US Library of Congress Awaits New Leaderby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Sunday April 24th, 2016 at 10:26 AM

US Library of Congress Awaits New Leader

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Sunday marks the 216th birthday of the U.S. Library of Congress, an institution that not only protects historic books and papers but preserves the best of American writing, song and film. The collection — the largest in the world, by collection size — is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington. The oldest of the three, the Jefferson Building, is just across the street from the U.S. Capitol. Among its holdings are an original copy of the Declaration of Independence, a Gutenberg Bible, 1 million issues of world newspapers, 3 million sound recordings and at least two famous Stradivarius violins. The library is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. It is in a period of transition, as President Barack Obama's nominee for librarian of Congress awaits the results of her confirmation hearing with the U.S. Senate April 20. If approved, Carla Hayden, currently the head of the public library of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, would take over the leadership of the Library of Congress, becoming the first African-American, and the first woman, to do so. Hayden's goals Hayden has said she would like to make more of the library's resources available online, making it more useful to people in the rural United States who may never get to travel to its headquarters. She has also said she would like to expand the library's outreach to smaller libraries around the country and continue the public and private partnerships that help the library manage its extensive collections. Hayden got a warm welcome at her hearing Wednesday, but confirmation is not guaranteed. The Senate is expected to make a decision on Hayden before its summer recess begins in July. The library has had an interim leader since September, when former Librarian of Congress James Billington stepped down after 38 years on the job. His resignation came just weeks after the library was criticized for widespread computer failures and a watchdog agency's report that the library was wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. Venerable institution If confirmed, Hayden will take leadership of an institution whose history goes back to the second president of the United States, John Adams. In 1800, he approved legislation to spend $5,000 of federal money to buy "such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress," essentially as research materials for legislation lawmakers might be considering. The first library catalog was published in 1802 and listed 964 volumes and nine maps. The collection has suffered several fires. The original 3,000-volume collection was largely destroyed in 1814 when British troops attacked Washington in what is known in the United States as the War of 1812 — a territory and trade dispute between the British and the new American forces who had won a war of independence from Britain in 1783. Rebuilding collection After the British left Washington, President Thomas Jefferson helped replenish the library in 1815 by selling his entire personal collection — 6,487 books — to the federal library for $23,950. The books were indeed a boost to the fledgling institution, as Jefferson was a scholar on many subjects: law, language, horticulture, philosophy and various branches of science. He is known to have written in a letter to his predecessor, John Adams: "I cannot live without books." Unfortunately, a fire in 1851 destroyed much of his original collection. In 1998, library staffers began a 10-year effort to replace those volumes. By 2008, they had managed to replace all but 300 of the original works. Over the years, the library has become a resource less focused on simply aiding lawmakers with research and more with becoming a cultural repository for American creative works of all kinds, as well as collections of foreign literature. It also serves as the U.S. copyright agency, a research library containing works in 450 languages, and a public institution featuring 22 reading rooms. It sponsors prizes in American fiction and music and is the home of the nation's poet laureate, a post currently held by California writer Juan Felipe Herrera. Today, while the library's three massive buildings may seem an oasis of peace on busy Capitol Hill, it is not fully insulated from contemporary politics. In the past week, a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill blocking the library from changing its subject headings and search terms from "illegal aliens" — a term critics complain is negative and unclear — to "noncitizens." The library's stance on this issue is just one of the many issues the next librarian of Congress will have to confront.

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СМИ сообщили об отказе Асада перевезти семью в Иран - Lenta.ru

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Lenta.ru

СМИ сообщили об отказе Асада перевезти семью в Иран
Lenta.ru
Президент Сирии Башар Асад ответил отказом на предложение перевезти семью в Иран. Об этом со ссылкой на ливанский телеканал «Аль-Маядин» сообщает РИА Новости. С такой просьбой к сирийскому лидеру якобы обратился командующий подразделением «Кудс» (Корпуса ...
СМИ: Асад ответил отказом на предложение КСИР перевезти семью в ИранРИА Новости
Асад отказался от предложения ИранаДни.Ру
Лидер «Хмеймим»: В случае ухода Асада Сирия будет разделена между враждующими сторонамиВзгляд
Московский комсомолец -Интерфакс -Газета.Ru -ФБА «Экономика сегодня»
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Monitor: Syrian Government Airstrikes Kill 23

