Mr. Erdogan’s War Against the Kurds - NYT Editorial - Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:09 AM

Mr. Erdogan’s War Against the Kurds

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:09 AM

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It’s not unusual for political leaders in trouble to use diversionary tactics to turn their fortunes around. Hollywood capitalized on this theme in a popular 1997 film called “Wag the Dog” in which, right before an election, a political spin doctor distracts voters from a presidential sex scandal by engaging a film producer to create a fake war with Albania.

There are suspicions that a real-time, dangerous version of that scenario is playing out in Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in a desperate struggle to stay in power after his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party lost its governing majority in a crucial election in June. Ahead of new elections set for Nov. 1, Mr. Erdogan last month reignited a war with Kurdish separatists, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or P.K.K., in an apparent effort to rally support for the government and thus salvage his ambitions for continued authoritarian rule and greatly expanded powers.

In recent years, Mr. Erdogan made strides toward recognizing the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish minority and moving toward a fragile peace with the separatists, who had waged a three-decade war against the Turkish government. About 40,000 people were killed, most by security forces. All that diplomacy seems like ancient history, now that Turkish warplanes have resumed strafing targets in northern Iraq where the separatists are based. The pretext for the renewed fighting was the killing of two Turkish police officers. But even if the gunmen were P.K.K., as the government claims, Mr. Erdogan could have found other ways to respond than all-out war.

Mr. Erdogan had long counted on the Kurds to help him achieve the parliamentary supermajority in the June elections that would have allowed him to change the Constitution and create a more powerful presidency. The Kurds make up 18 percent of the population. And while marginalized for years, they had voted for his party in the past. But in June, many of the Kurds, joined by secular Turks, switched loyalties to the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party. Despite strenuous efforts during the campaign by Mr. Erdogan to discredit it, that party won enough votes to help deprive Mr. Erdogan’s party of a governing majority.

By renewing military action, Mr. Erdogan appears to be making an aggressive appeal to Turkish nationalists opposed to self-determination for the Kurds. He is worried about the growing strength of the separatists, whose military affiliate in Syria has become a close and effective ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State. More broadly, Mr. Erdogan is fearful that the Kurds, an ethnic group with populations throughout the region in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, will push even harder to establish the sovereign state they have long yearned for. They have been emboldened by their Syrian affiliates’ gains against ISIS and the creation of a relatively stable Kurdish province in Iraq.

Mr. Erdogan last month agreed to let the Americans use Incirlik air base and two other bases to fly missions against ISIS, a long overdue commitment that should have been pro forma for a NATO ally but took a year of tough negotiations because of Turkish resistance. He also agreed to join the American-led coalition in the fight against ISIS.

But it is clear that his main priority is fighting the Kurdish separatists. The United States should use its influence in the region to stop the fighting and deprive Mr. Erdogan of an excuse to continue a military operation that makes the difficult struggle against the Islamic State even harder.

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· ·

Death Toll Rises To Three From Grenade Attack Near Ukrainian Parliament

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:09 AM

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Three members of Ukraine's National Guard have died from injuries sustained after a hand grenade exploded outside parliament amid protests over a bill that could give more autonomy to pro-Russian separatists.

The National Guard confirmed that 20-year-old Oleksandr Kostina died on September 1 in a Kyiv hospital from injuries sustained during the August 31 violence.

Interior Ministry Arsen Avakov earlier confirmed that a second member of the security force, Dmitry Slastikov, had died on September 1.

The first victim, 24-year-old National Guard conscript Ihor Debryn, died on August 31 after being hit by a grenade fragment while guarding the parliament building. Ninety other guardsmen were wounded in the incident.

Authorities say the grenade was thrown by a member of the nationalist Svoboda political alliance, identified as 27-year-old Ihor Gumenyuk, as the government forces clashed with demonstrators.

Svoboda and the nationalist Radical Party organized the protest to voice opposition to legislation that could clear the way for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine to be granted more autonomy.

The bill, which was presented by President Petro Poroshenko and is part of Kyiv's obligations under the February Minsk peace accords, was tentatively approved by parliament on August 31.

It still requires approval by at least 300 of parliament's 450 deputies to be ratified as a constitutional amendment.

The protests on August 31 turned bloody after demonstrators learned that the legislation had passed its first reading.

Video footage that captured the grenade explosion showed more than a dozen riot troops limping after the blast, and at least one plainclothes officer falling to the ground and being dragged away.

Other footage showed bloodstains on the pavement and servicemen dragging away at least two other wounded guardsmen.

WATCH: Suspected Grenade Thrower Caught On Film

It was the worst political violence seen in the Ukrainian capital since February 2014 when Euromaidan protests led to the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Authorities said a total of 30 protesters were arrested, of which 18 remained in custody as of September 1.

The demonstrators accused Ukrainian lawmakers of "capitulation to the Kremlin" after they gave tentative approval to the bill, which sets out the language of a draft constitutional amendment, which would clear the way for granting more autonomy to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

In a televised speech on August 31, President Poroshenko called the violence a "stab in the back."

"It was an anti-Ukrainian act for which all of its organizers without exception -- all representatives of political forces -- should be severely punished," Poroshenko said.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk blamed ultranationalists for the violence, which hospitalized more than 140 people including the wounded security forces and protesters.

Yatsenyuk said the right-wing protesters were "worse" than the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine who have been locked in a civil war with the government since April 2014.

He said that the protesters are trying to justify their violence "under the guise of patriotism."

World powers, including the United States, Germany, Russia, and the European Union, have also condemned the violence.

They are urging Ukrainian legislators to keep up their work decentralizing the government through measures that carry out Kyiv's obligations under the Minsk agreements.

The internationally brokered accords -- signed by Kyiv, the separatists, and Russia -- introduced a cease-fire and laid out steps toward a political solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

With additional reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, Interfax, and the BBC

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· · ·

В Киеве сообщили о 131 раненом в ходе столкновений у Рады

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:09 AM

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В результате столкновений у здания Верховной рады ранен 131 сотрудник правоохранительных органов Украины, из них 10 человек находятся в тяжелом состоянии, сообщает пресс-служба ГУ МВД в Киеве.

Как рассказал министр внутренних дел Украины Арсен Аваков, ранения различного характера получили бойцы Нацгвардии, сотрудники нескольких подразделений МВД, спецназа МВД, службы ГСО и участковые.

Столкновения возле Рады начались в понедельник после принятия парламентом в первом чтении закона о децентрализации. Один из участников акции бросил гранату, в результате чего погиб военнослужащий Национальной гвардии Игорь Дебрин.

Более половины пострадавших - 69 человек - бойцы нацгвардии.

Милиция задержала около 30 участников столкновений у стен Рады, среди них и человека, который, предположительно, бросил гранату.

Президент Украины Петр Порошенко события у Верховной Рады назвал антиукраинской акцией. Он сказал, что поручил сотрудникам правоохранительных органов провести прозрачное расследование и привлечь к ответственности "не только исполнителей, но и организаторов, включая политических".

Three and a half reasons why Russia might be planning to withdraw from Ukraine (or some of it, anyway)

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:08 AM

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By Samuel Ramani August 31 at 3:00 PM

On Aug. 9, 2015, a senior Russian general declared that if the Ukrainian military crosses Russia’s red line and attempts to recapture the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Russia would respond with overwhelming force. This statement reaffirms the Kremlin’s official line that Russia needs to hold onto territory it has virtually annexed in Donbas to ensure the viability of its puppet republics, Donetsk and Luhansk.

But is it true?

Here’s another theory. It could be that President Vladimir Putin regards the takeover of Donbas territories as temporary, and is evaluating this occupation with a strict cost-benefit analysis. Right now, he has concluded that small military victories in the Donbas generate more than enough political capital in Russia to offset the Russian public’s disdain for the hardships of sanctions-induced austerity.

[Hey, Putin, have you seen how much China is investing in Ukraine?]

Should that assessment change, Putin is very likely to tactically withdraw from Donbas on his own terms. Putin will not regard this withdrawal as a defeat, as Russia will retain a military force in Crimea that could be used to destabilize Ukraine if it tries to join NATO.

Three factors suggest that Putin’s commitment to retaining control over the territories is weaker than his regime’s rhetoric indicates:

1. Russia’s military presence in and occupation of Donbas territory is much less popular among Russian-speaking Ukrainians than Putin initially predicted in 2014.

1. The Ukrainian government has more power than it has used in the conflict thus far, and it could use this influence to force Putin to back down sooner than expected in Donbas.

1. There is compelling evidence that Putin’s long-term goal is to create a “frozen conflict” in Donbas, a scenario in which active fighting is suspended but ethnic tensions remain and can reignite at any time.

In addition, withdrawal from territories in Donbas would relieve Russia of the costs of occupation.

Let’s examine these factors in turn.

1. The Donbas Russian speakers don’t like the occupation

Russia would have a difficult time controlling the Donbas in the long-term because its imperialism is unpopular there. Putin did not expect mass resistance from Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, but that’s what he has gotten. Prominent Ukrainian analysts such as International Democracy Institute Director Sergiy Taran argue that Putin extended his military campaign from Crimea to Donbas because he thought Russian speakers would greet him as a liberator.

[Yes, Ukraine is still in crisis. Would becoming a ‘buffer state’ help?]

By contrast, Western analysts knew that Russian incursions into Donbas would be unpopular, given trends documented in public opinion polls. Oxford political scientists Paul Chaisty and Stephen Whitefield argued in 2014 that as few as 4 to 6 percent of people in Donetsk and Luhansk supported outright separatism. A May 2014 opinion poll showed that only 19 percent of Kharkiv’s citizens supported the Russian occupation.

The same poll showed that in Odessa, a Russian-majority city, Putin registered only 14 percent support. Former Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, a staunch enemy of the Kremlin, is now a highly popular governor in Odessa. That opposition is why Putin’s military foray into eastern Ukraine shocked most observers.

2. Whether Russia’s military operations can keep the Donbas territories is beyond Putin’s control

Few analysts seem to recognize the Ukrainian government’s important role and latent power in shaping events. The leverage that the Ukrainian government has in abeyance could cause Putin to opt for withdrawal rather than risk a potentially disastrous military escalation.

[Why the U.S. does nothing in Ukraine]

Consider the fact that Russian forces swiftly occupied some regions of eastern Ukraine but did not emerge victorious in others. For example, Russian forces were able to easily take over parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, but failed to triumph in other cities with large ethnic Russian populations, likeDnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv. Russia’s early successes were attributable in part to poor coordination between the Ukrainian government and regional oligarchs who profoundly impact military operations on the ground.

Lucan Way, a University of Toronto professor and expert in post-Soviet regimes, agreed with this theory, in a recent interview with me. He believes that Russia’s initial successes were partially attributable to miscommunications between the Ukrainian government and eastern Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov.

Way argued that if the Ukrainian government had been more willing to make a deal with Akhmetov, Russian aggression could have been thwarted earlier. If the Ukrainian government can learn from this experience and coordinate more closely with regional oligarchs, it will be able to confront Russian aggression from a position of greater strength.

There are other ways the Ukrainian government can still influence events. For instance, the Ukrainian state could strengthen itself economically through tighter relationships with the European Union and China. Should this work, Ukraine’s decreased dependency on trade with Russia, and increased capital for arms production, would greatly increase its military power relative to pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas.

