World View: Russian Warships Enter Mediterranean for First Time in Decades

The Mediterranean task force should be comprised of 10 warships and support vessels as part of several tactical groups tasked with attack, antisubmarine warfare, and minesweeping. by John J. Xenakis 18 May 2013, 5:16 PM PDT

U.S. Urges Nigeria Show 'Restraint' in Striking Back Against Islamic Militants

On May 18, Nigerian war planes "struck militant camps in the northeast" in an attempt to stem the growing tide of Islamic terrorists in the area. The U.S. quickly warned that Nigeria needs to be sure "to respect human rights and not harm civilians." by AWR Hawkins 18 May 2013, 11:01 AM PDT

Surprise: Ron Paul Blames American Interventionism for Benghazi Deaths

On Monday, former Rep. Ron Paul claimed Benghazi is the result of American "interventionism" and asserted that therefore neither Republicans nor Democrats are getting it right when they seek to explain the causes of the attacks. by AWR Hawkins 18 May 2013, 9:13 AM PDT

Mexico Violence Claims Hundreds of US Lives

Excluding terror attacks and US soldiers killed in action, Mexico has seen more homicides of Americans than any other part of the world in the past decade, according to an AFP analysis of US State Department figures. from AFP 18 May 2013, 7:40 AM PDT

Ministry: New Case of SARS-Like Virus in Saudi Arabia

A new case of the deadly coronavirus has been detected in Saudi Arabia where 15 people have already died after contracting it, the health ministry announced on Saturday on its Internet website. from AFP 18 May 2013, 7:28 AM PDT

Iraq Violence Kills Eight

Violence in Iraq killed eight people, including a police officer, his wife and two children, on Saturday, while gunmen kidnapped 10 security force personnel, officials said. from AFP 18 May 2013, 7:25 AM PDT

SKorea Says NKorea Fires 3 Short-Range Missiles

North Korea fired three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters on Saturday, a South Korean official said. It routinely tests such missiles, but the latest launches came during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing tensions. from AP 18 May 2013, 7:21 AM PDT

China Police Arrest Man After Plane Bomb Threats

Chinese police have arrested a man who allegedly made bomb threats which caused delays or diversions to Shanghai, news reports said Saturday. from AFP 18 May 2013, 7:13 AM PDT

Hard-Line Afghan MPs Block Law Protecting Women

Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked a law on Saturday that aims to protect women's freedoms, with some arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles or encourage women to have sex outside of marriage. from AP 18 May 2013, 7:07 AM PDT

China 'Will Not Accept' Carbon Tax on EU Flights: Report

China will not pay for CO2 emissions by its airlines on flights within Europe, a top civil aviation official reportedly said after the European Commission warned eight Chinese firms face fines for nonpayment. from AFP 17 May 2013

French President Signs Gay Marriage into Law

France became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage Saturday after President Francois Hollande signed it into law following months of bitter political debate. from AFP 17 May 2013

Yahoo Japan Suspects 22 Million IDs Stolen

Yahoo Japan Corp. has said it suspects up to 22 million user IDs may have been stolen during an unauthorised attempt to access the administrative system of its Yahoo! Japan portal. from AFP 17 May 2013

White House Silent On Meeting Where Benghazi Talking Points 'Drastically Pared Down'

"Even today, nobody will say on the record, or even off the record to CBS News, who was at the Deputies meeting on the morning of Sept. 15, where the talking points were drastically pared down for Rice's use." by John Nolte 17 May 2013

White House Officials Blame State for Not Deploying Rapid-Response Terror Unit to Benghazi

"The [White House] official said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's deputy, Patrick Kennedy, quickly dispensed with the idea. A senior State Department official Thursday told CBS News, "Under Secretary Kennedy is not in the decision chain on FEST deployment" but would not directly confirm whether Kennedy or somebody else dismissed the FEST." by John Nolte 17 May 2013