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Syrian government airstrikes on two rebel-held areas killed more than 20 people Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and local reports. At least 10 people were killed in Aleppo, a day after heavy bombardment by Syrian government planes killed at least 19 people. In Douma, shelling killed at least 13 people, but he death toll was expected to rise because several people were critically wounded. The violence comes despite a cessation of hostilities agreement mediated in February in Geneva. On Thursday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the cease-fire is "under strain," but still represents the best chance at a peaceful solution to the country's crisis. The cessation of hostilities between pro-government forces and opposition fighters has been widely credited with sharply reducing fighting in Syria. But both sides have reported numerous violations, including a rise in fighting the past few weeks.

Why Did Russia's Pivot to Asia Fail? - The Diplomat

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The Diplomat

Why Did Russia's Pivot to Asia Fail?
The Diplomat
On the surface, the concept of a Russian pivot to Asia made sense, particularly greater cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. But, as a pair of fellows from the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin and a senior associate at the Carnegie ...

Керри рассказал о новых предложениях США к России по Сирии - РБК

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РБК

Керри рассказал о новых предложениях США к России по Сирии
РБК
США предложили России «провести абсолютную черту» на территории Сирии, за которой будут запрещены боевые действия, заявил Джон Керри. При этом, по его словам, США «не так глупы», чтобы позволить России поддерживать Асада. ​Госсекретарь США Джон Керри заявил в ... 
Керри: США не оставят без ответа удары по отрядам умеренной оппозиции в СирииТАСС

«Вы не заходите туда, мы не заходим сюда. Все, что посередине, считается честной игрой»Коммерсантъ 
США предложили РФ установить в Сирии линию разграничения огняРосбалт.RU
Вести.Ru-Lenta.ru-Аргументы и факты-Эксперт Online

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Obama Says Movements Like Black Lives Matter ‘Can’t Just Keep on Yelling’ 

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President Obama, in London, offered a critique of young activists, saying they had to work with political leaders to craft solutions.
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Obama: Prison Sentencing Policies Hurt US Economy

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President Barack Obama said Saturday that the $80 billion annual price tag for housing inmates in U.S. prisons has become prohibitive and that many nonviolent offenders serving lengthy prison terms are people with mental health issues and chemical addictions. Obama, in his weekly address, said nearly 60 percent of the country's 2.2 million prisoners suffer from mental health problems and that 70 percent need drug treatment. In pressing his months-long campaign for criminal justice reform, Obama called for new policies aimed at helping the more than 600,000 inmates released from prisons each year to become "productive, contributing members of their families and communities." He said that the White House in the coming days would call on businesses to commit to hiring convicts who have served their prison terms, and that new steps would be detailed assuring that ex-convicts have what he called "a fair shot to compete for a federal job." Writing Friday in The New York Times, Jason Furman, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, called the growth of the U.S. prison population "staggering," with an incarceration rate more than four times the world average. He linked that growth to repeat-offender laws and other stricter sentencing rules, and he cited new research showing "many of those provisions do not appear to have a deterrent effect."

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Britain, World Mark 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s Death

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Thousands of people from all walks of life and from around the world descended Saturday on the streets of Stratford-Upon-Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare, on the 400th anniversary of his death. Visitors, performers, literature buffs and notable people, including Prince Charles, gathered in the central English market town to pay tribute to one of the world’s most prominent playwrights. Shakespeare is regarded by many as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. A parade took place in Stratford to mark the anniversary. A band from the U.S. city of New Orleans performed a jazz rendition of "Happy Birthday" in honor of the British icon, as confetti flowed through the streets. Actors Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ian McKellen were among stars scheduled to celebrate the anniversary with performances from Shakespeare's best-known works at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The occasion was being marked across Britain with parades, church services and stage performances. Thirty-seven short films, one of each of Shakespeare's plays, were shown on giant screens installed along the River Thames in London. U.S. President Barack Obama attended a performance of scenes from Shakespeare's works, including the famous "To be or not to be?" from Hamlet, at the Globe Theatre, a reconstruction of a 16th-century part-open-air theater. In Washington, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was among those talking about Shakespeare during a program called “The Wonder of Will Live” at the Folger Shakespeare Library, which stands next to the Library of Congress. Actors, artists and scholars, including actor and former White House official Kal Penn and NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan, also participated in the program. Shakespeare was born in Stratford in April 1564. It is believed that he died there on April 23, 1616, but no record of his death exists.

