Hard News
30 killed in Baghdad blasts, extending wave of violence-:
Bomb
blasts tore through two Baghdad neighborhoods Wednesday evening,
killing at least 30 people including several members of a wedding
party, and extending a relentless wave of bloodshed roiling Iraq.
Syrian army seizes strategic air base near Qusair: state media:
Syrian
troops and Hezbollah fighters already surround the border town of
Qusair from three sides. Taking control of Dabaa, on the northern side
of Qusair, would put the strategic town under siege from four sides.
Services collapsing in Syrian rebel-controlled areas:
Ravaged
Aleppo sees food, fuel prices skyrocket, staples like medicine, baby
formula non-existent; 'We've nothing to feed babies,' says resident
Rockets from Syria hit north-east Lebanon:
Three
Syrian rockets hit the Bekaa valley city of Hermel Wednesday, wounding
one person, a security source told The Daily Star.
UN rights council passes resolution demanding civilian protection:
The
U.N. High Commissioner told the 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council.
"The message from all of us should be the same: we will not support
this conflict with arms, ammunition, politics or religion."
US-backed UN resolution on Syria is 'odious', says Russian foreign minister:
Sergei
Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has criticised as "odious" a
US-backed draft resolution condemning the Syrian government before a
debate at the UN human rights council on Wednesday. Lavrov said the
"extremely unwholesome initiative" would damage attempts to end the
Syrian civil war and convene a planned peace conference.
Obama asked Pentagon to prepare Syria no-fly zone plans - report:
If enacted, the no-fly zone would be enforced by the US military with help from France, Great Britain and other allies.
Pentagon pushes back against Syria no-fly zone report:
Pentagon
press secretary George Little said in a statement there "is no new
military planning effort underway with regard to Syria."
White House says no-fly zone for Syria remains on table:
"Every
option available to the president remains on the table when it comes
to our policy towards Syria. That of course includes the possibility of
a no-fly zone," White House spokesman Jay Carney told a news briefing.
Russian Missile Plan Chills Chances for Syrian No-Fly Zone:
"The
S-300 has the capacity to knock down cruise missiles as well as
high-altitude planes," he said. "So the possession of the S-300
certainly does pose greater difficulties to a no-fly zone."
Israel warns of action over Russian plan to give missiles to Syria's Assad;
A
senior Israeli defense official warned on Tuesday that Russia's plan
to send sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons systems to Syria's
President Bashar Assad was a "threat" and signaled Israel could take
some form of unspecified action in response.
Syria promises 'immediate retaliation' if Israel strikes again;
Syria's
foreign minister warned on Wednesday that Syria "will retaliate
immediately" if Israel strikes Syrian soil again. - "Americans have no
business in deciding who will run Syria," adding that this "would be a
precedent in international relations that we must not allow."
Canada opposes arming Syria opposition:
Canada's
top diplomat Tuesday warned of "more violence, more deaths and more
destruction" in Syria that risks spilling over into neighboring
countries if the EU arms Syrian rebels.
Syrian "rebels" condemn opposition coalition:
Rebels
on the ground in Syria have launched a blistering attack on the Syrian
opposition coalition outside the country. A statement issued by the
Revolutionary Movement in Syria said the coalition had failed to
represent the Syrian revolution.
The Syrian opposition is in crisis, and it's all on video;
A
video has emerged from a crucial meeting of the main opposition group,
the Syrian National Council, that gives an insight into just how
divided the movement is.
Top diplomats in last-ditch meet with Syria opposition:
Dissidents
say the chaotic meeting has been deadlocked by internal bickering as
well as conflicting pressures from key backers of the revolt, Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, France, Turkey and the United States.
Russia blasts US double standards over Syrian peace progress:
The
US-Russian initiative for a comprehensive peace conference to resolve
the Syrian crisis needs honest effort of those involved. But some
nations apparently try to undermine the effort to call the meeting,
says the Russia's foreign minister.
Iran 'invited' to Syria peace conference: State media:
Iran
has received "an oral invitation" to attend a planned Syria peace
conference in Geneva next month, the official IRNA news agency quoted a
deputy foreign minister as saying on May 29.
Iran condemns McCain visit to Syria:
"The
US senator's illegal entry into Syria and his meeting with the
commanders of the armed groups fighting the government of Syria is
against American claims of seeking a political solution to the Syria
crisis," the Iranian diplomat said on Wednesday.
Send John McCain to Guantanamo Bay:
Given
the fact that numerous individuals have been sent to the Guantanamo
Bay detention facility for "associating with terrorists," Senator John
McCain has now opened himself up to the same fate after he met with FSA
rebels in Syria who are admittedly led by and who have pledged
allegiance to Al-Qaeda terrorists.
Anti-Zionist Rabbis Seeking Support for Ambulance for Gaza:
Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews have been outraged at the continuing atrocities involved in the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip
29 "militants" killed in Afghan raids within 24 hours: gov't:
Afghan
army and police supported by the NATO-led coalition forces have
eliminated 29 armed Taliban militants and detained 45 others during
different operations started on Tuesday, the country's Interior
Ministry said Wednesday.
'Attack on Red Cross office' in Afghan city of Jalalabad:
There
had been an explosion at the office, with two attackers holed up
inside the building, officials say. - The Red Cross confirmed on its
Twitter feed that "an incident" had occurred, but provided no further
information.
