Hard News
Afghan forces kill 72 "Taliban fighters" in 24 hours:
"In the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police conducted several joint clearance operations in Badakhshan, Balkh, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Paktika, Paktiya, Herat and Ghor provinces during which 72 armed Taliban rebels have been killed, two wounded and eight others arrested," the statement contended.
Three NATO occupation force soldiers, civilian killed in attacks in Afghanistan:
In the east, a soldier and a civilian were killed in one incident, and a second soldier was killed in another, said a spokeswoman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
As a Result US Drone Attack : Pakistani Taliban withdraw peace talks offer:
The Pakistani Taliban withdrew their offer of peace talks Thursday, following the death of the group's deputy leader in an American drone attack, a spokesman for the group said, a blow to the incoming government of Nawaz Sharif that was elected partly on promises to restore security after years of deadly attacks.
In public relations exercise:
Pakistan's Sharif condemns US drone strike on Taliban: Mr Sharif said:
"The drone attack was not only a violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also an action that has been declared as a violation of international law and the UN Charter."
Bush- Blair Legacy Continues UN: 1,000 people killed as Iraq saw deadliest month in 5 years:
The UN figures, released on Saturday, showed that 1,045 civilians and security personnel were killed last month, which surpasses the 712 killed in April, and making it the deadliest month recorded since June 2008.
Iraq Smashes Al Qaeda 'Poison Gas Cell':
Mohamed al Askari, spokesman for Iraq's defence ministry, said five suspects had been detained over the construction of two facilities in the capital to produce sarin and mustard gas, using instructions from another al Qaeda group.
19 Rebels Killed In Syria: Activists say:
11 martyrs from Aleppo were martyred in Homs, 5 martyred in Homs and 3 martyred in Damascus and its suburbs
Syrian rebels get boost as new fighters arrive in Qusayr:
Hundreds of opposition fighters arrived in Qusayr yesterday, reinforcing rebels besieged by regime forces, as renewed efforts to evacuate the wounded from the town failed and medical supplies ran critically low.
Syria conflict drawing hundreds of jihadists from Europe, says report:
Up to 600 people from 14 European countries have taken part in fighting since 2011, finds King's College study. The largest contingent, the study found, came from the UK, with estimates of fighters running between 28 and 134.
Top Muslim cleric urges Sunnis to join Syria war:
Qaradawi, a controversial figure in the West but who has millions of supporters, mostly from the Muslim Brotherhood, also hit out at Iran for backing the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Rockets fired from Syria hit Lebanon:
The area that was struck is a stronghold of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group that is fighting alongside Syrian forces against rebels
Assad's forces have gained upper hand:
Government forces have moved steadily against rebels in key areas over the past two months, making strategic advances and considerably lowering the threat to the capital, Damascus.
Syrian rebels reject peace talks:
The coalition statement follows the European Union decision on Monday to scrap its arms embargo on Syria.
Fact or propaganda?
U.S. withholds aid, growing weary of Syrian opposition:
The United States is withholding $63 million that it had pledged to the main Syrian opposition organization because the Obama administration is frustrated with the group's disarray and is searching for more credible partners to support in the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar Assad
'UK ready to arm Syria rebels if peace talks fail':
"The precise timing has not yet been finalized and no decision has yet been taken. But we are likely to be ... shipping arms to the rebels by August."
Just a quarter of Britons back Hague arming rebels in Syria:
Nearly three quarters (72%) believe that the UK can no longer afford to act as a major military power. More than two thirds (69%) believe that the UK should restrict the military to protecting UK territory and humanitarian aid in times of crisis.