Ukraine could also deter further Russian aggression by increasing the costs of Russian military involvement. If the Ukrainian government can coordinate with its oligarchs to escalate counterterrorism efforts against pro-Russian separatist militias, and procure lethal arms or technical support from its Western allies, more Russian soldiers would perish in Donbas. That would make a tactical withdrawal a more cost-effective, politically justifiable strategy for Putin.

3. Putin wants a frozen conflict. It costs less and threatens more.  

Since the Soviet Union dissolved, Russia has had one especially common pattern in its military interventions in the Commonwealth of Independent States, the region directly around its southern seas: frozen conflict, which would work well in Ukraine.

[Russians see Ukraine as an illegitimate state]

To see how this approach works, let’s look at what happened in Transnistria, a small strip of land on the Moldova-Ukraine border.

In accordance with the cease-fire agreement ending the 1992 war between Moldova and Transnistria, Russia stationed 2,000 troops in Transnistria. These troops prevented the autonomous region from rejoining either Moldova or Russia. Moldova denounced this Russian military presence as a violation of international law because it infringes on Moldovan sovereignty. Russia has resisted international pressure to withdraw its military force because its presence deters Moldova from applying for NATO membership.

Frozen conflicts are typically created as a result of settlements in countries beset with deep-seated ethnic tensions. Before 2014, Ukraine’s ethnic tensions were not high enough to threaten civil war. In fact, substantial evidence suggests that Russia manufactured ethnic tensions before its military intervention to prepare for a frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Oxford University Professor Roy Allison in his 2013 book “Russia, the West and Military Intervention”describes how the Kremlin alarmed the Ukrainian government by distributing Russian passports to Crimean citizens during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia. Then Putin was able to use the pretext of protecting Russian civilians to justify moving Russian forces into Crimea and Donbas. The passports prove that Russia had long planned to set up a frozen conflict here as well.

While the methods used in Russia’s interventions in Moldova and Ukraine differ, Russia will likely emulate the Moldovan frozen conflict strategy in Ukraine, due to deep ethnic tensions in both states and Russia’s common objective of keeping both countries in its sphere of influence. Russia will therefore keep troops on the Ukraine border should it tactically withdraw from the Donbas territories. The implicit threat would be the same as in Moldova: enter NATO and risk war. The threat would be backed by Russia’s permanent hold on the Black Sea naval base of Sevastopol.

Meanwhile, if Russia were to end its occupation and create a frozen conflict, it could save some rubles. Consider that it will eventually need to subsidize pensions in eastern Ukraine, which by late 2014 were $2.6 billion in arrears. Indirect imperialism would be much more cost-effective.

Some analysts of Russian conduct are succumbing to new Cold War hysteria when they assume that Donbas is being incorporated into a new Russian empire. That view is contradicted by realities on the ground and by Russia’s past conduct after military interventions. Russia’s real objective is to influence Ukraine’s foreign policy. It can do that best without further territorial expansion.

Samuel Ramani is an MPhil Student in Russian and East European Studies at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, specializing in post-1991 Russian foreign policy.

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On the frontlines in Ukraine, a technological gap

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:08 AM

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Lt. Sasha Bak tours the trenches at one of his platoon’s positions in Pisky, Ukraine, on Aug 9. (Thomas Gibbons-Neff/The Washington Post)

In June, Ukrainian army Lt. Sasha Bak finally got his hands on a drone.

He had been fighting in eastern Ukraine since March, and it was the first time he was able to get real-time imagery of the Russian-backed separatists and their trenches a little more than a half-mile away.

The aircraft? A small quadcopter more common in toy stores than combat zones, with a GoPro camera strapped to its underside. The drone flew one mission before its owner, a foreign volunteer, left with it.

Bak’s shortage of drones is just one piece of the many technological shortcomings he faces. His unit — the 7th Company of the 93rd Brigade — talks primarily on unsecure radios or field telephones left over from the Cold War that are frequently disabled when artillery rounds sever the wires that connect them. With no secure way to transmit data to other units, important messages such as company rosters and battlefield reports are delivered by hand.

[How the war in eastern Ukraine grinds on, night after night]

The Russian-backed separatists in the trenches opposite Bak’s are much better equipped. Not only do they have numerous drones of their own, but the separatists — with significant assistance from Russia — have more-sophisticated communications and an ability to jam Ukrainian radios.

They have also knocked out Ukrainian radio and television towers and have repurposed them to broadcast their own programming — a key element in a parallel propaganda war.

This disparity in communications and surveillance technology has added to an already daunting task for beleaguered Ukrainian units trying to hold their lines. The imbalance persists despite pledges from the international community, including $220 million in aid from the United States, to train and equip Ukrainian forces.

“The Ukrainians have very bad communications and very bad command and control,” said John Herbst, director of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. “Russia has great advantages in drones and electronic warfare . . . and Ukraine has a limited capacity.”

[What the war in Ukraine looks like]

The separatists fly drones constantly. Bak said he has seen ones the size of U.S. Predators while others, he maintains, are flown overhead simply to draw Ukrainian fire and reveal their positions.

Eduard Basurin, a deputy defense minister and military spokesman for the separatists in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, said he would not comment on the use of drones by his forces. He did say, however, that the rebels are able to jam Ukrainian drones. “We have a possibility to stop them from flying,” he said. “What will you do when the enemy breaks into your house?”

Laura Seal, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that the United States is in the process of supplying 3,000 radios with various levels of encryption to Ukrainian forces as part of the nonlethal military assistance the Pentagon started sending last year. The United States has also sent counter-
artillery radar that has helped Ukrainian troops respond more accurately to separatist shelling.

“This assistance is tailored to fill Ukraine’s capability gaps, as identified by Ukraine,” Seal said.

Bak’s 7th Company has yet to see an American radio, but the threat posed by an enemy that can disrupt and monitor communications hasn’t been lost on the men holding the line. The troops have said that if a major offensive happened, the Russians would first destroy their ability to communicate.

The separatists’ tactics have piqued the interest of defense officials in Washington who hope they can glean intelligence about Russia’s capabilities.

“We’re learning a lot from them,” said a senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “What we’re learning from Russia’s electronic warfare sets up our approach to their techniques and doctrines.”

Yet, Russia’s warfare extends off the battlefield as well. In an effort to control the flow of information around the front lines, Ukrainian television channels — except music and sports programming — have been blocked and replaced with Russian and separatist counterparts.

Almost immediately after hostilities began, the separatists took over a number of radio and television towers in parts of eastern Ukraine, according to Tetiana Popova, Ukraine’s deputy minister of information,

“The towers in this region have either been destroyed or captured” by the separatists, Popova said in an interview in Kiev, pointing to a cluster of concentric red circles on a map of eastern Ukraine. “Of the ones they have captured, we currently don’t have towers tall enough or powerful enough to counter them.”

Popova is attempting to procure new towers to help push Ukrainian channels back into the east.

For now, however, the lack of Ukrainian coverage means that both civilians and troops on or near the front get their news from separatist-controlled territory.

Although the programming is mostly Western movies and Russian sitcoms, there is a diet of news and battle reports. They are greeted with jeers and laughter from the Ukrainian troops.

“It’s propaganda,” Bak said. “But we watch it anyway.”

Yet for Ukrainian officials, Russia’s ownership of the airwaves is no laughing matter.

“This information front is no less important than the military front,” Valeriy Chaly, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, said in an interview. “This aggression not only threatens an offensive against our troops but destroys Ukraine from the inside.”

Julia Smirnova contributed to this report.

Thomas Gibbons-Neff is a staff writer and a former Marine infantryman.

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· · · · · · · ·

Russia Ready for Equal Partnerships With US, EU, NATO

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:07 AM

Sputnik International

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Politics

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ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — Relations between Moscow and the West have deteriorated due to the Ukrainian crisis. Since 2014, NATO has been increasing its military presence in Eastern European countries that border Russia, accusing it of meddling in Kiev's internal affairs.

Russia has repeatedly denied the allegations and has expressed concern over NATO's reinforcement along the country's western border, saying the "provocative" move could undermine regional and international stability.

"In the current situation, the country's leadership tries to carry out balanced foreign and domestic policies. In relations with the United States, the European Union, and NATO, we are ready for equal partnerships in all aspects of political and economic interests and problems," Patrushev said during a lecture at a St. Petersburg university.

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Лавров: отказ Запада от требования отставки Асада поможет борьбе с ИГ

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:06 AM

Российское Информационное Агентство "РИА Новости"

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01.09.2015

Глава МИД РФ Сергей Лавров также заявил, что все силы, которые борются с ИГ, должны объединиться ради эффективного решения данной проблемы.

МОСКВА, 1 сен — РИА Новости. Борьба международного сообщества с угрозой террористической группировки "Исламское государство" станет эффективной, когда страны Запада и их партнеры на Ближнем Востоке откажутся от требования отставки президента Сирии Башара Асада как условия для сотрудничества с сирийской армией, заявил глава МИД РФ Сергей Лавров, выступая перед студентами МГИМО (У) МИД России.

Министр отметил, что страны Запада в отношении Сирии пытаются поставить во главу угла уход с поста президента Асада. Он выразил недоумение таким подходом, поскольку в рамках инициативы РФ по уничтожению арсенала химического оружия Сирии власти этой страны рассматривались Западом как легитимные партнеры. Москва же считает, что, по словам министра, Асад "прекрасно легитимен", потому что является избранным президентом государства-члена ООН.

© РИА Новости. Григорий Сысоев

"Не может быть, что для целей уничтожения химического оружия Асад легитимен, а для целей борьбы с терроризмом нет. Тут как-то логики не хватает. Но из-за подхода наших западных коллег дело страдает, потому что коалиция, которую американцы объявили для борьбы с ИГИЛ, имеет целью нанесение воздушных ударов по позициям этой террористической структуры в Ираке и в Сирии. Но с Ираком договорились, а с сирийцами даже не стали пытаться договориться", — сказал Лавров.

Он отметил, что РФ не понимает, почему инициативу по борьбе с ИГИЛ не стали согласовывать в Совете Безопасности ООН, в контактах с властями как Ирака, так и Сирии. По его словам, сирийская армия сейчас наиболее дееспособная сила, противостоящая ИГ на земле.

"Поэтому президент Путин сформулировал предложение, чтобы все те, кто понимает опасность со стороны ИГ, объединили свои силы. Идея заключается в том, чтобы сирийская армия, иракская армия, ополчения курдов и в Сирии, и в Ираке, и те отряды сирийской оппозиции, которые состоят именно из сирийских граждан, а не из наемников, тоже объединили свои силы, координировали бы свои силы", — заявил министр.

Причем, по его словам, не нужна коалиция в классическом смысле. Главное, чтобы противостоящие ИГ силы не мешали друг другу.

"Если мы уберем из этого уравнения совершенно нереалистичное и контрпродуктивное требование отставки Асада как предварительного условия борьбы с терроризмом, а это требование сейчас присутствует в позиции целого ряда наших партнеров, то, убрав это требование из уравнения,… мы вполне можем работать эффективно. На это направлена инициатива президента РФ", — сказал Лавров.