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В провинцию Идлиб с территории Турции прибыл отряд "Джебхат ан-Нусра" - РИА Новости

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РИА Новости

В провинцию Идлиб с территории Турции прибыл отряд "Джебхат ан-Нусра"
РИА Новости
С территории Турции в сирийскую провинцию Идлиб прибыл отряд террористической группировки "Джебхат ан-Нусра". Сообщается, что в него входят не менее 80 боевиков. Артиллеристы сирийской армии. Архивное фото. © РИА Новости. Илья Питалев | Перейти в фотобанк. МОСКВА ...
С территории Турции в Сирию прибыл отряд «Джебхат ан-Нусра»Взгляд
Минобороны сообщило о прибытии в Сирию более 80 террористов из ТурцииРБК
Перемирие в Сирии теперь поддерживают 70 населенных пунктовВести.Ru
BBC Russian -NEWSru.com -ТВОЙ ГОРОД Псков -Российская Газета
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Russia holds large scale military drills in south - Reuters

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Reuters

Russia holds large scale military drills in south
Reuters
Russia holds large scale military drills in south. 3:32pm EDT - 00:56. Russia's air force holds large-scale exercises including with fighter jets in the country's south, as Russian President Vladimir Putin makes beefing up the military a national ...

Russia in chilling vow to use 'all necessary measures' against US in seas row - Daily Star

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Daily Star

Russia in chilling vow to use 'all necessary measures' against US in seas row
Daily Star
Russia has bolstered its submarine attack fleet and increased its activities in the Baltic Sea. Nato met with the two envoys to discus Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region two years ago and its continued support for separatist rebels in the ...

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Trump Tells Supporters He'll Continue to 'Rant and Rave'

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has dashed the hopes of GOP leadership, who hoped he would tone down his trademark bluster on the campaign trail and start acting more presidential. “Being presidential is easy,” Trump said Saturday at a rally in Bridgeport, Connecticut. "It’s much easier than what I have to do. Up here, I have to rant and rave and keep you people going, or else you’re going to fall asleep on me, right?” That message contradicted the one Trump’s chief strategist, Paul Manafort, conveyed to Republican officials Thursday. “The part that he’s been playing is now evolving into the part that you’ve been expecting,” Manafort told Republican National Committee members at the party’s meeting in Florida. Manafort told the GOP leadership Trump's demeanor would soon change as he closed in on the Republican nomination and shifted his focus toward attracting general election voters, who tend to be more moderate. "When he's out on the stage, when he's talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose," Manafort said. But Trump declared to the crowd that he had no intention of reversing any of his provocative policy plans, including building a wall along the length of the nation's Southern border with Mexico. "Everything I say I'm going to do, folks, I'll do,'' he said. Trump is widely seen as having ignored the importance of the delegate selection process, which he has repeatedly slammed as corrupt. The process can be complicated, with each state Republican Party committee setting its own rules. But more recently, he has begun to court delegates, who could play an unusually large role in the nominating process, especially in the event of a contested convention. Manafort said Trump was willing to work with the party and had brought in a "team of professionals" who would "finish the job" and begin to "link in with the establishment institutions that are part of our party."

