 Phoenix
Begins Analysis on Deepest Soil Sample on Mars
TUCSON,
Arizona (NASA/JPL) — Scientists have begun to analyze a sample
of soil delivered to NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander’s wet chemistry
experiment from the deepest trench dug so far in the Martian
arctic plains. Phoenix has also been observing movement of
clouds overhead.
The
lander’s robotic arm on Sunday sprinkled a small fraction of
the estimated 50 cubic centimeters of soil that had been scooped
up from the informally named "Stone Soup" trench
on Saturday, the 95th day of the mission. The Stone Soup trench,
in the left portion of the lander’s active workspace, is approximately
18 centimeters (7 inches) deep. (Full
Story)
NASA’s
Carl Sagan Fellows to Study Extraterrestrial Worlds
PASADENA,
California (NASA/JPL) — NASA announced the new Carl Sagan
Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exoplanet Exploration, created
to inspire the next generation of explorers seeking to
learn more about planets, and possibly life, around other
stars.
Planets
beyond our solar system, called exoplanets, are being discovered
at a staggering pace, with more than 300 currently known.
Decades ago, long before any exoplanets had been found,
the late Carl Sagan imagined such worlds, and pioneered
the scientific pursuit of life that might exist on them.
Sagan was an astronomer and a highly successful science
communicator. (Full
Story)
Spiky
Probe on NASA Mars Lander Raises Vapor Quandary
TUCSON,
Arizona (NASA/JPL) — A fork-like conductivity probe has
sensed humidity rising and falling beside NASA’s Phoenix
Mars Lander, but when stuck into the ground, its measurements
so far indicate soil that is thoroughly and perplexingly
dry.
"If
you have water vapor in the air, every surface exposed
to that air will have water molecules adhere to it
that are somewhat mobile, even at temperatures well
below freezing," said Aaron Zent of NASA Ames
Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., lead scientist
for Phoenix’s thermal and electroconductivity probe. (Full
Story)
Coalition in Afghanistan Completes Investigation
Into Engagement Resulting in Civilian Casualties
BAGRAM
AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFPS) — Intense enemy fire justified
actions taken by Afghan and U.S. forces during an Aug. 22
engagement in which several civilians and more than 30 Taliban
fighters were killed in western Afghanistan, a coalition
investigation has concluded.
The
investigation found that Afghan and U.S. forces began taking
fire from
Taliban militants as the combined force approached its
objective in Azizabad, Herat province, during a planned
offensive operation in the pre-dawn hours. (Full
Story)
Missing
WWII Soldier is Identified
(U.S.
DoD) The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
(DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman,
missing in action from World War II, have been identified
and are being returned to his family for burial with full
military honors.
He is Pvt. James W. Turner, U.S. Army, of Altus, Okla. He will be buried on
Sept. 11 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Representatives from the Army met with Turner’s
next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to
coordinate interment with military
honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. (Full
Story)
Secretary
of Defense Robert M. Gates Speaks at the Military Child
Education Coalition Conference
GRAPEVINE,
Texas — GATES:
Thanks, Beth, for that kind introduction. From consoling
the wounded to comforting families, Beth Chiarelli has served
this nation in countless ways. She has also moved the Chiarelli
family more than 25 times in over 30 years of marriage. That
alone should qualify you for a medal with oak leaf clusters – though
whether for family mobility or being married to Pete, I’m
not sure.
As
Beth said, General Pete Chiarelli has been my senior military
assistant for the last 16 months. He has provided wise
counsel on just about everything that has crossed my desk;
he has traveled with me from Bagram to Baghdad and beyond.
He has… (Full
Story)
Lending
Life a Hand: IDF Holds "IDF Day" for Sick Children
at Summer Camp
(IDF)
Twenty two soldiers from various infantry units traded
their grueling training routines for one week of a different
military activity. The combat soldiers participated in
a special summer camp for sick children hosted by the Ordnance
Academy at Training Base 20 in cooperation with Kav LaChayim,
an organization that works with disabled children. “Before
enrolling in the IDF, I was certain that I would not be
able to do any volunteer work,” said Corporal Nati
Haddad from Nahal battalion no. 50, who has been volunteering
with the Kav LaChayim for 5 years. “I was thrilled
when they told me I could join the summer camp. Other than
being a mitzvah (good deed), it is also very rewarding.