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· · ·

If we do nothing about Syria, then the refugees will keep on coming

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:06 AM

Islamic State

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It is Isil and Isil alone that has introduced this nauseating nihilism; and when I fantasise about my ideal solution for these people, I think of the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, when the Nazi plunderers are physically vaporised before our eyes. I am sorry to sound vindictive, but that I think is what they deserve – and especially for their murder of the 82-year-old curator, Khalid al-Asaad.

Yeah, you may say, and who is going to avenge him? Who is going to play Yahweh? No one wants to take them on. Everyone is frit of Isil, you may say – and it seems that no one in any Western capital thinks Syria is worth the bones of a Pomeranian grenadier, as Bismarck put it, let alone of a British grenadier.

Well, I am not sure that this will do any more – not when we look at the tragedy unfurling in the Mediterranean, the hideous fate of the 71 Syrian refugees in that lorry in Austria, the awful scorching sufferings of the migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean.

• Startling drone footage of Aleppo's destroyed heritage sites

A few years ago I went to Palmyra, and other places in Syria, and realised that it was a place of unbelievable cultural richness. We went to Aleppo and saw the ancient souk. We went to Apamea and saw the lustrous mosaics of hunting and wine-making and agriculture – reminding you that for centuries this place was the very heart of the Christian Roman empire.

I thought then that this country had a lush future. The food was delicious; the people were gentle and civilised and friendly. I imagined brochures for villas called Simply Syria; and trekking holidays and cycling holidays; perhaps even Club 18-30, in the racier parts of Damascus – shades of Beirut in the good old days. At the centre of it all was the magnetic pull of culture, and history, and the touristic notion that you could better yourself by exposure to one of the oldest civilisations in the world.

My optimism was founded entirely on my astonishment at the relics of the past – and if you think heritage is unimportant to tourism, look at the reasons people cite for coming to London, now the number one tourist destination on Earth. Yes, it’s the bars and the theatres and the nightlife – but when people are asked to explain the reasons, they always tick the box marked “history” or “heritage”. Syria has at least 6,000 years of it, and some of the world’s most famous and important sites. Until now.

• Syrian Unesco World Heritage site 'used as battlefield'

The fate of all these relics is now either grim or uncertain, lost in the fog of war – as they are destroyed, like the souk of Aleppo; or sold by Isil to fund their operations. One day I hope and pray that this nightmare will end, that Isil will be defeated – and peace will return.

If the Syrians are deprived of their past, they will have no future

And then what? What future will there be for the country – with their economy in ruins, with the potential for tourism destroyed along with their cultural heritage? I perfectly accept that intervention has not often worked. It has been a disaster in Iraq; it has been a disaster in Libya. But can you honestly say that non-intervention in Syria has been a success? If we keep doing nothing about the nightmare in Syria, then frankly we must brace ourselves for an eternity of refugees, more people suffocating in airless cattle trucks at European motorway service stations, more people trying to climb the barbed wire that we are building around the European Union.

The number one political problem in Europe this summer is the movement of migrants, and there are many potential solutions. The Home Secretary has bravely proposed a fundamental reform to the EU – that we should disallow free movement of labour, unless the migrant worker has a clearly defined job to go to. I believe many people in this country would support such a reform, though the devil, as ever, would be in the detail. But we must also tackle the reasons why people flee their homes – and we cannot let Isil destroy sites that are not only emblems of our civilisation, but which offer hope for the Syrian economy. If the Syrians are deprived of their past, they will have no future.

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· · · ·

What is the U.S. Government’s Role in Cybersecurity?

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:05 AM

Government Technology

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As the Internet evolves, so do the threats lurking within it. But this ongoing evolution raises a larger question: Who is really responsible for bolstering private and public defenses? Is the Wild West approach to the Web going to cut it in the long run, or will someone have to take to take the lead when it comes to a national cybersecurity game plan?

As it stands, it could be argued that cybersecurity in the United States boils down to an “every man for himself” approach. For the most part, companies operate independently of one another and the government; and the same is true in reverse. But has this approach been effective? Recent large-scale data breaches of the Office of Personnel Management and the IRS have prompted renewed consideration of the topic.

Alan Webber is the lead researcher behind an International Data Corp. (IDC) 2015 report, Business Strategy: Defining the U.S. Government Role in Cybersecurity, which tackles whether the government needs to drive modernization into the next generation of national cybersecurity.

“Basically cybersecurity has gone beyond being just a government problem or a private-sector problem,” Webber said. “For a long time we thought if we built a big enough wall, we could keep [intruders] out, and that’s not the case anymore.” 

An IDC research director specializing in global public safety and national security, he argues that government leadership is responsible for some of the world’s more innovative technological advancements. He uses the technology that came out of public-private cooperation and the Apollo space program as a fitting example. 

“We had a specific goal of getting somebody on the moon. So, what does our cybersecurity goal look like?” he said. “We know for a fact that we can’t keep everyone out. … Then what does our goal look like beyond that? We don’t have one and that’s a problem.”

The ever-changing cyberlandscape presents the monumental challenge of defending expansive networks 24/7 from a host of potential intruders who only have to be right once to cause damage to financial markets, public infrastructure and even military assets.

From Webber’s perspective, simply “building a wall” to keep the intruders out has proved to be an ineffective approach to a much larger problem, a problem that he said needs to be addressed now more than ever.

“What government really needs to push forward, both within government and outside of government, is a different way of thinking and looking at this. That’s to the point that we know they’re going to be in the network, we know they’re most likely already there,” he said. “So, how do we continue to operate safely knowing they are already there?”

In many cases, Webber said the problem isn’t so much about developing the next technology as it is about using what is already available more effectively. 

Bruce Schneier is a well known cybersecurity author and fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. He agrees with the premise that the government is well positioned to spur cybersecurity innovations and believes it should.

“There’s a lot of room for governments to step in and solve problems the markets can’t,” he said.

The approach to prompting security advancement could come in many forms, like incentivizing research, setting standards and stimulating the economy, Schneier said. By his count, any of the positive ways governments take a role in collective action would be fitting in the realm of cybersecurity.

While the government may have the know-how and tools to unleash state-of-the-art innovations in cybersecurity, Schneier said the matter of the technology being classified puts a damper on its release to the mainstream for further innovation.

“There’s a lot of really valuable work being done in security in the U.S. government which never helps any of us because it’s secret inside the [National Security Agency],” Schneier said. “Getting that [technology] out would be of enormous value.”   

From Webber’s point of view, the unwillingness to fail is one of the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of government innovation on cybersecurity.

Rigorous testing and retesting often stall technological advancements in the public sector and make agencies slow to implement cutting-edge tools and protections.  

“There is no culture that allows for failure that says, ‘OK, we can innovate fast,’ because part of innovating fast is the acceptance of a certain level of failure. That doesn’t exist in government. So, to expect government to be the solution to this is just not a viable solution,” Webber said. “Government needs to be the innovation center and push people forward, but it needs to do it in a smart way.”

Among the solutions outlined in his report, Webber said he sees three top issues that must be considered for better national cybersecurity. The first is re-examining our definitions of cybersecurity. He likens this to the shift from “conventional warfare to unconventional warfare.” 

The second is the government as the innovative driver. And lastly, Webber said, is the need to outline liabilities and reporting requirements. Too often, private corporations do not report breaches to government, a practice Webber said needs to change.

Because of the intertwined nature of business and government, Webber said it is essential that the federal government and private industry make the effort to improve the overall stance of the United States.

The researcher said the disruption to systems that control economic markets could easily translate to problems with effectively governing the country.  

“It’s one thing to lose money; it’s another thing to lose the potential integrity of your government,” he said.

The Obama administration has made clear the importance of enhancing cybersecurity through similar strategies. In Feb. 2015, the White House announced the creation of the 

Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center

 (CTIIC) under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The CTIIC was not created as a cyberintellegence collection point, but rather an analytical center for the data collected at other regional centers around the country.

Three days later, President Obama 

called on private industry

 to participate in information-sharing on cyberthreats at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, an event which was attended by the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook.

"Government cannot do this alone,” Obama said at the time. “The fact is, the private sector cannot do this alone either, as government has the latest information on threats."

The president went on to announce his plans for the formation of Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs), which would be authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to share classified information across business sectors that could help thwart cyberattacks. 

While these efforts are largely in keeping with the recommendations of the researcher, it is uncertain whether they will fully address the evolving cybersecurity threat in the United States.

Eyragon Eidam  |  Staff Writer

---

Eyragon Eidam is a staff writer for Government Technology magazine. He lives in Sacramento, Calif., with his wife and three dogs. He can be reached at eeidam@erepublic.com.

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· · · · ·

China Allegedly Hacked Top Former FBI Lawyer

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:05 AM

Newsweek

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U.S.

U.S.

A lock icon, signifying an encrypted Internet connection on an Internet Explorer browser. Marion “Spike” Bowman, a former top FBI lawyer, says a hacker from China penetrated his home computer, beginning with an innocent-looking email last spring. REUTERS/Mal Langsdon

Marion “Spike” Bowman, a top former FBI lawyer and U.S. counterintelligence official who heads an influential organization of retired American spies, says a hacker from China penetrated his home computer, beginning with an innocent-looking email last spring. 

“It was an email supposedly from a woman in China, and I exchanged correspondence with her a couple of times,” says Bowman, who was deputy general counsel to three FBI directors between 1995 and 2006. “She sent me a document that a friend of hers had supposedly written, in English, and wanted my opinion on it,” he tells Newsweek. She also sent him her picture.

“I never got around to replying, so I never heard from her again,” says Bowman, who went on to become deputy director of the National Counterintelligence Executive, which is tasked with developing policies to thwart foreign spies and terrorists.

Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week

But then, a week ago, he says, he got another message from China via his email account at George Washington University, where he has lectured on national security law since 2003.

“It was apparently from a university in China asking me come to speak at a conference on the environment”—not even remotely one of his areas of expertise, Bowman says. He called the FBI.

After a forensic examination of his machine, the FBI told him “they had found a malware type that’s designed to find out what’s on my computer,” Bowman says. “It wasn’t anything to infect it.” Still, just being able to read the contents of a target’s computer can reveal lots of valuable information like emails and documents, contact files with phone numbers and other personal data, like home addresses.

“Somebody who really knows what they’re doing” can wreak havoc, he says.

The FBI didn’t tell him exactly who was behind the hack, he says, “but they think they identified the woman” in a picture she sent along with one of her emails last spring. “It was somebody that they knew,” Bowman says. “I didn’t inquire any further.”

Before joining the FBI, Bowman was a Navy lawyer assigned to advise SEAL teams on clandestine operations, among other sensitive matters. His portfolio at the FBI gave him intimate knowledge of the details of operations to counter threats from foreign spy agencies.  

“I still carry lots of deep Cold War secrets in my head,” he says, although not on his computer. But he is still very active in national security circles as chairman of the board of directors of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, an organization with several thousand members nationwide, about half of them former CIA personnel.

Bowman’s revelation follows several months of bad news about the vulnerability of government computers to foreign hackers, the latest being a report published Monday saying that Chinese and Russian intelligence agencies are “aggressively aggregating and cross-indexing hacked U.S. computer databases” to catch American spies working overseas. China-based hackers breached about 22 million files held by the federal Office of Personnel Management, officials say.

“At least one clandestine network of American engineers and scientists who provide technical assistance to U.S. undercover operatives and agents overseas has been compromised as a result” of the Russian and Chinese exploitation of the files, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing two U.S. officials.

