| Hard News
Explosions kill 58 in Iraq, French consulate hit:
The most serious of the bombings, blasts and shootings on Sunday
happened near the city of Amara, 300 km (185 miles) south of Baghdad,
when two car bombs exploded outside a Shi'ite shrine and a market
place, killing at least 16 people, officials said.
Rockets from Syria hit Iraqi home, killing 5-year-old girl: "Despite
the fact that Iraq is committed to adopting a neutral stance towards
the crisis in Syria, our brave forces are ready to confront and respond
in case of repetition of such aggression," the interior ministry said
in a statement.
Iraqi vice-president given death sentence over killings: Tareq al-Hashemi and his son-in-law were found guilty of two murders in a ruling likely to cause further sectarian violence.
11 "Taliban militants" killed in Afghanistan: Afghan
police and army, backed by the NATO-led coalition forces, have killed
11 Taliban militants in different provinces since Saturday, the
country's Interior Ministry said Sunday.
At least six killed by Kabul suicide bomber:
A
teenage suicide bomber blew himself up outside NATO headquarters in the
Afghan capital on Saturday, killing at least six civilians in a strike
that targeted the heart of the US-led military operation in the
country, officials said.
5 Afghan police, 3 Taliban killed in Helmand province: At
least 5 Afghan security forces were killed and 2 others were injured
following a roadside bomb explosion in Kajaki district of southern
Helmand province.
Controversial plan to split up Afghanistan:
A British MP proposes dividing the country into zones, some of which could involve the Taliban
Haqqani: Terrorist designation may bring "hardships" for U.S. POW: An
American prisoner of war's captors reportedly said that the United
States designating them as terrorists Friday would bring "hardships" to
the U.S. soldier.
Malian troops 'kill 16 civilians':
Army opened fire on a vehicle in the south-central region of Segou, killing Malian and Mauritanian nationals.
Battle rages in Aleppo; 14 killed: : Fighting
for control of a key army base in Aleppo raged on Saturday, as Russia
tried to revive a divisive accord on ending the bloodshed that calls
for a government of unity in Syria.
Jihadists join Aleppo fight, eye Islamic state,: Foreign
Islamists intent on turning Syria into an autocratic theocracy have
swollen the ranks of rebels fighting to topple President Bashar
al-Assad and think they are waging a "holy war," a French surgeon who
treated fighters in Aleppo has said.
France 'may send anti-aircraft guns to Syrian rebels': France
may seek to break the increasingly bloody stalemate in Syria by
providing rebel forces with artillery and anti-aircraft guns, it has
been claimed.
Assassination Highlights Rifts Facing Syria Rebels: The
assassination of a Syrian rebel fighter linked to Al Qaeda called new
attention on Thursday to the ideological differences among the
Islamists fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad and
threatened to set off new strife among the rebels.
Epidemic of kidnappings breaks out in Syria: An
epidemic of kidnappings has broken out in Syria, with rebels funding
their military operations with ransoms and common criminals taking the
opportunity to make money.
Syrian Christians 'targeted' by rebels: Thousands are said to have left Homs after the rebels took over.
Russia rebuffs Clinton on Syria, Iran penalties: "Our
American partners have a prevailing tendency to threaten and increase
pressure, adopt ever more sanctions against Syria and against Iran,"
Lavrov said. "Russia is fundamentally against this, since for resolving
problems you have to engage the countries you are having issues with
and not isolate them."
Israel could send Iran 'back to the stone age' with electromagnetic bomb: The
use of the new technology by Israel was brought up in discussions
regarding a possible attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities, the report
claimed. Such a move would send Iran "back to the stone age," the
British paper said.
Iran currency dives to record low: Iran's
currency on Sunday slid to a new record low against the dollar, with the
central bank saying it was trying to manage the plunge amid an
"economic war with the world."
Sanctions Cut Iran Oil Exports By 45%: "Iran's
oil profits dropped to an estimated $2.9 billion in July, Rhodium
said, down from $9.8 billion in the same month last year."
Mitt Romney: Iran is Barack Obama's 'biggest failure': "Perhaps
the biggest failure is as it relates to the greatest threat that
America faces and the world faces, which is a nuclear Iran," Romney
said in the interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."
