Islam News Update

APEC: Bush assures Howard he'll be consulted on Iraq

Police prepare for G20 protests
MELBOURNE is bracing for a day of major protest as G20 opponents take to the streets to demonstrate against the first day of the international economic summit.

Carbon cuts set for 2008 talks
THE 168 members of the UN pact for cutting greenhouse gases will launch negotiations in 2008 over the next round of pledges for tackling global warming.
Iraq: Raid frees two hostages, one dead
Indonesia: Indonesia's $1b weapons deal

Strategies: Bush and Howard to discuss future of Iraq

Hezbollah 'cash' sparks inquiry
TWO Australian citizens suspected of sending thousands of dollars to Lebanon to help fund Hezbollah during the recent conflict with Israel are under investigation.
San Francisco: Legendary Nobel economist dead
Ottawa: Accused Russian spy arrested in Canada

A fragile peace in Dili
Hundreds of youths from rival gangs gather in Dili to embrace. more
- Iraq hostages 'freed'- World Bank chief slams Iraq

Don't be anti-US, says Murdoch
MEDIA giant Rupert Murdoch has warned Australians against allowing doubts about the US leadership to fester into irrational antipathy that sees America as a greater threat to world peace than al-Qaeda.

Stealth 'spy' facing execution
AN American engineer with business links to an Australian Defence Department official is facing a death sentence for allegedly selling military secrets to China.

- Bush cool on Blair's Iraq plan

Mirwaiz for solution to problems concerning MuslimsKashmir Media Service - Islamabad,Punjab,Pakistan... The APHC chairman also stressed the need for the western world to pay attention to the problems afflicting Muslims instead of further compounding their miseries ...See all stories on this topic
Unity secret to Muslims’ success: AhmadinejadMehrNews.com - Tehran,IranTEHRAN, Nov. 13 (MNA) -- President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said here on Tuesday that maintaining unity is the secret to the success of Islamic countries. ...
'The Problem is Between Muslims and US Foreign Policy'Zaman Online - Istanbul,Turkey... 11 was not between Islam and the West but rather between Muslims and US foreign policy. The famous researcher, who traveled to Istanbul ...
'Lebanese Muslims outnumber Christians'Independent Online - Cape Town,South AfricaBeirut - Lebanon's political system, which is once again in crisis, aims to share power equally between Christians and Muslims, but a survey published on ...
Perak mufti accuses woman of false text message claiming Muslims ...AsiaNews.it - ItalyHundreds of Muslims gathered in front of church to protest after a frenzy of text messages claimed that hundreds of Muslims were going to convert. ...See all stories on this topic
VIEW: Muslims under the Democrats —Syed Mansoor HussainDaily Times - Lahore,PakistanMost Muslims the world over dislike President Bush. Unfortunately for them he is still the president and will be president for another two years. ...See all stories on this topic
Anti-terror laws disproportionately effecting Muslims, UK warnedIslamic Republic News Agency - Tehran,Iran... British Muslims have criticized a series of recent comments made by ministers for provoking new waves of Islamophobic attacks in the UK. ...See all stories on this topic
Muslims not doing enough to fight terror - PoliceSpero News - USA... He was asked in the interview how much help Muslims were giving to anti-terrorism operations. He answered: "We're getting more, but we're not getting enough.". ...
Reserved for MuslimsCentral Chronicle - Bhopal,IndiaCirca July 2004 - November 06: The Congress-led Andhra Pradesh Government promises five per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs and educational ...See all stories on this topic
Muslims arrested from a Hindu's houseSahilOnline - Dubai,United Arab EmiratesTwo people, both muslims, have been arrested in Bhatkal on Thursday night from the house of a hindu man, where they had taken shelter for five days. ...
Bosnian Muslims move against radicalization of IslamMiddle East Times - Cairo,Egypt... Arabia. Bosnian Muslims are mostly followers of moderate Islam. ... women. Some 40 percent of Bosnia's 3.8 million inhabitants are Muslims. ...