It is simply impossible to put into words what it feels
like to see a smile on these children. I think that this
is no less important than any operational activity,” said
Haddad. (Full
Story)
Pakistani
National Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy
and Concealing Terrorist Financing
BALTIMORE,
Maryland (FBI) — Saifullah Anjum Ranjha, age 45, a Pakistani
national residing in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, pleaded
guilty today to conspiring to launder money and to concealing
terrorist financing, announced United States Attorney for
the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
“The
hawala system can be used by criminals to launder money without
using financial institutions, by giving the money to a person
in the United States and picking it up in a foreign country,” said
U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Identifying hawala
networks that violate the law often requires the cooperation
of international authorities.” (Full
Story)
NIH
Funds Nine Centers to Speed Powerful New Research
Roadmap
Network Will Produce Chemical Probes to Explore New Targets
for Therapies
(NIH)
The funding of a network of nine centers across the country
that will use high tech screening methods to identify small
molecules for use as probes to investigate the diverse
functions of cells was announced today by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The network-funded at approximately
$70 million annually over the four-year production phase-is
designed to increase the pace of development and use of
chemical (small molecule) probes, which have become invaluable
tools for exploring biologic processes and for developing
new therapies for disease. (Full
Story)
NIH
Awards First Eureka Grants for Exceptionally Innovative
Research
(NIH)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $42.2
million to fund 38 exceptionally innovative research projects
that could have an extraordinarily significant impact on
many areas of science. The grants, the first made in a new
program called EUREKA (for Exceptional, Unconventional Research
Enabling Knowledge Acceleration), help investigators test
novel, often unconventional hypotheses or tackle major methodological
or technical challenges. (Full
Story)
Man
Arrested for Internet Posting of Songs from Unreleased
Guns N’ Roses Album
(FBI)
Special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation this
morning arrested a Culver City man on charges that he violated
federal copyright laws by posting nine songs from Guns N’ Roses’ unreleased
album Chinese Democracy on his website.
Kevin
Cogill, who uses the online moniker “Skwerl,” admitted
to investigators that he posted the songs on his website, www.antiquiet.com,
according to a criminal complaint. (Full
Story)
U.S.
District Court Judge Charged With Attempted Sex Abuse
(FBI)
U.S. District Court Judge Samuel B. Kent, 59, was indicted
today by a federal grand jury in Houston for allegedly attempting
aggravated sexual abuse and for abusive sexual touching of
a clerk’s office employee, Acting Assistant Attorney
General Matthew Friedrich announced.
The
indictment, returned today in the U.S. District Court in
Houston, charges Kent with one count of attempted aggravated
sexual abuse on March 23, 2007, and two counts of abusive
sexual contact, which is alleged to have occurred on Aug.
29, 2003, and March 23, 2007. (Full
Story)
Three
Men Indicted in Construction Escrow Fraud Scheme
ATLANTA,
Georgia (FBI) — Edgar J. Beaudreault, Jr., 60, of Alpharetta,
Georgia, Howard A. Sperling, 43, of San Diego, California,
and Robert B. Surles, 62, of Canon City, Colorado, have been
indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple charges relating
to a scheme to defraud.
The
indictment charges that from August 2003 through January
2004, Beaudreault, Sperling and Surles conspired to devise
and execute a scheme to defraud Cornell Corrections of California,
Inc., a private company that operates corrections facilities
for governmental units. (Full
Story)
Keeping
Our Children Safe, Protecting the ‘Most Vulnerable Among
Us’
(FBI)
The exploitation of children has unfortunately become a “growth
industry,” according to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller,
III, but the Bureau is “working every day to find and
stop those who prey on our children.”
Speaking
recently at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center Crimes Against Children
Conference, Mueller noted how pervasive these crimes have become. “In just
the past decade, we have moved from lone predators with limited reach to global
communities of pedophiles on the Internet,” he said. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Navy Admiral Discusses Iran, Broader Middle East With Israelis
Back
from a trip to Israel, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff said there is broad concern about instability in the
Middle East. During a Pentagon news conference, Navy Adm. Mike
Mullen said it is his view “that Iran is the center of
what is unstable in that part of the world, and it reaches
from Tehran to Beirut.”
Mullen said his two-day visit to Israel was very
informative. Israeli Army Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff for the
Israeli Defense Force, hosted the admiral. Mullen also met Defense Minister Ehud
Barak and toured Israeli bases in the north near the border with Syria and Lebanon
and in the south near the Gaza Strip. (Full
Story)
Troops
in Iraq Detain Seven, Unearth Weapons Caches
(AFPS)
Coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven suspects and
seized weapons in Iraq over the past three days,
military officials said. Coalition forces
captured two suspected members of Iranian-backed “special groups” during
operations in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad.
One
of the suspects, an alleged weapons smuggler and militant
trainer, is linked to high-profile attacks on coalition
and Iraqi security forces, military officials said. Troops
discovered numerous weapons and ammunition on site after
detaining the primary suspect and an associate. (Full
Story)
Bush
to Press G8 to Keep Up Pressure on Extremists, Iran
President
Bush will emphasize during next week’s G8 summit in Japan
that the war against violent extremism is a long-term struggle
while urging continued support in Iraq and Afghanistan, he
told reporters.
Speaking
in the White House Rose Garden, Bush said he’ll also
encourage participants at the Group of Eight’s annual
summit in Hokkaido, Japan, to keep up pressure on Iran so it
abandons its nuclear weapons development plans.
Bush
said he strongly disagrees with those who consider extremists
simply “a bunch of disgruntled folks who occasionally
come and hurt us” rather than a very real long-term threat
to the United States and its interests. (Full
Story)
Russia’s
President Medvedev on Asia Tour Ahead of G8
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev embarked
on a weeklong tour of Asia that takes in four countries,
a G8 summit and meetings with a number of foreign leaders,
a Kremlin spokesman said. Sergei Prikhodko said the tour
begins with a visit to Azerbaijan, where Medvedev will hold
negotiations with President Ilkham Aliyev and religious community
leaders.
On
Friday, the Russian head of state moves on to Ashgabat, where
Russian-Turkmen negotiations will be held.
