Obama family goes to the movies to see 'Avatar'
KANEOHE, Hawaii – President Barack Obama's family is spending part of the last day of 2009 watching the futuristic adventure film "Avatar."The Obamas visited a movie theater near their rented vacation home in Hawaii on Thursday morning for a screening of the 3-D hit. Officials say the first family and their friends had the theater to themselves to watch director James Cameron's tech-heavy film....
US scanners went unused at Nigeria airport
LAGOS, Nigeria – The U.S. gave Nigeria four full-body scanners for its international airports in 2008 to detect explosives and drugs, but none were used on the man suspected trying to blow up a Detroit-bound flight, Nigerian officials say.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, tracked by cameras through the security check, only went through a metal detector and had his bag X-rayed when he arrived at Nigeria's busiest airport to start his journey, the officials say.The Soter RS scanners delivers 3-D images that would have shown something hidden under clothing. But a spokesman for the anti-drug agency, which operates the Nigerian machines, told The Associated Press that the one at Lagos airport is used sporadically and only on potential narcotics smugglers...
Suicide bomber invited on base
WASHINGTON – The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA employees at a remote outpost in southeastern Afghanistan had been invited onto the base and had not been searched, two former U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday
A former senior intelligence official says the man was being courted as an informant and that it was the first time he had been brought inside the camp. An experienced CIA debriefer came from Kabul for the meeting, suggesting that the purpose was to gain intelligence, the official said.
The former intelligence official and another former official with knowledge of the attack spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The CIA would not confirm the details, and said it was still gathering evidence on the incident...
A former senior intelligence official says the man was being courted as an informant and that it was the first time he had been brought inside the camp. An experienced CIA debriefer came from Kabul for the meeting, suggesting that the purpose was to gain intelligence, the official said.
The former intelligence official and another former official with knowledge of the attack spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The CIA would not confirm the details, and said it was still gathering evidence on the incident...
TSA subpoenas bloggers, demands names of sources
WASHINGTON – As the government reviews how an alleged terrorist was able to bring a bomb onto a U.S.-bound plane and try to blow it up on Christmas Day, the Transportation Security Administration is going after bloggers who wrote about a directive to increase security after the incident.TSA special agents served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott, demanding that they reveal who leaked the security directive to them. The government says the directive was not supposed to be disclosed to the public.
Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents Tuesday night at his Connecticut home for about three hours and again on Wednesday morning when he was forced to hand over his lap top computer. Frischling said the agents threatened to interfere with his contract to write a blog for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines if he didn't cooperate and provide the name of the person who leaked the memo."It literally showed up in my box," Frischling told The Associated Press. "I do not know who it came from." He said he provided the agents a signed statement to that effect...
READ MORE
Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents Tuesday night at his Connecticut home for about three hours and again on Wednesday morning when he was forced to hand over his lap top computer. Frischling said the agents threatened to interfere with his contract to write a blog for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines if he didn't cooperate and provide the name of the person who leaked the memo."It literally showed up in my box," Frischling told The Associated Press. "I do not know who it came from." He said he provided the agents a signed statement to that effect...
READ MORE
Afghan official: 10 civilians killed in coalition operation
Kabul, Afghanistan-U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan said Monday they are investigating reports that 10 Afghan civilians, including eight students, were killed Saturday in a coalition operation in the Narang district of Kunar province."We will definitely be looking into this," said Col. Wayne Shanks, International Security Assistance Force spokesman. "We take these sort of allegations very seriously."
Said Fazelayallah, governor of Kunar province, told CNN Monday that 10 civilians were killed. Coalition forces said they killed their military targets, he said, but a delegation sent by the governor to investigate reported the civilian casualties.
Shanks said that, from the top down, civilian casualties are of great concern to the coalition, whether they be from military or insurgent action....
Said Fazelayallah, governor of Kunar province, told CNN Monday that 10 civilians were killed. Coalition forces said they killed their military targets, he said, but a delegation sent by the governor to investigate reported the civilian casualties.
Shanks said that, from the top down, civilian casualties are of great concern to the coalition, whether they be from military or insurgent action....
Judge tosses Blackwater case,cites government missteps
WASHINGTON – A federal judge dismissed all charges Thursday against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in a crowded Baghdad intersection in 2007.Citing repeated government missteps, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed a case that had been steeped in international politics. The shooting in busy Nisoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and inflamed anti-American sentiment abroad. The Iraqi government wanted the guards to face trial in Iraq and officials there said they would closely watch how the U.S. judicial system handled the case.
