Hard News
Islamic State kills at least 145 civilians in Syria's Kobani :
Islamic State fighters killed at least 145 civilians in an attack on the Syrian town of Kobani and a nearby village, in what a monitoring group described on Friday as one of the worst massacres carried out by the hardline group in Syria.
Suicide car bombing kills 20 Syrian troops in Kurdish city:
Syria's official news agency and activists say a suicide bombing has targeted a security building at the northeastern, mostly Kurdish city of Hassakeh.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Pitched battle in southern Syria as rebels advance:
Jordan promises 'response' after cross-border missile fire hits busy street during offensive involving rebels from FSA and al-Nusra Front
Islamic State sold 42 Yazidi females, some with kids, to fighters in Syria, monitor reports:
The women were being treated as "slaves" by the jihadis and were sold "for between $500 (€447) and $2,000 (€1,785)". The women were kidnapped last year in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq where Islamic State had launched a wide offensive, the Britain-based monitor said
25 killed in ISIS attack on Kuwait mosque:
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed on Friday the deadly bombing on a Kuwaiti mosque, which left at least 25 people killed and 202 wounded, according to the interior mosque.
18 killed in air strikes, clashes with IS militants in Iraq:
At least 18 people were killed and 36 wounded on Wednesday in battles with the Islamic State (IS) militants in Salahudin province and air strikes on suspected IS positions in the western province of Anbar, security sources said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.
At Least 10 Civilians Killed in Saudi-Led Coalition Airstrikes in Yemen:
The Saudi-led coalition carried out five airstrikes on Yemen's Northern city of al-Hazm, killing 10 civilians and injuring scores of others, a source in the city confirmed.
Hezbollah attack kills 9 militants outside east Lebanon border town:
Hezbollah-planted land mines and mortar attacks left at least nine Nusra Front militants dead outside an east Lebanon border village Friday
Lebanese Army kills 2 militants on northeast border:
"The Army targeted a terrorist group infiltrating the town of Arsal, killing two and seizing weapons, ammunition, military equipment, two cellphones and four hand grenades in their possession," the military said.
Netanyahu warns of attack against Iran; US says deal deadline may 'slip':
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is still considering an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, even if Tehran and world powers sign a historic deal to curtail Iran's nuclear program next week.
Vatican signs first treaty with Palestine, Israel angered:
The treaty, which made official the Vatican's de facto recognition of Palestine since 2012, angered Israel, which called it "a hasty step (that) damages the prospects for advancing a peace agreement." Israel also said it could have implications on its future diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
Elkin Calls on French Jews to Come to Israel:
Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze'ev Elkin on Friday called on French Jews to make aliyah to Israel following the beheading attack in the country. "Come home! Anti-Semitism is growing, terrorism is on the rise and the sickly ISIS activists carry out murders in the light of day. We are prepared to accept the Jews of France with open arms," he said.
US Secretary of State Kerry's Israeli connection:
Kerry owns million-dollar stake in Noble Energy Corp., which is currently fighting for the right to maintain a duopoly with Delek Group over Israel's natural gas fields.
Israel Project urges Drexel to withdraw honor for anti-Israel activist Chomsky:
The U.S.-based Israel education group The Israel Project (TIP) on Friday sent an email asking supporters to sign a petition urging Philadelphia's Drexel University, "Don't honor hate. Withdraw your award to hateful extremist Noam Chomsky."
Foreign investment in Israel drops by almost half in 2014:
One of the report's authors suggested the sharp decline could be down to the 2014 Gaza war and an international boycott campaign
At least 37 killed as gunmen attack beach outside 2 tourist hotels in Tunisia:
A beach outside two hotels in central Tunisia have been attacked, with at least 37 dead and 36 injured, and panic being reported at the scene. Two gunmen armed with Kalashnikov rifles reportedly penetrated a private area and opened fire.
Dozens Killed as Somali Shebab Overrun African Union Base: Witnesses:
Witnesses said they had seen as many as 50 bodies but the reports were impossible to independently confirm. Some bodies had been reportedly beheaded.
Egypt's imprisonment of journalists at all-time high:
Egypt is holding the highest number of journalists behind bars since record keeping began, using the pretext of national security to crack down on press freedoms, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday.
At least 18 Chinese killed in China's western Xinjiang province:
At least 18 people are dead after ethnic Uighurs attacked police with knives and bombs at a traffic checkpoint in China's western Xinjiang region, Radio Free Asia reported on Wednesday.
The Pentagon's Fight Over Fighting China:
The Joint Chiefs keep ordering up ambitious new war plans. But their biggest battle might be with each other.
NSA Chief: Don't Assume China Hacked:
The U.S. military's top cyber warrior says it's merely an "assumption" that the Chinese government was behind the recent hack at the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM - and not necessarily one he shares.