On
Saturday, Medvedev arrives in Kazakhstan, where he will meet
with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and also King Abdullah
II of Jordan and Turkish President Abdullah Gul. (Full
Story)
Growing
Afghan Police Force Needs More Help
BRUSSELS,
Belgium — Absenteeism, corruption, low pay, lack of equipment
and weapons, and a high casualty rate are just some reasons
policemen show up at the Jalalabad Regional Training Center
in Afghanistan. The goal for them is to avoid these situations.
In most of the country’s districts, policemen
are on the force because they were friends with the right people; however, most
have undergone no police training and many are illiterate. Many policemen on
the payroll receive a considerable paycheck, but never show up to work. Corruption
still is high in Afghanistan, but the Afghan government and NATO forces are working
to change that. (Full
Story)
Gaza
Palestinians Storm Border with Egypt
GAZA
(RIA Novosti) — Hundreds of Palestinians from the Hamas-controlled
Gaza Strip tried to force their way to Egypt through the Rafah
crossing, eyewitnesses said.
Only
the sick and those with visas, around 150 people, were allowed
to cross into Egypt, leaving several thousands behind. The
crossing was then closed.
Egyptian
border guards used water cannons to disperse the angry crowd,
which threw stones at them and Palestinian security forces.
(Full
Story)
Jordan
Returns Looted Treasures to Iraq
AMMAN
(RIA Novosti) — Jordan has returned almost 2,500 ancient
artifacts to Iraq which were stolen from Baghdad’s national
museum following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, local media
reported.
The
antiquities, dating back over a period of 7,000 years, were
recently seized from smugglers by Jordanian border officials
in 22 separate batches.
The
pieces – including coins, necklaces, ancient scrolls and
ceramic pots – were handed over by Jordanian Tourism Minister
Maha Khatib to her Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed Abbas al-Oraibi,
in Amman. (Full
Story) U.S.
DHS Marks 5th Annual National Preparedness Month
This September
(DHS)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today
that more than 1,200 national,
regional, state and local businesses and organizations
have
pledged their support and joined the 2008 National Preparedness Month Coalition.
Sponsored by the department’s Ready Campaign, National Preparedness Month
helps to raise awareness and promote action by Americans, businesses, and communities
on emergency preparedness.
“As
we approach our fifth National Preparedness Month,
I want to thank the hundreds of coalition members
who are making a difference in their communities
by helping raise the basic level of preparedness
in our country,” said… (Full
Story)
Medics
Help Villagers in Afghan Province
BAGRAM
AIR BASE, Afghanistan — An airman and a sailor from Combined
Joint Task Force 101 here teamed up with Afghan doctors and
other coalition medics June 26 to host a village medical outreach
event in the village of Nilay in the Kohe Safi district of
Afghanistan’s Parawan province.
The event was held to help foster relationships
among coalition forces, local governments and local doctors while improving the
health of Afghans living in the province, officials said. (Full
Story)
Yeast-Based
Vaccine Induces Immune Responses and Reduces Tumor Size
in Mice
(NIH)
Scientists have found that vaccination with a heat-killed,
non-toxic yeast that is genetically engineered to manufacture
a common tumor protein can induce specific and repeated anti-tumor
immune responses in mice. Vaccination extends overall survival
and reduces tumor size in mice that have been injected with
cancer cells displaying the same protein that was engineered
into the yeast. Results of this research by scientists at
the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National
Institutes of Health, can be found in the July 1, 2008 issue
of "Clinical Cancer Research." (Full
Story)
"Innocence
Lost" Sting: Sixteen-City Sweep Marks
5th Anniversary
From
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Today
we announced the results of an unprecedented five-day
nationwide sweep targeting criminals involved in
trafficking children for prostitution in the United
States. The stings, dubbed “Operation Cross
Country,” spanned 16 cities and resulted
in the arrest of 389 people and the recovery of
21 children.
The
coordinated operation, which ended June 22,
was the largest in the history of the Innocence
Lost National Initiative, which marks its five-year
anniversary this month. To date, the initiative
has rescued more than 400 child victims and
led to the… (Full
Story)
The
U.S. Coast Guard Auxillary Celebrates Sixty-Nine Years
of Dedicated Service
(USCG)
2008 marks the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s
sixty-ninth year of dedicated service to the nation.
Over the past year the Auxiliary has provided
over three million hours of direct support to the Coast Guard. Admiral Thad
Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guard stated in his 69th Anniversary message
to the entire Coast Guard family that “the overall contribution that
Auxiliarist have given year after year is impressive, but the greatest measure
of their impact is found in their spirit of patriotism and their steadfast
commitment to the guardian ethos and the men and women of the Coast Guard with
whom they serve. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is an extremely valuable asset to
[the Coast Guard], the Department of Homeland Security, and our nation." (Full
Story)
IndyCar
Zooms National Guard Into New Racing Dimension
ARLINGTON,
Virginia — A new relationship with IndyCar promises to propel
National Guard recruiting forward and give citizen-soldiers
and -airmen a more personal interest in another sport.
The new 230-mph, No. 4 National Guard IndyCar
was unveiled at the Army National Guard Readiness Center at Arlington Hall here
last week.