Urbina said the prosecutors ignored the advice of senior Justice Department officials and improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.,,,"
READ MORE
Picture Left:Blackwater Worldwide's headquarters is seen in Moyock, N.C. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards charged in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009.(AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
Urbina said the prosecutors ignored the advice of senior Justice Department officials and improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.,,,"
READ MORE
Picture Left:Blackwater Worldwide's headquarters is seen in Moyock, N.C. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards charged in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009.(AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
CIA caught in dirty and secretive war against al-Qaeda on Afghan border
The deaths of seven CIA agents in Khost province have brought into the limelight the secretive and dirty war being fought by America’s intelligence agencies — and the Taleban and al-Qaeda — in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.Forward Operating Base Chapman, and others like it along the border, are the forward edge of American military and intelligence counter-terrorism operations, aimed principally at hunting down senior figures in al-Qaeda and their allies in the Taleban hiding in the lawless tribal belt.
The CIA’s main strike weapons are the drones that loiter over the border areas 24 hours a day, watching and listening to telephone networks. While the drones provide surveillance and electronic intelligence and carry out strikes, human intelligence is far harder to acquire among remote communities suspicious of any outsider.
Then there are the night raids against suspected insurgent and al-Qaeda linked leaders. It was an operation by what are euphemistically called “other government agencies” that was alleged to have killed a number of students in Kunar province on Saturday, causing widespread anger in Afghanistan...
The CIA’s main strike weapons are the drones that loiter over the border areas 24 hours a day, watching and listening to telephone networks. While the drones provide surveillance and electronic intelligence and carry out strikes, human intelligence is far harder to acquire among remote communities suspicious of any outsider.
Then there are the night raids against suspected insurgent and al-Qaeda linked leaders. It was an operation by what are euphemistically called “other government agencies” that was alleged to have killed a number of students in Kunar province on Saturday, causing widespread anger in Afghanistan...
Militants Behead 6 Afghans for Government Cooperation
KABUL-Police say militants have beheaded six Afghans for cooperating with government authorities.Juma Gul Hamit, police chief of Uruzgan province in south-central Afghanistan, says the men were beheaded Thursday near the provincial capital of Tarin Kot.Hamit defended the victims, saying they were not involved in any anti-government activities.He says a seventh Afghan man is being treated for serious neck injuries...
General Petraeus 'absolutely certain' that Peter Moore was held in Iran
The former US commander in Iraq is “absolutely certain” that Peter Moore was held secretly in Iran for part of his 31-month kidnap ordeal.General David Petraeus’s claim that the British IT consultant was held captive in Iran is likely to intensify the bitter diplomatic relationship between London and Tehran.
Mr Moore was set free yesterday after the United States handed over an Iraqi insurgent suspected of planning the deaths of five American servicemen.He was released by the League of the Righteous, or Asaib al-Haq (AAH) – an extremist Shia group allied to Iran – and his first night of freedom was spent at the British Embassy in Baghdad
General Petraeus accused Iran of involvement in the kidnapping within three weeks of the men being seized....
Mr Moore was set free yesterday after the United States handed over an Iraqi insurgent suspected of planning the deaths of five American servicemen.He was released by the League of the Righteous, or Asaib al-Haq (AAH) – an extremist Shia group allied to Iran – and his first night of freedom was spent at the British Embassy in Baghdad
General Petraeus accused Iran of involvement in the kidnapping within three weeks of the men being seized....
DECEPTION WATCH:Megachurch Pastor Rick Warren Asks for Urgent Donations
LAKE FOREST, California-Evangelical pastor Rick Warren appealed to parishioners at his California megachurch Wednesday to help fill a $900,000 deficit by the first of the year.
Warren made the appeal in a letter posted on the Saddleback Church Web site. It begins "Dear Saddleback Family, THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER.""With 10 percent of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated," the letter reads.Still, Warren said the church managed to stay within its budget, but "the bottom dropped out" when Christmas donations dropped. "On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive — leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year," the letter reads."It's basically having to do more with less," church spokesman A. Larry Ross said. "The seasonal Christmas offering was down significantly and, commensurately, the need for services the church is expected to provide is up," Ross said.
Warren's appeal presents an opportunity for those who haven't been hit by the recession to step up and help, Ross said....
