17 Jan 10
Report: Contactless payment could wipe out chip and PIN
Contactless payment could someday replace chip and PIN cards altogether, according to squidcard.com. David Birch of Consult Hyperion, a private consultancy based in the UK, told the Times that the increasing popularity of contactless payment could mean the eventual end of chip and PIN debit cards, just as the popularity of debit cards phased out personal checks in the last century. Birch cites the flexibility of contactless payment, which can be incorporated into watches, phones, and even hats, makes it more appropriate for the “connected world of the future.”
Iran says its "nuclear rights" must be recognised
Major powers will only achieve results in their meetings on Iran if they adopt a "realistic approach" and recognize its nuclear rights, the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday. Ramin Mehmanparast made the comment a day after the six powers met to discuss prospects of further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, with participants saying China made clear it opposed more punitive action at the moment.-China's virtual snub of the meeting dismayed the four Western powers in the group. They had hoped to reach an agreement on whether to begin drafting a new UN Security Council resolution on a fourth round of sanctions against Iran.
Abbas urges 'endgame' if Israel does not halt settlements
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas urged Washington on Sunday to declare an "endgame" to resolve the decades-old Middle East conflict if Israel does not agree to halt settlement growth. Abbas said in a statement carried by the official Wafa wire service that Arab states and the Palestinians would present a unified position to the United States offering two options. "Either Israel adheres to a complete halt to settlements and the guidelines (of negotiations) or America must come and say this is the endgame with respect to determining borders and the refugee issue and other final status issues."
Kim Jong Il Calls for Stronger N. Korea Army
South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Il said his country must bolster its armed forces, state media reported Sunday, two days after his regime warned it would launch a war against South Korea if necessary. Kim's all-powerful National Defense Commission had threatened Friday to initiate a sacred "retaliatory battle" against the South in anger over its reported contingency plan to cope with potential unrest in the communist country.
After Rocky First Year, Geithner Faces Another Test in AIG Bailout Hearing
Timothy Geithner's tenure as Treasury secretary got off to a rocky start, to say the least. There was the revelation during his Senate confirmation last year that he once failed to pay taxes. There were the questions surrounding his role at Freddie Mac during an accounting scandal. And later, there were the calls from some lawmakers for his resignation for what they deemed as a poor response to the U.S. economic crisis. Now Geithner is back in the hot seat, for bailout decisions he made about AIG while he was head of the New York Federal Reserve -- and it has created a firestorm that some critics hope will mark the end of his tenure.
Dems Weigh Other Options for Passing Health Care if GOP Wins Kennedy's Seat
Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Bloomberg this week that Democrats are still considering reconciliation, a tactic that forbids filibusters and allow bills to pass with just 51 votes, or a simple majority. Democrats on Capitol Hill are dusting off the so-called "nuclear option," the latest sign that their health care push could be derailed by a Republican win in Tuesday's surprisingly competitive special election for Massachusetts senator.
Iraq urges U.S. to give back Iraqi Jewish Archive
It was seized from Jewish families and wound up soaking in sewage water in the basement of a secret police building. Rescued from the chaos that engulfed Baghdad as Saddam Hussein was toppled, it now sits in safekeeping in an office near Washington, D.C. Like this country's once great Jewish community, the Iraqi Jewish Archive of books, manuscripts, records and other materials has gone through turbulent times. Now another twist may be in store: Iraq wants it back.
Pope Benedict XVI prepares to visit Rome synagogue
Pope Benedict is due to make an historic visit to Rome's synagogue - only the second time a Pope has made such a trip. Pope Benedict's visit is aimed at cementing sometimes fractious relations between Catholicism and Judaism. But it comes amid controversy over Pope Benedict XVI's plans to turn his wartime predecessor into a saint.
Extent of Haiti destruction clear
First reports from the epicentre of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti suggest the damage is even more dramatic than in the capital, BBC correspondents say. They say the scene in Leogane, west of Port-au-Prince, is "apocalyptic", with thousands left homeless and almost every building destroyed.
Anti-Israel exhibit in Scottish Parliament
Remarks left in a comments book in the Scottish Parliament calling for Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth have been condemned in a motion sponsored by a member of the Scottish Parliament and set to be debated in the parliament. Written in a comments book attached to an exhibition titled "Gaza Now" - and appearing alongside an array of messages of support for the Palestinian people - the comment, written by someone named "Raza from Glasgow," said, "Israel must be (and will be inshallah) wiped off from the Earth!"
Marines exit Iraq in first wave of US forces out
The base loudspeaker no longer wakes them up with calls for blood donors; armored trucks sit idle in neat rows. The US Marines who stood at some of the bloodiest turning points of the Iraq war are packing up and leaving. Among the first troops to invade in March 2003, and the first to help turn enemy insurgents into allies, the Marines will be the first major wave of American forces to go as the US military begins a withdrawal to be completed by the end of next year.
Hizbullah: Arab leaders buckling to US
The leader of Lebanon's Hizbullah accused Arab leaders Saturday of caving in to US pressure to bring the Palestinians back to peace talks with Israel. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah made the statement after meeting Friday with the political leader of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
Iran: Failure of 6-power talks 'natural'
The failure of diplomats from six key powers to reach an agreement on possible new sanctions against Iran was only "natural," Teheran said Sunday. Speaking to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mihman-Parast said the six nations' plans and talks over Iran's nuclear program were "doomed to failure as long as they fail to adopt a realistic approach towards the issue by endorsing Iran's rights to peaceful nuclear technology."
Barak holds talks with Turkish FM in 'very friendly atmosphere'
Defense Minister Ehud Barak met Turkey's foreign and defense ministers on Sunday to try to repair ties between the allies that were further strained last week by a diplomatic row in which Israel was forced to apologize for its treatment of the Turkish ambassador. Barak and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held a 3 1/2-hour meeting, which an Israeli official said was conducted in a "very friendly atmosphere."
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