Hard News
Large Truck Bomb Reported to Kill 60 Syrian Troops:
Syrian rebels mounted what appeared to be one of the deadliest strikes against government forces to date on Monday, sending a suicide bomber to detonate what they said was six tons of explosives in a truck. The bombing near the city of Aleppo in northern Syria was said to have killed as many as 60 soldiers.
Reports in Syria: Israel attacked another airport:
Opposition sources say massive blast at military airport near Damascus result of Israeli airstrike; Assad says rebels behind attack
'35 Americans Killed' in Syria Fighting:
Thirty-five Americans and more than 3,000 other foreign citizens have been killed fighting in Syria, Hizbullah's Al-Manar television has claimed.
The Destruction Of The Syrian Air Force:
Syrian Air Force losses have been heavy, with some 400 aircrew dead, captured or missing. Nearly a hundred fixed wing and over a hundred helicopters have been lost.
Saudi Arabia 'supplying missiles' to Syria rebels:
The shoulder-fired weapons were obtained mostly from suppliers in France and Belgium, the source told Reuters. France had paid for the transport of the weapons to the region.
Arming rebels may be bad for US long term: Obama:
""One of the challenges that we have is that some of the most effective fighters within the opposition have been those who frankly are not particularly friendly towards the United States of America," Obama said. "Arming them willy-nilly is not a good recipe for meeting American interests over the long term."
Putin: Not all G8 leaders agree Assad used chemical weapons:
There is no proof that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the G8 summit. Some of the G8 countries share this view, he added.
Northern Ireland leaders to G8: Sending arms to Syria bad idea:
Drawing on their long experience with sectarian violence, the leaders of Northern Ireland say arming more people in Syria would be a mistake.
McCain calls for U.S. military leadership on Syria:
Sen. John McCain called Monday for the United States to lead a military coalition to help the Syrian opposition rid the country of President Bashar al-Assad.
G8 backs urgent Syria peace talks in Geneva:
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the leaders had managed "to overcome fundamental differences". But no timetable for the Geneva talks was given.
Obama: U.S. can work with Russia to 'prevent civil war' in Syria:
"We agreed that we need to see a cessation of the violence, that a political process has to be created to prevent civil war and the kind of horrific events that we've seen over the last several weeks," Obama said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin
Two killed in south Lebanon clashes: sources:
Two people were killed Tuesday and several others were wounded in south Lebanon during clashes between supporters of Sheikh Ahmad Assir and the Resistance Brigades, a pro-Hezbollah group
32 killed in twin suicide bombings at al- Husseiniyah (Shiite mosque) in Baghdad:
The attackers first shot dead the guards of the mosque by silenced weapons before they entered the mosque and blew up their explosive vests among worshippers during noon prayers at the mosque in al-Qahira district in northern Baghdad, the source said.
Rowhani's Opposition to the Bomb: The Iranian President-elect's 2006 Letter to TIME:
"A nuclear weaponized Iran destabilizes the region, prompts a regional arms race, and wastes the scarce resources in the region." So wrote Hassan Rowhani
Nasr: U.S. must make first move on Iran:
Former State Department official Vali Nasr says when it comes to Iran the ball is now in America's court
Propaganda Alert:
Peres: Israel and Iran could negotiate :
Asked if Iran and Israel could ever have direct negotiations with each other, he replied, "Why not? The Iranians are not our enemies..." Peres said Israel has no natural antipathy towards Iran.
The reality:
Netanyahu: Israel won't accept less than total halt of Iran's nuclear enrichment:
Israeli PM warns against new Iranian President Hasan Rowhani, saying his strategy is to calm the international community while quietly advancing the nuclear program.
Hasbara attacks American author :
Alice Walker 'unabashedly infected with anti-Semitism':
New book, 'The Cushion in the Road,' filled with 'comparisons of Israelis to Nazis, denigrations of Judaism and Jews'
Clinton visits Kotel:
Formr US president arrives at Western Wall. Watch photos from tour
US deploys 1,500 Marines to Yemen: Yemeni official:
Some 1,500 Marines were deployed to al-Anad military base in the country's southern province of Lahij, al-Sharea daily quoted the official as saying on Monday.
Turkey Arrests Dozens in Crackdown on Protests:
Turkish antiterrorism units arrested dozens of people in several cities early Tuesday as part of an intensifying crackdown against antigovernment protests that have persisted for weeks.
Turkey's 'Standing Man' Protest By Erdem Gunduz Spreads Across Country:
For this new protest to work, Gunduz's friends positioned themselves outside the square in a bid to prevent well-wishers trying to approach him.
Suicide blast kills 27, targets funeral in Pakistan:
The blast, which police said appeared to target the politician, highlights the security challenges facing the new government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, sworn in earlier this month after winning the May 11 general election.