“We’ve been involved with NASCAR for
a number of years,” said Maj. Gen. Ray Carpenter, special assistant to
the director of the Army National Guard. “This is the next step in racing
for us. It’s a great, great opportunity for us to showcase our National
Guard capability in a different forum. It’s a great, great step forward.
(Full
Story) Holocaust
Survivor Cookbook Helps Israelis in Need
Joanne
Caras and her husband Harvey of Port St Lucie, FL visited
their sons and daughter-in-law in Jerusalem for Passover.
Joanne brought with her a check for $18,000 for the Carmei
Ha’ir Soup Kitchen in Jerusalem.
“This
is the second donation we have made from the sale of the
Holocaust Survivor Cookbook. Last December my daughter
Rachel brought the first check,” Joanne explained. "The
donation is made on behalf of the entire Caras family and
everyone who has purchased a copy of the Holocaust Survivor
Cookbook.” (Full
Story)
New
York Unit Brings Canadian Forces, Air Guard Troops Together
ROME,
N.Y. — While North American Aerospace Defense Command
celebrates its rich and historic 50-year history, one unit
will remain diligently watching the skies just as it did
on Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks on the United
States are still etched in the mind of Capt. Rob Hogarth,
who is assigned to the New York Air National Guard’s Northeast
Air Defense Sector.
Like
other members of the unit, which is responsible for the
air defense of the eastern United States, Hogarth found
himself at war on the morning of Sept. 11, as the Twin
Towers fell and United Flight 93 crashed in a farmer’s
field. He and other members of NEADS, as the Rome-based
unit is known, did their utmost to secure the skies over
America that day. (Full
Story)
Honey
Bee Losses Still a Problem in US
(VOA)
Honey bees add billions of dollars in value to around one
hundred thirty crops in the United States.
But since the nineteen eighties, researchers have
been concerned about the health of these valuable pollinators.
Worries grew after the winter
of two thousand six. Some pollination services reported losses
of anywhere from thirty to ninety percent of their hives. The
beekeepers did not find dead adult bees as they often do after winter. Instead,
the bees were gone. Experts gave a name to this mysterious situation: colony
collapse disorder. (Full
Story)
China
Starts Producing Russian Mi-171 Helicopters
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — A manufacturing plant in southwest China
has started to assemble Russian-designed
Mi-171 transport helicopters, one of Russia’s
key arms exports, the Russian business daily Vedomosti said.
China
plans to build at least 20 helicopters in 2008 with assembly
kits supplied by a Russian plant in Ulan-Ude and later
increase production capacity to 80 aircraft per year.
"We
consider this project as the beginning of a trend to
assembly Russian helicopters in China," the newspaper
quoted a source in Oboronprom, which controls Russian
Helicopters, a helicopter manufacturing group. (Full
Story)
Venezuela
to Buy Russian Weaponry Worth $2 Billion
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — Venezuela is planning to conclude several
contracts with Russia on the purchase of military
equipment worth at least $2 billion,
a leading Russian business daily said.
Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez is expected to pay an official visit
to Moscow at the end of July to conclude the necessary
agreements with Russia’s new President Dmitry Medvedev,
who earlier pledged to maintain close military cooperation
with Caracas, the Kommersant newspaper reported. (Full
Story)
Israel’s
PM Olmert’s Speech at the Special
Knesset Session in Honor of the Chancellor
of Germany
The
Honorable President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres
Madam Speaker of the Knesset, Ms. Dalia Itzik
The Honorable Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Madam Angela Merkel,
The Honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ms. Dorit Beinish,
Government Ministers,
Members of Knesset,
Distinguished Guests and Dear Friends,
This
special session of the Knesset of Israel is honoring you, Madam Chancellor, as
the courageous and outstanding leader of your people, as an exceptionally moral
person, and as a steadfast and loyal friend to the Jewish people and the State
of Israel. This is not the first time we have been privileged to host you in
the State of Israel with feelings of respect and appreciation. (Full
Story)
Press
Conference with PM Ehud Olmert and Vice President of
the United States Dick Cheney
(PMO)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: Good evening. Welcome Mr. Vice
President. I am honored and delighted to have you visiting
here after five years, which was your last visit. It is particularly
significant this time because you are coming at the beginning
of the 60th anniversary for the State of Israel, and you
are always a very good supporter and friend to the State
of Israel. We are very proud to have you with us at this
time.
I have to add that we are going to discuss, naturally,
many things tonight and Monday. There are many items on the common agenda of
America and the State of Israel. We are both very concerned about Iran… (Full
Story)
New South Korean Films Spotlight North Korean Escapees’ Plight
SEOUL, South
Korea (VOA) — Two
emerging South Korean film projects are focusing a media spotlight
on the problems faced by North Korean escapees in China. The
films hint at a new atmosphere in South Korea, which has officially
downplayed the humanitarian crisis for years, amid efforts at
reconciliation with Pyongyang.
The
two films – one a fictional drama, the other a documentary –
seek to raise the profile of the danger and suffering faced by
North Korean refugees living illegally in China. (Full
Story)
Fine
Art Forgeries: Global Counterfeiting Scams Busted
(FBI) For
lovers of fine art, it was a veritable field day. In art shows
and galleries across the nation and around the world and over
eBay, a trove of limited edition prints by master artists started
going up for sale as early as the summer of 1999.
