Army offering bonuses as military prepares for more years of combat
The U.S. Army will be offering incentives to keep its midlevel officers as part of an effort to ensure the service is prepared to face another decade or so in persistent combat around the world, the Army chief of staff said Friday. Gen. George Casey, who took over as the Army's chief just a month ago, said the United States will "be in a period of conflict for, I believe, another five or 10 years."
Hamas TV defies gov't request, airs anti-Israel children's show
Hamas's television station defied the Palestinian government on Friday by airing a show featuring a Mickey Mouse look-alike that urges children to support armed resistance against Israel.
Olmert: Resigning would be display of irresponsibility
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Friday that he never intended to resign from his post in the wake of the damning report into the handling of the Second Lebanon War, and that "resignation would not be a display of responsible behavior, but rather of irresponsibility."
Siniora to Israel: Adopt Saudi peace plan, the only realistic path to peace
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora called on Israel Friday to adopt the Saudi peace initiative that calls for normalized ties between Israel and the Arab world in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.
U.S., Europe seek passenger data deal
The U.S. Homeland Security secretary met with top European security officials Saturday to work out the details of a new agreement to share airline passenger data for terrorism investigations.
11 killed ahead of rally in Pakistan
Clashes between rival parties killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens as Pakistan's political crisis descended into violence ahead of planned protests over President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's suspension of the chief justice.
Report finds billions in Iraqi oil missing
Billions of dollars' worth of Iraq's declared oil production over the past four years is unaccounted for, a US newspaper reports today.
Germany: 'Tension between IDF, UNIFIL'
In the past two weeks, three incidents have taken place in southern Lebanon between UNIFIL's (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) navy and IDF forces, a spokesperson for the German security forces in Lebanon said Friday evening.
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11 May 07
DNC chair Dean says party needs to invite young evangelical Christians
"We ought to reach out to those folks ... and not be afraid,'' "People don't want to go to church anymore ... and come out feeling bad because they happen to know somebody who's gay,'' he said. "People want to go to church because they know what they can do about poverty, about Darfur, about the environment.''
Jordan king warns of war if Arab plan fails
A failure of a recently revived Arab plan for peace with Israel could lead to a new conflict in the region, Jordan's King Abdullah II warned in an interview published on Thursday. "We warn against the eruption of a war in the region if progress is not achieved in the peace process," he told Egypt's top-selling government-owned newspaper Al-Ahram.
Arab League to talk peace in Jerusalem
An Arab League delegation, comprising the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, will visit Israel in the coming weeks to discuss the Arab peace initiative. The Arab League's decision to dispatch the team - a groundbreaking development in Arab-Israeli affairs - was made during Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's visit to Cairo yesterday.
Turkish Parliament approves law to have president elected by popular vote
The Turkish Parliament on Thursday approved a key constitutional amendment that would allow the people - rather than legislators - to elect the president. The Islamic-rooted government pushed for the amendment after opposition legislators boycotted a process to elect a new president over fears that the candidate, who had been chosen by the governing Islamic-rooted party, might increase the influence of religion on politics in this Muslim but secular country
Jerusalem Plans New Settlements in East
The Jerusalem municipality is advancing a plan to build three new Jewish neighborhoods that would connect the city's disputed eastern sector with West Bank settlement blocs, the Haaretz newspaper reported Thursday. The plan to build more than 20,000 apartments outraged Palestinians, who claim all of east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.
Top North Korea official holds talks in Iran
Iran yesterday said it was ready to step up cooperation and share technical know-how with fellow US foe North Korea, as a top official from the reclusive state held talks in Tehran, Iranian media reported. Iran's Vice President Parviz Davoudi said there was "no limit" to expanding ties with Pyongyang after holding talks with North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il.
Uruguay struck by worst floods in decades
Up to 110,000 people have been affected by the worst floods in Uruguay since 1959, with more torrential rain forecast, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported Friday. Some 12,000 people have been forced to leave their homes with this number expected to rise. Thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged.
Chavez presses allies to back Iran
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is encouraging his Latin American allies to expand ties with Iran, which is offering trade concessions and financial incentives and winning influence in the region. During two recent visits to Venezuela, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed more than $17 billion worth of economic agreements with Mr. Chavez.
