03 Feb 12
Iranian Supreme Leader: U.S. will be overthrown, just like Soviet Union in due time
Khamenei stressed that "U.S., who threatens Iran with war, will eventually harm itself".
"If a war comes after all the threats, the U.S. will suffer ten times more," Khamenei said.
"The U.S. is weak, both politically and economically," Khamenei said. "Their political failures in Middle East, Palestine and Iraq prove it".
"The West threats Iran, while we have some threats of our own, and if necessary, we will reveal them, when the time is right," Khamenei said. "The U.S. will be overthrown, just like Soviet Union in due time".
Christians 'face deportation' in Saudi Arabia
Dozens of Ethiopian Christians are facing deportation from Saudi Arabia after authorities raided a private prayer service in Jeddah, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).Saudi Arabia officially bans the public practice of any religion other than Islam.
The kingdom said in 2006 that it would allow non-Muslims to practice their religions in private, but the kingdom's notorious religious police continue to periodically crack down on private services.
Magnitude 7.1 Vanuatu
A major earthquake struck near Vanuatu in the southwest Pacific Ocean early Friday morning local time 24 km (77 miles) west of Port-Vila, Efate, Vanuatu.
Cross-border methamphetamine trade booms amid Mexico's 'war on drugs'
The number of methamphetamine “super labs” seized by Mexican authorities has rocketed in the last five years but shipments of the drug across the border have also continued to grow, according to government statistics.
A white weekend in store! Four inches of snow to fall across Britain as mercury plummets to -10c
Snow will sweep the country this weekend as the Arctic freeze tightens its grip. Forecasters issued a nationwide cold weather alert, with temperatures expected to plunge as low as -10c (14f) from tonight.
Obama: Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy
Obama offered a new line of reasoning for hiking taxes on the rich on Thursday, saying at the National Prayer Breakfast that his policy proposals are shaped by his religious beliefs.
Old Jewish scrolls found in Afghanistan
A cache of ancient Jewish scrolls from northern Afghanistan that has only recently come to light is creating a storm among scholars who say the landmark find could reveal an undiscovered side of medieval Jewry.
Khamenei: Zionist regime is a cancer
"The Zionist regime is a cancerous tumor and it will be removed," Teheran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday.
Cold weather death toll passes 100 in Ukraine
More than 100 people have now died as a result of freezing weather in Ukraine since last Friday, the government has announced in Kiev.
Most of the 101 who died were homeless people and 64 of them were found dead on the streets, the emergencies ministry said.
Germany's Power 'Is Causing Fear' in Europe
The EU summit on Monday was overshadowed by a new upsurge in fears of German domination following reports over the weekend that Berlin was proposing dispatching an EU commissioner to Athens to seize control of the Greek budget.
China plants bitter seeds in South American farmland
Few were surprised when Venezuela announced a deal with China last week to restore 1.4 million acres of unproductive farmland across the oil-rich but impoverished South American nation.
China increasingly is buying farmland and agricultural companies in South America to feed its ever-growing population, currently estimated to be 1.34 billion.
Syria: Russia warns against crossing 'red line'
Russia warned Arab leaders against crossing a “red line” in trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and said it wasn’t the job of the United Nations to dictate who stays in power and who goes.
Palestinian Authority likely to welcome back Hamas
A Palestinian government that incorporates Hamas is likely to be formed this month, senior Palestinian officials told The Washington Times.
Nabil Shaath, Fatah’s commissioner of foreign relations, said late Wednesday that the agreement would be implemented “most likely by mid-February.”
Bankrupt American Airlines announces 13,000 job cuts
The parent company of bankrupt American Airlines has said it would slash 13,000 jobs around 15 per cent of its workforce - as part of a cost-cutting strategy necessary to compete with rivals.
AMR, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November, said Wednesday the lay off would reduce spending by $2 billion and raise revenue by $1 billion a year.
‘The Year of the Bible?’: Atheists Angry That PA Politician Thinks So
During a time when atheist groups are vehemently targeting any and all instances of faith and government intermingling, politicians in Pennsylvania have made a bold proclamation. Last week, the state’s House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution (H.R. 535) declaring 2012 the “Year of the Bible.”
This specific, Christian declaration is more symbolic than it is binding, but the official nature of the announcement is attracting attention.
Serbia: 11,000 trapped in remote villages by snow
At least 11,000 villagers have been trapped by heavy snow and blizzards in Serbia's mountains, authorities said Thursday, as the death toll from Eastern Europe's weeklong deep freeze rose to 123, many of them homeless people.
...The stranded in Serbia are stuck in some 6,500 homes in remote areas that cannot be reached due to icy, snow-clogged roads with banks reaching up to 5 meters (16 feet).
Contraception mandate outrages religious groups
The Obama administration's decision requiring church-affiliated employers to cover birth control was bound to cause an uproar among Roman Catholics and members of other faiths, no matter their beliefs on contraception.
The regulation, finalized a week ago, raises a complex and sensitive legal question: Which institutions qualify as religious and can be exempt from the mandate?
Jordan withdraws from Syria monitoring mission
Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said on Thursday that his country had withdrawn its monitors from the Arab League mission to Syria, saying the decision had been taken several days ago when the work of all monitors was suspended.