Four militants killed in clash with Yemen army: Four
suspected Islamist militants have been killed in a gunfight with
Yemen's army and allied tribal fighters in the impoverished country's
turbulent south, which has become Al Qaeda's most formidable base, a
local official said yesterday.
US dispatching more drones to Yemen - Source: The
al-Anad Air Base in southern Yemen's Lajih province had received a new
fleet of US drones, accompanied by American soldiers. The source said
that "an American military plane entered Yemen over the past few days
carrying unmanned drones, accompanied by US soldiers,.
Palestinian bid for UN membership on Sept.27:
"We
will go to the UN General Assembly for consultations with our friends
on the draft resolution calling for the upgrade of Palestine (to
non-member status)" in the United Nations, Abbas said in a televised
address.
Crisis deepens as mass protests hit West Bank: Cities
across the West Bank are in the grip of mass protests as taxi drivers,
teachers, shopkeepers and other Palestinian workers joined a strike to
protest against fuel price rises and the ongoing financial crisis that
is crippling the Palestinian Authority.
U.S. Used This Torture Box to Interrogate Gadhafi's Enemies: They
were "chained to walls naked - sometimes while diapered - in pitch
black, windowless cells, for weeks or months at a time," Human Rights
Watch alleges
US proxy:
Qatar to invest $18bn in Egypt over next 5 years: At
Thursday press conference, Qatar's foreign minister says his country
plans to invest $18bn in Egypt - in energy, tourism and other sectors -
over coming five years
Police crackdown on Bahraini activists: Bahraini
security forces launched tear gas and arrested activists in Manama who
defied the ban on anti-government demonstrations. The protesters
called for the release of political prisoners and reform of the nation's
monarchical government.
Assange case: Sweden's shame in violating human rights - Op-Ed - Even in the past, Sweden had "collaborated with its Washington allies" to violate human rights and international law.
US is a refuge for criminals, Morales says: Washington
is refusing to extradite Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada
so he can be tired for complicity in the deaths of 63 people during an
army crackdown on anti-government protesters in October 2003.
U.S. Moves to Grant Former Mexican President Immunity in Suit: A
former Mexican president who is now a scholar at Yale University
should be immune from a civil lawsuit brought against him in the United
States in connection with a 1997 massacre during his term, the State
Department said Friday.
The Scariest Thing about Living in the United States: It
is the growing capability of the U.S. government to monitor all our
activities and record them for future reference. As the country gets
more totalitarian, more and more people will get caught in the web
Judge to allow Arizona to enforce key part of anti-illegal immigration law: U.S.
District Judge Susan Bolton said in an order Wednesday that she would
not stand in the way of a provision in the law requiring police to
determination the immigration status of people they encounter and
suspect of being in the country illegally.
Wells Fargo Mistakenly Foreclosed Home : A
crew broke into Alvin and Pat Tjosaas' desert home and took everything
after being directed by Wells Fargo to secure the structure. The
couple, however, didn't have a mortgage on the home.
Another dismal US jobs report: The US
economy added only 96,000 jobs in August, less than the 130,000 needed
to keep up with population growth, the Labor Department reported.
Half Of America's Unemployed Workers Are Collecting No Unemployment Benefits: Unless Congress steps up, by 2013 more than two-thirds of the unemployed will collect no benefits.
Are You Better Off? 40 Statistics That Will Absolutely Shock You: The
Democrats are making lots of speeches claiming that we are better off,
and the Republicans are making lots of speeches claiming that we are
not. So are most Americans actually better off than they were four years
ago? Of course not.
Debt Collectors Cashing In on Student Loan Roundup: In
all, nearly one in every six borrowers with a loan balance is in
default. The amount of defaulted loans - $76 billion - is greater than
the yearly tuition bill for all students at public two- and four-year
colleges and universities, according to a survey of state education
officials.
Rising Food Prices Continue to Climb, with Prices Up 10% in July Alone: Rising
food prices aren't only hitting America, they are happening around the
world. Costs have gone up 10 percent between June and July alone, with
corn, soybeans, and wheat reaching record prices. This outpaces the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's estimate of a 6
percent increase.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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