The story, Bowman says, was “pretty much on target.”

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· · · ·

Putin The Overhyped Spy Lover

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:04 AM

StrategyPage.Com

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September 1, 2015: President Vladimir Putin likes maintain an image of a strong, intelligent and decisive leader. Part of this rests on his 17 years spent working as a KGB (the Soviet CIA). This is interpreted by many in the West as evidence that the Soviet era KGB has taken over the country, led by a brilliant KGB man (Putin). This is largely myth. Putin was in the KGB for 17 years, at the end of the Cold War. But a look at his record shows that he was not considered an ace operative. For example, when he was sent to East Germany, he was not assigned to Berlin, a hotbed of espionage throughout the Cold War, but to Dresden, where there was much less espionage activity. When he was sent back to Russia to work in counterintelligence (catching spies, a major chore for the KGB) he was not sent to Moscow, where most foreign spies operated, but to Leningrad (St Petersburg) where there was much less action. KGB agents who served with Putin, and are now in the West (where they can speak freely), agree that Putin was considered second rate and dangerous to work with. That’s because while Putin was a clever fellow and energetic, he was also prone to high-risk solutions to problems. The KGB traditionally avoided risky plans and that was because successful espionage goes to those who are careful and patient. Aggressive risk-takers can destroy years of patient work and that is why the KGB sent Putin to places where his bad habits could not cause major damage. But now Putin is running Russia and he is still aggressive, a risk taker and that makes thoughtful Russians nervous.

Another myth is that Putin has brought a lot of KGB personnel into the government. While Putin is a veteran of the Soviet era KGB, most senior government officials are not. Of the top hundred officials in the Russian government, no more than fifteen percent had worked for the KGB and that percentage has been declining because your average KGB veteran sees Putin as dangerous in the long run. Nevertheless the KGB influence in the Russian government is real, although far less than dominating. Most KGB officials have found better paying jobs in the booming civilian sector. The KGB was always known as where the "best and brightest" of Soviet society went. These guys are smart enough to avoid getting tied down in a government job, no matter how high up in the food chain.

Putin has tried to make the most of his KGB background. Thus in 2000, shortly after he was first elected president, he declared that every November 5th was henceforth "Spy Day," to celebrate a centuries of Russian espionage. This special day is not a leftover from the Soviet Union and was not an effort to regain some respect for Soviet era spies (many of whom were out of work after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991). Rather, Putin was bringing attention to peace time spying. Like China, Russia has been very active in stealing foreign technology, and needs skilled spies to do it.

After 2000 Putin made a major effort to revive the huge Soviet era espionage capability. This meant taking care of other Russian espionage agencies as well. This in 2006 a new, $300 million, headquarters for GRU (similar to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency) was opened. This was but one of many examples of Russia's increased interest in espionage. The 62,200 square meter (670,000 square foot) GRU complex contains the latest of everything for what used to be the smallest of Russia's intelligence services (the domestic, and foreign, intelligence services were always larger). After 2000 the increasing flood of oil revenue made it possible to rebuild the intelligence services. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, there followed a decade of decline for the intelligence services. The feared overseas KGB spies became the threadbare SVB, with domestic intelligence taken over by the FSB. Many Soviet spies defected, and sold their secrets to Western intelligence agencies. The GRU, however, got more of this new money, and was expected to expand its efforts overseas.

This enthusiasm for espionage was not without its problems. During the 1990s, most of the experienced KGB and GRU espionage experts left or were fired. In the last decade, attempts to rebuild the spy agencies have relied on a lot of much less experienced supervisors and administrators. Even Putin noticed the drop in capabilities. There have been numerous botched overseas espionage operations, and lots of feuding within and between the SVR and GRU. This has led to the suggestion that another wave of firings take place in senior management, and the two spy agencies be merged into one organization that will handle everything. The military is strongly opposed to this. But the military does not have the clout it used to possess. If Putin gets behind this unification proposal, opposing generals will find themselves swiftly retired. There are plenty of younger generals who are enthusiastic about reforming GRU, which is seen as old-fashioned and run by dolts. The younger officers are willing to take their chances with a combined SVR/GRU spy agency.

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· · ·

These brothers were born in Toronto, but their parents were Russian spies, so they cannot be Canadian

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 10:04 AM

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These brothers were born in Toronto, but their parents were Russian spies, so they cannot be Canadian

Stewart Bell
Monday, Aug. 31, 2015

TORONTO — The sons of two Russian “deep cover” spies are fighting to keep the Canadian citizenship they acquired while their parents were living in Toronto under assumed identities and secretly working for Russian intelligence.

Alexander and Timothy Vavilov, 21 and 25, are the children of Elena Vavilova and Andrey Bezrukov, Russian operatives who were sent to Canada to develop “legends” that would mask their spying activities in the United States.

The parents stole the identities of Tracey Foley and Donald Heathfield, Canadians who had died as infants. The couple maintained the fiction for two decades until they were arrested in 2010 and sent back to Russia in a spy swap.

The brothers also returned to Russia at the time but are now claiming they are Canadians, and they have taken the government to court to be recognized as such, arguing that since they were born in Toronto they have a right to citizenship.

Associated Press/ FBIAndrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, Russian operatives who were sent to Canada to develop “legends” that would mask their spying activities in the United States.

“I am first and foremost Canadian,” Timothy Vavilov, whom Canadian intelligence accuses of being a Russian operative, wrote in an affidavit. “I have lived for 20 years believing that I was Canadian and still believe I am Canadian, nothing can change that.”

The younger brother wrote in his affidavit that his Canadian heritage was “an important part of who I am” and that he introduced himself as a Canadian. “It is the only culture I can associate with, and has been a cornerstone of my identity.”

But he has not lived in Canada since the age of one, when his parents, having established their Canadian legends, moved to France and then Boston, where they became naturalized American citizens under their fake Canadian identities.

Russia has a long record of sending “illegals” to Canada and other Western countries. While living seemingly ordinary lives, illegals embed themselves in their host countries, covertly advancing Moscow’s intelligence needs.

The Vavilov brothers’ parents were outed as illegals during Operation Ghost Stories, an FBI investigation that identified 10 Russian spies operating in the U.S. After pleading guilty, they were flown to Vienna and traded for four Russians who had been imprisoned by Moscow for spying.

The Canadian government appears to have briefly slipped up, granting Alexander Vavilov a study permit to attend the University of Toronto in 2012. The permit was later cancelled after officials figured out he was the son of Russian spies.

Court Documents A court document showing the Canadian passport of Tracey Lee Ann Foley (a.k.a. Elena Vavilova). A Russian couple stole the identities of Tracey Foley and Donald Heathfield, Canadians who had died as infants. The couple maintained the fiction for two decades until they were arrested in 2010 and sent back to Russia in a spy swap.

But the following year, the government sent him a certificate of Canadian citizenship. Passport Canada then agreed to renew his passport but officials changed their minds. The citizenship of both brothers was revoked last year. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) sent them letters explaining that children born in Canada to representatives of foreign governments were not eligible for citizenship.

“It is interesting that it took so long for the authorities to realize that the application for citizenship was without merit, since they had already known that the parents’ citizenship was fraudulent,” said Toronto immigration lawyer Sergio Karas.

According to the CIC’s report on the brothers, obtained by the National Post, the parents were deployed to Canada “specifically for the task of stealing the identities of Canadians and building their respective legends prior to relocating to the United States, the ‘target country,’ as Canadians.”

The report said the couple worked for the Russian SVR Foreign Intelligence Service. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service believes the older sibling had signed on with the SVR, according to the report. “CSIS has since informed CIC that Timothy Vavilov had been ‘sworn in’ by the SVR prior to his parents’ arrest,” it said. “It is not know if Alexander has also pledged allegiance to the SVR.”

Court Documents A court document showing the application for Canadian Citizenship for Timothy Foley (a.k.a Timothy Vavilov).

In his affidavit, Timothy Vavilov denied his parents were “grooming me for espionage” and accused Canadian authorities of trying to “tarnish our lives.” He said he and his brother had been “indirectly notified by top officials of the Canadian Secret Services” that they would lose their fight for citizenship.

“The representatives of the Canadian Secret Service stated that ‘if you continue, there will be consequences — for example, a campaign to publish damaging information about you in the press,’” he wrote. “I have a strong belief that the reason for the revocation is political and is not something we can influence.”

The Federal Court has not yet ruled on Timothy Vavilov’s case. But on Aug. 10, it upheld the government’s decision to revoke Alexander Vavilov’s citizenship, ruling he was not entitled to it because his parents were in Canada as foreign government employees.

“Anyone who moves to this country with the explicit goal of establishing a life to further a foreign intelligence operation, be it in this country or any other, is clearly doing so in the service of, or as an employee or representative, of a foreign government,” the court ruled.

National Post

• Email: sbell@nationalpost.com | Twitter:

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· · · · · · · ·

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Today's Headlines and Commentary by Quinta Jurecic

Tuesday September 1st, 2015 at 9:51 AM

Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks Review

 

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» Migrant trains reach Germany as EU asylum system creaks
31/08/15 21:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. VIENNA/MUNICH (Reuters) - Trainloads of migrants arrived in Austria and Germany from Hungary on Monday as European Union asylum rules collapsed under the strain of a wave of migration ...

» Migrant Crackdown Sows Chaos in Europe
31/08/15 20:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Europe to tackle the migrant crisis and agree on a fair distribution of people, warning that failing to do so might put the EU’s open-border p...

» 244 Immigrants With Criminal Records Face Deportation in California - New York Times
31/08/15 20:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Ledger Gazette 244 Immigrants With Criminal Records Face Deportation in California New York Times LOS ANGELES — More than 240 immigrants with criminal records who are living in t...

» Medical cannabis company sells its first marijuana pills
31/08/15 19:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - World RSS Feed. A company has sold its first marijuana pills legally, and they are available to buy over the internet in Europe.

» How to climb a greasy pole... traditional Maltese style
31/08/15 19:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from itnnews's YouTube Videos. From: itnnews Duration: 01:13 Contestants clamber up a greasy pole as the traditional Gostra Festival pole climbing competition takes place in St. Julian's, Malta. Report by V...

» Policeman killed in clashes outside Ukrainian parliament
31/08/15 12:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from itnnews's YouTube Videos. From: itnnews Duration: 01:05 One policeman has been killed and at least 50 people have been injured in clashes outside the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev. Report by Conor Mcnally.

» Calais residents suffering from migrants in town
31/08/15 12:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from itnnews's YouTube Videos. From: itnnews Duration: 01:46 Calais residents are pessimistic about the situation of their town which, they say is "suffering" from the migrant crisis and the MyFerryLink dis...

» Blast near Ukrainian parliament kills guardsman – video
31/08/15 12:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Warning: video contains footage of the explosion and injured people Injured riot police can be seen trying to flee an area outside the Ukraine parliament in Kiev, after a...

» Egypt Summons British Ambassador After His Critique of Ruling Against Journalists
31/08/15 12:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. John Casson, who was in the courtroom when two journalists were sentenced to prison, said the move would damage confidence in the rule of law in Egypt.

» ISIS Damages Ancient Temple in Palmyra, Activists Say
31/08/15 12:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Islamic State militants in Syria severely damaged the Bel Temple, considered one of the greatest sites of the ancient world, in a massive explosion Sunday, activists said.