Bush 'prepared to listen'
REPUBLICANS say they will listen to US Democrats' plan to withdraw troops from Iraq amid a day of extreme violence with 46 bullet-riddled bodies found in Baghdad.
Britain: Al-Qaeda 'wants to acquire nuclear weapons'
Lombok: Indonesia, Australia sign security pact

Treaty a shore thing
Australia-Indonesia agreement signed, sealed and delivered. more
- Blair urges Iran-Syria talks- Time waits for no man's family in Iraq's morgues

- Democrats push for Iraq withdrawal

Ahmadinejad blasts U.N. Security CouncilSun, 12 Nov 2006 03:30 am PST AP - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday criticized the United Nations Security Council over its efforts to impose sanctions on Iran because of its nuclear program. Full Story

Iran plans to counter any Israeli attackSun, 12 Nov 2006 03:09 am PSTAP - Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday that his country's Revolutionary Guards would strongly and immediately respond to any Israeli attack. Full Story
Australia rejects criticism of new Indonesian security pactSat, 11 Nov 2006 10:43 pm PST AFP - The Australian government has denied that a new security pact with Indonesia means that it would be party to the suppression of Indonesian separatists. Full Story
Suicide bomber kills 33 in BaghdadSun, 12 Nov 2006 03:28 am PST AP - A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a police recruiting center in Baghdad early Sunday, killing at least 33 people and wounding 56, police said. Full Story
Post-Taliban Kabul blossoms for the richSat, 11 Nov 2006 01:53 pm PST AP - Eight-year-old Sajjad's kite struggles upward. It's nothing grand — a plastic bag salvaged from a heap of garbage and fashioned into a diamond shape. Full Story

Christian population falls in Holy LandSat, 11 Nov 2006 03:06 pm PST AP - The death threat came on simple white fliers blowing down the streets at dawn. A group calling itself "Friends of Muhammad" accused a local Palestinian Christian of selling mobile phones carrying offensive sketches of the Muslim prophet. Full Story
Ban religion, says Elton JohnSat, 11 Nov 2006 01:27 pm PST AFP - Religion should be outlawed because it lacks compassion and promotes hatred of homosexuals, gay pop star Elton John said in an interview. Full Story

Past Week Breaking NewsEvery day, our editors scour the web for news items of interest in the areas of world events, religion, and technology. Here are some choice news that we found this past week:
Al Qaeda: We'll Never Rest Until White House Destroyed
Wal-Mart: 'gay-friendly' & proud of its track record
Missionary says Christian church meets '3 or 4' at a time
First Muslim Elected To Congress
Democrats take control of Senate
The Agenda of Islam - A War Between Civilizations
Donald Rumsfeld to Resign
Resurgent Democrats win control of House
US lifts ban of Sinn Fein fund-raising
North Korea tests bio-arms on dwarves
UK evangelicals considers violence to defend faith
Rev. Ted Haggard Quits Church After Probe Cites 'Sexually Immoral Conduct'
Saddam faces hanging after Baghdad verdict
'Dr. Dino' guilty on all counts; Couple could get more than 200 years
Abortion Centers Tell Teens to Deceive Parents
Episcopal Leader Denies Bible Condemns 'Gays'The following are some other popular breaking news of this past week:
Islam grows in Red China
A Neuroscientific Look at Speaking in Tongues
Woman bitten by snake at church dies
Pope, Muslim leaders back immunisation fund for world's poor
BNP leader attacks Koran in court
Newsweek - Morality Tale: A Pastor's Fall From Grace
Minnesota Mega-Church Pastor Named Interim NAE President
ELECTION 06: Turnout by Christians critical, leaders say
Texas governor: Non-Christians condemned to hell
Eritrean Christian released from jail
Time: God vs. Science
A Woman Is Installed as Top Episcopal Bishop
Pressure on Pope to rebuild ties with Islam
Minnesota atheists applaud Dawkins' powerful voice
Bible-based economics appealing to disciples
New chief leads U.S. Muslims
Vatican studies John Paul 'miracle'
Bible clubs targeting schools
Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Pope this monthmore interesting news...