Intoxicated With Power:
White House: No role for Assad in transitional Syrian government:
The White House said Friday it does not see any role for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in a prospective political transition in Syria. "I'd be hard pressed to make the case to you that he should have a role in a transitional government," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said
No-fly zone over Syria would constitute 'act of war':
NATO's supreme allied commander: Rather than a quick and relatively painless affair, any effort to dismantle Syria's air defenses as part of enforcing a no-fly zone would be tantamount to a declaration of war, cautioned NATO's new military chief, Gen. Philip Breedlove. "It is quite frankly an act of war and it is not a trivial matter," said Breedlove
Russia has not delivered S-300 missiles to Syria: Reports:
The Vedomosti daily cited a Russian defence industry source as saying it was unclear if the weapons would be delivered to Syria at all this year while the Kommersant daily quoted its source as saying that delivery was only planned in the second quarter of 2014.
Syria's new anti-aircraft missiles will be game-changing, say defence analysts:
The S-300s supplied by Russia are designed to shoot down planes and ballistic missiles. They have a range of up to 125 miles. Once up and running, this will enable them to destroy not only civilian and military aircraft in Syrian airspace, but also inside Israel. The S-300s can also track and strike multiple targets simultaneously.
EU to relax banking sanctions to help Syrian "rebels":
European banks will be able to open branches and accounts in Syria for use by the opposition, European Union governments decided on Friday, relaxing economic sanctions to help the rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.
Syria Accuses Erdogan of 'Terrorizing' Turks:
Syrian Information Minister accused Prime MinisterErdogan of "terrorizing" his own people and called on him to resign. "The demands of the Turkish people do not justify this violence, and if Erdogan is incapable of using non-violent methods, then he should quit," state television cited Zohbi as saying after rioting in Istanbul.
Turkish police retreat from Istanbul square:
A second day of national protests over a violent police raid of an anti-development sit-in in Taksim square has revealed the depths of anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Many Turks view him as increasingly authoritarian and dismissive of opposing views.
Istanbul park protests sow the seeds of a Turkish spring:
A protest in a small Istanbul park has become a lightning rod for grievances against the government, and it could be explosive
US Kills 7 People In Yemen:
Two drone strikes killed seven suspected al Qaeda militants on Saturday morning. The official said the seven were in two cars driving in the al-Mahfad district of Abyan Governorate in southern Yemen
Mass Palestinian grave found in Tel Aviv:
Skeletal remains of dozens of Palestinians killed by Israelis during 1948 have been found in a mass grave in Tel Aviv.
Suspected Islamist militants attack kills 4 people in Niger prison:
Gunmen have attacked the main prison in Niger's capital, Niamey, killing at least four people, officials say. They are thought to be members of the Islamist militant group, Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao)
Civilians Killed in Nigeria Offensive: Video -
Al Jazeera obtains exclusive footage of army's battle against Boko Haram, with women and children shown among the dead.
Russia to send nuclear submarines to southern seas:
Russia plans to resume nuclear submarine patrols in the southern seas after a hiatus of more than 20 years following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Saturday, in another example of efforts to revive Moscow's military.
US Gulag: Guantanamo Hunger Strike Continues, 36 Being Force Fed:
On the eve of Obama's address, there were 103 prisoners on hunger strike, with 31 being force-fed by military authorities and one in hospital. Since then, not a single prisoner has stopped their strike, and now 36 of the detainees are being force-fed to keep them alive, with five of them being hospitalised.
Gitmo staff treat detainees 'worse than animals' - prisoner's lawyer:
The hunger strikers at the Guantanamo Bay camp are being subjected to freezing temperatures in their cells and made to choose between shower and sleep, "punished and treated like animals," a lawyer for a Gitmo detainee told RT.
Daniel Ellsberg: WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning deserves to be seen as a hero:
"I have a considerable identification with whistle-blowers, but Bradley above all because it is the first time in 40 years since the Pentagon Papers that someone has put out a large raft of material. And therefore he does deserve to be, I believe, seen as a hero," he told AFP.
The FBI Changes Its Story (Again) on the killing of unarmed Ibragim Todashev:
The new version of event also doesn't answer the question of why the FBI agent immediately began firing his weapon or why the other police officers in the room failed to intervene.
