Abortion Doctor George Tiller Killed at Church, Police Say


WICHITA, Kan. — Media outlets are reporting that late-term abortion doctor George Tiller has been shot and killed at his church in Wichita, Kan.

Anonymous police sources told The Wichita Eagle and other media that the 67-year-old doctor was killed Sunday morning at Reformation Lutheran Church.

Police spokesman Gordon Bassham would not confirm the victim's identity pending notification of relatives but said a 67-year-old "high-profile individual in the community" was shot and killed.

Tiller has been among the few U.S. physicians performing late-term abortions. His clinic has repeatedly been the site of protests for about two decades and he was shot and wounded by a protester in 1993.




Psalm 7

A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
or they will tear me like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

O LORD my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands-

if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
or without cause have robbed my foe-

then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
Selah

Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.

Let the assembled peoples gather around you.
Rule over them from on high;

let the LORD judge the peoples.
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.

O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.

God is a righteous judge,
a God who expresses his wrath every day.

If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.

He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.

He who is pregnant with evil
and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.

He who digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit he has made.

The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
his violence comes down on his own head.

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

North Korea tests nuclear weapon 'as powerful as Hiroshima bomb'

N.Korea test slightly bigger than in 2006

Magnitude 4.7 - NORTH KOREA

U.S., U.N. condemn North Korea nuclear test
The United States and allied powers threatened Monday to impose new penalties on North Korea after the defiant regime announced its second nuclear bomb test, but their leverage in derailing the weapons program appeared limited.
Ya think?


North Korea to fire more missiles as UN Security Council condemns nuclear bomb

North Korea Launches More Missiles Following Nuclear Test, Lashes Out at U.S.

Report: North Korea Apparently Restarts Nuclear Plant

N. Korea Warns of Strike Against S. Korea, U.S.


We is in deep, deep, deep dark days of woe, people.


Thousands mourn former SKorea leader
I'm starting to wonder if he knew what was coming.

---

China tea farmers attack police station
Price of tea in China? Suddenly relevant.

Chinese traders leave as Kyrgyzstan closes markets

Kyrgyzstan closes border after riots in Uzbekistan

Turkey's Gül goes to Kyrgyzstan


Kazakhstan arrests head of state uranium company


Pakistan battles for Swat capital, 2.38m uprooted

The Taliban Advances: 'If We Now Kill Schoolgirls, You Shouldn't Be Surprised'

Iran says close to gas deal with Pakistan

Riots erupt in Karachi over power outages

Sarkozy may visit Pakistan in autumn: official

Taliban Wages War on Police in Pakistan



India likely to move on U.S. military pact

Gold heist at Mumbai cargo terminal

India Acts to Quell Punjab Riots Over Slain Guru

India rights activist to be freed

---

Belarus considers UAE strategic partner in Persian Gulf region

GCC bank decision 'political'

Sarkozy to open new base
Dubbed 'Peace Camp', the base will host up to 500 troops stationed in three sites on the banks of the Strait of Hormuz, just across from Iran: a navy and logistical base, an air base with three fighter planes and a training camp.


Italy to send envoy to Iran

Secret document: Venezuela, Bolivia send uranium to Iran

Have We Already Lost Iran?
That was the plan--
to lose Iran.
Obama's the man!
Yes he can!

Tehran blocks access to Facebook

Reformist Khatami throws weight behind Iran ex-premier

Obama orders Gates to update plan for Iran strike
I'm sure we're going to get right on that.

Iran's Ahmadinejad wants to debate Obama at UN

Iran general says could stop Israel in 'one strike'

Moving closer to Armageddon
Doncha just love these headlines?

Iran within 3 years of nuke: U.S. military chief
Actually, he said one to three years.

Iran says warships sent to Gulf of Aden

Iran arrests 104 devil worshippers: report



Female suicide bomber seized in Iraq

U.S. holds journalist without charges in Iraq

Turkey boosts Euphrates flow after Iraq complaints

Iraq deal to revive gas pipeline

Iraq oil minister under fire over output

Former ICC chairman killed in Iraq
Former Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman Terry Barnich was killed Monday by a roadside bomb while traveling in a U.S. convoy in western Iraq, according to the State
Department.


Syria says MiG deal with Russia still on

Russian FM in Syria for talks on Mideast summit

Syrian FM: Peace talks with Israel 'must bear fruit'


Lebanon and the Hariri murder: all roads lead to Hezbollah

Saudis terms new oil field a 'mega project'

Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Gulf

---

Netanyahu evicts settlers on return from Washington
Netanyahu defies Obama on Israeli settlement freeze
Israel scrambles to avoid showdown with Obama

Israel must take risks
By 'take risks' he means 'commit suicide'.

PA minister: Hand Temple Mount over to global Islamic group
The OIC. Yeah, great idea.

Raad Salah: Netanyahu will Try to Rebuild the Jewish Temple
*raised eyebrow* Bibi seems more like a secularish kinda guy, so ask yourself why the issue is coming up now.