Pope urges Catholics-Muslims dialogueFri, 10 Nov 2006 09:46 am PST AP - Pope Benedict XVI on Friday urged Catholics in his native Germany to hold open dialogue about faith with Muslims living there. Full Story

In Nazi cradle, Germany marks Jewish renaissanceFri, 10 Nov 2006 12:00 am PST The Christian Science Monitor - Cradle of the Nazi party, site of the first concentration camp, and favorite haunt of Adolf Hitler, Munich now has a new legacy; It's home to the largest synagogue built in Germany since World War II. Full Story

U.S. gov't office in Iraq attackedSat, 11 Nov 2006 03:43 am PST AP - The U.S. government's office in central Iraq came under mortar fire early Saturday, an attack that touched off a blaze in part of the complex, Iraqi police said. There was no immediate word on damage or casualties. Full Story

Nat'l Guard units face 2nd tours in IraqSat, 11 Nov 2006 03:37 am PST AP - The nation's citizen soldiers, already strained by long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, could be tapped again under new plans being developed by the Pentagon. Full Story


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U.S. gov't office in Iraq attackedSat, 11 Nov 2006 03:43 am PST AP - The U.S. government's office in central Iraq came under mortar fire early Saturday, an attack that touched off a blaze in part of the complex, Iraqi police said. There was no immediate word on damage or casualties. Full Story
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Nat'l Guard units face 2nd tours in IraqSat, 11 Nov 2006 03:37 am PST AP - The nation's citizen soldiers, already strained by long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, could be tapped again under new plans being developed by the Pentagon. Full Story
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McCain to launch 2008 exploratory panelSat, 11 Nov 2006 03:44 am PST AP - Republican Sen. John McCain intends to take the first formal step toward a White House run next week by launching a presidential exploratory committee, GOP officials say. Full Story
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Warrantless wiretaps unlikely to be OK'dSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:16 am PST AP - Legislation aimed at President Bush's once-secret program for wiretapping U.S.-foreign phone calls and computer traffic of suspected terrorists without warrants shows all the signs of not moving ahead, notwithstanding President Bush's request this week that a lame-duck Congress give it to him. Full Story
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Car bombs kill 8 people in Baghdad marketSat, 11 Nov 2006 01:41 am PST Reuters - Two car bombs killed eight people and wounded at least 38 others when they exploded in quick succession in central Baghdad's wholesale Shorja market on Saturday, an interior ministry source said. Full Story
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3rd son from Wash. family sent to IraqSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:02 am PST AP - Growing up, Charlie Parsons played sports, liked to travel and enjoyed learning other languages — just like his older twin brothers. When they went off to West Point, Parsons soon followed. Now, four months after Capt. Bill Parsons and Capt. Huber Parsons III deployed to Iraq, younger brother Charlie Parsons is again following their lead. Full Story
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Manatees may be smarter than we thinkSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:25 am PST AP - Back in 1902, a scientist examining the smooth, grapefruit-size brain of a manatee remarked that the organ's unwrinkled surface resembled that of the brain of an idiot. Full Story
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PlayStation 3 makes debut in JapanSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:24 am PST AP - Sony's PlayStation 3 made its highly anticipated debut in Japan to long lines on Saturday, with local stores selling out their supplies of the video game console in a pattern that's expected to be repeated around the world. Full Story