There
were two 1968 Pablo Picasso etchings signed in pencil by
the artist and numbered from an edition of only 50 prints.
There was a signed print of the “Eiffel Tower” by
Marc Chagall, just one of 90.
There
was another Picasso print—a drawing called “Francoise
Gilot”—that had been obtained from the legendary
artist’s daughter. There
were thousands of prints by Calder, Dali, Warhol, Miro,
Lichtenstein, and other noted artists, often signed and
numbered, complete with certificates of authenticity. (Full
Story) Sweden
to Return Stolen Russian Ship Paintings
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — The owner of a set of 18th century paintings
of Russian ships has decided to withdraw them from an
auction to be held in Sweden and return them to Russia,
a Russian cultural official said on Tuesday.
Five
watercolor paintings of Russian sailing ships, stolen
from a museum in St Petersburg in 1992, had been due
to be auctioned next week by Stockholms Auktionsverk
at a Russian sale in the Swedish capital.
Anatoly
Vilkov, deputy head of the cultural watchdog agency,
Rosokhrankultura, said his agency had demanded that the
paintings be withdrawn from the auction. (Full
Story) New
Tomb for ‘Altai Princess’ to be Built in Siberia
NOVOSIBIRSK
(RIA Novosti) — A tomb to house the remains of a woman
found after being preserved in ice for 2,500 years will
be built in Siberia’s Altai Republic, the director of a
local museum said on Thursday.
The
well-preserved remains of the woman dubbed the Altai
Princess were discovered
in the region by a team led by a Novosibirsk archeologist
in 1993 near the Mongolian border, and have been studied
at the Archaeology and Ethnography Institute in Novosibirsk.
Residents
of Altai, where shamanism is still widespread, had repeatedly
called for the body’s return to its homeland, and blamed
the removal for earth tremors and other natural disasters. (Full
Story)
Ruins
of 5,500 Year Old Plaza Found in Peru
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — A group of archaeologists have discovered
the ruins of an ancient ceremonial plaza in Peru, built 5,500
years ago, local media said Tuesday.
The
ruins, measuring 180 by 120 meters, were found at Sechin
Bajo in Casma, north of the country’s capital Lima. The plaza,
believed to have been built between 3,500 B.C. and 3,000
B.C., is one of the oldest discoveries in Latin America.
The
El Comercio newspaper cited Peter Fuchs, director of the
Sechin Bajo archaeological project, as saying: "Whoever
built Sechin Bajo had advanced knowledge of architecture
and construction." (Full
Story)
Times
Square Recruiting Station Bombing Causes Minor Damage
(AFPS)
No one was injured and only minor structural damage was
reported
after a bomb went off outside the Armed Forces Recruiting
Station in New York City’s Times Square early this
morning.
The
bomb went off at about 3:45 a.m., cracking the glass door,
bending the door frame and shattering the large glass window
in front of the station, said Army Capt. Charlie Jacquillard,
the commander for the six Army recruiting stations in Manhattan.
The
station, jointly manned by Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine
Corps recruiters, is possibly the most well-known recruiting
station in the world. (Full
Story)
Armenia
to Set Up Uranium Prospecting Joint Venture with Russia
YEREVAN
(RIA Novosti) — The Armenian government authorized on
Thursday the establishment of a joint venture with
Russia for the additional prospecting
of uranium deposits in the South Caucasus republic.
Russia’s
state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the Armenian environmental
ministry agreed in February to set up a joint venture on
a parity basis for the additional prospecting of Armenian
uranium, which will be enriched in a specialized international
center in Angarsk, East Siberia.
The
centre is to operate under the supervision of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (Full
Story) Two
Israeli Soldiers Killed During Routine Patrol in the Gaza
Strip
(IDF) An IDF soldier was killed this
morning during a routine patrol along the security fence
in the central Gaza Strip, near the Israeli town of Kissufim.
The soldier,
who served as a tracker, was killed when an explosive device was detonated
near the jeep in which he was seated. Another soldier was severely injured
and two other soldiers were lightly injured during the incident.
The three were
evacuated to the Soroka hospital in Beersheba to receive medical treatment.
The families of the soldiers have been notified.
Since
the early morning, nine Qassam rockets have been fired
towards Israel. During today’s operations,
the IDF hit a terror operative involved in the launching
of Qassam
rockets this morning.
India
Eyes Deal with U.S. to Replace Aging Russian Warplanes
NEW DELHI
(RIA Novosti) — India has begun talks with the United
States on the purchase of P-8i long-range maritime
reconnaissance patrol aircraft to
replace Russian-made Tu-142M bombers, the Times of India said on Tuesday.
The
newspaper said that the P-8i jet with antisubmarine warfare
capabilities,
based on the Boeing-737 commercial aircraft, had been deemed
the best choice to meet the Indian Navy’s requirements,
ahead of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company’s
A-319 maritime patrol aircraft and other contenders. (Full
Story) Sunken
18th Century Russian Ship to Be Raised
MOSCOW,
(RIA Novosti) — A Russian ship which sank in 1771
off the coast of Finland is to be raised,
Russia’s cultural watchdog said.
The
Dutch ship Vrouw Maria sank in the Baltic Sea in
1771 while carrying works of art bought by the
Russian empress, Catherine the Great, in Amsterdam.
