EXPLOSIVE DEVICES TO COME TO USA?

IED-caused casualties have dropped 89 percent since the surge went full force last June, according to a Cybercast News Service database of Iraq casualties.



While the huge drop in roadside IED explosions augurs well for our troops in Iraq, we may soon be seeing them and other bombs in our neighborhoods in the West, including - or specially - the USA.

Reports indicate Islamic "sleeper cells" in Canada have been activated by Islamic Iran - initially to attack Jewish sites in Canda and in the USA.

There are an estimated 40,000 jihadist suiciders in "sleeper cells" in Canada and the USA alone waiting for orders to activate. Some are Islamic Iran's Shias and others from various countries more inclined to Sunni Islam.

Why the call to arms in Canada, where liberal government regulations and immigration laws make it easier for jihadists?

Because Israel has just completed yet another test run of over 100 aircraft some 900 miies each way over the Mediterranean Sea - the distance between Israel and Islamic Iran's Natanz Nuclear complex.

Iran wants their terror cells ready to retaliate should an Israeli attack take place.

While Jewish locations are the reported target, soft, easy civilian locations are a high priority and as in suicide bombs around the world, non-intended (at least not officially) casualties will hit surrounding areas.

The likelihood of IEDs on our highways and freeways, aimed at specific vehicle targets carrying people is a certainty.

At the same time, these will be used to target oil tankers or railroad cars ostensibly carrying products owned by Jewish organizations.

Notwithsatnding Obama's idealistic/idiotic desire to be fair to TERRORISTS and deal with them using our legal justice system, these same terrorists will DEFINITELY not act within the confines or laws or statutes since none exist to cover the carrnage they plan. Way above what "murder" laws can encompass or handle.

Bill Clinton was handed Ossama Bin Laden on a silver platter but REFUSED to accept him because the JUSTICE SYSTEM DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE to prosecute him in a court of law!

Obama has adopted this cop out for future laxity with terrorists. Clearly he does not want to deal with this kind of opponent and refuses to label such an "enemy".

Terrorise the non-believers, orders 'Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe' after he is freed on bail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1027208/Terrorise-non-believers-orders-Bin-Ladens-right-hand-man-Europe-freed-bail.html

IRAQI SHIAS TO IRAN - BACK OFF!

The signatures of more than two million Iraqi Shi'ites, demanding that Iran cease its interference in Iraq, were presented on Saturday during a convention in Ashraf, northeast of Baghdad, the London-based daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat reported.

Representatives of more than 135 parties and organizations, as well as 1,000 tribal elders from Iraq's southern and central regions, attended the conference, titled "Solidarity with the Iraqi People." Also attending the event were representatives from the Iranian opposition group, Mujahidin Khalq.

"We have gathered over two million signatures from Iraqi Shi'ites, calling on Iran to pull its hands off Iraq and especially the southern districts," said the leader of the Al-Humeidat tribe, Sheikh Ka'sid Najm during the conference.

In an interview with A-Sharq Al-Awsat, Najm explained that Iranian interference in the southern regions had become obvious. He warned that if it did not stop, then Iraq would turn into "an Iranian protectorate."

Shi'ite armed groups in Iraq are supported and trained by Iranian forces, in particular the Al-Quds Force, an elite unit affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards.

Meanwhile, Iraq and Iran recently signed a security memorandum of understanding, which focused on clearing mine fields, recovering the remains of soldiers killed in the eight-year war and setting border lines between the two nations.

The document was agreed upon during last week's visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to Teheran.

CONFLICT & TERROR 06/13

Ireland in crunch EU treaty votePosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 7:44amPeople in the Irish Republic are voting in a referendum on whether to ratify the European Union reform treaty, in a poll anxiously watched across the EU. All other 26 member states have left the issue to their parliaments, but Ireland is obliged to hold a popular vote on changes to its constitution. Full Story

Portugal drivers end fuel strikePosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 7:46amPortuguese lorry drivers have ended their strike against rising fuel prices, after a union reached a deal with the government. The distribution of food and fuel is expected to resume in the country within the next few days. Full Story

Brown wins crunch vote on 42 daysPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 7:51amPrime Minister Gordon Brown has narrowly won a House of Commons vote on extending the maximum time police can hold terror suspects to 42 days. Thirty-six Labour MPs joined forces with Conservatives and Lib Dems to vote against the proposals. Full Story

Lords reject EU referendum callPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 7:53amThe House of Lords has voted against holding a referendum on the EU Treaty - a day before the Irish Republic's national ballot on the agreement. Peers dismissed a Conservative proposal by a margin of 62 votes. Full Story

Afghanistan seeks US$50b at aid conferencePosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 8:35amAfghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday sought 50 billion dollars to rebuild his country at an international aid conference expected to raise more than 15 billion dollars to launch his campaign. The United States has already said it will donate more than 10 billion dollars. Full Story

Top Conservative quits over gov't anti-terror plansPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:14amThe home affairs spokesman for the Conservative Party resigned Thursday in an unprecedented move to trigger a by-election over controversial government anti-terrorism plans. David Davis said he would fight for re-election in his Howden and Haltemprice constituency in northern England on a single issue: opposition to moves to detain suspected extremists for up to six weeks without charge. Full Story

1 Lebanese killed, 1 Syrian injured in land mine explosionPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:24amThe mine, left over from the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, went off as the 35-year-old Hisham Ghosein was plowing his field with a bulldozer in his home village of Qantara, the officials said. Full Story

US military blames Shiite militias for bombPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:27amThe U.S. military on Thursday blamed Shiite militia fighters for a bombing the day before that killed six Iraqi civilians and wounded nine other people, including two American soldiers in Baghdad. Full Story

U.S. Enlists And Arms Patrols in Sadr CityPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:31amYoung men armed and paid by the U.S. military took to the streets of the Iraqi capital's Sadr City area for the first time Wednesday to guard their neighborhoods, part of a new strategy designed to recruit former Shiite militiamen to American-created security groups, U.S. officials said. Full Story

Lawyer slain in Tel Aviv blastPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:40amA car bomb blast in central Tel Aviv Wednesday killed a prominent Israeli lawyer, police said, in what they called a criminal bombing and not an attack by Palestinian militants. Full Story

Blast flattens house of Hamas commander, killing 3Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:41amA blast flattened the house of a militant commander in the Gaza Strip Thursday, killing three people, wounding 40 and burying an unknown number of others, Palestinian officials said. Full Story

