Hard News
String of attacks kills at least 23 in Iraq:
A series of car bombings in Iraq struck five Shiite mosques as worshippers were emerging from Friday prayers, killing at least 23 people, officials said.
Flights of US unmanned aerial vehicles take place in north of Iraq under Turkey's leadership:
"As part of this agreement, US unmanned aerial vehicles fly in north of Iraq, under Turkey's leadership, against the terrorist organization.
Iraq to search more Syria-bound flights:
Government spokesman Ali al-Moussawi said Friday that Iraq would conduct such searches on planes and vehicles believed to be carrying weapons to Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces - or to rebels seeking to topple his regime.
Scud attack in Aleppo kills 20: "Rebels" say;
Local sources in Aleppo said that the Scud missile led to the destruction of many homes and there were people under the rubble.
Rebels claim to take key city in southern Syria:
Dael is located on the strategic highway connecting Damascus to the Jordanian border, which is about 13 miles south of the city.
Insurgents control large parts of Daraa: Syria MP:
A Syrian MP from the southern province of Daraa bordering Jordan on Thursday painted a bleak picture of the situation there, saying that insurgents have seized part of the main highway to Damascus.
Lawlessness Spreading in Rebel-held Syria:
Public order is breaking down in rebel-held areas of Syria, with widespread looting, crime running rampant and rebel factions fighting among themselves, according to refugees escaping to Lebanon.
Syrian Information Minister: Terrorist Escalation's Aim to Suggest Victory Is Close :
In an interview with the Syrian TV aired Thursday, al-Zoubi said this escalation, which comes in parallel with giving Syria's seat at the Arab League (AL) to the 'Doha Coalition', aims to suggest that "terrorists are attacking in the middle of the capital and that as if the state is unable to protect the civilians."
Regime change continues as
U.S. considers no-fly-zone over Syria:
U.S. States Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, said Washington is considering imposing a no-fly zone over Syria. (Reuters)
Iraqi Influx Doubles Syrian Al Qaeda-Linked Rebel Faction:
Syria's Al Nusra Front, allied with Al Qaeda, has more than doubled and is continuing to grow with the influx of jihadists from abroad.
Chechen commander forms 'Army of Emigrants,' integrates Syrian groups:
A commander from the Russian Caucasus known as Abu Omar al Chechen has formed Jaish al-Muhajireen wa Ansar, or Army of the Emigrants and Helpers, and integrated several Syrian fighting units into the ranks.
US Training Rebels in Jordan: Get the Story Straight:
US media are now reporting what everyone else has known for some time: American special forces are helping train Syrian rebels on Jordanian territory, despite the fact that radical jihadists have infiltrated the Syrian rebels and could turn on Jordan's monarchy the minute the dust settles in Syria.
'Phoenix jihadist's' dad claims son worked in Syria for CIA:
As US Army veteran Eric Harroun awaits trial in Virginia for allegedly fighting alongside al-Qaeda supporters, the man's father claims he was working for the CIA and was reporting back to the agency from Syria.
Officials: Arms Shipments Rise to Syrian Rebels:
Mideast powers opposed to President Bashar Assad have dramatically stepped up weapons supplies to Syrian rebels in coordination with the U.S. in preparation for a push on the capital of Damascus
Syrian Channel RTV documentary about terrorism in Aleppo
- Video - English subtitles
Rebels down a civilian plane as it attempted to land in Damascus International Airport :
Video -
Moaz al-Khatib Speech to Arab League Summit, March 26, 2013 - Translation: - English subtitles -
Translation: - English subtitles
Russia to block Syrian opposition at UN:
Russia said Thursday it will strongly oppose any bid to give Syria's UN seat to the rebel coalition fighting President Bashar al-Assad.
Rape and sham marriages: the fears of Syria's women refugees:
Um Majed (pictured left) is a Syrian housewife from Homs. She says she understands the refugee families and women who give into the demands of the men from the Gulf offering desperately needed cash. These are "dark days" for Syrians, she offers up by way of reasoning.
Tunisian parents speaking about how their 16-year-old daughter, Rahma, was kidnapped for "Sex Jihad" in Syria
- Video
Poll: Fewer Israelis see Obama as pro-Palestinian:
The poll carried by the English-language Jerusalem Post newspaper found that just 16 percent of respondents said Obama was "pro-Palestinian" against 36 percent before the March 20 to 22 visit.
Russia moves to criminalize Holocaust denial:
The Russian lower house has received a new bill suggesting up to five years in prison for publicly denying the Holocaust or portraying Nazis as heroes.
Two children among 11 killed by NATO occupation forces in Afghanistan:
The civilians were riding in two vehicles near the Taliban post when the attack took place, Mohammad Hassan Hadil, the deputy police chief of the province, said.
U.S. commandos begin pullout as demanded by Karzai:
Wardak residents and officials had accused U.S. commandos and their Afghan allies of operating outside the national government's authority and of torturing, kidnapping and summarily executing Nerkh locals suspected of militancy.
10 killed as suicide bomber strikes in Pakistan's Peshawar:
Attack targets senior Pakistani police commander in northwestern city, killing at least 10 people, including two women.
