Everyone is under surveillance now, says whistleblower Edward Snowden
Full ArticleThe Guardian
03 May 2014
People‘s privacy is violated without any suspicion of wrongdoing, former National Security Agency contractor claims Edward Snowden joined a debate on surveillance, by video link from Russia. Photograph: Sunshinepress/Getty ImagesThe US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden has warned that entire populations, rather than just …..
Afghan rescuers search for survivors under threat of third landslide
Kabul: Afghan police and villagers began a dangerous search for more than 2,000 people buried under a massive landslide in a remote mountainous region in the northeast on Saturday, amid concern the unstable hillside may cave in again. The United…
photo: US Army / Nikayla Shodeen
India 3rd on list of ‘green buildings’ countries outside US
WASHINGTON: India has been ranked third on the list of top 10 countries in leadership in energy and environmental design outside America, according to the latest US Green Building Council report. Canada followed by Chinaoccupy the top two slots in…
photo: WN / Geeta
GJA Bemoans Poor Remunerations Of Journalists
Low wages and salaries paid journalists and other media practitioners took centre stage at this year’s flag raising ceremony to mark World Press Freedom Day in Accra on Friday. Present at the event which was held alongside a news conference at the…
photo: UN / Paulo Filgueiras
UN agencies call for safe access to vulnerable people
Tweet United Nations, May 3 (IANS) UN high commissioner for refugees and the World Food Programme (WFP) urged all conflicting parties inSouth Sudan to provide safe access to reach vulnerable people, official said Friday. The vulnerable people in…
photo: UN / Isaac Billy
Afghanistan landslides kill hundreds, many more missing
Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan— Hundreds of people were dead or missing after landslides in remote northeast Afghanistan buried a village under as much as 60 feet of mud and rocks, officials said Friday. The United Nations said that at least…
photo: US Army / Nikayla Shodeen
Emergency Ukraine meeting for UN
The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting onUkraine after Russia called for public talks on the growing crisis. The Russianmission to the United Nations tweeted that Moscow had asked for what will be the council’s 13th meeting on the…
photo: UN / Mark Garten
EU wants one price for Russian gas
Warsaw – European Union Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Friday that the EU wants a uniform price for Russian gas for all its member states, adding Europe‘s common gas infrastructure should includeUkraine, Georgia and the western…
photo: European Community / Adam Chelstowski
How the EU transformed Poland
02 May 2014
Of the 10 mostly post-communist countries that joined the European Union exactly a decade ago today, none has benefited more from membership than Poland. Firstand foremost, there’s the cash: the country received £56bn in development funds between 2007 and 2013, money that was used to build hundreds of kilometres of highways and express roads as…
Osama bin Laden: Three years after Abbottabad
Full ArticleAl Jazeera
02 May 2014
Three years ago today, US Special Forces killed Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabadcompound. Occurring in the midst of the Arab Spring revolutions that were taking root, the death of al-Qaeda’s leader seemed to represent a defining moment. Not only had the group lost its leader, its entire ideology was being discredited by regime changes occurring…
Toll up to 19 dead in car bomb in Nigerian capital
Full ArticleNew Straits/Business Times
02 May 2014
ABUJA: The death toll from a car bomb that exploded on a busy road in Nigeria’s capital rose to at least 19 overnight, police said Friday from the city that within days hosts an international conference. The bomb was driven near a checkpoint where traffic built up, located across the road from a busy bus station where a massive explosion on April…
How does Europe wean itself off Russian gas?
Each escalation of the crisis in Ukraine sends a jolt of nervousness far beyond its borders as Europe worries about its energy supplies. With about one-third of Europe’s gas coming from Russia and about half of that gas flowing through Ukraine,…
photo: European Community / Adam Chelstowski
UN Rights Chief Blames South Sudan Crisis on Country’s Leaders
Charlton Doki JUBA — The United Nations‘ human rights chief, Navi Pillay, lashed out Wednesday at South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, saying the two men have allowed their personal differences to bring the young…
photo: UN / Isaac Billy
Palestinian Unity
For years, Palestinian factions have strived for unity, and for years unity has evaded them. But is it possible that following several failed attempts, Fatah and Hamas have finally found that elusive middle ground? And if they have done so, why, to…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Death toll in Philippine clashes rises to 26
MANILA, Philippines: Officials say the death toll in fighting between Philippine government troops and Muslim militants who launched a…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal
IMF approves US$17 billion aid for Ukraine
WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund approved a $17 billion aid deal for Ukraine on Wednesday, even as Kiev fought to prevent pro-Moscow separatists from grabbing another chunk of the country. Greenlighting a rescue program for an interim…
photo: AP / Oli Scarff
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to Enter Rehab for Substance Abuse
Toronto mayor Rob Ford will take a leave of absence from office to enter a substance abuse program,…
photo: AP / Chris Young
Afghan flood death toll rises as thousands need aid
BBC News
The death toll from last week’s flash floods in northernAfghanistan now stands at almost 150. Some areas are still completely cut off, with no help reaching people because roads were swept away. The governor of Jowzjan province, Boymurod…
‘ARE WE GOING TO DIE?’
NewstapaSouth Korean Ferry Students Captured Sinking On Video
China’s Xi demands action after 3 killed in attack
01 May 2014
URUMQI, China — Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded “decisive” action against terrorism after a slashing and bomb attack at a Xinjiang train station killed three people and injured 79 while the leader was wrapping up a tour of the far-western region. A group of knife-wielding attackers slashed at passengers and set off explosives near an exit of…
Death toll in Philippine clashes rises to 26
MANILA, Philippines: Officials say the death toll in fighting between Philippine government troops and Muslim militants who launched a…
photo: WN / Janice Sabnal
Afghan flood death toll rises as thousands need aid
The death toll from last week’s flash floods in northernAfghanistan now stands at almost 150. Some areas are still completely cut off, with no help reaching people because roads were swept away. The governor of Jowzjan province, Boymurod…
photo: US Army / Nikayla Shodeen
The Army’s Most Iconic Helicopter Will Be Transformed Into A Pilotless Drone
The Army’s most iconic helicopter is about to go pilotless.The U.S. Army and defense contractor Sikorsky Aircraft demonstrated hover and flight capability in an “optionally piloted” version of the Black Hawk helicopterlast…
photo: US DoD / Scott Tynes
Here’s How US Arms Dealers Sell Weapons All Over The World
A US Marine waits for a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter carrying supplies for a bilateral exercise with France. See Also On Sept. 11, 2011, anArmenian carrier from Albania landed in Benghazi, Libya. It was carrying 800,000rounds of ammunition…
photo: DOD / Public Domain
EU to give $391 mn for environment, climate projects
Tweet Brussels, May 1 (IANS) The European CommissionWednesday approved funding for 225 new projects under the LIFE programme — the European Union‘s environment fund, and…
photo: European Community / EC
How the U.S. Created, then Lost, the War in Afghanistan
It was a typical Kabul morning. Malik Ashgar Square was already bumper-to-bumper with Corolla taxis, green police jeeps, honking minivans, and angry motorcyclists. There were boys selling phone cards and men waving wads of cash for exchange, all…
photo: US Army / Nikayla Shodeen
New pact reflects closer US-Philippine ties
WPXI
A new defense pact that will allow thousands of U.S. troops to be temporarily based in Philippines for the first time in more than 20 years signals closer cooperation in the allies’ hot-and-cold relationship that has been shaped over the decades by…
photo: US Navy / Chris Church
Iraq holds key vote as it slides deeper into bloody strife
Full ArticleFox News
30 Apr 2014
Published April 30, 2014Associated Press Facebook0 Twitter0 Gplus0 In this Monday, April 28, 2014 photo, masked anti-government gunmen move with their weapons as they patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. Al-Qaida-linked fighters and their allies seized the city of Fallujah and parts of the Anbar provincial capital Ramadi in late December after authorities…
Serbia Will Never Target Russia With Sanctions – Foreign Minister
BELGRADE, April 30 (RIA Novosti) – Belgrade will never impose sanctions againstRussia and will remain neutral on the crisis in Ukraine, Serbian Foreign MinisterIvica Dacic said Wednesday. “We respect the territorial integrity…
photo: European Community / EC
International community warns Haiti in for more political crisis if elections don’t happen in 2014
Indicating increasing frustration with an ongoing political stalemate in Haiti, the international community warned Tuesday that the country could be headed for another political crisis with unpredictable consequences. The tough stance from theUnited…
photo: UN / Nektarios Markogiannis
At NY trial, British shoe-bomb plotter talks of brainstorming US, London al-Qaida targets
Published April 29, 2014Associated Press Facebook0 Twitter0 Gplus0 NEW YORK – ABritish shoe-bomb plotter testifying by video for a second time in a New Yorkcourtroom revealed potential U.S. and English terror targets that were discussed…
photo: Creative Commons / Diliff
Kiev government powerless as east Ukraine slips out of its control
Pro-Russian crowd storms regional HQ in Luhansk while Donetsk looks likely to declare autonomy after May vote Pro-Russian separatists outside the regional government headquarters in Luhansk as police stand by, allowing the crowd to take over the…
photo: AP / Efrem Lukatsky
Republic of Congo deports thousands to neighboring Congo for lack of immigration papers
Published April 29, 2014Associated Press Facebook0 Twitter0 Gplus0 KINSHASA,Congo – Officials say nearly 40,000 Congolese citizens have been deported from neighboring Republic of Congo because they did not have immigration papers….
photo: UN / Clara Padovan
An influential, vibrant, exciting force: defining African feminism
What does it mean to be a feminist in Africa today? Some of Africa‘s best commentators share their thoughts. Do the issues raised chime with your experiences? Join our debate South African girls bring attention to violence against women for the One…
photo: UN / Evan Schneider
IOC VP: Rio preparations ‘worst I have experienced’
In an unusually blunt public warning, a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday called the delayed preparations for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro “the worst I have experienced.” John Coates, who has made six…
photo: AP
‘I AM SORRY’
North Korea plans live-fire drill, South vows ‘strong’ response
29 Apr 2014
SEOUL: North Korea announced a live-fire drill near its maritime border with South Korea on Tuesday, prompting Seoul to vow a “strong” response after a similar exercise a month ago triggered an artillery exchange. “Our military is fully prepared,” defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok said after Pyongyangnotified Seoul of its proposed drill. “If…
North Korea says it will conduct live-fire drills
SEOUL, South Korea – (AP) — North Korea has notified rival South Korea that it plans a live-fire drill near the countries’ disputed western sea boundary. South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said Tuesday that military officials will…
photo: AP / Lee Jin-man
Kerry backs off Israel ‘apartheid’ comment
WASHINGTON – (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday he had chosen the wrong word in describing Israel‘s potential future after coming under withering criticism for saying the Jewish state could become an “apartheid state” if it doesn’t…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
Death for 683 in Egypt trial Minya, April 28 (Reuters): An Egyptian court sentenced the …
Minya, April 28 (Reuters): An Egyptian court sentenced the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and 682 supporters to death today, intensifying a crackdown on the movement that could trigger protests and political violence ahead of an election next…
photo: AP
Noma Named Worlds Best Restaurant
The suspense has ended with the announcement of the World’s 50 Best RestaurantsList for 2014 at a ceremony in London a short while ago. London has been buzzing with food related chatter and the presence of some of the most celebrated chefs in the…
photo: Creative Commons / Antissimo
‘Highly unlikely’ MH370 debris will be found: PM
Chances of finding floating debris from a missing jetliner are highly unlikely and a new phase of the search will focus on a far larger area, Australian Prime MinisterTony Abbott said yesterday. The search effort for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370,…
photo: AP / Mark Graham
New Serbian Cabinet to press EU bid
Serbia’s new center-right coalition government, led by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, was sworn in on Sunday and is expected to push the country’s EU membership bid and urgently tackle the ailing economy. Vucic, leader of the center-right Serbian…
photo: European Community / EC
With rare speech, Algeria’s ailing Bouteflika starts new term
By Patrick Markey ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algeria‘s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was sworn in for a fourth term on Monday after he easily won an election opponents dismissed as unfair and returned to power for another five years. State television…
photo: AP
MASS TRIAL
Faithful exult as pope confers sainthood on 2 predecessors with contrasting legacies
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis made history on Sunday, elevating to sainthood John XXIII and John Paul II, two of his most famous papal predecessors, in a ceremony bearing themes of hope and reconciliation for the world’s 1 billion Roman Catholics. With…
photo: WN / MArzena J.
60,000 flock to EarthFair
BALBOA PARK — In any other environment, a giant, bright blue, recycling bin mascot would stick out like a store thumb. But at Sunday’s EarthFair — where mama Earth takes center stage and hordes of people immerse themselves in all things…
photo: WN / MArzena J.
Capital recalls Pope’s visit on day of his canonization
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The visit of Pope John Paul II to Shanghumukham two decades ago is special to Selene M, a catechism teacher at St John’s Church, Killipalam. She has something more to cherish on the auspicious day of canonization of the Pope. A…
photo: WN / marzena
Former NASA scientist disputes global warming theory
The continued theory by left-leaning Democrats, some in the U.S. government, andPresident Obama keep pushing that increased global warming is caused by man was disputed by former NASA scientist, Professor Dr. Leslie Woodcock, who said there is no…
photo: UN / Mark Garten
South Korean PM resigns over ferry
South Korea‘s prime minister has resigned over the government’s handling of a ferry sinking that left more than 300 people dead or missing. Chung Hong-won ‘s resignation comes amid rising indignation over claims by the victims’ relatives that the…
photo: AP / Yonhap
More suicides for reservists than active-duty soldiers
(The Wire) The military suicide rate has dropped among active duty service members, but the deaths of Army National Guard and Reserve soldiers increased, new figures from the Defense Department reveal. Reservist suicides increased from 140…
photo: USMC / Lance Cpl. Zachery B. Martin
Berlusconi comments on WW2 death camps spark German anger
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked outrage by saying “for the Germans, concentration camps never existed”. He was referring to a previous gaffe in which he told a German MEP that he could play a Nazi concentration…
photo: AP / Andrew Medichini
South Korean PM offers to resign over government response to ferry disaster
27 Apr 2014
South Korea’s prime minister offered to resign Sunday over the government’s handling of a deadly ferry sinking, blaming “deep-rooted evils” and irregularities in a society for a tragedy that has left more than 300 people dead or missing and led to widespread shame, fury and finger-pointing. The resignation offer comes amid rising indignation over…
More suicides for reservists than active-duty soldiers
(The Wire) The military suicide rate has dropped among active duty service members, but the deaths of Army National Guard and Reserve soldiers increased, new figures from the Defense Department reveal. Reservist suicides increased from 140…
photo: USMC / Lance Cpl. Zachery
Berlusconi comments on WW2 death camps spark German anger
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked outrage by saying “for the Germans, concentration camps never existed”. He was referring to a previous gaffe in which he told a German MEP that he could play a Nazi concentration…
photo: AP / Andrew Medichini
We have to recognise the huge value of arts and culture to society
Peter Bazalgette: ‘Great art and culture really can be for everyone.’ Photograph:Richard Saker for the Guardian Last week I witnessed the unveiling of an extraordinary sculpture at Heathrow‘s new Terminal 2. Slipstream is inspired by the…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Ten years on and Poles are glad to call Britain home
When Poland joined the EU in 2004, a new wave of immigrants arrived. Now in cities like Southampton they are a major factor in the European elections Tomasz Dyl arrived as a 13-year-old boy. Last year he was named as Southampton’s young entrepreneur…
Ukraine crisis: Separatists offer to exchange OSCE captives for prisoners
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have offered to release eight captive international observers in a prisoner exchange, as Western governments prepared new sanctions against Moscow. The government in Kiev blamed Russia for what it called the…
photo: Creative Commons / Yevgen Nasadyuk
Valuable lessons learned from 2012 tragedy in Afghanistan
CAMP MIKE SPANN, Afghanistan — The soldiers weren’t expecting to see themselves in the briefing. Paratroopers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment were in Bagram, taking the same classes all U.S. troops take when they come…
photo: USMC / Zachery B. Martin
Afghan election appears headed for June runoff
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s presidential elections are headed for a runoff after full preliminary results released Saturday showed the front-runners failed to win to a majority and avoid a second round of voting. Former Foreign…
photo: UN / Fardin Waezi
WINTER WORLD CUP?
