The Moderate Observer

Blogger Recess

2006-08-04T18:34:00.000-05:00

I am testing out Wordpress for a little while. Please see the following for link for daily updates:The Moderate Observerhttp://moderate.wordpress.com

Oil from bombed plant covers Lebanon shore

2006-07-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI, Associated Press WriterFri Jul 28, 5:57 PM ET A black coat of oil now covers the Lebanese capital's once-beautiful sandy Mediterranean shore, spilled from a power plant that was knocked down by Israeli warplanes two weeks ago. Fishermen say hundreds of oil-coated fish have been washed ashore in what is the country's worst ever environmental

Lebanon and Israel Facts that the Media Isn't Telling You

2006-07-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

Here are some background the facts about Lebanon, Israel, Gaza Hezbollah and the PalestiniansNoam Chomsky reveals facts like the abduction of the two Gaza civilians June 24, BEFORE the Israeli soldiers were captured. Learn the background that the mainstream media doesn't report.Help get the word out http://www.representativepress.org/Tags: Lebanon Israel Gaza Hamas Hezbollah Chomsky

Rice will back demands for ceasefire - after a few more days of carnage

2006-07-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

Simon TisdallWednesday July 19, 2006The Guardian The US game plan for Lebanon, if game plan is not too distasteful a word amid such daily carnage, is becoming clear: Israel has a few more days, possibly up to a week, to inflict maximum damage on Hizbullah. After that, and assuming there is no new major escalation involving Syria, Washington will begin to swing

U.S. Speeds Up Bomb Delivery for the Israelis

2006-07-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

By DAVID S. CLOUD and HELENE COOPER July 22, 2006 WASHINGTON, July 21 — The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday. The decision to quickly ship the weapons to Israel was made with

Israel set war plan more than a year ago

2006-07-23T11:34:00.000-05:00

Strategy was put in motion as Hezbollah began increasing its military strengthMatthew Kalman, Chronicle Foreign ServiceFriday, July 21, 2006 (07-21) 04:00 PDT Jerusalem -- Israel's military

‘Christians, Muslims, we're all together now because of the war . . . we're all Lebanese'

2006-07-22T18:41:00.000-05:00

MARK MACKINNONFrom Saturday's Globe and Mail ZGHARTA, LEBANON — When

2006 Israel Lebanon conflict - Action Alert

2006-07-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

via www.saveleb.org

A protracted colonial war

2006-07-20T18:18:00.000-05:00

With US support, Israel is hoping to isolate and topple Syria by holding sway over Lebanon Tariq AliThursday July 20, 2006The Guardian In his last interview - after the 1967 six-day war - the historian Isaac Deutscher, whose next-of-kin had died in the Nazi camps and whose surviving relations lived in Israel, said:

Mission impossible

2006-07-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

Past experience indicates that any UN force in south Lebanon will struggle to keep the peace, writes Ian Black Thursday July 20, 2006Guardian Unlimited "If you think you understand Lebanon, you haven't been properly briefed." This wise but slightly despairing advice used to hang in the office of the spokesman for the

Srifa was a bustling hillside village. Then yesterday the Israeli jets came

2006-07-19T23:49:00.000-05:00

Clancy Chassay outside SrifaThursday July 20, 2006The Guardian A Lebanese woman cries in front of a destroyed truck in southern Beirut. Photograph: Mohamed Messara/EPA Aliyah, 30, lay on a life support machine in the Jabal Amal hospital in a coma. She was one of a handful of survivors who made it out of Srifa, a village in south-east Lebanon. The man treating her

Unbelievable!