---

Obama To Provide Weapons To Lebanon, Morocco

Obama to visit Saudi Arabia, meet king, on June 3
Another chance to bow, yay!

Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate
President Obama is expected to announce late this week that he will create a "cyber czar," a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan.

Obama Administration Tackling Slots, State IDs And Cuba

Sotomayor nominated to high court
Ugh. Another activist judge.

Mullen: Military to comply if gay ban law changes
Not so much an if but a when, I 'spect.

Is Obama Seeking Revolution In Capitalism?
If by "revolution" you mean "overthrow".



Why We Should Listen to Peter Schiff's Bad News

California High Court Rules Against Gay Marriage, Except Those Already Done

---

Ecuador says mining, oil must be in state hands

Chavez nationalizes iron, steel companies

Cuba sounds summer energy alarm, plans blackouts

Brazil thwarts neo-Nazi bomb plot

Police foil prison phone delivery



Denmark - 71 demonstrators arrested during climate protest

UK - Nine rioters arrested after 'Luton protest turned violent'



Hotel Hubris: Rich and famous turn out to opening of most expensive hotel in Europe
Turkey, actually. Home of the last caliphate.

Eight die in Turkey hospital fire

Georgia's opposition blocks railway station

33 arrested in connection with Georgian mutiny

OIC condemns Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan
Well, then.

Bomb neutralized at gas pipeline in North Caucasus

---

Gazprom to cut gas production amid recession

Putin warns outsiders over Ukraine
Don't mess with Vlad!

Unemployment in Russia Rises, Retail Sales Slide

Desperate Russians won't turn up their nose at expired food
The cheeses are spotted with mold. The sausages are ominously gray. Slime is beginning to overtake the chicken.

Russian Uranium Sale to U.S. Is Planned
That's right. We're buying from Vlad now.

Vladimir Putin tries hand at journalism
And here I thought OTV was creepy.

Senior Muslim cleric assassinated in south Russia
This is why there are no moderates--those that are end up like this guy.

---

Somali gunmen kidnap cleric in Kenya camp
Or this guy.

At least 208 killed in recent Mogadishu fighting

Eritrea behind attack on Somalia: AU

Rebels claim Somali suicide bomb

Somali pirates hone their tactics

NATO disarms suspected pirates in Gulf of Aden

Canadian sailors uncover biggest weapons haul

Swedish navy arrests seven pirates in Gulf of Aden
Sweden has a navy?

Kenya awash in Somali pirates' cash



Air strike on Sudan convoy killed 119 - state media
KHARTOUM, May 25 (Reuters) - A total of 119 people were killed when unidentified aircraft attacked a convoy of vehicles travelling close to Sudan's border with Egypt in January, state media reported.

Rebels attack Woyanne targets in northern Ethiopia

Accused Ethiopians again remanded
Ethopia - Opposition politician says government invented alleged coup plot

---

UN financial summit may be delayed
After extensive discussion, that dragged into Friday evening, the 192-memer world body reached general agreement to delay the summit until June 24-26.
Hmm. That would be after the Iranian elections.

The race to secure larger continental shelves

G8 energy leaders press for oil price stability

World Bank warns of social unrest
He pointed to Eastern Europe, which faces the "tricky situation" of fast-shrinking economies and protests.
Mr Zoellick suggested governments should start preparing for high levels of unemployment.


The Dawning of the Biometric Age



India’s Monsoon Arrives on Southern Coast Earlier Than Forecast

Flood Kills Three in Eastern Georgia

18 U.S. soldiers have H1N1 in Kuwait - official

Cyclone Aila Kills at Least 97 in India, Bangladesh



Four earthquakes in three days across East Tennessee

Magnitude 4.7 - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Moderate quake rolls through Central California

Magnitude 4.8 - GOLFO DE FONSECA, HONDURAS

Magnitude 6.1 - KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Magnitude 5.3 - KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Magnitude 5.1 - KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
6.1-magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand's Kermadec Islands

Magnitude 5.1 - LUZON, PHILIPPINES

Magnitude 4.7 - BARBADOS REGION, WINDWARD ISLANDS

Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTHEAST INDIAN RIDGE

Magnitude 5.1 - CENTRAL EAST PACIFIC RISE

Magnitude 5.1 - SOLOMON ISLANDS

Magnitude 5.4 - MACEDONIA
Magnitude 5.0 - MACEDONIA
A series of earthquakes shook the Balkans

Magnitude 4.6 - NEAR THE COAST OF ECUADOR

Magnitude 5.4 - OFFSHORE ATACAMA, CHILE

Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTHWEST INDIAN RIDGE

Earthquake List for Map Centered at 45°N, 110°W - Yellowstone
Rumbly!
Geologists witness rare Yellowstone hydrothermal explosion
Is an Eruption Brewing at Yellowstone National Park?

Magnitude 5.0 - NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Magnitude 5.1 - NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL PERU

Officials Say Grumpy Volcanos Waking Up
Grumpy. Bwah! I love it.