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Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance diesSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:04 am PST AP - Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned successfully to comedy in his 70s with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," has died. Full Story
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Buckeyes score big in record-setting winSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:13 am PST AP - Greg Oden never left the bench and No. 7 Ohio State still put on a show. Daequan Cook scored 22 points and the Buckeyes' Thad Five recruiting class opened the season with a record-setting 107-69 victory over VMI on Friday night in the first round of the BCA Classic. Full Story
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Pentagon team reviews Iraq war strategy: reportFri, 10 Nov 2006 09:35 pm PST Reuters - Top U.S. military leaders have begun a broad review of strategy in Iraq and other crisis areas in the Bush administration's campaign against terrorism, The New York Times reported in Saturday editions. Full Story
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Abbas urges Israel to make peaceSat, 11 Nov 2006 04:50 am PST Reuters - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that he expected to form a unity government with the rival Hamas faction this month in the hope of lifting a Western aid embargo. Full Story
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Al Qaeda may plan Europe transit attacks: reportFri, 10 Nov 2006 05:09 pm PST Reuters - Al Qaeda may be planning to attack rail and air travel in Europe -- possibly targeting the busy holiday travel season -- according to intelligence findings, the "CBS Evening News" reported on Friday. Full Story
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U.S. offers $50,000 for soldier kidnapped in IraqSat, 11 Nov 2006 02:19 am PSTReuters - The U.S. military said on Saturday it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of a U.S. soldier who was kidnapped nearly three weeks ago in Baghdad. Full Story
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Bush woos Democrats despite divisions on UN postFri, 10 Nov 2006 07:16 pm PST Reuters - President Bush courted leaders of the Senate's new Democratic majority on Friday while pressing ahead with a divisive bid to get John Bolton confirmed as U.N. envoy before power changes hands in Congress. Full Story
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Iran could review IAEA ties over UN draft: LarijaniFri, 10 Nov 2006 02:48 pm PST Reuters - Iran will review relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if the U.N. Security Council adopts a European draft resolution imposing sanctions, Tehran's nuclear negotiator said on Friday. Full Story
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Japanese brave the elements for Sony's PS3Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:17 pm PST Reuters - Thousands of game fans queued for hours, braving Tokyo's early morning chill and occasional showers, as Sony's much-heralded and delayed PlayStation 3 game console went on sale on Saturday. Full Story
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Lack of immigration reform "crazy": SchwarzeneggerFri, 10 Nov 2006 04:36 pm PST Reuters - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Friday the federal government was "crazy" to clamp down on border security without also passing a law to allow more foreign workers into the United States. Full Story
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US military chief signals changes ahead in Iraq strategyFri, 10 Nov 2006 11:51 pm PST AFP - US military leaders are making their own reassessment of the course in Iraq, the top US military officer said, signaling major changes ahead with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's departure. Full Story
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Thousands pay final homage to former Turkish PM EcevitSat, 11 Nov 2006 02:53 am PST AFP - Tens of thousands have thronged the streets of Ankara for a final farewell to former prime minister Bulent Ecevit, widely admired here for a five-decade political career of unblemished honesty, but best remembered for ordering Turkish troops to Cyprus in 1974. Full Story


