September 24, 2016

Ancient Rare Text Reveals Purity of Biblical Tradition Through Miracle of Technology
Studies based on historical handwriting placed it at either the first or second century CE. When the researchers read the digitally enhanced text, they discovered that all of the words and paragraph breaks were absolutely identical to the Torah text still used today. “This is quite amazing for us. In 2,000 years, this text has not changed,” Emmanuel Tov, a participant in the study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told the Times of Israel,  

Ted Cruz endorses Donald Trump
In a change of stance, Texas Senator who challenged Trump for the Republican nomination endorses him for the presidency.  

Responding to aliens is a really, really bad idea - Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking has advised us earthlings to be extremely wary about answering any signals from aliens when they eventually come calling.  

Strong 6.4 earthquake hits eastern Japan: USGS
The shallow 6.4 magnitude quake hit at 09:14 AM (0544 IST), about 150 kilometres east-southeast of Katsuura city, the US Geological Survey said. There was no threat of a tsunami, added the Japan Meteorological Agency, which measured it at a slightly higher 6.5 magnitude.  

Strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake rattles southern Philippines: USGS
A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines today but there was no threat of a tsunami or any casualties reported, seismologists and disaster officials said.  

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits Romania, no injuries
BUCHAREST: A 5.3 magnitude quake shook Romania early Saturday and was felt in neighbouring Bulgaria and Moldova, the country's seismological institute said, but there were no reports of injuries or major damage.  

Winter 2016-17 Outlook: Post-El Niño Warmth Will Linger, But East Could Be Cold
Winter 2016-17 may be colder in the East, but leftover warmth from the recent El Niño may dominate elsewhere in the U.S., according to an outlook released Friday by The Weather Company, an IBM Business.  

Charlotte Police Says 70% Of Arrested Protesters Had Out Of State IDs
Confirming what many had suspected when viewing the sudden and intense collapse into anrchy that occurred in Charlotte this week, Todd Walther, spokesman for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police told CNN's Erin Burnett: "This is not Charlotte that's out here. These are outside entities that are coming in and causing these problems. These are not protestors, these are criminals."  

Syria conflict: Air strikes leave Aleppo 'without water'
Intensified attacks on the Syrian city of Aleppo have left nearly two million people without water, the UN says. The UN children's agency says fierce strikes on Friday prevented repairs to a damaged pumping station supplying rebel-held districts of the city. In retaliation, Unicef says, a nearby station pumping water to the rest of Aleppo has been switched off.  

EU Commission refuses to revise Canada CETA trade deal
The European Commission has ruled that a controversial EU-Canada free trade deal - CETA - cannot be renegotiated, despite much opposition in Europe. "CETA is done and we will not reopen it," said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom. Ms Malmstrom was speaking as EU trade ministers met in Slovakia to discuss CETA and a similar deal with the US, TTIP, which has also faced criticism.  

Report: Netanyahu to meet Clinton, Trump Sunday
US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican White House contender Donald Trump will each meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately over the weekend, CNN reported Friday. The meetings are expected to take place Sunday in New York City, but It remains unclear what will be discussed during each respective encounter.  

'Syrian Army forces pour into area near Israel border, prepare operation'
The Syrian army has sent additional forces to the city of Quneitra, on Syria's south west border, close to Israel's border... A source reportedly told Fars, "A large contingent of the fourth mechanized divisions, comprised of recent graduates from the Syrian Arab Army's Special Forces schoo...have joined the 90th Brigade's headquarters in Golan Heights, where they will await orders to launch a large-scale offensive."  

Most Dangerous Person On The Planet Today: Hillary Clinton
On Monday, Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump of giving “aid and comfort” to Islamic terrorists, and that terrorists use his rhetoric to recruit fighters. On fighting terrorism, she chastised Trump “I Know How to Do This“. “I’m the only candidate in this race who’s been part of the hard decisions to take terrorists off the battlefield. I have sat at that table in the Situation Room,” said Clinton. Here’s my counterclaim: Hillary Clinton not only sponsors terrorism, she is a terrorist.  

Politician witnesses ‘gang’ death before meeting on gang violence
A Brooklyn lawmaker was preparing for a community meeting on gang violence — but he wasn’t prepared for the real-life example just outside the window, including the sound of gunfire and a fleeing, bloodied victim.   

UK 'did not vote for hard Brexit', George Osborne warns
Britain did not vote for 'hard Brexit' in the EU referendum and will have to compromise in exit talks, former Chancellor George Osborne has warned. He said Leave campaigners were naive for thinking the UK could secure everything it wanted in negotiations.  

