July 25, 2015

How the U.S. is training China’s military – while inching toward conflict
This increased interoperability allowed Chinese forces to learn counter-piracy tactics, techniques and procedures, especially those relating to how to support ships that are deployed far from land, for long periods of time.  

5.0 earthquake rattles Southcentral Alaska
A 5.0 earthquake rattled Southcentral at about 11:57 a.m. Saturday. The epicenter of the quake was located about 66 miles west of Willow in the Mat-Su, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Mike Yencha, operator of Deshka Wilderness Lodge in Willow, said the earthquake shook his building but wasn’t strong enough to knock anything out of its place.  

Obama Takes Actions to Increase Immigration
The Obama administration is charging ahead with actions to promote more immigration into the United States, including veto threats, executive actions, and changes to the citizenship oath.  

4.3 earthquake rattles Southern California
The shallow quake was felt strongly in Fontana, with a population of over 150,000 people, and felt more weakly in Riverside and Long Beach, according to the U.S. Geological Survey automated shake maps.  

NASA spacecraft shows Pluto wrapped in haze, ice flows
Analysis shows distinct layers of haze in Pluto’s nitrogen, carbon monoxide and methane atmosphere. The haze extends at least 100 miles (161 km) off the surface.  

Next IMF boss likely to come from outside Europe: deputy head
IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton told the BBC World Service the tradition by which a European heads the fund while an American leads the World Bank was coming under pressure and the next appointment would be "strictly merit-based". 
3 killed as 5.5-magnitude earthquake hits Islamabad

At least three people, including two women, died when a 5.5-magnitude quake hit Pakistan's capital Islamabad, as also parts of the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday morning, Met office said.  

U.S. troops to train regular Ukrainian military troops: State Department
U.S. troops will begin training regular Ukrainian military forces later this year in an expansion of their current mission, which so far has been limited to instructing Interior Ministry national guard units... "This training is part of our long-running defense cooperation with Ukraine and is taking place at the invitation of the Ukraine government....State Department Mark Toner said.  

Firefighters gain control of Beit Shemesh blaze
Authorities said Israel's largest fire since the devastating Carmel blaze in 2010 was finally in control Friday evening near Beit Shemesh... Authorities said that strong winds had fueled the forest fire, causing its path to change unpredictably from time to time, and that 13 aircraft aided in the effort to contain the flames. Over 370 acres of land were burned, according to authorities.  

Turkey stages first air strikes on Islamic State in Syria
urkish warplanes pounded Islamic State targets in Syria for the first time on Friday, with President Tayyip Erdogan promising more decisive action against both the jihadists and Kurdish militants.  

Iran hits out at Kerry's 'empty threats'
Iran hit out Friday against US Secretary of State John Kerry, accusing him of threatening military action against Tehran if it fails to respect a historic nuclear deal sealed on July 14.  

Special Ops General: ISIS Leader Preparing for Own Demise
The leader of ISIS appears to be preparing for his own demise by looking for an heir to the terror throne, the chief of U.S. special operations said today.  

The Religious Origins of the Sanctuary Movement
Thanks to Donald Trump, the major media are being forced to cover the illegal immigration movement, such as the proliferation of “sanctuary cities” across the U.S. that attract criminal aliens, give them legal protection, and let them back out on the streets to commit more crimes. But the really taboo topic is how these sanctuary cities grew out of a movement started by the Catholic Church and other churches.  

Immigration Failure: Illegal Aliens Kill Nearly 3,000 in Texas Since 2008
September 11, 2001 will live in infamy as the date that 3,000 innocent Americans were murdered by Islamic terrorists, supposedly in the name of Allah. Americans were justifiably outraged that 3,000 of us had been murdered on US soil by Islamic demons.  

Obama Renews His Amnesty Tyranny
President Obama and other administration officials continue to push their thumb-in-the-eye approach to legal and illegal immigration with a series of unilateral moves that once again reveal their contempt for the American public and the rule of law—when they’re not busy engaging in outright extortion.  

UN Silent as Iranian Regime Plans Arms Purchases and Sales Anytime, Anywhere
The ink is barely dry on the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”), and the Iranian regime is already showing how its word is worth nothing. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, who was heavily involved in the JCPOA negotiations, was quoted as declaring that Iran would “buy weapons from wherever possible” and “provide weapons to whomever and whenever it considers appropriate.”  

