Post by Michael James Stone on Sept 10, 2012 6:42:47 GMT -8
10 Sep 12
Iran decries Canada’s ‘extremist government’
Iran on Monday said Canada had a “neo-conservative extremist government” as it kept up a furious response to Ottawa’s decision last week to cut diplomatic ties. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi used that description in an interview with the Iranian parliament’s website in which he also said the Canadian government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper was “boundlessly defending international Zionism.”
Clinton: US ‘not setting deadlines’ for Iran
"We’re convinced that we have more time to focus on these sanctions," says US secretary of state, adding that negotiations are "by far the best approach" to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.-PM Binyamin Netanyahu said last week the sanctions aren’t slowing Iran’s nuclear advances “because it doesn’t see a clear red line from the international community.”
America in Bible Prophecy
“This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come” – and then I would describe the prevailing moral state of the world’s most Christian nation. I wouldn’t describe the moral state of the whole world, since the moral state of the whole world, apart from Christ, has remained unchanged since Adam. I’d describe a primarily Christian people in what is recognized as a primarily Christian nation -- one whose moral state was in obvious and discernible deterioration from a less immoral state.
A message of peace for Middle East during Pope’s visit to Lebanon
“The commitment to dialogue and reconciliation must be a priority for all parties involved, and it must be supported by the international community, which increasingly recognises the importance to the world of lasting peace and sustainable development throughout the region” Pope Benedict told worshippers during an address in Gandolfo, Italy.
Vietnam hit by new ‘highly-toxic’ bird flu
The strain appeared to be a mutation of the H5N1 virus which swept through the country’s poultry flocks last year, forcing mass culls of birds in affected areas, according to agriculture officials. The new virus “is quickly spreading and this is the big concern of the government”, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said, according to a Thursday report in the VietnamNet online newspaper. Experts cited in the report said the new virus appeared in July and had spread through Vietnam’s northern and central regions in August.
Earthquakes hit Kuril Islands
On Sunday, two earthquakes hit Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East. The first quake of 5.6 point magnitude on the Richter scale was recorded near the island of Paramushir, says seismological station in the city of Severo-Kurilsk. Glass-ware ringed in cupboards for ten seconds, and ceiling lamps rocked. The second earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 points in Richter scale took place in the deep-water Kurilo-Kamchatka trench. The epicenter was located 270 kilometers east of the city of Kurilsk on the island of Iturup.
Giant 'balloon of magma' inflates under Santorini
The growth of this 'balloon' of magma has seen the surface of the island rise 8-14 centimetres during this period, a team led by Oxford University scientists has found. The results come from an expedition, funded by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council, which used satellite radar images and Global Positioning System receivers (GPS) that can detect movements of the Earth's surface of just a few millimetres. The findings are helping scientists to understand more about the inner workings of the volcano which had its last major explosive eruption 3,600 years ago, burying the islands of Santorini under metres of pumice. However, it still does not provide an answer to the biggest question of all: 'when will the volcano next erupt?'
Practical transhumanism: five living cyborgs
Many people who could technically be labelled part-cybernetic, part-organic, have become so as the result of complex medical procedures, usually stemming from medical necessity. Some, however, chose to grant themselves cyborg status in the name of scientific advancement.
IMF chief Lagarde highlights perils of US fiscal cliff
... the head of the International Monetary Fund said the US tax increases and spending cuts that come into effect in the new year, were one of the largest risks to the global economy. She also named the eurozone crisis and medium-term public financing, as the two other greatest risk factors.
Syria transferred chemical weapons to port city last month, raising alarm bells, report says
The Syrian regime transferred chemical weapons from a storage base near Damascus to the port city of Tartus last month, sparking American and European concerns that the weapons could fall into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon or other extremist organizations inside Syria, Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai reported Sunday
Thousands of Greeks protest against new round of austerity cuts
Thousands of Greeks marched at an annual fair in Greece's second-biggest city on Saturday to protest against a new round of wage and pension cuts demanded by international lenders in exchange for aid to stave off bankruptcy. The demonstration by about 15,000 trade unionists and leftists was the first major protest against a nearly 12-billion-euro austerity package being readied by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras...