Magnitude 4.2 - OFF THE COAST OF OREGON

Israeli Arabs blast plan for PA to cede Temple Mount sovereignty

The northern branch of the Islamic Movement blasted Thursday a proposal for the Palestinian Authority to relinquish sovereignty over the Temple Mount in exchange for international Islamic control of the site.

"The proposal to transfer sovereignty to a third state stems from the attempted to internationalize the Al Aqsa Mosque, and actually this is a proposal whose significance is the continuation of the occupation; therefore, such a proposal must be aggressively rejected," the Israeli Arab group said in a statement.

Palestinian sources have said the PA would accept the management of the site by the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Conference, whose 57 member states include Iran, as part of a final-status peace agreement.

Netanyahu: Jerusalem will 'never again be partitioned and divided'
I hope he means it, and it not simply buying time. But whether Bibi is the one to sign or not, the city WILL be divided. It's in the Book.


France: Jerusalem should be capital of two states
UGH!

Israel opens three new diplomatic missions abroad
- Turkmenistan, New Zealand, Sao Paolo


Israel wraps up drill to combat Iran strike

BUT...

Defense Min. shuts down Iran unit

AND...

Obama quashed Israel military option against Iran
Israel had a window to act, and let it slip. What Bush and Clinton did to Israel stinks to high heaven, and Barry's gonna make 'em both look like amateurs.


Israel says shots fired from Syria at Golan troops


Ancient First Temple Artifacts Uncovered in Jerusalem


God is stronger than Obama, say Israeli settlers defying bulldozers
BINGO!


White House: Obama won't unveil Mideast peace plan in Cairo
So they say. What he will say will be bad enough, I expect.



Obama: 50 Gitmo detainees cleared for transfer

Pentagon Set for an Overhaul
The House passed a bill aimed at revamping the Defense Department's system for acquiring weapons, helping set the stage for a change to the sometimes-unwieldy procurement process.


Obama advisor: “It is not our goal to reduce the number of abortions”
Well, then. There it is.


What Was With That Plane?
Memphis. Anyone who thinks this is a coincidence is lying to himself. WAKE THE HELL UP!


What Are We Stimulating? by Mark Steyn

SEVCA serves two rural counties with a combined total of a little over 40,000 households. If you wanted to stimulate the economy, you’d take every dime allocated to Windsor and Windham counties under ARRA and divide it between those households. But, if you want to stimulate bureaucracy, dependency, and the metastasization of approved quasi-governmental interest-group monopolies as the defining features of American life, then ARRA is the way to go. Oh, you scoff: ARRA, go on, you’re only joking. I wish I were. We’re spending trillions we don’t have to create government programs to coordinate the application for funds to create more programs to spend even more trillions we don’t have.

Barack Obama is giving Iran the time it needs to build a nuclear bomb
The author chalks it up to incompetence or delusion. Me, I think it's deliberate.


4 Arrested in Plot to Bomb NYC Synagogue
Four arrested in alleged New York bomb plot
The men were identified as James Cromitie, also known as Abdul Rahman; David Williams, or Daoud; Onta Williams, or Hamza; and Laguerre Payen, or Amin.

Jailhouse converts. More of these are on the way.


China Becomes More Choosy in Buying U.S. Debt

GMAC Gets $7.5 Billion in Federal Funds for Car Loans


Panama moves to top of Obama's list for a trade agreement
A frequent critic of NAFTA and other trade pacts when he was on the campaign trail, President Obama is now throwing his support behind a trade deal with Panama, courting a potential backlash among his labor supporters.

Canada, Brazil, Chile, Europe protest tax credit


Computer Virus Strikes FBI, U.S. Marshals Service

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit China
Can she stay there? Please?

Contractors say Blackwater supplied forbidden guns

Fire at Miami Beach synagogue inspires fears of anti-Semitism

NY: Dozens injured in Jewish school grate collapse



Clinton plays down more U.S. sanctions on Iran now
Oy. We're not even going with sacntions.

Iran's Nuclear Shopping List

Iran Threatens to Send U.S. Allies 'Into Hell'

Iraq eyes gas exports to Europe via Arab pipeline

Iraq bombings kill 23 in Baghdad and Kirkuk

Syria and the 'China Growth Model'

How far will US support for Lebanon go?
All the way. If we can normalize Arafat, we can recognize anyone.

Jailed Libyan Dissident Dies in Jordanian Hospital

UAE seeking new terms for rejoining GCC union



Pakistan, India and U.S. Begin Sharing Intelligence

Pakistani troops encircle Taliban base in Swat
Pakistani military shows off captured Taliban base

Pakistan Says Uzbek, Chechen Fighters Aiding Taliban in Swat

Turkmenistan: Gazprom Still Not Taking Delivery of Turkmen Gas

Kazakhstan Bans Book Over 'Secrets'

Tajikistan's President: No Photos, Please

Sri Lanka says it lost 6,000 troops in final phase of war

Tamil children 'being abducted'



David or Goliath? China's battle to win the war of perception

Will Taiwan Defect to China?