July 24, 2015

IDF Looks to Bible to Prepare for Future Threats
While the Locker Commission calls for sweeping cuts to the budget, as well as to personnel, the Gideon Plan has its own recommendations for reducing waste and improving efficiency. The plan is named for the Biblical hero Gideon, who reduced his army of thousands to a mere 300 men to fight against the Midianites.  

Obama: Lifting of sanctions will increase Iran's ability to finance terrorists
In a special interview with the BBC Friday, President of the United States Barack Obama admitted that the lifting of sanctions on Iran will increase the Islamic Republic's ability to finance terrorist organizations.  

Bill Gates to roll out remote control microchip-based sterilization of women
When Bill Gates, along with Paul Allen, began a little tech venture called "Microsoft" in a garage in 1975, he couldn't possibly have imagined that the company would grow into the largest personal computer company and most widely used PC operating system on the planet. In recent months Gates has taken his vision a step further, with the development of computer chip technology that will essentially serve as one element of his quest for population control and reduction.  

Moscow Could Be Prepping for Space War With Aggressive New Satellites
On Christmas Day in 2013, a rocket blasted off from the Russian Federal Space Agency’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, about 500 miles north of Moscow. ...Rodnik sats...don’t have engines and can’t move under their own power. So it came as a shock...when the Rokot’s fourth satellite, designated Kosmos-2491, moved, propelling itself into a slightly different orbit.  

ISIS Boy In New Video: "Give Me My Weapon"
ISIS’s official media wing in Iraq’s Dijla province released a new video Wednesday that boasts the terror group’s boy fighters and ups the ante of a bellicose propaganda campaign championing child soldiers. The video, called “The Cubs of Dijla” in a reference to the young boys being indoctrinated and groomed to fight, shows children as the clip’s primary speakers.  

Obama admits US gun laws are his 'biggest frustration'
President Barack Obama has admitted that his failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US is the greatest frustration of his presidency. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Obama said it was "distressing" not to have made progress on the issue "even in the face of repeated mass killings". He vowed to keep trying, but the BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel said the president did not sound very confident.  

Obama urges UK to stay in European Union
The UK must stay in the European Union to continue to have influence on the world stage, US President Barack Obama has told the BBC. He said the UK's EU membership "gives us much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union". Speaking to the BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel, he said the EU "made the world safer and more prosperous".  

Turkey bombs Islamic State targets in Syria
Turkish planes have for the first time carried out air strikes against Islamic State (IS) group targets in Syria. Police also launched raids against IS and Kurdish militants across the country, arresting 297 people, the Prime Minister's office said. On Thursday, Turkish forces exchanged fire with IS fighters near the Syrian border. One Turkish soldier was killed.  

Australia's role in the search for life in space
Australia is playing a key role in the world's biggest search for extra-terrestrial intelligence. An Australian radio telescope in operation for more than 50 years will be one of the primary instruments used in a new $100m (A$137m; £64m) search for life elsewhere in space.  

Bowe Bergdahl found during California pot raid, released by officials
Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who was released in a prisoner exchange in Afghanistan for five Taliban detainees, wound up in the middle of a pot raid earlier this week in northern California.  

Egypt military says roadside bomb kills 4 troops in Sinai
A roadside bombing in Egypt's restive northern Sinai killed at least four troops on Thursday, military and security officials said, in an attack that was claimed by an Islamic State affiliate. The bomb went off when an armored military vehicle was combing an area around the border village of el-Mahdiya, close to the town of Rafah, which borders Gaza Strip, according to the Egyptian military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir.  

Executions In Iran Have Surged This Year, Report Finds
ran executed 694 people in the first half of 2015, an "unprecedented spike" in the nation's use of the death penalty, according to a new report by Amnesty International.  

Tentative deal reached to increase U.S. access to Turkish air bases
The U.S. and Turkey have reached a "tentative handshake deal" to increase U.S. and coalition access to Turkish air bases, including the base at Incirlik, according to an administration official.  

Death of woman in Texas jail consistent with suicide: prosecutor
Evidence from an autopsy on Sandra Bland, the black woman found hanging dead in a Texas jail days after a traffic stop, supports the medical examiner's initial ruling of suicide, a county prosecutor told reporters on Thursday.  