Afghans brace for another round of voting, bargaining begins
The leading candidates in the race to become Afghanistan’s next president have started lobbying in anticipation of a run-off with final preliminary election results on Saturday expected to show none of the eight runners winning an absolute majority….
photo: UN / Fardin Waezi
Senegal ex-president Wade returns from exile
Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal’s exiled former president has made a controversial homecoming with security forces on high alert, two years after he lost office in an election marred by violent protests. Wade, 87, who held power from 2000 to 2012,…
photo: AP / Rebecca Blackwell
Former Barca coach Tito Vilanova dies of cancer aged 45
MADRID, April 25 (Xinhua) — Former FC Barcelona coach, Tito Vilanova died on Friday afternoon aged 45 following a two and a half year fight against cancer of the parotid gland, the FC Barcelona announced on its website on Friday afternoon. Vilanova…
photo: AP / Scott Heppell
NRA Slams Michael Bloomberg As ‘Arrogant Hypocrite’
See Also Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is spending $50 million against the powerful US gun lobby, was the target Friday of an angry NRA, which hailed firearm freedoms at its annual convention. “Mr. Bloomberg, you’re an arrogant…
photo: Creative Commons / Gage Skidmore
Dozens killed in Nigeria clashes
More than 40 armed men and four Nigerian soldiers died in clashes near the scene where scores of abducted schoolgirls are believed to be held in the north of the country, the military has said. “The capture of a number of terrorists believed to be…
photo: AP / Sunday Alamba
South Sudan children in the firing line
NAIROBI, 25 April 2014 (IRIN) – The conflict in South Sudan is taking a heavy toll on children who are being killed or injured in attacks and recruited into armed groups. They are also witnessing traumatic events and missing out on school. For the…
photo: UN / Albert Gonzalez Farran
MISIDENTIFIED
NICOLAS ASFOURI via Getty ImagesSouth Korea Sent Some Wrong Bodies To Ferry Disaster Families
Climate change and the food security dimension
25 Apr 2014
The world‘s most authoritative body on climate change science recently published a report emphasising that climate change is happening even faster, and with more damaging effects, than previously anticipated. The United NationsIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change‘s Fifth Assessment Report made clear that climate change will be…
Oil prices on the rebound
London – Oil prices rebounded on Thursday as heightened tensions in Ukraineovershadowed data showing US commercial crude inventories reaching an all-time high, analysts said. New York’s West Texas Intermediate for delivery in June, rose 24…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
A world free of wartime rape is within our reach
According to a press released published by the UN Information Center here (UNIC), Under-Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-Generalon Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura made the remarks while commenting on…
photo: UN / Albert Gonzalez Farran
Spain’s economy to grow, says minister
Tweet Madrid, April 24 (IANS/EFE) Spain’s economy will grow at an average of 1.5 percent in 2014-15, authorities said. “Everything indicates that the Spanisheconomy’s recovery has continued in the first quarter of the year,” Xinhua quoted Economy…
photo: Creative Commons / S de Santi
Four out of five hospitals short on midwives, NHS figures reveal
Shortages are so acute in some parts of England that hospitals have almost one in five posts in their maternity units unfilled National Audit Office said in November that NHS needed 2,300 more midwives, although the Royal College of Midwives puts the…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Afghanistan Delays Election Results
VIDEO: Bite of Noor in Dari below and in Central News OCN video folderAfghanistan&aposs election commission has delayed releasing preliminary results from the country&aposs April 5 presidential election to allow more time to investigate possible…
photo: UN / Fardin Waezi
Asia secure with us, says Obama
ON his first of eight days in Asia intended to affirm that the US’s “pivot” back to the region remains on course, President Barack Obama yesterday in Tokyo laid down a clear line on a sensitive strategic issue: the Senkaku/Diaoyu…
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
Armenian ‘genocide’: Turkey has lost the battle of truth
24 Apr 2014
“In actuality, how Turks and Armenians, as the owners of this common history, can together, through dialogue and empathy, reach a just memory of the tragic events of 1915, which occurred during the great human sufferings of World War I, is already being examined thoroughly and in all its dimensions. In this context, our proposal to establish a…
A world free of wartime rape is within our reach
According to a press released published by the UN Information Center here (UNIC), Under-Secretary-General and the Special Representative of the Secretary-Generalon Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura made the remarks while commenting on…
photo: UN / Albert Gonzalez Farran
Spain’s economy to grow, says minister
Tweet Madrid, April 24 (IANS/EFE) Spain’s economy will grow at an average of 1.5 percent in 2014-15, authorities said. “Everything indicates that the Spanisheconomy’s recovery has continued in the first quarter of the year,” Xinhua quoted Economy…
photo: Creative Commons / S de Santi
VIDEO: Bite of Noor in Dari below and in Central News OCN video folderAfghanistan&aposs election commission has delayed releasing preliminary results from the country&aposs April 5 presidential election to allow more time to investigate possible…
photo: UN / Fardin Waezi
Asia secure with us, says Obama
ON his first of eight days in Asia intended to affirm that the US’s “pivot” back to the region remains on course, President Barack Obama yesterday in Tokyo laid down a clear line on a sensitive strategic issue: the Senkaku/Diaoyu…
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
Lance Armstrong manager Johan Bruyneel banned for 10 years over doping
Lance Armstrong‘s long-time team manager Johan Bruyneel has been banned from professional sport for 10 years for helping to organise widespread doping by teams led by the disgraced cyclist. The US Anti-Doping Agency announced the verdicts of an…
photo: Creative Commons / Paul Coster
FIFA suspends Barcelona transfer ban during appeal
Share Photo??? FC Barcelona‘s Alexis Sanchez, from Chile, left, duels for the ball against Athletic Bilbao‘s Iker Muniain during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, April…
photo: AP / Andres Kudacki
How I’ll End the War: The Trip Over to Afghanistan
On his way to Afghanistan, an officer is surprised by a strange sight at a layover in the middle of the night. Editor’s Note: Nick Willard is the pen name of a service member serving in Afghanistan during the closing days of America’s longest war. He…
photo: USMC / Lance Cpl. Zachery B. Martin
SHERPAS BOYCOTT EVEREST
Ukraine crisis: US runs the show in Kiev, says Sergei Lavrov
23 Apr 2014
The US is “running the show” in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovhas said. Mr Lavrov told Russia Today it was “quite telling” that Kiev had re-launched its anti-terror operation against pro-Russian gunmen during a visit by US Vice-President Joe Biden. Kiev and the West say Moscow commands the gunmen – claims…
Kerry: Cold War diplomacy was ‘easier’ than today
Secretary of State John Kerry waxed a little bit nostalgic for the Cold War on Tuesday, saying the era of civil defense drills and mutual assured destruction was an “easier” or “simpler” time in which to lead American diplomacy. “It may not have…
photo: EC / © EU
Talking without saying
In a context of deepening confrontation and sporadic violence in eastern Ukrainewhich has so far left three people dead and many more injured, Russia, the United States, and the European Union reached an agreement of sorts in Geneva on April 17. The…
photo: EC / © EU
Nigeria Abduction: At Least 230 Girls Still Missing
According to an earlier report by The Inquisitr, the Islamic extremist group, theBoko Haram, is being accused of breaking into a school and kidnapping well over two hundred students in the dead of night. According to ABC News, education officials…
photo: AP / Haruna Umar
These 23 Countries Have More Than Doubled Military Spending In The Last Decade
Members of the Afghan National Army attend a briefing. Bucking a global trend of , 23 countries around the world at least doubled their military spending between2004 and 2013, according to a fact sheet released by The Stockholm InternationalPeace…
photo: USMC / Zachery B. Martin
Toyota wants to use more hybrid system parts made in China
CHANGSHU, China (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) wants locally procured parts to make up at least half the components in the gasoline-electric hybrid propulsion systems for the Corolla and Levin cars it plans to start making in China next year….
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Everest Sherpas Pack Up for the Season After Deadly Avalanche
Some Nepalese Sherpas who take paying customers up the world’s tallest mountain are quitting for the season following an avalanche on Mount Everest that killed 16 people, including 13 of their own. After the tragedy, the Sherpa community asked the…
photo: AP / Dave Watson, File
Travelers Like Airlines, Loathe Flying
Travelers don’t hate everything about the airlines. Consumers gave the industry good marks in several categories, including making reservations, check-in procedures and even baggage handling, according to the latest AmericanCustomer Satisfaction…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Tony Blair: west must take sides against growing threat of radical Islam
23 Apr 2014
In keynote speech on Middle East, former PM blames Islamic extremism for failures of western intervention in region Tony Blair: ‘What is absolutely necessary is that we first liberate ourselves from our own attitude. We have to take sides.’ Photograph:Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Western military intervention in the Middle East has so far failed…
Acts of bravery emerge from pilloried ship crew
22 Apr 2014
FOSTER KLUG Associated Press= MOKPO, South Korea (AP) â?? As the ferry sank, some crew members gave their lifejackets to passengers. One refused to leave until she shepherded students off the ship, and was later found dead. Others worked from rescue boats to break windows with hammers and pull people trapped in cabins to safety. Nearly a week after…
South Korean ferry crash death count tops 100
Videos SKorea President: Ferry crew actions ‘murderous’ Captain of sunken SoutKorean ferry arrested Police question captain, crew on ferry disaster GalleriesJINDO, South Korea – One by one, coast guard officers carried the newly arrived bodies…
photo: US Navy / Adam D. Wainwright
Manchester United sacks manager Moyes
Manchester United sacks manager Moyes Updated: 2014-04-22 16:09 (Agencies) MANCHESTER, England – David Moyes left Manchester United on Tuesday after a hugely disappointing season as manager since replacing Alex Ferguson last July. Announcing the…
photo: AP / Clint Hughes
U.N.: South Sudan rebels separate residents by ethnicity, kill hundreds
April 22, 2014 — Updated 0754 GMT (1554 HKT) Students take notes during anEnglish language class at the Juba Nabari Primary School in Juba, South Sudan, on Wednesday, April 9. Recent conflict in the country has made resources scarce; many civil…
photo: UN / Albert Gonzalez Farran
Stowaway teen forces review of airport security
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A 16-year-old boy scrambled over an airport fence, crossed a tarmac and climbed into a jetliner’s wheel well, then flew for five freezing hours toHawaii — a misadventure that forced authorities to take a hard look at the security…
photo: Creative Commons / merfam
Families’ hopes for ferry victims painfully humble
Photos JINDO, South Korea – (AP) — Lee Byung-soo says he knew, when he saw his 15-year-old son’s body in the tent. It could not have been more horrifically obvious. But he wanted so much for him to be alive. “Stop sleeping!” the truck driver yelled…
Ancient Tundra Landscape Discovered Beneath Greenland’s Ice Sheet Provides Climate Change Clues
Ever wonder where the ‘green’ in ice-covered Greenland comes from? According toIcelandic lore, viking explorer Erik the Red gave Greenland its name to lure settlers after discovering the territory in the 10th century. New evidence of…
photo: UN / Mark Garten
Russian FM says impossible to isolate Moscow
MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhua) — Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday any attempt to isolate Russia was bound to fail and he urged European Union countriesto make responsible and independent decisions on sanctions. “Isolation has never led anyone…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
S.Korea president likens ferry tragedy to murder
21 Apr 2014
JINDO, South Korea – South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Monday the actions of the captain and crew of a ferry that sank last week with hundreds feared dead were tantamount to murder, as authorities arrested four more officers of the vessel. Sixty-four people are known to have died and 238 are missing, presumed dead, in the sinking of the…
No sign of MH370 after two-thirds of underwater search completed
21 Apr 2014
Two-thirds of the planned underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been completed, with no signs so far of the jet, Australian officials said on Monday. As many as 10 military aircraft and 11 ships are taking part in the search for the aircraft, which was carrying 239 people when it vanished on March 8 en route from Kuala…
Syria to hold presidential election on June 3
Syrian Parliament speaker announced on Monday that the country will hold presidential elections on June 3, a vote President Bashar Assad is likely to contest as his nation sinks deeper into a bloody civil war, now in its fourth year. Mr. Assad has…
photo: AP / Hussein Malla
LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron is now in the line of fire for asking Britons to be unashamedly “evangelical” about its Christian faith and announcing that he wanted to see a bigger role for religion in UK. More than 50 writers,…
photo: AP / Tim Hales
Malaysia Airlines jet makes midair turnaround
Another Malaysia Airlines plane has made a midair turn-back from its scheduled flight, causing a tense few hours for the 166 people on board. The Boeing 737-88 plane that was scheduled to fly from Kula Lumpur to Bangalore landed safely atKuala…
photo: Public Domain / Arpingstone
Ukraine PM: New Soviet Union Would Be “Disaster”
Ukraine&aposs prime minister says Russian President Vladimir Putin may be trying to restore the Soviet Union with the recent annexation of Crimea and pro-Russian unrest in eastern Ukraine. Arseniy Yatsenyuk spoke on NBC television&aposs “Meet…
photo: AP / Sergei Chuzavkov
Abdullah ahead in election race
New partial results in Afghanistan‘s presidential election show candidate Abdullah Abdullah is still the front-runner. The winner will replace Hamid Karzai, the only president the country has known since the 2001 US-led invasion ousted the Taliban,…
photo: AP / Anja Niedringhaus
Survivors recall chaos, fear in Everest avalanche
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Survivors of Mount Everest‘s deadliest avalanche recalled scenes of panic and chaos, describing Sunday how they dug through snow with their hands and ice axes in hopes of finding their friends alive. Just minutes before the…
photo: WN / Yeshe Choesang
EASTER SUNDAY SHOOTOUT
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV via Getty ImagesClashes Turn Deadly In Eastern Ukraine.. Russia Accused Of Staging Attack
Christian pilgrims in Jerusalem find their path to the Via Dolorosa is an ever harder road
20 Apr 2014
Pilgrims wait with crosses near the third Station of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa inJerusalem’s Old City on Good Friday 2014. Photograph: Peter Beaumont for theObserver The limestone stairs of the Nuns’ Ascent are glassy-slick from the countless feet that have polished them. Descending steeply, they emerge by theChapel Sanctuaries of the…
Divers begin pulling bodies from sunken ferry
20 Apr 2014
MOKPO, South Korea — The confirmed death toll from South Korea’s ferry disaster rose past 50 on Sunday as divers finally found a way inside the sunken vessel, quickly discovering more than a dozen bodies in what almost certainly is just the beginning of a massive and grim recovery effort. About 250 people are still missing from the ship,…
French journalists arrive home after Syria hostage ordeal
Hollande said on Saturday the four men were ‘in good health despite the very challenging conditions of their captivity’. Four French journalists held hostage inSyria for nearly a year arrived in France on Sunday after they were found abandoned in…
photo: AP / Jacques Brinon
Angry Relatives Of South Korea Ferry Passengers Clash With Police
A family member of a passenger missing after the South Korean ferry “Sewol” capsized demonstrates in front of police during a protest in Jindo calling for a meeting with President Park and demanding the search and rescue operation be speeded up,…
photo: AP / Yonhap
Iran slams U.S. justice verdict on Manhattan skyscraper
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran on Saturday criticized a U.S. government move to seize aManhattan skyscraper owned largely by a foundation that promotes its language and Islamic culture, saying this violated the right to religious freedom in theUnited…
photo: Creative Commons / Taniafa
Water level warning to boat users on the River Thames
19 April 2014 Last updated at 16:23 BST As the boating season gets under way, river users are being urged to take extra care on the Thames because of higher than usual water levels. The Environment Agency says there are strong currents and lots of…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Experts predict soggy Easter Sunday
Weather forecasters are predicting a soggy Easter Sunday for large parts of Britain as the dry start to the Bank Holiday weekend looks set to come to an abrupt end.Heavy showers and thunder are expected in places as rain spreads from the south east…
photo: WN / marzena
Opposition cries foul as Bouteflika wins fourth term as president
Preliminary official results showed Bouteflika had won with 81.53 per cent of the vote, Interior Minister Tayeb Belaiz told a news conference. Algerian PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika, the ageing independence veteran already in power for 15 years, won…
photo: AP / Sidali Djarboub
British drivers are in a hole and must dig deep in their wallets
Related Articles Five days of tube strikes announced 17 Apr 2014 Race cyclist’s road crash death ‘accidental’ 17 Apr 2014 Why? Because we don’t spend any money on the upkeep? Anyone who drives a car has to pay a pretend Road Fund Licence that…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
S. Korea Ferry Incident: Anger mounts when bodies found trapped inside ferry
19 Apr 2014
JINDO/MOKPO (South Korea): Angry relatives of more than 200 people, mostly children, missing inside a sunken South Korea ferry demanded authorities act now to raise the vessel and hit out at officials, including the country’s president, as hopes of finding survivors faded. Divers saw three bodies floating through a window of a passenger cabin…
Attack on S Sudan UN base may be ‘war crime’
19 Apr 2014
The United Nations Security Council has said an attack on a UN base in South Sudan which killed at least 58 people and injured 100 others may “constitute a war crime”. A mob of armed civilians pretending to be peaceful protesters delivering a petition to the UN had forced their way on to the base sheltering some 5,000 civilians…
TRAGEDY ON EVEREST
‘THEY MUST BE SO COLD AND SCARED, DEEP UNDERWATER’
Deal reached on calming Ukraine tension
18 Apr 2014
GENEVA • Top diplomats from the United States, European Union, Russia andUkraine reached agreement after marathon talks Thursday on immediate steps to ease the crisis in Ukraine. The agreement does not set out specific directions for Ukraine’s future, but it requires all sides to halt any violence, intimidation or provocative actions.