Obama Vetoes Bill To Allow Sept. 11 Victims To Sue Saudi Government
President Obama made good today on earlier threats by vetoing legislation passed unanimously by the House and Senate. The rejected bill would waive sovereign immunity protections for Saudi Arabia and allow victims of the Sept. 11 attacks or their relatives to sue the Saudi government for allegedly helping at least some of the 19 hijackers who carried out those attacks. Fifteen of the attackers were Saudi nationals.  

3 Dead in Seattle-Area Mall Shooting, Gunman on the Loose, Say Police
A gunman armed with a rifle is on the loose after three women were fatally shot Friday night at a shopping mall about 65 miles north of Seattle, Washington State Patrol said. The shooting occurred at Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, before 7 p.m. local time.  

Police: Teen Filmed Boy, 3, Smoking Pot
An Arkansas teenager allowed his diaper-clad nephew to smoke marijuana, according to cops who arrested the suspect after viewing a Facebook video of the troubling incident.  

Officials Rigged Obama's ISIS Narrative By Changing Facts
Sources tell CBS that top officials at United States Central Command in Tampa, Florida routinely manipulated information and withheld reports that clashed with the Obama administration’s plan for defeating ISIS.  

Middle East Nation Forcing All Citizens To Give In Their DNA
A relatively new controversial law in Kuwait is forcing all citizens and foreign residents to turn in their DNA information and now a lawyer in the Middle East country is challenging its constitutionality. 

RUSSIA HITS OBAMA…HARD: “We are reaching a really terrifying conclusion for the whole world: That the White House is defending Islamic State
U.S.-led coalition air strikes killed dozens of Syrian soldiers on Saturday, endangering a U.S.-Russian ceasefire and prompting an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting as tensions between Moscow and Washington escalated. Just a few days ago it was reported that Putin felt that if anything happened to damage the tentative ceasefire agreement that it would be Obama’s fault. Seems he was right.  

Lawyer: School district must allow after-school Satan club
A lawyer hired by the Mount Vernon School District has advised officials to allow the Satanic Temple of Seattle to start an after-school program at one of their elementary schools.  

September 23, 2016

Yahoo Says Hackers Stole Data on 500 Million Users in 2014
Yahoo announced on Thursday that the account information of at least 500 million users was stolen by hackers two years ago ...Yahoo said user information — including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, encrypted passwords and, in some cases, security questions — was compromised in 2014 by what it believed was a “state-sponsored actor.”  

DHS admits refugee fraud ‘easy to commit’
Refugee fraud is “easy to commit” and much tougher to detect, Homeland Security officials acknowledged in an internal memo made public by members of Congress Thursday that challenges the department’s own assurances as it seeks to increase the number of refugees from dangerous countries. The U.S. has relaxed requirements for refugees to prove they are who they say they are, and at times may rely solely on testimony.  

Jordan polls: Muslim Brotherhood and women make gains
Islamists have won seats in Jordan's parliament after years of boycott, in polls which also elected record numbers of female MPs, initial results show. The Muslim Brotherhood's party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), looks to share at least 16 out of 130 seats as part of a new political alliance. The IAF refused to contest the previous two elections, in protest at the electoral system.  

Syria war: New strikes in Aleppo as Syria announces offensive
Warplanes have launched fresh air strikes in Aleppo, hours after Syria's government announced an offensive to retake rebel-held areas of the city. Syrian and Russian planes were pounding eastern Aleppo, according to activists. A rescue worker described what was happening as "annihilation".  

US Congress denounces 'ransom' payments to Iran in new bill
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to ban cash payments to Iran..."a rebuke of the Obama administration's decision to send...a 'ransom' on the same day American prisoners were released." ...The bill bars the United States from paying Iran "cash of any kind" and specifies that the US will not pay to "ransom or release prisoners."  

Japan reports earthquake southeast of Tokyo
A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck southeast of Tokyo on Friday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency reports. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the temblor at 6.4 and said it was centered at sea about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Katsuura.  

Netanyahu invites Abbas to speak at Knesset in UN speech
NEW YORK – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to come “speak to the Israeli people at the Knesset in Jerusalem,” during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday,  

The Charlotte Riots: What They Are Not Telling You
As America awaits to see if Charlotte will burn for the third consecutive night, Paul Joseph Watson points out something troubling: thugs burned down a city because a black cop shot someone, yet meanwhile the mainstream media spun it, or at least tried, as as "peaceful protest." There is just one problem: violent criminals looting, attacking bystanders, attacking journalists, setting fires, smashing up cars, smashing up businesses and shooting at each other is not the a "peaceful protest."  