Warren made the appeal in a letter posted on the Saddleback Church Web site. It begins "Dear Saddleback Family, THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER.""With 10 percent of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated," the letter reads.Still, Warren said the church managed to stay within its budget, but "the bottom dropped out" when Christmas donations dropped. "On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive — leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year," the letter reads."It's basically having to do more with less," church spokesman A. Larry Ross said. "The seasonal Christmas offering was down significantly and, commensurately, the need for services the church is expected to provide is up," Ross said.
Warren's appeal presents an opportunity for those who haven't been hit by the recession to step up and help, Ross said....
PS:Could it be that people are finally waking up to the fact of what this "ministry" as many others like this are all about and don't want to give away money to spread more deception...?
I've received many emails asking for money from big megachurches an TV ministries this past week...So far only one of those is actually biblical and I don't see any shady bussiness going on with it and I don't see any deception...I can't say the same for the rest of them.It actually made me upset that they would ask for money when the heads of these ministries themselves live in megahouses,have private jets,move around like Hollywood stars with all their entourage and body guards and MAKE A MERCHANDISE OF THE TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST...!!!
It is time for the Church of the Lord Jesus to stand up and call these "ministries" for what they are....
People seems to have no fear of God at all with what they do and how they duped people!!!!!
May God have mercy of these "preachers" for all the people they have taken from and have deceived and hurt.
Please IF you dont agree with me is fine with me--but please spare me the hate mail!!!!Thank you...
As in the days of Noah...
Pakistan to Seek Terror Charges Against 5 Arrested Americans
ISLAMABAD-Pakistani police say they plan to ask a court to charge five Americans arrested in early December with terrorism, and will seek life imprisonment sentences against them.
The young Muslim men, who are from the Washington, D.C., area, were captured in the eastern Pakistani city of Sargodha. The case spurred fears that Westerners are traveling to Pakistan to join militant groups....
READ MORE
Picture Left:(AP)American Muslims, from left, Waqir Hussain Khan, Ramys Zamzam, Umar Farooq, Ahmad Abdulminni, Aman Hasan Yamer.
The young Muslim men, who are from the Washington, D.C., area, were captured in the eastern Pakistani city of Sargodha. The case spurred fears that Westerners are traveling to Pakistan to join militant groups....
READ MORE
Picture Left:(AP)American Muslims, from left, Waqir Hussain Khan, Ramys Zamzam, Umar Farooq, Ahmad Abdulminni, Aman Hasan Yamer.
Obama Vetoes First Piece of Legislation
HONOLULU-President Barack Obama has rejected his first piece of legislation from Congress, a stopgap spending bill that never had to take effect.The White House on Wednesday said Obama exercised his right to send back to the Congress a temporary appropriations bill that lawmakers passed in case a winter storm about two weeks ago would have prevented them from approving a final measure to fund the Defense Department next year. The Dec. 19 blizzard didn't keep them away from the Capitol and they approved the $626 billion defense spending bill before the previous budget expired.The White House described the move as a technicality that the president took out of an abundance of caution, and that it was his first veto....
Dutch to Use Full Body Scanners for U.S. Flights
AP: The Netherlands announced Wednesday it will immediately begin using full body scanners for flights heading to the United States, saying that could have stopped the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing....
Yemen:"Visa of Nigerian would-be-bomber expired"
SAN'A, Yemen-The Nigerian suspected in the attempted attack on a U.S. airliner had stayed on in Yemen illegally after his visa expired three months ago and should have been stopped by authorities from leaving the country, Yemeni security officials said Thursday.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab spent time in Yemen on two occasions before the attempted Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound Northwest Airlines flight.Yemeni officials said Abdulmutallab's student visa for Yemen, where he studied Arabic at a local language institute, was valid from Aug. 4 to Sept. 21.After his visa expired, the 23-year-old stayed on in Yemen until the first week in December, they said, but his whereabouts in the country was unknown...
READ MORE
READ MORE
Ron Paul son Rand makes Ky. Senate run official
FRANKFORT, Ky.-Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's son has officially entered the GOP Senate primary in Kentucky.Rand Paul's campaign manager turned in the candidacy papers and a $500 check to the secretary of state's office on Wednesday afternoon.
Rand Paul, a Kentucky eye surgeon, has raised more than $1.7 million for his campaign largely by reaching out to people who had supported his father's unsuccessful presidential bid.He's running for the seat being vacated by fellow Republican Jim Bunning.Kentucky has trended Republican in recent years, with both of its Senate seats and four of six House seats in GOP hands.