10 arrested in east China over brick kiln slavery

China to launch iron ore trading platform


South Korea's ex-president 'dies'
Later reports confirm it as a suicide, but even then, why the scare quotes? He did indeed die, whatever the cause. *scratches head*


Russia, Kazakhstan pooling potentials to counteract global crisis

Russia seeks more Asia grain exports, Black Sea links

Putin Raises the Stakes in his Black Sea Gas Gamble

Gazprom and VNG Sign Deal to Co-Operate in Natural Gas Storage Sector

Gazprom, Slovenia sign 15-year gas supply agreement

Gazprom plans to raise its stake in Sibir Energy

Russia's Gazprom to cut 2009 output

Gazprom troubles may impact EU consumers
No, really?

Russia, Ukraine on verge of new gas row - source
No, really?

No Gas Deal at the E.U.-Russia Summit
Winter comes sooner than Europe would like.

Russia puts military satellite into orbit

Nuclear Renewal: Siemens Seeks to Cash In on Russia's Atomic Adventure
Nuclear power is back in vogue in Russia, with 26 new reactors scheduled for construction by 2030. German industrial giant Siemens has grabbed a piece of the pie. But safety and financial concerns threaten to overshadow the country's atomic ambitions.


Petrobras sees $300 mln Turkey Black Sea investment

Georgia: Tbilisi Woos Arab Investment

Georgian TV: Mutiny suspect killed, 2 wounded



Clashes break out in Greece over Koran incident

Spain: US soldiers charged over Iraq death

Spain holds 'voodoo' traffickers
Spain holds 23 people suspected of trafficking Nigerian women into the country and forcing them into prostitution using voodoo curses.

British Airways makes worst ever loss

Navy warships dispatched as Spanish invade seas around Gibraltar



Egyptian police seize explosives in Sinai

Egypt arrests Qaeda cell over deadly bombing



Italian warship arrests 9 pirates off Somalia

Toxic developments in Somalia: Horn of Africa under threat

News From USJFCOM: Command assesses joint task force in the Horn of Africa

Insurgent Attacks Cause 45,000 to Flee Mogadishu, UN Says

Heavy fighting explodes in capital of Somalia



Nigeria Oil Falls to 50% of Capacity as Fighting Kills Hundreds

Twelve Nigerian soldiers missing in Delta: army



Buenos Aires Synagogues Get Bomb Threats

Venezuelan TV owner's business raided

Guards let Mexico inmates escape
Remember those 53 escapees? Turns out it was more of a release.

Brazil plane crash, at least 11 thought dead-local media
The plane was owned by businessman Roger Wright, owner of Arsenal Investmentos and ex-director of Banco Garantia, according to local media.
Hmm.

---

U.S. unveils Atlantic hurricane forecast

Fire hits eastern San Diego County, burns 60 acres before being halted

96,000 Pounds of Beef Recalled



Magnitude 4.6 - BANDA SEA

Magnitude 5.1 - TONGA

Magnitude 1.9 - NEW YORK

Magnitude 5.7 - MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES

Magnitude 4.9 - PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION

Magnitude 5.4 - SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
5.4 Quake Jolts Kashmir-China Border

Magnitude 4.8 - PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION

Magnitude 4.4 - GREECE

Magnitude 4.7 - NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA

Magnitude 5.5 - OFFSHORE GUATEMALA

Magnitude 4.7 - COLOMBIA

Magnitude 2.4 - EASTERN TENNESSEE

Magnitude 5.7 - PUEBLA, MEXICO
Earthquake hits Mexico City

Magnitude 5.2 - SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

Magnitude 4.7 - SOUTHERN GREECE

Magnitude 5.2 - NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA

Magnitude 2.7 - EASTERN TENNESSEE


When earthquakes hit, it's the poor city dwellers that die
No, really?

Earthquake fault much larger, more dangerous than thought
WASHINGTON -- An earthquake fault previously believed to be limited to an area south of Washington state's Whidbey Island actually stretches 250 to 300 miles, from Victoria, B.C., to Yakima, Wash., crossing the Cascade Mountains and capable of producing a major earthquake, new research shows.

Obama’s Jewish Problem

Obama and Netanyahu in public and in private

Israel ready to resume peace negotiations: Netanyahu
Caving.

EGYPT: Obama and, maybe, a mosque

MK Eldad: U.S. Selling Us Down the River
Exactly.

Obama Tells Netanyahu He Has an Iran Timetable

Obama's stance on two-state solution heartens EU
And sickens me.

For Obama, the road to Tehran leads through Jerusalem

When Barry Met Bibi - Mark Steyn

Saudis pushing Obama for new Mideast plan

Palestinians say were promised Jerusalem


Israel abuzz with Obama Plan rumors

Palestinians would have to give up the demand for their refugees' "right of return" to areas that are now part of Israel proper, and would instead have to settle for compensation or the option of moving to the West Bank or Gaza Strip.