Rouhani uses UN to hit US over nuclear deal
Iran used the UN General Assembly on Thursday to accuse the United States of failing to implement aspects of the historic nuclear deal, demanding that Washington do so or risk formal complaint.  

Britain sends jets to intercept Russian bombers
Britain scrambled fighter jets from an airbase in Scotland to intercept two Russian bombers approaching UK airspace, the Ministry of Defence said Thursday. The Russian planes flew from the direction of Norway and passed to the west of Britain's Shetland Islands, northeast of the mainland.  

Police Say Video Shows Keith Lamont Scott Had Gun in Hand
The family of Keith Lamont Scott has reviewed the video that shows the moment when police fatally shot him in North Carolina on Tuesday, the family's attorney said.  

IBM shows how fast its brain-like chip can learn
Developing a computer that can be as decisive and intelligent as humans is on IBM's mind, and it's making progress toward achieving that goal. IBM's computer chip called TrueNorth is designed to emulate the functions of a human brain. The company is now running tests and benchmarking TrueNorth to demonstrate how fast and power efficient the chips can be compared to today's computers.

September 22, 2016

Congressional contempt vote looming on baby-body-parts buyer
“Dyer and her organ procurement company have repeatedly stonewalled subpoenas issued by the Select Panel for financial information that would prove not only that Planned Parenthood profited from the sale of fresh aborted baby body parts to Stem Express, but also how much it profited,”  

Limbaugh: Riots the new normal under 1st black president
'It seems like violence and property destruction are the judge-and-jury justice' We have regressed and we are in the process of regressing, specifically in the area of race relations, but in general throughout our culture. Our culture is being roiled. Our society is being torn asunder. It is happening with happiness on the part of those doing the asundering.  

Islamic terrorism won’t wane for years to come – MI6 chief
UK spy chief Alex Younger believes the terrorism threat will persist for many years, a side-effect of “deep-seated global trends” such as the information revolution and globalization. It will remain even if Islamic State loses the territory it seized.  

A mysterious polio-like illness that paralyzes people may be surging this year
...Through July, 32 new cases of AFM have been confirmed across the United States this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a sharp rise compared with last year, when just seven cases had been confirmed by that month. The numbers have risen steadily since April. In past years, most cases have occurred between August and December, with a peak in October.  

Scanning software deciphers ancient biblical scroll
The charred lump of a 2,000-year-old scroll sat in an Israeli archaeologist's storeroom for decades, too brittle to open. Now, new imaging technology has revealed what was written inside... The passages from the Book of Leviticus, scholars say, offer the first physical evidence of what has long been believed: that the version of the Hebrew Bible used today goes back 2,000 years.  

Yemen conflict: Saudi-led air strike 'kills 19 in Hudaydah'
At least 19 civilians have been killed in a Saudi-led coalition air strike in the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah, local officials and medics say. The raid late on Wednesday reportedly targeted a presidential palace used by the Houthi rebel movement, but missiles also hit neighbouring houses. Residents described the scene in the al-Hunoud district as carnage.  

Biking against the ban: Iranian women defy female cycling fatwa
In a bold act of civil defiance, Iranian women are taking to social media to upload pictures of themselves riding bicycles in direct breach of a recent fatwa issued by the country's religious autocrat. According to the BBC Wednesday, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month issued a decree stating that women are prohibited from cycling in public or in the presence of strangers.  

Mosul: Smuggled diary reveals life of fear under IS
"Ahmed" was an engineering student at Mosul University when so-called Islamic State (IS) militants stormed into the city in June 2014. From that day, everything changed. The university shut and life became a daily struggle to survive. This summer, after two years, Ahmed (not his real name) managed to escape. In the weeks before, at great personal risk, he secretly kept a diary of living in the shadow of death under IS.  

US, Russia take Syria battle to new heights
The United States and Russia are taking their differences over the conflict in Syria to new heights, after trading ferocious allegations of duplicity and malfeasance at the United Nations Security Council.  

Texas to stop refugee aid as Obama plans more resettlements
Texas will stop helping the U.S. government provide aid and services to refugees, state officials said Wednesday, severing ties at a time when President Barack Obama has announced intentions to dramatically increase the number of resettlements in 2017.  

Bakers Unite As Increasing Number Of Poor Greeks Can't Even Afford A Loaf Of Bread
Almost a year after Greece surrendered into the arms of the international lenders and the International Monetary Fund and the austerity cuts started to affect people’s lives. One Greek explains the dismal reality of everyday life for many... Did you know that there are people in Greece who cannot afford to buy even a loaf of bread at a cost of €0.60 – €0.70?  

