Iran’s Future Leadership: Not Just Up To 'Experts'
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Iran’s Future Leadership: Not Just Up To 'Experts'by webdesk@voanews.com (Cecily Hilleary)
The issue of succession to the supreme leadership is generally a taboo subject in Iran. It probably would not have been discussed at all in recent weeks if the current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hadn't alluded to his inevitable demise in a speech last September. Now that voters have selected a new Assembly of Experts, the topic is very much on minds both inside and outside of Iran. Comprising 88 clerics tasked with naming, monitoring and possibly even dismissing Supreme...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden wrote a letter calling on the American people to help President Barack Obama fight "catastrophic" climate change and "save humanity", in the latest evidence of his worries about environmental issues, newly released documents show
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The two top Republican leaders in Congress denounced Donald Trump on Tuesday for his slow-moving disavowal of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke....
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Police in Sao Paulo have arrested Facebook's most senior executive in Latin America in the latest clash between Brazilian authorities and the social media company over its refusal to provide private information about its users to law enforcement....
Facebook's Latin America Boss Arrested in Brazilby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
Police in Sao Paulo have arrested Facebook's most senior executive in Latin America in the latest clash between Brazilian authorities and the social media company over its refusal to provide private information about its users to law enforcement. A Tuesday news release says that Facebook's vice president for Latin America, Diego Dzodan, was arrested on an order from a judge in the northeastern state of Sergipe. Dzodan is accused of ignoring a judicial order in a secret...
Jordanian security forces say they are fighting "outlaws" in the northern city of Irbid, with early reports saying the fighters may be Islamist militants.
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Tunisia’s defense minister says his country is talking to Berlin about allowing German forces to train Libyan soldiers on Tunisian soil.
The UN's special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has said peace talks have been pushed back by two days to March 9 to allow the cessation of hostilities to "settle down."
New York Times |
Apple and FBI Face Off Before House Judiciary Committee
New York Times WASHINGTON — The fight on encryption between Apple and the F.B.I. moved to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, with each side showing no sign of compromise. LIVE VIDEO: House Judiciary Committee looks into Apple iPhone security vs. public safetyLA Daily News House Judiciary Committee members may file legal brief to back Apple's view that Congress should decide FBI case9 to 5 Mac How to watch the Apple vs. FBI congressional hearingThe Daily Dot Washington Post -USA TODAY -Los Angeles Times all 2,142 news articles » |
Bloomberg |
Breaking Down FBI Director Comey's Testimony
Bloomberg Bloomberg's Tim Higgins reports on FBI Director James B. Comey's testimony on encryption at a congressional hearing. Higgins speaks on "Bloomberg Markets." (Source: Bloomberg). Most Recent Videos. U.S. Crude Stockpile Rises, What's Next? |
The use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance has increased in recent months, mainly for flights over the Turkish border.
US, Apple Spar Over Unlocking Phone in Terrorism Probeby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
The U.S. Justice Department and technology giant Apple sparred Tuesday over the government's demand that Apple unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California terrorists who killed 14 people to see who he might have talked to about the attack. In prepared testimony for a congressional hearing, James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the country's top law enforcement agency, warned that technological advancements to keep phone information secret can also block investigators from collecting key evidence in criminal and terrorism cases. Apple's chief lawyer, Bruce Sewell, said the government's demand that it unlock the phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook "would set a dangerous precedent for government intrusion" into the lives of people. Sewell said that building the software needed to get into Farook's phone "would not affect just one iPhone. It would weaken the security for all of them....We can all agree this is not about access to just one iPhone." A magistrate judge in California ordered Apple to comply with the demand, but the outcome is uncertain pending the company's appeal. The hearing before the House Judiciary Committee came as Apple won a case on government-ordered phone intrusion on Monday that is similar to the Farook case. In New York, a different magistrate judge ruled that the Justice Department cannot force Apple to unlock the iPhone of a suspected drug dealer. Judge James Orenstein said the government's demand "is unavailable because Congress has considered legislation that would achieve the same result but has not adopted it." A Justice Department spokesman expressed disappointment in the New York ruling and said the department plans to appeal. In the Farook case, the FBI wants to check his phone to see if the American-born Muslim was in contact with others about the early December attack he carried out with his Pakistani-born wife, Tashfeen Malik. Both were killed hours later in a shootout with police. If the California judge's order is upheld, U.S. law enforcement officials say they will ask the company to unlock other Apple devices involved in criminal investigations. One survey in the United States showed that a majority of Americans favors the government's position in the dispute. Some material for this report came from AP and AFP.