2006-07-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

So if you are still among those skeptical of American media having a bias favoring Israel, the current situation should shed some light on this phenomena for you.In the ongoing assault (4 days continous as of now) on Lebannon by Israel, more than 100 civilians have been killed by the Israeli army and two Israeli soliders have died in the conflict. (Sources: 1 - 2).It is appalling, more than usual

Zidane treated outrageously: Gosper

2006-07-14T19:33:00.000-05:00

14th July 2006, 8:20 WST International Olympic Committee members, described Zidane's straight red card as "outrageous" as it failed to consider Materazzi's role in the incident.Kevan Gosper, one of Australia's top Olympic officials, has hit out at soccer's world governing body FIFA over Zinedine Zidane's dismissal in the World Cup final for failing to take into account the effect of

The arrogance of power

2006-07-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

By Stavros Lygeros The developments we have witnessed in Gaza and Lebanon over the past few days merely serve to confirm, in the most dramatic fashion, that the maxim “might is right” still applies. It has become quite clear that Israel is much more than a small state armed to the teeth. Not even the US enjoys such tolerance.The governments of the West and those who shape its public opinion are,

Paralyzed man moves computer cursor through thought

2006-07-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

By Patricia Reaney Wed Jul 12, 1:46 PM ET LONDON (Reuters) - A Paralyzed man using a new brain sensor has been able to move a computer cursor, open e-mail and control a robotic device simply by thinking about doing it, a team of scientists said on Wednesday. They believe the BrainGate sensor, which involves implanting electrodes in the brain, could offer new hope to people Paralyzed

Bollywood star hails Mumbai resilience

2006-07-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

By Aamir Khan Bollywood actor Khan was anxious about his

Mongolians mark 800th anniversary of Khan

2006-07-12T02:38:00.000-05:00

By CHARLES HUTZLER, Associated Press WriterTue Jul 11, 4:30 PM ET Mongolians celebrated the 800th anniversary of Genghis Khan's march to world conquest on Tuesday with festivities that mixed commercialism with appeals to nationalism. In the capital's Central Stadium, men dressed like warriors in Genghis Khan's 13th-century horde

India's test launch of new missile fails

2006-07-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

By GAVIN RABINOWITZ, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 24 minutes ago India's first test-firing of a new missile designed to carry nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East was unsuccessful, the defense minister said. Although initially reported as a success by officials, the Agni III missile plunged into the Bay of

Gaza death toll mounts as Israel rejects ceasefire

2006-07-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

Press Trust of IndiaGaza City, July 9, 2006Three Palestinian family members, including a six-year-old girl, were killed on Sunday in an air strike in Gaza City as Israel rejected a call by Hamas premier Ismail Haniya for a mutual ceasefire.The girl, her elder brother and her mother were killed in the air raid which according to an army spokesman targeted a group of militants east of Gaza

EU warns Israel on Gaza attacks

2006-07-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

The EU has accused Israel of using "disproportionate" force and making a humanitarian crisis worse during operations in the Gaza Strip. On Friday Israel consolidated its hold on northern Gaza, as air strikes killed at least three Palestinian militants. It followed the worst day of violence since Israeli forces entered Gaza over

'It is never anti-Semitic to oppose injustice'

2006-07-07T04:43:00.000-05:00

The Israeli narrative adopted and cobbled from Bush's war on terrorism states that Israel is heroically engaged in its own war on terror. This is utterly misleading.by Ted SchmidtJuly 6, 2006There is a splendid Talmudic saying that a single life is a universe. How absolutely wonderful in its insistence on the dignity of each human being, a reminder that no child of God should be forgotten, abused

Ex-Soldier Steven D. Green Enters Not-Guilty Plea in Iraq Rape, Killings Charges

2006-07-06T18:35:00.000-05:00

07-06-2006 7:05 PMBy ELIZABETH DUNBAR, Associated Press WriterLOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A former Army private charged with raping an Iraqi woman and killing her and her family entered a plea of not guilty through his public defenders Thursday.Steven D. Green also waived a detention hearing and a preliminary hearing, and agreed that his case would be prosecuted in the Western District of Kentucky.U.S.