Pro-Russia groups refuse to quit
Pro-Russian insurgents in Ukraine‘s east who have been occupying government buildings in more than 10 cities said today they will only leave them if the interim government in Kiev resigns. Denis Pushilin, a spokesman of the self-appointedDonetsk…
photo: AP / Sergei Grits
Robotic submarine scours ocean for missing Malaysian jet
PERTH: A robotic submarine headed back down into the depths of the Indian Oceanon Friday to scour the seafloor for any trace of the missing Malaysian jet one month after the search began off Australia’s west coast, as data from the sub’s previous…
photo: US Navy / Official U.S. Navy Page
Avalanche sweeps Everest; 6 killed, 9 missing
A Nepalese tourism official said six local guides have been killed and nine more are missing after an avalanche swept a route used to ascend the world’s highest peak. All those killed and missing had gone early in…
photo: Creative Commons / shrimpo1967
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel laureate, dies at 87
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez crafted intoxicating fiction from the fatalism, fantasy, cruelty and heroics of the world that set his mind churning as a child growing up on Colombia‘s Caribbean coast. One of the most revered…
photo: APphoto
Astronomers discover Earth-like planet
Astronomers have discovered what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet detected – a distant, rocky world that is similar in size to our planet and orbiting in a life-friendly zone around a distant star. The find, announced on Thursday,…
photo: NASA / NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech
Eurostar delays: Trains cancelled at St Pancras station
17 April 2014 Last updated at 21:50 BST Gavin Leisfield had been waiting at St Pancras station since 17.30 BST after Eurostar trains were cancelled. He was one of hundreds of passengers who were waiting for news after a Eurotunnel train broke down in…
photo: AP / Akira Suemori
7 Steps to take to Better Health
The following steps are the beginning to guide your body towards that optimal goal of health and wellness. 1. Personal responsibility. Are you ready to make some lifestyle changes for yourself? The first step is to make the commitment. The second…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
THE LITTLE GREEN MEN WERE OURS
ASSOCIATED PRESSPutin Admits Russian Soldiers Were In Crimea.. ‘There Was No Other Way’
Israel and PLO swap blame for peace breakdown
17 Apr 2014
-Ismat Mansour was only 16 years old when he was arrested and sentenced to 22 years in prison for complicity in killing an Israeli settler. At the time, the first Intifada – the Palestinian uprising against Israel‘s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip – was in its final throes. Today, 37-year-old Mansour is a writer, journalist and…
Fighting Intensifies in Northern Burma
Sumon Aye, Aye Aye Mar Fighting has intensified in northern Burma as government troops continue a weeklong offensive against ethnic Kachin rebels. Presidentialspokesman Ye Htut on Wednesday confirmed that several government troops, including a…
photo: AP / Yadana Htun
Nigeria’s President Calls Special Meeting to Address Violence
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has summoned his National Security Council to a Thursday meeting in Abuja, after suspected militants carried out a string of deadly attacks and abducted more than 100 school girls. A presidential adviser says Mr….
photo: AP / Maja Hitij/dapd
Best holiday: Thailand’s paradise smorgasbord
Phuket, Thailand, a smorgasbord of colour, culture, beaches and food. It’sparadise. After travelling around Europe and North America I decided it was time to set my sights on some less developed and not so Western countries. I’ve started focusing…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Boston bomb squad investigates backpack near Boston Marathon finish line
Boston Police bomb squad investigates backpack near the finish line BOSTON — A moment of silence at the finish line, the tolling of church bells and a solemn flag-raising ceremony capped the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing…
photo: AP / Charles Krupa
EU Agrees to Train Mali Police, Extends Army Training Mission
Reuters LUXEMBOURG — The European Union agreed on Tuesday to send civilian advisers to train and advise Mali‘s police while extending by two years a mission to train the army. The decisions, taken by EU defense ministers at a meeting in…
photo: AP / Jerome Delay
UN Rights Office Urges Ukraine to Stop Propoganda
Wednesday, 16 April 2014, 11:14 am Press Release: Ukraine: Un Rights Office Urges Halt To Propaganda, Incitement To Hatred New York, Apr 15 2014 1:00pm While corruption and widespread inequality were among the root causes of the massive street…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
U.N. says not right moment for peacekeepers in Ukraine: paper
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – It is not the right moment for any United Nations peacekeeping troops to be sent to Ukraine, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moonwas quoted as saying on Tuesday. “At this moment, it…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Passenger boat sinks of South Korean coast
16 Apr 2014
At least one person has been reported dead, and six people were injured when aSouth Korean ferry carrying hundreds of passenegrs sank off the country’s south-west coast. The country‘s coast guard…
Best holiday: Thailand’s paradise smorgasbord
Phuket, Thailand, a smorgasbord of colour, culture, beaches and food. It’sparadise. After travelling around Europe and North America I decided it was time to set my sights on some less developed and not so Western countries. I’ve started focusing…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Boston bomb squad investigates backpack near Boston Marathon finish line
Boston Police bomb squad investigates backpack near the finish line BOSTON — A moment of silence at the finish line, the tolling of church bells and a solemn flag-raising ceremony capped the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing…
photo: AP / Charles Krupa
EU Agrees to Train Mali Police, Extends Army Training Mission
Reuters LUXEMBOURG — The European Union agreed on Tuesday to send civilian advisers to train and advise Mali‘s police while extending by two years a mission to train the army. The decisions, taken by EU defense ministers at a meeting in…
photo: AP / Jerome Delay
UN Rights Office Urges Ukraine to Stop Propoganda
Wednesday, 16 April 2014, 11:14 am Press Release: Ukraine: Un Rights Office Urges Halt To Propaganda, Incitement To Hatred New York, Apr 15 2014 1:00pm While corruption and widespread inequality were among the root causes of the massive street…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
U.N. says not right moment for peacekeepers in Ukraine: paper
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – It is not the right moment for any United Nations peacekeeping troops to be sent to Ukraine, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moonwas quoted as saying on Tuesday. “At this moment, it…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Berlusconi Told To Work In Old People’s Home
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been ordered to do a year of community service for his tax fraud conviction. A Milan court on Tuesday ruled he must spend at least four hours a week working at an old people’s home, reportedly a…
photo: AP / Antonio Calanni
Boston Globe wins Pulitzer for bombing coverage
NEW YORK – An award that usually is met with cheers and jubilation instead came with a moment of silence, as The Boston Globe won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for its “exhaustive and empathetic” coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing and the…
photo: AP / Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Asian air pollution strengthens Pacific storms
15 Apr 2014
Air pollution in China and other Asian countries is having far-reaching impacts on weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere, a study suggests. Researchers have found that pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world. The effect was most pronounced during the winter….
photo: AP / Ng Han Guan
Boston Globe wins Pulitzer for bombing coverage
NEW YORK – An award that usually is met with cheers and jubilation instead came with a moment of silence, as The Boston Globe won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for its “exhaustive and empathetic” coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing and the…
photo: AP / Stack’s Bowers Galleries
India recognises transgender people as third gender
Activists say landmark ruling by supreme court will help millions of people who face discrimination in India‘s conservative society Indian transgender dancers put on makeup before a performance in Kolkata. Photograph: DibyangshuSarkar/AFP/Getty…
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick
US Airways pornographic tweet sets Twitter on fire
We apologize for an inappropriate image recently shared as a link in one of our responses. We’ve removed the tweet and are investigating. — US Airways(@USAirways) April 14, 2014 Think of the most lewd, embarrassing, shocking and…
photo: Creative Commons / FlyingJ31
Army general denies Chelsea Manning clemency over WikiLeaks case
An Army general upheld Private Chelsea Manning‘s 35-year prison sentence on Monday for turning over classified files to WikiLeaks. With Major General Jeffrey S.Buchanan denying Manning, formerly…
photo: AP / Patrick Semansky
Israeli man killed, 2 hurt in West Bank shooting
JERUSALEM (AP) â?? An assailant opened fire on Israeli motorists in the West Bank on Monday, killing a man and wounding a woman and a boy in two separate cars, police said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack could further…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
Obama: Religious intolerance has ‘no place in our society’
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday called on Americans to stand up against religious bigotry as he offered his support to the families of those killed in shootings at two Jewish community centers in the Kansas City area. “Nobodyshould…
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
Indian troops kill 2 rebels in Kashmir fighting
Gallery: Indian troops kill 2 rebels in Kashmir fighting Travel Deals $799 — Puerto Vallarta 4-Star, 6-Night Trip from Philly See all travel deals » The Associated Press Posted: Monday, April 14, 2014, 7:28 AM SRINAGAR, India (AP) – A…
photo: WN / Imran Nissar
Malaysia Airlines MH370: undersea robot hunts for missing plane
14 Apr 2014
The search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 goes underwater as the robot submersible Bluefin 21 is used for the first time as officials announce the fresh sighting of an oil slick 8:28AM BST 14 Apr 2014 The head of the Australian agency supervising the hunt for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane has confirmed that an autonomous underwater vehicle…
Oscar: I did not fire at Reeva
Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius has broken down on the stand for a second time today, as the prosecution continues its attempts to slowly tear apart his version of the night he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius claims he thought an intruder was…
photo: AP / Themba Hadebe
Cost of fighting warming ‘modest,’ says UN panel
BERLIN — The cost of keeping global warming in check is “relatively modest,” but only if the world acts quickly to reverse the buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, the head of the U.N.‘s expert panel on climate change said Sunday….
photo: WN / Denise Yong
China’s anti-graft drive leads to space of suicides by officials
BEIJING: China is witnessing a sudden spurt in suicides by government and Communist officials as anti-corrupt officials have stepped up efforts to expose bribery and other misdeeds. Chinese social media is agog with speculation that the mysterious…
photo: Creative Commons / Thomas.fanghaenel
UN: ‘Massive shift’ needed on energy
A UN report on climate change is expected to call for a trebling of the planet’s use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. The report is also expected to argue that the trend of increased carbon emissions can only be reversed…
photo: Public Domain /
Obama lets NSA keep some Internet security flaws secret
But documents released by Edward J. Snowden, the former NSA contractor, make it clear that two years before Heartbleed became known, the NSA was looking at ways to accomplish exactly what the flaw did by accident. A program code-named Bullrun,…
photo: White House
White House to send Biden to Kiev as conflict with Russia escalates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Saturday that Vice President Joe Biden would travel to Kiev this month to show support for the Ukrainian government as U.S. officials expressed new concern over “violence and sabotage” by militants it…
photo: AP / Markus Schreiber
The 2014 Blood Moon is Monday and it could mean the end of NASA’s lunar mission
Stay up late for a lunar treat Monday night and watch the moon turn red. The occasion is a rare lunar eclipse, when Earth steps between its steady sidekick and the sun, blocking most of the light that makes it shine. “If you have a good…
photo: Creative Commons
04.13.14
Using Black Holes to Measure Dark Energy, Like a BOSS
Thanks to something called “dark energy,” our Universe is expanding. We don’t understand much about it yet, but a project called BOSS is aiming to change that.