Rand Paul, a Kentucky eye surgeon, has raised more than $1.7 million for his campaign largely by reaching out to people who had supported his father's unsuccessful presidential bid.He's running for the seat being vacated by fellow Republican Jim Bunning.Kentucky has trended Republican in recent years, with both of its Senate seats and four of six House seats in GOP hands.
Christmas Terror Attempt May Open Door for Military Action in U.S. Cities
A passenger onboard a flight from the Netherlands to the United States allegedly attempted to blow up the aircraft as it was landing at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, according to a source with the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force.Within minutes of the news breaking about the attempt, an NYPD detective told NewsWithViews.com that the suspect-passenger claimed to be acting on behalf of al-Qaeda in the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight #253 from Amsterdam-to-Detroit.The suspect attempted to detonate a device as the plane landed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, according to the official report. While the details are still sketchy, the NYPD detective said that when passengers observed the suspect attempting to detonate the explosive device, they subdued him and held him for law enforcement. Flight #253 was carrying 278 passengers and no one was seriously injured during the incident.The White House immediately labeled the incident “an attempted terrorist act.”Some Obama critics believe the president may attempt this alleged attack as a rationale to increase his power and might within U.S. borders...
White powder in envelope sent to MP triggers Commons terror alert
An envelope containing suspicious white powder was sent to the communities minister, Shahid Malik, at the House of Commons, triggering an anti-terrorist investigation, the Guardian has learned.The envelope sparked a major alert when it was intercepted by security staff, who feared it contained potentially deadly anthrax, on Monday.
Comments on the envelope – which was sent from within the UK – suggest it had been sent by a supporter of the far right or someone purporting to be one.Emergency procedures were activated, but tests proved that the powder was harmless. It is understood that the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, and his most senior officials were kept informed of developments.Detectives are examining the envelope, the written comments and the postmark to try to trace the sender. They want to establish whether this was an isolated incident or the start of a campaign by criminal elements on the far right....
READ MORE
Picture Left: Shahid Malik. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters
Comments on the envelope – which was sent from within the UK – suggest it had been sent by a supporter of the far right or someone purporting to be one.Emergency procedures were activated, but tests proved that the powder was harmless. It is understood that the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, and his most senior officials were kept informed of developments.Detectives are examining the envelope, the written comments and the postmark to try to trace the sender. They want to establish whether this was an isolated incident or the start of a campaign by criminal elements on the far right....
READ MORE
Picture Left: Shahid Malik. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters
Delta offering vouchers to Flight 253 passengers
ATLANTA-Delta Air Lines Inc. is offering travel credits to passengers on the Amsterstam-to-Detroit flight that a suspected terrorist tried and failed to blow up on Christmas.Spokeswoman Susan Elliott told The Associated Press on Wednesday the world's biggest carrier is notifying passengers about the vouchers. The amount wasn't disclosed.According to authorities, a Nigerian man who said he was an agent for al-Qaida tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as the plane was preparing to land in Detroit on Friday. It was carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members.Delta is offering its gratitude to one of the passengers who subdued the suspect. Elliott declined to say whether that passenger would receive additional compensation beyond the travel voucher....
READ MORE
Picture Left: This picture provided by J.P. Karas shows Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on the runway after arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Amsterdam on Friday, Dec. 25, 2009.(AP Photo/J.P. Karas)
READ MORE
Picture Left: This picture provided by J.P. Karas shows Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on the runway after arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Amsterdam on Friday, Dec. 25, 2009.(AP Photo/J.P. Karas)
Most Carry-Ons Banned On Flights From Canada To U.S
Transport Canada: On December 28, Transport Canada put in place enhanced security measures for passengers on flights bound for the United States. Effective immediately, US bound passengers are not allowed to bring carry on bags into the cabin of the aircraft, with some exceptions. Passengers may carry with them the following items: medication or medical devices, small purses, cameras, coats, items for care of infants, laptop computers, crutches, canes, walkers, containers carrying life sustaining items, a special needs item, musical instruments, or diplomatic or consular bags.
•Transport Canada: Update to Security Measures
•Transport Canada: Update to Security Measures
Lawmakers Spar Over Nominee for TSA Chief in Wake of Terror Attempt
Fox News: "The attempted terror attack in Detroit is a perfect example of why the Obama administration should not unionize the TSA and allow our airline security decisions to be dictated by union bosses," DeMint said in a written statement sent to FoxNews.com.
