Saturday, January 2, 2010

AMERICANS NOT HOPEFUL

Scepticism over planned Myanmar polls (plus 49 more items)

Link to Rebel Newsflash

Scepticism over planned Myanmar polls

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 09:19 AM PST

One of the political events anticipated in 2010 is the elections promised by Myanmar's military government. The polls scheduled to take place later this year would be the first in decades. But while the military rulers say people will be allowed to have their say, many remain sceptical that the polls will pave the way to democracy and change. Steve Chao reports.

'Taliban poses no security threat to US'

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 09:08 AM PST

In an exclusive interview with Press TV, former CIA agent Ray McGovern said that the Taliban does not pose any threat to US national security.

In a reference to Wednesday's attack against a US military base in eastern Afghanistan which killed seven CIA operatives, McGovern said that the CIA operatives should not have been there because the Taliban do not pose any security threats to United States.

Despite Obama optimism, Americans are less hopeful

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

As President Barack Obama in his New Year message heralds of "brighter days" for the, a new poll suggests that the Americans are less hopeful about the future.

"This is always a hopeful time, as we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another," Obama said in a post on White House blog Thursday afternoon.

Gunfire reported at Sweden mosque

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

A gunman has fired at the main mosque in Sweden's city of Malmo, an eyewitness told Press TV Friday.

A group of Muslims were attending a religious meeting in the mosque when they heard a loud gunfire, the witness said.

Palestinians mark anniversary of war on Gaza

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

Hundreds of Palestinians, Israelis and peace activists have staged a rally across the Gaza Strip to mark the first anniversary of Israel's offensive in Gaza.

The Friday demonstrations was attended by tens of international delegates who managed to cross the Egyptian border into the blockaded coastal territory despite efforts by Cairo to stop them.

London witnesses anti-Egypt protest

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

At least 200 protestors gathered Friday outside the Egyptian Embassy in London after news spread that Gaza peace activists had been beaten by Egyptian police in Cairo.

The protest was organized by the British Muslim Initiative in association with the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.

Pakistan volleyball blast toll rises

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

A bomb attack on Friday targeted the venue of a volleyball game in the strife-torn northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens of others.

"At least 40 people have died and the toll is likely to rise," district police chief Mohammad Ayub Khan told AFP.

Iraq 'regrets' US court ruling on Blackwater

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

The Iraqi government on Friday expressed "regret" about a US court decision to dismiss all charges against Blackwater guards who killed 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007.

US District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina acquitted five members of Xe Services LLC, formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide, of manslaughter charges involving the killing of 17 people in Baghdad.

Iran cleric urges 'strong action against rioters'

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 08:08 AM PST

Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati on Friday called on the judiciary to deal much more strongly with rioters.

"The judiciary system should act with more speed in dealing with rioters [who took part in illegal rallies]," said Ayatollah Jannati, who led the Friday prayers in Tehran.

Pakistanis face risks for education

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 07:42 AM PST

Pakistan's government hailed its military campaign against fighters in the Swat valley as a great success. However, security forces remain on high alert with daily operations in the area. Al Jazeera's Imran Khan travelled to Mingora where some aspects of life are returning to normal.

Researchers: US Arms Used for War Crimes in Gaza

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 07:11 AM PST

Israel's repeated firing of US-made white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas of Gaza during its recent military campaign was indiscriminate and is evidence of war crimes, Human Rights Watch said in a report released March 25, 2009.

The seventy-one-page report, "Rain of Fire: Israel's Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza," provides witness accounts of the devastating effects that white phosphorus munitions had on civilians and civilian property in Gaza. Human Rights Watch researchers found spent shells, canister liners, and dozens of burnt felt wedges containing white phosphorus on city streets, apartment roofs, residential courtyards, and at a United Nations school in Gaza immediately after hostilities ended in January.

Two French journalists abducted near Kabul

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:37 AM PST

Two French journalists alongside three Afghans traveling with them have been kidnapped northeast of the Afghan capital, officials said Thursday.

The journalists were abducted in a district of Kapisa province, 120 km (75 miles) from Kabul. French Defense Minister Herve Morin, who is visiting the country, said he had no news of the journalists since Wednesday.

Egypt police injure 7 Gaza Freedom Marchers

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:37 AM PST

Seven protestors were injured as Egyptian plainclothes police turned violent at a Cairo street demonstration organized by peace activists.

Nearly a thousand Gaza Freedom Marchers, representing 42 different nationalities, brought the Egyptian capital to a standstill at one point when they sat down on a main road in Tahir Square, Press TV's Yvonne Ridley reported.