GUNFIGHT IN UKRAINE’S EAST
Anti-austerity protest in Italy turns violent
13 Apr 2014
An anti-austerity protest in Italy has turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police in the capital Rome. Police fired tear gas and made a number of arrests in attempts to bring the crowd under control on Saturday as clashes with the police left several people injured, according to medics and an AFP news agencyphotographer. Protesters threw…
Japan orders chicken cull after bird flu outbreak in south
13 Apr 2014
TOKYO: Japan has ordered the slaughter of some 112,000 chickens after officials confirmed Sunday bird flu infections at a poultry farm in the south. DNA testsconfirmed the H5 strain of the virus at a farm in Kumamoto prefecture that kept 56,000 birds, after its owner reported…
UN: ‘Massive shift’ needed on energy
A UN report on climate change is expected to call for a trebling of the planet’s use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. The report is also expected to argue that the trend of increased carbon emissions can only be reversed…
photo: Public Domain / Slick-o-bot
Obama lets NSA keep some Internet security flaws secret
But documents released by Edward J. Snowden, the former NSA contractor, make it clear that two years before Heartbleed became known, the NSA was looking at ways to accomplish exactly what the flaw did by accident. A program code-named Bullrun,…
photo: White House / Pete Souza
White House to send Biden to Kiev as conflict with Russia escalates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Saturday that Vice President Joe Biden would travel to Kiev this month to show support for the Ukrainian government as U.S. officials expressed new concern over “violence and sabotage” by militants it…
photo: AP / Markus Schreiber
The 2014 Blood Moon is Monday and it could mean the end of NASA’s lunar mission
Stay up late for a lunar treat Monday night and watch the moon turn red. The occasion is a rare lunar eclipse, when Earth steps between its steady sidekick and the sun, blocking most of the light that makes it shine. “If you have a good…
photo: Creative Commons
Hungary’s Orban retains two-thirds parliament majority
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban‘s party has retained its two-thirds majority in parliament, and with it the ability to change the constitution, according to a final tally of votes from last weekend’s election…
photo: AP / Szilard Koszticsak
Salmond: It is time to say Yes
Scotland’s First Minister addressed the final party conference before the country’s independence referendum and declared it was “time to say Yes“. With voters inScotland to decide the country’s future in just over five months time, Alex Salmond…
photo: Creative Commons / Scottish Government
Internet Speeds In South Korea Really Do Blow Away The Rest Of The World
One of the most fascinating things I learned after spending a week in Seoul, South Korea was how connected the country is. There’s free WiFi just about anywhere you go, even at the airport. And if you travel a lot, you know free WiFi at an airport is…
photo: AP / Han Jong-chan
Fading signals add urgency to search for missing Malaysian jet
12 Apr 2014
PERTH: The search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner resumed on Saturday, five weeks after the plane disappeared from radar screens, amid fears that batteries powering signals from the black box recorder on board may have died.Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned on Friday that signals picked up during the search in the remote…
G7 backs more sanctions if Russia escalates Ukraine crisis: US
12 Apr 2014
Finance ministers and central bankers from around the world are in Washingtonfor the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund. A group of the world’s leading rich nations will support increasing…
Major economies express confidence about growth
The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP)—Finance officials of the world’s major economies expressed confidence Friday that they can meet an ambitious goal of boosting global growth by $2 trillion over the next five years. That’s despite a variety of…
photo: Creative Commons / Hanselpedia
Facebook Is Trying To Change Its Huge Privacy Problem
Facebook wants people to stop getting frustrated with the company’s privacy settings. Well, good luck with that. Almost any change Facebook makes to privacy controls triggers outcries and accusations that the social network is continuing to…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
Sylvia Mathews Burwell nominated for U.S. Health Secretary
President Barack Obama announced his nomination to succeed Kathleen Sebeliuson Friday as the Health Secretary, the day after Sebelius handed in her resignation.Obama chose Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who currently is the director of the…
photo: AP / Charles Dharapak
Australian PM ‘very confident’ signals are from MH370 black box
11 Apr 2014
(CNN) — Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in China on Friday that authorities are “very confident” the signals picked up by acoustic detectors are coming from the black box of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, CNN affiliate Sky News Australia reported. The remarks came after search officials reported a possible fifth signal…
Cyclone Ita downgraded but remains a threat: forecasters
CYCLONE Ita has lost some of its fury but remains a severe threat to far northQueensland. Late this afternoon the cyclone was downgraded to a category four from the earlier maximum strength five. However the Bureau of Meteorologywarned it still…
photo: NASA / MODIS
Drug ban a big blow to Powell’s career (Roundup)
Tweet Kingston (Jamaica), April 11 (IANS/CMC) Sprint star Asafa Powell‘s career has been dealt a severe blow with Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) slapping on him an 18-month ban for failing a drug test. The Jamaican, a former world record…
photo: Creative Commons / Chell Hill
Venezuela’s Maduro and opposition talk as death toll hits 40
CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hosted opposition leaders on Thursday at the start of mediated talks intended to stem two months of political unrest that has killed dozens in the OPEC nation. The meeting, brokered by foreign ministers…
photo: AP / Ariana Cubillos
Beijing dust storm expected to linger until Sunday
The dust storm that has enshrouded the Chinese capital since Wednesday night won’t disperse until Sunday, the city’s environmental watchdog said. Beijing was hit by another wave of floating dust and sand on Thursday, with the intensity of PM10…
photo: AP / Oded Balilty, File
Longtime Canadian finance minister dies
TORONTO — Former Canadian finance minister Jim Flaherty, a fixture on the world financial stage who stepped down last month, has died. He was 64. Flaherty‘s family released a statement that said he died Thursday in Ottawa. No cause was made…
photo: AP
Real IRA man charged with 29 Omagh bomb murders
DUBLIN (AP) — An Irish Republican Army veteran was charged Thursday with 29 murders over the 1998 car bomb attack on Omagh, the deadliest bombing of the entire Northern Ireland conflict. Police long have considered Seamus Daly, 43, a prime suspect in…
photo: AP / Paul McErlane
UN votes to send peacekeeping force into Central African Republic
Security council authorises the deployment of up to 10,000 troops in attempt to stop violence spiralling into genocide The mainly Muslim Séléka seized power a year ago, leading to thousands of deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands.Photograph:…
photo: AP / Rebecca Blackwell
UN: 3,600 raped in DRC in four-year period
10 Apr 2014
The United Nations has said more than 3,600 women, children and men were subjected to rape and other sexual violence in Congo over a four-year period by the country’s defense and security forces or armed rebels. A UN report published on Wednesday documented 3,645 victims of sexual violence between January 2010 andDecember 2013, with…
photo: UN / Marie Frechon
Missing Malaysia plane: Search area narrows
10 Apr 2014
Teams are focusing on a narrowed search area in the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, after more signals were heard earlier this week. Thursday’s search was set to involve up to 14 aircraft and 13 ships, the agency co-ordinating the search announced. They will search 57,923 sq km (22 364 sq miles) – the smallest designated search…
In Libya, politicians in fear of powerful militias
10 Apr 2014
TRIPOLI, Libya — In a humiliating video, Libya’s top politician — the head of parliament — is seen begging with a militia commander, trying to explain to him why he was caught with two women in his residence and insisting nothing scandalous was going on. “In God’s name,” Nouri Abu Sahmein tells the militiaman, Haitham al-Tajouri….
In Libya, politicians in fear of powerful militias
10 Apr 2014
TRIPOLI, Libya — In a humiliating video, Libya’s top politician — the head of parliament — is seen begging with a militia commander, trying to explain to him why he was caught with two women in his residence and insisting nothing scandalous was going on. “In God’s name,” Nouri Abu Sahmein tells the militiaman, Haitham al-Tajouri….
‘Don’t panic over Heartbleed bug’
Security experts have urged internet users not to panic and instantly change their passwords in wake of the Heartbleed bug security flaw, despite suggestions to do so from prominent sites like Tumblr. Hugh Boyes, cyber security lead at the UK-based…
photo: WN / Tara
US and Russia urge peaceful solution to Ukraine crisis
US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart have agreed on the need to resolve the security situation in eastern Ukraine peacefully, officials say. It comes as pro-Russia activists continue to occupy state buildings in eastern cities…
photo: US DoS
Afghan probe begins in attack on AP journalists
KIM GAMEL Associated Press= KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) â?? Afghan central government authorities on Wednesday began questioning the police commander who killed an Associated Press photographer and wounded an AP reporter, a day after he was transferred…
photo: US Navy / MCS2 John Fischer
N.Korean Regime Reshuffles Top Posts
North Korea‘s newly elected parliament met for the first time Wednesday to rubber-stamp a reshuffle of high-ranking officials, including the re-election of leader Kim Jong-un. Military politburo chief Choe Ryong-hae was elected as vice chairman of…
photo: AP / Alexander F. Yuan
Atletico end Barca hopes
Koke, right, celebrates scoring the opening goal (AP) Atletico Madrid reached the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time following a 1-0 win overSpanish rivals Barcelona. Koke’s fifth-minute strike was enough to send Atletico…
photo: AP / Andres Kudacki
US in talks with France on Holocaust compensation
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday warned several state legislatures against initiatives that would punish the state-owned French railway company SNCF for carrying out Holocaust-era deportations to Nazi death and labor camps….
photo: AP / Tara Todras-Whitehill, file
Lassana Diarra denies jihadist rumours April 9, 2014
Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Lassana Diarra has denied claims that he is a jihadist in the war in Syria. GettyImagesLassana Diarra is a former Arsenal player. It was rumoured that Diarra, 29, had moved to the war-torn…
photo: AP / Daniel Leiva
Over 20 killed, nearly 70 injured in blast in Pakistan
09 Apr 2014
ISLAMABAD: Over 20 people were killed and nearly 70 others injured on Wednesday in a blast that ripped through a bustling fruit market on the outskirts of thePakistan’s capital, even as peace talks are on with the banned Taliban. The blast occurred in the fruit market in Sector I-11 of the capital, bordering the garrison city of Rawalpindi. No…
Newly Discovered ‘Heartbleed’ Bug Can Compromise Data Of Major Websites
A major new security vulnerability referred to as Heartbleed was disclosed late Monday night with severe implications for the entire Web. Hundreds of thousands of web and email servers worldwide could easily have this software flaw that lets…
photo: WN / Trigedia
Train Blast Kills 14 in Southwest Pakistan
A bomb has ripped through a passenger train in southwest Pakistan, killing at least 14 people. Police say Tuesday&aposs blast occurred after the train stopped…
photo: AP / Mohammad Sajjad
Spanish Parliament to Vote on Catalonia’s Independence Bid
MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) – Spanish lawmakers are set to debate a request on Tuesday by Catalonia‘s regional assembly to hold a referendum on independence from Spain….
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti
Germany summons N Korean envoy over nuke threat
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it summoned North Korea’s envoy in Berlin overPyongyang’s threat to carry out…
photo: Creative Commons / Michael Day
8 April 2014, 2:40 Irish President Makes Historic State Visit Tweet Irish PresidentMichael D Higgins and his wife Sabina will be guests of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle. The two heads of state have met informally butPresident…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Venezuela’s Maduro agrees to Unasur-brokered opposition talks
Venezuela‘s President, Nicolas Maduro, is set to meet opposition leaders for the first time since the start of street protests that left 39 dead. The meeting was proposed by foreign ministers belonging to the South American regional group…
photo: AP / Fernando Llano
150 killed in Nigeria attacks
ABUJA, April 7 (Xinhua) — At least 150 people were killed in separate weekend attacks in northwest and northeast regions of Nigeria, Africa‘s most populous country, officials and witnesses said here on Monday. In the northwestern state ofZamfara,…
photo: AP / Salisu Rabiu
North Korean minister ‘executed by flamethrower’
By: Jane Mathews
‘FORGIVENESS IS POSSIBLE’
ASSOCIATED PRESS20 Years After The Rwandan Genocide, Victim And Perpetrator Reconciled
Fund crunch forces UN to cut Syria food aid
08 Apr 2014
The United Nations has been forced to cut the size of food parcels for those left hungry by Syria‘s civil war by a fifth because of a shortage of funds from donors, a senior official has said. Nevertheless, the United Nations’ World Food Programmemanaged to get food to a record 4.1m people inside Syria last month, just short of its target of 4.2m,…
Germany summons N Korean envoy over nuke threat
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it summoned North Korea’s envoy in Berlin overPyongyang’s threat to carry out…
photo: Creative Commons / Michael Day
Irish President Makes Historic State Visit
8 April 2014, 2:40 Irish President Makes Historic State Visit Tweet Irish PresidentMichael D Higgins and his wife Sabina will be guests of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle. The two heads of state have met informally butPresident…
photo: UN / Eskinder Debebe
Venezuela’s Maduro agrees to Unasur-brokered opposition talks
Venezuela‘s President, Nicolas Maduro, is set to meet opposition leaders for the first time since the start of street protests that left 39 dead. The meeting was proposed by foreign ministers belonging to the South American regional group…
photo: AP / Fernando Llano
150 killed in Nigeria attacks
ABUJA, April 7 (Xinhua) — At least 150 people were killed in separate weekend attacks in northwest and northeast regions of Nigeria, Africa‘s most populous country, officials and witnesses said here on Monday. In the northwestern state ofZamfara,…
photo: AP / Salisu Rabiu
U.S. Warns Russia Against Further Moves in Ukraine
The White House is telling Russia to stop intervening in eastern Ukraine, or face more sanctions. The warning from the White House came after groups of pro-Russian demonstrators took over government buildings in at least three cities in eastern…
photo: AP / Jacquelyn Martin
India elections: High turnout on first day of voting
7 April 2014 Last updated at 23:42 BST The first day of voting in India‘s month-long parliamentary election has seen a high turnout. One of the big issues is getting the economy back on track with growth having dropped to less than 5%, from a peak of…
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick
Dutch Priest Killed in Syria
The Vatican says a Dutch priest has been shot dead at his monastery in the besieged Syrian city of Homs. The 75-year-old Jesuit priest, Frans Van Der Lugt, had lived in Syria for decades and had refused to leave…
photo: AP / Shaam News Network, SNN
WHY WE CAN NEVER LET A TRAGEDY LIKE THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE HAPPEN AGAIN
Smooth Afghanistan poll raises questions about Taliban strength
07 Apr 2014
KABUL: A bigger-than-expected turnout in Afghanistan‘s presidential election and the Taliban’s failure to derail the vote have raised questions about the capacity of the insurgents to tip the country back into chaos as foreign troops head home. The Taliban claimed that they staged more than 1,000 attacks and killed dozens during Saturday’s…
Ukraine rejects Russia’s federalisation push
First, Russia took over a chunk of their country. Now, to the astonishment of manyUkrainians, Moscow is telling them how to run the rest of their nation. The lectures do not sit well here. Russia has been insisting that Ukraine adopt a federal form…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Panic as deadly Ebola virus spreads across West Africa
06 Apr 2014
When everyone is an apparent threat, a potential carrier of the deadly Ebola virus, panic inevitably rises. Yesterday, as rumours spread that Ebola could be caught by breathing the same air as the victims, that fear turned into violence. Since the outbreak of the deadly strain of Zaire Ebola in Guinea in February, around 90 people have died as the…
More ships rush to probe signals in plane search
06 Apr 2014
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Three separate but fleeting sounds from deep in the Indian Ocean offered new hope Sunday in the hunt for the missing Malaysian airliner, and officials rushed to confirm or rule out they were signals from the plane’s black boxes before their beacons fall silent. The head of the multinational search being conducted off…
Ban on e-liquids for e-cigarettes proposed in State Senate
Galleries Web links A Long Island state senator has introduced legislation that would ban for sale in New York all so-called e-liquids, the fluids popularly used in e-cigarettes. State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) said he is well aware that his…
photo: AP / Greg Baker
Flight 370: Ship detects ‘ping’
A Chinese patrol ship hunting for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner has detected a pulse signal in the south Indian Ocean, the state news agency Xinhua reported, in a possible indicator of the underwater beacon from a plane’s “black box”….
