|
Hard News
Bomb tears through Damascus, killing at least 14 people:
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but car bombs
and suicide attacks targeting Damascus and other cities that remain
under government control in the third year of the conflict have been
claimed in the past by the Al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front - one of
scores of rebel factions fighting to oust Assad.
Rebel strongholds near Lebanon fall to Syrian military:
A
Syrian government offensive near the Lebanese border is being
described as the fiercest fighting in months by villagers fleeing the
violence, with troops loyal to President Bashar Assad seizing control
of villages that had been rebel strongholds.
Syrian rebels to get 1st direct U.S. support as $8M in medical supplies, rations set for delivery:
The Obama administration promised this aid two months ago to the SMC, which is led by Syrian defector, Gen. Salim Idris.
Britain 'less eager' to arm Syrian rebels following intel on Al-Qaida links:
Government
exercising more caution following intelligence reports and warnings by
other governments that the major part of the rebel movement has been
taken over by Jihadist groups.
Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah in Syria pledge:
He
also warned that if a key Shia shrine south of Damascus - that named
after Sayida Zeinab, a granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad - were to be
destroyed, it would spark revenge that could get out of control.
US says Syria has beefed up air defenses:
With
technical support from Russia, Syria has bolstered its air defenses,
posing a threat to US aircraft if America decides to intervene in the
war, a US official said
Obama says US not sure who used chemical weapons in Syria, suggests military action possible:
President
Barack Obama strongly suggested Tuesday he'd consider military action
against Syria if it can be confirmed that President Bashar Assad's
government used chemical weapons in the two-year-old civil war.
Republicans urge Obama to enforce Syria 'red line,' oppose deploying troops:
"For
America to sit on the sidelines and do nothing is a huge mistake,"
Georgia Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss told CBS' "Face the Nation."
Political intrigue hampers honest investigation of WMD use in Syria - Lavrov:
He
told a news conference in Moscow on Monday, "There are states and
external players who think that all means are good if they lead to
displacement of the Syrian regime. But the issue of the use of weapons
of mass destruction is too serious and no one should play with it. I
consider it inadmissible to use this issue and speculate on it."
Iran: Chemical arms use in Syria a 'red line':
"Iran
is opposed to the use of any kind of weapon of mass destruction, and
not just their use but their production, accumulation, and use," Salehi
added. "On Syria," he said, "we have also requested that the United
Nations...identify the main culprit in this regard, which is the
opposition."
Germany warns US: no 'red lines' in Syria:
"I
support all forms of political pressure but I currently do not see a
role for the military," De Maizière told reporters while on a trip to
Washington, rejecting "automatic" military action in response to
Syria's chemical weapons.
Syria chemical weapons: British MPs demand evidence of sarin use by Assad:
Pressure
was growing on the Government to publish detailed evidence of Syria's
alleged chemical weapons use before authorising further intervention in
the conflict.
Doubt cast Syrian chemical attack:
Images
out of Syria showing people frothing at the mouth don't prove Bashar
al-Assad's government has been using chemical weapons, according to an
expert in the field.
Seven Killed, Wounded in Bomb Explosion in Iraq;
"A
suicide bomber exploded his car near a federal police checkpoint in
Sulaiman Beg area." a police source told the National Iraqi News
Agency.
1 Palestinian killed, another injured in Israeli airstrike on Gaza:
An
Israeli airstrike on western Gaza has killed one Palestinian and
injured another, as the Tel Aviv regime continues to conduct air raids
on the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Brigades 'fire 5 rockets at Israel':
The
al-Ansar Brigades says it fired five rockets at Israeli targets on
Tuesday in response to an airstrike that killed a 25-year-old
Palestinian.
Palestinian kills Israeli settler in West Bank:
Israeli media say the attacker stabbed the settler before seizing the man's gun and shooting him at a junction near Nablus
Egypt quits nuke talks over 'inefficiency' in Middle East:
Egypt
said it quits Non-Proliferation Treaty talks to protest the failure of
the parties involved to implement a resolution aimed to free Middle
East from nuclear weapons. Although not articulated, Israel is said to
be the reason for the withdrawal.
Saudi Arabia police 'shoot and arrest wanted protester':
There
have been low-level protests for more than a year in the Qatif region
of Eastern Province, where most of Saudi Arabia's Shia Muslim minority
live.
N. Nigeria fighting leaves at least 17 dead:
A
military official said at least 17 people have been killed in fighting
between Islamic extremists and security forces in northeastern
Nigeria.
Gunmen surround Libyan justice ministry:
Armed
groups in pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns and
rocket-launchers surrounded Libya's justice ministry Tuesday to press
demands for former aides to deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi to be
barred from senior government posts.
Libya aims to end fuel subsidies in 3 years: Minister:
The
IMF estimates over 14 percent of Libya's budget or about $7bn will be
swallowed up by subsidies for food and fuel. "The authorities intend to
remove subsidies on all fuel, including both petrol and diesel," the
oil minister said in an interview.
Egypt's president calls a halt to privatizations:
"There
will not be any more selling of the public sector again. That is
over," Mursi said in a speech to metal industry workers in a Cairo
suburb during celebrations ahead of Labour Day.
Roadside bombs kill 8 in Afghanistan, including 3 NATO occupation force soldiers
Bomber on Motorcycle Kills 9 During Rush Hour in Pakistan: -
A
suicide bomber killed 9 people and wounded 29 on a busy road here
early on Monday, officials said, in the latest episode of violence as
Pakistan moves nervously toward elections scheduled for May 11.