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The Kremlin’s Perpetual Geopolitics, the Putin Myth, and Russia

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This post has been generated by Page2RSS
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В метро Вашингтона произошло задымление - РБК

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РИА Новости

В метро Вашингтона произошло задымление
РБК
На станции Тенлитаун в метро Вашингтона произошло сильное задымление из-за возгорания изоляционных материалов. Об этом сообщается в Twitter пожарной службы Вашингтона. Отмечается, что пострадавших нет. Движение на части ветки, где расположена станция, временно ...
Очевидцы сообщают о взрыве и пожаре в метро в ВашингтонеРИА Новости
Сильное задымление произошло на одной из станций вашингтонского метроРадиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ
Стала известна причина задымления в метро ВашингтонаИА REGNUM
Газета.Ru -Интерфакс -Аргументы и факты -Вести.Ru
Все похожие статьи: 41 »

Turkey Hails 'Effective' Migrant Deal As EU Leaders Visit

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Turkey's prime minister has said the number of migrants crossing into Greece illegally has dropped considerably as he defended a much criticized migration deal between Turkey and the European Union. 

At Least 12 Killed In Baghdad Attacks

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At least 12 people have been killed in two car bomb attack in Baghdad targeting security forces.

Turkey’s Seizure of Churches and Land Alarms Armenians

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The diaspora and rights groups have been unnerved by expropriations in Diyarbakir, where the government is fighting militants and where, it says, it will return properties after restoration is complete.

No Injuries Reported in DC Metro Fire

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A fire broke out in Washington's subway system Saturday night, producing heavy smoke but no injuries. Authorities said an insulator caught fire in a mechanical room, which produced smoke in the Friendship Heights station and the Tenleytown/American University station. Rescue crews evacuated the stations but reported no injuries.   Washington's subway system, known as the Metro, has been under scrutiny in recent years following a series of fires and safety incidents. A fire in 2015 killed one subway rider and injured several others. Last month, another fire led officials to shut the system down for an entire day for emergency maintenance. That was the first such emergency maintenance shutdown since the Metro opened in 1976. Metro officials have suggested that they may need to shut down some rail lines for weeks or months at a time in order to complete important repairs.

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Russia's Military Just Bought Five Bottlenose Dolphins and It Won't Say Why - NBCNews.com

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NBCNews.com

Russia's Military Just Bought Five Bottlenose Dolphins and It Won't Say Why
NBCNews.com
MOSCOW — When governments award military contracts it's usually so they can obtain equipment such as guns, missiles and aircraft engines. But this week Russia's Ministry of Defense bought some dolphins — and it won't explain why. The ministry will ...

Israel's representative to Eurovision stopped in Russia for 'being gay' - Jerusalem Post Israel News

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Jerusalem Post Israel News

Israel's representative to Eurovision stopped in Russia for 'being gay'
Jerusalem Post Israel News
Russian authorities are denying claims that Israel's representative to Eurovision 2016, Hovi Star, was humiliated at the Moscow airport because he is a homosexual, according to Israeli media reports. Star explained during an interview with Maltese TV ...
Israel Eurovision entrant Hovi Star 'suffers homophobic incident at Russia airport'Metro
Israeli Singer Says Russian Officials Tore His Passport for Being GayHaaretz

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Obama Urges More Pressure On IS As Ends London Visit

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U.S. President Barack Obama has wrapped up a visit to London by urging the West to continue applying pressure on the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in the Middle East. 

Убитыми под Сызранью оказались экс-глава полиции с семьей - НТВ.ru

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НТВ.ru

Убитыми под Сызранью оказались экс-глава полиции с семьей
НТВ.ru
Жертвами массового убийства стали бывший начальник межмуниципального управления МВД РФ Сызранское полковник Андрей Гошт и пятеро членов его семьи. У всех погибших множественные травмы различного рода, сообщил источник ТАСС в правоохранительных органах.
Дело об убийстве 6 человек под Самарой передали в Следственный комитетРИА Новости (Блог)
Экс-главу сызранской полиции с семьёй убили в Самарской областиРусская Служба Новостей
Замначальника штаба ГУВД Андрей Гошт и члены его семьи убиты в частном домеВолга Ньюс. Самара

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Nearly half of Germans in favour of sanctions against Russia - Ukraine Today

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Ukraine Today

Nearly half of Germans in favour of sanctions against Russia
Ukraine Today
44 percent of Germans support the existing restrictions against Russia. 46 percent of respondents are in favour of extending sanctions imposed in the summer of 2014, while 16% still believe that sanctions should be even tightened. Only 27 percent of ...