photo: Creative Commons / U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Chris D. Boardman/Released)
France to shun Rwanda genocide ceremony after Kagame accusations
PARIS (Reuters) – France said on Saturday it had canceled plans to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide following accusations ofFrench involvement in the massacre by Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The Africanweekly…
photo: AP / Marc Hofer
Russian PM attributes economic slowdown to global factors, Crimea
MOSCOW, April 4 (Xinhua) — The Russian economy is stalling due to a range of global and domestic factors, including events over Crimea, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday. “Everyone has lately come to a conclusion that traditional factors of…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Soldiers occupy Brazil slum ahead of World Cup
RIO DE JANEIRO: Thousands of soldiers in armored vehicles, trucks and on foot entered one of Rio de Janeiro’s most notorious slums Saturday to provide security less than three months before the World Cup. The move is the latest attempt to drive drug…
photo: AP / Silvia Izquierdo
Floriculture department in Kashmir offers treat to hobby growers
Srinagar, April 05: The Floriculture Department in Jammu and Kashmir has started selling flower seedlings and saplings at subsidised rates to its residents, flower growers and enthusiasts, in the valley. With the arrival of spring season, the…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Did Adolf Hitler marry a woman of Jewish descent? DNA tests ‘show Eva Braun associated with Ashkenazi Jews’
Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler‘s long-term lover who married the Nazi leader hours before their joint suicide in his Berlin bunker, may have had Jewish ancestry, ground-breaking DNA testing has found. DNA analysis of hair samples from a hairbrush claimed to…
photo: Creative Commons
Breaking News……..
Chinese ship detects ‘pulse signal’ in search for missing Malaysia Airlines jet, report says
China’s official news agency says a Chinese ship that is part of the multinational search effort looking for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has detected a “pulse signal” in southern Indian Ocean waters.
Most intensive hunt yet underway in the southern Indian Ocean for missing flight MH370.
North Korea says US ‘hell-bent on regime change’
05 Apr 2014
UNITED NATIONS — North Korea on Friday accused the United States of being “hell-bent on regime change” and warned that any maneuvers with that intention will be viewed as a “red line” that will result in countermeasures. Pyongyang’s deputy U.N. ambassador Ri Tong Il also repeated that his government “made it very clear we will carry out a new… Wn.com/
Why is Arctic ice disappearing more rapidly than expected?
Washington: In a new study, researchers have discovered unexpected climate-driven changes in the mighty Mackenzie River‘s ice breakup. This discovery may help resolve the complex puzzle underlying why Arctic ice is disappearing more rapidly…
photo: US Coastguard / Petty Officer 3rd Class Pamela J. Manns
McDonald’s exits Crimea
NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald’s has closed its three restaurants in Crimea as it evaluates the “evolving situation” on the Black Sea peninsula. The world‘s biggest hamburger chain said Friday that the closures were “strictly a…
photo: AP / Eric Risberg
First candidate says to contest Lebanon’s presidential race
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese Christian politician Samir Geagea announced on Friday he will run for president in an election due next month, the first candidate to formally enter a race overshadowed by growing violence and months of political…
photo: AP / Hussein Malla
Afghan cop kills AP photog, wounds reporter
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A veteran Associated Press photographer was killed and an AP reporter was wounded on Friday when an Afghan policeman opened fire while they were sitting in their car in eastern Afghanistan. Anja Niedringhaus, 48, an…
photo: AP / Anja Niedringhaus
Pakistan: Nine-month-old boy accused of planning murder
A nine-month-old boy has appeared in court in Pakistan on charges of planning a murder, threatening police and interfering in state affairs, it appears. BabyMuhammad Mosa Khan is one…
photo: AP / Emilio Morenatti
Scientists Dismiss Claims That Yellowstone Volcano Is About To Erupt
(Reuters) – Yellowstone National Park assured guests and the public on Thursday that a super-volcano under the park was not expected to erupt anytime soon, despite an alarmist video that claimed bison had been seen fleeing to avoid such a calamity….
photo: Creative Commons / Ildar Sagdejev
Malaysia plane MH370: Pinger locators deployed in search
Towed pinger locators will begin to search the southern Indian Ocean for signs of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australian officials say. Two ships with pinger locator capabilities will search a 240km (150 mile) track under water, in the…
photo: AP / Rob Griffith
MH370: Underwater search for black box begins
04 Apr 2014
Retired Australian Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston says the search for MH370 will also continue on the surface. Photo: AP The hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlinesplane has shifted below the surface, with the “towed pinger locator” deployed on Friday to search for the black box before its batteries expire. Former Defence Forcechief…
Malaysia plane MH370: Pinger locators deployed in search
Towed pinger locators will begin to search the southern Indian Ocean for signs of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australian officials say. Two ships with pinger locator capabilities will search a 240km (150 mile) track under water, in the…
photo: AP / Rob Griffith
Lebanon registers 1 million Syrian refugees
TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AP) — Yahya was trapped in his hometown for two years bySyria‘s civil war, moving from house to house to avoid shells and bullets. His father was killed by a sniper. His family then fled to another town that came under a fierce…
photo: AP / Aleppo Media Center AMC
Israel says it won’t release Palestinian prisoners, seeks review of talks
JERUSALEM: Israel has called off a planned release of Palestinian prisoners meant to advance the US-sponsored peace process and called for a review of how the troubled negotiations can make progress, an official briefed on the talks said on Thursday….
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
Armenia’s prime minister steps down
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia’s prime minister says he has submitted his resignation, a move that comes in the wake of a court…
photo: Creative Commons / World Economic Forum
Queen gives honey to pope, who has gift for George
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II — bearing a basket of honey, whiskey and other goodies from the royal estates — paid a visit to Pope France at the Vatican on Thursday. The pontiff returned the courtesy with a gift for Prince George,…
photo: AP / Sang Tan
Harvard issues report on marathon bombing response
BOSTON (AP) — The manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects culminated in a chaotic gunfight that placed police and the public in danger because it lacked coordination and restraint, according to an otherwise largely positive report released…
photo: AP / Elise Amendola
Segolene Royal joins ex-partner Francois Hollande’s French government
3 April 2014 Last updated at 05:42 BST Segolene Royal, the former partner ofPresident Francois Hollande has joined the government in a major reshuffle. MsRoyal, the mother of President Hollande‘s four children, will serve as environment minister in…
photo: AP Photo/Eric Feferberg; Pool
Chile Hit By Second Powerful Earthquake
03 Apr 2014
A second powerful earthquake has struck off northern Chile, a day after the region was hit by a deadly 8.2-magnitude tremor. The 7.6-magnitude quake rattled buildings and triggered a new round of evacuations, although a tsunami alert issued for coastal communities was soon lifted. It…
7 portions of fruits and veggies MUST daily
Researchers have suggested that eating at least seven daily portions of fruit and vegetables could be the best chance to stave off death from any cause. According to the data, vegetables may pack more of a protective punch than fruit. The authors…
photo: WN / Geeta
Officials: 4 dead at Fort Hood, including gunman
WILL WEISSERT Associated Press= FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) â?? A gunman opened fire Wednesday at the Fort Hood military base in an attack that left four people dead, including the shooter, at the same post where more than a dozen people were killed in a…
photo: AP / Jack Plunkett
Ketamine ‘exciting’ depression therapy
The illegal party drug ketamine is an “exciting” and “dramatic” new treatment for depression, say doctors who have conducted the first trial in the UK. Some patients who have faced incurable depression for decades have had…
photo: Creative Commons / nicco_napo
New Ai Weiwei Exhibition Unveiled in Berlin, but Artist Can’t Attend
Reuters BERLIN — Chinese artist Ai Weiwei‘s biggest solo show, featuring a reproduction of the white cell where he was held for 81 days by Chinese authorities, was unveiled on Wednesday in Berlin without Ai in attendance because the government…
photo: AP / Ng Han Guan
Yanukovych: ‘I Was Wrong’ To Ask Russian Troops Into Crimea
Former Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted after asking Russiantroops into Crimea, admits that his decision was wrong, calling Moscow‘s annexation of the Black Sea peninsula “a major tragedy.” In an interview with The Associated…
photo: AP / Efrem Lukatsky
Democracy not for China, say Xi Jinping
President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed China’s commitment to socialism, saying multi-party democracy had failed his country in the past, and China needed to follow its own path of political development to avoid disaster. There are regular calls from the…
photo: AP / Alexander F. Yuan
NATO Announces Plans for Improved Defenses in Eastern Europe
By Global Security Newswire Staff April 2, 2014 NATO announced on Tuesday it would prepare plans for bolstering defenses in Eastern Europe in response to concerns about possible Russian incursions. The decision to order new military defense plans…
Chile earthquake: five dead, tsunami hits northern coast
02 Apr 2014
Locals sit on the street following a tsunami alert after a powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake. Photo: AFP Chile earthquake: as it happened Santiago: A majorearthquake has struck off the coast of Chile, triggering a tsunami, causing landslides that blocked highways and leading to at least five deaths. The earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck at…
Hollande’s former partner Segolene Royal named to new French cabinet
Published April 02, 2014Associated Press Facebook0 Twitter0 Gplus0 PARIS – French President Francois Hollande has approved a new Cabinet that includes his ex-companion Segolene Royal as minister of environment and energy. The new…
photo: AP /Lionel Cironneau
Air pollution: High levels ‘to spread across England and Wales’
2 April 2014 Last updated at 08:25 BST People in many parts of England and Walesshould be braced for “very high” levels of air pollution on Wednesday. Environmentdepartment Defra says the pollution is a mix of local emissions and dust blown from…
photo: Creative Commons / Duncan Harris
Massive Earthquake strike Northern Chile, Warning of Tsunami
Tweet Normal life in Chile come to a halt when it witnesses a magnitude-8.0 earthquake to its cost which has been assume for a warnings of Tsunami for all ofLatin America‘s Pacific coast. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has said that it can be a…
photo: AP / Cristian Viveros
Obama scores victory with 7 million healthcare signups
Tweet Washington, April 2 (IANS) President Barack Obama claimed a major victory as over seven million people signed up for medical insurance under his signature healthcare law at the end of the six-month open enrolment period. After a floundering…
photo: Public Domain / Pete Souza
Missing plane MH370: Malaysia mystery ‘may not be solved’
Malaysia has warned that the reasons for the Malaysia Airlines plane’s disappearance may never be known, as Prime Minister Najib Razak heads toAustralia for talks on the search. Malaysia’s police chief said that their investigation could…
photo: AP / Rob Griffith, Pool
Facebook CEO reaps $3.3B gain from stock options
Facebook Follow @washtimes Will John Kerry’s talks in Paris bring the Ukrainecrisis any closer to an end? Login to Vote View results SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reaped a $3.3 billion gain last year by exercising stock…
photo: Creative Commons / Jason McELweenie
Jury selection starts in Apple-Samsung case
Jury selection began on Monday in a new patent trial between Apple and Samsung that could have dramatically impact the future of smartphones. The case is the second major patent battle between the two companies, after Samsung was ordered to pay about…
photo: WN / Geeta
Malaysia Missing Plane Hunt Continues As Search Resumes West Of Perth
Reuters | by Stuart Grudgings and Michael Martina
This shadow of a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion aircraft is seen on low cloud cover while it searches for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, over the Indian Ocean on March 31, 2014. No time limit will be imposed on the search for MH370 because the world deserves to know what happened, Australian Prime MinisterTony Abbott said, as a ship equipped to locate the plane’s ‘black box’ prepared to set sail. (ROB GRIFFITH/AFP/Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
China ex-general Gu Junshan charged with corruption
01 Apr 2014
China has charged former General Gu Junshan with corruption, misuse of state funds and abuse of power, state media report. Gen Gu, who was deputy logistics chief in China’s army, is the most senior officer to be tried at a military court since2006, reports said. He was removed from his…
Facebook CEO reaps $3.3B gain from stock options
Facebook Follow @washtimes Will John Kerry’s talks in Paris bring the Ukrainecrisis any closer to an end? Login to Vote View results SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reaped a $3.3 billion gain last year by exercising stock…
photo: Creative Commons / Jason McELweenie
Jury selection starts in Apple-Samsung case
Jury selection began on Monday in a new patent trial between Apple and Samsung that could have dramatically impact the future of smartphones. The case is the second major patent battle between the two companies, after Samsung was ordered to pay about…
photo: WN / Geeta
Ex-TV star Smriti Irani to stand against Rahul Gandhi
India‘s main opposition BJP has chosen actor-turned politician Smriti Irani to stand against Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi in the general elections. Ms Irani, who was the leading actress in one of India’s most popular TV soaps, will…
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick
Obama Admin Confirms: We May Free Israeli Spy to Save Peace Talks
For years President Obama has resisted Israeli requests to free Jonathan Pollard. Now with its peace process on the verge of collapse the White House is taking a second look at releasing Israel‘s most notorious spy. The Obama administration,…
photo: White House / Pete Souza
Brazil’s president remembers coup victims 50 years on
Brazil‘s President Dilma Rousseff has said the atrocities committed during 21 years of military dictatorship in the country must never be forgotten. A day before the 50th anniversary of the 1964 coup, she said Brazil was able to bear the wounds…
photo: AP / Felipe Dana
US envoy to India, Nancy Powell resigns
The announcement of her resignation to her colleagues in the US mission here today came a week after media reports here that she may be shipped out by theObama Administration to clean the state with India. Powell has been in India for less than…
photo: WN / Bhaskar Mallick
Turkey hijacks Google’s internet domain in cyber crackdown
Turkey‘s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses crowds in Ankara. Photo: Reuters Washington: Google says Turkey has been intercepting its internet domain and redirecting users to other sites in the latest battle between Ankara and web giants….
