Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Cash-strapped US denies entry to quake-hit Haitians

Cash-strapped US denies entry to quake-hit Haitians (plus 98 more items)

Link to Rebel Newsflash

Cash-strapped US denies entry to quake-hit Haitians

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 11:36 AM PST

The US military puts a stop to Haitian earthquake victims entering America for medical attention, due to cost concerns over the victim's treatments.

Officials say the decision follows some government concerns about who will be footing the medical bill for the quake victims.

Interpreter shot dead after killing 2 US soldiers

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 11:25 AM PST

In a combative move in Afghanistan, an interpreter has been killed by US troops after shooting two American soldiers dead.

The incident took place in Wardak province southwest of the capital city of Kabul on Saturday.

China suspends military ties with US

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:48 AM PST

China suspends military exchanges with the US and threatens to impose sanctions on US arms companies over a Washington decision to sell weapons to Taiwan.

China's Defense Ministry suspended military exchange visits with the US, saying the suspension was "in consideration of the serious harm and impacts [of the 6.4-billion-dollar US-Taiwan arms deal] on Sino-US military relations."

Death toll from US drone attack stands at 9

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:28 AM PST

The death from a US drone attack on Pakistan's tribal region of North Waziristan has reportedly increased to at least nine people.

Pakistan officials said the late Friday airstrike — the 12th drone attack so far this year — hit a suspected militant base, killing five people instantly, while four of the several more wounded died overnight.

Taliban vow to continue fighting foreign troops

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:06 AM PST

The Taliban vow to continue fighting the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, denying reports that they have held peace talks with UN officials.

"We insist on continuing our holy Islamic jihad against the enemy," the militants said in a statement on Saturday.

Study finds overweight seniors live longer

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:03 AM PST

Individuals who carry a few extra pounds after the age of 70 tend to live longer than their normal-weight peers, a new study finds.

According to the study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, overweight seniors with no underlying disease such as diabetes or osteoarthritis, caused or exacerbated by carrying extra pounds, have a higher survival rate that normal weight individuals.

Japan cautions US army over fall of jet part

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 09:58 AM PST

Japan's Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa cautions the US military over an incident in which a tiny part that fell from a US fighter jet damaged a private home southwest of Tokyo.

"An accident like this should have never happened. We asked the US military to be careful," Kitazawa told a press conference in Tokyo on Saturday.

Afghanistan calls for trial of foreign troops

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 09:30 AM PST

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry has condemned the killing of four Afghan soldiers by American forces, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.

In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry said that American troops killed at least four Afghan soldiers in Wardak province Friday night, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Afghanistan calls for trial of US troops

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 09:30 AM PST

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry has condemned the killing of four Afghan soldiers by American forces, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.

In a statement released on Saturday, the ministry said that American troops killed at least four Afghan soldiers in Wardak province Friday night, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Bomb attack leaves 14 dead in Pakistan

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:53 AM PST

A bomb attack in northwestern Pakistan reportedly left at least fourteen people, including two soldiers, killed on Saturday, officials say.

The blast came after a bomber detonated explosives planted in his car near a military checkpoint in the northwestern region of Bajaur.

Deep brain stimulation treats depression

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:27 AM PST

US medical researchers say they are studying the use of deep brain stimulation to offer hope to people suffering from a variety of disorders.

The technique can ease symptoms of depression, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, headaches, chronic pain and stroke that have not responded well to other treatments, according to new and increasing research.

US refuses to share info on Mumbai suspect

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:19 AM PST

The US has refused to share details about the past records of a key terror suspect of the 2008 Mumbai attack, Indian intelligence sources say.

The Indian team tasked with probing the Mumbai bombing is desperately looking for information regarding the role David Headley played in the deadly attack that killed 166, but Washington has denied them access to the details, Fars news agency reported on Saturday.

CIA chief holds secret talks with Egypt, Israel

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:15 AM PST

The Director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, has held secret talks with Egyptian and Israeli officials over expanded US intervention in Yemen.

According to Debkafile, the CIA chief paid secret visits to the Egyptian capital Cairo and Jerusalem Al-Quds on Thursday.