A Love For Humanity

2006-07-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

July 1, 2006 By FRANCES GRANDY TAYLOR, Courant Staff Writer Muslims in America deal with many of the same issues that affect other American families, but also contend with racial and ethnic profiling in an atmosphere of fear.Finding ways to cope with the challenges of being Muslim in the United States brought hundreds of Muslim families to the Connecticut Convention Center

Human Tragedy in Gaza

2006-07-01T11:54:00.000-05:00

By Cihan News Agency, Anadolu News Agency (aa), Jerusalem, Gaza Published: Saturday, July 01, 2006 zaman.com The United Nations (UN) has warned that a human tragedy is emerging in Gaza; the target of attacks by Israel.UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland asked Israel to refurnish electricity and fuel to the

Israel Engineers Another Cover-Up

2006-06-29T15:54:00.000-05:00

Israel Engineers Another Cover-Up Leaving the Truth Buried in Gaza's Sands By JONATHAN COOK If you keep lying long enough and with enough conviction, people start to believe you -- or at least doubt the evidence in front of their own eyes. And so it has been with the Israeli army’s

The World Cup and Middle East Peace

2006-06-28T12:57:00.000-05:00

Mon Dieu, Mondial! The World Cup and Middle East Peace By URI AVNERY IF PRESIDENT Bush wanted to deal with Iran by "bombing them back into the stone age", (as an American general once put it during the Vietnam War), now would be the time. With everybody riveted to the World Cup, who would notice? The Israeli government knows this

Iran's Jews learn to live with Ahmadinejad

2006-06-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

Ewen MacAskill, Simon Tisdall and Robert Tait in TehranTuesday June 27, 2006The Guardian Maurice Motamed has one of the loneliest jobs in the Middle East. When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his controversial Holocaust statements, the sole Jewish MP in Iran's 290-member Majlis (parliament) felt he had no option but to confront him."When our president spoke about the

Univision's Board OKs $12.3 Billion Sale

2006-06-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

Univision Communications Inc.'s board agreed to sell the nation's largest Spanish-language broadcaster for $12.3 billion in cash to a consortium of investors, the parties involved in the sale announced Tuesday. The company's shares soared more than 7 percent. The consortium, led by private equity firms Texas Pacific Group Inc. and Thomas H. Lee Partners, also includes Madison Dearborn Partners

US troops get murder charges in killing civilian

2006-06-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

1 hour, 5 minutes ago The U.S. military will charge seven Marines and a Navy corpsman with murder and other charges on Wednesday in the April 26 killing of an Iraqi civilian, a U.S. defense official said. The charges include murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, making false official statements and larceny, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the charges have

Iraq war seen as biggest threat to peace

2006-06-20T13:11:00.000-05:00

Read the full survey Ewen MacAskill, diplomatic editorWednesday June 14, 2006 The greatest threat to peace? ... Marines check an Iraqi man's identity in Haditha. Photograph: James Razuri/GettyThe US occupation of Iraq presents a bigger danger to world peace than Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions, according to a worldwide

Islam Channel sponsors anti-Zionist debate in London

2006-06-19T19:51:00.000-05:00

Jun. 19, 2006 22:49 | Updated Jun. 19, 2006 23:28 By JONNY PAULLONDON - Informed, honest debate on the Middle East has been stifled because of a fear of being accused of anti-Semitism, according to the participants in a discussion hosted by the Islam Channel in central London on Thursday. The broadcaster is the largest Islamic television outlet in Europe. The discussion, titled: "Why anti-Zionism

U.S. soldiers charged with murder in Iraq

2006-06-19T19:43:00.000-05:00

Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:17 PM BSTBy Will DunhamWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. soldiers were charged with premeditated murder after being accused of shooting three detainees north of Baghdad on May 9 and then threatening to kill a fellow soldier if he told the truth about the incident, the U.S. military said on Monday.The charges were brought against U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Raymond Girouard, Pfc.

Pentagon details abuse of Iraq detainees

2006-06-16T20:27:00.000-05:00

By LOLITA C. BALDOR,Associated Press Writer1 hour, 26 minutes ago U.S. special operations forces fed some Iraqi detainees only bread and water for up to 17 days, used unapproved interrogation practices such as sleep deprivation and loud music and stripped at least one prisoner, according to a Pentagon report on incidents dating to 2003 and 2004. The report concludes that

Haditha: Massacre and cover-up?