photo: AP / Torsten Silz
Mar31201
Kerry, Lavrov hold talks as Russia vows no Ukraine invasion
31 Mar 2014
MOSCOW: US Secretary of State John Kerry will hold impromptu talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris Sunday, after Russia pledged not to invade mainland Ukraine following its seizure of Crimea. The meeting in France comes amid heightened diplomatic efforts to resolving the worst East-West crisis since theCold War. Tensions have…
Scarlett Johansson doesn’t feel like a sex symbol
Scarlett Johansson doesn’t feel ”sensual”. The ‘Captain America: The WinterSolider’ actress has opened up about her status as a sex symbol, insisting she doesn’t feel more in touch with her ”sexuality” than anyone else. She told…
photo: Creative Commons / Elen Nivrae
Russia Says It Doesn’t Plan To Invade Ukraine
The Russian troops who are holding Crimea won’t be sent into Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says. “We have absolutely no intention of – or interest in – crossing Ukraine’s borders,” Lavrov told a Russian TV stationSaturday,…
photo: AP / Ivan Sekretarev
Dr. Iron Fist Bows Out of Ukraine Presidential Bout, Endorses Chocolate King
Former world champion boxer-turned-politician Vitali Klitschko bowed out of the race for Ukrainian president on Saturday, throwing his weight behind billionaire oligarch Petro Poroshenko, known as the “Chocolate King” for owning the country’s largest…
photo: AP / Efrem Lukatsky
Xi reaffirms adherence to peaceful development
BERLIN – Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Berlin Friday that his country will firmly stick to the path of peaceful development and pursue an independent foreign policy of peace. Addressing an audience at the invitation of the KorberFoundation,…
photo: AP / Michael Sohn
FBI denies it wanted marathon suspect as informant
BOSTON — The FBI has denied a claim made by lawyers for Boston Marathonbombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NY’-ehv) that his brother and fellow suspect was…
photo: FBI
One World Trade Center security chief resigns after embarrassing breaches
March 29, 2014 — Updated 0205 GMT (1005 HKT) (CNN) — The security chief at One World Trade Center in New York City has stepped down after embarrassing security breaches at the site. David Velazquez, a former FBI agent, resigned Friday, saidJordan…
photo: AP / Mark Lennihan
Kerry, Lavrov hold talks as Russia vows no Ukraine invasion
30 Mar 2014
MOSCOW: US Secretary of State John Kerry will hold impromptu talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris Sunday, after Russia pledged not to invade mainland Ukraine following its seizure of Crimea. The meeting in France comes amid heightened diplomatic efforts to resolving the worst East-West crisis since theCold War. Tensions have.
Russia Says It Doesn’t Plan To Invade Ukraine
The Russian troops who are holding Crimea won’t be sent into Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says. “We have absolutely no intention of – or interest in – crossing Ukraine’s borders,” Lavrov told a Russian TV stationSaturday,…
photo: AP / Ivan Sekretarev
Dr. Iron Fist Bows Out of Ukraine Presidential Bout, Endorses Chocolate King
Former world champion boxer-turned-politician Vitali Klitschko bowed out of the race for Ukrainian president on Saturday, throwing his weight behind billionaire oligarch Petro Poroshenko, known as the “Chocolate King” for owning the country’s largest…
photo: AP / Efrem Lukatsky
Russia says has “no intention” of further Ukraine incursion
BY KATYA GOLUBKOVA
MOSCOW Sat Mar 29, 2014 9:21am EDT
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides in Moscow March 28, 2014.
No debris recovered in new search for missing Malaysia plane
29 Mar 2014
PERTH, Australia: No debris spotted in an area off the west coast of Australia has been recovered, a Malaysian minister involved in the search for Malaysia AirlinesFlight 370 said on Saturday, adding he hoped for some news soon. Defense ministerHishammuddin Hussein told reporters near Kuala Lumpur after meeting several families of passengers on…
Thousands of anti-government protesters march in Bangkok
29 Mar 2014
Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday demanding political reforms before the next general election is held. Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister who now heads the People’sDemocratic Reform Committee (PDRC), led supporters from their base at Lumpini Park in central Bangkok…
FBI denies it wanted marathon suspect as informant
BOSTON — The FBI has denied a claim made by lawyers for Boston Marathonbombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NY’-ehv) that his brother and fellow suspect was…
photo: FBI
One World Trade Center security chief resigns after embarrassing breaches
March 29, 2014 — Updated 0205 GMT (1005 HKT) (CNN) — The security chief at One World Trade Center in New York City has stepped down after embarrassing security breaches at the site. David Velazquez, a former FBI agent, resigned Friday, saidJordan…
photo: AP / Mark Lennihan
Putin calls Obama to discuss U.S. proposal on Ukraine: White House
By Steve Holland RIYADH (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a U.S. diplomatic proposal forUkraine, the White House said, adding that Obama told him that Russia must pull back its…
photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office
First Gay Weddings: PM Hails ‘Equal Marriage’
29 March 2014, 0:23 First Gay Weddings: PM Hails ‘Equal Marriage‘ Tweet David Cameron has hailed the first same-sex marriages in England and Wales as sending a “powerful message” about equality in Britain. The law changed at midnight, with a number…
photo: AP / Tim Hales
At least three killed in Cairo clashes
CAIRO (Reuters) – At least three people were killed in clashes in Cairo on Friday amid protests by the Muslim Brotherhood days after hundreds of its supporters were sentenced to death, official sources said. Newspaper Al Dustour said on its website…
photo: AP / Khalil Hamra
20 Killed in Attack on Funeral in Bangui
Officials in the Central African Republic say a grenade attack on a funeral ceremony has killed 20 people and left another 11 wounded. The attack occurred about 11 p.m. Thursday night local time in Fatima, a Muslim neighborhood of the capital,…
photo: AP / Rebecca Blackwell
France apologies to Morocco after minister searched at Paris airport
PARIS (Reuters) – France apologised to Morocco on Friday after the kingdom’s foreign minister was searched while transiting at a Paris airport, the latest incident that has strained ties between Rabat and its former colonial ruler. The two countries…
photo: AP / Claude Paris
‘WE HAVE MOVED ON’
Malaysia Plane Search Turns To New Area, Finds Objects
UN warns of Syria spillover into Iraq
28 Mar 2014
The United Nations has warned that armed groups are increasingly forging links across the border of Syria and Iraq, fuelling sectarian tensions in a region that has suffered from years of bloodshed. Speaking at the UN Security Council, the special envoy to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, said the conflict in Syria was “affording…
Coroner: Berezovsky death remains unexplained
LONDON — Boris Berezovsky‘s death remains unexplained, a British coroner said Thursday, saying it wasn’t possible to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt whether the self-exiled Russian tycoon and opponent of President Vladimir Putin was killed or…
photo: AP Photo
Saudi king decrees half brother Moqren to be a future monarch
March 27: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia today appointed his half-brother Moqren bin Abdul Aziz as the next heir to the throne, paving the way for him to become a future king. The move was announced by a royal decree broadcast by state television…
photo: AP / Hassan Ammar
China to Strengthen Internet Security After US Spying Report
Reuters BEIJING — China will beef up its Internet security after recent reports that the U.S. government spied on a major telecommunications firm, the nation’sDefense Ministry said on Thursday. Reports that the U.S. National Security Agency…
photo: AP / Ng Han Guan
Former defense secretary James Schlesinger dies
WASHINGTON: Onetime economics professor and longtime nuclear strategistJames R. Schlesinger was a political man for all seasons, holding a long string ofCabinet and other high-level posts through three administrations. He was hired — and…
photo: Creative Commons / DoD photo by Robert D. Ward
Ebola outbreak continues in Guinea, Liberia backtracks on Ebola statement
The outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the West African country of Guineacontinues to increase in both suspected cases and deaths, according to a U.S. Embassy in Conakry, Guinea message Mar. 26. In a World…
photo: AP / WHO, Christopher Black
US STOCKS-Wall St dips after GDP data, Citigroup shares tumble
* Citigroup shares slump after Fed rejects capital plan * GDP grew 2.6 pct in Q4; jobless claims unexpectedly drop * BofA to pay $9.3 bln to settle mortgage bond claims * Indexes down: Dow 0.3 pct, S&P 0.3 pct, Nasdaq 0.4 pct (Updates to open, adds…
photo: AP / Frank Franklin II
Obama tells Pope Francis he is a ‘great admirer’
VATICAN CITY (AP) — A visibly energized President Barack Obama held a nearly hourlong audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thursday, expressing his great admiration for the pontiff and inviting him to visit the White House. AlthoughObama and…
photo: AP / Gabriel Bouys, Pool
Oleg Klimov/Epsilon,
03.27.14
U.S. Official: Putin Could Invade Ukraine ‘At a Moment’s Notice’
An Obama administration official warned Thursday that the Russian army is now fully prepared to invade eastern Ukraine if Putin decides to take further military action.
Egypt’s Sisi announces run for presidency
27 Mar 2014
Sisi, who was also defence minister, faces no serious competition in the election ‘ likely before June ‘ and is expected to win comfortably. Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al Sisi said Wednesday he had quit the military to run for president and vowed to rid the country of “terrorism” almost nine months after he toppled its elected…
Thai satellite spots 300 objects in search for missing Malaysia jet
27 Mar 2014
A Thai satellite has detected 300 floating objects in the southern Indian Oceanwhere an international search is under way for a missing Malaysian jet liner,Thailand’s Geo Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency said. The objects were spotted around 2,700 km southwest of Perth by the satellite “Thaichote” on Monday, the agency said in…
Martin gifts parting painting to Paltrow
Singer Chris Martin has reportedly bought a painting as a special parting gift for his wife of 11 years, Gwyneth Paltrow. The two have announced their split via an official statement. Paltrow and Martin, who married…
photo: Creative Commons / Benson Kua
This smart phone App won’t let you frequent bars!
Tweet New York, March 27 (IANS) Just out from an alcohol treatment programme but still cannot avoid thinking about the bar evenings? This smart phone App will help you say good bye to those risky drinking days. The App contains the locations of your…
photo: WN / Geeta
Egypt’s Sisi announces presidential bid
CAIRO – Egypt‘s military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced in a televised statement on Wednesday night his bid for the upcoming presidential elections, which is expected by the public after he toppled the former president in July last year. “This…
photo: AP / Mohammed Abu Zaid
John Kerry holds ‘constructive’ talks with Palestinian president on peace plan
Amman: US Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held “constructive” talks on the Middle East peace process, a US official said on Thursday, as crunch decisions loom in the coming days. After earlier talks withKing…
photo: US DoS
Iran And Iraq Responsible For ‘Sharp Global Spike’ In Executions
See Also Rights group Amnesty International says in its annual report on the death penalty that Iran and Iraq were responsible for a “sharp global spike” in executions last year. The report released on March 27 says 778 executions are known to…
photo: AP /
Security Council to meet on N Korea missiles
The UN Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Thursday to discuss a possible condemnation of North Korea‘s latest ballistic missile launches, UN diplomats said. The request for a special session on North Korea came…
photo: AP / Evan Schneider
Obama underlines EU-US ties in first visit to Brussels
US president Barack Obama yesterday underlined the longstanding links between the US and Europe on security and defence policy, as he made his first official visit to the headquarters of the EU. Speaking after a meeting with the heads of theEuropean…
Flight MH370 search resumes in Indian Ocean
26 Mar 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — As frustration was setting in, calmer seas returned Wednesday and the search for the remains of Flight 370 began anew in remote waters of the Indian Ocean off western Australia. Gale-force winds that forced an all-day delay Tuesday died down, allowing a total of 12 planes and two ships from the United States, China, Japan,…
Defiant North Korea test-fires more rockets
26 Mar 2014
North Korea has fired two mid-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast and towards Japan, South Korea‘s military said as the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States discussed North Korea’s arms programs. The missiles, which appeared to be Rodong class, were launched from an area north of…
Michelle Obama ‘distracts’ self from turmoil in office with tai chi
Tweet New York, March 26 (ANI): Michelle Obama has reportedly taken up tai chi on her tour of China as a distraction from the discord in her East Wing office…
photo: Public Domain / Rudolph.A.furtado
3 Secret Service Agents Sent Home From Netherlands After Drunken Escapade
See Also WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service sent three agents home from theNetherlands just before President Barack Obama‘s arrival after one agent was found inebriated in an Amsterdam hotel, the Secret Service said Tuesday. The three agents…
photo: AP / J. Scott Applewhite
North Korea fires 2 missiles as its rivals meet
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, South Korea and the U.S. said, a defiant challenge to a rare three-way summit of its rivals Seoul, Tokyo and Washington that focused on the North‘s…
photo: AP / Lee Jin-man
Bayern Munich lift 24th German Bundesliga title
BERLIN, March 25 (Xinhua) — Bayern lift their 24th Bundesliga title as they beatBerlin 3-1 while pursuers Dortmund and Schalke shared the spoils at the opener of the 27th round on Tuesday. Bayern Munich completed their title defence and wrapped up…
photo: AP / Markus Schreiber
Venezuela President Maduro arrests ‘three plotting generals’
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that three air force generals have been arrested for plotting an uprising against his government. Mr Maduro said that the authorities had been tipped off by “young officers”. The three generals,…
photo: ABr
Soyuz Rocket Launches New US-Russian Crew Toward Space Station
The latest three spaceflyers launched to the International Space Station from theBaikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 25, 2014. Credit: NASA TV View full size image A Russian Soyuz rocket launched an international trio of crewmembers to the…
photo: AP / Bill Ingalls
Russia is preparing legislation to lower foreign films
A dangerous cold war like atmosphere has been evolving between Russia and theUnited States ever since the annexation of Crimea by Russia. In a show of disapproval of this move the Obama administration imposed asset bans and travel freezes on several…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
25 Mar 2014
US President Barack Obama and major industrialised allies have warned Russia it faces damaging economic sanctions if President Vladimir Putin takes further action to destabilise Ukraine following the seizure of Crimea. Leaders of the Group of Seven nations, meeting without Russia, agreed to hold their own summit this year instead of attending a…
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Scientists meet in Japan after grim climate forecast
Full ArticleThe Times of India
25 Mar 2014
YOKOHAMA: International scientists gathered near Tokyo on Tuesday for a week-long meeting centred on a grim climate change report that warned of floods and drought that could stoke conflicts and wreak havoc on the global economy. A draft of their document, seen by AFP, is part of a massive overview by theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change…
Pollution kills 7 million people every year, World Health Organization says
Air pollution kills about 7 million people worldwide every year, with more than half of the fatalities due to fumes from indoor stoves, according to a new report from the World Health Organization publishing Tuesday. The agency said air pollution is…
photo: AP / Andy Wong
Rough weather causes delay in search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Attempts to recover physical evidence of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the southern Indian Ocean will have to wait another day:Australian officials postponed the search Tuesday because of rough weather. With forecasts…
photo: Creative Commons / Naval Surface Warriors
Shigeru Ban wins 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize
The Pritzker Architecture Prize went to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, it was announced on Monday. Ban won for his inventive ways of building temporary housing out of available materials in countries hit by a…
photo: Creative Commons / MOSSOT
Nearly 100 dead in DR Congo boat accident
At least 98 people have died after a boat capsized at the weekend on Lake Albert, which lies between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said. “Based on information UNHCR has…
photo: Creative Commons / Sabine’s Sunbird
China and Huawei Demand Explanations on NSA Spying
After new Edward Snowden documents revealed NSA operations against Huawei, the tech company and China want answers. Since at least 2007, the NSA has been conducting a sophisticated operation against Huawei, hacking into its servers, stealing its…
photo: AP / Nigel Treblin
US STOCKS-Wall St falls, Nasdaq under 50-day moving average
* Ukraine conflict continues; Russia seizes marine base * Weak China data raises hopes for stimulus * Nasdaq hit as Internet, biotech names tumble * Herbaliferallies, Icahn to get more reps on board * Dow off 0.4 pct; S&P 500 down 0.7 pct; Nasdaq…
photo: AP / Richard Drew
Ebola outbreak kills dozens
(CNN) – An Ebola outbreak has killed at least 59 people in Guinea, UNICEF said, as the deadly hemorrhagic fever has quickly spread from southern communities in theWest African nation. Experts in the country had been…
photo: AP Photo
Search for MH370 intensifies on new debris sighting
24 Mar 2014
Chinese air crew spotted ‘two relatively big floating objects with many white smaller ones scattered within a radius of several kilometres’. Ships and planes from several nations swarmed over a lonely corner of the southern Indian Ocean on Monday as mounting evidence of floating debris energised the search for Malaysia’s missing passenger…
Kiev orders troop pullout from Crimea
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) â?? Ukraine’s acting president says the country’s troops stationed in Crimea will be pulled from the region after it was annexed by Russia. Oleksandr Turchnynov said Monday that the Defense Ministry has been instructed to redeploy…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
Mitt Romney calls Barack Obama ‘naive’ on Russia and Vladimir Putin
In the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney was criticised for saying Russia was the ‘number one political foe’ of the US. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Mitt Romney said on Sunday that President Barack Obama is naive when it comes to Russia, has…
photo: Creative Commons / Gage Skidmore
Nato warns of Russian army build-up on Ukraine border
Nato’s top military commander said today Russia has a large force on Ukraine’s border and he is worried it could pose a threat to Moldova’s separatistTransdniestria region. The warning comes a day after Russian troops, using armoured vehicles,…
photo: AP / Sergei Grits
How to defeat Russia
Russia‘s recent annexation of Crimea threw the West into confusion, scrambling to respond, while Ukraine is still dealing with the aftershock or losing territory. Questions about the legitimacy of the referendum still remain. The official results…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Russia moves to consolidate control over Crimea
updated 4:48 AM EDT, Sun March 23, 2014 Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) — Pro-Russia demonstrations were planned for Sunday in Ukrainian cities, as Russian forces continued consolidating their control over Crimea over the weekend. But the shows of favor for…
photo: WN / marzena
Hagel Calls Out Israeli Defense Minister For Slamming The US
See Also Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel phoned his Israeli counterpart Thursday to register “deep concern” over the Israeli’s charge that the Obama administrationwas weak on Iran, Ukraine and terrorism. In the call, Israeli Defense MinisterMoshe…
photo: US DoD / Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Malaysia flight MH370: China jets boost Indian Ocean hunt
Two Chinese military planes have arrived in Perth in Australia to join international search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet. Crews are set to scour southern areas of the Indian Ocean for a fourth day. Two sets of satellite images…
photo: AP / China State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
Breakthrough?