Officials: 4 Afghan soldiers killed in clashes

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:07 AM PST

Four Afghan soldiers and an unknown number of US troops have been killed during fighting between the two sides, a spokesman for the Afghan Wardak Province has said.

"At least four Afghan soldiers have been killed and eleven others injured, while the exact number of American casualties is not known," Shahidullah Shahid told a Press TV Correspondent.

Trial of 16 Ashura riot detainees begins in Iran

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:05 AM PST

The trial of 16 individuals involved in last month's unrest in Iran has started with the prosecutor laying out the charges brought out against the defendants.

The hearing, presided by Judge Abul Qasim Salavati, began with a general indictment against 14 men and two women on Saturday morning at Tehran's Revolution Court.

France follows up on banning Islamic veil

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has requested the country's top court to help the government draft a legislation banning the full Islamic veil.

The move by the French government comes three days after a French parliamentary report called for a ban on the full veil.

AIPAC urges swift implementation of Iran sanction bill

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:51 AM PST

The US Senate's approval of the Iran sanctions bill has won attention and applause from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the most powerful and influential pro-Israeli lobbies on Capitol Hill.

The bill, which was passed by the Senate on Thursday, targets Iran's energy sector, threatening to impose tough sanctions on any entity, individual, company or even country, which deals in refined petroleum with Iran.

8 people killed in Mexico's war on drug cartels

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:39 AM PST

At least eight people, including two civilians, have been killed in shootouts between Mexican security forces and suspected drug traffickers.

Violence erupted in the Gulf of Mexico City of Tampico on Friday when soldiers tried to stop a vehicle with suspected gangsters, officials say.

US: Iran draft deal on table without change

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:31 AM PST

The United States claims a UN-backed deal to provide fuel for Tehran's reactor is 'still on the table' but will see no change as demanded by the Iranian side.

US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley asserted in a press briefing on Friday that the draft deal, first floated by the US, was a "fair opportunity" for Iran to build confidence regarding the country's nuclear work.

Saudis 'launch 17 air raids' on Houthis

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:27 AM PST

The Saudi air force has reportedly launched seventeen air raids on Houthi fighters in Yemen despite the Houthi leader's call for a ceasefire.

"Saudi jets launched 17 air raids on various parts of Yemen on Friday night," the Houthi fighters said in a statement.

Nine killed in Pakistan bombing attack

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:18 AM PST

At least nine people, including two soldiers, have been killed in a bombing attack in northwest Pakistan, officials say.

Officials said a bomber exploded his car near a military checkpoint in the northwestern region of Bajaur on Saturday.

54 Dems urge Obama to end Israel siege of Gaza

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:11 AM PST

In an unprecedented move, more than fifty members of the US Congress sign a letter, asking President Barack Obama to put pressure on Israel to end the crippling siege of the Gaza Strip.

The letter, which was the initiative of Democrat Representatives Jim McDermott from Washington and Keith Ellison from Minnesota, calls on Obama to address international concerns over the post-war humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has been further worsened by a long-imposed Israeli blockade.

Ex-BAE middleman charged with bribery

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:49 AM PST

The first ever criminal case has been filed against a former middleman of the British weapons company, BAE Systems.

Count Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly, one of BAE's former confidential agents, was charged with bribery over arms deals by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The charges were formally brought by the SFO director, Richard Alderman.

Report: Iran builds railway to Iraq

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:31 AM PST

An Iranian official announces the country's construction of a 51-km railway linking its southwestern city of Khorramshahr and the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

Iranian Railways' Director General for International Affairs, Abbas Nazari, told Mehr news agency on Saturday that nearly 90 percent of the first phase of the project inside Iran (about 16 km) has been completed.

US economic growth highest in 6 years

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:23 AM PST

New data show the US economy has expanded by 5.7 percent in the last three months of 2009, which is the biggest rise in six years.

The Commerce Department said on Friday in its first estimate of the quarter's gross domestic product (GDP) that the number is more than double the 2.2 percent growth rate in the previous quarter.

Iranian opposition in protest call

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:22 AM PST

Iran's key opposition figures have implicitly called for a public demonstration on February 11, the anniversary of the nation's Islamic revolution.

The call from Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, both defeated candidates in last year's presidential election, on Saturday came despite warnings from the Revolutionary Guard that such a protest would be crushed.