UN fears third leg of the global financial crisis - with prospect of epic debt defaults
The third leg of the world's intractable depression is yet to come. If trade economists at the United Nations are right, the next traumatic episode may entail the greatest debt jubilee in history.  

Total Collapse of the sSstem of ESA in Puerto Rico
The 1.5 million customers of the Electric Power Authority (PREPA) this afternoon light left without service because of a total collapse of the system, which caused a blackout.  

In the Second Term of the First Black President, Rioting Is the New Normal
RUSH: It's a sad observation, folks. I'm telling you, a sad, sad observation but it's an observation that I don't think I'm alone in making. It seems like rioting is almost expected now when there is a cop shooting. A cop shooting, period. Don't care about the details. It seems like it's now axiomatic that there's going to be rioting or massive public protests or threats of rioting or threats of unrest every time the cops have to draw their weapons.  

Chemical agent possibly found on rocket fired at US troops in Iraq
A rocket fired by Islamic State jihadists at US forces in Iraq may have carried a chemical agent, a US defense official said Wednesday. No one was injured in Tuesday's blast near an airfield by the northern town of Qayyarah and no one showed any immediate signs of exposure to the suspected mustard agent, the official said.  

State of emergency declared in US city
The North Carolina governor has declared a state of emergency in the city of Charlotte, as unrest continues over the police killing of a black man.  

Yellen rejects Trump charges that Fed plays politics
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Wednesday rebuffed accusations from presidential candidate Donald Trump that the Fed plays politics with its interest rate policy.  

September 21, 2016

Iran threatens to 'turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust' if Israel missteps
"If the leaders of the Zionist regime make a mistake then the Islamic Republic will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust," reads banner on military truck in missile parade.  

Charlotte protests: Police injured after black man shot
Twelve police officers have been injured during protests sparked by the police shooting of a black man in Charlotte, North Carolina. Demonstrators destroyed marked police cars around the block of flats where the shooting took place, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department tweeted. One officer was hit in the face with a rock, it said.  

Syria aid convoy attack: US 'holds Russia responsible'
The US has said it holds Russia responsible for a deadly attack on an aid convoy near the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday. The White House has called it an "enormous humanitarian tragedy". Meanwhile, US officials have told the BBC that two Russian war planes were responsible for the attack.  

US senators seek to modify new $38 billion Israel aid package
Republican US lawmakers launched an effort on Tuesday to modify a $38 billion military aid agreement with Israel by providing more money and easing controls on how it is spent... Senators Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, John McCain and Ted Cruz told a news conference they had filed a measure to give Israel an additional $1.5 billion in military aid, while renewing US sanctions on Iran.  

Sisi meets Jewish leaders, praises Israeli cooperation in war on terror in Sinai
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi applauded the level of cooperation between Israel and Egypt in a closed-door meeting with Jewish leaders in New York on Tuesday. Among those attending the meeting were representatives of B'nai B'rith and the World Jewish Congress.  

Cal Reinstates Class Observer Deemed ‘Effort to Erase Jewish History From Israel’
Administrators at University of California, Berkeley reinstated a class Monday originally suspended days after an Observer story by Abraham H. Miller deemed the class “so biased it mocks the very purpose of a university.”  

Satanic Temple headquarters to open quietly in Salem
When The Satanic Temple officially opens its doors on Friday, Salem will become home to the organization’s international headquarters. But pitchfork-wielding mobs protesting the move seem unlikely, as the fire-and-brimstone theology of the Puritans who once populated the city has given way to a “live and let live” attitude in present day Salem.  

‘70% of European Jews won’t go to shul on High Holy Days despite heightened security’
A poll released on Tuesday claiming that 70% of European Jews won’t go to synagogue on Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur due to security concerns, has been met with skepticism by prominent Jewish leaders.  

"We Haven't Seen This Since The Great Depression" - Gallup CEO Destroys The "Recovery" Lie
I've been reading a lot about a "recovering" economy. It was even trumpeted on Page 1 of The New York Times and Financial Times last week. I don't think it's true. The percentage of Americans who say they are in the middle or upper-middle class has fallen 10 percentage points, from a 61% average between 2000 and 2008 to 51% today.  

Trump-Clinton debate expected to shatter records
The first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON Trump campaign manager remarks on 'hurt feelings' in Bush family Overnight Cybersecurity: Republicans seize on Reddit claims in Clinton probe Cruz: 'My focus is on defeating' Clinton MORE and Donald Trump promises to be the most watched ever, with an audience that could exceed 100 million people, according to experts interviewed by The Hill. A debate with an audience that size would be something never seen before in U.S. politics and would be a figure close to what the Super Bowl gets.  