Russian FSB describes its Tsarnaev letter to FBI:
Russian security officials told a congressional delegation this week that the Boston Marathon bombing could have been prevented if the United States had acted on information Moscow had provided, one of the congressmen said Friday.
Secret Court Document Finds Spy Techniques Unconstitutional, Justice Department Fights To Keep It Hidden:
The Justice Department may soon be forced to reveal a classified document that details unconstitutional surveillance of American citizens.
Judge orders Google to comply with FBI's secret NSL demands:
A federal judge has ruled that Google must comply with the FBI's warrantless requests for confidential user data, despite the search company's arguments that the secret demands are illegal.
If the Government Is Tracking Your Location or Reading Your Email, Would You Ever Know?:
These court opinions and filings tell us a great deal about how the government interprets its authority to obtain highly personal information, and the extent to which it interprets the law to avoid informing individuals when they have been spied upon.
Man jailed for threatening Obama on Twitter:
Authorities obtained a search warrant for user records pertaining to the Twitter account "DestroyLeague_D" last year after becoming aware of at least five tweets that discussed plotting to kill the president in advance of Mr. Obama's address at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in September
Poison-laced letter sent to Obama:
Secret Service says threatening mail addressed to US president was similar to ricin letter sent to New York mayor.
Cops Taser Then Shoot Man to Death After Family Calls 911 for Help for His Depression:
A California sheriff's deputy needlessly Tasered and then shot a man to death after his father called 911 seeking help for his son's depression, the family claims in court.
Miami police choke and tackle black teen for "dehumanizing stare":
New cell phone footage shows Miami-Dade Police officers aggressively pinning an unarmed teen to the ground while choking him. His alleged crime: giving the officers "dehumanizing stares" and "clenching his fists."
Schools scanned students' irises without permission:
Parents in Polk County, Florida are outraged after learning that students in area schools had their irises scanned as part of a new security program without obtaining proper permission.
Japan and South Korea Bar Imports of U.S. Wheat:
Japan and South Korea suspended some imports of American wheat, and the European Union urged its 27 nations to increase testing, after the United States government disclosed this week that a strain of genetically engineered wheat that was never approved for sale was found growing in an Oregon field.
Thousands of anti-austerity protesters march in Frankfurt:
Thousands of protesters rallied in central Frankfurt on Saturday to voice growing European discontent against a string of austerity measures that have been applied across the continent over the debt crisis.
Hungry Britain: welfare cuts leave more than 500,000 people forced to use food banks, warns Oxfam:
More than half a million Britons have resorted to using food banks to stave off hunger and destitution, the Government has been warned.
Top 1% Now Controls 39% of World's Wealth:
The wealthiest 1 percent now control 39 percent of the world's wealth, and their share is likely to grow in the coming years, according to a new report.
Average Americans Still Have Not Recovered From Crash:
According to a new study by the Federal Reserve, American households have regained less than half of the wealth lost during the recession. While the wealthiest have actually gained since the crash the 99% are still not nearly whole.
More small business owners are firing employees rather than hiring:
The Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey reported a net hiring index of -12 in April, down from -9 for the same period the previous year and down from -10 in January. The quarterly analysis surveyed 603 small business owners.
Chicago Closes 50 Public Schools, Spends $100 Million in Taxpayer Funds on Private College Stadium :
Activists say national union leadership needs to give more support to Black and Latino working class families fighting school closures.
The Student Loan Delinquency Rate In The United States Has Hit A Brand New Record High:
37 million Americans currently have outstanding student loans, and the delinquency rate on those student loans has now reached a level never seen before.
The 'Hindenburg Omen': Bear Signal Scares Market:
Respected by many market veterans, the omen is triggered when, among other things, multiple stocks set new 52-week highs and lows simultaneously.
Deflation, recession are in the cards:
While the market moves ever higher, commodities and other signals suggest a washout is coming. Of course, that won't matter in the near term if the market kicks into bubble mode this summer.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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