Israel spied on Iran, Syria from secret Turkish base

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:06 AM PST

Revelations of a secret Israeli spy base, which was allegedly set up in Ankara to gather classified information on Iran and Syria, has dragged Tel Aviv into a new spy scandal.

Sources in Turkey's ruling party told Russia's Mignews that Israeli spy agents ran an advanced electronic monitoring station from the Ankara military headquarters to keep tabs on communication networks in Iran and Syria.

Latin American heads condemn Haiti 'occupation'

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 05:53 AM PST

Latin American leaders have condemned the 'foreign occupation' of the quake-hit Haiti and called for further efforts to mitigate the suffering of Haitians.

In his visit to the disaster region in Haiti on Friday, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), blasted the aid 'imperialism' arriving in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Haniyeh rejects Palestinians resettlement in Sinai

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 05:44 AM PST

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has rejected the new Israeli conspiracy of the resettlement of Palestinians in the Sinai under a land swap deal for a two-state solution.

Haniyeh's remarks on the issue came at a Friday sermon at the Al-Omary Mosque in Jabaliya.

Russia tests its first stealth Sukhoi jet

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 05:31 AM PST

Russia has tested its fifth-generation Sukhoi fighter jet, provisionally called T-50, in Russia's Far East, a Sukhoi spokesman says.

T-50 is Russia's first fighter jet based on the stealth technology and is viewed by military experts as the Russian response to the American F-35 and F-22 jet fighters, Sukhoi spokesman, Alexei Poveshchenko said.

3 Shia pilgrims killed near Pak-Iran border

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 04:40 AM PST

At least three Pakistani Shias have been killed and seven others wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying pilgrims bound for Iran in Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

The incident took place on Friday in Hazar Gunji area of Baluchistan as a passenger bus carrying a group of Pilgrims heading towards Iran's border was attacked by four people riding two motorbikes, a Press TV correspondent reported on Saturday.

Nigeria's MEND delays truce, vows new raids

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 04:13 AM PST

Nigeria's main militant group has postponed a three-month-old ceasefire in the Niger Delta, threatening more attacks on the country's oil and gas industry.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), responsible for years of attacks on Nigerian oil facilities, said it could no longer trust the government to negotiate demands for greater control of the region's natural resources.

US alone in boosting Honduran ties after Zelaya's exile

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:54 AM PST

The United States will resume aid to Honduras after the country's overthrown President Manuel Zelaya went into exile in the wake of a military coup in June 2009.

Washington's decision comes after the ousted President was forced into exile in the Dominican Republic, as Honduras swore in Porfirio Lobo as the new leader.

3 Americans killed in eastern Afghanistan

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:49 AM PST

NATO says two US service members and one US civilian have been killed in eastern Afghanistan, pushing the American death toll in January to 29.

A statement by the Western alliance says the deaths occurred Friday, adding that the incident is under investigation. It did not give further information.

Toyota pedal problem extends to Europe

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:28 AM PST

Japanese carmaker Toyota plans to recall up to 1.8 million vehicles in Europe to fix potentially dangerous problem with sticking accelerators.

It is part of a massive safety recall of around 8 million vehicles worldwide.

Nato force blamed for Afghan deaths

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:20 AM PST

The fighters attacked UN and government buildings in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern Afghan province, early on Friday, witnesses and officials said.

The battle lasted eight hours.

Provincial officials said at least five attackers were killed and four Afghan soldiers injured in the fighting.

Catcher in the Rye author JD Salinger dies

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:05 AM PST

The American author, JD Salinger, whose novel The Catcher in the Rye caught the imagination of millions throughout the world, has passed away in his New Hampshire home at 91.

The most important American writer to emerge since World War II, who lived in seclusion for more than 50 years, died of natural causes and was in no pain either before or at the time of his death.

USAID work in Pak tribal area achieved 'little'

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 03:00 AM PST

A US government monitoring agency warns that an American contractor in charge of capacity-building in Pakistan's tribal areas has failed to improve governance in the region.

USAID (US Agency for International Development) said in a report released Thursday that a three-year, $45.6mn program run by Maryland-based Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) to build capacity in the Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has "achieved little."