The
ship’s cargo contained around 300 works of art,
including paintings by Rembrandt, as well as jewelry,
silverware, etchings and porcelain.
In
1999, the ship was discovered by Finnish explorers
and the cargo was proclaimed the property of Finland,
in line with international maritime law. (Full
Story)
Spies
on the Inside: Foreign Intrigue on American Soil
(FBI) There were secret meetings in restaurants,
encrypted e-mail messages using a mysterious shorthand, suitcases
crammed full of stolen documents. There were covert payoffs:
a pocket stuffed with a wad of bills, free poker games in Vegas,
a wallet suddenly flush with cash. There were bogus cover stories
for trips to the “motherland” where secrets were
passed and clandestine couriers who helped deliver materials
into foreign hands.
If
it all sounds very cloak and dagger, that’s because it
is. Two cases worked by the FBI and its partners and brought
to fruition Monday with four arrests on opposite coasts had
all the intrigue of a good spy novel. (Full
Story)
Major
Child Porn Ring Busted, 20 Children Rescued Worldwide
(FBI) “Mala
is to die for in those pigtails,” read one message. “I
have a few 5yo [year old] Taras that you do not have,” read
another. “Just dropping in for a hot minute … to
help out the dry spell, and to give everyone something to do
for an afternoon,” said still one more.
They’re
hard comments to read—when you know that they were
posted in a massive secret child pornography newsgroup
on the web.
That
sordid network was exposed this week, thanks to a global
law enforcement operation spanning five countries, three
continents, and 11 U.S. states. As part of the continuing
investigation, a total of 22 men have been arrested, including
14 in America, four in Germany, and two each in Australia
and the U.K. (Full
Story) Egypt
Restricting Traffic Across Border from Gaza
RAFAH
(VOA) — Egyptian border guards have begun restricting traffic
across the border from the Gaza Strip, five days after parts
of a border security fence was blown up, allowing Palestinians
to flood into Egypt to buy food and supplies. Egyptian authorities
are blocking supply trucks that are headed toward Rafah – so
shopkeepers cannot replenish the supplies that have lured hundreds
of thousands of Gazans across the border in recent days.
Hamas set up a stage and loudspeakers for a rally
at the border, but a drenching rain put a damper on the event. Instead, scores
of children huddled under the stage to try to stay dry. More people sought shelter
from the downpour under the toppled sections of the metal barricade that used
to mark the border between Egypt and Gaza, until it was knocked down on
Wednesday. (Full
Story)
Statement
by the President in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
WASHINGTON
–(BW)– On the third International Day of Commemoration,
we remember and mourn the victims of the Holocaust.
I
was deeply moved by my recent visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s
Holocaust Museum. Sixty-three years after the liberation
of Auschwitz, we must continue to educate ourselves about
the lessons of the Holocaust, and honor those whose lives
were taken as a result of a totalitarian ideology that
embraced a national policy of violent hatred, bigotry,
and extermination. It is also our responsibility to honor
the survivors and those courageous souls who refused to
be bystanders, and instead risked their own lives to try
to save the Nazis’ intended victims. (Full
Story)
World
Marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day
(IFM)
On
November 1, 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution
designating
January 27 as International Day of Commemoration in memory
of the victims of
the Holocaust. Rejecting
any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either
in full or in part, the General Assembly adopted by consensus
a resolution (A/RES/60/7) condemning "without reserve" all
manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment
or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic
origin or religious belief, whenever they occur. (Full
Story)
Iraq
Still in Al Qaeda’s Grip, Admiral Says
The
coalition’s success securing Baghdad and Iraq’s
Anbar province from al Qaeda will need to be repeated in other
parts of Iraq, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said. “There
are still villages and towns and regions that are completely
under the thumb of terrorism,” Navy Rear Adm. Gregory
J. Smith said.
Coalition
forces still are embedded in an extended effort against
insurgency in Iraq, Smith told online journalists and “bloggers” in
a conference call.
“Operation
Phantom Phoenix, which began just after the first of the
year, is a continuance of our activity associated with
going after al Qaeda… (Full
Story)
Incoming
South Korean President Hopes for Summit With North
SEOUL,
Korea (VOA) — South Korea’s next president says he would
hold a summit with North Korea if it would help get rid
of the North’s nuclear arsenal. As VOA’s Kurt Achin reports
from Seoul, President-elect Lee Myung-bak also wants
stronger ties with the United States.
President-elect
Lee Myung-bak said Monday that a North-South Korea summit
could happen after he is sworn in next month.
He
says he can meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il
anytime, if it would help persuade the North to give
up its nuclear weapons programs. He adds the next North-South
summit should take place in South Korea. (Full
Story)
Iraqis
Continue to Move Forward, General Says
With
more than 31,000 citizens now providing security assistance
to coalition forces in southern belts of Baghdad and
the southern provinces of Iraq, the Iraqi people continue
to move forward, a U.S. commander said yesterday.