Pakistan blast turns volleyball game into bloodbath

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:37 AM PST

A bomb attack on Friday targeted the venue of a volleyball game in the strife-torn northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 25 people and wounding 50 others.

District police chief Mohammad Ayub Khan said the bombing occurred in the Banu district of the North West Frontier, AFP reported.

Yemen admits to receiving US military aid

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:37 AM PST

Yemen has admitted to receiving military aid from the United States, saying Washington is providing the Yemeni armed forces with war equipment and training.

"The United States helps Yemen train its counter-terrorism and coastguard forces and provide some military equipment," government spokesman Tariq al-Shami said on Friday.

Afghan tensions rise amid civilian and CIA deaths

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:20 AM PST

Afghanistan's government has stepped up its criticism over the number of Afghan civilians killed by Nato strikes. In the latest incident, eight people died in Helmand province and the government has demanded that foreign troops responsible for civilian deaths be handed over to Afghan authorities. The civilian deaths and political fallout come amid confirmation by the CIA that seven of its agents were killed in a suicide attack at a US base in Afghanistan the agency's worst one-day loss of ...

DRC refugees too scared to go home

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:20 AM PST

For the Democratic Republic of Congo, still gripped by war, there's little hope for much change in the coming year. The world's largest UN peacekeeping force of about 20000 troops is in the country but appears largely ineffective. Some say it is even made life worse for the population who have suffered attacks by both opposition and government forces. Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow is in Kiwanja, in North Kivu, where the fear of murder and rape is a daily reality.

Russia battling with alcohol abuse

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:20 AM PST

The Russian government has introduced a minimum price of about $3 a bottle for vodka as part of new year reforms aimed at curbing alcohol abuse among its vodka-loving population. The move is one of series of measures designed to tackle the problem but it appears old habits die hard. Neave Barker reports from Moscow.

Gift of Giving: Homeless gather for New Year party

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:10 AM PST

While many people celebrate New Years Eve with family and friends, there are those for whom the holiday is not that merry. There are almost three million homeless in Russia - making up 2% of the country's population.

War Love: Romeo & Juliet from Gaza

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 06:10 AM PST

A modern day Romeo and Juliet love story in Gaza proved that while the region's isolation and concurrent hardships do destroy lives, it does not destroy love, which survives whatever the cost.

America Needs Pakistan's Help Again - Part VI

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:38 AM PST

Mass media and popular culture are powerful tools of manipulation when wielded by those skilled at waging way by way of deception. When shaping the opinion of an unsuspecting public, the star power of military leaders and sports heroes is routinely appropriated.

That duplicity was on display in February 2003 when Colin Powell gave false testimony to the U.N. Security Council that helped launch the U.S.-led invasion of a Muslim nation. Similar duplicity was deployed in May 2005 when Pakistani cricket icon Imran Khan launched from Islamabad a false story that provoked outrage at the U.S. in Muslim nations.

Prof. Walid Khalidi: Speech at the Unted Nations on Occupied Jerusalem [Video]

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:38 AM PST

A Remarkable Speech to the United Nations on Occupied Jerusalem by Prof. Walid Khalidi. Prof. Walid Khalidi (born 1925 in Jerusalem) is an Oxford University-educated Palestinian historian who has written extensively on the Palestinian exodus. He is General Secretary and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies, established in Beirut in December 1963 as an independent research and publishing center focusing on the Palestinian problem and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Abbas: Israel planning to destabilize WB

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:36 AM PST

Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas says Israel is making efforts to ruin stability and security in the occupied West Bank.

Abbas also added that Tel Aviv is trying to sabotage Palestinian achievements.

2009, a grim year for journalists in Somalia, Mexico, RP

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:36 AM PST

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says Somalia, Mexico and the Philippines were the most dangerous countries for journalists and media correspondents in the past year.

In a recently-released report, the federation said a total of 137 journalists and media personnel were killed in 2009, making the year "one of the worst on record for the deliberate killing of reporters and media staff."

Warner Bros. sets box office record in '09

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:36 AM PST

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. amassed a worldwide box office total of $3.99 billion in 2009, positioning it to be Hollywood's top earning film studio.

That amount includes $2.13 billion domestically, which exceeds their own previous record of $1.79 billion from last year.

Israel: Slain Palestinians were supposed to be arrested

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:36 AM PST

Israeli officials have acknowledged that they had ordered soldiers to arrest the three Palestinians who were shot dead in Nablus last week.