US stocks sink over EU concerns, tech slide

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 02:48 AM PST

US stocks have closed lower on the final day of the January trading on worries about Eurozone financial crisis and the downfall of tech shares.

Major indexes initially rose more than 1 percent on Friday but bad economic news form Greece, Portugal and Spain caused US investors to pull back from early gains.

Nigeria fighters call off ceasefire

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 02:36 AM PST

Nigeria's main armed group has called off a three-month-old ceasefire in the Niger delta and threatened to unleash "an all-out assault" on Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), responsible for years of attacks on oil facilities, said on Saturday it could no longer trust the government to negotiate demands for greater control of the region's natural resources.

Dubai police: Killers of Hamas commander identified

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 02:22 AM PST

The police in Dubai say they have identified the suspects behind the assassination of a senior Hamas military commander Mahmud Abdel Rauf al-Mabhuh.

According to preliminary investigations conducted by police on Friday, Mabhuh was killed by "a professional criminal gang" that followed him in Dubai.

China freezes US military exchanges

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 02:08 AM PST

Beijing has suspended exchange of visits between the Chinese and US armed forces scheduled for Sunday, over Washington's plan to sell arms to Taiwan, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The decision was announced on Saturday, just hours after the US was cautioned that its decision to sell $6.4bn worth of weapons to Taiwan would cause "serious damage" to relations and co-operation between the two nations.

Nigeria fighters end truce

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 01:12 AM PST

Nigeria's main armed group has called off a three-month-old ceasefire in the Niger Delta and threatened to unleash "an all-out assault" on Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), responsible for years of attacks on oil facilities, said on Saturday it could no longer trust the government to negotiate demands for greater control of the region's natural resources.

Blair defends Iraq war decision

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 12:31 AM PST

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, has told an inquiry into the 2003 Iraq war that he has "no regrets" about removing Saddam Hussein from power.

After facing six hours of questions on Friday, Blair said he felt "responsibility not regret", prompting angry shouts from the public gallery at the conference centre in London where the inquiry is taking place.

'Israel, US spread Iranophobia to divide ME states'

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:45 PM PST

Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani says the US and Israel are attempting to spread Iranophobia in the region to create division in the Middle East.

"It is necessary to recognize that, by creating a non-realistic sense of fear and dread towards Iran, the US and Israel are seeking to expand their military bases in the region," the top Iranian official said on Friday in a visit to Kuwait.

Arms sale to Taiwan will cost US dear, says China

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:21 PM PST

China has threatened the US with "serious" consequences over a Washington decision to sell USD 6.4 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan.

The arms package includes Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet. However, it does not include the fighter jet itself, which had been part of Taipei's wish list, AFP reported on Friday.

Deaths in Pakistan 'drone' attack

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:21 PM PST

At least five people have been killed in a suspected US drone attack in northwestern Pakistan, intelligence officials say.

Missiles hit a compound alleged to be used by Taliban fighters in Muhammad Khel, a town in North Waziristan, late on Friday.

'Negligent' US Army officers to be punished

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:14 PM PST

A United States military investigation panel calls for disciplinary action against three US Army officers, who have faulted in Afghanistan.

Reports say that although senior officers had intelligence on an impending Taliban attack on an American outpost in eastern Afghanistan, the three officers, including a battalion commander, are alleged to have been "negligent" in poorly managing the outpost.

US 'weighs' other 9/11 trial sites

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:00 PM PST

The US administration has begun looking for places other than the heart of New York city to prosecute the accused September 11, 2001, attack plotters, US officials say.

The decision, reported by major US newspapers, comes in the face of fierce criticism tied to security and costs.

France, US draft Iran sanctions proposal

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 09:05 PM PST

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says Paris and Washington have worked out a common position on sanctions against Iran.

"We have reached a very clear agreement on further actions. We will act in two directions: constant dialogue and work on sanctions," Kouchner said Friday, after meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Paris.

China attacks US-Taiwan arms deal

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:30 PM PST

China has protested against a US decision to sell $6.4bn worth of weapons to Taiwan, saying it would cause "serious damage" to relations and co-operation between the two nations.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington said Beijing sent an urgent petition in the early hours of Saturday and also made its displeasure known when US officials spoke to a Chinese diplomat to unveil the decision.