Shoe hurled at returning Musharraf in court (VIDEO):
Pakistani lawyer wings a shoe at Pervez Musharraf, who was headed to court to see his bail extended by 15 days.
78 killed in Central African capital:
The Red Cross in the Central African Republic has announced that it has "found 78 bodies" in the streets of the capital Bangui since it was seized last weekend by the Seleka rebel coalition.
Gunmen attack military air base in southern Libya, killing 2 soldiers:
A Libyan military spokesman says more than 150 gunmen have attacked an air base in the country's southern desert, killing two government troops.
British women raped by Libyan soldiers:
At least two British women have been raped by Libyan soldiers in the eastern city of Benghazi, officials confirmed on Friday.
UN approves new combat force to target Congo rebels:
The council adopted a resolution on Thursday and established the so-called Intervention Brigade. This is the first time the UN has given its troops an offensive mandate.
French troops to stay in Mali through end of 2013:
By July, he said about 2,000 French soldiers will still be in the former French colony, and at the end of the year "1,000 French soldiers will remain."
Clashes erupt in 2 cities in northern Egypt:
Hundreds of unidentified assailants threw stones and fire bombs at protesters rallying against Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood Friday in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Separately, protesters and riot police clashed after demonstrators tried to torch a Muslim Brotherhood office in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig.
North Korea orders rockets on standby to hit US bases - state media:
It follows a US B-2 flyover of South Korea that saw dummy ammunition dropped as part of a joint military drill Thursday.
No One Will Survive DPRK's Retaliatory Strike:
Rodong Sinmun: The aggressors should not feel relieved for being in the mainland or on the other side of the ocean. Gone are the days when there was a verbal exchange.
Russia warns against military activity near North Korea:
Russia said on Friday that heightened military activity near North Korea was slipping into a "vicious cycle" that could get out of control, implicitly criticizing US bomber flights that followed threats from Pyongyang.
Iran, N Korea and Syria block UN arms treaty:
Iran's UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said the draft treaty has major loopholes, is "hugely susceptible to politicisation and discrimination", and ignores the "legitimate demand'' to prohibit the transfer of arms to those who commit aggression.
Guantanamo Prisoner on Hunger Strike Seeks Relief in Court from 'Reversion to Harsh Conditions':
A Yemeni prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay prison, who has been participating in a hunger strike which has been ongoing for weeks, has requested "emergency humanitarian relief" from a federal district court he says he and other prisoners are being denied access to potable water.
First Female Head of CIA's Clandestine Service Signed Off on Destruction of Torture Tapes:
The CIA recorded brutal interrogations of prisoners with a video camera in a secret prison in Thailand. Over ninety tapes were ultimately recorded.
Feds admit FBI warrantless cellphone tracking 'very common':
FBI investigators for at least five years have routinely used a sophisticated cellphone tracking tool that can pinpoint callers' locations and listen to their conversations - all without getting a warrant for it, a federal court was told this week.
DOJ Hid Routine Use of 'Stingray' Surveillance Technology from Federal Magistrate Judges:
" noting the technology can be used to obtain "information from all devices on the same network in a given area and send signals into the homes, bags, or pockets of the suspect and third parties alike." Its capabilities clearly threaten a person's privacy.
China and Brazil dump the dollar, sign agreement to trade in their local currencies:
China and Brazil signed an agreement to do billions of dollars of trade in their local currencies, as the five-nation BRICS forum of emerging market powers work to lessen dependence on the US dollar and Euro.
France's President Hollande finds loophole to impose 75% tax on the rich:
Hollande will now propose to tax employers paying their workers more than €1 million. The president said in the interview that the measure, if approved, will last for two years.
Cyprus Could Need a Second Bailout :
Lee Buchheit, sovereign debt guru and architect of Greece's bailouts, tells Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia that despite the drastic measures taken, the endgame for Cyprus might be another round of restructuring. "I'm not sure this is over," says the Cleary Gottlieb veteran.
The European Union's looting of Cyprus:
The bailout imposed on Cyprus by the European Union (EU) is a politically criminal act of financial looting, aimed at destroying the country's banks and reducing the working class to penury.
"Confiscation of private bank accounts is now an official tool of the Eurozone authority"
Video report by CBC News
Poverty survey paints bleak picture of life in UK:
People now say they consider around 33 per cent of Britons to be suffering from a lifestyle of "multiple deprivation".
Study: Iraq and Afghanistan wars will cost U.S. up to $6 trillion:
Bilmes' study said the biggest cost would be medical care and disability benefits, saying that more than half of the 1.56 million troops discharged from service have already been granted benefits for life.
More than 130 arrested during Chicago schools protest:
Over 130 were arrested in Chicago as thousands of teachers, parents and students protested against a decision to close 54 public schools. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has refused further negotiations, apparently making the closings a done deal.
US Savings Rate Near Record Low, Per Capita Disposable Income Almost Back To December 2006 Level:
For those claiming there is something called a "recovery" underway, perhaps they can point out just where on this chart of Real Disposable Income per capita one can find said recovery.
Overwhelming Student Debt Has Parents Getting Life Insurance Policies on Their Kids:
When my parents first announced at Thanksgiving that they were taking out a life insurance policy on me, I was taken aback and slightly offended. In fact, I thought it was a cruel joke.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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