The
concerned local citizens man more than 1,400 checkpoints
and have pointed out more than 400 weapons caches and
improvised explosive devices, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch,
commander of Multinational Division Center, said during
a teleconference with online journalists and “bloggers.” (Full
Story)
New
York Mayor Bloomberg Announces High Tourism Activity
in Radio Address
NEW
YORK, New York (NYC) — "Good Morning. This is Mayor
Mike Bloomberg. How do you capture the energy and optimism
of New York City? The rich diversity of culture, commerce,
and cuisine that can be found in neighborhoods throughout
the five boroughs? Countless writers and artists have thrilled
us with their interpretations, but sometimes, you just
have to come and experience the Big Apple for yourself.
Last year, more people did that than ever before.
"Tourism
projections show that a record 46 million people came
to visit New York during 2007. That includes some 8.5
million people from other countries – an all-time high… (Full
Story)
Bus
Explosion Kills Sri Lankan School Children
NEW
DELHI (VOA) — An explosion ripped apart a bus carrying
school children in rural Sri Lanka and authorities say
it appears to have been a Tamil Tiger attack. The blast
killed at least 23 people and injured nearly 70 others.
A
bomb or land mine planted on the side of a rural road is believed
to have caused the explosion Wednesday morning in a remote
town in southeastern Sri Lanka.
The
bus was carrying scores of school children, many of whom
were killed or injured.
The
blast came just hours after the official end of a truce
between the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers. (Full
Story)
Africa
Partnership Station to Boost Maritime Security
A
multinational crew aboard USS Fort McHenry is cruising port
to port
in the Gulf of Guinea off Africa’s west coast,
training African volunteers to bolster regional security.
Roughly halfway through a seven-month mission, the Africa
Partnership Station is a U.S.-led response to requests
by African nations for military-to-military or civilian-military
maritime training, said Navy Vice Adm. Robert T. Moeller,
U.S. Africa Command’s deputy commander for military
operations. AFRICOM is set to become fully functional
Oct. 1. (Full
Story)
Troops
Kill Terrorist, Detain 31 Others in Iraq
(AFPS)
Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 31 suspected terrorists,
killed another and seized weapons caches
in Iraq over the past four days, military
officials reported. In
the operations, coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist in Samarra
believed to be associated with a senior level al Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist
facilitator. Reports indicate the suspect is tied to a terrorist network responsible
for the flow of foreign terrorists, as well as the facilitation of money and
weapons into Iraq, military officials said. (Full
Story)
Chechen
Prosecutors Move to Close British Peacekeeping Center
ROSTOV-ON-DON/MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — Prosecutors in Russia’s North Caucasus
republic of Chechnya have requested
the liquidation of a British NGO promoting
peacekeeping and community development, saying its accreditation has expired.
Since
May 28, 2005 "the office of the Center for Peacemaking
and Community Development has been operating illegally," prosecutors
said, adding that the center had tax arrears and debts
to the Russian government totaling around 0.5 million
rubles ($20,600).
No
representatives of the NGO were available for comment,
but human rights campaigners criticized the move, saying
it was linked to ongoing political games between Russia
and the U.K. (Full
Story)
FBI
Busts Identity Theft Scheme, Man Tried to Sell Personal
Information of Over 300 People
Used
His Position at a Maryland Mortgage Company to Steal
Over 300 Folders of Personal Financial Information
BALTIMORE,
Maryland (FBI) — U.S. District Judge J. Frederic Motz
sentenced Robert Michael Stewart, age 26, of Timonium,
Maryland, to 66 months in prison followed by three years
of supervised release for fraud in connection with identity
information (identity theft) and aggravated identity
theft in a scheme to sell stolen personal and financial
information, announced United States Attorney for the
District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
United
States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, "People
disclose sensitive personal and financial information
every time they… (Full
Story)
Brazilian
Police Find Stolen Picasso, Portinari Paintings
RIO
DE JANEIRO (RIA Novosti) — Police in Brazil have recovered
two paintings by Pablo Picasso and Candido Portinari
worth an estimated $56 million which were stolen last
month from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art, local officials
said.
The
‘Portrait of Suzanne Bloch’ by Spanish painter Pablo
Picasso, worth around $50 million, and ‘The Coffee Worker’
by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, estimated at $6
million, are "in absolutely perfect condition" and
will go on display on Friday, the museum said.
Police
arrested two suspects and recovered the stolen paintings
on the outskirts of Sao Paulo Tuesday, a police spokesman
said. (Full
Story)
—
Archived Stories —
Paratroopers
Take Down Adhamiyah Terrorists
On
the surface, the market seems perfectly ordinary. Men outside
the shops gather to play dominoes, smoke, and drink tea.
On hot afternoons, an ice cream stand does a brisk business.
But in the dark back rooms of some of the shops, murderous
plans are hatched.
It’s called the Fish Market, a seemingly
benign marketplace in the Graya’at area of Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district.
But according to 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers responsible for security
in the area, it’s also the nexus for Adhamiyah’s criminal-terrorist
underground.
Since paratroopers from 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne
Field Artillery Regiment began conducting security operations in Adhamiyah
two months ago, residents have consistently pointed them back… (Full
Story)
US
Envoy Calls for North Korea to Begin Disarming
(VOA)
A top U.S. nuclear envoy is urging North Korea to start shutting down its
nuclear program, saying that a financial dispute that delayed the disarmament
process has now been resolved.