Moderate quake strikes Greek island; no damagePosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:54amAn earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 has struck the southern Greek island of Crete, but no injuries or damage have been reported. The Athens Geodynamic Institute says quake struck at 3:20 a.m. Thursday. It was centered in the Zakrou area of eastern Crete about 240 miles southeast of Athens. Full Story

British official suspended after documents foundPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:55amThe British government says a senior intelligence official in the Cabinet office has been suspended after secret government documents were left on a commuter train. The documents on al-Qaida and Iraq were found by a passenger on a London commuter train Tuesday. The passenger gave the documents to the British Broadcasting Corp. Full Story

Bush says US wants partnership with EuropePosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:57amPresident Bush is urging Europe to more aggressively partner with the United States to look beyond trans-Atlantic issues and focus on global problems such as Mideast peace, curtailing the rise of radical Islamic terrorists and keeping regimes such as Iran in check. "Instead of dwelling on our differences, we are increasingly united in our interests and ideals," Bush was to say in a speech Friday in Paris. "In leaders like Berlusconi and Brown, Merkel and Sarkozy, I see a commitment to a powerful and purposeful Europe that advances the values of liberty within its borders, and beyond." Full Story

3 sentenced in terrorism plotPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 10:02amJordan's military court on Thursday sentenced three Hamas operatives to between five and 15 years in jail for conspiring to attack Israeli businessmen, Jordanian intelligence officers and other targets across Jordan. Full Story

Al Qaeda assessment left on UK trainPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 10:42amScotland Yard and Downing Street both said Wednesday they have launched investigations into how top-secret British intelligence documents on al Qaeda and Iraq came to be left on a commuter train by a senior civil servant in the UK's Cabinet Office. "It's a serious breach of Cabinet Office procedures -- a member of staff took the papers out of the office when they should not have and left them on a train," Cabinet Office spokesman James O'Sullivan told CNN. Full Story

Pakistan lawyers march on capitalPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 11:01amThousands of Pakistani lawyers and political activists are preparing to continue their "long march" from Lahore to Islamabad to call for the reinstatement of judges sacked by Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan president. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the deposed chief justice, was due to lead Thursday's procession from the eastern city to the capital. Full Story

US military releases Pakistan airstrike videoPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 11:06amThe U.S. military released video from an unmanned drone that it says shows airstrikes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border targeted fighters engaged with coalition forces. Pakistan accuses the American military of killing 11 of its paramilitary forces in the Tuesday airstrike which Islamabad called a "completely unprovoked and cowardly act." Full Story

"Zero tolerance" for violent Spain truck picketsPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 11:29amSpain promised "zero tolerance" for violence by striking truckers after police cleared picket lines blocking highways during a fuel protest. The government said deliveries of food and other goods were returning to normal on Thursday after an agreement with most of the strikers on Wednesday although food distribution centers reported shortages and car factories remained at a standstill. Full Story

Derailed train in Colorado no accidentPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 11:32amInvestigators say someone purposely sabotaged the railroad tracks that caused a freight train derailment in Westminster. The railroad company is offering a $10,000 reward for information in the case. Full Story

Security tightened as fuel protests turn violentPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:36pmSpain and Malaysia tightened security on Thursday to stop strikes against soaring global fuel prices turning violent, as well as snarling road networks and slowing deliveries of food and raw materials. Spain promised "zero tolerance" for violence by striking truckers after a string of incidents including an arson attack on a strike-breaking truck that left the driver with burns to 25 percent of his body. Full Story

Beijing Olympics broadcasts at riskPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:38pmOLYMPIC host broadcasters, who have paid billions for the right to televise the Beijing Games starting in eight weeks, are furious with China's oppressive security measures, endless red tape and unexplained delays they claim are jeopardising their coverage. Full Story

Tight security a month from quakePosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:43pmA month on from the Sichuan earthquake, Chinese officials have imposed tight security in some of the damaged areas, apparently to prevent protests. Police in the city of Dujianyan stopped parents from holding a memorial ceremony at the rubble of a collapsed school where their children died. Full Story

Nine extremists were killed in gun battle in BangladeshPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:47pmA raging gun battle between an elite security force and communist extremists in northern Bangladesh left at least nine people dead and four other injured Thursday, officials said. All the victims were suspected extremists belonging to a faction of the banned Sarbahara Party, said a local police officer who cannot be named. Full Story

Lankan military launches operation to capture PrabhakaranPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:48pmSri Lankan military has launched a major offensive to capture "alive" the elusive LTTE supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, believed to be hiding in a bunker in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu, the army chief said. Full Story

Hizbul Mujahideen militant arrested in J&KPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:48pmA Hizbul Mujahideen militant has been arrested along with a pistol in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. Full Story

Afghans uncover 260 tonnes of drugsPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:48pmAfghan counternarcotics officials said they uncovered 260 tonnes of hashish hidden in 2-meter-deep trenches in southern Afghanistan in what one official said appears to be the largest-ever drug bust. Full Story

Nepal's former rebels pull out of governmentPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:49pmNepal's former communist rebels quit the country's interim government Thursday in an effort to force the current prime minister out and allow them to form a new administration. Full Story

Pakistani lawyers gather for anti-Musharraf marchPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 12:49pmThousands of Pakistani lawyers and activists gathered for a "long march" from Lahore to Islamabad Thursday to demand the restoration of judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf. Full Story

Failed London bomber's wife jailed for 15 yearsPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 1:00pmThe wife of one of the failed 2005 London suicide bombers was jailed for 15 years Thursday, after being found guilty of failing to tell the police about the terrorist plot. Yeshi Girma, 32, knew her husband Hussain Osman was planning to unleash carnage in the failed July 21, 2005 attacks and could have stopped the attempted bombings, England's Old Bailey central criminal court heard. Full Story

High prices trigger major protests in ThailandPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 4:02pmTens of thousands of heavy trucks are threatening to cause havoc in the Thai capital while fishermen have begun burning their boats in nationwide protests against soaring prices of fuel and other essentials, protesters said Thursday. Full Story

Troops battle NPA in known hideout of rebel spokesman RosalPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 4:02pmArmy troops clashed with suspected New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in Kalayaan town, Laguna province, a known hideout of communist rebel spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal," a regional military commander said. Full Story

Alleged MILF rebels holding 2 Marines in BasilanPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 4:02pmAlleged Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels are holding two Marines soldiers hostage as a "bargaining chip" to press for the release of a suspect in the beheading of Marines in Basilan last year, officials said. Full Story

Japan firms raided in nuclear rowPosted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 4:03pmPolice in Japan have raided two companies after vacuum pumps they manufactured and sold were found in a North Korean nuclear facility. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.