» Susan Rice, Obama’s Security Adviser, Urges Pakistan to Do More Against Militants
31/08/15 12:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. In a daylong visit to Pakistan, the national security adviser urged leaders to stop militants from using Pakistani territory to stage attacks in Afghanistan.

» As Police Investigate Deaths in Truck, Migrants and Smugglers Appear to Shift Tactics
31/08/15 12:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. While investigators in Austria continued inspecting the truck in which 71 migrants died last week, officials grappled with how to address the flow of migrants.

» Solovetsky Journal: Russians Clash Over Commemorating Monastery’s Grim Past
31/08/15 12:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Priests and historians are battling over how best to memorialize the site of a historic Orthodox monastery used as a Soviet prison camp.

» ISIS Damages Temple of Baal in Palmyra
31/08/15 12:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Rights, an activist and monitoring group based in Britain, said Sunday that Islamic State fighters had destroyed part of the nearly 2,000-y...

» At Least 13 Reported Dead in Yemen Strikes
31/08/15 12:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The Saudi-led military coalition killed workers at a water plant on Sunday, the plant’s owner said, while a coalition spokesman said Houthi rebels had made explosive devices at the site.

» Editorial: Turkey’s War of Distraction
31/08/15 12:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Renewed fighting against the Kurds looks suspiciously like a move by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to salvage his political ambitions.

» ISIS Militants Severely Damage Temple of Baal in Palmyra
31/08/15 12:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The attack was the group’s second on the ancient Syrian city’s world-renowned ruins in a week, according to local activists and residents.

» Police Hurt in Protests as Ukraine MPs Votes on Special Status for East
31/08/15 12:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Ukraine's parliament voted on Monday for constitutional changes to give separatist-minded eastern regions a special status - but divisions in the pro-Western camp and violent street protest...

» China Punishes Nearly 200 Over ‘Rumors’ About Stocks, Blasts and Parade
31/08/15 12:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security did not give details in announcing the move, but the accused have presumably been detained.

» Police Officer Is Killed in Kiev During Protests Over East Ukraine Vote
31/08/15 12:18 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Demonstrations turned violent as Parliament moved to ratify constitutional changes granting autonomous status to parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

» U.S. considering sanctions over Chinese cyber theft: Washington Post
31/08/15 12:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is considering applying sanctions against companies and individuals in China it believes have benefited from Chinese hacking of U.S. trade secret...

» China property developers to buy back Tianjin blast homes: Xinhua
31/08/15 12:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIJING (Reuters) - People whose apartments were damaged in explosions in the northeastern Chinese port city of Tianjin can sell their homes to a group of property developers or choose...

» China party says no disrespect meant with Jiang sign removal
31/08/15 12:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIJING (Reuters) - The removal of a stone plinth sign written by former Chinese president Jiang Zemin at the entrance of a key Communist Party training center is not a sign of disresp...

» Unprecedented migrant crisis forces EU to seek answers
31/08/15 12:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union ministers were summoned on Sunday to meet in two weeks' time to seek urgent solutions to a migration crisis unprecedented in the bloc's history, as ...

» China to open high-speed rail link to North Korean border
31/08/15 12:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIJING (Reuters) - China will open a high-speed rail line to the North Korean border on Thursday, state news agency Xinhua said, the latest effort to boost economic ties despite tensi...

» Ukraine's parliament backs draft law giving east special status
31/08/15 12:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament on Monday voted for constitutional changes to give its eastern regions a special status that it hopes will blunt their separatist drive, but divis...

» Top Shots
31/08/15 12:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Some of the most compelling photographs from RFE/RL's broadcast region and beyond. For more photo galleries, see our "Picture This" archive by clicking on the banner above.

» Taliban Admits Covering Up 2013 Death Of Leader Mullah Omar
31/08/15 12:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. ​The Taliban has admitted that it covered up the death of its leader Mullah Mohammad Omar for more than two years, confirming that he died in 2013 as was first claimed by...

» Briefing: Mr. Putin Goes To China
31/08/15 12:12 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. As Vladimir Putin heads to Beijing, it is becoming clear that China isn't the savior Russia had been hoping for.

» Khadija Ismayilova's Final Words To Court: 'I Might Be In Prison, But The Work Will Continue'
31/08/15 12:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. A prominent Azerbaijani investigative journalist and RFE/RL contributor has made a defiant closing statement in a courtroom in Baku, saying her trial on economic crimes c...

» Baku Court Orders Halt To Ismayilova's Final Statement, Delaying Verdict
31/08/15 12:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. The judge in the trial of Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova has halted her from reading her final statement, leading the hearing and expected verdict to be postpo...

» Deals Worth $20 Billion To Be Signed During Kazakh Leader's Visit To China
31/08/15 12:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Kazakhstan's government says agreements worth $20 billion are to be signed in Beijing in the coming days during an official visit by President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

» Grenade Explodes Outside Ukraine Parliament
31/08/15 12:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. At least one Ukrainian National Guard soldier was killed in clashes with demonstrators after a grenade explodes outside parliament in Kyiv.

» 2015-08-31Mount McKinley, America's highest mountain, to be restored to original
31/08/15 12:11 from Mike Nova - Google+
2015-08-31 Mount McKinley, America's highest mountain, to be restored to original name Denali by Telegraph Staff Monday August 31st, 2015 at 11:41 AM Mount McKinley, America's highest mountain, to be restored to original name Denali   by...

» Ismayilova Remains Defiant
31/08/15 12:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova says "I might be in prison, but the work will continue," in her final statement read to court ahead of trial verdict.

» Putin Pumps Iron, Internet Delivers Punch Lines
31/08/15 12:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spent their Sunday on a thoroughly photographed man-date. Whatever the official goal might have been, ...

» Kyrgyzstan Celebrates Independence Day
31/08/15 12:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. At Independence Day celebrations, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev said upcoming elections will be a major test for the country.

» Will VP Biden Enter US Presidential Fray?
31/08/15 11:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from VOAvideo's YouTube Videos. From: VOAvideo Duration: 02:10 A big question mark remains on the list of U.S. presidential hopefuls – will Vice President Joe Biden enter the race on the Democratic side, jo...

» White House: Mt. McKinley to be Renamed Denali
31/08/15 11:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. President Barack Obama will change the name of North America's tallest mountain peak from Mount McKinley to Denali, the White House said Sunday, bestowing the traditional Alaska Native na...

» Obama to Address Threat of Warming Arctic at Climate Conference
31/08/15 11:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. President Barack Obama is traveling Monday to Alaska to meet with residents and deliver an address at a conference where U.S. and foreign officials, scientists and locals are gathering to...

» Clashes in Kyiv Injure 100 After Vote on East
31/08/15 11:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Clashes broke out between police and nationalist protesters outside the Ukrainian parliament on Monday after a controversial vote to give greater powers to separatist regions in the east....

» US-Belgian businessman arrested on Sierra Leone 'blood diamonds' charge in Spain
31/08/15 11:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. It is the first time an individual has been detained on international charges related to the exploitation of the war in Sierra Leone

» Ashley Madison gaining 'hundreds of thousands of new clients' despite data leak
31/08/15 11:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. The parent company of Ashley Madison, Avid Life Media has hit back at claims that women are not avid users of the cheating website

» China enlists squad of trained monkeys to clear skies during memorial parade
31/08/15 11:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. China's military has drafted falcons and monkeys to see off nuisance birds during the WW2 memorial march

» Mount McKinley, America's highest mountain, to be restored to original name Denali
31/08/15 11:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Barack Obama will announce the decision during visit to Alaska, ending a 40-year campaign by native people who view the peak as sacred

» Isil 'blows up Temple of Bel' in ancient Syrian city of Palmyra
31/08/15 11:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. It is the second of the city's ancient temples to be destroyed in a week as jihadist groups continues its programme of "cultural cleansing"

» Saudi Arabia allows women to stand in local elections
31/08/15 11:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Move has been welcomed as an important step forward in a country where woman are not allowed to drive

» Sheriff blames 'anti-police rhetoric' for killing of white police officer
31/08/15 11:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Black Lives Matter group criticises sheriff for "politicising" alleged murder of one of his officers

» Brazilian police searching for 25-year-old mayor accused of corruption and running her town via WhatsApp
31/08/15 11:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Lidiane Leite boasted of her lavish lifestyle - but has now gone on the run, accused of corruption

» Kiev protests against separatists turn violent as grenade thrown at police
31/08/15 11:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Police have been injured during a demonstration in the Ukrainian capital

» Teacher rebuked for being late to school 111 times says he was 'eating breakfast'
31/08/15 11:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Arnold Anderson explained his perpetual lateness by saying his morning meals had a tendency to overrun

» Iran and Israel united in dislike of Daniel Barenboim after Tehran does not allow him in
31/08/15 11:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Tehran said he would not be let in to perform in the country with a Berlin orchestra because he holds Israeli nationality

» Lebanese Official Defies Calls to Resign
31/08/15 11:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. A top Lebanese official defied demands from thousands of protesters over the weekend to step down, providing potential fuel for a growing antigovernment movement that is coalesced arou...

» Rice Condemns Pakistan-Based Militant Attacks in Afghanistan
31/08/15 11:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice on Sunday told top civilian and military leaders in Islamabad that attacks in neighboring Afghanistan by Pakistan-based militants were “absolu...

» At Least 11 Die in Saudi Arabia Fire
31/08/15 11:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. A large fire at a residential compound of Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant killed at least 11 people and injured more than 200, officials said.

» U.A.E. Takes Lead in Southern Yemen
31/08/15 11:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. U.A.E. forces prevented Houthi rebels in Yemen from overrunning the Yemeni port city of Aden, and now also reluctantly find themselves in the business of nation-building.

» EU Ministers Push for Action on Migrant Crisis
31/08/15 11:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Germany, France and the U.K. pushed for a faster response in dealing with the continent’s migration crisis as Hungarian police detained a fifth person in connection with the deaths of ...

» U.S. Port Traffic Hinted at China Slowdown
31/08/15 11:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Long before investors lost faith in the Chinese stock market, something seemed amiss at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The number of containers coming from China was up, but ...

» Crises Put First Dents in Xi Jinping's Power
31/08/15 11:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Ahead of a planned visit to the U.S., the Chinese president’s image as a bold leader is being undermined by his botched handling of the stock market rout and the country’s economic slo...

» Muslim Teen Wrestler 'Joelle' Busts Barriers in the Gulf
31/08/15 11:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. In Dubai, a young female fighter who goes by the name “Joelle” brings fishnets and enthusiasm to a sport dominated by men.

» Islamic State Blows Up Temple of Bel in Syria's Palmyra
31/08/15 11:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Islamic State has partially destroyed Palmyra’s 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel in a massive explosion, activists and a monitoring group said.

» Austria Toughens Controls Amid Migrant Crisis
31/08/15 11:34 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Austrian police have toughened controls in the country’s eastern border region close to Hungary in response to last week’s discovery of 71 dead migrants in an abandoned truck, the coun...

» Scores Injured in Ukraine Protest Blast
31/08/15 11:33 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. About fifty members of Ukraine’s National Guard were injured, four of them seriously, in a blast outside parliament, as fighting broke out between protesters and law-enforcement person...