Iran to start military maneuvers days after Western-led drills in GulfTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran unexpectedly announced Wednesday that it would be holding military maneuvers in the Gulf this week, only days after U.S.-led navies held exercises in the same waterway.Iranian state television quoted the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, as saying the 10-day maneuvers, named "Great Prophet," would take place in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman, beginning Thursday. "The war games are aimed at demonstrating the deterrent power of the guards against possible threats," Safavi said. Safavi stressed the drills were not a threat to neighboring countries, saying: "Our neighbors are our friends. The guards just want to prove that they ready to resist in any threatening situation."
Fed-up Wal-Mart worker quits over pro-'gay' agendaSam Walton's original stores wouldn't even sell recorded music if it contained profanity and Janet Baird was happy working hard to make the company money, setting up and managing wedding fairs and other promotions, and won awards for her efforts. She and her husband even married at one of the store's events. But no more. The Ohio woman, after hearing the shocking confirmation directly from the mega-corporation's international headquarters that the company is, in fact, contributing to the financial and moral agenda of the nation's "gay" chamber of commerce, she quit. And she's not a bit worried.
Nearly half of Americans uncertain God exists: pollNearly half of Americans are not sure God exists, according to a poll that also found divisions among the public on whether God is male or female or whether God has a human form and has control over events. The survey conducted by Harris Poll found that 42 percent of US adults are not "absolutely certain" there is a God compared to 34 percent who felt that way when asked the same question three years ago. Among the various religious groups, 76 percent of Protestants, 64 percent of Catholics and 30 percent of Jews said they are "absolutely certain" there is a God while 93 percent of Christians who describe themselves as "Born Again" feel certain God exists.
Salem's witches fight for civil rightsSALEM, Massachusetts (Reuters) - She brews potions, wears flowing black caftans and says she can speak with the dead and cast spells with a gentle wave of a wand. Laurie Cabot is a proud witch, and she's fighting for her civil rights. At age 73, the official witch of Salem says her craft is stronger than ever, as she sits in an overstuffed chair behind a pink table where she does psychic readings -- and where, she says, spirits of the dead often "pop through."
Judge not, says Ford to GOP, Bible in handThe rocky marriage of religion and politics was tested again last weekend when Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. criticized the GOP's approach to faith. During a stop Saturday in Paris, Tenn., Ford said one of the hallmarks of the Democratic Party is that members don't "use the Bible to judge people. "He then quoted from the Bible about "the spirit of fear," and living in the spirit of love, and he paraphrased U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn.
North Korea Agrees to Nuclear TalksBEIJING (AP) - North Korea agreed Tuesday to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks in a surprise diplomatic breakthrough three weeks after the communist regime conducted its first know n atomic test. A U.S. envoy said the talks could resume as early as November.Chinese, U.S. and North Korean envoys to the negotiations held a day of unpublicized talks in Beijing during which North Korea agreed to return to the larger six-nation talks on its nuclear programs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. "The three parties agreed to resume the six-party talks at the earliest convenient time," the Chinese statement said.
For some Americans, every day is HalloweenHalloween is a time of the bizarre, of make-believe, of the dark and macabre – all in the spirit of fun, of course. "But," says David Kupelian, author of the best selling book, "The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom," "as usual, truth is stranger than fiction. While Halloween party-goers and 'trick or treaters' dress up to look 'mutilated' or 'bizarre,' countless Americans are caught up with real-life mutilation and beyond – outlandish practices stranger and darker than the most imaginative Halloween costumes."
Ex-official: Muhammad reveals key to overcoming jihadistsThe Pentagon must study the Muslim prophet Muhammad and his military doctrine to beat the growing number of jihadists, a former senior Pentagon intelligence official warns. The failure of Pentagon brass to implement a "systematic study" of Muhammad's military doctrine is hurting the U.S. military's effort to control and defeat insurgents and terrorists, complains William Gawthrop, who until recent months headed a key counterintelligence and counterterrorism program set up at the Pentagon after 9/11. During this year's Ramadan, just ended, U.S. troops suffered another spike in casualties. Ramadan is the Islamic holy month when Muslims believe Muhammad received the Quran, the Muslim scripture, in a divine revelation. Almost 100 GIs have been killed in Iraq this month alone. Attacks on U.S. and other coalition soldiers in Afghanistan also increased during Ramadan.
Smartmatic Corp. denies any ties to ChávezThe South Florida-based Smartmatic Corp., a voting machine company under investigation by the Treasury Department, denied Monday it had any ties to the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chávez and promised full cooperation with authorities. ''We are definitely concerned about the allegations that have been published, which are utterly false,'' Antonio Mugica, one of the company's founders and a Venezuelan-Spanish citizen, told a news conference. Mugica and other company officers offered information on the Boca Raton-based firm to dispute any notion that the left-wing Chávez government is linked to Smartmatic, which in 2005 purchased Sequoia Voting Systems Co.