The order for the Duvdevan commando unit clearly stated that the aim of the attack was to capture Adnan Subuh, Raad Sarkaji and Ghassan Abu Sheikh, Israeli sources said.

Film Review: Avatar, A Humanist Call from Mt. Hollywood by Gilad Atzmon

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 04:16 AM PST

Avatar may well be the biggest anti War film of all time. It stands against everything the West is identified with. It is against greed and capitalism, it is against interventionalism, it is against colonialism and imperialism, it is against technological orientation, it is against America and Britain. It puts Wolfowitz, Blair and Bush on trial without even mentioning their names. It enlightens the true meaning of ethics as a dynamic judgmental process rather than fixed moral guidelines (such as the Ten Commandments or the 1948 Human Right Declaration). It throws a very dark light on our murderous tendencies towards other people, their belief and rituals. But it doesn't just stop there. In the same breath, very much like German Leben philosophers (1), it praises the power of nature and the attempt to bond in harmony with soil, the forest and the wildlife. It advises us all to integrate with our surrounding reality rather than impose ourselves on it. Very much like German Idealists and early Romanticists, it raises questions to do with essence, existence and the absolute. It celebrates the true meaning of life and livelihood.

Bolivia's Morales lashes out at Obama

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 03:09 AM PST

Bolivian President Evo Morales has strongly criticized his American counterpart for failing to change Washington's policy towards Bolivia.

"When I was informed that Obama had won the elections I said: a black man isn't going to exclude an Indian, but it turned out to be the opposite," Morales said on Thursday.

67 killed in Russia's New Year fires

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 03:09 AM PST

At least 67 people have been killed and 144 injured during Russia's New Year's festivities when Russians celebrate with firecrackers and 'cold' fireworks.

"In the past 24 hours, a total of 589 fires have occurred in Russia, including 479 fires in residential buildings. A total of 67 people were killed and 144 injured as a result, 77 people were rescued," Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti quoted an anonymous emergency ministry official as saying on Friday.

After Sweden, Spain assumes EU leadership

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 03:09 AM PST

Spain has taken over the European Union's rotational presidency from Sweden amid economic and statutory issues undermining the integrity of the 27-nation bloc.

Sweden handed the EU's six-month leadership tenure over to Spain on Friday at the beginning of 2010.

Iran 'takes significant steps in identifying rioters'

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 03:09 AM PST

Iran's Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi says his ministry has undertaken measures to identify elements behind Sunday riots in Tehran.

The Iranian minister noted that the information his ministry had gained through the interrogation of those arrested over the last few days, including the identification of individuals who had a role in the riots, was satisfactory and positive.

US blitz continues to claim lives in Pakistan

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 02:07 AM PST

At least five people have been killed and several others injured in two separate US drone strikes in the troubled northwestern region of Pakistan.

According to Pakistani officials, the Friday morning attack took place some 15 kilometers east of Miramshah, the main town of North Waziristan.

Somalia to receive Iran medical assistance

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 02:07 AM PST

Iran has agreed to send medical aid and humanitarian relief to Somalia as the drought-ravaged North African country sinks deeper into an all-out humanitarian crisis.

After signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Somali counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi Omaar announced that the government of Tehran will soon be taking immediate steps to help restore stability and better the humanitarian situation in Somalia.

Obama hails deceased CIA employees

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 12:36 AM PST

US President Barack Obama has commended employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who were killed in an attack in Afghanistan.

"Because of your service, plots have been disrupted, American lives have been saved and our allies and partners have been more secure," Obama wrote in a letter to CIA employees on Thursday.

Ancient earthen coffin found in southern Iran

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 12:36 AM PST

An earthen coffin with an skeleton in it has been discovered in Iran's southwestern province of Khuzestan, an area rich in oil and history.

The coffin was found in the sand-covered desert hills of Gol Rizvan in the environs of Ramshir city in Khuzestan province.

IRIB launches Sahar 2 TV to negate propaganda

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 12:36 AM PST

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has launched a satellite channel to respond to the subliminal psychological programming of western media.

The international channel Sahar Universal Network 2, which was launched on Thursday, December 31, 2009, aims to show Iranian society as it really is, and effectively combat western manipulation of media which distorts events, censoring and misrepresenting them.

Houthi fighters set for Saudi peace talks

Posted: 01 Jan 2010 12:36 AM PST

Yemen's Houthi fighters have expressed readiness to hold peace talks with neighboring Saudi Arabia if Riyadh halts its attacks.