•Fox News: Lawmakers Spar Over Nominee for TSA Chief in Wake of Terror Attempt
•Fox News: Lawmakers Spar Over Nominee for TSA Chief in Wake of Terror Attempt
NY Lawmaker Wants Ethnic Profiling of Terror Suspects
WNYW: "There is no question that the government has a compelling interest in protecting the lives and safety of its citizenry from terrorist attacks," says Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat of Brooklyn. "The history of modern terrorism has taught us that these attacks are repeatedly executed by young Muslim men of Arab or South Asian origin. This is not a time for political correctness."
•WNYW: Lawmaker Wants Ethnic Profiling of Terror Suspects
•WNYW: Lawmaker Wants Ethnic Profiling of Terror Suspects
Full-Body Imaging: Airliner Attack Reopens Privacy vs. Safety Debate
NBC DFW: The scanners are able to detect weapons and explosives in places security screeners are not allowed to touch in physical pat-down searches, such as the groin area and even body cavities where items could be concealed...
•NBC DFW: Airports Slow to Receive Whole-Body Imaging Scanners
•NBC DFW: Airports Slow to Receive Whole-Body Imaging Scanners
‘Underwear Bomb’ Packed Enough Explosive to Bring Down Flight 253
"Dogs, if trained, can detect it. But many people have adverse reactions to having dogs sniff their private parts..."
Dem Congresswoman Demands Terrorist Tracking System Changes
"The assessment of behavioral tendencies, that is not profiling, but it is the same misstep that we made in Fort Hood."
Obama Breaks From Vacation to Assure U.S. Will Hunt Failed Plane Attack’s Backers
Reuters: "We will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable," Obama said, interrupting his year-end vacation in Hawaii to assure Americans that his administration was doing all it could to ensure security after a Nigerian man managed to smuggle explosives onto a Detroit-bound flight. "The American people should be assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep you and your family safe and secure during this busy holiday season," he said.
•Reuters: Obama says U.S. to hunt failed plane attack's backers
•Reuters: Obama says U.S. to hunt failed plane attack's backers
Passenger Records New TSA Regulations in Action on Jet Blue Flight
"Unfortunately, we're not going to have any live TV today..."
•Gawker: JetBlue Pilot's Agonized Announcement: The TSA's Draconian Reactionary Rules
•Gawker: JetBlue Pilot's Agonized Announcement: The TSA's Draconian Reactionary Rules
Radio Interview: Witness Says Terrorist Suspect Aided Onto Northwest Flight Sans Passport
MLive.com: While [Umar Farouk Abdul] Mutallab was poorly dressed, his friend was dressed in an expensive suit, [passenger Kurt Haskell of Newport, Mich.] said. He says the suited man asked ticket agents whether Mutallab could board without a passport. “The guy said, 'He's from Sudan and we do this all the time.....'”
THE "UNDERWEAR BOMBER" WATCH....
Undated: The underwear which contained an explosive packet used on a failed plot to blow up Northwest Flight 253.
--Obama under fire on national security...
--Says US intel had info ahead of attack...
--'Systemic failure' allowed airline plot...
--Breach Was 'Catastrophic'...
--Many question 'system worked' comment...
--BIG SIS: Will 'find and fix' vulnerabilities...
-- SHOCK CLAIM: Man aided terror suspect onto plane without passport...
--CLAIM: Man videotaped entire flight...
--Internet Posts Show Terrorist Lonely, Depressed...
--Yemen minister: We have 300 al Qaeda militants planning attacks...
--AL QAEDA GROUP CLAIMS BOMB ATTEMPT
--Plane attack a response to U.S. attack on group in Yemen: al Qaeda
--Says US intel had info ahead of attack...
--'Systemic failure' allowed airline plot...
--Breach Was 'Catastrophic'...
--Many question 'system worked' comment...
--BIG SIS: Will 'find and fix' vulnerabilities...
-- SHOCK CLAIM: Man aided terror suspect onto plane without passport...
--CLAIM: Man videotaped entire flight...
--Internet Posts Show Terrorist Lonely, Depressed...
--Yemen minister: We have 300 al Qaeda militants planning attacks...