Propaganda:
Putin not done in eastern Ukraine, NATO's top general says:
Force levels on Russia's side of the border had not changed much in recent months, Breedlove said, but U.S. military officials had observed in Russia a "stocking of important supplies, ammunition, etc, to levels that would support operations".
Goading Russia:
US Marine unit to be sent to Bulgaria to "reassure allies":
A U.S. Marine Corps unit equipped with tanks, light armored vehicles and artillery will be sent to Bulgaria this fall as part of American plans to help reassure NATO allies worried by Russia's involvement in Ukraine, a top commander said Thursday.
Bear-baiting:
US to boost its military presence in Central and Eastern Europe:
The US has announced plans to deploy heavy weaponry in several Central and Eastern European nations. Officials say they want to calm concerns among NATO allies who feel threatened by a resurgent Russia.
NATO Publics Blame Russia for Ukrainian Crisis, but Reluctant to Provide Military Aid:
Many also see Russia as a military threat to other neighboring states. But few support sending arms to Ukraine. Moreover, at least half of Germans, French and Italians say their country should not use military force to defend a NATO ally if attacked by Russia.
Pentagon Says It Needs $270 Billion to Upgrade Nuclear Arsenal:
"The only existential threat to our nation is a nuclear attack. Nuclear weapons remain the most important mission we have," he added. Work explained that keeping the country's nuclear enterprise modernized is especially important in light of the advancements made by Russia and China.
Man Beheaded By ISIS at Chemical Plant in France:
France has begun a terror investigation after a decapitated body was found at the scene of a suspected Islamist attack on a US-owned gas factory near the south-eastern city of Lyon. President Francois Hollande said the aim was to blow up the factory.
Terror trial collapses after fears of deep embarrassment to security services:
The prosecution of a Swedish national accused of terrorist activities in Syria has collapsed at the Old Bailey after it became clear Britain's security and intelligence agencies would have been deeply embarrassed had a trial gone ahead, the Guardian can reveal.
Tsipras Cites Blackmail as Merkel Prods Greece to Take Offer:
Tsipras, who has been negotiating all week in Brussels, said he'll defend the EU's founding principles of "democracy, solidarity, equality, mutual respect" as he pursues an accord. "These principles were not based on blackmails and ultimatums, and especially in these crucial times no one has the right to put in danger these principles," he told reporters.
EU agrees to relocate 40,000 migrants:
The plan, announced after lengthy talks in Brussels early on Friday morning, aims to speed up the relocation of 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece over two years. Another 20,000 people now living outside of the EU and found in need of protection will also be resettled under the plan.
US Ranked 94th/162nd in the Global Peace Index:
With a shockingly low score of 2.038, the United States was ranked in 94th place on the survey. The most violent country in the world is currently Syria, which was placed in 162nd place.
Pentagon rewrites 'Law of War' declaring 'belligerent' journalists as legitimate targets:
The Pentagon has released a book of instructions on the "law of war," detailing acceptable ways of killing the enemy. The manual also states that journalists can be labeled "unprivileged belligerents," an obscure term that replaced "enemy combatant."
Guantanamo prisoner on long hunger strike to be sent home:
A prisoner who has been on a nine-year hunger strike to protest his confinement at the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, can now return to his native Saudi Arabia, a government review board said Friday.
Pentagon Admits 60,000 Black Soldiers Used in Human Experiment:
The U.S. Government used Black soldiers as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments during World War II, according to a new NPR report.
China criticises US human rights record:
It said that US intelligence had used "indiscriminate" torture against terrorist suspects, while "violating human rights in other countries" with drone strikes and mass surveillance programmes.
Tell the Justice Department: Investigate This #AmericanTortureStory:
Near drownings, mock executions, men hung nude wearing diapers and immersed in ice water. Dick Cheney says he'd "do it again in a minute." 5 minutes of your day could help prevent the US from burying the truth on torture.
The Real Story Behind the Fort Dix Five Terror Plot:
Beyond the sensational headlines is the story of paid FBI informants with long criminal histories who spent a year working to befriend the brothers and enlist them as terrorists. This effort, both expensive and time-consuming, nevertheless failed to convince the Duka brothers to take part in a violent attack.
Luke Somers's mother on kidnapping:
I blame the US more than I do al-Qaida : "We were treated so badly," said Paula, with Jordan adding: "These people had so little tact, so little compassion or sympathy."
US Supreme Court Backs Same-Sex Marriage:
The Court ruled 5-to-4 that states must allow same-sex couples to marry and they must recognize the marriages that take place outside of the states.
Bernie Sanders Proposes Tax on the US Wealthy :,
The Sanders bill would lower the tax exemption amount from US$5 million to $3.5 million on an individual's estate.
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