Gunman opens fire at Louisiana theater, kills two, injures seven
A lone gunman opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Thursday evening, killing two people and injuring seven others before taking his own life, police said.  

Rebels, Qaeda launch assault on Syria's Daraa
Rebels including Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate launched a fresh offensive on the major southern city of Daraa, saying their aim was to "purify" the area.  

Laws passed, Greece to open bailout talks as recession pushes goals further
Greece's creditors prepared on Thursday for the start of bailout talks in Athens, after lawmakers adopted a second package of reform measures before dawn despite a left wing rebellion that may bring early elections.  

  

July 23, 2015

EU rejects report: No plans to boycott Israeli banks
The European Union is not planning to impose sanctions on Israeli banks, a senior EU official said Wednesday, hours after an EU think tank released a report recommending such a course of action. "We have no intention of imposing restrictions on Israeli banks that do business in the settlements. This entire issue is complete nonsense. This issue has never been considered," the diplomat said.  

White House in 'final stages' of plan to close Guantánamo Bay prison
The White House announced on Wednesday that it is finalising a plan to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. A White House spokesman said it was in America's national security interest to close the facility which was opened by the Bush administration after the September 11 attacks to house detainees swept up in the war on terror.  

Iran Vows to Buy Weapons Anytime, Anywhere
A senior Iranian official...said that the Islamic Republic will continue to import and export arms freely across the globe without restriction... Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said that he insisted during the negotiations that Iran be able to purchase and ship military hardware at any time and from any place, according to the comments made on state-controlled television.  

Obama Admin Plans More Executive Action on Immigration
The Obama administration is moving forward with plans to expand a waiver program that will allow additional illegal aliens to remain in the country... the proposed rule stated. “Such aliens include family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrants, certain special immigrants, and Diversity Visa program selectees, together with their derivative spouses and children.”  

Russian Bombers Flew Within 40 Miles of N. California Coast
Two Russian nuclear bombers flew within 40 miles of the California coast and one of the pilots relayed a veiled threat during the Fourth of July aerial incident, defense officials said. “Good morning American pilots, we are here to greet you on your Fourth of July Independence Day,” a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber crew member stated over the emergency aircraft channel.  

Syria conflict: 'Unprecedented' assault on Zabadani
The UN envoy for Syria says Syrian government air strikes have caused "unprecedented levels of destruction" and death in the town of Zabadani. Large numbers of barrel bombs have reportedly been dropped on the area in the Qalamoun mountains north-west of Damascus, close to the Lebanese border.  

Iran executions see 'unprecedented spike' - Amnesty
There has been an "unprecedented spike" in the number of executions in Iran, Amnesty International has warned. The rights group said it believed 694 people were killed between 1 January and 15 July, almost three times the figure acknowledged by the authorities. It said credible reports suggested Iran executed at least 743 people in 2014.  

Donald Trump to visit US-Mexico border
US presidential candidate Donald Trump is to visit the border with Mexico after making illegal immigration the centrepiece of his campaign. Mr Trump will travel to Laredo, Texas, on Thursday to meet border control agents and local police officers... In June, he sparked controversy after calling undocumented Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "criminals".  

Greece crisis: MPs pass crucial bailout reforms
Greece has taken a crucial step towards a bailout after its parliament passed a second set of reforms. The passage of the measures means that negotiations on an €86bn European Union bailout can begin. The reforms include changes to Greek banking and an overhaul of the judiciary system.  

Astronauts dock at the International Space Station
Astronauts from Russia, the US and Japan have successfully docked at the International Space Station. Less than six hours after take-off from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome, Kjell Lindgren from the US, Kimiya Yui of Japan and Russian Oleg Kononenko safely arrived at the orbital outpost. ...Manned flights to the ISS are currently only possible with Russia's ageing Soviet space technology.  

Obama and Erdogan agree to stop 'foreign fighters' crossing into Syria
US President Barack Obama and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed...to work together to "stem the flow of foreign fighters and secure Turkey's border with Syria," the White House said in a statement. It said the two leaders also discussed deepening their cooperation in the fight against Islamic State, which has grabbed swaths of Syrian and Iraqi territory and declared a caliphate.  

July 22, 2015

More black babies aborted than born in New York City
Black lives matter? Apparently not in New York City. A “Pregnancy Outcomes” report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reveals in 2013, more black babies were aborted than born in the city. A chart on page 7 shows 24,108 “non-Hispanic black” babies were born while 29,007 faced “induced terminations” — or abortions.  

