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Hard News
Nigeria : Militants killed 46 police officers in an ambush:
According
to local police, Nigerian militants have killed 46 police officers in
an ambush in the north central state of Nassarawa. It has not been
confirmed if the attacks were linked to Islamist sect Boko Haram, as
Islamist groups usually operate further north than Nassarawa.
Two killed in Central African capital fighting:
Two
people died and two others were wounded in fighting between Seleka
rebels and residents of the restive Central African capital Bangui,
police said on Friday.
C. African Republic Child Soldier Killed by Mob:
An
angry mob stoned to death a 17-year-old soldier in Central African
Republic who had been freed from a rebel group and moved to the capital
for his own safety only to be re-recruited by armed fighters, the U.N.
children's agency said Friday.
Up to 40,000 flee rebel assault in central Sudan - U.N.: -
Up
to 40,000 people have fled since rebels launched a major assault in
central Sudan, the United Nations said on Friday, amid signs of a new
insurgent campaign to push closer to the capital.
Two police stations in Libya's Benghazi bombed:
Bomb
attacks targeted two police stations in the eastern Libyan city of
Benghazi on Friday, causing extensive material damage but no
casualties, a security official said.
US military units put on alert as security situation deteriorates in Libyan capital:
The
U.S. military has alerted two elite military units in Europe to be on
standby if needed to respond to a deteriorating security situation in
Tripoli, Fox News has learned.
Staff pulled from UK Libya embassy:
The
Foreign Office has temporarily withdrawn some staff from the British
Embassy in Libya in response to the "ongoing political uncertainty" in
the country.
Rand Paul alleges CIA smuggled weapons through Benghazi:
Sen.
Paul said he hasn't ruled out the possibility that last year's attack
unfolded as a result of a secret arms trade. The confusion in the
immediate aftermath of the event - including unfounded admissions from
America's United Nations envoy Susan Rice - could actually be a
cover-up, the senator said.
15 killed in Pakistan violence ahead of polls:
Violence
continued unabated a day ahead of Pakistan's landmark general
election, with 15 people killed in a bombing and an attack by
pro-Taliban militants in the country's restive northwest on Friday.
12 killed in Kurram:
Three
Pakistani soldiers were martyred and three wounded as suspected
Taliban militants on Friday ambushed a post of security forces in
Kurram Agency.
Afghans united in anger against Pakistan border attack: :
Clashes
have sparked an outcry by the Afghan people as thousands have taken to
the streets throughout the country protesting the alleged Pakistani
breach with chants of "Death to Pakistan." The crowds have hailed the
dead border police officer as a martyr.
U.S. to maintain 9 bases in Afghanistan after 2014:
Afghan
President Hamid Karzai confirmed on Thursday that the bases, including
in Kabul, Bagram, Mazari Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Herat, would
stay because that was in the interests of Afghanistan.
Watchdog says government has tried to silence him on Afghanistan:
The
watchdog who tracks the billions of taxpayer dollars spent to rebuild
Afghanistan says government officials have tried to silence him because
they think he's embarrassing the White House and Afghan President
Hamid Karzai by pointing out the waste and fraud.
Dozens of Afghans killed in Iran:
According
to local authorities in western Farah province of Afghanistan, dozens
of Afghans were killed or injured after Iranian security forces opened
fire on a group of Afghans inside the Iranian soil.
Army shelling kills 25 in Syrian town after truce ends: Actvists say:
Syrian
forces issued an ultimatum to the town's elders saying the rebels must
leave by Thursday evening and started shelling it heavily as the
deadline passed, Hamawi said.
Syrian troops advance in central city of Homs:
Syrians troops regained control Thursday of the Wadi Sayeh district in the center of Homs.
Syrian army warns civilians to leave Qusayr:
Syria's
army has dropped leaflets over Qusayr in central Homs province,
warning civilians to leave ahead of an attack that will be launched if
rebels holding the town do not surrender, a military source said on
Friday.
Top U.S. Official Meets With "Rebels" Inside Syria:
Ambassador
Robert Ford, the State Department's point man on Syrian policy,
crossed into northern Syria on Wednesday. The secret visit was
confirmed by Syrian activists at the media office at the Bab al-Salama
crossing on the Turkish frontier.
UK, Syria ask for UN sanctions against Jabhat al-Nusra:
UN
diplomats say Syria and Britain are separately seeking to impose UN
sanctions against the radical rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra, one of the
dominant forces in the Syrian civil war.
France wants U.N. to label Syria's al-Nusra Front a terrorist group:
The
United Nations should declare Syria's Islamist militant al-Nusra Front
a terrorist organization to differentiate it from other Syrian rebel
groups, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday.
Russia To Send Syria (S-300 system) Advanced Air Defense System:
Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would be fulfilling contracts it
has already concluded with Damascus but it did not include the sale of
the S-300 system, Reuters said.
Kerry warns Russia against selling high-performance missiles to Syria:
"We've
made it crystal clear that we prefer that Russia would not supply them
assistance," Kerry said during a news conference with Italy's new top
diplomat. "That is on record. That has not changed."
Israel asks Russia not to sell Syria advanced S-300 air shield: officials:
The
Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Israel had told
Washington that Syria had already began payments for a $900 million
purchase of the S-300 and an initial delivery was due within three
months.
Russia defends anti-aircraft delivery to Syria:
Israel
has asked Russia to cancel what it says is an imminent sale of S-300
batteries to the Syrian government, arguing it would complicate the
situation.
Turkey says Syria used chemical arms:
Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he has evidence that Syria
has used chemical weapons in the fight against rebel forces.