CONFLICT & TERROR 06/12

British MPs vote on controversial terrorism law
Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 7:51am
British lawmakers plan to vote Wednesday on a counter-terrorism bill which includes a controversial provision allowing authorities to hold terrorism suspects without charging them for up to six weeks. Civil liberty groups and others staunchly oppose raising the current limit of 28 days to 42, saying the measure is unjust and unnecessary. The government says the measures are needed to tackle the threat from terrorism and they would only be used in exceptional cases. Full Story

Militants kill woman "U.S. spy" in PakistanPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 7:55amMilitants in Pakistan executed a woman after accusing her of being a spy for the U.S. and a prostitute, and said others would face the same fate, a government official and villagers said on Wednesday. It was the first time that a woman had been killed in northwest Pakistan after being accused of spying although militants have killed many men they accused of helping U.S. forces in neighbouring Afghanistan. Full Story

Four civilians, several rebels killed in Afghan raid: US forcesPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 8:11amThree women and a child were killed along with several militants in an attack by US-led forces on a rebel compound in eastern Afghanistan, the force said on Wednesday. The incident happened on Tuesday when the US-led coalition which ousted the Taliban from government in late 2001 targeted a hideout in Paktika province from the ground and the air, it said in a statement. Full Story

Taiwan delegation arrives in Beijing for talks on flightsPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 8:17amA Taiwanese delegation arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for talks on expanding charter flights between Taiwan and China  the first formal discussions between the sides since 1999. The 19-member Taiwanese team is being led by Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the quasi-governmental Straits Exchange Foundation, and includes two vice Cabinet ministers  the highest-ranking Taiwanese officials ever to participate in bilateral talks. Full Story

Brown under fire over 42-day planPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:02amDavid Cameron accused Gordon Brown of making "so many concessions" in his bid to win the terror detention limit vote the legislation was now "unworkable". He said the PM's case for extending the limit from 28 to 42 days would be stronger if it had the backing of the police and security services. Full Story

EU to act over UK budget deficitPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:14amThe European Commission is to start disciplinary proceedings against the UK for breaching its economic rules. It says Britain's budget deficit, the gap between its spending and its revenues, is growing too large. Full Story

Wife of 21 July plotter convictedPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:16amThe wife of a man who tried to bomb a Tube station has been convicted of failing to tell police about his plan. The Old Bailey was told Yeshi Girma, of Stockwell, south London, knew of her husband Hussain Osman's plot to bomb Shepherd's Bush station in July 2005. Full Story

Anti-war campaigners plan protest march during US president's UK visitPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:22amAnti-war campaigners say they will ignore police cordons and march outside British government buildings on Sunday to protest U.S. President George W. Bush's UK visit. The Stop the War Coalition said Tuesday that its supporters will start their protest outside Parliament in central London, then move to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's nearby residence at Downing Street. Full Story

Terror charge duo appear in courtPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:25amTwo men have appeared in court charged with supporting terrorism overseas. Musse Said Yusuf, 31, of Leicester, is accused of owning terrorist videos and running a website that published terrorist literature. Full Story

Protesters continue wrecking havoc in SpainPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:30amSpanish hauliers continued protests against high fuel prices Wednesday, clogging traffic for the third day while the government was trying to negotiate an end to the strike. A lorry driver was taken to hospital with serious burns after his vehicle began burning in San Isidro near Alicante. The man had been sleeping in the cabin. Several other trucks also burned out. Police were investigating whether strikers had set them on fire. Full Story

Al-Qaeda suspect being deportedPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:33amThe first man with suspected links to al-Qaeda to be convicted of terrorist charges in Northern Ireland is being deported back to Algeria. Officials of the Border and Immigration Agency collected Abbas Boutrab from Maghaberry Prison on Tuesday afternoon. Full Story

Gates warns of consequences for states providing terrorists nuclear bombPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:36amUS Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Tuesday of catastrophic consequences for any state that provided nuclear weapons used in a terrorist attack on the United States. Full Story

Feds arrest 3 in weapons raidsPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:37amA Clearfield County man who gave undercover federal agents explicit instructions on how to make what he called bean can grenades has been arrested on weapons charges. Full Story

Israeli officials say Syria talks resume next weekPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 9:46amIndirect peace negotiations between Israel and Syria will resume next week, Israeli officials said late Tuesday. Full Story

Two dead in Europe fuel protestsPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 10:15amTwo lorry drivers have been killed in fuel protests in Spain and Portugal as the hauliers' strike continues. One was killed in the Spanish city of Granada when he was run over by a van trying to drive through a picket line. Full Story

Security cabinet rules out Gaza opPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 10:27amThe long-delayed decision whether to accept an Egyptian-brokered cease fire with Hamas or step up military operations against the Gaza Strip came before the security cabinet on Wednesday, and despite reports that a majority of ministers favored tough military action, the decision was to give the cease fire talks more time. Full Story

Police arrest gang of five trying to sell counterfeit dollarsPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 10:39amPolice have arrested a gang of five men for planning to circulate a large amount of counterfeit US dollars and trying to sell it. Full Story

80,000 protest US beef in South KoreaPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 11:13amTens of thousands of activists rallied overnight and into Wednesday in the largest demonstration yet against the planned resumption of US beef imports, failing to be placated by the South Korean Cabinet's offer to resign. Full Story

Diplomat: US faces competition in Latin AmericaPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 11:19amThe State Department's top diplomat for Latin America said Tuesday that Washington is interested in avoiding conflict with the region and instead favors partnership and patience to strengthen relations. Full Story

Chavez revokes Venezuela spy lawPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 11:19amVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez has revoked a law that made sweeping changes to the intelligence services. Mr Chavez said he recognised he had made errors when proclaiming the law by decree, adding that it breached the country's constitution. Full Story

Finland and Estonia ratify EU treaty before Irish votePosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 11:54amFinnish and Estonian lawmakers overwhelmingly ratified the European Union's Lisbon Treaty on Wednesday  a day before a national referendum in Ireland could determine the fate of the charter. The Finnish Parliament voted 151-27 in favor of the treaty, which was negotiated after voters in France and the Netherlands rejected the European Constitution in referendums in 2005. Full Story

Indian police, villagers clash near eastern steel plant, injuring 15Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2:46pmPolice used batons and tear gas to disperse angry villagers trying to storm a steel plant in eastern India in a protest over land compensation, officials said Wednesday. Five villagers and 10 officers were reported injured. Full Story