'Sickening' airstrike on UN aid trucks in Syria may be the last straw in US-Russia relations
A week into a cease-fire in Syria brokered by Russia and the US, Russian-made warplanes hit a UN aid convoy traveling to the besieged town of Aleppo to provide relief to Syrians at the scene of some of the most intense fighting in the country's five-year civil war.  

September 20, 2016

5 Reasons The U.S. Army Will Lose Its Next War In Europe
The fight would be over control of large expanses of land with few geographical impediments to rapid advance. The U.S. Army would likely do most of the ground combat for NATO, because America contributes over two-thirds of the alliance’s resources. Losing such a war would drastically reshape the geopolitical balance in Europe, and reduce U.S. influence there to its lowest ebb since before World War Two. And yet losing is what the U.S. Army is currently postured to do.  

Powerful Typhoon "Malakas" hits Kyushu with record-breaking rain, heading toward Tokyo
Powerful Typhoon "Malakas" has made landfall over Kyushu, Japan on September 19, 2016, dumping record-breaking rain and causing widespread disruption. Heavy flooding was reported and dozens of flights were canceled. Around 7 000 homes have already suffered power loss.  

Is Another Zika Brewing in the Caribbean?
Florida researchers have discovered a mosquito-borne virus called Mayaro in Haiti, where it had never been observed before. They found the virus in a blood sample taken in January 2015 from an 8-year-old boy who had tested negative for other mosquito-borne illnesses, including chikungunya and dengue.  

Karl forecast to become hurricane later in week; system off Africa forming
As Tropical Storm Karl was forecast to become a hurricane later in the week, another low-pressure system just off Africa was developing and is predicted to turn into a tropical depression by Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. Although Karl is strengthening as it heads west, it's not a threat to reach land in the next five days, the center said.  

Belgium: Sick Child Becomes First Minor to be Euthanized
A terminally ill minor has been euthanized in Belgium, becoming the first child to be euthanized in the country since Belgium removed its age restrictions on euthanasia two years ago. According to CNN, the child was suffering from an incurable disease and had asked for euthanasia, Sen. Jean-Jacques De Gucht said.  

Crowd Erupts into Laughter when Charlie Crist Calls Hillary Clinton ‘Honest’
“I think she’s been a very good secretary of state, a very good senator from the state of New York. The thing I like most about her is she is steady. I believe she is strong. I believe she is honest,” Crist said. The crowd erupted into laughter and booed Crist after he said that Clinton was “honest.”  

‘Europe is a Plane Without a Pilot’: E Europeans Threaten to Veto Brexit
During the first post-Brexit EU summit in Bratislava on Friday a group of Central European countries, known as the Visegrad Four, threatened to vote down any Brexit agreement that would infringe on people’s right to work in the United Kingdom.  

Lebanese Insist Syrian Refugees Go Home, Now
Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam on Monday warned that his country was in “serious danger” to the point of facing collapse under the ongoing rush of Syrian refugees, the Daily Star reported Tuesday. Salam said the burden is straining Lebanon’s already struggling economy and infrastructure, to the point where it is threatening their very stability.  

ISIS Releases Video of Jihadis Slaughtering Prisoners Hung From Meat Hooks on Islamic Eid al-Adha
In the ISIS footage, instead of animals, human prisoners were hung upside down on meat hooks at a Syrian slaughterhouse and then had their throats slit like livestock. Their blood was drained down grates as if in a ceremonial ritual.  

France planning big push for Mideast peace conference
Foreign Minister Ayrault looks to use annual UN event to push for Mideast peace conference, promises benefits package if deal reached.  

Putin’s Bringing Back The KGB After Winning Big In Russian Elections
Russian President Vladimir Putin is celebrating big wins by his party in recent parliamentary elections by placing all Russian security agencies under a next generation KGB prototype. The new agency will reportedly be called the “MGB.” The MGB will consolidate both domestic and foreign intelligence operations under the same roof, along with law enforcement jurisdiction, and authority to conduct criminal organizations.  

Curtain rises on world's busiest diplomatic arena at UN Headquarters
World leaders are expected to adopt a political declaration as an outcome document at the summit, during which the UN will see a new addition to its family – a dedicated migration agency. Leaders of the UN and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will sign an agreement to officially make IOM a related agency of the UN system.  