--AL QAEDA GROUP CLAIMS BOMB ATTEMPT
--Plane attack a response to U.S. attack on group in Yemen: al Qaeda
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
GAY AGENDA WATCH:Gay Marriage in Argentina Is First in Latin America
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina-An official in Argentina's southern Tierra del Fuego province says two Argentine men have wed there in Latin America's first gay marriage.
Provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter says the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia.Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings....
Provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter says the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia.Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings....
Death Toll From Pakistan Bombing Reaches 43
KARACHI, Pakistan — Authorities appealed for calm Tuesday after a bombing against a Shiite Muslim procession killed 43 in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi, setting off riots and igniting fears of sectarian unrest.Security was tight as thousands of people gathered in central Karachi for funerals of some of those killed in Monday's bombing of a Shiite procession marking the key holy day of Ashoura.The attack sparked riots as people rampaged through the city, setting fire to markets and stores. Firefighters were still battling the flames Tuesday, with authorities calling for reinforcements from the city of Hyderabad, 105 miles north of Karachi, Pakistan's main commercial hub.Karachi Mayor Mustafa Kamal said the city's largest wholesale market was on fire, and that hundreds of shops had been destroyed, with damages estimated to run into millions of dollars...
USS Cole bombing survivor dies in Fla. home
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Johann Gokool lost his left foot when a bomb ripped a hole in the side of the USS Cole nearly a decade ago, but the injury was nothing compared with the mental torment that ravaged him almost daily.He returned home to Florida suffering severe post-traumatic stress disorder and frequent panic attacks so violent he would launch into seizures and even fractured his own wrist several times as he flailed, sister Natala Gokool said Tuesday.One of the brothers he lived with found him dead in their home last Wednesday, just a week after his 31st birthday, Natala Gokool said. His cause of death was unknown, though she said foul play was not suspected. The family believes the seizures just became too much for his body to handle....
READ MORE
Picture Left:In this undated photo provided by the Gokool family, is U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Johann Gokool, who was found dead in his Homestead, Fla. home Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009.(AP Photo)
READ MORE
Picture Left:In this undated photo provided by the Gokool family, is U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Johann Gokool, who was found dead in his Homestead, Fla. home Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009.(AP Photo)
Surging Steel Prices Continue in China
Steel Advance/Decliner Index Jumps. Our Advance/Decliner Index jumped to 91% from 68% last week, reaching the highest level since June 2008, before the onset of the current global economic rout. While there are fewer price changes in the market in general because of the holidays, the data continue to show broad-based pricing strength led by surging prices in China. Our China index rose for the fourth straight week, climbing to 100% from 91% last week. This is the third time in the last two months our China index has hit 100%, meaning there were no reported price declines. Our ex-China index also strengthened, rising to 87% from 62% the prior week, the highest level since June...
North Korea Says It Has Detained American
SEOUL, South Korea-North Korea announced Tuesday that it has custody of an American who entered the country illegally on Christmas Eve — first possible word from Pyongyang about a 28-year-old Arizona man who activists say sneaked into the reclusive country to raise international attention to its dire human rights situation.
The American was being investigated after "illegally entering" the country through the North Korea-China border last Thursday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said in a two-line dispatch.
The report did not identify the American, but activists believe he is Christian missionary Robert Park, who they say slipped across the frozen Tumen River into North Korea from China on Christmas Day bearing letters that urged leader Kim Jong Il to resign and free all political prisoners...
READ MORE
The American was being investigated after "illegally entering" the country through the North Korea-China border last Thursday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said in a two-line dispatch.
The report did not identify the American, but activists believe he is Christian missionary Robert Park, who they say slipped across the frozen Tumen River into North Korea from China on Christmas Day bearing letters that urged leader Kim Jong Il to resign and free all political prisoners...
READ MORE
Anger as China Executes 'Mentally Ill' Briton
URUMQI,China-China brushed aside international appeals Tuesday and executed by lethal injection a British drug smuggler who relatives say was mentally unstable and unwittingly lured into crime.Britain's prime minister said he was "appalled" at the execution of 53-year old Akmal Shaikh — China's first of a European citizen in nearly 60 years. His government summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to express its anger.
China defended its handling of the case, saying there not been documentary proof Shaikh was mentally ill. Beijing also criticized Gordon Brown's comments, but said it hoped the case would not harm bilateral relations. The Foreign Ministry called on London not to create any "obstacles" to better ties...