When Terrorists and Their Supporters Laugh at America

Ahlam Tamimi, “one of the world’s most renown(ed) female terrorists,” is now touring Arab media, taking advantage of her “expertise” in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing in April. Tamimi regularly speaks to provide “insight on how Muslims—both male and female—can become killing machines.” by Adam Turner 17 May 2013

IRS Target List Included Groups Critical of Obama on Benghazi

While the IRS was targeting the Tea Party and other domestically-focused conservatives, they were allegedly targeting foreign policy groups like Secure America Now (SAN) as well. According to The Wall Street Journal, whereas most groups that apply for a 501(c)(4) tax exempt status get it quickly--usually within a year--SAN's application has been held up twice. And the application approval for some groups has been held up for three years. by AWR Hawkins 17 May 2013

Russian, American Spies Square Off

The embarrassing arrest of a suspected CIA officer in Moscow is the latest reminder that, even after the Cold War, the U.S. and Russia are engaged in an espionage battle with secret tactics, spying devices and training that sometimes isn't enough to avoid being caught. from AP 17 May 2013

Honduras Open to Diplomatic Ties with China

Honduras is "open" to diplomatic relations with China, despite decades of ties to Beijing's bitter rival Taiwan, Foreign Minister Mireya Aguero said. from AFP 17 May 2013

Hong Kong Light Railway Accident Injures 50: Police

Up to 50 people were injured when multiple cars derailed on Hong Kong's light railway in the north of the city, throwing passengers onto the floor. from AFP 17 May 2013

Israel Rabbi Speaks Out on Being Gay and Orthodox

In openly displaying his homosexuality while serving as an Orthodox rabbi, Ron Yosef has broken a major taboo in the closed religious world that he inhabits. from AFP 17 May 2013

UN Chief Urges Russia to Drop Support for Syria's Assad

UN chief Ban Ki-moon was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday as global pressure grows on Moscow to end arms supplies to the Syrian regime and drop its support for President Bashar al-Assad. from AFP 17 May 2013

World View: Nigeria's President Launches Major War Against Boko Haram Terrorists

Nigeria's president Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in the northeast regions of Nigeria, and has ordered full-scale deployment of the army and air force to fight Boko Haram terrorists in the region. Prior to 2009, Boko Haram was a little known Muslim sect of ethnic Hausa people, but since that time, they've established a linking with al-Qaeda. by John J. Xenakis 17 May 2013

When American Ambassadors Were Still Untouchable

American diplomatic staff were once the safest people in the world, representatives of a superpower who would rain hell from the skies should you touch one of their diplomatic staff. But no more. by Shmuley Boteach 16 May 2013

Soldier Gets Life Without Parole in Iraq Killings

An Army sergeant was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole for the 2009 killings of five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq. from AP 16 May 2013

European Austerity and the Backlash

Obstreperous unions, an imbedded welfare system and incompetent civil servants have been obvious impediments to austerity in Europe, but the real problem with austerity is that it is a dumb idea. Economic growth is necessary to get deficits down and recovery depends on spending; so the real debate should be between those who believe government should engineer the recovery and those who think the private sector should take the lead. by Sydney Williams 16 May 2013

Canada's Harper Pitches Keystone Oil Line in NY

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in New York Thursday promoting the Keystone XL pipeline, the $5.3 billion project that would move oil from the province of Alberta to the US heartland. from AFP 16 May 2013

Authorities Arrest Man in Idaho in Terrorism Case

U.S. authorities in Idaho said Thursday they have arrested an Uzbekistan national on federal terrorism charges. from AP 16 May 2013

Article Alleges Hamas Money Laundering

Hamas has several business fronts operating in Saudi Arabia and Sudan which launder money for the terrorist group, the Arab News claimed in a report Wednesday. by Steven Emerson 16 May 2013

Boston Bombing Suspect: Bombings Were Retribution for Crimes Against Muslims

As Dzhokhar Tsarnaev spent what he thought were his dying hours in the boat in which he was eventually captured, he wrote a note indicating the bombings "were retribution for American crimes against Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan." by AWR Hawkins 16 May 2013

