05 Feb 10

Humboldt County Earthquake: Quake struck Coast of Northern California with 6.0 Magnitude
First it was Haiti that was hit by a Massive Earthquake followed by Cayman Islands, Guatemala and Solomon Islands. Now news comes in that an Earthquake with a Magnitude of 6.0 has struck the Humboldt County, California at 12:20 PM.  

Dalai Lama to visit White House 'later this month'
The Dalai Lama will be welcomed at the White House later this month despite China's anger at the Tibetan spiritual leader's planned meeting with President Barack Obama, an official said Thursday.  

"Big Bang" collider may reveal mystery particle
"If it is there, we have a reasonable chance of seeing it," said Gillies, referring to the particle which Scots physicist Peter Higgs said three decades ago would explain how matter came together and created the universe and everything in it.  

'Iran will be judged by actions'
“For the past two years, Iran has repeatedly bluffed and played tricks … it has played for time,” he said, stressing that “we in the international community cannot accept a nuclear-armed Iran.”  

Police want backdoor to Web users' private data
Anyone with an e-mail account likely knows that police can peek inside it if they have a paper search warrant. But cybercrime investigators are frustrated by the speed of traditional methods of faxing, mailing, or e-mailing companies these documents. They're pushing for the creation of a national Web interface linking police computers with those of Internet and e-mail providers so requests can be sent and received electronically.  

Google to enlist NSA to help it ward off cyberattacks
The world's largest Internet search company and the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization are teaming up in the name of cybersecurity. Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer networks, according to cybersecurity experts familiar with the matter.  

India forms new climate change body
The Indian government has established its own body to monitor the effects of global warming because it “cannot rely” on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the group headed by its own Nobel prize-winning scientist Dr R.K Pachauri. The move is a significant snub to both the IPCC and Dr Pachauri as he battles to defend his reputation following the revelation that his most recent climate change report included false claims that most of the Himalayan glaciers would melt away by 2035.  

Al Franken lays into David Axelrod over health care bill
Sen. Al Franken ripped into White House senior adviser David Axelrod this week during a tense, closed-door session with Senate Democrats. Five sources who were in the room tell POLITICO that Franken criticized Axelrod for the administration’s failure to provide clarity or direction on health care and the other big bills it wants Congress to enact.  

Is US bullying Toyota on recall?
...Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood sat down with reporters Wednesday to lay out a timeline of how US officials had "pushed Toyota to take corrective actions" on its pedal problems since 2007. The meeting came a day after he issued a statement accusing the Japanese automaker of dragging its feet on recalling vehicles in danger of sudden, unintended acceleration due to pedals which could get trapped under floor mats or become "sticky."  

Asian shares tumble on European debt concerns
Asian shares have fallen heavily as concerns about government debt levels in some European countries continue to hit global stock markets. Japan's Nikkei index slumped almost 3%, while stock markets in Hong Kong, Korea and China all fell sharply. On Thursday, the leading US Dow Jones index dropped 2.6%, while key European markets lost more than 2%.  

China to put duties on US chicken imports
China is to enforce anti-dumping duties on US chicken imports, accusing American poultry firms of exporting the meat at unfairly low prices. In just the latest in a series of trade disputes between the two countries, China's Commerce Department said the tariffs will start from 13 February. China launched an investigation into US chicken in September, a day after the US put tariffs on Chinese tyres.  

Clinton calls parliament chief over bank data deal
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has called EU parliament chief Jerzy Buzek to voice concern over a vote due next Thursday in which MEPs could scrap a deal allowing American investigators to track down terrorist funding via European bank transactions. Ms Clinton's late-night phonecall to Mr Buzek comes on top of other efforts by the US administration to try and convince EU lawmakers not to reject the agreement.  

Romania to host new version of US missile shield
Romania on Thursday announced it had agreed to the new US anti-missile defence shield envisaged by the Obama administration after scrapping initial plans in Poland and the Czech Republic. In a brief statement, Romanian President Traian Basescu said the country's top security body had accepted Mr Obama's invitation to host parts of the American anti-missile defence shield.  

Frustration in Damascus
Bashar Assad understands the price he and the ruling Alawite minority would have to pay, in a country that is 74 percent Sunni, for a genuine peace with Israel. That is why in this week’s New Yorker, Assad frankly told Seymour Hersh that even if Syria regained the entire Golan, Israel, “cannot expect me to give them the peace they expect.”  

Iran: Moscow gave missile reassurance
Russia has assured Iran that it still intends to deliver long-range air-defense missiles, the Iranian ambassador in Moscow said Thursday. Russian news agencies cited Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi as saying, "Our Russian colleagues have assured us that they will meet their obligations." A Kremlin spokesman declined to comment. Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the S-300 missile complex, but so far has not delivered.  