Afghan officials: 31 killed in airstrikesPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2:47pmOfficials says 31 people died in airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan. Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary says most of the 31 people were foreign fighters. But Khalid Farooqi, a lawmaker from Paktika, says at least nine civilians were killed. Full Story

Japanese leader suffers unprecedented no-confidence motion in parliamentPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2:57pmJapan's upper house of parliament approved an unprecedented no-confidence motion against embattled Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Wednesday, embarrassing his troubled government but not posing an immediate threat to his tenure. Full Story

Hong Kong culls all live poultry in markets after bird flu outbreakPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2:57pmHong Kong said on Wednesday it would slaughter all live poultry in markets and shops around the city following a fresh outbreak of bird flu. Full Story

Tigers destroy Lankan navy outpostPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2:57pmTamil Tiger rebels attacked and destroyed a navy outpost in north-western Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least three sailors and losing four fighters of their own, a navy spokesman said. Full Story

Four hurt in Meghalaya temple blastPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 2:58pmFour persons, including three girls, were injured on Wednesday in an explosion at a Durga Temple at Nartiang in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills district, police said. Full Story

Utilities vulnerable to hackers, experts sayPosted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 4:09pmAttackers could gain control of water treatment plants, natural gas pipelines and other critical utilities because of a vulnerability in the software that runs some of those facilities, security researchers reported Wednesday. Full Story

Report: SKorea Cabinet offers to resignPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 6:27amA news report says South Korea's entire Cabinet has offered to resign following the public uproar over the planned resumption of U.S. beef imports. Full Story

Spanish police arrest 8 suspected members of radical Islamic cellPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 6:28amPolice arrested eight suspected members of an Islamic extremist cell that allegedly aided groups linked to al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday. Full Story

US and EU 'to issue Iran warning'Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 7:54amUS President George W Bush is holding talks with EU leaders in Slovenia, at the start of what is expected to be his last tour of Europe while in office. They are set to supplement UN sanctions with "additional measures" to pressure Iran to abandon uranium enrichment, according to a draft joint statement. Full Story

Shortages bite in Spanish strikePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 7:55amA growing number of petrol stations in Spain are running out of fuel, as lorry drivers continue to blockade major cities in a protest over diesel prices. With the strike in its second day, worried motorists cleaned garages out of fuel, and some food markets have also started running out of produce. Full Story

MI5 chief clarifies 42-day stancePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 7:57amThe head of the security service MI5 has clarified its position on government plans to seek powers to detain terror suspects for 42 days. Following controversy over MI5's failure to back the plans, Jonathan Evans said MI5 was not the appropriate body to advise on detention limits. Full Story

Defying U.S., EU nears deal ending Cuban sanctionsPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 8:02amEuropean Union states are nearing agreement on ending sanctions on Cuba in defiance of U.S. calls for continued pressure for democratic reform on the communist island, diplomats said on Tuesday. Closed-door talks on the move are continuing as EU leaders host President George W. Bush for a farewell summit in Slovenia. EU foreign ministers could endorse the step at a meeting in Luxembourg next Monday, the envoys said. Full Story

Pakistan at the mercy of marching lawyersPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 8:43amPakistan is engulfed in its own version of the Long March, and just as that pivotal event changed the face of China in the mid-1930s, Pakistan's political landscape could be significantly altered, as could that of its neighbor Afghanistan. Thousands of black-suited lawyers gathered in Karachi on Monday for the beginning of a country-wide protest that is scheduled to finish outside parliament in the capital Islamabad on Thursday. Full Story

Key leaders of failed 2003 mutiny plead guilty in PhilippinesPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 8:46amEleven key leaders of a failed 2003 mutiny against Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday changed their not-guilty pleas to guilty before a court martial. Defence counsel Edgardo Abaya said four of the 11 junior officers met with armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Alexander Yano before they reversed their plea at a scheduled hearing. Full Story

North Korea says committed to fighting terrorismPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 8:56amNorth Korea Tuesday stressed its opposition to all forms of terrorism, describing such attacks as a threat to human life and international stability. A statement from the communist state appeared to pave the way for its removal from a US list of state sponsors of terrorism, in return for Pyongyang's efforts to shut down its nuclear weapons programme. Full Story

U.S. to erect more "virtual" border fencesPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 9:12amU.S. officials announced plans for more high-tech border fencing and rules making it harder for federal contractors to hire illegal workers, but said on Monday it would take another three years to declare victory in immigration control. Full Story

Severed head, threatening note found outside Mexico news officePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 9:12amA note threatening a Mexican journalist was found outside the office of a newspaper in southern Mexico on Monday, two days after someone left a severed head there. Tabasco state Attorney General Gustavo Rosario said the letter was directed at Juan Padilla, editor of El Correo de Tabasco, which recently carried reports about migrant smuggling and kidnapping in the area. Full Story

Britain to announce by year-end that it will withdraw all UK troops from IraqPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:07amBritain's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that no final decision is imminent on withdrawing all remaining British troops from Iraq, as the BBC reported that the government would outline pullout plans by the end of the year. Full Story

IDF air strike kills three Hamas operativesPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:10amWith a decision on a military operation in the Gaza Strip potentially only hours away, the violence in southern Israel showed no signs of relief as the IDF reportedly killed three Hamas operatives in an air strike which followed an intense mortar shell barrage on Tuesday. Full Story

Parents of captive Israeli soldier get letterPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:13amThe parents of an Israeli soldier who is being held by Hamas-allied militants received a letter from him Monday, delivered by representatives of former President Jimmy Carter. Full Story

Iran vows 'painful response' if Israel attacksPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:16amIran's defense minister warned of a "painful response" if Israel attacks Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday. Full Story

Gulf Ministers offer proposal to tackle expat labourPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:18amA recommendation to "adjust" the situation of all expatriates working in the Gulf within two years will be submitted to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit next November, the GCC labour ministers have agreed. Full Story

FBI's name check system criticizedPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:27amThe FBI's name check program relies on outdated technology and employs workers with limited training, raising concerns about the government's ability to assess national security threats, according to the Justice Department's watchdog inspector general. Full Story

Colombian city, once violent, now very livablePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:28amThe Santo Domingo Savio barrio here was once considered perhaps the most violent neighborhood in all of Latin America. Police entered the hillside neighborhood only when they had overwhelming numbers. Full Story

Blasts in Kabul were controlled - officialPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:48amTwo explosions heard in the Afghan capital on Tuesday were controlled detonations carried out by munitions experts inside the presidential palace, an official said. Full Story

