Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Eurasia Review: News & Analysis

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• French Hacker Claims Found Flaw In iPhone Messaging Service
• Lebanon: Investigate, Prosecute Kidnappers, Urges HRW
• Canine Tail Chasing Resembles Human Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
• Your Wireless Router Could Save Lives In An Emergency
• Nabucco Remains In Competition For Azerbaijan Gas
• Do We Want A ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Society? – OpEd
• Bangladesh: Blueprint Of Alternative Political Force – OpEd
• Afghanistan: America’s Major Nonexistent Ally – OpEd
• India’s Defence Industry: The Gold Rush – Analysis
• Hindus Welcome Australia’s Tough Posture Against Tobacco Promotion‏
• The Silk Road And The New Central Asian Great Game – Analysis
• Iran: Khamenei Urges Muslims To Remain Vigilant Against Enemy Conspiracies
• Assange’s Theater Of The Absurd – OpEd
• Saudi Arabia, Turkey To Set Up Joint Refugee Camp For Syrians
• Five Reasons Why Ryan-Romney Economic Plan Would Be A Disaster for America – OpEd
• ‘Samaritan Attacks’: The US Policy Of Killing People Who Help Drone-Strike Victims – OpEd
• From ‘Crippling Sanctions’ To Total War – OpEd
• ECOWAS Blocks Arms Shipments To Mali
• Bulgaria Charges Suspects Over Spanish Cocaine Bust
• Turkey: Bomb Kills 7 In Southeast
• Gilgit Baltistan: Sectarian Offensive In Pakistan – Analysis
• El Salvador: Dengue Fever: National Emergency Declared
• Burma: Student Rebels Clash With Army
• St. Augustine Premiers On The Big Screen
• Pakistan: Forces In Terror – Analysis
• Syria: Al-Shara In Footsteps Of Hijab And Manaf – OpEd
• Syrian Rebels And Al-Qaeda Alliance Becomes Likely – OpEd
• Remembering Legacy Of Ambassador Rodger Davies: Search For Solution In Cyprus – OpEd
• Apple Most Valuable Public Company In History On Stock Rise
• US: Unhappy Swing Voters Still Back Obama – Survey

French Hacker Claims Found Flaw In iPhone Messaging Service Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:20 PM PDT Security on the iPhone is heavily dependent on Apple’s ability to vet all third-party apps before users download them. But a French hacker claims he has found a flaw in the smartphone’s text messaging service that bypasses the safeguard, InfoWorld reports. The hacker, who calls himself “pod2g” and is best known for jailbreaking iPhones, said [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Lebanon: Investigate, Prosecute Kidnappers, Urges HRW Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:18 PM PDT The Lebanese authorities should investigate and prosecute those responsible for the reported kidnapping of dozens of Syrian nationals and a Turkish man on August 15, 2012. Members of the al-Meqdad extended family in Lebanon claimed responsibility for some of the kidnappings on national TV, calling them a retaliation for the kidnapping of one of their [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Canine Tail Chasing Resembles Human Obsessive Compulsive Disorders Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:15 PM PDT A new research led by Professor Hannes Lohi at the University of Helsinki, Finland, revealed several similarities between compulsive behavior in dogs and humans: early onset, recurrent compulsive behaviors, increased risk for developing different types of compulsions, compulsive freezing, the beneficial effect of nutritional supplements, the effects of early life experiences and sex hormones and [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Your Wireless Router Could Save Lives In An Emergency Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:10 PM PDT An emergency communications system that could automatically piggyback on domestic wireless routers connected in urban locations could help first responders stay in touch even if cell phone towers and networks are down. Details are published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Mobile Network Design and Innovation. Kamill Panitzek and colleagues in the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Nabucco Remains In Competition For Azerbaijan Gas Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:06 PM PDT (EurActiv) — The Nabucco West project still has a chance of winning the contest to transport gas from Azerbaijan to European countries, even after a rival consortium signed a funding deal, an executive of the country’s state oil firm said. Azerbaijan is prepared to cooperate further with Nabucco West and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) via [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Do We Want A ‘Stop-and-Frisk’ Society? – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:02 PM PDT More than a thousand times a day, New York City police officers stop and frisk Americans going about their business. In 2011, they conducted such searches on 685,724 New Yorkers. The main rationale is to keep guns off the streets. Yet last year, they only found one firearm per two hundred searches. Mayor Bloomberg, who [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Bangladesh: Blueprint Of Alternative Political Force – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:38 PM PDT Very recently former President and Jatiya Party Chairman H M Ershad has met India’s newly-elected President Pranab Mukherjee, to become the first Bangladeshi politician to do so. According to bdnews24 report “During his meeting with Singh, Ershad reportedly raised the contentious issues in Bangladesh-India ties, including the impasse over agreement for sharing of water of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Afghanistan: America’s Major Nonexistent Ally – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:36 PM PDT By Zachary Fillingham Back in July, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it official: Afghanistan is now a Major non-NATO Ally (MNNA), a classification that all but ensures that defense and development aid will continue to flow through 2014 and beyond. Is this good policy or an exhausted administration tugging on its very own geopolitical [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