Why is Pope Francis so obsessed with the devil?
His tweets and homilies about the devil, Satan, the Accuser, the Evil One, the Father of Lies, the Ancient Serpent, the Tempter, the Seducer, the Great Dragon, the Enemy and just plain "demon" are now legion. For Francis, the devil is not a myth, but a real person. Many modern people may greet the Pope's insistence on the devil with a dismissive, cultural affectation, indifference, or at the most indulgent curiosity.  

More rain expected for flood-hit Pakistan
More rain is forecast in north Pakistan after flash floods inundated several villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. At least three people have died, Pakistani media reported, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.  

After EU labeling of West Bank goods, paper proposes banking steps on Israel
The European Union agreed this week to push ahead with labeling Israeli goods made in settlements in the West Bank, a move that has alarmed the Israeli government; but now there are proposals to go much further, including targeting Israeli banks. ...EU is in breach of its own laws and must move much more firmly to distinguish its dealings with Israel from Israel's activities in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.  

North Korea may be preparing to launch a new, long-range rocket
North Korea is preparing to launch a new, long-range rocket, possibly in October, having completed an upgrade at its main satellite launch base, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.  

Heavy storms in California signify return of El Nino
On Tuesday, construction crews began fixing the highway bridge washed out by heavy weekend rains in California. Scientists say such rare summer storms are a preview of a potentially record-breaking wet winter in the west. NASA climate scientist Josh Willis says the storms are fueled by the phenomenon called El Nino. 

China's Record Dumping Of US Treasuries Leaves Goldman Speechless
We then put China's change in FX reserves alongside the total Treasury holdings of China and its "anonymous" offshore Treasury dealer Euroclear (aka "Belgium") as released by TIC, and found that the dramatic relationship which we first discovered back in May, has persisted - namely virtually the entire delta in Chinese FX reserves come via China's US Treasury holdings. As in they are being aggressively sold, to the tune of $107 billion in Treasury sales so far in 2015.  

Obama’s secret database forces ‘racist’ smear on innocent citizens
A government obsessed with imaginary racism is the soul-killing legacy Barack Obama is leaving Americans. Obama has come up with an ongoing plan in which the 330 million American population will be corralled into a cattle pasture from which there doesn’t seem to be any escape.  

UN Security Council Enshrines Disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal into International Law
The United Nations Security Council approved unanimously a resolution endorsing the final Iran nuclear deal agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The resolution, which will go into formal effect 90 days after its passage on July 20th, incorporates the JCPOA as an attachment.  

The President is ‘The Other’
here’s some bad news: the ‘fundamental transformation of America’ is in full swing and as they used to say in show biz, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” That’s because the last 18 months of this corrupt narcissist’s rule will make the first six-and-a-half years look like a high school civics lesson in good governance.  

Terrorist mollycoddled but no flags lowered to half-staff
Why do major television networks continue to get away with mollycoddling murdering radical terrorists in the very wake of their evil carnage? Within four days of the attack that claimed the lives of four US Marines and a Navy sailors slaughtered in the Chattanooga shooting spree, ABC is portraying poor Mohammod Abdulazeez—not as a radical Islamic terrorist—but as a “disturbed, suicidal young man using drugs, preparing for bankruptcy and facing an appearance in criminal court”.  

July 21, 2015

The President Of France Wants Eurozone Members To Transfer Their Sovereignty To A United States Of Europe
The President of France has come up with a very creative way of solving the European debt crisis. On Sunday, a piece authored by French President Francois Hollande suggested that the ultimate solution to the problems currently plaguing Europe would be for every member of the eurozone to transfer all of their sovereignty to a newly created federal government. In other words, it would essentially be a “United States of Europe”.  

Bipartisan Anger in Congress over Obama's UN Move
Republican lawmakers – but some influential Democrats as well – were angry Monday about the Obama administration's decision to have the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) vote on the Iran nuclear deal before Congress has had a chance to accept or reject it.  

Zarif: Israel Was Never So Isolated
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a speech to his country's parliament on Tuesday that Tehran's nuclear deal with the P5+1 powers was a great defeat for Israel. "Never before was the Zionist regime so isolated, even among her own allies," he said.  