The capital of the Palestinian state would be in East Jerusalem, which is currently under Israeli control. Most controversially, the plan includes a proposal that the Old City – with sites holy to the three major monotheistic religions – would become an international zone under the flag of the United Nations. Such an arrangement was proposed in the 1947 UN partition plan but was never implemented.

Oh No He Didn't!! - Gingi Edmonds

Oh yes, he did. Speak at Notre Dame, that is. And of course, we are talking about Mr. Obama, the self-proclaimed bringer of peace and unity (if by peace you mean tax-funded cervical scrapings, and by unity you mean a Nazi-esque socialist regime with no regard for the sanctity of human life).

Obama Accelerates Fuel-Economy Standards, Sets Carbon Limit

Obama Seeks Advice on Nuclear Weapons
Despite claiming he wants them all eliminated.

Will Obama and the Democrats Trigger Another Credit Crunch?
Yeah, and Republicans too.

Obama Says U.S. Economy Showing ‘Return to Normalcy’
Normal my arse :
Meltdown will leave vastly changed economy


Obama approves nuclear energy deal with UAE
Now that the beating tape has been forgotten...

Do You Want Your OTV? - Political Punch

It's perfectly fine, of course, for the White House to put out its own version of events -- but is it right to do so by preventing actual reporters from covering something? (Even something like a pickup basketball game).

Do Obama White House officials think their media coverage isn't flattering enough?

Is the goal to ultimately replace the pesky photographers who film what they want to and not what they're told to (not to mention the annoying reporters who ask uncomfortable questions about, say, detainee policy and bank bailouts)?

No, nothing at all creepy about this, move along...



Video: Border Patrol tasers pastor at traffic stop
Here's my take; guy was looking for trouble, so of course he found it. But that's always how it starts. According to the links, Border Patrol has the right to stop anyone within 100 miles of the border. And that's messed up.

Bill Clinton To Be Special Envoy To Haiti
That's too close. Can't we send him to some Asian hellhole instead?

GM Bondholder Says Deal Stinks

Goldman, Morgan Stanley Said to Apply for TARP Exit

William Ayers, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. headline Mideast peace rally
If by "peace" you mean "final solution".

Pentagon: No plans to end don't ask-don't tell
Pre-emptive denial? Hmm...

Bibles Destroyed in Afghanistan... By U.S. Military
If that doesn't make your blood run cold, you haven't read enough history.


Hard Drive Missing From US National Archives

A hard drive containing personal information of White House staff and visitors during former U.S. President Bill Clinton's administration is missing from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, the agency said.

The hard drive, containing an "as yet unknown" amount of personal data, was discovered missing in April, the National Archives said in a statement. The hard drive contained copies of electronic storage tapes from the Executive Office of the President, the agency said.

Oh, dear, missing information on the Clinton administration? Say it ain't so! Have they checked Sandy Berger's pants?


Fed Sees Hopeful Signs but Downgrades `09 Forecast
As they have been doing at least once a month since the bubble burst.

American Thinker: Revolution
An excellent essay, but I think he overestimates the number of people willing to get involved in politics to counter the liberal agenda. And politics alone won't cut it: we would have to take back the schools, the news/entertainment industries, and the legal field as well. We didn't lose this country with BO's election; his election is a result of this country being lost. And it has been lost for generations.
And when a republic falls, it is replaced by a totalitarian state, whether it be a monarchy or empire or dictatorship.


Uncle Sam's 'F'-rated bonds


California Officials Prepare Budget Cuts After Voters Reject Ballot Measures
--Over and Out - Mark Steyn

Sheriff: La. 8th-grader planned school shooting

Reactor shutdown 'catastrophe' as medical isotopes dry up



Kassam hits storeroom in backyard of Sderot home

Iran says it tests missile, Israel within range
Clinton: Nuclear Iran would 'spark Mideast arms race'

UN Gaza inquiry 'to proceed despite Israel'
*retch*

Israelis warned of online spy threat

---

Iran urges media to trigger 'enthusiasm' for poll

UAE Pulls Out Of Gulf Monetary Union: Report
Hmm.

Saudi municipal polls put off for 2 years

Iran, Pakistan To Finalize Peace Pipeline Agreement Shortly

Iraq rejects $8 bln Kurdish Nabucco pipeline deal

Iraq, Egypt sign energy agreement

Report: Russia halts sale of MiG-31s to Syria

***

Russia's Young Pioneers sign up 3,000
The head of Russia's Communist Party congratulated about 3,000 Moscow kids who signed up for the Pioneer Movement Sunday in a ceremony at Lenin's mausoleum.

Russian adviser criticises Putin's elite
I'm still voting good-cop/bad-cop, but if I'm wrong, Medvedev and this guy and their friends will have an 'accident.'

Medvedev Creates History Commission
Medvedev has created a commission to counter what he says are attempts to rewrite history to Russia's disadvantage, something liberal historians called a return to Soviet-era controls.

