09 Feb 10

NATO remains 'serious' threat to Russia: official
NATO remains a serious threat to Russia's security, the secretary of the country's national security council was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.  

Kim Jong Il sends nuclear envoy to China
North Korea's Kim Jong Il reportedly dispatched his top nuclear envoy to Beijing on Tuesday to discuss restarting nuclear disarmament talks, a day after pledging Pyongyang's commitment to a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.  

Geert Wilders to INN: "Traditional European Freedom at Stake"
“I’m fighting for one thing: the perseveration of our culture, which is based on Christianity, Judaism and humanism - and not on Islam… While Islamization of our society grows, the political elite looks in the other direction and ignores the real problem, namely, the impending loss of our freedom.  

Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell to Set Election Date to Replace Murtha
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says he will decide in the coming days when to schedule a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha. Murtha died Monday at Virginia Hospital Center after suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. Rendell has 10 days by law to schedule an election to replace the 35-year lawmaker. Rendell must pick a day that is at least 60 days later.  

Iran Announces Production of 'High Precision' Attack Drones
Iran's military has launched two production lines to build unmanned aircraft with surveillance and attack capabilities, their defense minister said Monday. The drones would be used for "surveillance, detection and even assaults with high precision," according to a report quoted by the London Daily Telegraph.  

Mid-Atlantic Braces for Second Massive Snowstorm
As the Mid-Atlantic digs out from a historic snowstorm that hit over the weekend, forecasters are predicting another two-footer to blanket parts of the region later this week. Tens of thousands of workers in the snowy Mid-Atlantic states were given Monday off to shovel out from a blizzard that buried some areas in nearly 3 feet of snow. Federal agencies that employ 230,000 in Washington were closed, as were many businesses and school districts across the region.  

Planned Parenthood Pushes Intensive Sex Education for Kids as Young as 10
A new report by the International Planned Parenthood Federation is advocating that children as young as 10 be given extensive sex education, including an awareness of sex's pleasures. The report, "Stand and Deliver," charges that religious groups, specifically Catholics and Muslims, deny their young access to comprehensive sexual programs and education.  

Congressman: Murtha Died After Intestine Was Damaged in Surgery
A Pennsylvania congressman and longtime friend of the late Rep. John Murtha said late Monday the congressman's large intestine was damaged during gallbladder surgery and the complications led him to be hospitalized. The Pennsylvania Democrat died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., where he was admitted on Jan. 31. The gallbladder surgery was performed days earlier at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., which didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.  

Saudis urge firm stance on Israel after handshake with Ayalon
The Saudi government on Monday urged a firm stance by the international community regarding what it called threats by Israel against Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians. "(The cabinet) appeals to the international community on the need for a rigorous position about these (Israeli threats) and to step up efforts to end the continuous inhumane Israeli practices against the Palestinian people," the cabinet said after its weekly meeting chaired by King Abdullah.  

Qaeda leader calls for attacks on US interests
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula number two Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri called for attacks against US interests "everywhere," in an audio message released Monday. "American and Crusader interests are everywhere and their agents are moving everywhere," Shahri said. "Attack them and eliminate as many enemies as you can."  

Will Baby Boomers Bankrupt Social Security?
As the record federal budget deficit draws increasing scrutiny from Washington to Wall Street to Main Street, deficit hawks may take aim at entitlement programs including Social Security. And, the nearly 80 million Baby Boomers phasing into retirement will set in motion a dynamic that—if not addressed by Congress—could result in the next generation getting fewer benefits. However, despite fears that Boomers will trigger a collapse of Social Security, experts say the system can and will survive for decades and generations to come.  

Iran 'jails opposition leader Mohsen Aminzadeh'
An Iranian opposition leader has been jailed for six years for his role in the unrest following June's disputed presidential election, reports say. Mohsen Aminzadeh was convicted of organising protests, disturbing security and spreading propaganda against the system, his lawyer said. He was a prominent supporter of the defeated candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.  

France unveils national identity plans
Newcomers to France will be made to sign a declaration of values as part of a new campaign to define national identity, France's Prime Minister says. Francois Fillon announced the initiative after three months of public debates around the country. Other measures include the flying of the French flag and the singing of the national anthem - La Marseilleise - at schools, to promote patriotism.  

Toyota recalls thousands of Prius cars worldwide
Toyota has announced the recall of about 436,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, including its latest Prius model, to fix brake problems. It includes more than 200,000 Prius cars sold in Japan and 8,500 cars in the UK. "We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority," the firm said.  

FM: Turkey can't keep slamming Israel
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday leveled criticism at Turkey, for what he called "weekly" condemnations of the Jewish state. Speaking during a visit to Azerbaijan's capital Baku, Lieberman said that Israel had been "supporting close relations with Turkey for 10 years." He said that the recent change in Ankara's stance, since Operation Cast Lead against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, was "unexpected." Turkey can't keep repeating this "sharp anti-Israel line" every week, the foreign minister told an Azerbaijani television station.  