GOP Mostly Powerless in Stopping Obama 'Midnight' Regulations
Republican lawmakers are bracing for a slew of last-minute rules and regulations, as well as more executive actions to place swaths of land under federal protection, during President Barack Obama's final months in office. “Midnight regulations” are a feature of any lame-duck administration and...In many instances, GOP members acknowledge they are powerless to stop him.  

More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship
The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern...according to an internal Homeland Security audit... The Homeland Security Department's inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship...and such discrepancies weren't caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.  

Syria conflict: UN suspends all aid after convoy hit
The UN has suspended all aid convoys in Syria after its lorries were attacked by warplanes near Aleppo on Monday. The convoy had received proper permits, and all warring parties - including Russia and the US - had been notified, a UN spokesman said. Eighteen of the 31 lorries, containing wheat, winter clothes and medical supplies, were destroyed.  

Migrants flee burning Greek camp of Moria on Lesbos
Up to 4,000 migrants were evacuated from the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos after a large fire destroyed tents and prefabricated homes. No injuries have been reported, and some migrants have now been allowed to return to the camp. Police are investigating whether the fire was deliberate, but an aid worker said it started after a food dispute.  

North Korea's ground test of rocket engine is 'a success'
North Korea has carried out a "successful" ground test of a new rocket engine to launch satellites, state media says. Kim Jong-un, the country's leader, asked scientists and engineers to make preparations for a satellite launch as soon as possible, KCNA reported. It is the latest in a series of missile-related tests this year.  

Netanyahu to New York to meet with Obama, Ban and the UN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to leave Tuesday afternoon for a five-day trip to New York, where he will meet with US President Barack Obama on Wednesday, address the General Assembly on Thursday and meet that same day with outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The meeting with Obama, expected to be their last face-to-face meeting before the president leaves office on January 20...  

Israeli fighter jet shoots down Hamas drone over Gaza
An Israel Air Force fighter jet shot down a Hamas drone over the Gazan coastline shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The IDF Spokesperson said the drone had been under full surveillance from the moment it took off, and that it did not cross into or fly through Israeli air space.  

A 100-year solar storm could fry our power grids — these are the places most at risk
The sun is the source of nearly all life on Earth. It will also doom our feeble planet in about 1 billion years. Until then, while the star is still technically on our side, we'll have to worry about giant storms of charged particles that it burps off its roiling, plasmatic surface.  

Officials: Aid trucks headed for Aleppo hit by airstrike
A U.N. humanitarian aid convoy inside Syria was hit by airstrikes Monday, U.N. officials said, as the Syrian military declared that the week-long U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire had failed.  

New York and New Jersey bomb suspect sued his local police claiming they PERSECUTED him for being a Muslim
The prime suspect in the New York and New Jersey bombings sued his local police force and claimed they were persecuting him for being a Muslim. Ahmad Rahami said in a lawsuit that cops in Elizabeth, New Jersey subjected him and his family to discrimination and 'selective enforcement' based on their religion.  

New York bombing: Suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami 'may have been radicalised after visiting Afghanistan'
US authorities were investigating on Monday night whether the New York bomb attacks were an Islamist terror plot as it emerged the alleged perpetrator had traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan several times and showed signs of having been radicalized.  

Russia 'to revive the KGB' after Putin wins biggest majority
Russia plans effectively to revive the KGB under a massive shake-up of its security forces, a respected business daily has reported.  

September 19, 2016

ISIS Claims Brutal Minnesota Stabbing Spree Attacker as “Son of Islamic State”
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a brutal stabbing attack in a Minnesota mall on Saturday night which left eight injured and the attacker dead. The attacker, a man of Somali descent, was a “soldier of the Islamic state,”  

The Temple Has “Reappeared” - You Won’t Believe How
Last week, some visitors to the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem reported that they had seen the Second Temple reappear.  

3 surfers bitten by sharks at Florida beach
Sharks bit three different surfers Sunday in the span of a few hours at the same Florida beach, officials said.  

Putin's party clinches majority in Russian parliament ahead of final election results
Near-complete results from Russia's national parliament election show the Kremlin's power-base party United Russia taking an overwhelming majority of the seats. The Central Elections Commission said Monday that with 90 percent of the vote counted, United Russia had 54 percent of the vote for the 225 seats chosen nationwide by party list.  

Syria ceasefire seen near collapse
A Syrian ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia was in deep trouble on Monday as a rebel official said it had practically failed and signaled insurgents were preparing for a full resumption of fighting.  