Earthquake centered in northern Oklahoma rattles state
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake centered in northern Oklahoma has shaken the state, with reports of it being felt hundreds of miles away. The U.S. Geological Survey reported Monday's quake happened at about 3:20 p.m.,  

Magnitude 4.1 earthquake shakes San Francisco Bay Area
Authorities say a magnitude 4.1 earthquake rattled the San Francisco Bay Area in California, but no injuries or property damage was immediately reported.  

China deal threatens only American military base in Africa
Attempts by China to increase its strategic involvement in East Africa have raised serious concerns about the future of one of America’s key intelligence-gathering posts on Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, the US military’s Camp Lemonnier, which is located in the East African state of Djibouti, has become the centre for US terrorism operations in the region...  

Turkey tightens Syria border after Suruc blast as suspect identified
Turkish authorities have promised to step up security along the Syrian border after a deadly bomb attack which ripped through the southern town of Suruc on Monday. The pledge came as officials said they had identified a suspect behind the blast that hit a volunteer centre, killing at least 32 people.  

The $100 million question: are we alone in the cosmos?
Scientists are about to embark on the biggest search yet for alien life...with $100 million from a Russian billionaire and the backing of physicist Stephen Hawking. Whether we are alone in the universe has engaged minds down the ages, and the recent discovery that there may be tens of billions of habitable planets in our galaxy alone has added urgency to finding an answer.  

Speculators smash gold as dollar squeeze tightens
Powerful speculators have launched an unprecedented attack on the world gold market, driving prices to a five-year low as...the US Federal Reserve prepares to tighten monetary policy. Spot prices slumped by more than 4pc to $1,086 an ounce in overnight trading after anonymous funds sold 57 tonnes of gold...choosing the moment of minimum market liquidity in what appears to have been a synchronized strike intended to smash confidence.  

Egypt: 'Dozens detained secretly' by security forces
Dozens of people in Egypt have apparently disappeared after being detained secretly by security forces, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned. The US-based group said in some cases state officials either denied holding individuals or refused to reveal their fates. It called on the authorities to immediately disclose their whereabouts and hold those responsible to account.  

IS bans private internet access in Syria bastion: activists
The Islamic State group is banning private internet access in its Syrian bastion Raqa, forcing residents and even its own fighters to use internet cafes where they can be monitored, activists say.  

14 Afghan soldiers killed in US air strike, say officials
A US air strike killed at least 14 Afghan soldiers on Monday at an army checkpoint in a Taliban-infested province south of Kabul, officials said, the latest “friendly fire” incident involving foreign coalition forces.  

Kurds make gains against ISIS in Syria’s Hasakah
A Syrian Kurdish militia said on Monday it was in near full control of the northeastern city of Hasakah, expanding its sway at the expense of the Damascus government in the wake of an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attack in the area.  

U.N. Council backs Iran nuclear deal but Tehran hardliners object
The U.N. Security Council on Monday backed Iran's nuclear agreement with world powers but the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guards attacked the resolution, underlining powerful opposition to the deal.  

Japan demands China halt oil exploration in part of East China Sea
Japan called on China on Tuesday to halt construction of oil-and-gas exploration platforms in the East China Sea close to waters claimed by both nations, concerned that Chinese drills could tap reservoirs that extend into Japanese territory.  

North Korea says not interested in Iran-like nuclear talks with U.S.
North Korea is not interested in an Iran-like dialogue with the United States to give up its nuclear capabilities, the isolated country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.  

June 20, 2015

AIPAC Mulling ‘Nuclear Option’ in Lobbying Against Iran Deal
AIPAC officials have been debating using their doomsday weapon, namely to campaign to unseat congressional Democrats who will vote in favor of the Iran deal.  

Netanyahu is betting against Obama in Congress battle against Iran deal
The prime minister is not worried that further confrontation will cause the US president to be less generous in his compensation package to Israel. He is willing to bet the battle in Congress against the Iranian deal is worth the risk.  

White House plan would keep guns from millions on Social Security
The Obama administration wants to keep people collecting Social Security benefits from owning guns if it is determined they are unable to manage their own affairs, the Los Angeles Times reported.  

