JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected criticism of his likening of a nuclear-armed Iran to the Nazi Holocaust as improper, saying in an address to the country on Wednesday that “uncomfortable truths” must be aired. He defended
Millions of Israelis on Thursday stood silently and all road traffic stopped as sirens wailed for two minutes to remember the six million Jews who were killed during the Nazi Holocaust. The annual ritual, which is observed at 10 am
By ANNE GEARANAP National Security WriterBRUSSELSDespite oft-repeated U.S. demands that Syrian President Bashar Assad step aside, the Obama administration’s policy now reflects a consensus that Assad has a firm hold on power and that nothing short of an outside military
By SLOBODAN LEKICAssociated PressBRUSSELSRussia’s foreign minister sharply criticized NATO’s plan to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan by 2014, saying Thursday that coalition troops should remain in the country until Afghan government forces are capable of ensuring security. NATO plans to
By NASSER KARIMIAssociated PressTEHRAN, IranIran’s ground forces commander warned that should diplomacy fail, the military is ready for action over a disputed Gulf island controlled by Iran but also claimed by the United Arab Emirates, state TV reported Thursday. Gen.
By KARIN LAUBAssociated PressBEIRUTPlainclothes Syrian security agents opened fire at anti-regime protesters near the cars of U.N. monitors in a Damascus suburb Wednesday, a witness said. Amateur video showed people ducking for cover as gunshots rang out. The videos could
By JOHN HEILPRINAssociated PressGENEVAThe Swiss government has extended its financial sanctions against Iran by freezing the assets of 11 more companies and people but decided not to take any action against Tehran’s central bank, officials said Wednesday. The action against
OSLO, NorwayConfessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik’s original plans for a terror attack was to bomb Oslo’s government district, the Labor Party’s office and a third target, possibly the royal palace, he told a court Thursday. The far-right fanatic has
(AP) Wisconsin governor greeted as Republican rock starBy SCOTT BAUER and SEAN MURPHYAssociated PressOKLAHOMA CITYThe preacher’s son laughed and joked as he took a seat among the biggest players in Oklahoma politics, some of whom paid $10,000 to break bread
(AP) Scorching talk: Romney, Obama battle over economyBy DAVID ESPO and NANCY BENACAssociated PressCHARLOTTE, N.C.Their battle joined, challenger Mitt Romney savaged President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy on Wednesday while the commander in chief commiserated up close with victims
(AP) GOP ready to push business tax cut through HouseBy ALAN FRAMAssociated PressWASHINGTONRepublicans are using a House vote on tax cuts for nearly every employer in the country to make an election-year statement that they want to help companies create
The US Secret Service said three employees will leave their jobs over the sex scandal in a hotel in Colombia which tarnished the elite presidential protection agency’s image. Two leading congressmen meanwhile revealed in a letter to Secret Service chief
President Obama’s fan base is willing to pay through the nose to get a glimpse of him. In fact, supporters in Dearborn, Michigan showed up today to shell out $1,000 just to shake the hand of The One. “A thousand
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of tougher measures if he squanders his “last chance” by failing to implement the Kofi Annan peace plan. Either the international community succeeds in “pushing forward” Annan’s
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A lighthearted romantic comedy opened New York’s Tribeca film festival on Wednesday bringing some crowd-pleasing laughs and a smattering of red carpet glamour before audiences settle into 12 days of mostly independent cinema. The premiere of
Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign appeared to lose steam Wednesday, four days ahead of the first round of France’s presidential election that pollsters increasingly say he will lose to his Socialist rival. Abandoned by some allies and rounded on by some traditionally
(AFP) A case involving a fine over a “wardrobe malfunction” which exposed pop superstar Janet Jackson’s breast during the 2004 Super Bowl broadcast was appealed to the US Supreme Court Wednesday. Court documents showed the Federal Communications asked the top
For more than five decades, Leila Jabarin hid her secret from her Muslim children and grandchildren — that she was a Jewish Holocaust survivor born in Auschwitz concentration camp. Although her family knew she was a Jewish convert, none of
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced Iran’s nuclear programme on Wednesday during a ceremony in Jerusalem to commemorate the Nazi Holocaust that killed six million Jews. Iran must be “stopped from acquiring nuclear weapons. That is the duty of the
Seminole Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler has recused herself from the George Zimmerman case today after explaining that her husband works with CNN legal analyst Mark NeJame. Zimmerman had asked NeJame to represent him. As NeJame explained, Zimmerman “contacted my office,
(AP) Boehner says Obama ‘checked out’ last Labor DayBy LAURIE KELLMANAssociated PressWASHINGTONHouse Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that President Barack Obama “checked out” last Labor Day and has been running for reelection, rather than governing, ever since. Boehner’s tough talk
By KARL RITTERAssociated PressOSLO, NorwayNorway’s prison terms are “pathetic,” mass killer Anders Behring Breivik declared Wednesday in court, claiming the death penalty or a full acquittal were the “only logical outcomes” for his massacre of 77 people. The right-wing fanatic
Republican lawmakers announced Tuesday they were joining a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s recess appointments, reviving an election-year row over White House power. Republicans were incensed when Obama defied his congressional foes early this year by naming
The Philippines leads the world in the number of people who believe in God, while the elderly across all countries tend to be the most religious, according to a US study out Wednesday. Belief in God tends to be strongest
By KARIN LAUBAssociated PressBEIRUTSyrian forces assaulted an opposition stronghold with a steady rain of mortar shells Wednesday even as the foreign minister promised the regime would respect a week-old cease-fire and withdraw troops from urban centers in line with an