» Little Progress Made on Integrated GCC Missile Shield
31/08/15 11:10 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. Despite a strong US push, development of an integrated GCC ballistic missile defense program has seen little progress             

» Two US Special Ops airmen killed in Afghanistan last week
31/08/15 11:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. August 31, 2015, 4:58 PM (IDT) The “NATO servicemen” killed in southern Afghanistan last Wednesday were identified by the Pentagon Monday as two special tactics airmen, Capt. Matthew...

» China, Russia Targeting US Spies Via Hacked Computer Databases: Report
31/08/15 11:00 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from International Business Times. Spy services in China and Russia, among others, are collecting and scrutinizing hacked United States computer databases to target American intelligence agents and officers. Fo...

» William Evanina - Google Search
31/08/15 10:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . China and Russia are cross-indexing hacked data to target US spies ... Los Angeles Times - 4 hours ago ... put together a common picture," William Evanina , the top counterintelligence official for the U.S. i...

» News Roundup and Notes: August 31, 2015
31/08/15 10:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Just Security. Megan Graham Before the start of business, Just Security provides a curated summary of up-to-the-minute developments at home and abroad. Here’s today’s news. IRAQ and SYRIA Turkish fighter j...

» Recap of Recent Posts at Just Security (August 22–28)
31/08/15 10:01 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Just Security. Just Security I. Surveillance, Privacy & Cybersecurity Julian Sanchez,  Does CISA Contain a Surveillance Law XSS Attack?  (Tuesday, August 25) Rachel Levinson-Waldman,  Guest Post: Armed...

» Putin linked to shady property deals in Spain
31/08/15 09:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . <a href="http://nym1.ib.adnxs.com/click?S5cWZwOq7j9r1EM0uoPsPwAAAAAAACBAXi-PpTyS7j_iY9NSG3DwP1EJ0JWuQZ91X6bMU1iJnwgkWeRVAAAAAGOxCwDLAQAAfQYAAAIAAABAT94B3wkBAAAAAQBVU0QAVVNEANgCWgC0AokDw...

» Пресса Британии: сделки в Испании и сеньор Путин
31/08/15 09:38 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . В обзоре британских газет: Российс...

» Russia vs. NATO War Almost Broke Our 66 Times In 12 Months
31/08/15 08:36 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Comments on: Russia vs. NATO War Almost Broke Our 66 Times In 12 Months. Russia and NATO are engaged in an "action-reaction cycle" that is difficult to stop. History is full of examples of tensions that es...

» China and Russia are cross-indexing hacked data to target U.S. spies, officials say
31/08/15 08:35 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Foreign spy services, especially in China and Russia, are aggressively aggregating and cross-indexing hacked U.S. computer databases — including security clearance applications, airline records and medi...

» 3,432,4613,432,461
31/08/15 08:05 from Mike Nova - Google+
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» 3,432,3663,432,366
31/08/15 03:53 from Mike Nova - Google+
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» 2015-08-30» Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota 30/08/15 16:23 from Mike Nova
30/08/15 23:38 from Mike Nova - Google+
2015-08-30 » Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota 30/08/15 16:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks Mike Nova's Shared NewsLinks Review   From The Major News Sources »   2015-08-30Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota S...

» 2015-08-30Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota Sunday August 
30/08/15 19:31 from Mike Nova - Google+
2015-08-30 Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota Sunday August 30th, 2015 at 4:23 PM Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota Sunday August 30 th , 2015  at  4:23 PM Stars And Stripes News 1 Share Criminals in North Dakota...

» Police Taser drones authorized in North Dakota
30/08/15 16:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Criminals in North Dakota may soon find themselves zapped by Tasers from on high. That's one of the possibilities presented by the state's House Bill 1328, which allows police depar...

» To Prove Its CAS Capabilities, F-35 To Face Off Against A-10
30/08/15 16:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. The Pentagon’s top weapons tester has declared the JSF must face off against the lumbering A-10.             

» First Turkish air strikes against ISIS in Syria
30/08/15 16:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. August 29, 2015, 4:21 PM (IDT) Turkey says Saturday its jets carried out their first air strikes as part of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Syria.

» Obama appoints a hostage envoy — but not a 'czar'
30/08/15 16:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. President Obama appointed a career diplomat to the newly created post of hostage envoy Friday as part of an effort to overhaul the way the government handles U.S. citizens taken by ...

» Turkish jets join US-led coalition in airstrikes against Islamic State
30/08/15 16:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Turkey announced Saturday that its fighter jets have carried out their first airstrikes as part of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Syria.

» Suspected bomber arrested by Thai police possibly Turkish
30/08/15 16:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. August 29, 2015, 4:34 PM (IDT) Thai police who Saturday arrested a suspect in the Aug. 17 bombing attacks on a Bangkok Hindi shrine, which killed 20 people, most of them tourists, say he is a fo...

» US lags behind Russia and other nations in the Arctic
30/08/15 16:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. s Barack Obama becomes the first sitting president to visit the Arctic next week, the U.S. is falling behind other nations in the critical region.

» Navy looking at security changes after Chattanooga shooting
30/08/15 16:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from www.washingtontimes.com stories: Security. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - The U.S. Navy is looking into possible security changes after the July 16 slaying of four Marines and a sailor at Chattanooga's U.S. Nav...

» Markets are a mess, but don't blame China: Pro - CNBC
30/08/15 16:15 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. CNBC Markets are a mess, but don't blame China : Pro CNBC This week, stock markets put investors on a stomach-churning roller-coaster ride. While uncertainty over China's econo...

» AP sues over access to FBI records involving fake news story - Casper Star-Tribune Online
30/08/15 16:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from fbi - Google News. AllGov Softpedia News AP sues over access to FBI records involving fake news story Casper Star-Tribune Online At issue is a 2014 Freedom of Information request seeking documents related ...

» CIA Admits to Congress the Agency Uses Mainstream Media to Distribute Disinformation: 1975 Video
30/08/15 16:14 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Global Research. It has been verified by a source who claims she was there that then-CIA Director William Casey did in fact say the controversial and often-disputed line “We’ll know our disinformation prog...

» Ruth Leger Sivard, economist who measured the cost of militarism, dies at 99
30/08/15 16:13 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Ruth Leger Sivard, an internationally known economist who sought to demonstrate the cost of militarism, died Aug. 21

» Why N. Korea Caved On War Threat: China Warned, 'Don't Rain On Our Parade' - Forbes
30/08/15 16:11 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. Forbes Why N. Korea Caved On War Threat: China Warned, 'Don't Rain On Our Parade' Forbes Kim Jong-un, however, had one all-important reason for backing down — and it wasn't the...

» Iranians hope to fill vacuum as US lowers its Mideast profile
30/08/15 15:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Iran’s agreement to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief by world powers was welcomed at every level of society here, but nowhere more warmly than in the foreig...

» LEADERSHIP: Volunteer Blues In Ukraine
30/08/15 15:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from StrategyPage.com. None

» Cheney: Obama’s falsehoods will bring nuclear war
30/08/15 15:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from DEBKAFile. August 30, 2015, 9:37 AM (IDT) Ex-Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney, former senior official at State in the Bush administration, devote a chapter in their book due shortly f...

» China fears linger as focus on Fed sharpens - Reuters
30/08/15 15:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Cyber Warfare - Google News. Reuters China fears linger as focus on Fed sharpens Reuters " China , the epicenter of the week's moves, is set to remain in focus over the next week as markets attempt to...

» Urgency Needed To Fight Heroin Epidemic - Hartford Courant
30/08/15 15:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from house judiciary committee - Google News. Hartford Courant Urgency Needed To Fight Heroin Epidemic Hartford Courant Imagine a fire department fighting an inferno by waving around squirt guns, all the while ...

» As tragedies shock Europe, a bigger refugee crisis looms in the Middle East
30/08/15 15:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes News. Those reaching Europe represent a small percentage of the 4 million Syrians who have fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

» When Mexicans crossed our border – to help
30/08/15 15:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Stars and Stripes. Disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, or the spectacle of U.S. presidential politics, often force to the surface the true character of the players. The Mexicans proved they were neighbors...

» Undersea Link in Israel’s Missile Development Chain
30/08/15 15:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. Behind the scenes of Israel’s ballistic missile test program, Navy divers recover essential flight test data some 100 meters underneath the sea.           &nbs...

» E. Europe Hikes Military Spending Ahead of MSPO Show
30/08/15 15:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. This year’s edition of Poland's MSPO is likely to produce a number of procurements.             

» A laboratory for refugee politics: inside Passau, the 'German ...
30/08/15 15:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from world news - Google Blog Search. ... Dr Ingo Martin, a general practitioner more used to working with the police on drug- and alcohol-related incidents than to dealing with the victims of civil war, does a...

» US Businessman Arrested in Sierra Leone 'Blood Diamond' Case
30/08/15 15:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Aid group: Spain arrests US businessman charged in Sierra Leone 'blood diamonds' case

» Nepal parade to enshrine gay rights
30/08/15 15:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Gay right activists dance in the streets of Nepal's capital to press their demands for LGBT rights to be enshrined in the new constitution.

» Israel has failed to reform Jewish radicals, critics charge
30/08/15 15:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 2:44 p.m. EDT. SHIR HADASH OUTPOST, West Bank (AP) -- The Israeli government initiative has a soothing biblical name, the Hebrew Shepherd, and a serious aim: to keep ultranationalist Je...

» Sudan's Bashir to visit China despite international arrest warrant
30/08/15 15:39 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is expected to travel to China on Monday for a four-day visit, the foreign ministry said, defying an international warrant...

» Scioli expands lead in Argentina presidential race, runoff seen
30/08/15 15:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Daniel Scioli, the leftist frontrunner in Argentina's presidential election, widened his lead over his more business-friendly rival, but not enough to avoid a ...

» Sanders Says He Would Be Prepared to Use Military Force
30/08/15 15:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Sanders says he would be prepared to use force when US threatened or in cases of genocide

» Pope Francis: ‘Austrian migrant deaths offend the human family’ – video
30/08/15 15:37 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. Pope Francis uses his Sunday address in St Peter’s Square to condemn the deaths of 71 migrants in Austria, found suffocated in the back of a lorry. Asking the gathered cr...

» Russian President Vladimir Putin Pumps Iron, Grills in Newly Released Photos - ABC News
30/08/15 15:31 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. ABC News Russian President Vladimir Putin Pumps Iron, Grills in Newly Released Photos ABC News The Kremlin wants the world to know Russian President Vladimir Putin pumps iron and...

» Vladimir Putin works up a sweat in the gym
30/08/15 15:30 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from itnnews's YouTube Videos. From: itnnews Duration: 01:01 When he’s not horseback riding, hunting, fishing or generally being an action man, you can find Russian President Vladimir Putin down the gym. . ...

» French journalist 'secretly recorded demanding £2million in blackmail from King of Morocco'
30/08/15 15:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Eric Laurent was secretly recorded making the alleged demand by a Moroccan lawyer representing King Mohammed VI

» Lebanon Parliament Chief Promises Talks on Political Impasse
30/08/15 15:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. After anti-government rally, Lebanon parliament chief promises talks on political gridlock

» Europe trades blame as migrants' bodies pulled from Mediterranean
30/08/15 15:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. TRIPOLI/BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Seven people died when a boat carrying migrants sank off Libya's coast on Sunday, the second such fatal accident at sea within days, while European leaders...