Typhoon Nangka Recap: 29 Inches of Rain Reported
More than 2 feet of rain were reported in parts of Kôchi, Wakayama, Nara and Mie prefectures in the central part of the country. Many rivers went out of their banks as a result. Heavy rains came well in advance of landfall as well, bringing up to 10 inches of rain to northern parts of the Greater Tokyo area.  

"Super Historic" July Rainfall in California Thanks to Former Hurricane Dolores; More Rain Monday
Part of Interstate 10 was washed out by flooding Sunday in the deserts of California.  

CORONAL MASS EJECTION, INCOMING?
A magnetic filament snaking across the sun's southern hemisphere exploded on July 19th (0700 UT), hurling part of itself into space. Soon thereafter, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded a bright coronal mass ejection (CME) flying away from the sun.  

Christian Universities: Will They Obey God or Man?
Christian universities must together embrace and facilitate homosexual sin, or lose, at once, both tax-exempt status and access to all students who choose to fund their education via federal loans and grants (which is most of them). This presents quite a conundrum. It’s also a test. Christian universities must either obey God, disobey man and suffer unsavory temporal consequences, or obey man, sell their souls for mammon and suffer a-little-more-than-unsavory eternal consequence.  

Red Heifers in Israel prompt 3rd Temple Speculation
The altar and sacred vessels have been reconstructed. The architectural plans are being drawn up. Now a group is taking another step toward fulfilling the biblical prophecy of a restored Temple by raising a group of red heifers in the land of Israel.  

Deadly blast hits Suruc in southern Turkey
An explosion has killed at least 10 people at a cultural centre in the southern Turkish town of Suruc near the Syrian border, local media say. They say at least 20 were wounded in the blast in the garden of the Amara Cultural Centre close to the Syrian town of Kobane. About 300 delegates from youth associations were reportedly staying at the centre.  

Greek debt crisis: Banks reopen amid tax rise
Greek banks are reopening after being closed for three weeks because of the deadlock over the country's debt, as the government initiates repayment of its loans to the ECB and IMF. Athens reached a cash-for-reforms deal aimed at avoiding a debt default and an exit from the eurozone. But many restrictions remain and Greeks also face price rises with an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).  

Afghan troops 'killed by US friendly fire' in Logar
At least eight Afghan soldiers have been killed in a US air strike on an army checkpoint in Logar province south of Kabul, Afghan officials say. They say two US helicopters attacked the checkpoint in broad daylight on Monday. Several troops were injured. The army commander in the area told the BBC that the checkpoint was clearly flying an Afghan flag.  

Libya violence: Italian construction workers kidnapped
Four Italian construction workers have been kidnapped in Libya, the Italian foreign ministry has said. They were abducted near a compound owned by Italian oil and gas group Eni in the western Mellitah area, the ministry said. Italy closed its embassy in Libya in February, calling on Italians to leave because of the dangers to foreigners.  

Europe to back Iran nuclear deal in signal to US Congress
The European Union will approve the Iran nuclear deal with world powers on Monday, a first step towards lifting Europe's economic sanctions against Tehran that the bloc hopes will send a signal that the US Congress will follow. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the deal reached last week. The UN Security Council was also likely to vote to support it in a resolution later in the day.  

IOUs for RIPs: Greece's cash crisis hurts funeral industry
Greek funeral homes are struggling to cope with banking restrictions that limit customers to taking out only 60 euros ($65) a day in cash. Even a modest funeral service in Greece costs more than 15 times that, in a country that traditionally carries out funerals shortly after death and pays for them almost entirely in cash.  

In an IS training camp, children told: Behead the doll
The children had all been shown videos of beheadings and told by their trainers with the Islamic State group that they would perform one someday. First, they had to practice technique. The more than 120 boys were each given a doll and a sword and told, cut off its head.  

Gaza bombings target cars of Hamas officials; no fatalities
At least four bombings rocked Gaza City early Sunday, targeting cars belonging to officials from Islamic factions, including the territory's Hamas rulers. There were no fatalities from the blasts.  

France’s Hollande Proposes Creation of Euro-Zone Government
French President Francois Hollande said that the 19 countries using the euro need their own government complete with a budget and parliament to cooperate better and overcome the Greek crisis.  

Remote Part Of I-10 Collapses Amid Heavy Rains In California
An elevated section of Interstate 10 collapsed Sunday amid heavy rains in a remote desert area of California, cutting off traffic between the state and Arizona and leaving a driver injured.  