North Korea steps up missile launches
23 Mar 2014
North Korea has test fired dozens of short-range rockets in the past 24 hours, theSouth‘s military says, in an apparent show of anger with Seoul. Analysts say the launches are Pyongyang‘s way of protesting against joint military drills…
Malaysia flight MH370: China jets boost Indian Ocean hunt
Two Chinese military planes have arrived in Perth in Australia to join international search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet. Crews are set to scour southern areas of the Indian Ocean for a fourth day. Two sets of satellite images…
photo: AP / China State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
Embrace freedom of speech, Michelle Obama tells Chinese youth
Tweet Beijing, March 22 (IANS) US First Lady Michelle Obama Saturday called onChina’s youth to embrace freedom of speech and keep an open mind learning values and ideas, a leading daily reported. “When it comes to expressing yourself freely, and…
photo: AP / Alexander F. Yuan
Russian Forces Surround Air Base, Call for Ukrainians’ Surrender
Russian troops have blockaded Crimea&aposs Belbek air base outside the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol, and they are said to be calling on Ukrainian forces there to surrender. Russian military units moved in to surround Belbek Saturday without any…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Ukraine crisis gives new impetus to EU-U.S. trade talks, U.S. says
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Russia‘s annexation of Crimea underlines the need for theUnited States and the European Union to substantially deepen their economic ties,Washington’s top trade official said on Saturday, opening the door to U.S. exports of…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Crimea celebrations as region joins Russia
22 Mar 2014
Thousands of people celebrated in the Crimean capital of Simferopol after the region broke away from Ukraine and was formally accepted into the Russian Federation. Celebrations continued into early Saturday, hours after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, signed a treaty making Crimea part of Russia. Fireworksburst in the sky in Simferopol, as…
Libyan army in heavy fighting with oil port rebels
Anti-aircraft gunfire and explosions were heard late at night and again after dawn on Saturday in Ajdabiya, the hometown of rebel leader Ibrahim Jathran. Libyan rebels occupying oil ports clashed with troops on Saturday after attacking an army base…
photo: AP / Alexandre Meneghini
Crimea celebrates as region joins Russia
Thousands of people celebrated in the Crimean capital of Simferopol after the region broke away from Ukraine and was formally accepted into the Russian Federation. Celebrations continued into early Saturday, hours after the Russian president,…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Monitoring Mission Agreed As Crimea Annexed
22 March 2014, 4:27 Monitoring Mission Agreed As Crimea Annexed Tweet Russia has consented to the deployment of scores of civilian observers to monitor the political and security situation in Ukraine. The 57 member countries of the Organisationfor…
photo: WN / Agnieszka Dziubinska
Can Europe Wean Itself Off Russian Gas?
2:50 PM hide captionThe Russian gas giant Gazprom’s Adler thermal power plant inSochi, Russia. Europe gets about one-third of its natural gas from Russia. Yuri…
photo: European Community / EC
Russia’s finance ministry admits sanctions bite
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia‘s Finance Ministry said on Friday it may be forced to cancel plans to borrow abroad this year, admitting that sanctions imposed by theWest are already stinging. The United States imposed sanctions on Russian President…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
EU Ads $1.4Bln to Ukrainian Aid After Political Deal Signed
KIEV, March 21 (RIA Novosti) – The European Union announced a $1.4 billion increase in its aid package to Ukraine on Friday, hours after Kiev signed the political part of its association agreement with Brussels. “The EU decided to increase financial…
photo: European Community / EC
Uruguay to take Guantanamo inmates
The Obama administration wants to close the much-criticised detention centre.Photo: Reuters Montevideo: Uruguay has agreed with the United States to accept some prisoners held in the much-criticised detention centre at the US military base of…
photo: AP / Cadu Gomes
U.S., Russia swap sanctions over Crimea
21 Mar 2014
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama expanded sanctions against top aides and reputed financial associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as punishment for the annexation of Crimea and laid the groundwork for far broader measures against “key sectors of the Russian economy” if Putin further escalates his actions in Ukraine….
Uruguay to take Guantanamo inmates
The Obama administration wants to close the much-criticised detention centre.Photo: Reuters Montevideo: Uruguay has agreed with the United States to accept some prisoners held in the much-criticised detention centre at the US military base of…
photo: AP / Cadu Gomes
Police clash in Venezuela with anti-government protestors
Riot police in Venezuela have clashed with anti-government demonstrators who were protesting against the arrest of two opposition mayors. Hundreds of demonstrators in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, threw rocks and sticks at the police. They…
photo: Creative Commons / Wilfredor
Remains of Bird-Like Dinosaur Species Identified in North America
Jessica Berman Paleontologists have identified the remains of a previously unknown, bird-like species of dinosaur that roamed North America nearly 70 million years ago. The giant feathered creature belongs to a group of plant- and meat-eaters…
photo: Creative Commons / Kabacchi
Sarkozy denounces “Stasi” phone-tapping
PARIS (Reuters) – Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has attacked the phone-tapping conducted by magistrates investigating him, breaking his silence on the subject to liken the actions to those of the “Stasi” police of former CommunistEast…
photo: AP / Christophe Ena
Ivory Coast to hand over Ble Goude to ICC
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast’s government plans to hand over a former youth leader who is wanted on charges of crimes against humanity at theInternational Criminal Court, the justice minister said Thursday. Charles Ble Goude, who also had…
photo: AP / Schalk van Zuydam
Four gunmen who stormed a hotel used by foreigners in the Afghan capital Kabulhave been killed in a shootout with security forces. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack at the Serena…
photo: AP Photo / Musadeq Sadeq
Russia Announces Sanctions Against US Officials
MOSCOW, March 20 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday imposed sanctions against nine senior US officials in retaliation to US visa bans and asset freezes. The White House authorized sanctions on Monday against Russian…
photo: AP / Mikhail Metzel
Italy rescues 2,000 migrants in 48 hours
20 Mar 2014
Obama: US military not getting involved in Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) â?? President Barack Obama is ruling out use of the U.S. militaryin the West‘s dispute with Russia over Ukraine. Obama says nobody wants to “trigger an actual war…
photo: White House / Pete Souza
Malaysia Airlines Flight: Obama Calls Missing Plane ‘Top Priority’ As Search Area Narrows
The Inquisitr
“We have put every resource that we have available at the disposal of the search process,” Obama told the Dallas TV station KDFW. “There’s been close cooperation with the Malaysian government. Anybody who typically deals with…
photo: AP / Evan Vucci
US, NATO Warn Russia Faces ‘High Costs’ Over Crimea
Jeff Seldin WASHINGTON — Russia is refusing to back down in the face of U.S. andEuropean sanctions imposed over Moscow‘s annexation of Crimea. Russia’s latest actions have touched off a new round of worry for Russia’s…
photo: AP / Gerald Herbert
Jacob Zuma told to repay cash spent on private home
President used £13.7m of state funds for upgrade, watchdog’s report says, as findings lead to calls for resignation Jacob Zuma must repay the costs of a pool, amphitheatre and chicken coop added to his home in Nkandla in a security upgrade….
photo: AP / Themba Hadebe
London gives massive push to cycling
LONDON: London is going cycling-crazy with mayor Boris Johnson announcing a whopping £100 million fund to create what is being called a ‘mini-Holland’ revolution. Cycling on London’s main roads has risen by 173% since 2001 and the government has now…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
World War One shell kills two workers in Belgium’s Ypres
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A World War One shell exploded and killed two construction workers in the Belgian town of Ypres on Wednesday, nearly 100 years after the…
photo: Creative Commons / Harm@frielink.net
LONDON — British police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann said Wednesday they are seeking an intruder who sexually assaulted five girls in the region of southern Portugal where the British toddler was last seen. Police have linked…
photo: AP / Paulo Duarte
DRAMATIC SEIZURE
Russian Forces Storm Ukrainian Naval Headquarters In Crimea
ASSOCIATED PRESS‘They Stormed The Compound. They Cut The Gates Open’.. Russia Tightens Control Over Black Sea Peninsula.. Says It’s Not Responsible For Soldier Shooting.. Germany’s Merkel Gets Involved.. Crimea Sees Its First Casualties..
Israel attacks Syrian army sites in Golan Heights clash
19 Mar 2014
Israel says it has attacked several Syrian military sites in retaliation for a bombing that wounded four of its troops in the occupied Golan Heights. Israel’s military said its targets included a Syrian army headquarters, a training facility and artillery units. It comes after four Israeli soldiers were hurt in an explosion on Tuesday. Syrian…
Pistorius’ defence team accuses police photographer of ‘disturbing evidence’ at crime scene
Tweet London, Mar 19 (ANI): The defence team of murder-accused Oscar Pistoriushas reportedly accused the South African police staff of mishandling the crime scene during the 12th day of the Paralympian’s trial at Pretoria. According to theBBC, the…
photo: Creative Commons / Will Clayton
Italian court upholds public office ban for Silvio Berlusconi
Italy‘s highest appeals court has upheld a two-year ban from public office imposed on former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after he was found guilty of tax fraud. The ban means Berlusconi will be unable to stand in elections for the European…
photo: AP / Luca Bruno
US orders Syria to close embassy in Washington
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration marked the third anniversary of the start of Syria‘s civil war Tuesday by ordering Damascus to close its embassy inWashington and expelling its diplomats, though it did not break diplomatic relations with…
photo: AP / Jacquelyn Martin
UN: Thousands killed and abused in South Sudan
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. peacekeeping chief says politically fueled ethnic violence in South Sudan since mid-December has led to the brutal killing and abuse of thousands of civilians and sparked a government campaign to vilify the United…
photo: UN / Isaac Billy
Iran says woman sentenced to stoning given ‘leave’ from prison
DUBAI (Reuters) – An Iranian woman sentenced to die by stoning for adultery and later given a 10-year jail term instead has been allowed to leave prison, the judiciary said, in a new twist to a case that has triggered years of criticism ofIran‘s…
photo: AP / Vahid Salemi
Why Europe can’t hit Russia with its biggest club: energy sanctions
Europe has acute concerns about Russia‘s military intervention and annexation ofCrimea – it’s doling out aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russianindividuals. But its potentially most punitive weapon – blocking Russian energy exports…
photo: European Community / EC
Migrants storm Spain’s Melilla
Melilla – A crowd of migrants stormed over the border fence from Morocco into theSpanish territory of Melilla on Tuesday, an official said, the latest in a string of perilous crossings. A Spanish government official in…
photo: Creative Commons / Paco Solís
China begins hunt for missing Malaysian jet in Chinese territory
18 Mar 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Xinhua) — China has started search and rescue operation in the Chinese territory of the northern corridor area for the missingMalaysia Airlines flight MH370, said Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang Tuesday. Related stories No sign missing Malaysian jet on 9/11 type attack:Indian FM 2014-03-17 25 countries…
Courtney Love posts ‘suspected crash’ pics of missing Malaysian jet on Facebook
Tweet London, Mar. 18 (ANI): Singer Courtney Love has reportedly posted satellite images on Facebook, claiming to have found the ill-fated Malaysian Airline plane.Love…
photo: Creative Commons / Scottdoesntknow
China’s home price growth slows
Tweet Beijing, March 18 (IANS) The cost of buying a home in major Chinese citiesslowed in February, with fewer cities seeing month-on-month price rises, official…
photo: Creative Commons
Subways in Brazil’s World Cup host cities problematic
Tweet Rio de Janeiro, March 18 (IANS) Subways in Brazil‘s largest cities, Rio andSao Paulo, have been facing problems as the FIFA World Cup approaches. Three of the…
photo: Creative Commons / Gabriel Da Sobreira
Putin recognizes Crimean independence
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ignoring the toughest sanctions against Moscow since the end of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula as an “independent and sovereign country” on Monday, a bold challenge to…
photo: AP / Musa Sadulayev
European stocks surge higher
European and US stock markets have shrugged off Crimea‘s decision to join Russia, focusing instead on some positive corporate news, dealers say. London’sbenchmark FTSE 100 advanced 0.62 per cent to 6,568.35 points on Monday, bolstered by news that…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
HS2: Government scraps link from Brussels to northern England
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin axed the £700 million section after a report by new HS2 boss Sir David Higgins branded it a millstone around the project’s neck. It should stop rows over one of the most bitterly disputed sections of the…
photo: WN / Marzena J.