Muslim insurgents behead 14-year-old Christian boyA website in Assyria is confirming that a 14-year-old Christian boy who was working a 12-hour shift maintaining an electric generator has been murdered by Muslim insurgents. The Assyrian International News Agency said the tragedy was reported by an Assyrian language web page at www.ankawa.com.
Congressman: Superhighway about North American UnionWASHINGTON – Rep. Ron Paul, a maverick Republican from Texas, today denounced plans for the proposed "NAFTA superhighway" in his state as part of a larger plot for merger of the U.S., Canada and Mexico into a North American Union. "By now many Texans have heard about the proposed 'NAFTA Superhighway,' which is also referred to as the trans-Texas corridor," he said in a statement. "What you may not know is the extent to which plans for such a superhighway are moving forward without congressional oversight or media attention." Paul explained that most members of Congress are unaware of the plans because only relatively small amounts of money have been spent studying the plans and those allocations were included in "enormous transportation appropriations bills."
U.S. sets ambitious "global" NATO summit agendaBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States set out an ambitious agenda on Monday for transforming NATO into a global security organization at a summit next month but acknowledged that some European allies have misgivings. U.S. NATO ambassador Victoria Nuland said the 26-nation alliance had gone beyond debates about whether to act outside its Euro-Atlantic area, deploying forces on four continents in the last 18 months, most importantly in Afghanistan. NATO is already performing missions in practice for which it has yet to adapt its theory, she said, forecasting tough drafting debates before the November 28-29 summit in Riga, Latvia. "We want NATO to be able to demonstrate when our heads meet four weeks from now that we have an alliance that is taking on global responsibilities, that it increasingly has the global capabilities to meet those responsibilities, and that it is doing it with global partners," Nuland said in a speech to the Center for European Policy Studies think-tank.
First liver grown from stem cells offers hope for transplant patientsAN ARTIFICIAL liver has been grown for the first time from stem cells, it emerged last night. The breakthrough by British scientists is considered the vital first step towards creating a fully artificial liver that could be used to tackle ever-growing waiting lists for transplants within as little as ten years. A team based at Newcastle University grew the miniature liver, using stem cells taken from umbilical cords. Dr Nico Forraz and Professor Colin McGuckin worked with scientists from NASA in Houston, Texas.
U.S. Air Force Debuts Laser-Weapon AircraftWICHITA, Kan. — The U.S. Missile Defense Agency rolled out an airborne laser aircraft on Friday, the latest development in a missile-defense system that was once ridiculed as a "Star Wars" fantasy. In a ceremony at the Boeing Co.'s (BA) Integrated Defense Systems facility in Wichita, the agency announced it was ready to flight test some of the low-power systems on the ABL aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-400F designed to destroy enemy missiles.
Russia, China Won't Back Iran SanctionsMOSCOW (AP) - Russian and China indicated that they will not support a draft U.N. resolution imposing tough sanctions on Iran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program. The comments by Russia's foreign minister and China's U.N. ambassador were the strongest reactions yet to the draft by the two key U.N. Security Council members, and signaled difficult negotiations ahead on the resolution drawn up by Britain, France and Germany. "We cannot support measures that in essence are aimed at isolating Iran from the outside world, including isolating people who are called upon to conduct negotiations on the nuclear program," the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying Wednesday. China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said "there are still different views on what kind of actions the council needs to do under the current circumstances."
Unmanned Spy Planes To Patrol U.S. BorderWASHINGTON — The Predator unmanned spy plane, usually seen in the skies above Afghanistan, will soon be deployed over the America-Mexico border, Governor Perry of Texas said yesterday. A squadron of 16 Predator I–Bs will be based in Texas's Ellington Air Force Base starting sometime next year, the governor said. As commander in chief of the Texas Air National Guard, of which the Predators will be a part, Mr. Perry will exercise some control over the deployment of the U.S. Air Force-owned planes. The Predators will fly over the 16 Texas counties that line Mexican border, as well as patrol the Houston ship channel and the petrochemical plants that line the Lone Star State's Gulf Coast. The governor emphasized that the primary cruising ground for the planes will be the stretches of desert along the border.