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Emergency declared after oil spill in Mediterranean

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Officials are worried the oil could wash up on tourist beaches just as the season starts

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Russia and China rush to fill Mideast void left by Obama - New York Post

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New York Post

Russia and China rush to fill Mideast void left by Obama
New York Post
Trying to put the “American absence” to good use, Russia is rebuilding its network in the Middle East and strengthening its position in the Caucasian isthmus between the Caspian and the Black seas. On May 11 it will organize a referendum for South ...

Russian Communist Leader Says ‘Christ was First Communist’

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Paul Goble

            Staunton, April 24 – A week from today, May 1, eastern Easter and the Communist May Day celebration will correspond, prompting some to call for cancelling the latter to honor the former but leading Gennady Zyuganov, the head of the KPRF, to denounce that idea and to insist that “Christ was the first Communist of the new era.”

            According to the communist leader, Christ “raised his voice for the miserable, suffering, poor, sick and needy, for everyone who is in trouble; and if he was alive, he would have joined us” (tass.ru/en/society/871310). It is difficult to know who will be more offended by this: committed communists or committed Christians. Both can be expected to weigh in this week.

            Many of the former are likely to see this as only the latest concession to the new order in Russia, concessions by the KPRF which also include its very capitalist demand to seek an international copyright the red star symbol (gawker.com/russian-communist-party-embraces-ownership-demands-cop-1769389191).

            And many of the latter are likely to see this as nothing more than a ploy by the leader of a party that takes pride in its descent from Communist Party of the Soviet Union that carried out the most brutal suppression of Christianity in the 20th century and one of the most brutal of all times.

            But perhaps most on both sides of this line and certainly many in Russian society at large will see this as yet another example of the “single stream” of Russian history that Vladimir Putin promotes and the syncretism that has led to Stalin being placed on icons and the KPRF acting like a capitalist party.


Dutch journalist Ebru Umar arrested in Turkey 

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Dutch Metro columnist has been detained for allegedly insulting Turkish President Erdogan

Surge Expected For Serbia's Pro-Russia Nationalists - Breitbart News

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Breitbart News

Surge Expected For Serbia's Pro-Russia Nationalists
Breitbart News
While Vucic's nominally conservative Serbian Progressive Party is projected to win about half of the votes, ultra-nationalists who want the Balkan country to deepen its alliance with Russia, instead of Europe, are also expected to win seats. “These are ...

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Lawmakers look to get tough on Russia - The Hill

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The Hill

Lawmakers look to get tough on Russia
The Hill
Russian aggression will be high on lawmakers' minds when the House Armed Services Committee meets Wednesday to mark up its annual defense policy bill. Over the last two weeks, the Russians have buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer, barrel rolled over a U.S. ...

Stratfor: Ukraine Should Have No Hopes of Russia Ever Giving Up Crimea - Sputnik International

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Sputnik International

Stratfor: Ukraine Should Have No Hopes of Russia Ever Giving Up Crimea
Sputnik International
Crimea will stay as part of Russia for a long time to come, the negotiations for its "return" can never even begin and the re-integration of Donbass with Ukraine could be stalled for decades – these are predictions of Lauren Goodrich, a senior Eurasia ...

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'War in eastern Ukraine is violation of existing borders' - Russia's ex-FM - Ukraine Today

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Ukraine Today

'War in eastern Ukraine is violation of existing borders' - Russia's ex-FM
Ukraine Today
Former Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrei Kozyrev, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of illegally invading Crimea and fomenting war in the Donbas. Referring to the 90s, the then foreign minister told about Russia-Ukraine agreements in an ...

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President Obama on Three-Country Tour

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U.S. President Barack Obama is on a week-long trip to Saudi Arabia, Britain and Germany. Obama arrived in Germany midday Sunday, where he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss the global economy, terrorism, transatlantic security and many other issues.