July 19, 2015

19 Jul 15

Magnitude 7 quake near Solomon Islands
A magnitude 7 earthquake has struck off the coast of Solomon Islands, but experts say the threat of a Pacific tsunami has passed. The US Geological Survey said the shallow tremor was centred about 78 kilometres northwest of Lata in Solomon Islands. 
Russia's Putin orders formation of new military reserve force

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the creation of a new reserve armed force as part of steps to improve training and military readiness at a time of international tensions with the West over Ukraine. The new reserve force has been discussed for several years and was first ordered by Putin in 2012 shortly after his re-election as President. The latest decree was published late on Friday.  

ISIS set up stronghold in the heart of Europe as terrorists secretly buy land near an isolated village
Islamic State have established a stronghold in mainland Europe, a Sunday Mirror investigation reveals. Terrorists are secretly buying land in an isolated village, surrounded by deep woodland. Security services think the area in Bosnia is used for ISIS training camps and could be a base for devastating terror attacks on the West.  

Chattanooga attack: Gunman Abdulazeez 'sent war text'
The night before a gunman killed five US service personnel in Tennessee, he sent a text message linking to a religious verse about "declaring war", reports say. Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez also spoke out against conflicts in the Middle East, according to the Reuters agency. Police have said his motives are still being investigated.  

Gaza explosions target officials' cars
A series of explosions on Sunday targeted cars belonging to officials in Gaza, including those from the ruling Hamas militant group. Four blasts hit vehicles in Gaza City just after 06:00 (03:00 GMT). Two people suffered minor injuries. News agencies said the five cars belonged to members of Hamas and the rival Islamic Jihad militant group.  

UK ends partial arms ban on Israel over Gaza fighting
Britain has lifted...a partial arms embargo on arms sales to Israel that was imposed...because of fears... weapons and equipment might be used against Palestinian civilians. ...Now that Sajid Javid, a strongly pro-Israel Conservative minister, is in charge...he announced...that, having completed their review, they were now satisfied that licenses for material including components for military radar and tanks met the UK’s export criteria.  

Greek banks to reopen Monday but cash restrictions remain
Greek banks are reopening Monday after a forced 3-week closure but restrictions on cash withdrawals will remain. In a decree Saturday, the Greek government kept the daily cash withdrawal limit at 60 euros ($65) but added a weekly limit. For example, a depositor who doesn't withdraw cash on Monday can withdraw 120 euros ($130) on Tuesday, and so on, up to 420 euros ($455) a week.  

Saudi Arabia arrests 431 with alleged ISIS ties
Saudi Arabia has arrested 431 people who are part of a "network of cluster cells linked to the terrorist ISIS organization," according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.  

Five soldiers killed in Egypt terror attack
At least five soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an attack by militants at a military checkpoint in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, a media report said.  

Shoppers return to Kenyan mall 2 years after attack
Hundreds of shoppers Saturday thronged through the re-opened Westgate Shopping Mall in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi nearly two years after an extremist attack there left at least 67 people dead. Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero cut a ribbon during the ceremony which came after two years of repairs from the damage caused by security forces battling four gunmen from Somalia’s al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group in September 2013.  

Indonesia closes down five airports after volcanoes erupt
Ash streaming from two volcanoes has forced Indonesian authorities to shut five airports, leaving thousands unable to travel home for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The closures were prompted by eruptions at Mount Raung on the main Java island and Mount Gamalama in eastern Indonesia, CNN reported.  

Pension Shocker: Plans Face $2 Trillion Shortfall, Moody's Says
After 2008, Moody’s stopped relying on the investment return assumptions of cities and states opting instead to use its own models. Unsurprisingly, this led the ratings agency to adopt a much less favorable view of state and local government finances and as WSJ reported, rather than admit that their return assumptions are indeed unrealistic, local governments have opted to drop Moody’s instead  

Obama collecting personal data for a secret race database
A key part of President Obama’s legacy will be the fed’s unprecedented collection of sensitive data on Americans by race. The government is prying into our most personal information at the most local levels, all for the purpose of “racial and economic justice.” Unbeknown to most Americans, Obama’s racial bean counters are furiously mining data on their health, home loans, credit cards, places of work, neighborhoods, even how their kids are disciplined in school — all to document “inequalities” between minorities and whites.