2006-06-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

By Martin AsserBBC NewsHaditha is an agricultural community of about 90,000 inhabitants on the banks of the Euphrates north-west of Baghdad. It lies in the huge western province of Anbar, which has been the heartland of the insurgency since US troops led the invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein in 2003. It is a

Marine sorry for song about killing Iraqi family

2006-06-14T21:36:00.000-05:00

Wed Jun 14, 4:27 PM ET A Marine seen in an Internet video singing about killing members of an Iraqi family says the song was a joke. Cpl. Joshua Belile, 23, apologized and said the song was not tied in any way to allegations that Marines killed 24 unarmed civilians in Haditha last year. "It's a song that I made up and it was nothing

U.S.-trained expert says shell was Israeli

2006-06-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press WriterWed Jun 14, 7:21 PM ET A U.S.-trained military expert disputed on Wednesday an Israeli claim that it had nothing to do with an explosion that killed eight Palestinian beachgoers in the Gaza Strip last Friday, an incident that has turned a critical spotlight on Israel's military practices. Israel released results of its own inquiry

Nine killed in Israeli air strike

2006-06-13T06:50:00.000-05:00

Nine Palestinians, including two children, have been killed and up to 20 others hurt in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, witnesses and doctors say. The Israeli army said it had targeted militants on their way to fire rockets at Israel, saying the vehicle was loaded with Katyusha rocket launchers. The Islamic Jihad militant group said that some of

Islam doesn't preach terrorism

2006-06-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

By Wade HemsworthThe Hamilton Spectator(Jun 12, 2006) Leaders in Hamilton's Muslim community say the kind of thinking that is alleged to have driven a terrorism plot in Toronto is both shocking and contrary to genuine Islamic ideology.Although a McMaster University student was among the 17 Canadian Muslims arrested June 2 and 3, the concept of plotting violence against Canadian people and

Beheaded man's father: Revenge breeds revenge

2006-06-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

Michael Berg talks about the death of his son and al-ZarqawiThe U.S.-led coalition's No. 1 wanted man in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- who conducted a campaign of insurgency bombings, beheadings and killings of Americans and Iraqi civilians -- was killed in a U.S. airstrike.A gruesome video was posted on Islamic Web sites in May, 2004, depicting a man believed to be al-Zarqawi beheading Nicholas

House Backs Telecom Bill Favoring Phone Companies

2006-06-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

By STEPHEN LABATONWASHINGTON, June 8 — The House of Representatives approved the most extensive telecommunications legislation in a decade on Thursday, largely ratifying the policy agenda of the nation's largest telephone companies.The bill passed by a lopsided vote of 321 to 101.Supporters of the legislation said it would promote competition and lower costs by enabling the telephone companies to

Pakistan to restore ten gurdwaras

2006-06-02T18:48:00.000-05:00

SHAHEEDI DIWAS Z 7,000 PILGRIMS ALLOWED FOR 400TH MARTYRDOM OF GURU ARJAN DEV‘Pak PM Sahaukat Aziz will release a postal stamp marking the ‘Shaheedi Diwas’ on June 15’Sanjeev ChopraPatiala, June 2: Deciding to participate in a Sikh religious function for the first time ever by observing the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev later this month, the Pakistan government has said

Israel building new illegal West Bank settlement

2006-06-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

By LAURIE COPANS,Associated Press Writer1 hour, 19 minutes ago Israel has begun laying the foundations for a new Jewish settlement deep in the West Bank — breaking a promise to Washington while strengthening its hold on a stretch of desert it wants to keep as it draws its final borders. The construction of Maskiot comes at a time

US probe finds Haditha victims were shot: report

2006-05-31T11:53:00.000-05:00

1 hour, 49 minutes ago U.S. military officials say the killing of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha in November appears to have been an unprovoked attack by U.S. Marines, after an investigation found the victims died of gunshot wounds, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. The findings of the investigation contradicted

U.S. policy was to shoot Korean refugees

2006-05-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

By CHARLES J. HANLEY and MARTHA MENDOZA,Associated Press WritersMon May 29, 2:44 PM ET More than a half-century after hostilities ended in Korea, a document from the war's chaotic early days has come to light — a letter from the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, informing the State Department that American soldiers would shoot refugees approaching their lines. The letter — dated