Saudi threat to sell $750 billion in U.S. assets an empty bluff - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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The Indian Express

Saudi threat to sell $750 billion in U.S. assets an empty bluff
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The possibility that aggressive dumping of American assets by foreigners could destabilize the U.S. economy has been a concern for most of the postwar period. Heavy selling of U.S. Treasury bonds by Japan played a role in the 1987 stock market crash.
Five Questions About The New Saudi Economic PlanForbes
Arabs taking US national security hostageTehran Times
Standing with Egypt just makes senseThe National
Arab News
all 56 news articles »

Russian Tanker Catches Fire In Caspian Sea, 1 Killed

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A fire broke out on a Russian oil tanker on the Caspian Sea, killing one crew member.

Iranian President Claims Credit For Hindering Islamic State Spread 

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Iran's president says the country deserves credit for hindering Islamic State (IS) militants and keeping the radical group from seizing control of Syria and Iraq in their entirety.

U.S. Prosecutors Demand Uzbek Leader's Daughter Turn Over $550 Million 

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U.S. prosecutors said the daughter of Uzbekistan’s president and several associates failed to comply with a court order to turn over more than $500 million held in Swiss banks as part of a long-running money-laundering investigation.

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Bomb-sniffing drone technology could become nightmare for terrorists

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Drones may soon have the capability to save thousands of lives each year by detecting terrorists’ improvised explosive devices and active land mines from long-ago wars thanks to innovative technology developed at UW-Madison.
     

2 Officers Shot, Suspect Dead at Walmart in Phoenix Suburb - ABC News

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New York Daily
News

2 Officers Shot, Suspect Dead at Walmart in Phoenix Suburb
ABC News
Two officers are in stable condition, with one in surgery, and the suspect is dead following a shooting Saturday at a Walmart in suburban Phoenix, authorities said. Police were called around 6:30 a.m. about a trespasser at the store, Chandler police ... 
One man dead, two police officers wounded in Arizona shootingReuters
Two officers shot in Phoenix, suspect killedWPRI 12 Eyewitness News
Chandler police officers in stable condition following an officer-involved shootingKTAR.com
Salon

all 93 news articles »

10:16 AM 4/23/2016 - Headlines Review: Putin Regime in Current Form has ‘Less than a Year Left,’ Petrov Says...

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MEXICO CITY — An international panel of experts brought to Mexico to investigate the haunting disappearance of 43 students that ignited a global outcry say they cannot solve the case because of a sustained campaign of harassment, stonewalling and intimidation against them.
The investigators say they have endured carefully orchestrated attacks in the Mexican news media, a refusal by the government to turn over documents or grant interviews with essential figures, and even a retaliatory criminal investigation into one of the officials who appointed them.
For some, the inevitable conclusion is that the government simply does not want the experts to solve the case.

Then-U.S. Central Command Commander-nominee Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 27, 2010, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“Iran will cheat … that’s the sense you get when reading” the terms of the nuclear agreement, he said, adding Iran is “not a nation state, but a revolutionary cause intent on mayhem.”
Mr. Mattis suggested Congress create an oversight committee, consisting of members from the intelligence, foreign affairs and armed services panels, to ensure Iran continues to comply with the deal. He also suggested Washington bolster its ties with regional intelligence agencies, like those in Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to ensure American officials are fully informed on Iran’s nuclear activities.
While it remains to be seen if the White House will adhere to Mr. Mattis’s recommendations, the retired general was adamant that he did not want to be the one who would make that decision.
Mr. Mattis, revered in military circles, has reportedly been suggested as a potential GOP presidential candidate. The purported grassroots effort to get Mr. Mattis on the Republican ticket has placed the retired general into the political arena.
But on Friday, Mr. Mattis seemed to put those presidential rumors to rest, telling the audience, “I have not given any thought to it.”
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FBI informants act as ‘honeypots’ to entrap 21yo ‘ISIS sympathizer’ – report — RT America 

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FBI informants acted as ‘honeypots’ to trap a 21-year-old man, posing as love interests to glean information, audio obtained by the Intercept reveals. One woman lured him into making a false claim that he’d tried to go to Syria to fight with Islamic State.