US Leads Joint Naval Maneuvres in Gulf Amid Iran Tensions

Divers leap from a helicopter into the Gulf's choppy waters to destroy a mine, while a US marine fires at a floating target, as forces from 41 countries gathered for naval manoeuvres facing Iran's shores. from AFP 16 May 2013

GOP Demands More Despite Benghazi Email Release

The White House release of some 100 pages of emails and notes about the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year has failed to satisfy congressional Republicans, who are demanding more information. from AP 16 May 2013

Attorney for Bin Laden Kin Girds for 'Good Fight'

Osama bin Laden's son-in-law has hired a new lawyer to defend him in the trial he faces in the United States, and the appointment stirred some controversy in the court. from AFP 16 May 2013

Kabul Suicide Car Bomb Targets Foreign Military

A suicide car bomb targeted foreign military vehicles on Thursday morning in the Afghan capital Kabul shortly after 8:00 am (0330 GMT), police said, confirming there were casualties. from AFP 16 May 2013

Five Hostages Freed in Yemen

Kidnappers in Yemen have freed three International Committee of the Red Cross employees, including a Swiss and a Kenyan, along with two Egyptian hostages, following tribal mediation, sources said Thursday. from AFP 16 May 2013

Taiwan Stages Military Drill as Philippines Row Continues

Taiwan on Thursday staged a military exercise in waters near the northern Philippines in response to the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman, after rejecting repeated apologies for the death. from AFP 16 May 2013

New Zealand Supreme Court to Hear Kim Dotcom Appeal

New Zealand's Supreme Court on Thursday granted Kim Dotcom leave to appeal a ruling that US authorities do not have to disclose all of the evidence they have against the Megaupload founder. from AFP 16 May 2013

Malaysian Couple Jailed for Starving Maid to Death

A Malaysian court on Thursday sentenced a couple to 24 years in jail for starving their Cambodian maid to death, one of many such abuse cases straining ties between the country and its neighbours. from AFP 16 May 2013

World View: Palestinians Commemorate 'Al Nakba' -- 'The Catastrophe'

On Wednesday, Palestinians all over the world commemorated the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 -- a day that they refer to as Youm al-Nakba or "Day of Catastrophe." The speeches and protests and demonstrations demanded a "right of return" to lands acquired by Israel in 1948 and 1967, and full recognition of Palestine as a nation by John J. Xenakis 16 May 2013

Venezuela Running Out of Toilet Paper

First milk, butter, coffee and cornmeal ran short. Now Venezuela is running out of the most basic of necessities – toilet paper. from AP 16 May 2013

Official: 'Small Amount' of Chemical Arms Used in Syria

Small amounts of chemical weapons have been used at least twice in Syria, but Washington is seeking more information as it mulls its response, a top US official said Wednesday. from AFP 15 May 2013

Petraeus Email Objected to Benghazi Talking Points

Then CIA-Director David Petraeus objected to the final talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used five days after the deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, because he wanted to see more detail publicly released, including a warning issued from the CIA about plans for an embassy attack, a newly released email shows. from AP 15 May 2013

White House Releases 100 Pages of Benghazi Documents

The White House is releasing 100 pages of e-mails and notes related to the Obama administration's response to the attack on a diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, last September. from AP 15 May 2013

China Questions Japan Rule over Okinawa

China is trying to strengthen its claim on tiny, uninhabited, Japanese-controlled islands by raising questions about the much larger Okinawa chain that is home to more than a million Japanese along with major U.S. military installations. The tactic, however, appears to have done little but harden Tokyo's stance. from AP 15 May 2013

US Ambassador Summoned by Russian Foreign Ministry

The U.S. Ambassador to Russia was summoned by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday over Moscow's claim it caught a U.S. diplomat disguised in a blond wig trying to recruit a counterintelligence officer. from AP 15 May 2013

France Enters Recession in First Quarter

France entered a recession in the first quarter this year with gross domestic product contracting 0.2 percent, after shrinking the same amount in the last quarter of 2012, the official INSEE statistics office said Wednesday. from AFP 15 May 2013

