Hard News
Afghanistan: 50 "Armed Insurgents" Killed:
A commander of national army forces in Nangarhar contacting BNA said, in this operation nearly 50 insurgents including Pakistani Taliban were killed and 50 others were arrested by Afghan and foreign forces.
20 people killed in Afghanistan:
At least 18 Taliban militants and two policemen were killed when insurgents attacked a police checkpoint in northern Afghanistan, police said on Saturday.
Suicide Bombers, Gunmen Kill 23 In Iraq Attacks:
A suicide bombing inside a Shiite mosque during evening prayers and other attacks north of Baghdad killed 23 people in Iraq on Saturday, as officials announced preliminary results for local elections in two provinces that showed the bloc of the country's speaker of parliament in the lead.
Intense fighting in Damascus, Aleppo:
Syria's army on Saturday pressed a fierce assault launched four days ago against rebel areas in northern and eastern Damascus, killing three children with mortar fire, a monitoring group said.
"Friends" of Syria agree to supply urgent rebel "aid":
Ministers from the 11 core members of the Friends of Syria group agreed "to provide urgently all the necessary materiel and equipment to the opposition on the ground", according to a statement released at the end of their meeting in Qatar.
Washington Post: Chemical Weapons Claims in Syria Unreliable :
Chemical weapons claimsDespite months of laboratory testing and scrutiny by top U.S. scientists, the Obama administration's case for arming Syria's rebels rests on unverifiable claims that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people, according to diplomats and experts.
Deputy Leader of Syrian Journalists' Union:
Iraqi Plants Producing Chemical Arms for Rebels: Vice-Chairman of the Syrian Journalists' Union Mostafa Meqdad said that chemical plants in Iraq are producing chemical weapons for the terrorists in Syria, confirming the remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin who had revealed the involvement of certain groups in Iraq in the production of such weapons.
No good guys among Syrian rebels - Paulo Sergio Pinheiro:
It is impossible to choose unequivocally good guys among the groups of Syrian rebels and send weapons to them. This warning was voiced by chairman of the UN independent panel investigating possible violations of human rights in Syria Paulo Sergio Pinheiro on Friday.
Obama: 'U.S. Forces Recently Deployed to Jordan':
"At the request of the Government of Jordan, a combat-equipped detachment of approximately 700 of these forces remained in Jordan after the conclusion of the exercise to join other U.S. forces already in Jordan," Obama writes.
Jordan says it hosts 900 US military personnel:
The first Jordanian public official to speak publicly of the numbers of US troops in the kingdom, Abdullah Ensour told reporters on Saturday that 200 of the personnel were experts training for how to handle a chemical attack. He said the remaining 700 are manning a Patriot missile defence system and F-16 fighter jets
Amman denies CIA training Syria rebels in Jordan:
On Friday the Los Angeles Times reported that the Central Intelligence Agency and US special forces have been training Syrian rebels at a new US base in the desert in southwest Jordan since November
Hamas executes two Israel 'collaborators' in Gaza:
Hamas hanged two men accused of collaborating with Israel on Saturday, a statement from the interior ministry of the Islamist movement's government in the Gaza Strip said.
Turkish protesters accused of terror links:
Government says demonstrators working for 'terrorist' group, as fresh protest begins in Taksim Square.
Assemblies emerging in Turkey: a lesson in democracy: Op-Ed:
The protesters are starting to counter-pose their own direct democracy to the sham of a democracy proposed by Erdogan's authoritarian neoliberal state.
Obama administration charges NSA whistleblower Snowden with espionage:
US federal prosecutors have charged whistleblower Edward Snowden with espionage, theft and conversion of government property in a criminal complaint, and asked Hong Kong to detain him ahead of a move to extradite him.