Grassley: ‘I Assume’ FBI Could Leak Clinton Email Investigation 

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Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Friday that he believed that the FBI could leak the results of its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server if “political interference” gets in the way of a prosecution.”Is there going to be political interference? If there’s enough evidence to prosecute, will there be political interference?” Grassley said among reporters during a breakfast at the Des Moines A.M. Rotary club, according to the Des Moines Register. “And if there’s political interference, then I assume that somebody in the FBI is going to leak these reports and it’s either going to have an effect politically or it’s going to lead to prosecution if there’s enough evidence.”

James Mattis, retired Marine general, says Iran nuclear deal ‘fell short’ – Washington Times 

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Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis took the Obama administration to task over the White House’s nuclear development deal with Iran, but expressed zero desire to take his own shot at the Oval Offic
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Why Americans Want a Military General in the White House | TIME 

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The campaign to draft retired Gen. James Mattis is the latest in a long line.
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Russia considers allowing National Guard to shoot at crowds – Washington Times 

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Less than a month after President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a new domestic police force, lawmakers in the State Duma took the first steps towards expanding the newly-formed National Guard

F.B.I. Says Killing Man Was Justified, but Not Shooting His Tire – The New York Times 

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The F.B.I. has faulted an agent who shot the tire of a suspect’s S.U.V. during an attempted arrest, but not two other agents who killed the man.

US military chief pays quiet visit to Iraq post where Marine died – Middle East – Stripes 

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Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, paid a visit on Friday to a tiny artillery outpost in Iraq, presenting Purple Hearts to four service members wounded in a recent rocket attack that also killed an American Marine.During a stop in Iraqi Kurdistan at the end of a three-day visit to Iraq, Dunford slipped away by helicopter to Fire Base Bell, a tiny post adjacent to a larger Iraqi base southeast of Mosul. Accompanied by only a handful of aides, Dunford spent about 90 minutes with the approximately 200 Marines at the isolated facility, close to the front lines with the Islamic State.Speaking to reporters later in the day, Dunford said he distributed the awards at the very gun position where Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin, a member of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was killed last month in a militant rocket attack.

Riyadh-Washington ties irrevocably changed: Ex-Saudi spy chief 

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Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:9AMSaudi ties with the US have changed forever and would not return to what it was before even under a new president, the kingdom’s former intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal says.”There is going to have to be, a recalibration of our relationship with America — how far we can go with our dependence on America. How much can we rely on steadfastness from American leadership. What is it that makes for our joint benefits to come together,” he told CNN.”And I don’t think that we should expect any new president in America to go back to, as I said, the yesteryear days when things were different,” Faisal added.Faisal further criticized recent remarks by US Senator Richard Blumenthal that low oil prices and high domestic output lessened Washington’s dependence on the kingdom.Saudis “no longer have us in an energy straitjacket,” Blumenthal had told The New York Times.Faisal said the remarks by the prominent senator were an insult to the Saudi monarchy.

9/11 hijackers lived with FBI informant 

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The
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Russia threatens to use ‘all necessary measures’ after US destroyer sails close to border | World | News | The Independent 

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Russia has declared it will take “all necessary measures” against the US following the latest sabre rattling by the two world powers. Moscow accused Washington of intimidation after a US naval destroyer in the Baltic Sea sailed close to its territory. Russian ambassador to Nato, Alexander Grushko, said his country would not take such actions lightly. Source: Russia threatens to use …Continue reading "Russia threatens to use ‘all necessary measures’ after US destroyer sails close to border | World | News | The Independent"

Window on Eurasia — New Series: Putin Regime in Current Form has ‘Less than a Year Left,’ Petrov Says 

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Paul Goble
Staunton, April 23 – In the last few weeks, a large number of commentators have suggested that the Putin regime will be challenged or even overthrown. Many may simply be engaging in wishful thinking; but they highlight an important development: ever more Russians now recognize that the Putin regime is not eternal and could end sooner than anyone imagines.            That does not mean they are right: Vladimir Putin even more than his Chinese comrades is quite prepared to engage in what used to be called “big blood” to maintain himself in power; and he is even more prepared to engage in risky foreign policy actions to shore up his increasingly shaky position with the Russian population.            Indeed, those two possibilities may be the most important reason for paying attention to those who argue that his regime is coming to an end because the way that happens and its immediate aftermath may be extremely dangerous not only for Russia and Russians but for the international community.

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