Iran Test Fires Longer Range MissileTEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran test-fired dozens of missiles, including the Shahab-3 that can reach Israel, in military maneuvers Thursday that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region. The show of strength came as Iran remains locked in dispute with the West over its nuclear program, which Washington says is geared to producing atomic weapons but Tehran says is only for generating electricity. The maneuvers came three days after U.S.-led warships finished naval exercises in the Gulf that Iran branded as "adventurist." State television reported that several kinds of missiles were tested, and broadcast footage of them being fired from mobile launchers. "We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message," the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, said in a clear reference to the United States, Britain and France, who were among the six nations that took part in the Gulf maneuvers earlier this week.
Homosexuals suspected of vandalizing synagogueWorshippers who arrived to services early Thursday morning were shocked to see the windows smashed and grafitti on the walls of the synagogue reading "If we can't march in Jerusalem, you won't walk in Tel Aviv either."
Javier Solana Javier Solana can be called the European Union's chief negotiator. He is the authorized representative of the six-nations (the permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) in negotiations with Iran. He takes part in settling the Middle Eastern crisis. Under the new European Union Constitution, he will become the head of the EU Foreign Ministry, with a budget of €26 billion. Although that constitution has not been passed yet, Solana in practice already serves the function of EU foreign minister. His influence in that organization is seen from the fact that he makes foreign policy decisions single-handedly, without consulting the chairman of the EU or the commissioner for external relations.
Building Business Intelligence:Wal-Mart is an RFID usage leader in more ways than one. It is commonly known that they are requiring their top 100 suppliers to tag the inventory they ship to Wal-Mart. Target, the Department of Defense, Tesco and METRO AG have followed suit. Wal-Mart is also a leader in the utilization of RFID within its stores by tagging expensive items and triggering cameras if/when those items physically move to begin a lineage of tracking product movement to prevent theft. This represents a step toward more automated stores. Suppliers implementing RFID to comply with these mandates are well advised to look beyond the mandate into other areas of their business that they can optimize with the introduction of this technology.
US-Led Military Thrust Focuses Heavily on Broad Naval DeploymentHundreds of US and allied war ships foregathered in the strategic seas of the Middle East and India in the last days of October 2006 for two primary missions: To prepare for a US-led military strike against Iran which has stepped up its uranium enrichment program with a second centrifuge project - undeterred by the prospect of UN sanctions; and measures to fend off palpable al Qaeda threats to oil targets.
Israelis put nuclear bunkers in gardensAMID mounting fears that Iran is planning to obliterate their country, wealthy Israelis are shelling out on underground nuclear shelters in the gardens of their luxury homes. The shelters, which cost at least £60,000 for a bargain-basement version, are built to withstand radioactive fallout, have fortified walls and doors and generate their own electricity and decontaminated air. Defence experts estimate that hundreds of such bunkers, many fitted with all modern conveniences such as bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms, have already been built in private homes across the country and demand is soaring.
Descendants of King David plan Israel reunionJERUSALEM – An international foundation is seeking to gather Jewish descendants of King David, the second biblical king of Israel, for a reunion next year in Jerusalem aimed at fostering Jewish unity. "King David was the first and essentially the only king of Israel to unite all of the Jewish people under one kingdom," said Susan Roth, CEO and founder of the Eshet Chayil Foundation, a group that sponsors Jewish charitable organizations and promotes Jewish education.
American Think Tank Concerned by EU's Approach to 'Media Regulation'(AgapePress) - The European Union is considering regulations that would impose similar restrictions on Internet sites that include audiovisual content to those currently imposed on broadcasters in the EU. The initiative, called "Modern Rules for TV and TV-Like Services" [PDF], includes goals such as "protection of minors" and "prohibition of incitement to hatred." Proposed as part of the "TV Without Frontiers" directive, this initiative would require that those entities providing audiovisual media services comply with "basic rules harmonised across Europe on the basis of the 'country of origin' principle." According to proponents of the initiative, most EU Member States already have rules protecting minors from harmful content and outlawing incitement to hatred -- only now they would have to be "harmonised EU-wide."
VeriChip Corporation Adds 370 Physicians to VeriMed Physician Network at the Annual American Osteopathic Association (AOA) ConventionDELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VeriChip Corporation, a subsidiary of Applied Digital Solutions (NASDAQ:ADSX), announced today that it added 370 physicians to the VeriMed Physician Network at the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Convention held from October 17-20th in Las Vegas. Including the 300 physicians that agreed to participate in the Network at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians earlier this month, the total number of physicians participating in the network now exceeds 1,000. In addition, 53 physicians at the convention were implanted with a VeriMed microchip.