Afghans 'unlawfully held' by UK forces at Camp Bastion:
UK lawyers acting for eight of the men said their clients had been held for up to 14 months without charge.
UK set to return up to 90 Afghans held without charge at 'secret' facility in Camp Bastion:
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond denies claims of unlawful detention in facility compared to Guantanamo Bay
US Kills 6 People In Pakistan: :
At
least six suspected militants have been killed and three injured in a
drone strike in north-western Pakistan, security officials have told
the BBC.
In public relations exercise:
Pakistan denounces U.S. drone strike that killed Taliban leader:
"The
government of Pakistan has expressed serious concerns over the U.S.
drone attack that occurred in North Waziristan," Pakistan's Foreign
Ministry said in a statement.
One person killed as Buddhist mobs attack Muslim homes for second day in Myanmar:
Buddhist
mobs armed with sticks and machetes burned Muslim homes on Wednesday
for a second day in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio, contradicting
claims in state media that soldiers and police had restored calm.
3 Libyan soldiers killed in Benghazi attack:
"An
explosive device that was concealed in a rubbish bin blew up near a
patrol of the Al-Khandak Brigades," killing one soldier on the spot
while the other two later died of their injuries, said Abdullah
Al-Shaafi.
Libya: 2 killed in an attack on police patrol in Benghazi:
Libya's
official news agency says unidentified attackers hurled an explosive
device at a security patrol in the eastern city of Benghazi, killing
two and injuring several others.
U.S. military officers shot outside Venezuela strip club:
The
two men are enlisted military officers who work at the U.S. Embassy
and the State Department says their injuries are not life-threatening.
Venezuelan authorities say that they have identified their attackers,
but no arrests have been made.
Rival Honduras gangs declare truce:
Two
of the most violent gangs in Honduras have announced a truce under a
church-brokered drive to stem a tide of violence that has turned
Honduras into the world's most murderous country. Masked members of the
"Calle 18" and "Mara Salvatrucha" gangs made separate announcements on
Tuesday from within San Pedro Sula prison in northern Honduras
'Force-feeding of hunger strikers at Gitmo is torture':
Sara
Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center slams the
force-feeding of inmates at the notorious U.S.-run prison camp at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a "form of torture"
GOP Congressman Downplays Gitmo Hunger Strike Crisis:
Detainees
Have Actually 'Put On Weight': "The last thing to say about these
folks who are supposedly hunger strikers is that they look to me like a
lot of them had put on weight." Pompeo, however, could not back that
claim up:
Liberty Reserve payments system accused over $6bn money laundering:
The
prosecution is one of the largest-ever brought in the US - although
global bank HSBC was accused of greater money laundering, but settled
by paying a fine.
HSBC faces court threat as deal on money laundering charges stalls:
HSBC's
controversial $1.9bn (£1.6bn) settlement deal with the US authorities
over money laundering charges has stalled after a row between the
justice department and the judge overseeing the case.
HSBC Faces Fresh Allegations Of Facilitating Money Laundering In Argentina: -
Argentina's
tax agency said on Monday it has uncovered 392 million pesos ($77
million) in fraudulent transactions by HSBC Holdings Plc and said it
has asked the judicial system to probe the European bank for alleged
tax evasion and money laundering.
U.K. Retail Sales Fall At Fastest Pace Since January 2012:
U.K.
retail sales declined at the fastest rate in more than a year in May,
signaling that growth in the retail sector weakened persistently in
2013, survey data released by the Confederation of British Industry
revealed Wednesday.
U.K. Banks Cut 189,000 With Employment at Nine-Year Low:
Britain's
four biggest banks will have eliminated about 189,000 jobs by the end
of this year from their peak staffing levels, bringing employment to a
nine-year low amid a dearth of revenue. More cuts may follow.
Bleak Future? UK youth lost to austerity fears never finding jobs: Video report:
Skyrocketing
youth unemployment is becoming the greatest concern for the UK, as
well as other European nations. The EU leaders are sounding the alert
over the entire generation which they fear will never find jobs
U.K. Names UBS and Goldman Sachs to Lead Royal Mail Sale:
No
final decision has been taken about how or when to sell Royal Mail,
according to the statement. The government has said its preferred
option is an initial public offering by the end of the current
financial year next March.
Senator Dianne Feinstein's husband chairs a company that brokers sales of USPS facilities.:
The
United States has entered into a contract with one firm to sell 56
buildings that currently house U.S. Post Offices. The sale of these
properties will bring in billions of dollars and, with that, millions
of dollars in commissions for the one Company that is in charge of
handling the sale
Wal-Mart Will Pay $81.6 Million in Pollutant Dumping Case:
Under
a plea agreement, Wal-Mart will pay $60 million in fines and community
service payments in California, $14 million in fines and community
service payments in Missouri and a $7.6 million U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency fine, according to a Justice Department statement.
How the Rich Got Richer, Global Comparisons :
Dylan
Matthews highlights a fascinating little chart today. Roughly
speaking, it plots two things for 18 different countries: (a) how much
the rich have gotten richer over the past 50 years, and (b) how much
tax rates on the rich have gone down during the same period.
Home of the brave?
Tiny Lego Gun Wielded by Kindergartner Panics Grown-Ups:
A 6-year-old with a 2-inch-long plastic assault rifle walks onto a school bus. Anyone want to guess the punchline?
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"Let us be peace and joy"
Tom Feeley
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