Taliban to 'soon decide ' on reintegration offer

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:17 PM PST

Taliban leaders said on Friday that they will decide soon over President Hamid Karzai's offer of peace talks and whether they will join the government.

Karzai, on Thursday, at a major conference on Afghanistan in London, invited Taliban leaders to take part in a "loya jirga" — or large assembly of elders — to initiate peace talks aimed at ending the Afghan war.

Palestinians hand Gaza War report to UN

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:42 PM PST

The Palestinian Authority says it has submitted a report to the United Nations on Israel's last year offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer, said Friday that he handed the report to the chief of cabinet Vijay Nambiar at UN headquarters in New York.

Tymoshenko sure of her victory in run-off election

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:38 PM PST

Yulia Tymoshenko, the runner-up in Ukraine's presidential race, says she is sure that she will come out of the run-off election as the winner.

"Yes, I will win... I'm not forecasting margins, [but] I foresee victory. I think, any margin would do to declare the victory of the [newly elected] president," Tymoshenko said late on Friday, speaking on Inter TV channel.

Army troopers killed in Indian Kashmir

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:20 PM PST

Militants have killed two Indian army troopers while clashes continue in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, where heavy snowfall has blocked normal traffic.

Indian army spokesperson in Jammu, Lt. Col. Biplab Nath said on Friday that the operation is still underway in Tandar village of Kishtwar, some 245 km (150 miles) northeast of Jammu, where the fighting broke out late Thursday.

Nigeria rebel group ends truce

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:16 PM PST

Nigeria's main rebel group has called off a three-month-old ceasefire in the Niger Delta and threatened to unleash "an all-out assault" on Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), responsible for years of attacks on oil facilities, said on Saturday it could no longer trust the government to negotiate demands for greater control of the region's natural resources.

Hundreds protest house demolition near Tel Aviv

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 06:38 PM PST

Hundreds of people held a demonstration against Israel's plans to demolish an entire Palestinians neighborhood in the city of Lod near Tel Aviv.

The protesters, among them members of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, Arab public leaders and members of Knesset (Israeli parliament), held up Palestinian flags and banners on Friday, Ynet reported.

Argentine bank chief resigns

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 06:33 PM PST

Martin Redrado, Argentina's Central Bank president, has announced his resignation, saying he could do no more to protect the nominally independent institution from the president's efforts to control the country's foreign reserves.

Redrado had blocked President Cristina Fernandez's bid to use $6.6bn in central bank reserves to service the country's debt this year.

In eurozone, 10% of workers unemployed

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 06:32 PM PST

One in every 10 workers across Europe's core euro currency area is now unemployed, according to new European Union (EU) data.

The human cost of post-recession structural economic adjustment could be seen when the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for the 16 euro countries hit a miserable 10 percent in December.

US drone strike kills 5 civilians in Pakistan

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 06:07 PM PST

A US drone attack killed five people on Friday and injured scores of others in Pakistan's north Waziristan tribal area near the Afghan border.

The number of casualties is expected to rise, a Press TV correspondent quoted a government official as saying late Friday. A security official, who also confirmed the toll, said the drone fired three missiles.

Lankan army raids defected candidate's office

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 05:59 PM PST

Sri Lankan forces storm the office of defeated presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka after the former army chief was accused of planning to assassinate the president.

The country's Special Task Force undertook the swoop on Friday, saying they were searching for "illegal material," AFP reported.

Nigeria court: Ailing president to remain in power

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 05:53 PM PST

A Nigerian court dismissed a request for an interim leader to take the place of President Umaru Yar'Adua while he receives medical treatment in a Saudi Arabian hospital.

The high court also declared that Yar'Adua did not breach any constitutional laws by not forwarding a formal letter to Parliament addressing his "medical vacation."

US issues China ultimatum on Iran sanctions

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 04:12 PM PST

In unusually blatant remarks aimed at China, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday assailed the country for not joining the US-led front in imposing fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear work.

Clinton said she understood China's unwillingness to impose new penalties on Iran, one of the country's biggest oil suppliers, but warned against "longer-term implications" if Iran did not stop its nuclear program.

