Gov. Angel Aguirre said at least 500 homes in the state were damaged, though there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths. There were unconfirmed reports of many more homes destroyed, the U.S. news network said.  

IRS forms 'SWAT team' for tax dodger crackdown
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is staffing up with high-powered talent to crack down on companies shifting profits from country to country to lower their tax bills, a strategy the agency has targeted before with only limited success. The IRS showed its elevated concern on the issue, known as "transfer pricing," last May by hiring Samuel Maruca to fill the newly created post of transfer pricing director.  

State Department exempts 11 countries from Iran sanctions
The State Department announced on Tuesday that it would exempt 10 European countries and Japan from penalties for doing business with Iran's central bank, because those countries are making significant progress toward weaning themselves off of Iranian oil.  

Egypt Designates Israel Its Top Enemy — Obama Restores Military Aid
Egypt, the parliamentarians declared, would “never” be Israel’s ally. In fact, Israel was Egypt’s “number one enemy.” And how did Barack Obama respond to this egregious trampling upon the agreement that has kept an uneasy peace between Israel and Egypt for thirty years? By announcing a resumption of military aid to Egypt.  

Syria's leadership making mistakes, says Russia
Syria's leadership is making "a lot of mistakes", Russia's foreign minister has said, in a further sign Moscow may be hardening its stance on Damascus. Sergei Lavrov said President Bashar al-Assad's regime had "responded incorrectly" from the start, when the protests were peaceful. He also said Moscow was prepared to support a UN resolution backing its envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.  

Obama to visit demilitarised zone on Koreas' border
President Barack Obama is due to visit the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on South Korea's border with the North on Sunday before a nuclear summit in Seoul. The United States president's trip to the area separating the north and south on the Korean peninsula comes amidst increased tension over Pyongyang's plan to launch a rocket next month. His visit will be a show of support for South Korea, said the White House.  

Ashton faces wrath of Israel over Toulouse-Gaza remark
Just about every top politician in Israel has in the past 24 hours attacked EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton for her remarks about killing of Jewish and Palestinian children. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: "I was especially upset about the comparison between the intentional slaughter of children and the IDF's [Israeli army's] surgical defensive strikes."  

Gun-tracking operation caught top suspect, then let him go
Federal agents stopped the main target of the ill-fated Operation Fast and Furious in May 2010. After they questioned him, he disappeared back into Mexico, and the program went on to spiral out of control.  

Muni defaults another blow for insurers
So far, the bond defaults are not roiling the $3.7 trillion municipal market because insurance companies are stepping in to make payments to bond holders in some cases. But defaults on insured bonds are putting pressure on these insurers, which never fully recovered from the last decade's financial crisis. The California cities of Stockton and Hercules, as well as Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg, have opted to default on some of their insured debt in recent months.  

Turkey will seek US waiver on Iran sanctions
Turkey could still get a waiver over sanctions which the United States plans to implement on countries buying oil from Iran despite not being named on a list of exempted nations released by Washington, Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Wednesday. "Turkey's absence from the United States waiver list regarding the Iran issue doesn't mean it will not be included," Yildiz told reporters at an energy conference in Ankara.  

Moody's downgrades Detroit's debt
Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday issued two downgrades to the city's tax debt that illustrate Detroit's weakening fiscal condition as it fights to stave off a stake takeover, The Detroit News has learned. The city received a downgrade to B2 from Ba3 for its $553.1 million in outstanding general obligation unlimited tax debt and also a downgrade to B3 from B1 for the $486.4 million in outstanding general obligation limited tax debt. Both ratings fell two points.  

20 Mar 12

National Security Agency Pressed to Reveal Details on Google Deal
The Electronic Privacy Information Center is locking horns with the National Security Agency over a secret deal the agency cut with Google following an attack on Gmail by Chinese hackers in 2010. The information center has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the NSA to obtain information about the deal. That request was rejected by the agency. That rejection was upheld by a federal court. The hearing on the appeal of that decision is being held today in Washington, D.C.  

Strong, long 7.9 quake shakes Mexico City
A strong, long 7.9 earthquake with an epicenter in Guerrero state shook central southern Mexico on Tuesday, swaying buildings in Mexico City and sending frightened workers and residents into the streets. The US Geological Survey set the intensity at 7.9 on the Richter scale.  