Russian officials ordered to reveal annual incomes

Russia to Gays: Get Back into the Closet
Lefties are in for a shock when they get the totalitarianism they keep backing.

Russia pulls out of Georgia talks -agency report

Russia to extend $500 mln loan to Armenia for 15 years

Russia starts building world’s first floating nuclear power plant

Russian Government snaps up shipyard
The Komsomolsk-on-Amur-based plant, which builds nuclear submarines, found itself on the verge of bankruptcy and will be transferred to the United Shipbuilding Corporation, or USC, the government-controlled holding in which the state is consolidating the country’s shipbuilding industry, Putin said.

The coldest war: Russia and U.S. face off over Arctic resources

Russia, Norway discuss Arctic energy development

Gazprom to supply coal gasification technology to Vietnam

Gazprom Will Acquire SeverEnergia

China starts construction of oil pipeline to Russia

Russia's Gazprom to cut dividend sevenfold

Gazprom’s towering ambition for LNG

Russia, Italy, double pipeline plans

Russian gas pipeline to be built before EU's Nabucco project: minister

Moscow sees too much emphasis on Nabucco
Vlad is unhappy with a pipeline to bypass Russia? You don't say!

GDF Suez to join Nord Stream very soon

***

US businessman found dead in Armenia

Armenia To Build Nuclear Power Plant

Stinky ship stranded in Black Sea

Waterway is ‘bomb waiting to explode’

Georgian opposition pickets jail housing soldiers

Turkey slams brakes on opening border to Armenia

Azerbaijan Doubles Gas Price for Turkey

The Turks are coming!

***

It's a barracks for Obama, and the rest of G8, says Silvio Berlusconi

Spanish wind parks disconnected due to economic crisis

UK - Town halls hire citizen snoopers as young as SEVEN to spy on neighbours

The £50,000-a-year City worker 'fired for being a mother'

Lithuania set for energy rethink

German Authorities Warn of Rise of 'Anarchist' Neo-Nazis

New figures from Germany's domestic intelligence agency show that the number of far-right crimes in Germany increased by 16 percent in 2008. Officials warn of the rise of Black Bloc-style "anarchist" neo-Nazis who actively seek violence at demonstrations.

Far-left and far-right are the same. Apparently that's news to some people.


Sarkozy: Lucrative in Africa
A short visit to three African countries enables French companies to beat out Chinese competition and gain access to massive uranium mines - a victory for Sarkozy’s nuclear ambitions, a defeat for human rights.

Is the solution to the U.S. nuclear waste problem in France?


***

Old order should yield place to new

China Gold Reserves May Back Yuan Internationalization-Report

Brazil, China talks could moot ditching dollar

Crunch Moment for International Accounting

A new paradigm for IMF

***

Nigeria: Militants attacks cut gas supplies

Zimbabwe Law Society holds first protest free of police violence

Brazil wants African allies in seabed mining quest

‘Suicidaire’ Gunmen Stalk Diamond Diggers in Congo’s Mining Hub

Sudanese rebel chief surrenders to war crime court
But Bashir won't.

France asks Libya to ease Sudan Chad tension

UN should impose Somalia air, sea blockade: regional bloc

Australian navy prevents pirate attack off Yemen

Somali pirates embrace capture as route to Europe

German cargo ship released off Somali coast

***

Brazil Turns to China to Help Finance Oil Projects

Brazil merger to create major world poultry giant
Call for Super Chicken!

Police Find Severed Heads of 3 Men Near Mexico Highway

Anti-Semitic violence erupts in Buenos Aires

Peru oil pipeline halted on protests in Amazon

***

Pakistan Is Rapidly Adding Nuclear Arms, U.S. Says

Pakistan not using US funds to buy nuclear arms: US
Uh-huh.

Sats Show Pakistan Super-Sizing Its Nuclear Weapons Complex

Canada considering end to ban on military exports to Pakistan

PAKISTAN: Heat, disease, snakes hound IDPs in Jalala camp

Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan summit postponed

Karzai brother 'survives attack'

The Long Arm of Kazakhstan's President

***

Taiwan protest targets leader's pro-China policies

China releases last Tiananmen 'hooligan'
But what about their families?

Eastern China authorities downplay student protest

China on the rise once more across the East

China: Next Stop, Superpower? - John Bolton on Glenn Beck

Armed ship with nuclear fuel arrives in Japan: witness
You see that/ That's called ARMED. That's how you keep the pirates away.

---

GPS system 'close to breakdown'
Network of satellites could begin to fail as early as 2010

VeriChip shaves 3mm off human RFID chips

***

'Religious violence' a small part of the story

***

Kenya risks Marburg flare-up with Mt Elgon excavation

U.S. health officials troubled by new flu pattern

Vietnam - Cholera outbreak continues spreading north

Malacca declared free of meningitis (Update)


Plague of giant rats invade UK seaside resort town


Dust storm kills 1 in Gurgaon, triggers powercuts in Delhi

Elephants suffering in Mali drought
People too.