The Houthi fighters also released a statement that says they'll also halt operations against Saudi Arabia if the country ceases its attacks.

Iran sets new record in narcotics seizure

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 11:08 PM PST

Iranian police have seized more than 340 tons of drugs throughout the country during the past nine months, a senior Iranian commander says.

"More than 340 tons of drugs have been seized all over Iran in the past nine months," IRNA quoted the commander of the drug squad, General Hamid Reza Hossein-Abadi, as saying on Thursday.

Israel police free suspect in WB mosque fire

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 11:08 PM PST

Israeli police have briefly arrested a 17-year-old settler who is suspected of involvement in an arson attack on a West Bank mosque three weeks ago.

"Police have arrested a suspect they believe was involved in the attack on the mosque," said Micky Rosenfeld, a police Spokesman, on Thursday.

Militant leader killed in North Caucasus clash

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 11:08 PM PST

At least four suspected North Caucasus fighters, including a militia leader, have been killed in clashes between Russian police and opposition militants in Dagestan.

The suspected militants were killed during a shootout at a police checkpoint on Thursday, local police said.

Ringing in New Year in Philippine volcano's shadow

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 10:42 PM PST

The Mayon volcano in the Philippines is showing signs of calming down but soldiers are still keeping villagers from returning to their homes. The volcano alert is on level 4, meaning a major eruption could happen within days. And while droves of tourists have been drawn to the volcano, hoping for a spectacular display to welcome the New Year, locals' livelihoods have been crippled because they have been forced to evacuate the danger zone. Divya Gopalan ushers in the New Year with those ...

Did US know about Christmas day attempted terrorist attack?

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 10:37 PM PST

After a Nigerian man allegedly attempted to blow up a plane on Christmas in Detroit, many questions have been raised as to how much American officials knew about the plan. Several reports have indicated that American officials knew about the Christmas day attack, so what happened and why was nothing done?

Tunneling for love: bride smuggled to Gaza

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 10:37 PM PST

A modern day Romeo and Juliet love story in Gaza proved that while the region's isolation and concurrent hardships do destroy lives, it does not destroy love, which survives whatever the cost.

On New Year's Eve Gaza marked the first anniversary since the Israeli offensive which left over one thousand Palestinians dead.

With the intense hostilities seemingly over, it's the blockade imposed by Israel that sparks protests around the globe.

UN slams US over killing of Afghan civilians

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 10:36 PM PST

The UN special envoy in Afghanistan has said he is concerned about the mounting civilian death toll in the war-ravaged country.

Kai Eide warned against nighttime actions by coalition forces ''given that they often result in lethal outcomes for civilians."

Al-Qaeda takes credit for kidnapping 2 Italians

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST

An al-Qaeda off shoot in Africa, known as al-Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb, has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of two Italian citizens on Monday.

The couple were kidnapped on December 19 when they were heading to Burkina Faso from Mauritania.

Iran issues stern warning against rioters

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST

The Intelligence Ministry of Iran has issued a stern warning, asking rioters not to be manipulated by foreigners seeking to once again dominate Iran.

The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it will take the necessary steps to deal with those who incite riots and violence in the country.

Obama aide blasts Cheney for jet bombing comments

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 09:09 AM PST

The White House has fired back on the criticism leveled by the former Vice President Dick Cheney who insists President Barack Obama has made America less safe.

The White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said on Wednesday that the Republican former veep was taking part in the "same old Washington blame game" when casting doubt over Obama's actions following a foiled terrorist attack on a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day.

Is Congress planning to destroy every Middle East TV Channel that criticizes Israel? (Part II)

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 08:25 AM PST

Having inherited the Bush administrations rising stack of terrorism lists, President Obama's team had expressed interest in culling them "so they are more accurate and manageable and Americans experience less stress", according to Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano. These lists, plus the reported existence of others that have not been made public, are supposed to reduce the fear and stress on Americans just knowing there are such lists and that someone is 'watching out'.

Afghan civilian death prompts anti-US rallies

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 07:44 AM PST

More than a thousand Afghan protesters have staged a demonstration against the killings of ten civilians by foreign troops in eastern province of Kunar.

The demonstrators, most of them students, were chanting slogans against the US and its allies.

Iran restores 1,800-year old Shapur I statue

Posted: 31 Dec 2009 07:44 AM PST

Iranian cultural heritage experts are planning to restore the statue of the Sassanid king Shapur I in the southern Fars Province.

The restoration project will start soon after Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization provides the necessary funding.

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