Muslim militants kidnap Philippine television crew: policePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:48amPolice and military were scouring the strife-torn southern Philippine island of Jolo Tuesday for a prominent television journalist and her crew kidnapped by Muslim extremists. Full Story

Policeman killed, set alight in ThailandPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:48amSuspected separatists have killed three people in the Thai south, including a senior police officer whose body was set on fire in front of his frantic wife, police say. Full Story

Terror vote 'will be very tight'Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 12:12pmHome Office minister Tony McNulty has said the result of Wednesday's crunch vote on extending terror detention to 42 days is looking "very, very tight". His comments to the BBC came after Cabinet ministers were told "there was still more to do" to win the vote. Full Story

Bomb suspect 'may be in Republic'Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 12:14pmA man accused of involvement in a bomb attack who failed to turn up in court may be living in the Republic of Ireland, a judge has been told. Gary Jones, 41, of Castlekeel in Newry, denies charges of causing an explosion and of possessing the improvised device with intent to endanger life. Full Story

Final push in Ireland's knife-edge EU poll battlePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:18pmIreland risks bringing the European Union "to a halt" if it rejects a disputed new EU treaty this week, Prime Minister Brian Cowen warned Tuesday ahead of a crunch referendum watched anxiously in Europe. The comment came as supporters and opponents of the Lisbon treaty made a final push for votes ahead of an eve-of-poll ban on campaigning for the plebiscite, which could deal a devastating blow to the 27-nation bloc. Full Story

Two killed as army foils infiltration bidPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:24pmArmy foiled yet another infiltration bid and killed two terrorists along the Line of Control at Keran in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Monday. This was the second infiltration bid across the LoC near Keran in the last 10 days. Full Story

S. Korean Cabinet Offers to Quit After Beef ProtestsPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:24pmSouth Koreas entire cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday as President Lee Myung-bak struggled to find a breakthrough in the biggest political crisis to face his young government, one set off by fears that an agreement to reopen markets to American beef could expose the public to mad cow disease. Full Story

North Korea says it's opposed to terrorism in bid for removal from U.S. blacklistPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:25pmNorth Korea reasserted its opposition to terrorism Tuesday in an apparent attempt to bolster its bid for removal from a U.S. blacklist, as an American diplomat traveled to Pyongyang to help push the country's nuclear disarmament. Full Story

Muslim sect banned by Indonesian government braces itself for troublePosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:25pmNearly a hundred police officers guarded the road leading to this quiet, well-kept village in West Java on Tuesday, to protect residents from possible attacks by hard-line Muslims. Full Story

Violence erupts in Orissa steel plant, 15 injuredPosted on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 2:25pmAt least 15 people, including five security personnel, were injured when police used batons and fired teargas shells to disperse villagers who tried to damage construction work inside a private steel company in Orissa's Dhenkanal district on Tuesday. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.

CONFLICT & TERROR 06/10

Spanish hauliers on fuel strike
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:41am
Tens of thousands of Spanish lorry drivers have begun an indefinite strike over the soaring price of diesel, which has risen by 20% this year. After stopping work at midnight, many disrupted traffic at one of the border crossings between Spain and France. Full Story

Brown in tribute to Afghan dead
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:42am
The prime minister has paid tribute to the courage of British troops in Afghanistan, as the number to have died there since 2001 reached 100. Gordon Brown said: "They have paid the ultimate price, but they have achieved something of lasting value." Full Story

Robust trade aids German economy
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:44am
Strong export growth has helped Germany boost its trade surplus but analysts have warned of weaker economic conditions affecting future prospects. Its surplus rose to an above-forecast 18.7bn euros ($27.6bn; #14.1bn) in April from 16.6bn euros the month before, according to official figures. Full Story

Greek earthquake aftershock warning
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:47am
Seismologists warned Monday that a strong aftershock was expected in southwestern Greece a day after a powerful earthquake killed two people and injured nearly 150. The quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, struck Sunday afternoon near the western port city of Patras, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) west of Athens, the Athens Geodynamic Institute said. Full Story

Protest truckers plan to bring Spain to halt
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:50am
Tens of thousands of truckers went on strike Monday over soaring fuel costs, stalling their big rigs in "snail protests" that snarled traffic around Madrid and Barcelona. Spanish truckers. More than 90,000 drivers have been summoned to take part in the strike -- one of a number of Europe-wide protests against rising fuel prices. Full Story

Police: About 100 hooligans detained
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7:56am
Police detained about 100 hooligans for shouting anti-Semitic slogans during Germany's European Championship match against Poland. Police on Sunday at first detained about 60 people, then a second group of 40 was taken into custody later, authorities said. Full Story

Thousands of European truckers join fuel protests
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 8:15am
Tens of thousands of truckers in Spain, France and Portugal on Monday stepped up protests against rising fuel prices, causing mayhem on highways and blocking border crossings. Huge tailbacks built up around major cities and on the French-Spanish border as French fishermen in Mediterranean ports ended their three-week strike over the spiralling cost of fuel. Full Story

Indonesia restricts minority sect but stops short of ban
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 8:58am
The Indonesian government announced tough restrictions against a minority Muslim sect on Monday as thousands of angry hardliners called for jihad, or holy war, against the group. The government move, which stopped short of a total ban demanded by hardliners, comes amid a raging debate over religious freedom as the mainly Muslim archipelago wrestles with its Islamic identity. Full Story

Aftershocks hit brimming China quake lake
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 9:01am
Chinese troops are carving a third drainage channel into the unstable dam holding back a big "quake lake," as water levels rise and aftershocks send more debris tumbling into the water, state media reported on Monday. Full Story

Bird-Flu Concerns Resurface
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 9:28am
Authorities here slaughtered 2,700 birds and banned live poultry imports from mainland China for as long as 21 days after a routine inspection Saturday found chickens in one of the city's poultry markets infected with the dangerous H5N1 bird-flu virus. Full Story

Pak govt scraps peace deal with Taliban
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 11:00am
Rattled by a fresh wave of suicide attacks, Pakistan government on Monday scrapped a deal signed last month with the Taliban that had been bitterly opposed by the United States and Afghanistan. Full Story

2 boys killed when a bomb they found explodes in the Philippines
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 11:00am
Police in the Philippines say two boys died and another was injured when a bomb they found behind a hospital exploded while they were playing with it. Full Story

Man denies city trip was for 7/7
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 2:00pm
A man who visited London months before the 7 July 2005 attacks has denied the trip was to find possible targets. Sadeer Saleem said there had been nothing untoward about his visit with two of the future suicide bombers. Full Story