John Allen Muhammad jury to weigh conspiracy theory

2006-05-29T23:43:00.000-05:00

By STEPHEN MANNING,Associated Press WriterMon May 29, 5:26 PM ET Early in his closing argument, John Allen Muhammad laid out the heart of his defense against six murder charges for the 2002 sniper shootings in the Washington area: He and accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo were framed. "My case is based on one thing. It is very simple. They lied on two innocent men," Muhammad said

Gujarat 'bans' new Bollywood film

2006-05-27T16:41:00.000-05:00

Cinema owners in Gujarat have refused to show Bollywood actor Aamir Khan's latest film, fearing protests about Khan's criticism of a big dam project. Fanaa, a film about a romance between a blind girl and a tour guide opened across India on Friday. The youth arm of the state's ruling party, the BJP

Iraq Veteran Speaks Out On War Crimes

2006-05-24T00:13:00.000-05:00

Testimony from a former U.S. Army RangerJessie Macbeth, a Former Army Ranger and Iraq War Veteran Tells AllThis 20 minute interview will change how you view the U.S. occupation of Iraq forever. I cannot possibly recommend this more highly. An Iraq war veteran tells of atrocities he and other fellow-soldiers committed reguarly while in Iraq. I have never seen this level of honesty from a U.S.

Judicial Watch September 11 Pentagon Videos

2006-05-17T01:42:00.000-05:00

"Defense Department Releases September 11 Pentagon Video to Judicial WatchDepartment of Defense Responds to Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act Request and Related Lawsuit(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that Department of Defense released a videotape to Judicial Watch at 1:00 p.m. this

1984 is finally here

2006-05-14T06:22:00.000-05:00

President Bush says Americans' privacy is secure despite a massive data mining operation First published: Sunday, May 14, 2006 Pakistan has scaled back by half its ambitious planned purchase of new fighter planes from the US to help pay for the relief costs of last year’s devastating earthquake.//

Silverstein surrenders right to develop Freedom Tower

2006-04-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

Larry Silverstein, the Manhattan developer who has fought a nearly five-year battle to maintain control of rebuilding on the World Trade Center site, on Tuesday surrendered the right to develop the Freedom Tower, the tallest and most symbolic of the buildings on the 16-acre property.//

NBA OR NFL?

2006-04-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

36have been accused of spousal abuse7have been arrested for fraud19have been accused of writing bad checks 117have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses 3have done time for assault 71,repeat71 cannotget a credit card due to bad credit14have been arrested on drug-related charges 8have been arrested for shoplifting 21currentlyare defendants in lawsuits, and 84have been

Fox News host is new Bush spokesman

2006-04-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

Wednesday 26 April 2006, 17:50 Makka Time, 14:50 GMT Tony Snow, a commentator and radio host with the Fox News network, has been named as the new White House press secretary, putting a new face on a troubled administration.Snow replaces Scott McClellan, who announced his resignation last week as part of a staff shake-up engineered by Josh Bolten, the new White House chief of staff, directed at

5 Truths About Darfur

2006-04-25T01:09:00.000-05:00

By Emily WaxSunday, April 23, 2006; B03KOU KOU ANGARANA, ChadHeard all you need to know about Darfur? Think again. Three years after a government-backed militia began fighting rebels and residents in this region of western Sudan, much of the conventional wisdom surrounding the conflict -- including the religious, ethnic and economic factors that drive it -- fails to match the realities on the

Pakistan to take over multi-national task force command

2006-04-24T03:03:00.000-05:00

The Pakistan navy will take over the command of the multi-national Task Force-150 of the Coalition Maritime Campaign Plan (CMCP) on Monday."In recognition of the Pakistan navy's professional ability and increased mutual confidence, Pakistan has been offered the Command of Multi National Task Force Group 150," said the Pakistan navy Sunday in a statement.The CMCP is the maritime component of "

Mughal-e-Azam, 1st Indian film in Pak. in 41 yrs

2006-04-24T02:49:00.000-05:00

New Delhi, April 23 (UNI) Emperor Akbar and Anarkali have pipped Shah Jahan and Mumtaz in the race to hit Pakistani theatres! Even as there was widespread buzz in recent weeks that Akbar Khan's 'Taj Mahal-An eternal Love Story' would be the first Indian film to make it to Indian theatres on April 28, K Asif's 'Mughal-E-Azam' quietly hits the Pakistan theatres on Saturday, thus becoming the