» Pope Francis a Stranger to the US in Many Ways
30/08/15 15:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Pope Francis, the 1st Latin American pope, must overcome hurdle of no personal knowledge of US

» Scott Walker: Voters have “very legitimate concerns” about Canadian border - Washington Post
30/08/15 15:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Fox News Latino Scott Walker: Voters have “very legitimate concerns” about Canadian border Washington Post Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says the United States needs to secure ...

» Hungarian Army Hard At Work On Border Fence
30/08/15 15:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Hungarian troops were busily continuing with construction of a fence along the country’s 175km border with Serbia, aimed at keeping out migrants from strife-torn countrie...

» Obama invites Pakistan PM Sharif for October visit
30/08/15 15:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has invited Pakistan's prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, for a meeting at the White House on Oct. 22, the U.S. National Security Council said ...

» AP Top News at 2:05 p.m. EDT
30/08/15 15:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TheUnion local.com | TheUnion.com. AP Top News at 2:05 p.m. EDT 'Awakenings' author, neurologist Oliver Sacks dies at 82 NEW YORK (AP) - There was the blind man who had the disastrous experience of regaini...

» US Envoy Discusses Afghan Peace Efforts on Pakistan Visit - New York Times
30/08/15 15:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Business Recorder US Envoy Discusses Afghan Peace Efforts on Pakistan Visit New York Times ISLAMABAD — U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice met with Pakistani leaders during...

» Jeremy Corbyn’s rise is inspiring. But what if his opponents are correct? | David Edgar
30/08/15 15:17 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. We face the risk that the Labour frontrunner’s policies really are electoral anathema or unworkable. Whatever, this moment can renew the centre-left Before more absurd hyperbo...

» The Guardian view on the latest Ukraine ceasefire call: why this could be the one that works | Editorial
30/08/15 15:16 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. It is too soon to be confident but this time the economic and political pressures may be mounting on Vladimir Putin to make agreements that will stick The prospects are not go...

» Joe Biden: Democrat support grows for US Vice President to enter presidential nomination race
30/08/15 14:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - World RSS Feed. A quiet rumble of encouragement inside Democratic Party ranks for Joe Biden to get off the fence and declare himself a candidate for president is growing steadily louder amid mounting evi...

» Britain, France and Germany urge EU to set up migrant reception centres
30/08/15 14:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Pressure mounts on EU to set up reception centres urgently in frontline countries such as Italy and Greece

» Vladimir Putin's workout montage - video
30/08/15 14:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. The Kremlin has released footage of Russian president, Vladimir Putin, working out alongside the country’s prime minister Dmitry Medvedev. Wearing a white t-shirt and tra...

» Russia's Vladimir Putin pumps iron wih his PM Dmitrty Medvedev
30/08/15 14:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Watch as the Russian president and prime minister do a morning workout at a government building in Sochi

» U.S., allies conduct 20 air strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military
30/08/15 14:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 20 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement ...

» Nazi 'gold train': Treasure could be claimed by Russia as compensation for Second World War
30/08/15 14:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - World RSS Feed. Treasure contained in a long-lost Nazi ghost train could be claimed by Russia. A Russian lawyer has said that the Kremlin could lay claim to the valuables as compensation for the country’...

» Iran Sentences 2 People to Jail for Spying for US, Israel
30/08/15 14:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Iran sentences 2 people to jail for 10 years for allegedly spying for US, Israel

» Shoreham airshow crash victim's last message to fiancee was 'I love you'
30/08/15 14:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Mark Trussler texted the message to Giovanna Chirico shortly before dying in the airshow crash that claimed 11 lives Giovanna Chirico, the fiancee of a Shoreham air crash vict...

» Egypt Announces Parliamentary Vote for October, November
30/08/15 14:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Egypt announces two-stage parliamentary vote for October, November

» China punishes 197 over stock 'rumours'
30/08/15 14:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Chinese authorities punish 197 people for spreading rumours online about the recent stock market crash and fatal explosions in Tianjin.

» US National Security Adviser, Pakistan PM Meet
30/08/15 12:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice met in Islamabad with Pakistan's prime minister and other top officials to discuss terrorism and other issues. Ahead of the talks, U.S. State Dep...

» Vladimir Putin's latest photo shows him and PM Dmitry Medvedev pumping iron
30/08/15 12:05 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. After struggling to keep up with Putin in the gym, Medvedev and the Russian President enjoyed a relaxing cup of tea at their residence in Bocharov Ruchei.

» Putin Pumps Iron As Approval Ratings Fall
30/08/15 12:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World News - Breaking international news and headlines | Sky News. In a photo op with his second in command, the Russian President works out in his gym before having steak for breakfast.

» Fire at Saudi Oil Company Worker Residence Kills 11
30/08/15 12:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME. (DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — A large fire broke out Sunday in the basement of a sprawling residential complex in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich east, killing at least 11 people and injuring m...

» Panel: Defeat Al-Shabab With Correct Interpretation of Islam
30/08/15 12:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The dissemination of the correct interpretation of Islam is one way Islamic scholars could help defeat al-Shabab, according to a VOA panel discussion held Saturday in Nairobi.  Panel memb...

» Putin Pumps Iron, Grills in Newly Released Photos
30/08/15 12:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Photos show Putin working out, grilling with Dmitry Medvedev.

» 2015-08-30Puerto Rico movement pitches solution to economic woes: rejoin
30/08/15 11:21 from Mike Nova - Google+
2015-08-30 Puerto Rico movement pitches solution to economic woes: rejoin Spain - The Guardian Puerto Rico movement pitches solution to economic woes: rejoin Spain   by Ashifa Kassam in Madrid Sunday August 30 th , 2015  at  9:47 AM Netw...

» Russia's leaders in workout session
30/08/15 10:04 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev are pictured working out and sharing breakfast at Mr Putin's summer residence.

» Irish government says Sinn Fein must help ensure IRA put 'out of business'
30/08/15 10:03 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. DUBLIN (Reuters) - The Irish government has called on Sinn Fein to help ensure the Irish Republican Army is put "firmly out of business" after police in Northern Ireland said the party...

» Afghan Refugees Again On The Run -- This Time From Pakistan
30/08/15 09:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. Afghan refugees are on the run from the safe haven they sought in Pakistan. Tens of thousands have returned in recent months, amid claims of intimidation, extortion, and ...

» Sam Stanley becomes first English rugby union player to come out as gay
30/08/15 09:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. • Former Saracens player reveals he contemplated suicide • Stanley part of one of rugby’s most famous families The England Sevens player Sam Stanley has become the first Engli...

» US national arrested on Sierra Leone 'blood diamond' charges
30/08/15 09:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Victims’ association says Spanish authorities have arrested Michel Desaedeleer, who is suspected of forcing civilians to mine diamonds in 1999-2001 Spanish authorities have ar...

» London property goes through the roof again | Eva Wiseman
30/08/15 09:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. From ‘poor doors’ to ‘sky pools’, it’s clear that property developers in the capital are having a laugh when it comes to social housing Like stages of grief, the London housin...

» Donald Trump's seduction: a huge fan base, from posh parties to Main Street
30/08/15 09:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. At a billionaire’s bash and a rally in Iowa, the crowds were very different. But their concern on immigration and admiration for the frontrunner’s business savvy were the same...

» Puerto Rico movement pitches solution to economic woes: rejoin Spain
30/08/15 09:47 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. The idea is a long shot but campaigners assert that the countries were closely integrated until the US separated them against their will As Puerto Rico grapples with crippling...

» Barge carrying crushed cars sinks in Canada
30/08/15 09:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from itnnews's YouTube Videos. From: itnnews Duration: 01:02 A barge carrying crushed cars turned over in the Gorge waterway in Victoria's harbour, Canada. Report by Hettie Maylam.

» Syrian refugees stuck in limbo at train station
30/08/15 09:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Home - CBSNews.com. Budapest station Station overrun with migrants from Middle East unable to travel on to Germany or other countries -- and unwilling to return home

» Europe's open-border policy may be nearing its end
30/08/15 09:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Home - CBSNews.com. For 30 years, 400 million Europeans have traveled freely between dozens of countries, but terrorism, migrants and crime could stop that

» Despite Arrest, Credibility of Thai Bombing Probe Questioned
30/08/15 09:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Thai authorities are facing criticism after warning the media and the public not to disseminate a photograph of a suicide vest aired nationally the day before. All Thai television channel...

» Amnesty International calls for release of journalists in Turkey after ISIS accusations
30/08/15 09:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Three journalists working for Vice News have been arrested in Turkey, after being accused of working for ISIS. The trio includes two British journalists, named as Jake Hanrahan and Phil...

» Tory faithful see red over David Cameron's peerages for pals says ANNE MCELVOY
30/08/15 09:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Prime Minister David Cameron is getting it in the neck for what MPs are calling 'tipping the staff' in handing out places in the Lords to political cronies - bet you saw that one coming.

» James Bond author Anthony Horowitz confirms that Pussy Galore is a lesbian
30/08/15 09:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. The glamorous Pussy Galore from Goldfinger – played by Honor Blackman (pictured) in the classic film – has eyes only for another woman in the new Bond thriller, Trigger Mortis.

» You Stink! Protestors take to the streets in Lebanon as they protest against corruption, police brutality...and piles of rotting rubbish
30/08/15 09:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Thousands of Lebanese protesters continue to gather on the streets of Beirut with an an unprecedented mobilisation yesterday calling for 'revolution' against the government corruption.

» Wanted Iraqi people smuggler in British car is jailed for trying to run down three French policeman near Dunkirk migrant camps
30/08/15 09:41 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. An illegal migrant is pictured in his makeshift shelter in a camp where 200 migrants, many of whom were Iraqis, Afghans or Vietnamese are living on November 18, 2010 in Teteghem near Du...

» Spy found dead in a bag 'had infuriated his MI6 bosses by illegally hacking into secret US data on Bill Clinton'
30/08/15 09:30 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Gareth Williams (pictured), 31, was discovered in a holdall in the bath at his London home five years ago this month, but the mystery surrounding his death has never been solved.

» Day of the Jackal author Frederick Forsyth admits conducting MI6 missions for 20 years including a trip to East Germany to get secret papers from a Russian colonel
30/08/15 09:30 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from News | Mail Online. Bestselling author Frederick Forsyth (pictured), whose novels include The Day of the Jackal, said he was an agent who assisted Britain's overseas spying agency.

» Huge Anti-Government Protests in Malaysia Continue For a Second Day
30/08/15 09:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME. Saturday’s massive but harmonious anti-government demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur continued overnight and into Sunday morning as historical numbers of Malaysians gathered in the streets of the capital...

» As tragedies shock Europe, a bigger refugee crisis looms in the Middle East - Washington Post
30/08/15 09:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. Fox News Irish Independent As tragedies shock Europe, a bigger refugee crisis looms in the Middle East Washington Post AL-MINYA, Lebanon — While the world's attention is fixed on...

» Donald Trump to decide 'very soon' if he'll run as third party candidate if he ... - New York Daily News
30/08/15 09:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Daily News Donald Trump to decide 'very soon' if he'll run as third party candidate if he ... New York Daily News Donald Trump said Saturday he will make a decision “ver...