India’s Defence Industry: The Gold Rush – Analysis Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:31 PM PDT By Rahul Bhonsle The manic hurry of private companies, Indian and foreign, to enter defence industry in India reminds one of the Californian Gold Rush, as prospectors rushed to far away land in America in the 19th Century in a free for all to make quick, “bucks”. Today many Indian and foreign companies large and [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Hindus Welcome Australia’s Tough Posture Against Tobacco Promotion‏ Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:28 PM PDT Hindus have welcomed High Court of Australia’s August 15 landmark ruling on plain tobacco packaging, thus prohibiting tobacco company logos on cigarette packs and instead displaying graphic health warnings. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, hailing Australia for taking on big tobacco and winning, urged other countries of the world [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

The Silk Road And The New Central Asian Great Game – Analysis Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:22 PM PDT By Keshav Prasad Bhattarai The legendary ancient and medieval land route of about 6400 km. long by which silk was was carried from China to Europe in return for other goods ran west along Gobi desert in present day Mongolia and Pamir ranges. It passed through one of the oldest city of the World in [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Iran: Khamenei Urges Muslims To Remain Vigilant Against Enemy Conspiracies Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:15 PM PDT Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has urged the Muslims of the world to remain vigilant against the conspiracies of the enemies of the Muslim world. “The issues of the Muslim world at the current juncture are unprecedented ones. These developments that have occurred in the Muslim world are peculiar, shocking and [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Assange’s Theater Of The Absurd – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:12 PM PDT By Linda Heard THE life of the world’s best known whistleblower Julian Assange is playing out like a movie script too fantastical even for Hollywood. Who could have imagined that an Australian, who, as yet, hasn’t been charged with any crime, would be holed-up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London’s Knightsbridge attempting to escape the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey To Set Up Joint Refugee Camp For Syrians Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:10 PM PDT Saudi Arabia and Turkey is to set up a joint refugee camp on the Turkish border for Syrians. “Turkey hosts a large number of refugees and welcomes the Kingdom’s campaign to support our Syrian brethren,” said Mubarak Al-Bakr, executive director of Saudi National Fundraising Campaign for Syrians yesterday. According to a UN report, 66,000 Syrian [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Five Reasons Why Ryan-Romney Economic Plan Would Be A Disaster for America – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:07 PM PDT Mitt Romney hasn’t provided details so  we should be grateful he’s selected as vice president a man with a detailed plan Romney says is “marvelous,” “bold and exciting,” “excellent,” “much needed,” and “consistent with” what he’s put out. So let’s look at the five basic features of this “marvelous” Ryan plan. FIRST: It  would boost [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

‘Samaritan Attacks’: The US Policy Of Killing People Who Help Drone-Strike Victims – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:01 PM PDT ‘Samaritan attack’ is an expression unknown to most Americans. That’s hardly surprising given that the phrase has never appeared in U.S. media coverage of President Obama’s drone war in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Rasul Mana comes from the village of Sirkut Burakhel Supulga in Waziristan describes the experience of living under the constant threat of [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

From ‘Crippling Sanctions’ To Total War – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:58 PM PDT By Midhat Ayyad On visiting AIPAC’s (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee) official website to investigate its legislative agenda, for this year, its agenda of course intersects with Israel’s foreign policy in the direction of the Islamic Republic of Iran, targeting the country’s nuclear program more specifically. The United States reactions to this ‘case,’ at the [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

