National Security

(AFP) – President Mahmud Abbas will temporarily refrain from unilateral action against Israel to give US-brokered peace talks a chance to resume, a Palestinian official said on Thursday. “Abbas and the Palestinian leadership have decided to give a sufficient chance

(AP) – Syrian state media sharply criticized Jordan for hosting U.S.-backed training of rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Assad, warning Thursday that by actively backing the opposition Amman risks falling into the “volcanic crater” of the conflict. The stern

(AP) – Iran and six world powers trying to curb Tehran’s nuclear progress are meeting Thursday with the window shrinking on diplomacy. Tehran is moving closer to the ability to make atomic arms, posing a risk of Mideast conflict. Israel

(AFP) – OPEC is not seeking to raise oil prices, with the cartel’s chief estimating Thursday that the current level is “comfortable” for both producers and consumers. “We are not advocating a higher price, we are advocating a reasonable price

(AFP) – Activist hackers appeared Thursday to have infiltrated North Korea’s official news website and its accompanying Twitter and Flickr feeds, posting unflattering images of leader Kim Jong-Un. The China-based website of Uriminzokkiri, which distributes news and propaganda from the

(AFP) – A British police force on Thursday began recording attacks on goths and punks as “hate crimes” similar to those suffered by people targeted because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. Police in Manchester, northwest England, said the

Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday warned that Britain would be left defenceless against “highly unpredictable and aggressive” regimes if it wound down its Trident nuclear deterrent programme. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Cameron said that the recent actions of

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com Hugo Chavez returns to Venezuela reincarnated as a singing bird U.S. moves defense missiles to Guam for North Korean threats North Korea closes border to factory workers from South IMF begins loan talks with

Kuwait’s parliament has approved the death penalty for any Muslim who insults Allah, “his prophets, messengers, Prophet Mohammed’s wives or the Koran, in any form of expression, if they don’t repent.” The law requires judges to give offenders an opportunity

The United States is preparing to send one of Lockheed Martin’s THAAD missile defense systems to Guam to protect U.S. interests from rocket launches by North Korea. The missile defense system was already scheduled to be deployed to Guam in

Immigration and Customs Enforcement union president Chris Crane told reporters on Wednesday that the Mexican drug cartels’ influence inside the United States has been “almost completely absent” from the immigration reform debate but needs more attention. “I mean, if these

In the latest controversial move in the US Embassy in Cairo’s ongoing Twitter saga, the Embassy removed its Twitter account for a few hours on Tuesday after the Embassy tweeter got into a fight with the Egyptian president’s account. Mohammed

Russia on Wednesday said it was worried by the “explosive” North Korea situation, saying even a simple human error could cause the crisis to spiral out of control. Mounting tensions have seen Pyongyang threaten missile and nuclear strikes against the

At least six people were killed and 70 wounded when Taliban attackers stormed a court and surrounding buildings in the Afghan town of Farah on Wednesday, officials said.

Nelson Mandela is “much better” and responding “satisfactorily” to treatment after a week in hospital for pneumonia, the South African presidency said Wednesday. The ailing 94-year-old, who served as South Africa’s first black president, was making a steady improvement and

Pope Francis on Wednesday underlined the role played by women in the Roman Catholic Church, saying they had been more willing to believe in Jesus Christ’s resurrection than his own disciples. Francis broke with tradition last week when he included

(Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit Turkey this week as part of a trip to Western Europe and Asia to consult allies on issues including Syria’s civil war, a Turkish official told Reuters on

(AP) IMF agrees to its part of Cypriot bailoutNICOSIA, CyprusThe International Monetary Fund has agreed to its part of the bailout for Cyprus, saying it will contribute 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion). The European Union and the IMF this week

Hamas is preparing to ban “mixed-sex schools” for children over the age of nine in Palestinian territory.  The “majority of schools in Gaza are run by either Hamas or the U.N.,” and most are already segregated by sex beyond the

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com North Korea restarting nuclear power plant China mobilizing troops, jets, navy near N. Korea Eurozone unemployment rises to record high 12% North Korea restarting nuclear power plant The N. Koreans spectacularly blew up the

President Barack Obama praised Singapore on Tuesday as an example to the world and a key source of advice for his diplomatic pivot to Asia, as he met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The meeting was expected to focus on

Serbia and Kosovo failed Wednesday to find common ground on how to defuse longstanding tensions at EU-sponsored talks, officials said. Serb Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and his Kosovo counterpart Hashim Thaci will now return home for consultations “and will let

By JAMEY KEATENAssociated PressPARISFrench President Francois Hollande on Tuesday decried an “unforgiveable moral error” by his former budget minister, who has jolted France’s body politic by admitting on his blog to having lied about a once-secret foreign bank account. Authorities

Poland moved Tuesday towards privatising its national airline LOT as the government proposed legislation that would allow for the sale of a majority stake in the cash-strapped carrier. LOT ended 2012 with an operating loss of 115 million zloty (28

By IBRAHIM BARZAK and DALIA NAMMARIAssociated PressGAZA CITY, Gaza StripStarting with the new school year in September, Gaza boys and girls in middle and high school will be breaking the law if they study side by side. Gaza’s Islamic militant