Farmer suicide on rise as India's rural crisis deepens

2006-04-23T09:35:00.000-05:00

Sat Apr 22, 6:46 AM ET Despite failed crops and mounting debts, the family of Indian cotton farmer Chandrakant Gurenule never believed his suicide threats until he set himself alight and fled their home in flames. The ambitious 34-year-old bought the latest, expensive, high-yield genetically-modified cotton seeds for his 15-acre (six-hectare) farm in this parched corner

The Sinister Meaning Olmert's "Hitkansut"

2006-04-22T02:24:00.000-05:00

Deporting Hamas Members of Parliament By JONATHAN COOK The policy of "hitnatkut", or unilateral disengagement, developed by Ariel Sharon needed a swift facelift following the withdrawal of settlers from Gaza last year. And Israel's prime minister-designate, Ehud Olmert, has found it in the related concept of "hitkansut", variously translated as "

Call It Like It Is, Genocide

2006-04-21T18:39:00.000-05:00

letter:Call It Like It Is, GenocideSince the beginning of April, Israel has fired no less then 2000 artillery shells into Gaza. 26 people were murdered. No one said a word. We did not get on the front page of the New York Times, no one condemns their actions.Emily Jacir18 Apr. 2006Since the beginning of April, Israel has fired no less then 2000 artillery shells into Gaza. 26 people were murdered.

Ahmadinejad: Oil Price Is Lower Than Value

2006-04-20T01:58:00.000-05:00

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press WriterWed Apr 19, 11:01 PM ET Wading into oil politics for the first time, Iran's hard-line president said Wednesday that crude oil prices — now at record levels — still are below their true value. In statements likely to rattle world oil markets, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said developed countries, not producing countries like

Pakistan approves unlimited visas for Sikh pilgrims

2006-04-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has announced that unlimited visas would be issued for the Sikh pilgrims who would be visiting the Gurdawara Dera Sahib in Lahore, on the occasion of 400th martyrdom of fifth Guru Arjun Dev, on June 16.The decision was taken last evening at a meeting held between Aziz and a visiting Sikh pilgrims in Islamabad.According to sources, the Pakistani prime

Reality, one bite at a time: Gujarat

2006-04-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

Reality, one bite at a time: Gujarat

'Salman Khan paying for being a celebrity'

2006-04-15T09:59:00.000-05:00

Posted online: Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 1323 hours ISTShilpa Shetty has been a close friend of Salman Khan and is relieved that the actor has finally been bailed out of troubled waters from the Jodhpur Jail where a lower court sentenced him to five years rigorous imprisonment for killing a Chinkara and the actor had to spend three nights in the Central Jail.According to her, Salman is paying

Delhi police investigating Jama Masjid blasts

2006-04-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

April 15, 2006 15:23 IST A day after the twin explosions at the Jama Masjid, Delhi police sleuths were piecing together evidence from the blast site to trace the perpetrators of the attack. Forensic experts were examining samples collected from the site of the blasts, which left 13 people injured. "The explosives used in the blast were of a very crude nature,"

913 persons 'reconvert' to Hinduism in Orissa

2006-04-15T09:29:00.000-05:00

Chakapad (Orissa), April 10: Amidst cries of 'Jai Shri Ram' and blowing of conch shells, 913 persons, said to be Christians, were reconverted to Hinduism at a huge congregation organised by the Sangh Parivar even as the VHP called for a total ban on conversion in the country.The reconversion ceremony was conducted on the second day of the 'Hindu Mahasabha' where VHP bigwigs made fiery speeches

Dalai Lama seeks to improve Islam's image

2006-04-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer Saturday, April 15, 2006 The Dalai Lama, a powerful icon for peace worldwide, will gather with influential American Muslim leaders in San Francisco today to help refashion Islam's image in the United States. Concerned that Muslims are unfairly demonized in American popular consciousness, the world-renowned Buddhist leader hopes to help show