Arabs don’t want to wipe Israel off map, Siniora says
In New York Times editorial Lebanese prime minister urges Jewish state to strive for comprehensive solution based on revived Arab peace initiative; says last summer’s war in Lebanon proved that ‘military action does not give the people of Israel security’
Russia, Kazakhstan agree to set up joint uranium enrichment center
Russia and Kazakhstan Thursday agreed to create a joint uranium enrichment center, which will supply nuclear fuel to third countries to generate energy.
Russia and Turkmenistan to build gas pipeline
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov in Ashgabat today. The meeting's agenda includes negotiations on cooperation between the two countries, carrying out large-scale investment and infrastructure projects by Russian businesses, as well as technical, military, cultural, and educational cooperation.
Suicide bomber hits foreign troops in Afghanistan
A suicide bomber rammed his car into a convoy of foreign troops in southeastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan on Friday, but there was no immediate word of any casualties, officials said.
German police in G8 protest raids
The prosecutor's office in the south-western city of Karlsruhe said: "The suspects linked to the militant, left-wing extremist scene are accused of founding or belonging to a terrorist organisation whose aim is to disrupt or prevent the upcoming G8 world economic summit."
Supporters of abortion have no future in Church, Pope tells faithful
A combative Pope Benedict XVI opened his trip to Brazil yesterday in no-holds-barred mood, vowing to stem the defections of Roman Catholics to evangelical Protestantism and giving a warning that the penalty for supporting abortion was excommunication.
Increasing number of rabbis are allowing Jews to enter Temple Mount
An increasing number of religious Zionist rabbis are allowing their followers to enter the Temple Mount, contrary to the religious consensus on the matter.
Hamas TV Refuses to Drop Mickey Mouse Jihad Show / additional reporting
His name is Farfur Mouse. He's cute, he's cuddly and he bears a striking example to our very own Mickey Mouse. Except Farfur encourages Palestinian preschoolers to annihilate the Jews. - - - watch the video - - -
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10 May 07
Christians use debate to offer proof of God
ABC broadcasts matchup with 'Rational Response Squad'
Starbucks markets more 'anti-God' coffee cups
Company welcomes national dialogue despite boycott threat by some patrons
Hezbollah Builds A Western Base
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia has taken root in South America, fostering a well-financed force of Islamist radicals boiling with hatred for the United States and ready to die to prove it, according to militia members, U.S. officials and police agencies across the continent.
U.S.Trade Deficit Shoots Up in March
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the gap between what the United States imports and what it sells to the rest of the world rose to $63.9 billion in March, up 10.4 percent from the February level.
China Warns Of More Typhoons, Floods, Drought
China is likely to be hit by more typhoons, floods and drought this year than at any time in the past decade because of global climate change, the China Daily reported on Thursday, citing a top meteorological official.
Six World Powers Meet Over Iran's Nuclear Defiance
Senior officials from six world powers met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss Iran's defiance of U.N. demands that it stop uranium enrichment work the West believes is at the centre of a secret atom-bomb plan.
10 May 07
Merkel's Chance To Move On The EU Constitution
Now that France has been to the polls, the battle over a new European constitution enters its decisive phase. The EU's current president, Angela Merkel, faces resistance to her plan to salvage the "substance" of the treaty -- but resistance is one thing she understands.
Putin Swipes At U.S. With Analogy To Nazis
President Vladimir Putin seemed to obliquely compare U.S. foreign policy to that of the Third Reich in a speech Wednesday commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany..
Tribal Leaders In Diyala Announce Alliance Against al-Qaeda
Arab tribesmen in Baquba have said they will form a tribal alliance to cleanse the Diyala province of foreign fighters and those of the al-Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq, pan- Arab al-Hayat newspaper reported Thursday.
Putin Starts C Asia Energy Tour
Russian President Vladimir Putin has started a week-long trip to Central Asia's two prime gas and oil exporters, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Extreme Weather, Fires Befall Nation
Nature's fury made life miserable Wednesday from one end of the nation to the other, with people forced out of their homes by wildfires near both coasts and the Canadian border and by major flooding in the Midwest. And although the calendar still said spring, the first named storm of the year was whipping up surf on the beaches of the Southeast.
Blair Set To Announce His Resignation
Tony Blair returned to his Parliamentary district Thursday to call an end to a decade in power by announcing his resignation as prime minister and leader of the Labour Party, his office and a party official confirmed.
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09 May 07
Sheik says it's OK to kill children in battle
MUSLIM leader has told his students that it is "obligatory" for all Muslims to engage in jihad if an Islamic country is under attack, even if it means killing the enemy's children.