U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill was speaking in Seoul Wednesday
after the U.S. State Department announced that authorities in Macau had unblocked
frozen North Korean bank accounts. (Full
Story)
Phoenix
Express Strengthens Maritime Partnerships With North Africa
(AFPS)
Phoenix Express, a two-weeklong exercise designed to strengthen U.S. and
European maritime partnerships with North Africa, began in the Mediterranean
Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Eleven nations will conduct multilateral training
to increase regional maritime awareness and improve maritime security and safety,
U.S. Naval Forces Europe officials said. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Warns Iran Failure to Cooperate with IAEA Could Lead to More Isolation
BRUSSELS
(VOA) — Under
Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, visiting Brussels for talks with European
Union and NATO allies, warned Tehran its failure to cooperate with the U.N.
nuclear watchdog agency would lead to Iran’s further isolation. Iran has
rejected the latest U.N. Security Council resolution and President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad says he’ll retaliate by cutting back cooperation with the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
The
State Department’s point man on Iran, Under Secretary
of State Nicholas Burns, suggests Tehran’s reaction to
stricter sanctions is another move in the wrong direction.
(Full
Story)
U.S.
Military in Iraq Announces Capture of Suspected Leaders of Car Bomb Network
(VOA)
The U.S. military says American forces have captured two suspected leaders
of a car bomb network believed responsible for the deaths of hundreds of
Iraqis. A coalition
statement says the men were detained during ongoing security sweeps in Adhamiyah,
a Sunni stronghold in Baghdad.
The
military says one of the men, Haytham Kazim Abdallah
Al-Shimari, is suspected of helping plan and execute
car bombings that have killed many Iraqis in Sadr City,
a Shi’ite neighborhood in Baghdad. (Full
Story)
Israeli-U.S.
Operation ‘Juniper Cobra’ Ends Successfully
(IDF)
A joint command exercise of the IDF and US armed forces has come to a close.
The exercise entailed simulations of missile defense which ended successfully.
Computerized simulations of aerial defense were carried out during the exercise.
According to authorities from both militaries, the exercise acts as a bridge
for cooperation and is essential for mutual drawing of conclusions. (Full
Story)
Putin,
Jintao Talk Iran, North Korea, SCO, Space Security in Moscow
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — The leaders of Russia and China met in Moscow to discuss
the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, and cooperation within a post-Soviet
security organization and in space security.
In
their joint declaration concluding the first day of the Chinese leader’s
three-day visit to Moscow, Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao said Iran had the
right to peaceful nuclear energy if it observed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). (Full
Story)
Russia
Must Develop Weapons with Foreign Partners
MOSCOW
(RIA Novosti) — Russia should seek to develop weapons together with foreign
partners, the president told a commission responsible for defense sector
cooperation with other countries.
India
and China remain leading importers of Russian armaments, accounting for some
80% of the country’s total weapons exports. But Russia has been looking to
expand its presence on arms markets in Latin America and the Middle East,
and currently supplies weapons to more than 60 countries. (Full
Story)
UN
Sec-Gen Visits Arafat’s Grave, Meets Parents of Terrorists
(Israel
NN) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Israel , paying
tribute to dead PLO chief Yassir Arafat but refusing to meet with Hamas officials.
Ban arrived and met with Fatah chief and PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The
secretary-general praised Abbas for his faction’s participation in
the unity government but refrained from making any commitments. “We
will have to wait and see how the new government accepts the international
conditions,” he said. (Full
Story)
Eight
Suspects Captured in Afghanistan; Weapons Cache Found
(AFPS)
Coalition forces in Afghanistan captured eight suspected terrorists and discovered
a weapons cache.
Afghan
forces, with coalition advisors, captured five suspected extremists during
an operation at a compound near Asadabad in Konar province.
The
operation targeted extremist facilitators suspected of helping militant fighters
enter Konar province from Bajaur Agency in neighboring Pakistan, military
officials said. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Hearing Examines Islamic Radicalism
Inside United States
WASHINGTON
(U.S. Sen. Lieberman) — The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee, led by Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Connecticut., and Ranking Member
Susan Collins, R-Maine, continued its investigation into the threat of Islamic
radicalization inside the United States and the initiatives the U.S. government
is taking to identify and combat homegrown terrorism. (Full
Story)
Remarks
by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a Military Naturalization
Ceremony
(DHS)
Well, I want to thank Director Gonzalez for inviting me to host this very
meaningful ceremony and for his kind of words of introduction. I want to
thank General Schoomaker for hosting this as well as all the members of the
staff of Walter Reed for the work they do every day, day in and day out,
to serve our warriors who come back from the battlefield. And, I want to
thank the four service members, three soldiers and one Marine that have become
the new American citizens today. (Full
Story)
Israeli
Discovery Converts Dangerous Radioactive Waste into Clean Energy
(Israel
21C) An Israeli firm has taken the laws of science and turned them into a useful
invention for mankind – a reactor that converts radioactive, hazardous and
municipal waste into inert byproducts such as glass and clean energy.
The
laws of conservation of energy and mass say that energy or mass cannot be created
or destroyed – only change form. With the help of Russian scientists, Israeli
firm Environmental Energy Resources (EER), has taken the laws of science and
turned them into a useful invention for mankind – a reactor that converts radioactive,
hazardous and municipal waste into inert byproducts such as glass and clean
energy. (Full
Story)
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