Irish PM Cowen: We will win EU treaty vote
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 2:20pm
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen predicted that Irish voters would say "Yes" in Thursday's referendum on the European Union reform treaty, after two opinion polls pointed to a close race. Ireland votes on June 12 in the only referendum on the treaty in an EU state, meaning that a country accounting for less than 1 percent of the bloc's 490 million population could derail a pact designed to reform how it is run. Full Story

Spanish gas stations begin to run out amid protest
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 2:53pm
Gas stations in Madrid and the northeastern Catalonia region began running out of fuel Monday as an indefinite strike by truckers began to bite. Antonio Onieva, president of Madrid's station owners organization, told reporters that by 5:30 p.m., 15 percent of the capital's outlets had run out of fuel. Manuel Amado, president of Catalonia's owners' federation, said 40 percent of Catalonia's 1,714 stations had sold out. Full Story

Greece orders villages evacuated in quake-hit area
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 4:27pm
Authorities evacuated three villages in southwestern Greece on Monday after seismologists warned that a strong aftershock was expected in areas where a powerful earthquake killed two people and injured more than 200. The quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, struck Sunday afternoon near the western port city of Patras, about 120 miles west of Athens. Full Story

Rwandan suspects to be extradited
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:27am
Magistrates in London have upheld a request to extradite four men to Rwanda to face mass murder charges. They are wanted in connection with the genocide in 1994 in which 800,000 people were killed in 100 days. Full Story

Minister attacks Major on 42 days
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:32am
Claims by former prime minister Sir John Major that holding suspects for up to 42 days would increase terrorism have been rejected by the government. Home Office Minister Tony McNulty urged MPs to trust the police on the issue rather than Sir John who has been "out of the loop" for the past decade. Full Story

NI ministers meet PM on first day
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:38am
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been meeting Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness in Downing Street on their first day in office together. Mr Brown had promised to host the talks after Sinn Fein apparently threatened to derail Mr Robinson's elevation as first minister. Full Story

EU to work closer on anti-terrorism measures
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 10:36am
European Union governments agreed Thursday to work closer together to protect sensitive targets from a possible terrorist attack. In Luxembourg, EU interior ministers also approved a series of technical measures designed to make it easier to share information about criminals, including their DNA profiles. Full Story

French unemployment falls to its lowest level
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 11:24am
The French jobless rate fell to 7.2 percent of the working population in the first quarter of 2008, its lowest level since the early 1980s, according to official figures released Thursday. The unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points compared to the last quarter of 2007 and 1.2 points over a year, according to the figures from the INSEE statistics institute. Full Story

No camp 'gains' in Irish EU vote
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 12:39pm
Irish and EU officials say they are confident the EU reform treaty will pass an Irish referendum despite a poll suggesting the No vote is surging. A survey published by the Irish Times on Friday suggested 35% of people would vote No - more than twice the figure polled two weeks ago - against 30% Yes. Full Story

Call for EU to build its own army
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 12:59pm
An influential Polish member of the European parliament has called for the EU to develop "hard power" and spend more money to build a European army. Foreign affairs committee chairman Jacek Saryusz-Wolski also wants the European parliament to have the final say on deployments under the EU flag. Full Story

Official: Roadside bomb kills 6 Algerian soldiers
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4:20pm
An Algerian security official says a roadside bomb killed six soldiers in a region where Islamic extremists remain active. Full Story

Turkish PM holds emergency meeting after headscarf defeat
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4:29pm
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold an emergency meeting with senior aides Friday after Turkey's top court upheld a ban on the Islamic headscarf in universities, dampening his party's hopes of surviving a pending closure case. Erdogan cancelled his programmes in Istanbul and was to return to Ankara to chair the meeting of his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) at 3 p.m. He also scrapped a trip to Switzerland on Saturday where he was to have watched Turkey's first Euro 2008 match against Portugal. Full Story

Medvedev warns against Nato entry
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4:32pm
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Georgia and Ukraine of serious consequences if they press ahead with plans to join Nato. Mr Medvedev and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Georgia's president that joining the alliance would lead to a "spiral of confrontation". Full Story

Ukraine coalition loses majority
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4:35pm
Ukraine's governing pro-Western coalition has lost its parliamentary majority after two members quit. One was from PM Yulia Tymoshenko's bloc, the other from President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party. The coalition that first came to power after 2004's Orange Revolution now has 225 seats - exactly half of parliament. Full Story

Russia and Georgia take a softer tone
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4:38pm
Meeting at a palace outside St. Petersburg on Friday, President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia and the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, said their two countries could work out their differences, including a longstanding conflict over the separatist region of Abkhazia, without international assistance. Full Story

Military says working with Iran on PKK strikes
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4:45pm
Turkey's military is cooperating with Iran by sharing information and coordinating strikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) based in northern Iraq, a senior Turkish general said on Thursday. Full Story

Venezuela fires missiles in exercises
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 5:21pm
Venezuela fired live missiles from fighter jets and ships Friday during exercises intended to demonstrate the firepower of President Hugo Chavez's military. Full Story

Russia: China chemical leak not a threat
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 5:22pm
A chemical leak in China's northeast killed three people, but the accident was contained and did not pose an environmental threat, Russian authorities said Friday. Eight people were also sickened when the phosgene gas leaked Thursday from a canister that was being dismantled at a plant in Qiqihaer, about 250 miles from the Russian border, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. Full Story

Some Somali Security Forces Reportedly Joining Pirates for Money
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 5:40pm
The mayor of a coastal town in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland reports that poorly-paid government security force members are joining forces with local pirates, who are earning millions of dollars from ransom payments. Puntland officials acknowledge that huge ransoms from ship owners are encouraging more and more people to view piracy as a quick way to make money. Full Story

Israel to attack Iran unless enrichment stops: minister
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 6:11pm
An Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential, one of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's deputies said on Friday. Full Story

Ecuador, Colombia Reported to Restore Diplomatic Ties
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 6:11pm
The U.S.-based Carter Center says Colombia and Ecuador have agreed to restore some diplomatic ties following mediation efforts by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Full Story

Assailants attack police head in Russia's Chechnya
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 6:24pm
An explosion ripped apart a car carrying a district police chief in Chechnya on Friday and gunmen then shot at the burning vehicle, a source at the law enforcement agencies told Interfax news agency. Full Story