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04 Feb 10

Israel warns Syria it would lose future war
Israel's outspoken foreign minister harshly warned Syria Thursday against drawing the Jewish state into another war, saying the Syrian army would be defeated and its regime would collapse in a future conflict. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also advised Syria to abandon its dreams of recovering the Israeli-held Golan Heights in a speech that ratcheted up simmering political tensions between the two longtime foes and sparked an urgent damage control campaign from the prime minister's office.  

North Korean Weapons Bound For Iran Seized In Thailand
A large shipment of North Korean weapons seized here in December was bound for an airport in Iran, according to a Thai government report submitted to the United Nations and leaked to news agencies.-According to Bloomberg News, which obtained a copy of the Thai government report, the cargo was destined for Mahrabad Airport in Tehran. The shipper was listed as Korea Mechanical Industry Co. A U.N. Security Council committee is assessing the Thai report and is drafting letters that will be sent to North Korea and other governments requesting further information, according to the diplomats quoted by Bloomberg. The committee will report on the case to the full Security Council on Feb. 11.  

Obama keeps N. Korea off terror sponsor list
President Barack Obama said Wednesday he had decided not to reinstate nuclear-armed North Korea to a list of countries that the United States considers state sponsors of terrorism. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last June had raised the possibility of returning North Korea to the list in reaction to recent nuclear and missile tests. Several Republican senators had been demanding such a move.  

Next in Line for a Bailout: Social Security
Don't look now. But even as the bank bailout is winding down, another huge bailout is starting, this time for the Social Security system. A report from the Congressional Budget Office shows that for the first time in 25 years, Social Security is taking in less in taxes than it is spending on benefits.  

Greek strike deepens debt crisis fears
Stock markets sank Thursday in Greece, Portugal and Spain amid worries over the European Union's debt woes, with Greek customs and tax officials walking off the job in opposition to cutbacks aimed at digging the government out of a budget crisis that has shaken the entire EU.  

Famine, War, and Genocide in India
[A body mass index] below 18.5 is regarded as chronic subnutrition. 33% of our adult population, one third of the country, have a body mass index below 18.5. For me this is a shocking figure... We find that, in the scheduled tribes, more than 50% of the people have a body mass index below 18.5. Among the scheduled castes, more than 60% of our people have a body mass index below 18.5. The World Health Organization says that if in any community more than 40% of the people have a body mass index of below 18.5, that community can justifiably be regarded as being in a state of famine.  

Russia says Hamas leader Meshaal to visit Moscow
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal will visit Russia next week for talks on ending a Palestinian split and bringing about a resumption of peace talks with Israel, the Russian government said on Thursday. Hamas, which is backed by Syria and Iran, has been shunned by the West over the Islamist group's refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals. "The main topic that will be discussed is the way to end the Palestinian divisions and how to resume the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told reporters in Moscow.  

Iranian FM says any threat against Turkey considered threat against Iran
Iranian FM says any threat against Turkey considered threat against Iran Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday that a threat against Turkey would amount to a threat against Iran and vice versa, Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Motaki held a press conference after holding a meeting in Ankara.-Motaki said there was a great cooperation in several areas between Turkey and Iran, noting that the two countries had a common point of view regarding security issues in the region. He added that any threat to the security of Iran amounts to a threat to the security of Turkey.  

Israel FM to Syrian President: If you declare war on Israel, you, your family will lose your reign
Minister Lieberman was referring to a comment made yesterday by the Syrian President that Israel is not serious about its intentions to make peace with Damascus as evidenced by "its conduct which is leading the region to war." Lieberman declared that Assad's statement had 'crossed a red line'. "We heard Defense Minister [Ehud] Barak's sincere call for peace with Syria, and we have now received Syria's answer. Whoever thinks territorial concessions will disconnect Damascus from the Axis of Evil is wrong," Lieberman asserted.  

Holder sued over 'Hate Crimes Act'
According to the TMLC attorney, this law criminalizes those who speak out against homosexuality based on biblical principles and violates the plaintiffs' rights to freedom of speech, expressive association, and exercise of free religion as protected by the First Amendment.  

Ouija board a controversial toy for tots
"We're supposed to deal with the truth only," he notes. "We're supposed to have nothing to do with dark spirits. We're not supposed to dabble in anything that would compromise our souls, and that's exactly what this does."  

Brits 'waking up' to Islamic influence
the British government is finally starting to take steps to stem the tide of Islamic expansion that has led to home-grown anti-Semitism, much of which has been driven by radical Islam.  

We need a new capitalism to take on China
If the West isn’t to slide into irrelevance, governments must be much more active in taking control of the economy.  

Analysis: Israel joining the EU? Words, words, words
They clapped even though they know that this will probably never happen, not only because the EU is not all that interested in our membership, but also because we don’t necessarily want to join that club.  

FM: If Syria provokes Israel, Assad will be out of power
Lieberman warned Assad that in an event of war with Israel, "not only will you lose the war, you and your family will no longer be in power."