Muslim film festival in NY is shouting to be heard

2006-04-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

15 Apr 2006 07:00:16 GMTBy Claudia ParsonsNEW YORK, April 15 (Reuters) - More than 30 movies from the Arab and Muslim world will be playing at a week-long New York film festival, but will anybody be watching?The Alwan Film Festival, created by a nonprofit group in lower Manhattan, features several well-known Middle Eastern directors. The films tackle timely subjects like the war in Iraq, the

First Muslim sorority hopes to form chapters across USA

2006-04-12T02:33:00.000-05:00

By Donna Leinwand, USA TODAYMon Apr 10, 7:17 AM ET Christine Ortiz slips quietly from the Muslim prayer room on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and into a group of squealing young women. Some of them are Ortiz's Muslim sisters, the undergraduate pals who embraced her when she converted to Islam from her family's Roman Catholicism. Less than a year

Pakistanis Fight Efforts to Relocate City

2006-04-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

By PAUL GARWOOD, Associated Press WriterThu Apr 6, 2:28 PM ET For the hardy people of Balakot, their ruggedly beautiful riverside city has long been worth fighting for. Muslim warrior Sayeed Ahmad Shaheed was slain here in 1831 while failing to repel Sikh invaders. Then nature struck six months ago, killing more than 20,000 residents in a 7.6-magnitude earthquake. Now

FIFA seeks answers over Israeli missile strike

2006-04-07T07:25:00.000-05:00

Friday 07 April 2006, 14:49 Makka Time, 11:49 GMT Football's world governing body, FIFA, says it is considering possible action over an Israeli air attack last week on a football field in the Gaza Strip.Jerome Champagne, FIFA deputy general secretary in charge of political issues, said on Friday the attack was a direct strike without any reason.He said the field was not being used by

Muslim India struggles to escape the past

2006-04-05T06:53:00.000-05:00

Prominent individuals belie the poverty of a minority left behind by the 1947 partitionRandeep Ramesh in MumbaiWednesday April 5, 2006GuardianOn the sprung floor of a Mumbai dance studio standing amid a huddle of male and female dancers is a young woman, dressed in tight sequinned clothes, sucking on a cigarette. She is shouting at her troupe.It is difficult not to notice 19-year-old Mumait Khan.

Interview: Al-Jazeera's Chief Takes Aim at CNN

2006-04-05T01:25:00.000-05:00

The Last Word: Wadah Khanfar Al-Jazeera, all the time.Newsweek InternationalApril 10-17, 2006 issue - Al-Jazeera has its sights set on CNN and the BBC. Founded 10 years ago in Doha, the controversial Arab television network plans to launch a 24/7 English-language channel at the end of May, Al-Jazeera International. Big-name Western journalists like the BBC's David Frost and former "Nightline"

Senator Wants to Tap Controversial General

2006-04-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press WriterMon Apr 3, 7:23 PM ET A Senate Republican wants an Army general who drew criticism for church speeches casting the war on terrorism in religious terms to lead the U.S. special operations command. In a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., recommended Lt. Gen. William G.

Battle Brews As Porn Moves Into Mainstream

2006-04-02T03:33:00.000-05:00

By DAVID CRARY, AP National WriterSat Apr 1, 5:02 PM ET The industry's VIPs mingle at political galas and Super Bowl parties. Their product is available on cell phones, podcasts, and particularly the Internet — there it's an attraction like no other, patronized by tens of millions of Americans. It's pornography. And if you're a consumer, John Harmer thinks you're

Now, Hindu Nationalists Rewriting California Textbooks

2006-03-31T18:39:00.000-05:00

By Angana ChatterjiThe attempts of diasporic Hindu nationalist organizations in the United States to intervene in revising segments on India, Indian history, and Hinduism in 6th grade textbooks in California State schools is disturbing.On December 2, 2005, the Curriculum Commission, an advisory body to the California State Board of Education accepted 131 of the 153 revisions proposed by Hindu

US 'open' to Israel borders unilateral plan

2006-03-30T08:47:00.000-05:00

The US secretary of state has said Washington may be open to backing Israel's Kadima party in drawing the country's borders unilaterally. Condoleezza Rice said a negotiated deal with the Palestinians was preferable, but seemed unlikely since the militant group Hamas won Palestinian elections. But she added that there had been no chance to discuss