Pakistan seeks UN Bhutto inquiry
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:28pm
Pakistan's new government has asked the United Nations to investigate the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December. A UN spokeswoman said the request was contained in a letter from Pakistan's Foreign Minister sent to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Full Story

Crackdown deals crushing blow to Mexican drug gangs
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:29pm
The Mexican government's 18-month campaign against the country's organized-drug gangs has cost the gangsters who lead them some $5.5 billion and all but shut down one of the largest smuggling operations, officials said on Friday. Full Story

Conviction upheld for Houston-born terrorist
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 8:30pm
A federal appeals court upheld the conviction Friday of a Virginia man convicted of joining al-Qaida and plotting to assassinate President Bush, but said that he must be re-sentenced. Full Story

Group urges recall of Venezuela diplomat
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 9:18pm
A leading anti-Semitism watchdog group wants Venezuela's ambassador to Russia recalled. The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center says Ambassador Alexis Navarro made anti-Semitic comments. Full Story

Pak PM for early and peaceful solution of Kashmir issue
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:35am
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that an early, just and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of the Kashmiris would help Pakistan and India to achieve harmony in the Valley. Gilani said this while talking to veteran Indian journalist and parliamentarian Kuldip Nayar. Full Story

Top militant among six killed in Thailand's restive south
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:36am
A man wanted over the killing of two Thai marines died in a gunfight during a bloody night that claimed five more lives in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, police said Saturday. Full Story

Pakistan defends talks with Taliban
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:37am
Pakistan's foreign minister said in Afghanistan yesterday that his government was not in talks with "terrorists" but only with "peace-loving" elements as part of a multi pronged strategy to fight extremism. Full Story

Israelis, Palestinians to start writing peace pact
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:37am
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have agreed to start drafting elements of a proposed peace accord, the chief Palestinian negotiator said Friday. Full Story

Top Hezbollah Commander Captured In Iraq
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:38am
The U.S. military in Iraq has captured the deputy military chief of the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah, coalition officials said.Iraqi sources said the U.S. Army has arrested the No. 2 figure in Hezbollahs military wing. Full Story

Armed Attackers Ambush Home of Kosovo's Prime Minister
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:39am
Police say armed assailants have attacked the home of Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.They say Thaci's security guards exchanged fire with the assailants, injuring at least one assailant. Full Story

IEA calls for $45trn global revolution in energy technology
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:40am
Governments around the world must spend $45 trillion (#23trn) if they are to halve carbon emissions by 2050, according to a leading energy watchdog, as it called for an "energy revolution". If current policies are maintained, CO2 emissions will more than double, The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned. Full Story

U.S. not seeking permanent Iraq bases, ambassador says
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:42am
The United States ambassador to Iraq dismissed any suggestion on Thursday that the Bush administration was maneuvering to set up permanent military bases in Iraq. "I'm very comfortable saying to you, to the Iraqis, to anyone who asks, that, no indeed, we are not seeking permanent bases, either explicitly or implicitly," the ambassador, Ryan C. Crocker, said at a State
Department news briefing. Full Story

Palestinian leader urges talks with Hamas
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:43am
The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, called unexpectedly late Wednesday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move that could herald a breakdown of his peace talks with Israel. Full Story

Kremlin denies reports on strengthening of Russia's
Security Council
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:45am
The Kremlin chief of staff, Sergei Naryshkin, denied on Saturday reports that Russia's Security Council would be reformed and its powers increased.Reports in the Russian media on Friday said that a bill, supposedly to be submitted to the State Duma this fall, would give the Security Council the power to issue instructions to the government and to assume the functions of the presidential administration in personnel policy. Full Story

Bangladesh party rejects unity offer from rival
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:50am
A call for national unity by the party of detained former Bangladesh prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia was immediately rebuffed on Friday by its main rival in a sign the country's political cracks are as wide as ever. Full Story

Asian powers, US warn oil shock to hit global economy
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 4:51am
The United States and Asia's four largest powers voiced concern on Saturday after a record spike in oil price as worries grew that energy costs may derail the global economy. Oil prices, which have soared five-fold since 2003, posted their highest ever one-day gain of 10.75 dollars to close at a new record of 138.54 dollars in New York after hawkish remarks by an Israeli official on oil producer Iran. Full Story

Kosovo prime minister's home attacked
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 5:10pm
Armed assailants trying to break into the home of Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci exchanged fire with guards, but the leader was away and his family was not hurt, police said Saturday. Full Story

Al Qaedas North African Safe Haven
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 8:40pm
Afghanistan may not be the safe haven for Islamist terrorists it once was. Yes, its still a haven for terroristsits just no longer as safe for them, thanks to forces from America, Germany, Britain, France, Canada and several other nations keeping al Qaeda on the run. Considering the difficulty al Qaeda is now having in keeping its operations consolidated in the face of this military threat, it is only natural it would consider moving its center of operations. Full Story

G-8 Energy Chiefs Meet as Oil Soars
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:15am
Japan's energy chief launched a meeting of ministers from the world's top industrialized nations Sunday by warning that soaring oil prices could trigger a global recession if they're not checked. Full Story

At least 37 missing after Ukrainian mine blast
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:16am
An underground gas explosion at a colliery in Ukraine's Donbass coalfield injured at least three miners with a further 37 missing, officials said on Sunday. The blast occurred at about 5 a.m. local time, about 1 km underground at the Karl Marx pit in the Donetsk region, the heart of the coalfield. Full Story

India, China jostle for influence in Indian Ocean
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:17am
This battered harbor town on Sri Lanka's southern tip, with its scrawny men selling even scrawnier fish, seems an unlikely focus for an emerging international competition over energy supply routes that fuel much of the global economy. Full Story

Iraqi leader says security deal won't harm Iran
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:18am
Iraq's prime minister sought to ease Iranian fears over a proposed security deal with the U.S. Sunday, saying his government will not allow Iraq to become a launching pad for an attack on its neighbor. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a two-day visit to Tehran that was expected to focus on the security pact, which Washington and Baghdad hope to finish by mid-summer. Full Story

Explosion at Basque newspaper, no injuries
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:19am
An explosion damaged the printing facilities of a Basque newspaper in northern Spain as people worked inside early Sunday but no one was injured, the Interior Ministry said. An apparent bomb detonated at the presses of El Correo near the port city of Bilbao at about 3 a.m. Sunday, a regional ministry spokesman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with government rules. Full Story