"There is no mission and we withdrew in conformity with the Arab League decision," Judeh told Reuters.
Report: Iran launches new satellite into orbit
Iran successfully launched a new small satellite into orbit early Friday, state media reported, the latest in the country's ambitious space program that has raised concerns because if its possible military applications.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called in to the launch site, saying he was
hopeful this act will send a signal of more friendship among all human beings," the state IRNA news agency reported.
Shin Bet chief: Iran trying to hit Israeli targets in response to attacks on nuclear scientists
Iran is trying to strike Israeli targets around the world in a bid to stop the assassinations of its nuclear scientists, the head of the Shin Bet security service, Yoram Cohen, said Thursday.
Lecturing at a closed forum in Tel Aviv, Cohen said that Iran believes Israel is behind the attacks on its nuclear experts, which have killed four scientists since November 2010.
Concerns grow over volcanic eruptions
...Two recent papers highlight the shift. One looked at a Death Valley volcano thought to be 10,000 years old and found it last erupted just 800 years ago, and is still an eruption danger. The other found that large caldera volcanoes, such as the one under Crater Lake in Oregon, can recharge in a matter of decades, rather than the thousands of years previously thought.
Ahmadinejad calls for new world order
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for a new world order of justice-seeking nations, to replace the existing Western-dominated liberal status quo.
President Ahmadinejad made the remarks at the inauguration ceremony of the 2nd International Conference on Hollywoodism and Cinema in Tehran on Thursday.
Cold weather death toll passes 100 in Ukraine
More than 100 people have now died as a result of freezing weather in Ukraine since last Friday, the government has announced in Kiev.
Most of the 101 who died were homeless people and 64 of them were found dead on the streets, the emergencies ministry said.
Hundreds of others have been treated in hospital for frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related conditions.
Deja vu as Russia gas cuts hit eight more EU countries
Eight EU countries have joined Italy in noting a sharp drop in Russian gas supplies, in events recalling the massive 2009 crunch.
Gazprom deliveries to Austria and Slovakia reportedly fell by 30 percent on Thursday (2 February). Shipments to Poland fell 7 percent and Czech distributor RWE Transgaz said deliveries are "several" percent lower than normal.
Khamenei warns over military strike, oil embargo threat
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday the Islamic Republic would not yield to international pressure to abandon its nuclear course, threatening retaliation for sanctions aimed at Iran's oil exports.
"Threatening Iran and attacking Iran will harm America ... Sanctions will not have any impact on our determination to continue our nuclear course ...
02 Feb 12
Risk of 'Accidental' Gulf War on the Rise
The Persian Gulf hasn't seen this kind of display of naval power since the final campaign against Saddam Hussein. Indeed, its size has prompted many to wonder whether it is merely posturing and bluffing or, rather, a sign of an upcoming fourth war in the Gulf.
US foresees May as tentative date for clash with Iran. Floating SEALs base for Gulf
A hurried decision not to de-commission the USS Ponce helicopter marine carrier after duty in Libya - but to refit it for deployment by May in the Persian Gulf as a floating base for commando teams - was confirmed by the US Pentagon and Navy Sunday, Dec. 29. This transportable floating base will expand the commandos' range in coastal areas and support counter-measure against mines which Iran has threatened to plant in the Strait of Hormuz in reprisal for the US-EU oil embargo. The SEALs will also take on Iran's menacing fleet of military speedboats.
What's erupting? Map of currently active volcanoes
Latest volcano news:
Erta Ale volcano (Danakil desert, Ethiopia) security update - volcano reopened for tour groups, Ethiopian government sends military to secure
Thursday, Feb 02, 2012
Ert Ale volcano, the site of the deadly terrorist attack 4 weeks ago, in which 5 people were killed, several wounded and 4 abducted, is now open for t... [more]
Cleveland volcano (Aleutian Islands): new activity of lava dome growth observed, AVO raises alert level
Wednesday, Feb 01, 2012
Cleveland Volcano (Aleutian Islands) is showing renewed activity, which was observed in satellite data, and AVO is raising the Aviation Color Code to ... [more]
Seismic activity in the Aegean Sea, Greece: earthquake swarm 50 km SW of Santorini Island decreases
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012
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VolcanoDiscovery Blog: Excursion to Santorini in February?
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When will the next eruption from Santorini volcano occur?
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El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands) eruption update: steaming lava balloons at surface, new insights from recent bathymetric studies
Monday, Jan 30, 2012
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Santorini volcano: seismic swarm 50 km to the SW continues, scientist admit it is no normal event, but claim it has nothing to do with the volcano
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Alaska volcano lava dome forms, alert level raised
The warning level for a remote Alaska volcano has been raised after a new lava dome began forming, indicating the mountain could explode and send up an ash cloud that could threaten aircraft.
Israel Vice PM: Military strike can hit all of Iran's nuclear facilities
All of Iran's nuclear faculties are vulnerable to a military strike, Vice Prime Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon said on Thursday, calling the potential of a nuclear Iran a "nightmare to the free world."
..."The Iranians believe that a determination isn’t still there, both in regards to military action and in regards to sanctions," Ya'alon said, adding that "any facility protected by humans can be infiltrated by humans. It's possible to strike all Iran's facilities, and I say that out of my experience as IDF chief of staff."