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Voice of America |
Turks See Russia as Greatest Threat, Poll FInds
Voice of America With Russian-Turkish tensions mounting, a recent poll finds that the Turkish people see Russiaas their greatest threat. The annual survey on Turkish attitudes carried out by Istanbul's Kadir Has University shows Russia displacing Israel in the No. 1 spot. |
ТАСС |
Бридлав: США и их союзники по НАТО готовятся к конфликту с Россией в Европе
ТАСС ВАШИНГТОН, 1 марта. /Корр. ТАСС Иван Лебедев/. США и их союзники по Североатлантическому альянсу принимают меры, чтобы в случае необходимости быть готовыми к конфликту с Россией на европейском континенте. Об этом заявил на встрече с журналистами в Пентагоне ... В НАТО считают, что есть риск конфронтации между Россией и ТурциейРИА Новости Бридлав обвинил Россию в увеличении потока беженцев из-за «неточных» авиаударов в СирииГазета.Ru НАТО не исключает прямого конфликта между Россией и ТурциейРосбалт.RU ИА REGNUM -Аргументы и факты -Утро.Ru Все похожие статьи: 100 » |
As if Puerto Rico didn’t have enough problems already a couple of thugs made life even more difficult for the entire population this morning. A pair of tourists playing golf at the Wyndham Rio Mar were assaulted and robbed at gun point. Published reports say the thieves got away with about one thousand dollars in property and money.
Reports of the robbery are making their way through social media and will further deter tourists from visiting the ‘Isle of Enchantment.’
Crime has long been a problem in Puerto Rico and its outlying island Vieques, where tourists have been repeatedly assaulted and robbed. Puerto Rico police are investigating the crime which happened this morning (February 3, 2016).
The island’s economy has been struggling for the better part of a decade and the U.S. Commonwealth has over 70 billion dollars in debt. If this incident impacts tourism, which is one of the islands main industries; it could further complicate the situation.
Please, consider a donation to this blog to help promote this blog. Visit the PR conservative Pay Pal page to donate. Or consider purchasing one of my ebooks Toy Farm Lemonade,The Beagle and the Dolphin , A Puerto Rican Manifesto or my latest piece ‘Life lessons from driving lessons‘ are all available today at Amazon Kindle.
The following piece was developed by our colleagues at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). It was written by Nicholas Johnson, CBPP’s Senior Vice President for State Fiscal Policy, and it was originally published on CBPP’s website on February 9, 2016.
Steps for Fixing Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Problems
As both parties now agree, the federal government must respond in the coming months to Puerto Rico’s economic and fiscal challenges — most immediately, the $70 billion or so that Puerto Rico owes creditors and on which its government says it must default unless the debt is restructured. Policymakers must address this threat, but they should go further and also implement health and tax policy changes that would prove important pieces of any long-term solution to Puerto Rico’s problems.
Although Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million residents are Americans, they are not represented by voting members of Congress, helping to often make them afterthoughts in congressional debates. But the island’s problems are neither small nor remote. Half a million Puerto Rico children live in families that are poor — more than in 40 states — according to the KidsCount Data Center. Unemployment is 12 percent, more than twice the U.S. rate. Many workers in Puerto Rico either can’t find jobs or work in the underground economy, which means that Puerto Rico’s government collects fewer taxes, contributing to its severe fiscal problems.
The Commonwealth has already made severe cuts in education, human services, and other public services. Without a debt restructuring or default, the cuts would have to grow to the point of endangering family well-being and future economic growth. Moreover, these economic and fiscal problems are sending more and more Puerto Ricans to the mainland in search of jobs, placing additional responsibilities on destination states like New York and Florida as they accommodate those newcomers.
As a first step toward solving its problems, Puerto Rico must be allowed to restructure its debt. Otherwise, the Commonwealth will face years of complex and costly litigation over which debts have the highest claims on Puerto Rico’s limited ability to pay, as a recent analysis from Puerto Rico’s premier economic policy institute, the Center for a New Economy, points out.
President Obama is expected to reintroduce, in the 2017 budget proposal that he will unveil today, a plan to allow the island to restructure its debt. House Speaker Ryan has said the House will act on the issue.
But addressing the immediate debt crisis and default threat should be the start, not the end, of federal attention to Puerto Rico’s problems. The federal government should treat Puerto Rico more equitably under various programs. For example, as my colleague Edwin Park has noted, the federal government provides only a fixed amount of federal Medicaid funding to Puerto Rico and leaves the Commonwealth responsible for all costs above the cap. As a result, the federal government effectively picks up a dramatically smaller share of Medicaid’s costs in Puerto Rico than in the states – just 15 to 20 percent of the Commonwealth’s Medicaid costs, compared with an average of 57 percent for the states. In fact, if Puerto Rico were treated the same as a state — i.e., under the federal formula that determines the federal Medicaid matching rate for each state — the rate for Puerto Rico would be 83 percent.