China defended its handling of the case, saying there not been documentary proof Shaikh was mentally ill. Beijing also criticized Gordon Brown's comments, but said it hoped the case would not harm bilateral relations. The Foreign Ministry called on London not to create any "obstacles" to better ties...
Picture Left:Akmal Shaikh is seen in this undated photo taken in Warsaw, Poland.(Luis Belmonte Diaz, Reprieve)
Obamas enjoy private,secure Hawaii vacation...
While President Obama has kept a decidedly low profile during his Hawaii vacation, his security detail has made quite a visual impact in the Kailua neighborhood where he is staying.
Would-be paparazzi hoping to get a shot of Obama and the rest of the first family say they've had to make do with the tolerant if less-than-sunny visages of the Secret Service agents whose job it is to ensure the president's safety and privacy....
Would-be paparazzi hoping to get a shot of Obama and the rest of the first family say they've had to make do with the tolerant if less-than-sunny visages of the Secret Service agents whose job it is to ensure the president's safety and privacy....
Now, Michelle Obama too is sliding in the polls...
She's on vacation now in Hawaii, so...what does she care...?
But as the first calendar year of the new White House regime draws to a close, First Lady Michelle Obama is experiencing the same drop in poll numbers as her husband. She's not elected, of course, and not charged at least officially with making the tough executive decisions that come out of the Oval Office.
As a result, first ladies have typically fared better in different public opinion polls than their more controversial husbands. And now even as the female Harvard lawyer in the family and the one with the famously buff arms, Mrs. O still remains somewhat more popular than her spouse.
(Sarah Palin's favorable poll ratings, btw, have risen steadily in recent months to the mid-40s. But although neither woman holds an elected office, that's something entirely different.)
A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 55% of Americans have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Mrs. Obama. That's down 7 points, or 11%, since November's survey and it's her lowest approval level since holding the Bible for her Democratic husband, Barack, to take the oath of office on that cold D.C day back on Jan. 20....
But as the first calendar year of the new White House regime draws to a close, First Lady Michelle Obama is experiencing the same drop in poll numbers as her husband. She's not elected, of course, and not charged at least officially with making the tough executive decisions that come out of the Oval Office.
As a result, first ladies have typically fared better in different public opinion polls than their more controversial husbands. And now even as the female Harvard lawyer in the family and the one with the famously buff arms, Mrs. O still remains somewhat more popular than her spouse.
(Sarah Palin's favorable poll ratings, btw, have risen steadily in recent months to the mid-40s. But although neither woman holds an elected office, that's something entirely different.)
A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 55% of Americans have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Mrs. Obama. That's down 7 points, or 11%, since November's survey and it's her lowest approval level since holding the Bible for her Democratic husband, Barack, to take the oath of office on that cold D.C day back on Jan. 20....
Where is Obama going to Church...?
I have a Time.com story up today about Obama's decision to attend church services at the chapel up at Camp David for the time being, rather than join a D.C.-area church. The plan makes a lot of sense for the First Family--it was also how the Bush family chose to worship in semi-privacy for the past eight years. But given the intense lobbying by virtually every Washington church to score the Obamas as new members, this wasn't something the White House was looking to publicize.
In response, the White House has released a statement: "The President and First Family continue to look for a church home. They have enjoyed worshipping at Camp David and several other congregations over the months, and will choose a church at the time that is best for their family..."
In response, the White House has released a statement: "The President and First Family continue to look for a church home. They have enjoyed worshipping at Camp David and several other congregations over the months, and will choose a church at the time that is best for their family..."
No Churchgoing Christmas for the First Family...
The Senate vote on final passage of health reform almost scuttled their plans, but it looks like the First Family will still make it to Hawaii for Christmas. They've had a whirlwind holiday season so far, starting with the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, through hosting more than 50,000 people for 27 parties and open houses, and ending with a visit by the First Lady, Malia and Sasha, and the family's dog Bo, to deliver cookies to the Children's National Medical Center. The Obamas have also started their own holiday traditions in their new home, adding a Christmas wishing tree to the decorations festooning the White House.But there's one common Christmas practice not on the First Family's schedule: a visit to Christmas Eve church services...
PS:Up to this point in BHO's term as president it is very clear and manifest that God is not the first thing in his or his family's life at all...So why worrying whether he goes or not to church on Christmas Eve....?
It's kind of like waiting for Stalin,Marx or Mao to go to church to worship the Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve....isn't it....?IT WONT EVER HAPPEN....!!!!!
As in the days of Noah...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)