04 Feb 11
Soros: 'The main stumbling block is Israel'
'The main stumbling block is Israel. In reality, Israel has as much to gain from the spread of democracy in the Middle East as the United States has. But Israel is unlikely to recognize its own best interests because the change is too sudden and carries too many risks. And some U.S. supporters of Israel are more rigid and ideological than Israelis themselves. Fortunately, Obama is not beholden to the religious right, which has carried on a veritable vendetta against him.'
Muslim Brotherhood: ‘We are against Zionism’
A spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt on Thursday evening repeatedly refused to commit to maintaining the peace treaty with Israel, or even recognizing Israel, if the Brotherhood becomes a player in the future governance of Egypt. Asked on CNN if his organization would support the maintenance of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, Mohamed Morsy, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, dodged a direct answer but said Israel had failed to honor the treaty - Morsy added that the Brotherhood “are not against the Jews. We are against Zionism."
'Wolf Pack' Teen Bullying Case -- Is America Getting Meaner?
Nadin Khoury was brought to the United States ten years ago by his mother to escape the cruelty that accompanied the Liberian Civil War. Last month he was left suspended by his coat from a seven-foot-high fence after being punched, dragged, kicked and beaten in a Philadelphia suburb. His shocked mother said, “One of the reasons I came to the U.S. was (so) that these horrible things wouldn’t happen to us.”
Some churches cancel Super Bowl Sunday services
MILWAUKEE - Having the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl apparently is too much competition for some Milwaukee area churches. The Journal Sentinel reported that rather than going up against the big game, some churches are canceling their Sunday afternoon and evening services this weekend.
Europe faces flak on Arab policy as summit opens
Europe's leaders gather for a summit Friday under attack for a slow response to violence in Egypt and for tolerating authoritarian regimes in their backyard as bulwarks against Islamist extremism. The one-day summit, originally to be a low-key event dedicated to energy, has been hijacked by events on the European Union's volatile southern flank, the uprising in Tunisia and, principally, the crisis in Egypt.
Roaring Food Prices Menace Political and Economic Stability
During the current disorders in the Middle East the emphasis has been on political repression, corruption and a desire for freedom. However, escalating food prices have been a contributing factor to the disturbances and have fueled popular discontent. Now food price levels threaten to exceed the record 2007/08 levels that also triggered violence and demonstrations.
France hosts Palestinian PM in new peace drive
Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad was in Paris Thursday to meet French leaders and international peacebrokers on an official visit aimed at boosting flagging efforts for Palestinian statehood.
World food prices surge to new historic peak
World food prices surged to a new 'historic' peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, according to the updated UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's Food Price Index, the agency said Thursday.
'UFO' Hovers Over Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock Shrine
A glowing orb filmed hovering over the skyline of Jerusalem has left UFO experts dumbfounded. The circular object was seen descending slowly over the holy city's iconic Dome of the Rock before flickering and shooting skyward like a rocket. Similar clips have been seen before and debunked as hoaxes. But this latest sighting has proved more difficult to dismiss -- as it was recorded from four different perspectives. Some UFO enthusiasts believe the videos -- which have taken the Internet by storm -- are final proof that aliens exist, while others say the unidentified object was the Hebrew god Elohim.
Virginia Attorney General Urges Supreme Court to Hear Health Law Challenge Now
Virginia's attorney general has asked the Supreme Court to fast-track his state's legal challenge to the federal health care overhaul, saying state governments and businesses deserve to know the fate of the law as soon as possible.
Report backs massive Canadian oil sands pipeline
A proposed oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast could substantially reduce U.S. dependency on oil from the Middle East and other regions, according to a report commissioned by the Obama administration. The study suggests the 1,900-mile pipeline, coupled with a reduction in overall U.S. oil demand, "could essentially eliminate Middle East crude imports longer term." The $7 billion project would carry crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Texas.
Iran could produce two nuclear bombs within two years, London think tank warns
A report from The International Institute of Strategic Studies said Iran had two routes to making a nuclear weapon from its existing nuclear plants. Iran's nuclear facilities have produced enough low enriched uranium (LEU) to be used to make nuclear weapons. The report echoed Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, who told the Commons on Monday that it was "entirely possible" the Islamic Republic might have developed a nuclear weapon by next year.
Israel Police brace for possible Temple Mount unrest amid Egypt turmoil
Jerusalem police said on Friday that they were increasing the state of preparedness surrounding the Temple Mount in the Old City due to a fear of riots that they suspect may occur as a result of the uprising in Egypt. Police said that entrance to the Temple Mount will be open on Friday only to men 50 years of age and older who have a blue identity card, signifying that they are Israeli citizens, and to women of all ages.
U.S. in Contempt Over Gulf Drill Ban, Judge Rules
The Obama Administration acted in contempt by continuing its deepwater-drilling moratorium after the policy was struck down, a New Orleans judge ruled. Interior Department regulators acted with “determined disregard” by lifting and reinstituting a series of policy changes that restricted offshore drilling, following the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, U.S. District Judge, Martin Feldman of New Orleans ruled yesterday.
Virginia to seek expedited Supreme Court review of suit over health-care law
Virginia will ask that the U.S. Supreme Court immediately review the state's constitutional challenge to the federal health-care overhaul, a rare legal request to bypass appeals and ask for early intervention from the nation's highest court, Attorney General Ken T. Cuccinelli II said Thursday. Cuccinelli (R) said that conflicting court decisions about the law's constitutionality have created sufficient uncertainty about implementation of the sweeping law to justify speeding Supreme Court review.
Yemen protests: 20,000 call for President Saleh to go
More than 20,000 anti-government protesters gathered in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, for a "day of rage" against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The demonstrators called for a change in government and rejected Mr Saleh's offer to step down in 2013 after more than 30 years in power. Meanwhile, a similar number of his supporters rallied in a central square.
'Day of departure' rally in Egypt
Thousands of Egyptians are taking part in a "day of departure" rally to try to oust President Hosni Mubarak. There is an increased army presence in Cairo's Tahrir Square, after unrest that has led to hundreds of casualties. After Friday prayers were held in a relaxed atmosphere, the crowd started chanting for Mr Mubarak to go.
'US working on plan for immediate Mubarak departure'
The White House was discussing a plan in which Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would resign immediately with Egyptian officials, The New York Times reported Thursday evening. The plan would place newly-appointed Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman in charge of a transitional government with the support of the country's military establishment, according to the report.
Khamenei: Uprising in Egypt sign of 'Islamic awareness'
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak betrayed his people and the uprising against his rule is the appropriate response, Iran's top leader said during Friday prayers in Teheran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also told worshippers that widening unrest in the Arab world is a sign of "Islamic awareness" in the region.
Security up near Syrian parliament ahead of protests
Plainclothes Syrian security agents were deployed in small groups outside Parliament in the country's capital ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations. Campaigns on Facebook and Twitter have called for a "day of rage" in Damascus on Friday and Saturday. ...Syria's authoritarian President Bashar Assad has resisted calls for political freedoms and jailed critics of his regime.