UN says Yemen humanitarian crisis deepening

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 04:00 PM PST

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warns of Yemen's ever-increasing humanitarian crisis as the war in the northern front between the army and Houthi fighters flares.

"The fighting has gradually moved from Sa'ada city and its surroundings towards the northwest," UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic told a news briefing.

Top aide says Iran worries about Obama

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 03:32 PM PST

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's top aide said Friday Tehran is concerned about the direction of the US administration after President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address.

"We have concerns Obama will not be successful in bring change to US policies," Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, the senior aide to President Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff, said.

Clinton vows no peace with 'really bad guys' in Taliban

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 03:03 PM PST

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday ruled out the likelihood of talks with Taliban hardliners who she termed as "the really bad guys."

"We're not going to talk to the really bad guys because the really bad guys are not ever going to renounce al-Qaeda and renounce violence and agree to re-enter society," Clinton said in an interview with National Public Radio Broadcast.

Sick Jew Rats Put The Squeeze on Gaza

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 03:02 PM PST

Gaza's only power station will close by the end of this week following a European Union decision to stop buying fuel for the plant. According to the power station's director, Rafeeq Maliha, "Since last November the EU has stopped funding the purchase of diesel for us." This means, he added, that without some external intervention between now and this weekend, the densely populated Gaza Strip will have no central power source to operate many basic services.

Eurozone struggling with its worst unemployment crisis

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 02:54 PM PST

Unemployment in the eurozone, 16 EU countries that use the euro as their currency, has reached 10 percent, leaving approximately 15.8 million people unemployed.

The December figure, according to Eurostat, is the highest since the currency was launched in 1999. At least 87,000 jobs were lost only in December in the eurozone.

Iran tells US petroleum sanction will be futile

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 02:39 PM PST

Tehran Friday rejected a bill passed by the US Senate that would restrict Iran's import of refined petroleum products as a continuation of a "wrong policy," saying the sanction would not affect the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the US will not get achieve its goals by imposing sanctions.

Iran says petroleum sanction will be futile

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 02:39 PM PST

Tehran Friday rejected a bill passed by the US Senate that would restrict Iran's import of refined petroleum products as a continuation of a "wrong policy," saying the sanction would not affect the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the US will not get achieve its goals by imposing sanctions.

Iran says petroleum sanctions will be futile

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 02:39 PM PST

Tehran Friday rejected a bill passed by the US Senate that would restrict Iran's import of refined petroleum products as a continuation of a "wrong policy," saying the sanction would not affect the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the US will not get achieve its goals by imposing sanctions.

Clashes in Somali capital claim 12 lives

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 02:23 PM PST

The Somali capital, Mogadishu, witnessed clashes between Al-Shabab fighters and government forces on Friday, which left 12 people dead.

Somalia's State Minister for Defense, Sheikh Yusuf Mohammad Siad, said tension is still "high."

Floods bring more misery for tented communities in Gaza

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:56 PM PST

Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza made homeless by Israel's 23-day military assault on the Gaza Strip which ended just over a year ago, are still in tents and damaged buildings; cold weather and recent flash floods have exacerbated their plight, say aid workers and the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

Sexual abuse adds insult to Haiti quake injuries

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:55 PM PST

Post-quake situation in Haiti sees a rise in insecurity that threatens the life of many vulnerable women and children living in makeshift camps.

With the fall of night, gangs begin roaming the capital city of Port-au-Prince to prey on women and children living in power outage hit camps.

Experts debate the Iraq inquiry

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:34 PM PST

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, has told an inquiry into the Iraq war that he has "no regrets" about removing Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, from power, saying pre-war intelligence convinced him it was necessary to stop Saddam from developing weapons of mass destruction. Al Jazeera debates Blair's defence for going to war in Iraq with Mark Ellis, a lawyer with the International Bar Association, Steven mclaughlin, a former soldier and author, and Haidar Musawi, a commentator on Iraqi affairs.

Israeli agents raid house in search of running child

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:29 PM PST

Israeli forces Thursday broke into a Palestinian home in a West Bank refugee camp in pursuit of a child on the run, injuring the household, among them a pregnant woman.