Edward Snowden extradition attempts 'could take years':
Hong Kong legal experts say US could face lengthy diplomatic and legal process to try NSA whistleblower in American court
Iceland-Bound Jet for Edward Snowden 'Could Take Off Tomorrow':
An Icelandic businessman is offering to transport Edward Snowden to the island nation aboard a chartered jet if Iceland's government grants asylum to the man who exposed the National Security Agency's massive harvesting of Internet and phone records.
White House Petition To Pardon Edward Snowden Passes 100,000:
A petition filed on the White House's website to pardon Edward Snowden passed more than 100,000 signatures on Saturday, a day after news broke that the whistle-blower was charged by the federal government.
Leaked NSA Doc Says It Can Collect And Keep Your Encrypted Data As Long As It Takes To Crack It:
If you use privacy tools, according to the apparent logic of the National Security Agency, it doesn't much matter if you're a foreigner or an American: Your communications are subject to an extra dose of surveillance.
How does GCHQ's internet surveillance work?:
Learn more about the system for collecting content and metadata, and what GCHQ can do with it
GCHQ and security services 'need parliamentary oversight':
The shadow foreign secretary has called for parliamentary and ministerial oversight into the work of GCHQ and other intelligence agencies, over surveillance of electronic communications.
Revealed: The Story Behind the "NATO 3" Domestic Terrorism Arrests:
Accused of domestic terrorism in the course of the Chicago NATO summit, Brian Church, Brent Betterly and Jared Chase were arguably victims of police entrapment and the use of "Red Squad" tactics the Chicago police were formerly enjoined from employing.
MoD serves news outlets with D notice over surveillance leaks:
BBC and other media groups issued with D notice to limit publication of information that could 'jeopardise national security'. Editors were asked not to publish information that may "jeopardise both national security and possibly UK personnel" in the warning issued on 7 June, a day after the Guardian first revealed details of the National Security Agency's (NSA) secret Prism programme.
Amerian Gulag: US steps up efforts to break Guantánamo hunger strike:
Increasingly brutal tactics are being used in an attempt to break the hunger strike by detainees at Guantánamo Bay, according to fresh testimony from the last British resident still held in the camp.
Documents Show FBI Monitored Mexican Author, Carlos Fuentes:
The FBI and the U.S. State Department closely monitored Mexican author Carlos Fuentes for more than two decades because he was considered a communist and a sympathizer of Cuba's Fidel Castro, recently released documents show.
Brazil protests: Dilma Rousseff unveils reforms:
In a televised address she said she would draft a new plan to benefit public transport and that all oil royalties would be used in education.
Analysis: After the Fed shock, markets set for more turmoil:
If that was the message Ben Bernanke was trying to deliver when he said the Federal Reserve could soon start scaling back its massive stimulus program for the U.S. economy, it's safe to say investors received it loud and clear.
U.S. Weighs Doubling Leverage Standard for Biggest Banks:
The standard would increase the amount of capital the lenders must hold to 6 percent of total assets, regardless of their risk, according to four people with knowledge of the talks. That's twice the level set by global banking supervisors.
World's largest Bitcoin exchange suspends US withdrawals:
For the next two weeks Bitcoin users in the US will be unable to withdraw the virtual currency in dollars. Major exchange Mt. Gox cited an unusually high demand as the reason for the suspension, while customers worried the company has run out of cash.
IRS Sent $46,378,040 in Refunds to 23,994 'Unauthorized' Aliens at 1 Atlanta Address:
That was not the only Atlanta address theoretically occupied by thousands of "unauthorized" alien workers receiving millions in federal tax refunds in 2011. In fact, The IRS sent 11,284 refunds worth a combined $2,164,976 to unauthorized alien workers at a second Atlanta address; 3,608 worth $2,691,448 to a third; and 2,386 worth $1,232,943 to a fourth.
Student Loan Proposal Would Avert Deadline, But Raise Borrowing Costs, Boosting Government Profit: -
Student borrowers and their families would pay more to finance college under a proposal pushed by a bipartisan group of senators, increasing the federal government's profits despite warnings over record student debt levels.
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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