UN: North Korea Is As Bad As The Nazis; ‘No Excuse’ For Refusing To Act
North Korea‘s regime has committed crimes as chilling as those of the Nazis, South Africa’s apartheid regime or Cambodia‘s Khmer Rouge and must be stopped, the head of a UN inquiry said on Monday. “Contending with the great scourges ofNazism,…
photo: UN / JC McIlwaine
WINS CRIMEA, LOSES WORLD
Obama Announces Sanctions Against Top Russian Officials… EU Slaps Travel Bans On 21 People… BLOWBACK: Sanctions ‘Toothless’… Russia Laughs…Annexation Could Happen Within Days… Putin Declares Crimea ‘Sovereign And Independent’ State… U.S. Official: Mass Evidence Of Voting Anomalies…REPORT: Russia To Sanction U.S. Senators..
‘FREEDOM’
GettyCrimea Declares Independence… Obama Announces Sanctions Against Top Russian Officials… EU Slaps Travel Bans On 21 People… EARLIER: 97% Vote To Join Russia… Crimea PM Mocks Obama With Photoshopped Photo… Obama: International Community Will ‘Never’ Recognize Referendum… Putin To Speak…Crimea Moves To Integrate Financially With Russia
Crimea moves to join Russia as West readies sanctions
17 Mar 2014
CRIMEA will formally apply to join Russia after voting to split from Ukraine, asEurope prepared to hit Moscow with a wave of sanctions in the worst East-West stand-off since the Cold War. An overwhelming 95.5 per cent of voters on the mostly Russian-speaking peninsula chose to secede from Ukraine, according to partial results from Sunday’s…
10,000 metres Olympic champ passes out after NY City Half Marathon, says ‘no big deal’
Tweet Sydney, Mar. 17 (ANI): Olympic champion Mo Farah, who collapsed after finishing the New York City Half Marathon, dismissed the incident and has said that it is ‘no big deal’. Farah, who fell during the race and finished at second position…
photo: Creative Commons / Brian Minkoff- London Pixels
14 die in Russia of suspected methanol poisoning
MOSCOW (AP) — Investigators in Russia say at least 14 people in a village in the Far East have died of apparent methanol poisoning after drinking counterfeit liquor.Officials in the…
photo: WN / Rubielyn Bunag
Flight into unknown horror: the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
DISBELIEF and disgust. A state-of-the art airliner, 74m x 70m, goes missing, at the hands of terrorist-pirates, or terrorist-pilots, with 239 people aboard. It could be, we are told, anywhere from Kazakhstan, just below central Russia, to the…
photo: AP / Wong Maye-E
EU calls Crimea referendum ‘illegal’, US says it won’t recognize outcome
BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON/MOSCOW: Crimea‘s referendum on joining Russia is “illegal and illegitimate”, the European Union said on Sunday, announcing that it would decide on sanctions on Monday. “The referendum is illegal and illegitimate and its outcome…
photo: European Community / EC
Venice votes in referendum on splitting from Rome
Voting has begin in Venice and the surrounding region on whether to break away from Italy. Recent opinion polls suggest that two thirds of the four million electorate favour splitting from Rome, but the vote will not be…
photo: Creative Commons / Paste
Honda Odyssey recall ties 900,000 minivans to fire risk
By Gregory Wallace @gregorywallace March 16, 2014: 12:02 PM ET The nearly 900,000 minivans include models years 2005 through 2010. Here, the Odyssey is pictured at a dealership in 2010. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Honda is recalling nearly 900,000…
photo: Public Domain / IFCAR
Former Afghan defense minister drops out of presidential race
By Mirwais Harooni and Katharine Houreld KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan‘s former defense minister became on Sunday the second candidate to drop out of a presidential election race, with his departure possibly helping consolidate support for a…
photo: AP / Massoud Hossaini, File
Partition of Libya looms as fight for oil sparks vicious new divide
16 Mar 2014
The farcical battle between the Tripoli government and a rebel militia over the refuelling of a tanker laid bare the central role that oil is playing in the splits and tensions that bedevil the country A rebel under Ibrahim Jathran holds the Cyrenaica flag while standing on a boat at Es Sider port. Photograph: Esam Al-Fetori/Reuters No one paid…
Paris restricts car use after pollution hits high
Alternative driving days are being introduced in the French capital, Paris, in an attempt to tackle dangerous levels of air pollution. From Monday, drivers will only be able to use their vehicles every other day. This is only…
photo: public domain
Malaysian PM: Someone on Plane Likely Turned Off Communications
Malaysia&aposs prime minister, Najib Razak, says there is a “high degree of certainty” someone deliberately shut off the communications systems on the missing Malaysian jetliner, but he stopped short of saying the plane was hijacked. Mr….
photo: AP / Lai Seng Sin
France bans Monsanto GM maize ahead of sowing season
PARIS, March 15 (Reuters) – France‘s agriculture ministry on Saturday banned the sale, use and cultivation of Monsanto‘s MON 810 genetically modified maize, the only variety currently authorised in the European Union. The French…
photo: AP / Sven Kaestner
Shakil Afridi’s sentence reduced by 10 years
Tweet Islamabad, Mar. 15 (ANI): The Commissioner of Frontier Crimes Regulation(FCR), retd Captain Munir Azam, has reduced Pakistani Dr. Shakil Afridi’s conviction by 10 years and also reduced the fine by one million rupees as he announced…
photo: AP / Mohammad Sajjad
CRISIS IN SYRIA
Goran Tomasevic/Reuters
The Syrian conflict has been growing in intensity and scope for more than two years, with the United Nations estimating more than 100,000 dead and millions displaced.
PHOTOGRAPHS: The Historic Scale of Syria’s Refugee Crisis
Dramatic images from the Syrian refugee crisis, which has exploded to encompass six million people.
Ukraine braces for Crimea breakaway vote
Full ArticleThe Times of India
15 Mar 2014
KIEV: Ukraine braced on Saturday for a highly-charged breakaway vote in Crimeawhich is likely to see the peninsula annexed by Russia despite the threat of stiff sanctions, and push east-west tensions to breaking point. An eleventh-hour diplomatic push by the United States to stop the referendum from going ahead failed on Friday, with Moscow…
Syria conflict anniversary: most deadly weapons of the war
Related Articles Syria conflict anniversary: most deadly weapons of the war 15 Mar 2014 Syria anniversary: worst refugee crisis of the age 13 Mar 2014 Syria conflict anniversary: who controls what 14 Mar 2014 Israeli doctor treating Syrians says…
photo: AP / Manu Brabo
US Government To Relinquish Control Over The Internet
See Also SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – The U.S. government announced on Friday it will give up its most direct means of control over the Internet’s infrastructure, but said it will insist that the job be taken on by a group that includes the…
photo: AP / Kin Cheung
US re-indicts Indian diplomat Khobragade
An Indian diplomat has been re-indicted on US visa fraud charges that touched off an international stir after she was arrested and strip-searched in New York last year. The new indictment was filed on Friday. It essentially reinstates the…
photo: AP / Mohammed Jaffer, File
Missing plane: Piracy theory gains more credence
JOAN LOWY Associated Press= KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) â?? Piracy and pilot suicide are among the scenarios under study as investigators grow increasingly certain the missing Malaysian Airlines jet changed course and headed west after its last radio…
photo: AP / Binsar Bakkara
Oscar Pistorius watch vanished while police combed house, court told
PRETORIA – South African police faced further embarrassment at the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius on Friday when it emerged that a valuable watch had vanished from the crime scene and a ballistic expert had handled the athlete’s gun without gloves….
photo: AP / Themba Hadebe
Iraq May Legalize Child-Marriage
Mar 14, 2014 7:35 am And require wives to submit to husbands. Sharefacebooktwittergoogle plusemailprint0 A law being considered in Iraq for the country’s majority Shiite population would legalize marriage to girls as young as nine and allow a…
photo: AP / Karim Kadim
Reuters PARIS — A French court on Friday ordered a news website to withdraw recordings an adviser secretly took of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy during his 2012 election campaign. In an emergency ruling sought by Sarkozy, who is expected by many to…
photo: AP / Remy de la Mauviniere
UK-Syria aid viewed through ‘lens of terror’
14 Mar 2014
British volunteers delivering aid and ambulances to Syria face the double danger of being attacked by regime forces and arrested on suspicion of terrorism on their return home because of irresponsible comments by public officials linking them to jihadist groups, representatives of Muslim charities have warned. Convoys largely funded by donations…
Missing Malaysian plane: Search expands to Indian Ocean
Full ArticleThe Times of India
14 Mar 2014
WASHINGTON/KUALA LUMPUR: US officials helping in efforts to locate a missingMalaysian plane on Friday said they are shifting their search to the Indian Oceanregion amid reports that the aircraft could have flown for several hours before it disappeared nearly a week ago. “It’s my understanding that based on some new information that’s not…
6 killed in yet another China knife attack
A knife-wielding attacker hacked five persons to death in central China on Friday before being shot dead by the police, two weeks after deadly stabbing spree at a railway station left 33 people dead. The…
photo: AP / Andy Wong
Russia blocks websites of Putin critics
Moscow – Russia blocked access to the Internet sites of prominent Kremlin foesAlexei Navalny and Garry Kasparov on Thursday under a new law critics say is designed to silence dissent in President Vladimir Putin’s third term. The prosecutor general’s…
photo: Creative Commons
Sun emits mid-level solar flare
Tweet Washington, March 14 (ANI): NASA spotted the sun emitting a mid-level solar flare on Wednesday. The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 6:34 p.m.EDT on March 12, 2014, and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO,…
photo: Creative Commons / NASA, ESA, L. Calçada
Bloodstains on walls in Pistorius’ home
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Prosecutors on Thursday displayed photos of the inside of Oscar Pistorius’ home at his murder trial, showing a court some images of the bloody scene where the double-amputee track star killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp…
photo: Creative Commons / Jim Thurston
Rockets strike Israel, jeopardizing truce talk
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said Thursday it had agreed to halt a wave of rocket fire on Israel, signaling an end to the heaviest fighting between the sides since 2012, though soon after the announcement seven…
photo: WN / Ahmed Deeb
Strong 6.3-magnitude quake hits off southern Japan
A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan’s southern Kyushu island today, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, but no tsunami warning was issued. The epicentre of the quake — which…
photo: Creative Commons / Hide
Herders kill more than 100 in Nigeria
KANO, Nigeria (AP) — Survivors say dozens of gunmen on motorbikes in northern Nigeria have killed more than 100 villagers in an ongoing conflict over land. They say scores of people are fleeing on foot from four attacked villages about 110 miles (180…
photo: AP / George Osodi
PUTIN MASSES TROOPS NEAR UKRAINE
GettyAt Least 10,000 Soldiers… Artillery Batteries, Assault Helicopters… 30 Miles From Border… Merkel Threatens Russia With ‘Massive’ Consequences… Kerry: ‘Serious Series Of Steps’… Ukraine PM: ‘Never Surrender’… Sunday Election… Crimea Can’t Vote
Obama backs interim Ukraine PM, rebukes Putin
13 Mar 2014
–> Obama also said after meeting interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk that he hoped US diplomacy with Moscow over the next few days could cause a “rethinking” of plans for a secession referendum in Crimea on Sunday. Obama said that Russia had infringed international law…
Malaysia Airlines MH370: China ‘will not give up’ on plane
13 Mar 2014
China‘s Premier Li Keqiang has pledged to continue search efforts for the missingMalaysia Airlines flight “as long as there is a glimmer of hope”. His comments came as Vietnam and Malaysia investigated satellite images released by China that appeared to show possible debris in the South China Sea. However, previous sightings…
photo: AP
China warns of dangerous Russia sanctions ‘spiral’
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(AP/Na Son Nguyen)A vessel is seen from an Antonov AN-26 aircraft of the Vietnam Air Force during a search operation for a missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 over the Gulf of Thailand between Malaysia and Vietnam on Tuesday, March 11, 2014.
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In yet another odd twist to the mysterious story of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, a New Zealand man working on an oil rig in the South China Sea has come forward to say he believes he saw the airplane on fire right around the time it disappeared.
Mike McKay, a worker on the “Songa Mercur” drilling platform, sent an email to his bosses detailing his version of events. McKay said that he “observed the plane burning at high altitude…in one piece” about 50-70 KM from his location.
He gave coordinates for the location of the rig, which recently moved from Cuba to the shores of Vietnam. McKay’s employer confirms that the letter, posted online by several news outlets today, is authentic.
ABC’s Bob Woodruff spoke with the Japanese Idemitsu Oil & Gas Co after acquiring the letter to confirm the letter’s veracity. McKay, who carries a New Zealand passport, said that he tried to contact Malaysian and Vietnam officials about what he saw “several days ago,” adding that he’d received no confirmation that they got his message.
Vietnamese officials confirmed toABC that they’d received the letter. Apparently, they found nothing in the water at the location specified by McKay.
Given the apparent location of the rig, and the original flight path of MH370, it’s possible that McKay is correct. But that would also seem to discount the theory that the plane turned andheaded in the complete opposite direction, as some military authorities have (at least temporarily) claimed.
Meanwhile, officials are expanding their search for the still-missing plane, and the 239 people on board. There are several reports indicating that the plane may have veered off its intended flight path and changed direction before disappearing from radar, but those reports conflictas to where, exactly it went.
At least 10 countries are involved in the Malaysian-led search for the missing jet, which carried passengers from at least 13 different countries, although most of the passengers were Chinese citizens.
NO REAL ANSWERS
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