Undercover Israeli agents forced their way into the house of Jamal Awad, director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees office in the Shuafat Refugee Camp, on Thursday night when the Awads refused to let them in.

UN nuclear chief says Iran fuel swap talks ongoing

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 01:18 PM PST

The UN nuclear watchdog chief said Friday dialogue between Iran and the sides seeking to sell nuclear fuel to the country are still underway, as Iran advised the six major powers to use the opportunity to build trust.

"The proposal is on the table. Dialogue is continuing," said the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, in Davos in his first public remarks after succeeding Mohamed ElBaradei two months ago.

Peace in jeopardy, Netanyahu hails settlement work

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 12:43 PM PST

Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Friday Tel Aviv's defiance to international calls to freeze the illegal settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories.

"We are continuing to build [settlements]," Netanyahu said just after he planted a tree in Ariel — the fourth largest settlement city in the West Bank.

Strong quake reported in South Pacific

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 12:35 PM PST

An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale on Friday rattled deep waters near the South Pacific island of Vanuatu.

US monitors said the quake had struck east of the island, reporting no human or material losses. It also did not prompt any tsunami alerts.

Cap And Trade Scam To Be Enforced At State Level

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:54 AM PST

Cap And Trade Scam To Be Enforced At State Level austin texas 1a

A similar system was introduced in 2007 in the UK amidst widespread derision and loathing. Known as Home Information Packs, shortly after they were introduced the British property market crashed as sellers refused to pay the fee, which was mandatory for all home sales. The system has since become notorious as nothing more than an odious new tax.

"Bin Laden" Tape: Pathetic Attempt To Bolster Crumbling Global Warming Scam

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:53 AM PST

A new audio tape said to contain the voice of Osama Bin Laden has been broadcast on Al Jazeera television in which he squarely blames the U.S. and other large industrialized countries for global warming.

"Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has called in a new audiotape for the world to boycott American goods and the U.S. dollar, blaming the United States and other industrialized countries for global warming." reports the AP.

"This is a message to the whole world about those responsible for climate change and its repercussions – whether intentionally or unintentionally – and about the action we must take," a transcript on Al-Jazeera's Web site states.

French duel rages as Villepin acquittal is appealed

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:41 AM PST

French prosecutors moved Friday to appeal against the ruling that acquitted former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin over slander charges that he had sought to discredit President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2004.

The appeal case will likely take place at the end of the year or in early 2011, Paris state prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin said.

Congress move on Toyota recall 'unusual'

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:33 AM PST

In an unprecedented move, Congress plans to look into whether Toyota acted quickly and effectively on recalling millions of faulty vehicles whose pedals have stuck in some instances.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said he would hold a hearing next month on Toyota's response to the sudden acceleration caused by jamming pedals and slipping floormats, Reuters reported.

Bill Gates: "We must make this the decade of vaccines"

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:27 AM PST

Bill and Melinda Gates announced plans Friday to invest $10 billion in the fight against a number of illnesses including AIDS and said the record donation could save nearly nine million lives.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, they said the 10-year program will focus on vaccines for AIDS, tuberculosis, rota virus and pneumonia.

"We must make this the decade of vaccines," said Bill Gates.

Top cleric urges speedy action against Iran rioters

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:20 AM PST

A senior Iranian cleric and official on Friday warned that inaction about the rioters who gave raise to the unrest that followed the June presidential election would have severe consequences for the country.

Tehran's Interim Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who heads the Guardian Council, urged Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani to firmly deal with "rioters of the recent unrest and in particular the Ashura desecrators."

Canada 'need not help detainee'

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:15 AM PST

Canada's supreme court has ruled that the government is infringing the rights of a Canadian imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, but is not obliged to ask the US to repatriate him.

The judgment on Friday overturned previous lower court rulings that ordered Ottawa to give assistance to Omar Khadr, saying his rights under Canada's charter of rights and freedoms had been breached.

'Together we can end this occupation'

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:11 AM PST

The Israeli military recently dropped hundreds of leaflets warning Palestinian residents from the village of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip not to travel within 300 meters of the border -- the distance of Israel's so-called "buffer zone." In response, local activists marched to and nonviolently demonstrated inside the "buffer zone" against the illegal action. The Electronic Intifada contributor Jody McIntyre recently spoke with demonstration organizer Saber Zanin.