Courts Order More Detention For Musharraf, Lifetime Ban On Public Office:
The
court banned Musharraf from running for public office for the rest of
his life. The ruling, by the Peshawar High Court, was in response to
Musharraf's appeal against a ban on his candidacy in upcoming
parliamentary elections.
Barbaric force feeding continues :
Red Cross arrives at Guantánamo as hunger strike hits 100 mark:
One-fifth
of the hunger strikers were being force fed nutritional supplements
through feeding tubes, said Army Lt. Col. Samuel House, a prison camps
spokesman.
Some of force-fed hunger striking detainees in Guantanamo were cleared for release years ago:
"I
will never forget the first time they passed the feeding tube up my
nose. I can't describe how painful it is to be force-fed this way," he
wrote. "As it was thrust in, it made me feel like throwing up. I wanted
to vomit, but I couldn't. There was agony in my chest, throat and
stomach. I had never experienced such pain before. I would not wish
this cruel punishment upon anyone."
Detainee treatment task force member condemns force-feeding -
Video -
The Center for Constitutional Rights Demands Obama Take Action Available to Him to Close Gitmo:
Use Waiver, Transfer 86 Cleared Men, Lift Yemen Repatriations Ban
Boston suspect's defense team gets major boost?:
The
defense team representing the Boston Marathon bombing suspect got a
major boost Monday with the addition of Judy Clarke, a San Diego lawyer
who has won life sentences instead of the death penalty for several
high-profile clients, including the Unabomber and the gunman in the
rampage that injured former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
"We didn't do it.": Actual Footage Boston Bombing Suspects Fire Fight With Police, Watertown
- Video
Report: 'Misha' denies any link to Boston bomb plot:"
The
once mysterious "Misha," dubbed by an uncle of Boston bombing suspect
Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a major radicalizing influence on his nephew,
tells The New York Review of Books that he was not Tamerlan's Islamic
teacher, had no connection to the bomb plot and hadn't seen him in
three years.
Ken Livingstone goes on Iranian TV to 'blame' the U.S. for the Boston bombings:
Mr
Livingstone sparked controversy by suggesting the brothers who carried
out the attack did so out of anger over American foreign policy
Carbon dioxide emissions reachest highest point in three million years:
As
global carbon dioxide, emissions teetered on the threshold of 400
parts per million (PPM) for the first time in three million years,
delegates from countries all over the world yesterday started another
round of talks on how to tackle climate change.
Three Fracking Moratorium Bills Win Key Vote in California Legislature:
Three
bills that would halt fracking in California won key votes last night,
passing the Assembly Natural Resources Committee despite intense
pressure from the oil industry.
Climate change reduces US food production:
Last year's drought in California raises food security concern as production of staple crops declines.
More mass layoffs in Greece:
On
Sunday, the Greek parliament agreed the dismissal of 15,500 public
service workers in expedited proceedings, as well as the reduction of
the country's minimum wage, the expansion of property taxes and the
extension of teachers working hours.
Parliament in Cyprus passes international bailout deal:
Parliament
in Cyprus has approved the country's international bailout after
warnings that the alternative would be financial collapse. MPs voted
through the loan package by 29 votes to 27.
Oligarchs escape as Cyprus crisis hits middle class:
Russian shopkeepers, small businesses and middle-class expats are among the victims of the island's financial meltdown.
Eurozone unemployment at record high:
Unemployment
in the 17 countries using the euro hit 12.1% in March, up from
February's 12%, according to official figures from Eurostat. In total,
19.2m people are now out of work in the region.
Italy Unemployment Rate Remains Close to 20-Year-High Amid Slump:
The
euro region's third-biggest economy will shrink 1.8 percent this year
amid rising unemployment and low consumer and investor confidence,
Mooody's Investors Service forecast April 26.
Bernanke Watch: Is He Eyeing the Exit?:
As
the Federal Reserve meets this week, it's nearly a given on Wall
Street that Chairman Ben Bernanke will not be presiding over the Fed at
this time next year.
U.S. consumer spending slows in March:
Consumers
were more cautious spenders in March and income growth also softened,
reinforcing a bevy of reports that indicate the U.S. economy slowed as
the spring began.
Business Activity in U.S. Unexpectedly Shrank in April:
The
MNI Chicago Report's business barometer fell to 49 in April, the
lowest since September 2009, from 52.4 last month. A reading less than
50 signals contraction. The median forecast of 51 economists surveyed
by Bloomberg was 52.5.
Chicago Business Barometer Indicates Unexpected Contraction:
The
drop came as a surprise to economists, who had expected the business
barometer to come in unchanged compared to the previous month. With the
unexpected decrease in April, the Chicago Business Barometer fell to
its lowest level in well over three years.
Will The New Housing Bubble That Bernanke Is Creating End As Badly As The Last One Did?:
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has done it. He has succeeded in
creating a new housing bubble. By driving mortgage rates down to the
lowest level in 100 years and recklessly printing money with wild
abandon
$3.1B in anti-terror and public security funding unaccounted for, AG says:
More
than $3 billion in federal funding allocated for public security and
anti-terror projects is unaccounted for, Auditor General Michael
Ferguson says in his latest report.
===
"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
| 