Russian Anti-Terror Troops Arrive in Syria
Russia, one of President Bashar al-Assad's strongest allies despite international condemnation of the government's violent crackdown on the country's uprising, has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council's attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war.  

Clashes hit Syrian capital; West wants united front
Rebels fought gun battles with government forces in Damascus, in the most violent clashes Syria's capital has seen since the start of the year-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.  

Now facts erased from schoolbooks
Who perpetrated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 – a group of men merely fighting “for a cause,” or a band of radical Muslims bent on violent jihad? According to a new, comprehensive study of 6th-12th grade textbooks used by schools across the country, America’s children are being taught a very different answer to that question than many alive to witness 9/11 remember.  

U.S. War Game Sees Perils of Israeli Strike Against Iran
A classified war simulation held this month to assess the repercussions of an Israeli attack on Iran forecasts that the strike would lead to a wider regional war, which could draw in the United States and leave hundreds of Americans dead, according to American officials. ...In the end, the war game reinforced to military officials the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of a strike by Israel, and a counterstrike by Iran, the officials said.  

In rebuff to Obama, Abbas says he will send ultimatum to Israel
U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday to try to persuade him to withdraw or soften the ultimatum he intends to send to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was the first conversation between the two since their relations soured half a year ago.  

Russia joins Red Cross call for daily truce in Syria
Russia has joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in calling for a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Syria. In a statement, the foreign ministry called on the government "and all armed groups who oppose it" to agree to ceasefires "without delay". Russia has twice vetoed Western-backed draft resolutions on Syria at the UN Security Council.  

Deadly explosions in series of attacks on Iraqi cities
At least 38 people have been killed in a series of co-ordinated attacks across Iraq, officials say. Two car bombs in the predominantly Shia city of Kerbala are reported to have killed at least 13 people. Another car bomb near police headquarters in the northern city of Kirkuk killed seven people, according to hospital sources.  

In Sweden, cash is king no more
In most Swedish cities, public buses don't accept cash; tickets are prepaid or purchased with a cell phone text message. A small but growing number of businesses only take cards, and some bank offices — which make money on electronic transactions — have stopped handling cash altogether.  

China claims 'increase' in cyber attacks from overseas
A report from a government-run online security group in China claims that there has been a "massive increase" in cyber attacks from "foreign hackers". It was released by China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team and Coordination Centre, state-run media said on Monday.  

UN nuclear watchdog invited to visit North Korea
North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator has confirmed UN nuclear inspectors have been invited to the country for the first time in three years. Ri Yong-ho said the aim of the move was to implement a deal with the US. The North last month agreed to suspend nuclear and long-range missile tests in return for food aid. It also agreed to allow UN inspectors in, the US said.  

Destroy all churches
Obama silent while Saudi grand mufti targets Christianity. If the pope called for the destruction of all the mosques in Europe, the uproar would be cataclysmic.  

Obama calls Abbas to discuss Middle East peace
US President Barack Obama spoke to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the first time in six months on Monday to discuss the long-stalled Middle East peace process, the White House said. White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement that Obama called Abbas and told him the United States was committed to Middle East peace.  

HRW: Syria opposition tortures, executes captives
Armed opposition groups in Syria have kidnapped, tortured and executed members of the security forces and supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. The rights group condemned the tactics by opposition fighters, who have long accused government troops and loyalists of carrying out similar abuses.  

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19 Mar 12

President Obama signs Executive Order allowing for control over all US resources
On March 16th, President Obama signed a new Executive Order which expands upon a prior order issued in 1950 for Disaster Preparedness, and gives the office of the President complete control over all the resources in the United States in times of war or emergency. The National Defense Resources Preparedness order gives the Executive Branch the power to control and allocate energy, production, transportation, food, and even water resources by decree under the auspices of national defense and national security.  

Obama's Muslim Adviser: Assad Too Soft on Israel
A Muslim adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama warned in a post on the Twitter social networking site last week that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can't deliver 'resistance to Israel.' The adviser, Egyptian-born Dalia Mohaded, is employed in the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, at the White House.  

Waiting for the Messiah: Netanyahu addresses Evangelical Christian gathering in Jerusalem
"There's a saying in Judaism about the Messiah - I know that even if he tarries, he'll come," Hagee told hundreds of members of Christians United for Israel. "I know that the prime minister will come, and even if he tarries, he'll come."  