Gitmo Detainee Says A Saudi Royal Family Member Recruited Him For Terror Before 9/11
A Guantanamo Bay detainee suspected of working as a bomb maker for al-Qaida, testified this summer that he was recruited into terrorism by an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family before 9/11. The detainee, 41-year-old, Ghassan Abdallah al-Sharbi, said he overheard a telephone conversation in which a religious leader used the phrase “your highness” during a telephone call, just before pressuring Sharbi to move back to the United States and execute terror plots.  

Netanyahu's rebuke to the UN is well-earned
The UN is an organization whose hypocrisy when it comes to Jews is straight out of Kafka. United Nations member States need to examine their own consciences and policies following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu castigating them for promoting a Jew-free Palestinian Arab State in Judea and Samaria ('West Bank') and East Jerusalem.  

Theresa May to tell world leaders that Britain has 'a right' to protect its borders
The Prime Minister will use a trip to the United Nations General Assembly this week to criticise the global response to “unmanaged migration”, warning that Western nations are simply “treating the symptoms of this crisis”. Mrs May will say that “all countries” have a “responsibility” to manage their borders to reduce illegal and uncontrolled migration.  

Navy Requires All Sailors to Undergo Transgender Education by July 2017
Starting Nov. 1, the training will educate sailors about the Navy’s new transgender policy that allows transgenders to serve in the military, Military.com reported. “This training will emphasize policies and expectations of personal behavior,” the message states. It is unclear what exactly is in these training sessions yet, but the Navy will soon send out messages with more information.  

Manhattan Bombs Provide Trove of Clues; F.B.I. Questions 5 People
A bomb that injured 29 people on Saturday in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, and another that failed to detonate, were filled with shrapnel and made with pressure cookers, flip phones and Christmas lights to set off a powerful explosive compound, law enforcement officials said on Sunday.  

China says Japan trying to 'confuse' South China Sea situation
China on Monday accused Japan of trying to "confuse" the situation in the South China Sea, after its neighbor said it would step up activity in the contested waters, through joint training patrols with the United States. Ties between Asia's two largest economies have long been overshadowed by arguments over their painful wartime history and a territorial spat in the East China Sea, among other issues.  

Pipe Bombs Discovered Near New Jersey Train Tracks
At least five devices were found in a backpack inside a waste basket in Elizabeth, New Jersey Sunday, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage told CNN. Cell phones and electronic timers were discovered on or around the items, Bollowage indicated.  

China threatens countermeasures after Dalai Lama speaks at EU Parliament
China expressed anger on Monday and threatened countermeasures after exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama spoke at the European Parliament...and met its president, Martin Schulz. China regards the 80-year-old, Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk as a separatist, though he says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, which Communist Chinese troops "peacefully liberated" in 1950.  

Toxic algae troubles many California lakes and waterways
Katie Stone didn’t know about the threat of toxic blue-green algae...until...her chocolate lab Josie lapped up some...and died within a few hours. It was a stark...example of California’s...problems with cyanobacteria, a naturally occurring substance that has blossomed like a slimy weed to infect more than 40 state lakes and waterways...It is the highest count ever and double the 22 reported last year...  

Berlin state poll: Losses for Merkel's CDU, gains for AfD
Germany's CDU, the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, has suffered historic losses in Berlin state elections. It has been ousted from the state governing coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats. Meanwhile right-wing anti-migrant party Alternative for Germany (AfD) will enter the state parliament for the first time with 14% of the vote.  

Police: Palestinian stabs officers in Jerusalem and is shot
Israeli police say a Palestinian assailant stabbed two police officers near Jerusalem's Old City before troops shot and wounded him. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says a female police officer was stabbed in the neck and badly wounded while a male officer was moderately injured.  

Duterte to extend drug war as 'cannot kill them all'
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked for a six-month extension for his war on drugs, saying there are too many people involved in the narcotics trade and he "cannot kill them all". Some 3,000 people have been killed since Duterte won May elections in a landslide on a vow to kill tens of thousands of criminals in an unprecedented blitz to rid the country of illegal drugs in six months.  

Putin's party dominates at Russia parliament vote
President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party on Sunday cruised to an easy victory at parliamentary elections, exit polls showed, despite the longest economic crisis of his 16-year rule.  

U.S.-led forces strike Syrian troops, prompting emergency U.N. meeting
U.S.-led coalition air strikes reportedly killed dozens of Syrian soldiers on Saturday, endangering a U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire and prompting an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting as tensions between Moscow and Washington escalated.  

Obama Jokes About ISIS On Same Day America Gets Bombed Twice
Obama made a joke with unfortunately bad timing Saturday, quipping that the Islamic State was no big deal compared to his birth certificate, only to have America hit by two separate explosions.  