Syria 'ready' for UN to investigate chemical arms use:
"We
were ready and we are always ready, right now, to receive the
delegation that was set up by (UN chief) Ban Ki-moon to investigate
what happened in Khan al-Assal," Muqdad said, referring to the March 19
incident near Aleppo.
Syria threatens to 'respond immediately' to any Israeli strike:
Damascus
also welcomed a U.S.-Russian initiative to find a political solution
to end the two-year-old civil war, while balking at Washington's demand
that President Bashar al-Assad would need to stand down.
Assad: We will Become Resisting Country Similar to Hezbollah:
"What we want is a strategic revenge by opening the door of resistance, and turning Syria into a resisting country."
Kerry insists Assad must go:
Speaking
as he met Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Kerry said all
sides were working to "effect a transition government by mutual consent
of both sides, which clearly means that in our judgement President
Assad will not be a component of that transitional government."
Hezbollah offers to help Syria fight for Israel-occupied Golan:
Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Thursday his forces would support any
Syrian effort to recapture the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, days
after the Jewish state launched raids in Syria believed to have
targeted weapons destined for the Lebanese militant group.
Israeli Defense minister okays 296 homes in illegal West Bank settlement:
Palestinians say move proves Israel doesn't want peace; US says settlement construction counteractive to peace efforts
U.S. says Israeli illegal settlements in West Bank are 'counterproductive':
"As
the president said, Israelis must recognize that continued settlement
activity is counterproductive to the cause of peace and that an
independent Palestine must be viable, with real borders that have to be
drawn," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell was quoted saying
by AFP.
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood stages anti-Israel rally:
In
first such protest by the Brotherhood,from which Egypt's Morsi hails,
after the 2011 uprising that ousted Mubarak, Bortherhood protests
Israel strikes on Syria and the detention of a Muslim cleric.
Two soldiers among 5 killed in Iraq:
Insurgents
attacked an army checkpoint in the northern city of Mosul, sparking a
gunbattle in which one soldier and three gunmen were killed, a security
official told broadcaster Alsumariya News.
Blast kills 3 mosque worshippers in Iraq:
Police say bomb went off after Friday mid-day prayers as worshippers were leaving al-Sultan mosque south of Baghdad.
Iran Recalls Its Ambassador in Cyprus:
The
Cyprus Foreign Ministry said Iran objected to last month's decision to
send Iranian Saeid Mohabat to the U.S. to face charges of breaching
United Nations sanctions against Iran, and that Iran responded by
recalling its ambassador on Wednesday "for consultations" in Tehran.
Iran unveils 'Epic' new drone:
"This aircraft with its stealth quality can avoid detection by the enemy," he added.
The US government might be the biggest hacker in the world:
The
US is guilty of spending millions on discovering, identifying and
exploiting previously unknown security flaws, often gaining unfettered
access to the systems and networks of international targets.
Is this the documentary that got a U.S. citizen sentenced to hard labor in North Korea?:
In
November, North Korean officials arrested an American citizen named
Kenneth Bae who was on what was supposed to be a five-day guided tour
of the North Korean city of Rason. Bae was charged with unspecified
crimes against the state and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.
Carbon dioxide levels hit historic high:
Scientists warn pollution creating prehistoric climate as gases break 400 parts per million threshold for first time.
Guantánamo hunger strike grows, highlights abusive conditions:
American
Medical Association President Dr. Jeremy Lazarus stated in an April 25
letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that "force feeding of
detainees violates core ethical values of the medical profession,"
according to the Miami Herald.
'Don't They Realize We Are Human?'
Yemeni Mothers of Gitmo Prisoners Want Freedom For Their Sons
US military expands its drug war in Latin America:
The
U.S. authorized the sale of a record $2.8 billion worth of guns,
satellites, radar equipment and tear gas to Western Hemisphere nations
in 2011, four times the authorized sales 10 years ago, according to the
latest State Department reports.
No jobs, slave wages drive Portuguese abroad: Video -
Portugal's
unemployment level has hit a painful 18 per cent, with close to half
of young people now out of work. And while the figure threatens to grow
even further, scores of people are jumping ship for jobs and a decent
living outside a home country battered by debt.
Unemployment in Greece at 27 percent: Video report:
The bankers continue to squeeze Greece for all its worth.
Calif. sues JPMorgan Chase over debt collection:
California's
attorney general sued one of the nation's largest banks Thursday,
alleging that JPMorgan Chase & Co. used illegal tactics in its
efforts to collect debts from more than 100,000 credit card holders.
Many Americans say they can't retire until their 70s or 80s:
More
than four in 10 Americans think they'll have to work into their 70s or
80s because they can't afford to retire, according to a new survey..
While Wall Street soars, jobs market still scarred:
Don't
let the soaring stock market and applause from politicians over a
slight dip in the unemployment rate fool you. A deeper dive into
government data underscores just how bleak the picture still is in
today's labor market.
Foreclosure Crisis Still Has Millions in Its Grip:
Five
years after the mortgage meltdown sparked a wave of home foreclosures,
millions of Americans are still in housing "limbo," battling to save
their homes despite government programs meant to help them.
Number of homeless Americans rising: Video -
An economy run by bankers serves the wealthy and disposses the poor.
Twelve Things You Can Do To Fight Poverty Now:
The
sequester is the latest chapter in a time-honored tradition of kicking
the poor when they are down. A do-nothing Congress certainly isn't
going to do something about poverty without pressure from the
grassroots.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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