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08 Feb 10

Iran anniversary will be 'punch' to West: Khamenei
Iran's all powerful supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution would be a "punch" to the world's "arrogant" powers that would stun them. "The Iranian nation, with its unity and God's grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned," Khamenei, who is also Iran's commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel. The country's top cleric was delivering a speech to mark the occasion when 31 years ago the Iranian airforce gave its support to the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a key event which led to the toppling of the US-backed shah on February 11, 1979.  

Iran says to unveil air defence equal to Russia system
Iran will soon unveil a domestically-made air defence system with at least the same capability as Russia's S-300 anti-aircraft hardware, an Iranian air force commander was quoted as saying on Monday. Last month, Russia's state arms trader declined to say whether it would go ahead with the sale of S-300 to Iran, which could protect the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities from air strikes.-"In the near future, a new locally-made air defence system will be unveiled by the country's experts and scientists which is as powerful as the S-300 missile defence system, or even stronger," he said.  

Netanyahu makes every anti-Iran effort in Russia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Moscow to persuade the Kremlin into backing tougher sanctions against Iran, days after media reports revealed that Tel Aviv has dispatched two warships to the Persian Gulf. The three-day trip, planned weeks ago, will see Netanyahu making every effort in convincing Russian government officials to join the Western-led campaign for additional sanctions against Iran's enrichment activities. One Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on conditions of anonymity that Netanyahu will have a hard time wooing the Russians, who are helping Iran build a nuclear reactor in the southern city of Bushehr and have so far appeared reluctant in imposing sanctions on the country.  

Assassination in Dubai May Launch Hizbullah-Hamas Revenge Effort
Last month’s daring assassination of a Hamas senior terrorist in Dubai may spark a combined Hizbullah-Hamas revenge attack against Israel. Hamas has blamed Israel for the murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, who stated on a video taped before his death that he was involved in the murder of two Israeli soldiers in 1989. Hizbullah has blamed Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency for the assassination of its mastermind terrorist Imad Mughniyeh, who was blown up by a car bomb in Damascus two years ago this Friday. Israeli security officials are prepared for Hizbullah, possibly with help by Hamas, to use the occasion to strike at Jews.  

NATO Chief 'Surprised' By Russia's Listing Alliance As Threat
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today expressed surprise that Russia still considers the military alliance a major security threat. Rasmussen, speaking on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, said, "I have to say that this new doctrine does not reflect the real world." -His reaction comes a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new version of Russia's main military strategy document, which names NATO expansion as one of Russia's chief threats.  

Medvedev approves new Russian "first strike" military doctrine
President Dmitry Medvedev has signed country’s new military doctrine which allows preventive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors. ''The President informed the members of Russia's Security Council yesterday that he has approved two documents - the military doctrine and the Fundamentals of the state policy on nuclear deterrence until 2020,'' presidential press secretary Natalia Timakova said. ''Military conflicts will be transient and selective, with a high degree of damage caused to targets, manoeuvrable troops and fire, and with the use of various mobile groups of troops (forces),'' the doctrine which was published on the Kremlin website, said.  

French government says 2009 was record year for arms purchases
France invested the record sum of 19.3 billion euros (26.4 billion dollars) on equipping its army last year, the government defence and weapons agency DGA said Monday in Paris. Despite the worst recession in decades, 60 Rafale fighter jets and 65 war ships and boats were ordered in 2009, the agency said. Investment had increased by 123 per cent over that of the previous year, and arms exports had increased by 21 per cent.  

Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days
Magnitudes 4.5 and above are in bold font. Magnitudes 6 and above are in red.  

'Iran may give up nukes if Mideast conflict resolved'
Jordan's King Abdullah said on Sunday that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could lead to Iran giving up its nuclear weapons program.  

Abbas give in to U.S. pressure for indirect Mideast talks
Following heavy international pressure, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to the U.S. proposal to hold talks with Israel - in the format of indirect negotiations conducted by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell.  

Netanyahu heading to war
You are not heading towards peace, so stop talking nonsense. You are heading towards war with Syria.  

Iran plans major nuclear expansion over next year
Iran says it will start producing higher-grade nuclear fuel on Tuesday and add 10 uranium enrichment plants over the next year in a nuclear expansion sure to stoke tensions with the West.  

Palin targets Obama in 'tea party' speech
Taking aim at President Barack Obama and the Democrats, Sarah Palin has told a 'tea party' convention in Nashville that the country is ripe for another revolution. since Obama moved into the White House a year ago with talk of hope and promises of change, Palin asked the gathering: "How's that hope-y, change-y stuff workin' out for you?"  

Palin 'Would Be Willing' to Take On Obama in 2012
Sarah Palin has President Obama in her sights, telling FoxNews.com she "would be willing" to challenge him in the 2012 presidential race. The former Alaska governor, in an interview Saturday on the sidelines of the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, said President Obama's "lack of experience" has held him back his first year in office and that she would put her credentials up against his any day.  

Assad: We will stand by Lebanon if attacked by Israel
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday vowed to stand by Lebanon's side against any Israeli "aggression," in an escalating war of words between Damascus and Jerusalem. Assad made the remark to the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Beri, in Damascus, according to the official Syrian news agency, Sana.