Carter slams US-India nuclear deal

2006-03-29T14:58:00.000-05:00

Wed Mar 29, 10:49 AM ET Former US president Jimmy Carter criticized Washington's civilian nuclear deal with India, saying it was "just one more step in opening a Pandora's box of nuclear proliferation". "Knowing for more than three decades of Indian leaders' nuclear ambitions, I and all other presidents included them in a consistent policy: no sales of civilian nuclear

Hindu school raided after giving students swords

2006-03-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

A Hindu priest was arrested after 30 Indian teenagers were given swords as part of a school graduation ceremony aimed at encouraging them to fight "Islamic militancy," police said. The students, aged 14 and 15, were given the weapons to "empower the Hindu community to fight back against Islamic extremism and Muslim residents," a police source said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday. Police

Abramoff Gets Minimum Sentence in Prison

2006-03-29T14:33:00.000-05:00

By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 1 minute ago Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison in a Florida fraud case, the minimum sentence allowed. Abramoff and former partner Adam Kidan pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud stemming from the ill-fated purchase in 2000 of the SunCruz Casinos gambling

American Marines murder 23 Iraqi civilians

2006-03-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

The US military deny accusations of massive over-reaction when attacked. But video evidence from one incident has led the official story to unravel.By Raymond WhitakerPublished: 26 March 2006US military investigators are examining allegations that Marines shot unarmed Iraqis, then claimed they were "enemy fighters", The Independent on Sunday has learned. In the same incident, eyewitnesses say,

All the news that's fit to slant (Robert Fisk)

2006-03-27T17:21:00.000-05:00

ROBERT FISKSYNDICATED COLUMNISTIt is a bright winter morning and I am sipping my first coffee of the day in Los Angeles. My eye moves like a radar beam over the front page of the Los Angeles Times for the word that dominates the minds of all Middle East correspondents: Iraq. In post-invasion, post-Judith Miller mode, the U.S. press is supposed to be challenging the lies of this war. So the story

Canadian human right activists urge authorities to arrest Jewish war criminal

2006-03-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Mar 22, 2006, 10:55 Ottawa - Human rights activists in Canada, including Jews and Arabs, have urged the Canadian authorities to arrest Moshe Yaalon who is widely believed to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinian civilians while serving as chief of staff of the Israeli army between 2002-2005.Ya’alon was due to arrive in Canada on Wednesday on an

Israel to pass new laws against Non-Jews

2006-03-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

Mar 24, 2006, 16:49 London - The Israeli government is seeking to rush a new law through parliament before the forthcoming elections on 28 March, which would empower the General Security Service (GSS) to detain anyone classified as a non-resident of Israel without access to legal counsel for up to 50 days after arrest.According to the London-based Amnesty International, the law would

Russia Spies Operated in Iraq Through 2003

2006-03-25T01:48:00.000-05:00

By MIKE ECKEL, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 16 minutes ago Russia had a military intelligence unit operating in Iraq up through the 2003 U.S. invasion and fall of Baghdad, a Russian analyst said Friday as the Pentagon reported Moscow fed Saddam Hussein's government with intelligence on the American military. Iraqi documents

India and Pakistan consider SAARC police

2006-03-22T08:36:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, March 22, 2006By Iftikhar GilaniNEW DELHI: Top investigation officials of India and Pakistan began two-day’s of technical level talks here on Tuesday for the first time in 17 years.A four-member Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team, led by its Director General Tariq Pervez, held talks with Indian counterparts in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). CBI’s Director Vijay Shankar

McClatchy to Buy Knight Ridder for $4.4B

2006-03-20T17:24:00.000-05:00

By SETH SUTEL, AP Business WriterMon Mar 13, 5:48 PM ETThe McClatchy Co. is making its biggest bet yet on the future of the newspaper industry by agreeing to pay $4.4 billion in cash and stock to acquire Knight Ridder Inc., a major newspaper publisher more than twice its size.The addition of The Miami Herald, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and 18 other papers in fast-growing cities may be less risky