Pakistan to ask Saudi Arabia to defer oil payments
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:19am
Pakistan is to ask Saudi Arabia if it can defer paying for oil imports worth two billion dollars as it grapples with a deteriorating economic situation fuelled by rise in global crude prices. Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani is in the desert kingdom to perform umrah (a pilgrimage to Mecca). Full Story

Russian President Warns West
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:20am
Medvedev said Thursday in his first major foreign policy speech that if NATO moves to expand further east it would seriously undermine relations between Russia and the West. Full Story

Israeli troops kill Gaza militant
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:21am
A Palestinian medical official says Israeli troops have killed a Hamas militant on the Gaza-Israel border. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Gaza Health Ministry says an Israeli tank killed the militant near Gaza City. Hamas confirms the man was a member of the group and says two of his comrades were wounded. Full Story

Three guerrillas killed in Philippines
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:23am
Pro-government militiamen have killed three communist guerrillas when the rebels attacked their outpost in the northern Philippines, a military official says. One militiaman was also wounded in the clash with the communist New People's Army (NPA) in Sallapadan town before dawn on Satuday, said military spokesman Major Rosendo Armas. Full Story

US military arrests 2 suspected militiamen in Iraq
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:24am
U.S. soldiers in Baghdad captured an Iraqi arms dealer and "assassination squad" leader responsible for trafficking Shiite extremists in and out of neighboring Iran for training, the military said Sunday. The arrest reinforced long-standing U.S. allegations that Iran arms, trains and funds Shiite Muslim militiamen inside Iraq  charges that Tehran denies. The arrest also coincided with a two-day visit to Iran by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, his second such trip in a year. Full Story

South Korean Protesters Clash With Police in Anti-U.S. Beef Rallies
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:24am
South Korean protesters fought with police, tried to overturn riot-control buses and smashed their windows Sunday amid a deepening political crisis over U.S. beef imports, hours after their president appealed to Washington for help to ease growing public anger. Full Story

Ruling Pakistan party says to cut Musharraf's power
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:25am
Pakistan's ruling party has said it is determined to curtail the powers of the presidency in favor of parliament, whether President Pervez Musharraf likes it or not. Staunch U.S. ally Musharraf, facing a chorus of calls to resign, told journalists on Saturday, in his first meeting with the media for weeks, that he had no plan to quit. Full Story

Fatah, Hamas emissaries meet in Dakar under Senegalese mediation
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:26am
The Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, at loggerheads since the Islamist Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip last year, have sent emissaries to Dakar to engage in a "process of fraternal dialogue" mediated by Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, a statement said Saturday. Full Story

Iraqi leader says security deal won't harm Iran
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:28am
Iraq's prime minister sought to ease Iranian fears over a proposed security deal with the U.S. Sunday, saying his government will not allow Iraq to become a launching pad for an attack on its neighbor. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a two-day visit to Tehran that was expected to focus on the security pact, which Washington and Baghdad hope to finish by mid-summer. Full Story

Turkish warplanes strike Kurdish rebels in Iraq: army
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:29am
Turkish warplanes bombed separatist Kurdish rebels in neighboring northern Iraq late Saturday, the Turkish army said in a statement. The raid against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) began at 10:30 pm (1930 GMT) and targeted the Zap area, close to Turkey's border with Iraq, said the brief statement on the general staff's Internet site. Full Story

Taliban Rebels Kill District Governor, Several Others in Afghanistan
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 2:43pm
Officials in Afghanistan say Taliban rebels killed a district governor and at least two others during an ambush in the country's east Sunday. Full Story

Bombs kill 13 in Algeria
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 3:52pm
Two bombs exploded Sunday at a train station in Algeria, killing 13 people and wounding several others, a security official in the North African nation said. Full Story

Chavez urges Farc to free hostages
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:43pm
Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, has urged Colombian rebels to lay down their weapons, free all their hostages and put an end to a decades-long armed struggle against the Bogota government. Full Story

Militants attack convoy, kill 11 Afghan police
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 4:48pm
Insurgents attacked a police convoy in central Afghanistan on Sunday, killing 11 police and wounding one, an official said. Militants in the east attacked and killed four men, including a local government official. Full Story

Thousands clash with police in Egyptian bread riot
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 5:46pm
Thousands of demonstrators fought with police after a protest over flour rations in a town on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, a security official and state media said Sunday. Full Story

British Afghanistan death toll hits 100
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 6:28pm
Three British paratroopers were killed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand on Sunday in a suicide bomb attack, bringing total British military deaths in Afghanistan since 2001 to 100. Full Story

Al Qaeda threat has analysts split into 2 opposing camps
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 6:29pm
A bitter personal struggle between two powerful figures in the world of terrorism has broken out, forcing their followers to choose sides. This battle is not being fought in the rugged no man's land on the Pakistani-Afghan border. It is a contest reverberating inside the Beltway between two of America's leading theorists on terrorism and how to fight it, two men who hold opposing views on the very nature of the threat. Full Story

Former Saddam figures moved to Iraqi control
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 6:30pmEight former members of Saddam Hussein's regime have been transferred from U.S. to Iraqi control, Iraqi officials said Sunday. Full Story

Gazprom Wants to Build Pipeline From Alaska
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 6:32pm
Gazprom wants to join a gas pipeline project in Alaska and has already made a proposal to BP and ConocoPhillips, its chief executive Alexei Miller said Saturday. Full Story

Bahrain to name ambassador to Iraq
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 7:18pm
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa said on Sunday the country is to appoint an ambassador to Iraq, days after US-ally the United Arab Emirates announced a similar move. Full Story

Military Supercomputer Sets Record
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 7:44pm
An American military supercomputer, assembled from components originally designed for video game machines, has reached a long-sought-after computing milestone by processing more than 1.026 quadrillion calculations per second. Full Story

Irish Opposition to EU Treaty Rises, Poll Shows
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 7:47pm
Opposition among Irish voters to the new European Union treaty increased, according to an opinion poll commissioned by the Sunday Business Post. Full Story

Cuba rejects US human trafficking list
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 9:03pm
Cuba on Sunday rejected U.S. claims that it does not do enough to combat human trafficking, saying that Washington "has a lot to learn" about life on the island. Full Story

Farm crisis spooks Argentine economy
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 9:28pm
Argentina, one of the world's biggest breadbaskets, should be rolling in cash as world food prices soar. Full Story

Indian Police probes into parcel offices smuggling goods for LTTE
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 9:34pm
"With security tightened in the coastal belts, persons supplying explosives and essential commodities to the LTTE are using services of parcel offices to smuggle the contraband", Indian News sources reported citing a top Indian Police official yesterday (June 8). Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.