Western NSW farmers in limbo on drought support

Here's Looking @ Earth: The Devil's In The Diversions : Aral Sea


Price worries again threaten world food outlook

Grain markets flashing warning signs

Soy prices set to increase because of poor crops in South America


Man dies as record rains flood Queensland

Hail costs kiwifruit growers $10m


Philippines landslide kills 26

Landslide Kills Six In Northeastern Bangladesh


Mexico - Fires ravage Gulf state

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Magnitude 4.7 - GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
Map Centered at 34°N, 118°W - Los Angeles
Los Angeles shaken (but not stirred) by mini earthquake
LA-area earthquake prompts fault concerns

Magnitude 4.1 - GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
Another earthquake felt in downtown Los Angeles
LB Building Evacuated Due to Quake Aftershock


Magnitude 4.6 - CENTRAL PERU

Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Three light quakes hit traumatized Yogyakarta

Magnitude 5.8 - NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTHERN PERU
Magnitude 4.9 - NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL PERU
Earthquakes Shake Southern Peru

Magnitude 3.0 - NEW YORK
Magnitude 2.1 - NEW YORK
Magnitude 1.6 - NEW YORK
Earthquakes not uncommon in Albany County
Magnitude 1.9 - NEW YORK

Magnitude 5.1 - SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE


Saudi Arabia evacuates 5 villages in volcano scare
Magnitude 4.9 - WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA
Magnitude 5.6 - WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA
Moderate earthquake rattles Al-Ais region

Magnitude 4.6 - WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA
Magnitude 4.6 - WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA
Two tremors hit Saudi volcano region, no injuries
Residents told to leave Al-Eis amid stronger tremors


Magnitude 5.1 - MID-INDIAN RIDGE

Watching volcanoes

Redoubt still likely to blow

4.0-degree magnitude quake hits Caracas

Earthquakes rock the south - NZ

Series of earthquakes rattle Kodiak Island over the weekend

Earthquake strikes just outside Jeffrey City Wyoming

Magnitude 4.9 - EASTERN KASHMIR

Magnitude 4.3 - PUERTO RICO REGION

Magnitude 5.2 - TONGA REGION

Magnitude 5.1 - MID-INDIAN RIDGE

Magnitude 5.2 - KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION

Magnitude 4.5 - ORURO, BOLIVIA

Magnitude 4.8 - CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO REGION

Magnitude 3.0 - NEVADA

Magnitude 1.6 - SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI
Magnitude 2.2 - SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI

Indonesia : Over four dozen houses develop cracks in JK due to earthquake

World Watches for U.S. Shift on Mideast

As Israel’s leader heads to Washington, many wonder whether President Obama will chart a different course from his predecessors.

He's trying to divide the land and make friends with evil. How is that different from his predecessors?



Obama's Middle East peace quest

But the Obama administration says the end result must be a two-state solution, and by incorporating the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative into its own effort, it is also telling Israel that its reward would be peace.

Not just with the Palestinians, but with dozens of Arab and Muslim states across the world.

US to Israel: Tone down rhetoric on Iran

While the Obama administration is intent on spearheading an international campaign to prevent Teheran from building nuclear weapons and believes that a nuclear Iran would pose a threat to the stability of the Middle East, US officials - led by Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns - plan to offer Iranian leaders a new approach and a return to the international fold in exchange for freezing their nuclear program.

One official said, however, that while the administration's policy was a risk worth taking, it could fail and it might be necessary for the US and its allies to accept the fact of a nuclear Iran.

In either scenario, they said, both the US and Israel should refrain from any bellicose threats against the Islamic Republic, especially ahead of its presidential elections on June 12.

Netanyahu to focus on Iran with Obama, adviser says

"The way things are planned, the focus of Netanyahu's words will be the Iranian nuclear issue," Arad said.

"This is clear not only because this is an existential issue as far as the security of Israel is concerned, but because Iran is progressing all the time toward nuclear military capability."

Israel may be ready to back two-state solution

JERUSALEM (AP) — On the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's crucial visit to Washington, his defense minister suggested Saturday the Israeli leader might be ready to endorse a Palestinian state when he meets President Barack Obama.

That would be a significant shift for Netanyahu, who has made clear in the past that he does not think the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves. But that position has put him at odds with long-standing U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood as the cornerstone of Mideast peace efforts.

Israeli defense minister predicts treaties

"I believe Netanyahu is ready for a process whose end is two states for two peoples," Barak said.

Barak also predicted that Israel and neighboring countries, including Syria, would negotiate treaties within three years and that the treaties would then take another five years to fully implement.