Iran Hard-Liners Urge Election Ban on 2 Candidates

Hard-line Iranian lawmakers have petitioned authorities to bar two contenders _ a moderate former president and a protege of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad _ from running in next month's presidential election. from AP 15 May 2013

Cameron Could Face Fresh Tory EU Vote Rebellion

Prime Minister David Cameron could face a fresh Conservative rebellion over Europe on Wednesday if a parliamentary motion over an EU referendum is debated. from AFP 15 May 2013

World View: American-Russian Relations Upset by CIA Spy Scandal

Russia has declared US diplomat Ryan Fogle "persona non grata" and ordered to be deported, after he was arrested for allegedly spying for the U.S. by John J. Xenakis 15 May 2013

NC man pleads to buying gun for terrorist jihad

from AP 14 May 2013

Minnesota Men, Recruiter Sentenced in Somali Terror Case

Two men who left Minnesota to join the terrorist group al-Shabab in Somalia were sentenced to three years in federal prison Tuesday. Later in the day, sentences were handed down to a man who allegedly served as a recruiter for al-Shabab in the U.S. and another who admitted helping raise money so others could travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join the terror group. from AP 14 May 2013

US Boom Transforming Global Oil Trade

The surge in oil production in the U.S. and Canada and shrinking oil consumption in the developed world is transforming the global oil market. from AP 14 May 2013

U.S. Launches Drone from Aircraft Carrier for First Time

A drone the size of a fighter jet took off from the deck of an American aircraft carrier for the first time Tuesday in a test flight that could eventually open the way for the U.S. to launch unmanned aircraft from just about any place in the world. from AP 14 May 2013

Russia Detains, Expels U.S. Embassy Diplomat Over Spying Claim

Russia detained U.S. Embassy Diplomat Ryan C. Fogle on the night of May 13; they have since expelled him from the country over accusations that he is a CIA intelligence officer. by AWR Hawkins 14 May 2013

Keeping Our Heads in the Sand After Boston

The Obama administration's policy banning references to "Islamic extremism" and "jihad" in discussions about terrorism drew criticism during last Thursday's House Homeland Security Committee hearing on the Boston Marathon bombings. by Steven Emerson 14 May 2013

Obama Benghazi Statements Highlight Low Intel Briefing Attendance Record

During a Monday press conference, President Barack Obama dismissed concerns and congressional inquiries into the Benghazi talking points by referring to "assessments that I was receiving at that time in my presidential daily briefing." As Breitbart News exclusively reported the day after the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack, Obama did not attend his intelligence briefings for the week leading up to the attacks. by Wynton Hall 14 May 2013

Oxford University Sets Up Thatcher Scholarship

Oxford University is to honour former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who died last month, with a £100 million scholarship trust for "future leaders", the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday. from AFP 14 May 2013

Troops Deployed to Subdue Venezuela Crime

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his government will dispatch some 3,000 police and army troops throughout the country in a bid to stem spiraling violent crime. from AFP 14 May 2013

Marcos Clan Wins Big in Philippine Elections

The family of dead dictator Ferdinand Marcos enjoyed easy wins in Philippine elections, official data showed on Tuesday, with his unrepentant 83-year-old wife leading the clan's political charge. from AFP 14 May 2013

Arabs, Turkey See No Role for Assad in Future Syria

Five Arab countries and Turkey have reiterated that President Bashar al-Assad should have no role in the future of Syria, as Russia and the United States proposed a peace conference. from AFP 14 May 2013

Results Confirm Big Win for Sharif in Pakistan Poll

Official partial results released Tuesday confirmed a convincing victory for the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Saturday's election. from AFP 14 May 2013

World View: Greece's Government Prepares to Demand War Reparations from Germany

Greece's government has compiled an 80-page report making the case to demand World War II reparations from Germany. Stories of Nazi atrocities and war crimes are now being widely reported and discussed, in particular the mass slaughter of 498 men on December 13, 1943, in one of the worst crimes of the war. by John J. Xenakis 14 May 2013