BeliefWatch: Spirit FilledNov. 6, 2006 issue - What does it mean to speak in tongues? And who has the right, or the privilege, to do so? These questions, largely theological, have lingered at the fringes of American Protestantism. Now, as charismatic Christianity sweeps the country and the world, speaking in tongues has become as divisive as it is popular.
Pentagon: New Class Of Silent Submarines Poses ThreatSAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Pentagon said it believes the greatest undersea threat facing the U.S. Navy since the end of the Cold War has arrived. The threat involves a new a new class of silent submarines -- subs that the U.S. Navy is having trouble finding under water. In this exclusive investigation, NBC4's Chuck Henry looked into one of those submarines in San Diego.
Google 'will be able to keep tabs on us all'The internet will hold so much digital data in five years that it will be possible to find out what an individual was doing at a specific time and place, an expert said yesterday. Nigel Gilbert, a professor heading a Royal Academy of Engineering study into surveillance, said people would be able to sit down and type into Google "what was a particular individual doing at 2.30 yesterday and would get an answer".
North Korea Agrees to Nuclear TalksBEIJING (AP) - North Korea agreed Tuesday to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks in a surprise diplomatic breakthrough three weeks after the communist regime conducted its first known atomic test. A U.S. envoy said the talks could resume as early as November.Chinese, U.S. and North Korean envoys to the negotiations held a day of unpublicized talks in Beijing during which North Korea agreed to return to the larger six-nation talks on its nuclear programs, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
British believe Bush is more dangerous than Kim Jong-ilAmerica is now seen as a threat to world peace by its closest neighbours and allies, according to an international survey of public opinion published today that reveals just how far the country's reputation has fallen among former supporters since the invasion of Iraq. Carried out as US voters prepare to go to the polls next week in an election dominated by the war, the research also shows that British voters see George Bush as a greater danger to world peace than either the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, or the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Both countries were once cited by the US president as part of an "axis of evil", but it is Mr Bush who now alarms voters in countries with traditionally strong links to the US.
Calif. schools to fingerprint studentsSANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A plan to fingerprint elementary school students when they buy lunch has some parents worrying that Big Brother has come to the cafeteria. The Hope Elementary School District has notified parents that, beginning this month, students at Monte Vista, Vieja Valley and Hope elementary schools will press an index finger to a scanner before buying cafeteria food. The scan will call up the student's name and student ID, teacher's name and how much the student owes, since some receive government assistance for food.It is meant to speed up cafeteria lines.
Superbug brought back by Iraq war casualtiesInjured soldiers returning from Iraq have brought back a superbug that has been linked with outbreaks in NHS hospitals where they have been treated, a health minister has confirmed. The links between casualties brought back from Iraq and outbreaks in the NHS have caused alarm within the health service and led to renewed demands for more dedicated wards for Britain's armed forces to enable wounded soldiers to be isolated more effectively.
Army eyes 1 million acres for warfare trainingThe U.S. Army is eyeing another million acres of southeastern Colorado ranch and croplands for additional training grounds for its modernized Army, and landowners who don't want to lose their homesteads could be facing condemnation proceedings.
Germans Tell of Secret Nazi Breeding ProgramBeing raised in a German home full of wealth and privilege did not dull his notions that something was missing, but it would be decades before he would learn the full truth: he was the child of a Nazi program to strengthen the German race with Aryan blood. He and other children - known as "Lebensborn Kinder" or "source of life" kids - were the product of parents chosen for their traits to breed Hitler's idealized blue-eyed, blonde-haired Aryan race.
Tuned In: After suicide, stations should rethink 'gotcha stories'The "sweeps" months, when local TV news promotions and "special reports" are at their most over-the-top, have become a routine annoyance to discerning television viewers. Less than a week into the current November sweeps period, they've taken a tragic turn. The Rev. Brent Dugan, pastor of Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon, committed suicide last week after KDKA-TV aired a series of promotions for a Marty Griffin report that suggested Dugan was involved in illicit behavior.
'Aliens could attack at any time' warns former MoD chiefUFO sightings and alien visitors tend to be solely the reserve of sci-fi movies. So when a former MoD chief warns that the country could be attacked by extraterrestrials at any time, you may be forgiven for feeling a little alarmed.
Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims It's Winning WarAl-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a new audio tape Friday to be winning the war faster than expected in Iraq and said it had mobilized 12,000 fighters who had "vowed to die for God's sake." The U.S. military, meanwhile, reported that three U.S. soldiers and a Marine were killed Thursday in Iraq, the U.S. military said, bringing the number of Americans who have died in the country so far this month to 25. At least 105 U.S. forces died in October, the fourth highest monthly toll of the war.