Bomb Explodes in Manhattan, Injuring 29; Second Bomb Found Blocks Away
In what authorities believe to be a deliberate attack against New Yorkers, a large explosion tore through a crowded street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea on Saturday night, leaving 29 injured and putting New York on high alert.  

September 18, 2016

Police: 8 Stabbed, Suspect Dead In St. Cloud Mall Incident
A St. Cloud mall was on lockdown for several hours Saturday night after a suspect stabbed eight people, according to police....the suspect, dressed in a private security uniform, made a reference to Allah and asked one victim if they were Muslim.  

Dollar lending outside U.S. falls for first time since 2009: BIS
Global lending remained weak in 2016's first quarter, with dollar-denominated bank loans to non-U.S. borrowers worldwide falling for the first time since the 2007-09 financial crisis... Dollar loans to emerging markets and lending in euros to borrowers outside the euro zone also fell, signs that the stronger dollar, emerging market weakness and financial market uncertainty took a toll on the demand for credit.  

World's largest telescope to be switched on as scientists step up search for alien life
Is Earth finally about to make contact with extra terrestrial life? That is one of the hopes for the world's largest radio telescope, which will be switched on later this month. The finishing touches have now been put to the Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), in south west China's Guizhou Province, with the enormous 1,650-foot-wide dish set become operational from September 25.  

New mosquito-borne disease detected in Haiti
University of Florida researchers have identified a patient in Haiti with a serious mosquito-borne illness that has never before been reported in the Caribbean nation. Known as "Mayaro virus," it is closely related to chikungunya virus...Most reported cases, however, have been confined to small outbreaks in the Amazon. Whether this case signals the start of a new outbreak in the Caribbean region is currently unknown.  

Syria conflict: US air attack endangers truce - Russia
A US-led air attack in eastern Syria that killed dozens of government troops fighting so-called Islamic State has endangered an already shaky ceasefire deal, Russia says. The attack put "a very big question mark" over the truce's future, said Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin. The Russian army says at least 62 Syrian troops were killed in the Deir al-Zour strikes.  

Protests in Germany against transatlantic TTIP and CETA trade deals
Tens of thousands of people have protested in cities across Germany against a proposed transatlantic trade deal between the EU and the US. Protesters say the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will lower European standards on food and environmental protection, and could lead to outsourcing and job-losses. Supporters of the deal say it promises to lower tariffs and promote growth.  

Al-Aqsa mosque preacher calls on Allah to blow up Moscow and Washington
In his September 14 address at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Palestinian cleric Abdallah Ayed beseeched Allah to "to vanquish America and Russia." In a video of the prayer posted online and translated by MEMRI Ayed is seen saying, "Oh America, let me tell you about the day when the call to prayer will be heard from atop the White House, from atop the red palace in the Kremlin in Moscow," adding that "we shall shout Allah Akbar from there."  

China and North Korea: Nuclear Tests Highlight Complex Relationship
The chorus of condemnation over North Korea's nuclear test carried calls for strong action from China — but Beijing continues to back its reclusive neighbor.  

In Russia, A New Parliament Is Expected To Act Much Like The Old One
Russian officials are working to make sure that Sunday's parliamentary elections aren't a replay of the last such vote, in 2011. That election triggered protests in which tens of thousands of Russians cried out against allegations of widespread vote-rigging and fraud. It was the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin, who has now been either president or prime minister for the past 17 years.  

Israeli missiles down rockets fired from Syria: army
Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system destroyed two rockets fired from Syria at the Israeli-held zone of the Golan Heights Saturday in an apparent rise in tension between the uneasy neighbours.  

Fourth attack on Israelis in 24 hours
A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli soldier Saturday in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron before being shot dead, the army said, in the such fourth attack in under 24 hours.  

'Coalition raid' hits Syria army as truce wavers
The US-led coalition admitted it may have hit a Syrian army position as Russia called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the air strikes it said killed at least 62 soldiers.  

FDNY: 25 hurt in apparent explosion in Chelsea neighborhood
An apparent explosion in a crowded Chelsea neighborhood of New York City on Saturday night left 25 people with minor injuries, authorities said. Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said on Twitter that the explosion happened at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on West 23rd Street, which is a major thoroughfare with many restaurants.  

First mercy killing of minor in Belgium: report
A terminally ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be euthanised in Belgium since age restrictions on such mercy killings in the country were lifted in 2014, it was learned Saturday. "The euthanasia has taken place," Jacqueline Herremans, a member of Belgium's federal euthanasia commission, told AFP.