State Dept. Kept Media From Speaking To Benghazi Attack Survivors

In testimony to the House Oversight Committee May 8 regarding the attacks against the U.S. consulate and CIA annex in Benghaz, former US deputy chief of mission in Libya Gregory Hicks included names of several other Americans, part of the U.S. mission in Libya, who were either in Benghazi or Tripoli during the terrorist assault that took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. by Kerry Picket 14 May 2013

Bangladesh Arrests Islamist Leader

Bangladesh, which went to war with Pakistan in 1971 to gain its independence, is going to war against the same Islamists who opposed Bangladeshi independence. by William Bigelow 13 May 2013

Syria: We Can Invade Israel's Golan Heights

In its last-ditch attempt to draw the anti-Semitic Middle East into war with Israel, Syria has now declared that it may invade Israel’s Golan Heights. Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said that Israel had broken the 1974 ceasefire between the two nations, and accused Israel of helping the Syrian opposition kidnap UN observers – even though it is Syria that has failed to control its border. by Ben Shapiro 13 May 2013

U.N. Disarmament Conference Chaired by Iran

According to U.N. Watch, the U.N. Disarmament Conference which began on May 13 is being chaired by Iran. U.N. Watch executive director Hillel Neuer declared, "This is like putting Jack the Ripper in charge of a women's shelter." by AWR Hawkins 13 May 2013

Drunk Tourist Charges at South African Elephant

Video footage of an inebriated tourist lunging out of his car and charging a wild elephant at South Africa's famous Kruger National Park caused an uproar on Monday. from AFP 13 May 2013

Don’t Blow It on Benghazi: The Focus Must Be Obama, NOT Clinton 

America could be on the cusp of a great victory--a victory for accountability and truth. The Benghazi debacle is, at last, breaking into the public consciousness. Indeed, in its outlines, finally visible as the coverup unravels, Benghazi is starting to look like a scandal, bringing up memories of an earlier scandal, Watergate. Yet the Republicans could still blow it, not only for themselves, but much more importantly, for the country. They could blow it, that is, if they make the terrible mistake of turning an honest and necessary inquiry about the events of 2012 and 2013 into a contrived exercise in political positioning for 2016. by Patrick Caddell 13 May 2013

Bangladesh to End Search for Collapse Victims

Bangladesh's military is ending its search for bodies in the wreckage of an eight-story garment factory building that collapsed last month because no more are expected to be found, officials said Monday. from AP 13 May 2013

Israeli PM, Putin to Meet Tuesday for Syria Talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to hold talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the conflict in Syria, the Kremlin said, amid concerns Moscow plans to deliver advanced missiles to the Damascus regime. from AFP 13 May 2013

Afghan Roadside Bomb Kills 10 Civilians: Officials

A bomb killed 10 civilians including women and children in southern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said, in the latest violence since the Taliban launched their annual "spring offensive". from AFP 13 May 2013

France, Germany Plan 'New Deal' for Jobless Youths

Germany and France plan to launch this month a "New Deal for Europe" against youth unemployment, which has topped 50 percent in several countries, with credits for companies that create jobs, a news report said Monday. from AFP 13 May 2013

New Nigeria Islamist Video Claims Attacks, Shows Hostages

The purported head of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has claimed two recent deadly attacks in the northeast in a video obtained by AFP Monday, which also depicts women and children apparently being held hostage. from AFP 13 May 2013

Pope Francis Surprises Pro-Life Advocates by Joining March for Life in Rome

To the delight and surprise of about 40,000 participants in Rome’s Marcia per la Vita (March for Life) Internazionale in Rome on Sunday, Pope Francis left the Apostolic Palace to join them in the popemobile as they gathered in the street. by Dr. Susan Berry 13 May 2013

World View: Pope Francis Canonizes 800 Otranto 'Martyrs' of Ottoman Army

The new Pope Francis on Sunday canonized over 800 "Martyrs of Otranto" as saints, the largest such action in the history of the Catholic Church. At the same time, two Latin American nuns became saints. by John J. Xenakis 13 May 2013