FCC backpedals from Internet tax
The Federal Communications Commission is rapidly backpedalling from a proposal to tax broadband Internet service after a public outcry over the issue. Democrats and Republicans at the agency are now blaming each other for pushing the idea in the first place.
Iraq blasts kill 100 as fugitive VP gets death sentence
Car bombs tore through mainly Shi'ite Baghdad districts on Sunday after Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi was sentenced to death, as more than 100 people were killed across the country in one of the bloodiest days this year. Hashemi's sentencing in absentia and the violence threatened to further stoke sectarian tensions in Iraq where a Shi'ite-led government is battling political deadlock and a Sunni Islamist insurgency nine months after U.S. troops left.
Experts: Israel could send Iran back to Stone Age
According to the Sunday morning report, the Jewish state could cripple the Islamic Republic's power grid with electromagnetic pulses as part of a concerted attack to halt Iran's military nuclear program, which could "send Iran back to the Stone Age."
Ahmadinejad to address UN on Yom Kippur
A PR duel will be in two and a half weeks during the United Nations General Assembly discussions in New York between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian leader is expected to address the GA on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, while Netanyahu will speak the next day after arriving in the United States.
Afghanistan: US hands over controversial Bagram jail
The US military has handed control of a controversial prison housing more than 3,000 Taliban fighters and terrorism suspects to the Afghan authorities. In a small ceremony, Afghan officials said inmates had been transferred to their authority. The move is part of a deal to transfer all Afghan prisons back to local control ahead of the withdrawal of Nato forces at the end of 2014.
Kosovo to Serbia: Time to face reality
Kosovo's foreign minister has said the end of supervised independence should make Serbia realise it can never divide Kosovo or get it back. Speaking to EUobserver from Pristina on Sunday (9 September), ahead of solemnities to end supervised rule on Monday, Enver Hoxhaj said the "historic day" will make Kosovo "a more sovereign nation."
Yadlin: Israel will need world, US after strike on Iran
Deploying military force against Iranian nuclear sites too early or without the United States' approval could ultimately be detrimental in preventing an Iranian bomb, former head of Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said Monday. "If we get to the junction where we have to choose between a bomb and bombing, I am of the opinion that bombing is less of a strategic threat," Yadlin said...
Afghanistan: US hands over controversial Bagram jail
The US military has handed control of a controversial prison housing more than 3,000 Taliban fighters and terrorism suspects to the Afghan authorities. In a small ceremony, Afghan officials said inmates had been transferred to their authority. The move is part of a deal to transfer all Afghan prisons back to local control ahead of the withdrawal of Nato forces at the end of 2014.
Congress Returns for Short Pre-Election Session
When lawmakers return to Washington on Monday, they face big issues, including taxes, spending cuts and the prospect of a debilitating "fiscal cliff" in January. Yet Congress is expected to do what it often does best: punt problems to the future.
Power failure darkens extensive area across Cuba
A large swath of Cuba was plunged into darkness on Sunday night in a widespread power failure, the cause of which was not disclosed. Electricity went out from the city of Ciego de Avila in southeastern Cuba all the way to Havana, 250 miles to the northwest, and beyond to the westernmost province of Pinar del Rio.
Hong Kong pro-democracy parties gain support but edged out by pro-Beijing rivals in key vote
Pro-democratic parties in Hong Kong were edged out by well-funded, pro-Beijing rivals in key legislative elections, but they kept their veto power over any constitutional changes proposed by the government.
Chicago teachers to strike for 1st time in 25 years
Chicago public school teachers will strike for the first time in a quarter century on Monday after they failed to reach agreement with the nation's third-largest school district over education reforms sought by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Obama narrowly outraises Romney in August
President Barack Obama narrowly outraised Mitt Romney in August, raising more than $114 million compared to Romney's $112 million.