Iraqis react to Blair war testimony

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:03 AM PST

Many Iraqis have been watching Tony Blair, the former British PM, presenting his testimony over the run-up to the Iraq war in 2003. But while many in London may be wondering how Blair could explain his rationale for going to war, reaction in Baghdad was a bit different. Residents in the Iraqi capital gathered to watch the inquiry, which many say, after everything they've endured, is just a waste of time. Al Jazeera's Owen Fay reports.

Blair: 'No regrets' at Iraq inquiry

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:58 AM PST

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, has told an inquiry into the Iraq war that he has "no regrets" about removing Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, from power.

After facing six hours of questions on Friday, Blair said he felt "responsibility not regret", prompting angry shouts from the public gallery at the conference centre in London where the inquiry is taking place.

UK's Blair to defend Iraq war decision

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:40 AM PST

Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, is to face questions on his decision to take Britain into the Iraq war and whether his government distorted intelligence reports to justify its actions. Blair has consistently defended his decision to join the 2003 invasion, a decision that split the country and his own political party. Al Jazeera's Barbara Serra reports, ahead of Blair's appearance in front of the Iraq inquiry. (29 Jan 2010)

Sri Lankans eye brighter future

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 10:40 AM PST

Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's newly re-elected president, is expected to dissolve parliament soon and set a date for legislative elections. Sarath Fonseka, his defeated rival, accuses the winner of manipulating the election process and vows to legally challenge the results of Tuesday's presidential poll. But as Mike Hanna reports from the capital, Colombo, some in the opposition just want to move on.

Israel responds to Gaza war report

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 09:47 AM PST

Israel has submitted to the United Nations details of the investigations it conducted into war crimes allegations raised in a reports into the 22-day Gaza war, which ended last January.

Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, told reporters in the southern Negev desert on Friday that his report backed the army's actions during Operation Cast Lead.

Counting the cost - rebuilding Haiti

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 09:09 AM PST

Counting the Cost looks at rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake and the broken aid promises of the international community.

Nigeria court backs sick president

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:42 AM PST

A Nigerian court has dismissed calls for a temporary head of state be appointed until Umaru Yar'Adua, Nigeria's president, returns from Saudi Arabia where he is undergoing hospital treatment.

The Nigerian Bar Association had demanded the vice-president's powers be extended, accusing Yar'Adua of acting unconstitutionally in failing to inform parliament of his absence.

Inside Iraq - Iraq's Kurdistan

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:31 AM PST

How will the newly appointed prime minister keep his promises and turn things around?

A Letter from a Grandfather to his Genes

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:26 AM PST

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These thoughts on "nationalism" were put on paper for the benefit of several young relatives who have misunderstood or been puzzled by my position on certain family and political issues.* Arguing about individual bits of a puzzle without an overall framework has been a waste of time and emotion. So I've tried to give, first, a brief overview or "manifesto," followed by several specific explanations. Perhaps these considerations will help others faced with critics unfamiliar with the biology of human nature.

Protesters call for trial of Blair over Iraq war

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 08:09 AM PST

Protesters demand the setup of a criminal court for the former British Premier Tony Blair as he gets a grilling from the Iraq War inquiry in London.

Hundreds of protesters and anti-war activists have held a rally in London, calling for the trial of Blair for sending British troops to Iraq.

Haiti PM slams US aid delays

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:49 AM PST

Jean-Max Bellerive, the Haitian prime minister, has told Al Jazeera that he does not understand why so much water and food in storage facilities at the airport is not being distributed. In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Bellerive expressed his frustration with security decisions made by the US military that are hindering the earthquake relief effort. "Haitians don't care about the security, they just want the water, food and medicine to get to them ... they don't feel that there is the need for so much security," he said. Faultlines presenter Avi Lewis reports.

Federer takes Tsonga in Australian Open

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 07:48 AM PST

Roger Federer of Switzerland has defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France at the Australian Open to reach his 22nd Grand Slam final.

Federer won 6-2, 6-3, and 6-2 in just one hour 28 minutes at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on Friday, chasing his fourth Australian Open title, AFP reported.

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