These federal Medicaid funding shortfalls contribute to Puerto Rico’s troubled fiscal situation. The island’s residents heavily rely on Medicaid; 40 percent of them were enrolled in Medicaid in 2014. This puts a heavy burden on the Commonwealth’s finances. Although health reform provided a one-time boost in federal Medicaid funding to help address these shortfalls, Puerto Rico is expected to exhaust those funds as early as next year.
Similarly, extending the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to Puerto Rico’s working families could reduce the twin crises of child poverty and low participation in the above-ground workforce. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch has called for “tax incentives . . . [to] incentivize growth and labor force participation” in Puerto Rico. The EITC is such a tax incentive; as extensive research has found, it strongly encourages workforce participation while also fighting poverty and boosting children’s long-term educational attainment and earnings.
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Russia's Putin Says Global Deal to Cap Oil Output Is Closeby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country is close to an international deal to cap oil output and that any agreement will have the backing of Russia's oil sector. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela and Qatar floated a production cap last month, but it was conditional on other producers joining in. Addressing top state and private sector oil executives, Putin said Energy Minister Alexander Novak "is agreeing and practically has agreed with his partners in the global...
From human smugglers to bus services to the sellers of life jackets, new businesses have popped up everywhere along the routes migrants take from the Middle East and Africa to Europe. Near one port in Greece, a new Syrian restaurant caters to migrants looking for a taste of home after leaving their country, possibly forever. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam reports from Lesbos, Greece.
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/3214774.html
Originally published at - http://www.voanews.com/media/video/3214774.html
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Nothing To See Here: Russian TV Suppresses Story Of Alleged Beheading By Nannyby support@pangea-cms.com (Tom Balmforth)
When a nanny allegedly decapitates a 4-year-old girl and waves the child's head in public while shouting that she is a terrorist, it might be expected to lead the evening news. Not in Russia, where the main TV channels ignored the gruesome story that unfolded outside a busy Moscow metro station in broad daylight.
IS Militants Hit Iraqi Military Compound, 8 Deadby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Islamic State militants attacked an Iraqi military headquarters overnight killing eight officers including a local commander, according to army and police officials. The four militants, dressed as soldiers, attacked the compound near the town of Haditha 240 kilometers northwest of Baghdad, in Anbar province. Military officials say one suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the compound, while the other three detonated explosives elsewhere inside the headquarters. Islamic...
AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian security forces on Tuesday clashed with Islamist militants as part of a major manhunt in the northern city of Irbid, near the border with Syria, security forces said.
Turks See Russia as Greatest Threat, Poll FIndsby webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)
With Russian-Turkish tensions mounting, a recent poll finds that the Turkish people see Russia as their greatest threat. The annual survey on Turkish attitudes carried out by Istanbul's Kadir Has University shows Russia displacing Israel in the No. 1 spot. The findings are not surprising, says international relations expert Soli Ozel of Kadir Has, as Turkey's nationalist and pro-government media continue to target Moscow with accusations of conspiracies against Turkey - the...
Austin Chronicle |
Deconstructing ISIS: UT professors discuss the rise of the Islamic state
Austin Chronicle Organized by UT's Middle Eastern Studies Department, the panel also included Jeremi Suri, professor in the Department of History and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and Stephennie Mulder, associate professor of Islamic art and ... and more » |
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel says it has begun delivering its new mid-range missile defense system to air bases.
The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that the David's Sling system "will allow Israel to more effectively defend against the wide range of current and future threats to its civilians." The delivery process ...
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MarketWatch (blog) |
Live blog and video of House encryption hearing with FBI, Apple officials
MarketWatch (blog) The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday is holding a hearing on the issue of encryption and privacy, with witnesses including FBI Director James Comey and Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell. MarketWatch's Priya Anand is live-blogging the event. |
Live: Apple goes before House Judiciary Committee
San Jose Mercury News Watch Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell speak before the House Judiciary Committee today to discuss the company's stand against the FBI in breaking the encryption on the iPhone linked to the San Bernardino attack. Watch the hearing live here. |
Engadget (blog) |
Watch live as Apple makes its case against the FBI
Engadget (blog) The hearing should get started any minute now, if you'd like to tune in to the live stream you can watch it on YouTube here, and of course we'll have all the important updates in this post. Richard Lawler · View. 9:55 AM ... |
Bloomberg |
FBI's Comey: Asking Apple to Take Vicious Guard Dog Away
Bloomberg FBI Director James B. Comey testifies at a congressional hearing. (Source: Bloomberg). Most Recent Videos. FBI's Comey: Asking Apple to Take Vicious Guard Dog Away · Fertik: Apple Has History of Helping Law Enforcement · What Could Come Out of the ... |
WASHINGTON (AP) - The top NATO commander in Europe says he lacks all the military assets he needs to properly track the activity of Russian submarines.