***

US alarmed at Eritrea 'arms link'

Madagascan president leaves for Libya

Detained Zimbabwe lawyer released on bail

Nigerian army frees hostages, destroys militant camp

Nine hostages freed, two others killed in Nigeria



Hong Kong: Police: Acid Attack Burns Crowd of 30, Injuring Infant

U.S. railroad official seeks Japan's help

Scramble For World Resources: Battle For Antarctica

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Canada blames Russia for impasse over OSCE in Georgia

U.S. frustrated with Russia over Georgia monitors

Ex-officials of rebel Georgia area: leader corrupt

Georgia may remain without gas even in the presence of Nabucco


Azerbaijan to Increase the Price of Gas Exports to Turkey

Azerbaijani Officials Demolish Offshore Mosque

Russia ready to let down anti-terrorist bars on border with Azerbaijan


Turkey protest over alleged coup plot draws 30,000

Eight killed in clashes between PKK and security forces in Turkey

Turkish PM Erdogan meets Putin in Russia

***

US House okays $1bn for Pakistan

Pakistan in 'French nuclear deal'

Pakistani insurgent rocket hits Afghan mosque, five killed: police

Pakistan army closes in on key town

Bloody Urban Battles Could Lie Ahead in Pakistan

Pakistan govt.: More than 1,000 militants killed in NW offensive

Afghanistan to review NATO, US military presence
Hmm. Sounds like O may not have to cut-and-run -- they may kick us out.

Vote count begins in India's marathon polls

Sri Lanka battles Tiger remnants

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Areva launches international recruitment drive

20,000 unionists rally in Prague against toppled govt

EU budget chief is favorite in Lithuanian vote

Lloyds Chairman Victor Blank Plans to Step Down by June 2010
May 18 (Bloomberg) -- Lloyds Banking Group Plc said Chairman Victor Blank plans to step down by June of next year, after the government-brokered purchase of HBOS Plc at the peak of the credit crisis led it to fall into state control.

***

Ex-president's knock at successor shakes Mexico

Suspected drug gang frees 59 from Mexico prison

Guatemala protests planned as UN group probes murder

Brazil's Lula meets Saudi king on historic visit

***

Arrests Over The Oranges In Iran
Sometimes, when I don't know whether to laugh or cry, I do both.

Iran predicts surge in oil prices

Saudi Arabia and Intel Plan R&D Center
And someone has discovered how to make a deadly biochip. Great!

Iran to mass produce long-range missiles

***

Libya given migrant patrol boats

Egypt opens Gaza border

Darfur rebels say Sudan army base seized

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Police make arrests at University of Notre Dame

Boeing contract "messed up," Gates says


Obama to visit Ghana in July

Why? Dunno. But it sounds like his kinda place:

Called the Gold Coast, the area was first seen by Portuguese traders in 1470. They were followed by the English (1553), the Dutch (1595), and the Swedes (1640). British rule over the Gold Coast began in 1820, but it was not until after quelling the severe resistance of the Ashanti in 1901 that it was firmly established. British Togoland, formerly a colony of Germany, was incorporated into Ghana by referendum in 1956. Created as an independent country on March 6, 1957, Ghana, as the result of a plebiscite, became a republic on July 1, 1960.

Premier Kwame Nkrumah attempted to take leadership of the Pan-African Movement, holding the All-African People's Congress in his capital, Accra, in 1958 and organizing the Union of African States with Guinea and Mali in 1961. But he oriented his country toward the Soviet Union and China and built an autocratic rule over all aspects of Ghanaian life. In Feb. 1966, while Nkrumah was visiting Beijing and Hanoi, he was deposed by a military coup led by Gen. Emmanuel K. Kotoka.

***

RF Foreign Ministry: Russia has nothing against Nabucco Gas pipeline
HAHA!

Russian riot police arrest gay protesters

Medvedev says G8 should make rouble reserve currency

First comprehensive geological Arctic map published

***

Magnitude 5.9 - KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
Magnitude 5.0 - KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
Magnitude 5.2 - KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
Swarm of earthquakes hit Alaska's Kodiak Island

Magnitude 3.0 - VIRGINIA
Morning earthquake in Roanoke rattles the valley

Magnitude 3.3 - NORTHERN TEXAS
Minor Earthquake Hits Parts of North Texas
The middle of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, actually.

Magnitude 4.7 - GREECE
Bulgaria: Light Earthquakes Shake Greece

Magnitude 4.5 - OFF THE COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA

Magnitude 4.7 - KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION

Magnitude 5.6 - TONGA

Magnitude 4.6 - HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN

Magnitude 5.2 - ATACAMA, CHILE

Magnitude 5.1 - SOLOMON ISLANDS

Magnitude 5.4 - NORTH OF SVALBARD

Magnitude 4.5 - WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA

Magnitude 5.0 - MOLUCCA SEA

Magnitude 3.1 - HAWAII REGION, HAWAII

Magnitude 3.9 - WYOMING

Quake Hits Southern Iran

***

6-ft. lizards threaten airport, food chain

Rain-swollen reservoir overflows dam in Brazil

Boom in tiny bedbugs is causing big trouble
They filed it under politics. HA!

Storm system that killed 3 marches east

Disaster risk increasing, says UN
God says so, too.