ECOWAS Blocks Arms Shipments To Mali Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:56 PM PDT By Jemal Oumar In a sign of souring ties between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Malian state, some members of the West African group recently intercepted shipments of advanced arms destined for Mali. “Guinea-Conakry is blocking 10 military armoured vehicles in the port of Conakry, while Senegal is blocking some [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Bulgaria Charges Suspects Over Spanish Cocaine Bust Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:54 PM PDT By Svetla Dimitrova Bulgaria’s special anti-mafia prosecution charged two men on Saturday (August 18th) with participation in an organised crime group, after 23 Bulgarians were arrested by authorities who seized a vessel carrying about 3 tonnes of high-purity cocaine near the port of Cadiz, Spain, last week. Doychin Doychev, the owner of the Burgas-based Seaborne [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Turkey: Bomb Kills 7 In Southeast Posted: 20 Aug 2012 07:52 PM PDT At least seven people have been killed in a car bomb explosion in southeastern Turkey. Police say the bomb occurred Monday night in the town of Gaziantep, near the country’s border with Syria. Dozens were wounded in the blast, which set several vehicles on fire. Rebels from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are active [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Gilgit Baltistan: Sectarian Offensive In Pakistan – Analysis Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:28 PM PDT By Ajit Kumar Singh On August 16, 2012, in a targeted attack, 25 Shias from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) were killed at the Babusar Top, which connects GB to the rest of the country, in the Naran Valley of Mansehra District of the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province. According to reports, around 50 assailants wearing Army uniform [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

El Salvador: Dengue Fever: National Emergency Declared Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:19 PM PDT Since the beginning of the year El Salvador has registered over 18,000 suspected cases of tropical dengue fever, with 4,800 confirmed, 2,300 hospitalizations and two deaths from the hemorrhagic type that can be fatal. The increasing number of cases pushed authorities to declare a national emergency, launching campaigns throughout the territory to eradicate the principal [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Burma: Student Rebels Clash With Army Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:15 PM PDT By Daniel Wynn Government troops clashed with an armed student rebel group in restive Kachin state at the weekend just days before the leader of the group was due to return to Myanmar to hold talks with the government for the first time. Hla Sai, a spokesman for the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

St. Augustine Premiers On The Big Screen Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:12 PM PDT “Restless Heart,” a feature film about the famous theologian St. Augustine of Hippo, is now available for sponsored theatrical screenings across the U.S. Ignatius Press, the film’s American distributor, is encouraging individuals, parishes, church groups or other organizations to bring the film to their towns. Interested groups and individuals should work with local theaters and [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Pakistan: Forces In Terror – Analysis Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:08 PM PDT By Tushar Ranjan Mohanty The Minhas Air Force Base at Kamra in the Attock District of the Punjab Province, Pakistan, believed to be one of the centres where Pakistan has stockpiled its nuclear arsenal, was attacked by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the early morning of August 16, 2012. Nine attackers dressed in military uniforms [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Syria: Al-Shara In Footsteps Of Hijab And Manaf – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:06 PM PDT By Abdulrahman Al-Rashid IF Syrian Vice President Farouq Al-Shara crosses into Jordan, it would deal a new blow to the Syrian regime. Al-Shara is from Deraa, a place where the revolution kicked off against Bashar Assad following the arrest and torture of children because they wrote on the walls anti-government slogans. Deraa, which is located [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Syrian Rebels And Al-Qaeda Alliance Becomes Likely – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:46 PM PDT Syrian rebels on Thursday warned the U.S. and the European Unions they will turn to al-Qaeda if the West fails to provide aid — including weapons — to them, according to reports. The U.S. and other nations’ hesitancy to provide meaningful aid to the Syrian rebels battling the Assad government troops in a bloodbath within [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Remembering Legacy Of Ambassador Rodger Davies: Search For Solution In Cyprus – OpEd Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:43 PM PDT By G. Lincoln McCurdy On July 10, 1974, Ambassador Rodger Davies, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, presented his credentials in Nicosia. He arrived on the small island at a tumultuous time with the ambitious goal of fostering a fair, long-term peace agreement between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. Six weeks later, on [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

Apple Most Valuable Public Company In History On Stock Rise Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:36 PM PDT As Apple’s stock rose to new high on Monday, August 20, the technology giant set another record: It became the most valuable public company in history, CNN reports. Apple’s market value – the price of its stock multiplied by the number of outstanding shares – hit $623 billion in intraday trading. That eclipsed the previous [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.

US: Unhappy Swing Voters Still Back Obama – Survey Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:34 PM PDT A new poll shows that a majority of voters in 12 key U.S. swing states feel they are worse off than they were four years ago, yet still support President Barack Obama over his presumptive Republican rival, Mitt Romney. The results of the survey, conducted jointly by the USA Today newspaper and the Gallup polling [...] To continue reading this article, click on the headline.