In testimony Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove says the Russians understand the value of undersea warfare and ...
In a hearing on Capitol Hill, both parties dug in on their positions and showed no sign of compromise.
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Amateur video claims to show Russian airstrikes in Hama's southern province despite a cessation of hostilities agreement in force
Those who ordered the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov could have been influenced by foreign forces, top spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin said in a statement Tuesday.
Ukraine says three of its servicemen have been killed and five wounded in the country’s east.
Woman from Uzbekistan allegedly killed the four-year-old 'because her husband had taken a second wife'
Suspended Syrian peace talks to resume in Geneva next weekby Ian Black Middle East editor and Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
UN special envoy sets 9 March start date in sign of confidence that cessation of hostilities agreement is just about holding
Syrian peace talks which were suspended last month because of continuing fighting are to resume in Geneva on 9 March, the UN has announced – in a sign of confidence that a fledgling cessation of hostilities agreement is just about holding.
Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, had initially set 7 March as the target date but the talks would now begin two days later “to allow adequate time to address logistical and practical matters,” the Swedish-Italian diplomat said on Tuesday.
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The ceasefire agreed by Russia and the US could ultimately lead to the end of hostilities, allowing refugees to return home
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WASHINGTON—
“Russia seeks to re-establish a leading role on the world stage. Russia does not just want to challenge the agreed rules of the international order, it wants to re-write them. Russia sees the U.S. and NATO as threats to its objectives and as constraints on its aspirations. So, Russia seeks to fraction our unity and challenge our resolve. Russia recognizes strength and sees weakness as opportunity,” he said.
NATO's military commander has told the U.S. lawmakers that Russia poses a long-term threat to the United States and to its European allies and partners.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove said that Russia is eager to exert unquestioned influence over neighboring countries.
“Russia has used military force to violate the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Georgia and others like Moldova. In Ukraine specifically, Russia continues to use all elements of national power to hinder Kyiv,” he said.
Breedlove said Tuesday that NATO has recently observed an increase in violence along the line of contact in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and a number of diplomatic, economic and propaganda efforts on Moscow’s part to keep Ukraine from moving closer to the West.
Moscow seeking ‘leading role’
Breedlove told senators Russia has also undertaken a massive military deployment in Russia's Kaliningrad province, the Black Sea and, most recently, in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and western Syria, sharply constraining the alliance’s access to those areas.
FILE - New Russian Armata tanks roll during the Victory Parade marking the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, in Red Square in Moscow, May 9, 2015.
“Russia seeks to re-establish a leading role on the world stage. Russia does not just want to challenge the agreed rules of the international order, it wants to re-write them. Russia sees the U.S. and NATO as threats to its objectives and as constraints on its aspirations. So, Russia seeks to fraction our unity and challenge our resolve. Russia recognizes strength and sees weakness as opportunity,” he said.
To that end Russia is using what some call unconventional or hybrid warfare, Breedlove said. Russia is using diplomatic, economic and informational tools in addition to military pressure to shake and influence nations, while trying to remain below triggering a military response, he said. Russia is using snap exercises to mask and desensitize real military deployment, he added.
Russia’s entry into the fight in Syria has changed the dynamic in the air and on the ground, despite public statements to the contrary, Breedlove said. He added that Russia has done little to counter the Islamic State militant group, but has greatly bolstered the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and his allies.
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Osama bin Laden was highly paranoid during the years leading up to his capture in 2011 — at one point expressing fear that Iranian dentists had planted a tiny tracking device in his wife's tooth filling.
But the al Qaeda leader was also defiant and apparently believed right up to ...
Washington Post |
FBI, Apple bringing fight over encryption to Capitol Hill
Washington Post FBI Director James B. Comey will insist that federal officials care about privacy and civil liberties, but say that “critical evidence” in criminal cases is increasingly found on phones, computers and digital records that are protected by strong ... The fight between Apple and the FBI moves to Capitol HillLos Angeles Times Apple Wins Ruling in New York iPhone Hacking OrderNew York Times The exact moment when the FBI realized how big its battle with Apple would beBGR Institute for Public Accuracy (press release) -Inverse -El Paso Inc. all 1,919 news articles » |
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