Quran vs. Bible in North Carolina court
Lawsuit Argues Other Religious Texts Should Be Allowed Besides Bibles For Taking Oaths In Court
Earthquake hits near Sheridan, shakes up residents
HELENA - Students at Sheridan Elementary School were under their desks Tuesday morning, in some cases before teachers realized an earthquake was shaking the area, the school secretary said.
Chinese investors shrug off warning
China’s stock market brushed off a central bank warning about the danger of an asset bubble on Tuesday and rose to another record high in a sign of the government’s waning ability to control share prices.
regarding the Temple Mount
Concern has been raised in Israel that Islamic terrorists such as Hamas or Al-Qaeda may target the Muslim shrine of the Dome of the Rock or Al-Aksa Mosque, both of which sit atop the site of the Jewish Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Use this chance for peace, SA tells Israel
Israel should seize the opportunity presented by the united Arab peace initiative to begin "serious negotiations" to normalise its relations with the Palestinians, Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad said on Wednesday.
IAF Attacks Kassam Rocket Cell
Palestinian terrorists have fired two more Kassams, even as the IAF attacked a vehicle filled with the rockets.
French minister condemns anti-Sarkozy violence
"For the last three days, since the night of the election, we have had an unacceptable situation," said Interior Minister Francois Baroin, blaming the far-left for the violence.
Dell joins Microsoft and Novell in Linux pact
Microsoft Corp. said on Monday Dell Inc. had joined a business collaboration it had with Novell Inc. to allow open-source Linux software to work with Windows.
Christians, Atheists to Debate the Existence of God
Two Christian evangelists and two atheist activists are squaring off in a 90-minute debate about whether God really exists - in a program to be shown on the ABC News website Wednesday afternoon, and an abbreviated version of the event will be broadcast during that evening's edition of the network's "Nightline" series.
Major powers to discuss sanctions against Iran
Major powers will discuss on Wednesday imposing tougher U.N. sanctions against Iran unless it halts uranium enrichment work the West suspects is part of a secret program to build nuclear weapons.
Suicide truck bomber kills 19 in Iraq
A suicide truck bomb ripped through the Interior Ministry in the relatively peaceful Kurdish city of Irbil on Wednesday morning, killing at least 19 people and wounding 80, officials said. Kurdish officials blamed al-Qaida linked insurgents for the devastating attack.
Texans vote to add 'God' to state pledge
Bill sponsor says it reflects support for acknowledging heritage
U.S. Says Mexico Truck Program on Track
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A pilot program to allow Mexican trucks into all areas of the United States should be in place by July, a top U.S. trade official said Tuesday. Access to the U.S. by Mexican trucks has been delayed for years by safety and environmental concerns and resistance from U.S. truckers.
Students join 'North American Parliament'
Youth come from U.S., Canada, Mexico to train
Goodbye U.S. dollar, hello global currency
CFR chief: Monetary nationalism, sovereignty should be abandoned
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08 May 07
'Mickey Mouse' promotes jihad
Look-alike TV character teaches kids to fight for Islam's world domination
Jailed pastor 'waives' appeal rights
Friends worry government statement conceals case facts
Bush OKs 'integration' with European Union
Congress never asked about new obligation. - - - - - - - President Bush signed an agreement creating a "permanent body" that commits the U.S. to "deeper transatlantic economic integration," without ratification by the Senate as a treaty or passage by Congress as a law.
Iran accepts compromise at nuke meeting
Iran on Tuesday accepted a compromise on the agenda of a 130-nation nuclear conference, clearing the way for the meeting to approve it and end six days of deadlock that threatened to doom the gathering to failure.
'New dawn' hailed as Northern Ireland revives self-rule
Britain hailed a historic "new dawn" for Northern Ireland Tuesday, as former Catholic and Protestant rivals buried the hatchet to revive self-rule in the long-troubled British province.
PM, Abbas expected to meet soon amid claims of secret talks
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will shortly meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Olmert's office said Tuesday, a day after sources close to Olmert said that the two had been conducting secret talks.
Report: Hamas threatens to kill Schalit if IDF enters Gaza
Hamas's armed wing, Izzadin a-Kassam, has threatened to execute kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit if the army enters Gaza, Israel Radio reported on Tuesday.
A bonus for the Bush camp
The French have finally chosen. They've rejected socialist candidate Ségolène Royal who vowed that France would not go down on bended knee before George W. Bush, for Nicolas Sarkozy, a hardline right-winger who is proudly pro-American.