Iran decries Canada’s ‘extremist government’
Iran on Monday said Canada had a “neo-conservative extremist government” as it kept up a furious response to Ottawa’s decision last week to cut diplomatic ties. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi used that description in an interview with the Iranian parliament’s website in which he also said the Canadian government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper was “boundlessly defending international Zionism.”
Clinton: US ‘not setting deadlines’ for Iran
"We’re convinced that we have more time to focus on these sanctions," says US secretary of state, adding that negotiations are "by far the best approach" to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.-PM Binyamin Netanyahu said last week the sanctions aren’t slowing Iran’s nuclear advances “because it doesn’t see a clear red line from the international community.”
America in Bible Prophecy
“This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come” – and then I would describe the prevailing moral state of the world’s most Christian nation. I wouldn’t describe the moral state of the whole world, since the moral state of the whole world, apart from Christ, has remained unchanged since Adam. I’d describe a primarily Christian people in what is recognized as a primarily Christian nation -- one whose moral state was in obvious and discernible deterioration from a less immoral state.
A message of peace for Middle East during Pope’s visit to Lebanon
“The commitment to dialogue and reconciliation must be a priority for all parties involved, and it must be supported by the international community, which increasingly recognises the importance to the world of lasting peace and sustainable development throughout the region” Pope Benedict told worshippers during an address in Gandolfo, Italy.
Vietnam hit by new ‘highly-toxic’ bird flu
The strain appeared to be a mutation of the H5N1 virus which swept through the country’s poultry flocks last year, forcing mass culls of birds in affected areas, according to agriculture officials. The new virus “is quickly spreading and this is the big concern of the government”, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said, according to a Thursday report in the VietnamNet online newspaper. Experts cited in the report said the new virus appeared in July and had spread through Vietnam’s northern and central regions in August.
Earthquakes hit Kuril Islands
On Sunday, two earthquakes hit Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East. The first quake of 5.6 point magnitude on the Richter scale was recorded near the island of Paramushir, says seismological station in the city of Severo-Kurilsk. Glass-ware ringed in cupboards for ten seconds, and ceiling lamps rocked. The second earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 points in Richter scale took place in the deep-water Kurilo-Kamchatka trench. The epicenter was located 270 kilometers east of the city of Kurilsk on the island of Iturup.
Giant 'balloon of magma' inflates under Santorini
The growth of this 'balloon' of magma has seen the surface of the island rise 8-14 centimetres during this period, a team led by Oxford University scientists has found. The results come from an expedition, funded by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council, which used satellite radar images and Global Positioning System receivers (GPS) that can detect movements of the Earth's surface of just a few millimetres. The findings are helping scientists to understand more about the inner workings of the volcano which had its last major explosive eruption 3,600 years ago, burying the islands of Santorini under metres of pumice. However, it still does not provide an answer to the biggest question of all: 'when will the volcano next erupt?'
Practical transhumanism: five living cyborgs
Many people who could technically be labelled part-cybernetic, part-organic, have become so as the result of complex medical procedures, usually stemming from medical necessity. Some, however, chose to grant themselves cyborg status in the name of scientific advancement.
IMF chief Lagarde highlights perils of US fiscal cliff
... the head of the International Monetary Fund said the US tax increases and spending cuts that come into effect in the new year, were one of the largest risks to the global economy. She also named the eurozone crisis and medium-term public financing, as the two other greatest risk factors.
Syria transferred chemical weapons to port city last month, raising alarm bells, report says
The Syrian regime transferred chemical weapons from a storage base near Damascus to the port city of Tartus last month, sparking American and European concerns that the weapons could fall into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon or other extremist organizations inside Syria, Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai reported Sunday
Thousands of Greeks protest against new round of austerity cuts
Thousands of Greeks marched at an annual fair in Greece's second-biggest city on Saturday to protest against a new round of wage and pension cuts demanded by international lenders in exchange for aid to stave off bankruptcy. The demonstration by about 15,000 trade unionists and leftists was the first major protest against a nearly 12-billion-euro austerity package being readied by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras...