Study: State governments at high risk for corruption
"It's telling that no state received an overall grade of A," said Caitlin Ginley, a staff writer for the Center for Public Integrity and a project manager on the study. "In every state, there's room to improve the ethics laws, the level of transparency on government proceedings, the disclosure of information, and — most importantly — the oversight of these laws.  

Texas ‘One State Under God’ cross license plates available
Texas’ newest specialty license plate features the Crosses at Calvary and the words “One State Under God.” Made to benefit a Christian ministry in East Texas, plate will be available for Texas drivers to order starting Monday, March 19.  

172 Zambian miners gassed
Up to 172 miners at a mine owned by Swiss commodity trader, Glencore Resources AG, situated in Zambia's Mufulira town on the Copperbelt province have been gassed underground in an accident that has left about 30 of them in a critical condition, the Post of Zambia reported on Monday.  

12,000 relate to Osteen's pep talk
Backed by a rock band and a heavily produced show that was more Broadway than tent revival, his message traded fire and brimstone for the equivalent of a corporate motivational speech. He was all praise and no damnation.  

FBI poised to step up investigation into News Corp
The FBI has told Scotland Yard it is "prepared to step in" if the Metropolitan Police fails to investigate the full extent of impropriety in the Murdoch empire. The warning came at a meeting between the transatlantic law enforcement groups at the Ministry of Justice in London.  

NASA's latest launch aims to form glowing clouds along East Coast
"This rocket experiment is designed to gain a better understanding of the high-altitude winds and help scientists better model the electromagnetic regions of space that can damage man-made satellites and disrupt communications systems," according to NASA. The unmanned rockets will release chemical tracers which will track high-altitude winds. The tracers will form glowing, milky-white clouds that will allow scientists and the public to visualize the winds in space.  

Organizers of March to Jerusalem vow 'no violence'
A Global March to Jerusalem on the occasion of Land Day will take place on March 30. Convoys from Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority are scheduled to arrive at Israel's borders at 11am at the end of Friday prayers. Organizers are claiming that more than 700 institutions from 64 countries support the initiative, directly or indirectly.  

Executive-order panic: Martial law in U.S.?
the White House released an executive order on “National Defense Resources Preparedness.” Filled with language about “government-owned equipment” and a “defense executive reserve,” among other vague statements, rumors began to spread that the executive order expanded the president’s power to do everything from seizing whole industries to drafting private armies. A Canada Free Press article titled “Obama Executive Order: Peacetime Martial Law!”  

South Korea condemns North's plans to launch rocket as 'grave provocation'
North Korea in Friday announced that it will put an Earth-observation satellite into orbit in April as part of celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the nation. State media have angrily dismissed suggestions that the launch of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite on a Unha-3 rocket is a disguised missile test. "The peaceful development and use of space is a universally recognized legitimate right of a sovereign state," North Korea's KCNA news agency said.  

Waiting for the Messiah: Netanyahu addresses Evangelical Christian gathering in Jerusalem
American Evangelical pastor John Hagee - who heads the largest pro-Israel lobby group in the United States - half jokingly compared Benjamin Netanyahu to the Messiah on Sunday night, as he waited for the delayed prime minister to arrive at a Jerusalem hotel to address the crowd. "There's a saying in Judaism about the Messiah - I know that even if he tarries, he'll come," Hagee told hundreds of members of Christians United for Israel. "I know that the prime minister will come, and even if he tarries, he'll come."  

Israeli official: Iranian military experts operating in Gaza, Sinai
Iranian military experts are active in the Gaza Strip and in Sinai, according to a high-ranking official in Jerusalem. The official said the Iranians entered the areas via Sudan and Egypt, and added that some of the rocket-launching systems in Gaza were manufactured under Iranian supervision. The senior source also claimed that Islamic Jihad continued to fire rockets at Israel even after the recent cease-fire was announced because the Iranians pressured that organization, and the popular resistance groups, to continue acting against Israel.  

Syria unrest: Fierce firefight erupts in Damascus
A firefight has erupted in Damascus, in one of the fiercest clashes in the Syrian capital since the year-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule began. Witnesses say machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades were heard from the heavily guarded district of al-Mezze, which hosts several security buildings.