Afghan security handover 'a great day', says President Karzai:
Afghan forces have formally taken over security for the whole of the country from Nato-led troops, completing a process begun in 2011.
U.S. says it will buy Russian helicopters for Afghan military: -
The Pentagon said on Monday it will spend $572 million to buy 30 Russian-built military helicopters that will be used by Afghan security forces.
16 people killed in in the Central African Republic:
At least 16 people have been killed during clashes between rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and villagers in the Central African Republic (CAR), a military source from the CAR has said.
Lawyer for Gadhafi son urges ICC to reject Tripoli's attempt to keep him in Libya:
A lawyer for a son of ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi accused Libyan authorities on Tuesday of showing a "blatant disregard" for the International Criminal Court by announcing they will put Seif al-Islam Gadhafi on trial in August.
Fact or fiction?
Snowden seeks asylum in Iceland through intermediary:
Iceland has been informally contacted by an intermediary who stated that NSA leaker, former CIA contractor Edward Snowden, wants asylum in the Nordic island-state, Reuters reports.
NSA director: Surveillance programs foiled 50 terror plots:
At least 10 of the plots targeted the U.S. homeland, Alexander told the House Intelligence Committee, including a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange.
NSA admits listening to US phone calls without warrants:
If the NSA wants "to listen to the phone," an analyst's decision is sufficient, without any other legal authorization required, Nadler said he learned. "I was rather startled," said Nadler, an attorney and congressman who serves on the House Judiciary committee.
Obama and His Allies Say the Govt Doesn't Listen to Your Phone Calls -- But the FBI Begs to Differ:
Given FBI acknowledgment that it monitors phone calls on a massive scale, with help from the NSA, gov't denials are hard to understand.
U.S. shared PRISM data with Dutch intelligence agency:
A former Dutch intelligence analyst says that country also uses the U.S.'s PRISM surveillance program, which allows the NSA and FBI that can have access to anyone's Google, Yahoo, and Facebook communications.
Yahoo says it had as many as 13,000 data requests:
Yahoo Inc said U.S. law enforcement agencies made between 12,000 and 13,000 requests for data in the last six months, the latest in a series of disclosures by technology companies since intelligence leaks showed the extent of government data gathering efforts.
Judge Napolitano: We Live In Dangerous Times, Losing Liberty A Slippery Slope -
Video
How to Block the NSA From Your Friends List:
According to a Pew study released weeks before news of PRISM broke, teenagers are disenchanted with Facebook. They're moving to other platforms
Guantanamo Bay Using Controversial Drug On Hunger Strike Detainees:
Alyona talks to investigative reporter Jason Leopold about the controversial news that Guantanamo Bay hunger strike detainees are being administered neuro-drug Reglan, known to cause severe side effects.
Guantanamo Bay: Stories From Inside the World's Most Infamous Jail:
As of Monday, 104 detainees in Camps 5 and 6 were on strike, 44 were being force-fed through tubes and two were hospitalized.
The Prisoners at Guantanamo, by the Numbers:
Nearly 100 of the 240 detainees are originally from Yemen, which makes their status more complex than others. The next most-common country of origin is Afghanistan, followed by Saudi Arabia and Chad.
Demos demand Obama free Yemenis held in Guantanamo: -
Relatives of Yemenis being held at the US Guantanamo Bay detention centre protested outside Washington's mission in Sanaa on Monday, calling on US President Barack Obama to free the detainees.
Witness to Guantanamo:
The Witness to Guantanamo project is filming in-depth interviews with former detainees and other voices of Guantanamo, and archiving the videos for history
Greek broadcaster ERT reopens after court victory:
A Greek court has ordered that state broadcaster ERT, which was shut down by the government last week, can resume transmissions. However, the court also upheld a plan by Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras to replace ERT with a smaller broadcaster.
Protest rallies held in Brazil's major cities:
Demonstrations against rising costs of public transport and 2014 World Cup reflect anger over government policies.
Fracking ignites fights over water in drought-stricken regions:
US states suffering a drought are facing a dire water crisis exacerbated by hydraulic fracturing. The procedure consumes vast amounts of water, which has driven up prices and depleted certain aquifers and rivers.
Police At DUI Checkpoint "Unloading like Super Trigger Happy...Just Blasting this Car to Pieces":
"Every cop turned around and started unloading like super trigger happy as if their training was coming into full effect and they were being able to utilize it," said [Jared] Cleerdin. "Everybody was just blasting this car to pieces. It was absolutely terrifying."
Philadelphia Parents, Lunchroom Staff Begin Fast for Safe Schools:
A group of Philadelphia public school parents and lunchroom staff today launched a fast for safe schools. The elimination of more than 1,200 student safety staff from schools across the district, including those on the federal "persistently dangerous" schools list, places Philadelphia's students in danger.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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