FCC backpedals from Internet tax
The Federal Communications Commission is rapidly backpedalling from a proposal to tax broadband Internet service after a public outcry over the issue. Democrats and Republicans at the agency are now blaming each other for pushing the idea in the first place.
Iraq blasts kill 100 as fugitive VP gets death sentence
Car bombs tore through mainly Shi'ite Baghdad districts on Sunday after Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi was sentenced to death, as more than 100 people were killed across the country in one of the bloodiest days this year. Hashemi's sentencing in absentia and the violence threatened to further stoke sectarian tensions in Iraq where a Shi'ite-led government is battling political deadlock and a Sunni Islamist insurgency nine months after U.S. troops left.
Experts: Israel could send Iran back to Stone Age
According to the Sunday morning report, the Jewish state could cripple the Islamic Republic's power grid with electromagnetic pulses as part of a concerted attack to halt Iran's military nuclear program, which could "send Iran back to the Stone Age."
Ahmadinejad to address UN on Yom Kippur
A PR duel will be in two and a half weeks during the United Nations General Assembly discussions in New York between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian leader is expected to address the GA on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, while Netanyahu will speak the next day after arriving in the United States.
Afghanistan: US hands over controversial Bagram jail
The US military has handed control of a controversial prison housing more than 3,000 Taliban fighters and terrorism suspects to the Afghan authorities. In a small ceremony, Afghan officials said inmates had been transferred to their authority. The move is part of a deal to transfer all Afghan prisons back to local control ahead of the withdrawal of Nato forces at the end of 2014.
Kosovo to Serbia: Time to face reality
Kosovo's foreign minister has said the end of supervised independence should make Serbia realise it can never divide Kosovo or get it back. Speaking to EUobserver from Pristina on Sunday (9 September), ahead of solemnities to end supervised rule on Monday, Enver Hoxhaj said the "historic day" will make Kosovo "a more sovereign nation."
Yadlin: Israel will need world, US after strike on Iran
Deploying military force against Iranian nuclear sites too early or without the United States' approval could ultimately be detrimental in preventing an Iranian bomb, former head of Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said Monday. "If we get to the junction where we have to choose between a bomb and bombing, I am of the opinion that bombing is less of a strategic threat," Yadlin said...
Afghanistan: US hands over controversial Bagram jail
The US military has handed control of a controversial prison housing more than 3,000 Taliban fighters and terrorism suspects to the Afghan authorities. In a small ceremony, Afghan officials said inmates had been transferred to their authority. The move is part of a deal to transfer all Afghan prisons back to local control ahead of the withdrawal of Nato forces at the end of 2014.
Congress Returns for Short Pre-Election Session
When lawmakers return to Washington on Monday, they face big issues, including taxes, spending cuts and the prospect of a debilitating "fiscal cliff" in January. Yet Congress is expected to do what it often does best: punt problems to the future.
Power failure darkens extensive area across Cuba
A large swath of Cuba was plunged into darkness on Sunday night in a widespread power failure, the cause of which was not disclosed. Electricity went out from the city of Ciego de Avila in southeastern Cuba all the way to Havana, 250 miles to the northwest, and beyond to the westernmost province of Pinar del Rio.
Hong Kong pro-democracy parties gain support but edged out by pro-Beijing rivals in key vote
Pro-democratic parties in Hong Kong were edged out by well-funded, pro-Beijing rivals in key legislative elections, but they kept their veto power over any constitutional changes proposed by the government.
Chicago teachers to strike for 1st time in 25 years
Chicago public school teachers will strike for the first time in a quarter century on Monday after they failed to reach agreement with the nation's third-largest school district over education reforms sought by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Obama narrowly outraises Romney in August
President Barack Obama narrowly outraised Mitt Romney in August, raising more than $114 million compared to Romney's $112 million.