» Fan dies after falling from upper deck at Braves-Yankees game - CNN
30/08/15 09:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. CNN Fan dies after falling from upper deck at Braves-Yankees game CNN Atlanta (CNN) A man who fell from the upper deck of Atlanta's Turner Field during Saturday night's Braves-Ya...

» Germany, France, Britain press for EU action on migrants - STLtoday.com
30/08/15 09:27 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. STLtoday.com Germany, France, Britain press for EU action on migrants STLtoday.com BERLIN (AP) — The top security officials of Germany, France and Britain are pressing for better...

» Chris Christie: we should be tracking immigrants like FedEx packages – video
30/08/15 09:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news + Video | The Guardian. The governor of New Jersey and Republican presidential hopeful, Chris Christie, advocates using a tracking system to monitor immigrants who enter the US. Speaking at a ca...

» American arrested on Sierra Leone 'blood diamond' charges
30/08/15 09:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. DAKAR (Reuters) - Spanish authorities have arrested a American man on charges of enslavement and diamond pillaging during Sierra Leone's civil war, a victims' association said on Satur...

» Beijing battens down, cranks up propaganda ahead of war parade
30/08/15 09:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing is battening down the hatches and cranking up the propaganda ahead of a massive military parade this week to mark the end of World War Two, shooing cars fro...

» Bid to lift Guatemala president's immunity advances in Congress
30/08/15 09:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan congressional committee on Saturday recommended that President Otto Perez be stripped of immunity from prosecution over his suspected involvemen...

» Pressure mounts on Malaysian PM as protests spill into second day
30/08/15 09:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Thousands gathered for a second day of protests on Sunday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over a multi-million-dollar financial scandal...

» Thai police hunt more suspects after Bangkok bomb arrest
30/08/15 09:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BANGKOK (Reuters) - Police probing Thailand's deadliest bombing widened their net in the search for more suspects on Sunday after a foreigner was arrested and stacks of fake passports ...

» Brazilian weekly says Lula lobbied for Odebrecht in Cuba
30/08/15 09:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian news magazine has accused former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of acting as lobbyist in Cuba for Brazil's largest engineering firm Odebrecht, whi...

» China investigates former chairman of Wuhan Iron and Steel
30/08/15 09:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIJING (Reuters) - China's anti-corruption agency has said it has opened an investigation into the former chairman of major Chinese steelmaker Wuhan Iron and Steel.

» Fire at Saudi Arabian oil workers compound kills one, injures 30
30/08/15 09:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - A fire at an oil workers residential compound in Saudi Arabia on Sunday claimed one casualty and injured 30 more of various nationalities, civil defens...

» Afghan forces regain control of a symbolic district in south
30/08/15 09:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghan government forces, backed by NATO air strikes, have regained control of a key district in volatile Helmand province after days of fierce fig...

» Dutch plan tougher asylum policy as migrants flock to Europe
30/08/15 09:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - As Europe grapples with its biggest wave of migration since World War Two, the Netherlands is about to toughen its asylum policy by cutting off food and shelter f...

» Saudi-led coalition air strike kills around 30 Yemeni civilians: residents
30/08/15 09:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. SANAA (Reuters) - An air strike by a Saudi-led coalition killed around 30 civilians working at a bottling plant in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah on Sunday, residents said.

» U.S. national security adviser discusses militant attacks in Pakistan talks
30/08/15 09:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice met Pakistan's prime minister on Sunday to press concerns over attacks launched by militants based in Pakistan, official...

» Mystery man in Bangkok bomb probe 'never said a word'
30/08/15 09:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BANGKOK (Reuters) - The evidence seized by police investigating Thailand's deadliest bombing includes an apparently damning trove of explosives, fertilizer, and piles of fake passports...

» Germany calls for fairer distribution of refugees in Europe
30/08/15 09:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and a handful of other European Union states cannot go on absorbing a disproportionate share of refugees arriving in the bloc and other members must do more,...

» After autopsies on refugees found in truck, Austrian police presume they suffocated
30/08/15 09:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. VIENNA (Reuters) - Forensic examiners have performed autopsies on 16 of the 71 bodies of refugees found dead in an abandoned refrigeration truck on an Austrian highway and presumed the...

» Christie Proposes Tracking Immigrants the Way FedEx Tracks Packages
30/08/15 09:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said if he became president he would combat illegal immigration by creating a way to track foreign visitors and ask the chief executive of FedEx to devise ...

» Behind Tianjin Tragedy, a Company That Flouted Regulations and Reaped Profits
30/08/15 09:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Rui Hai International Logistics, the company whose warehouses were hit by site of the deadly blasts, has become a symbol of the high cost of rapid industrialization in China, in a closed po...

» Man charged with killing Texas sheriff's deputy
30/08/15 09:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Shannon Miles, a 30-year-old charged with murder of Darren Goforth, a father of two in Houston on Friday night

» Bill Clinton hails Katrina recovery as New Orleans recalls disaster
30/08/15 09:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Former president urges people of New Orleans to celebrate their achievements over the past decade

» Baseball fan dies after falling from stand
30/08/15 09:09 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Man in early 60s plunges from upper tier during a match between Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees

» Hillary 'the inevitable' changes strategy to head off Joe Biden
30/08/15 09:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. After months playing down former first lady's status of clear favourite, her campaign signals plan to crush opponents and stop the vice president launching White House run

» Migrant children found close to death in truck
30/08/15 09:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Alleged smuggler arrested in Austria after 26 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are discovered

» Malaysia warns protesters as rally against scandal-hit PM enters second day
30/08/15 09:08 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Government says organisers could face charges and police 'empowered to take action', as thousands demand departure of Najib Razak over corruption allegations

» Four Men to Face Charges Over Migrants Deaths
30/08/15 09:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. A Hungarian court said four men could face up to 16 years in prison for alleged people trafficking in connection with the deaths of 71 migrants found in a midsize truck abandoned in ne...

» Financially Strapped Greece Struggles With a Flood of Refugees
30/08/15 09:07 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. On the island of Lesbos, volunteers shore up efforts to house and feed tens of thousands of migrants.

» Malaysia Protesters Face Uphill Battle to Dislodge Najib
30/08/15 09:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Malaysia’s capital over the weekend to rally against Prime Minister Najib Razak, but analysts say the leader of the resource-rich...

» Fifth Person Detained Over Migrant Deaths
30/08/15 09:06 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Hungarian police said that a fifth person had been detained for alleged human trafficking in connection with the death of 71 migrants found earlier this week in a truck abandoned in ne...

» First Russian officers in Syria
30/08/15 08:58 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story . Arab sources: First Russian officers in Syria DEBKA file August 30, 2015, 3:20 PM (IDT) Russian army officers have arrived in Damascus and Jablah in the Latakia district, where they are building a new militar...

» 3,431,8533,431,853
30/08/15 03:04 from Mike Nova - Google+
3,431,853 3,431,853 This post has been generated by Page2RSS

» In a Venezuelan Border Town, a State of Emergency Is Barely Perceptible - New York Times
29/08/15 20:29 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World - Google News. New York Times In a Venezuelan Border Town, a State of Emergency Is Barely Perceptible New York Times SAN ANTONIO DEL TÁCHIRA, Venezuela — President Nicolás Maduro has declared a state...

» Jeb Bush's Campaign Makes Appeal Amid Fund-Raising Woes - New York Times
29/08/15 20:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. New York Times Jeb Bush's Campaign Makes Appeal Amid Fund-Raising Woes New York Times Jeb Bush's presidential campaign, which to date has raised significantly more than his Repub...

» Skywatch: A full harvest moon with a total lunar eclipse - Washington Post
29/08/15 20:28 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. ABC News Skywatch: A full harvest moon with a total lunar eclipse Washington Post Forget July's blue moon. For September's full moon, you'll probably see red. Catch a compelling,...

» Fictional Russian invasion sparks row with Moscow
29/08/15 20:26 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Norwegian TV series Occupied shows Russia taking control of Scandinavian country A Norwegian TV channel says it will air a TV drama depicting a Russian invasion of Norway afte...

» Ukraine's forces held up by red tape
29/08/15 20:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - World RSS Feed. “Of course we want to listen to the radio and hear the news from Kiev,” said Bardan, a Ukrainian infantryman based in a devastated neighbourhood on the northern fringes of Donetsk. “Out h...

» Suspect Arrested in Texas Deputy Killing
29/08/15 20:24 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Goforth leaves behind a wife and two children.

» Labour must come to its senses - Blair
29/08/15 20:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Tony Blair tells Labour party members to come to their senses and reject the "Alice in Wonderland" politics of Jeremy Corbyn.

» Latest on Houston deputy: Suspect charged with murder
29/08/15 20:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 7:41 p.m. EDT. HOUSTON (AP) -- Here are the latest developments regarding the fatal shooting of a suburban Houston sheriff's deputy (all times local):...

» Paul Royle, Who Fled Nazis in a ‘Great Escape,’ Dies at 101
29/08/15 20:22 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Paul Royle briefly escaped from Stalag Luft III in 1944 with 75 other Allied soldiers, an episode that inspired the 1963 Steve McQueen movie “The Great Escape.”

» Egyptian court sentences three Al Jazeera journalists to prison
29/08/15 20:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced three Al Jazeera TV journalists to three years in prison on Saturday for operating without a press license and broadcasting material harmf...

» Thousands rally in Beirut against political leaders, rot
29/08/15 20:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters waving Lebanese flags and chanting "revolution" took to the streets of Beirut on Saturday for an unprecedented mobilization against sectarian...

» Tropical Storm Erika Dissipates After Killing 21
29/08/15 20:21 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Voice of America. Tropical Storm Erika has weakened over Cuba, after bringing death and destruction in the Caribbean to Dominica and Haiti. At least 20 people were reported killed in Dominica and one in Ha...

» EU plans extra billion euros to pay African countries to take back migrants
29/08/15 20:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Money would be used to encourage home states to repatriate citizens who fail to gain asylum when they arrive in Europe

» Turkey joins air strikes against Isil for the first time
29/08/15 20:20 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World news. Turkish warplanes join allied forces in air strikes on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

» 2015-08-29Spanish customs vessel fires live rounds in Uk territorial waters
29/08/15 18:56 from Mike Nova - Google+
2015-08-29 Spanish customs vessel fires live rounds in Uk territorial waters off Gibraltar Spanish customs vessel fires live rounds in Uk territorial waters off Gibraltar   by Press Association Saturday August 29 th , 2015  at  5:00 PM W...

» Israel Keeps Wary Eye on Iranian Missile Buildup
29/08/15 17:51 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Defense News - Home. Israeli is keeping a “very sharp eye” on Iran’s modernized ballistic missile arsenal             

» More ID, bag checks on Europe’s trains after foiled attack
29/08/15 17:51 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from World: World News, International News, Foreign Reporting - The Washington Post. PARIS — European countries will increase identity checks and baggage controls on trains after three American passengers and a...

» In a Venezuelan Border Town, a State of Emergency Is Barely Perceptible
29/08/15 17:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Undocumented Colombian immigrants waited Friday to be escorted back to Colombia from the Venezuelan side of the border crossing at San Antonio del Táchira.

» Sheriff: 30-Year-Old Man Charged With Capital Murder in Killing of Suburban Houston Deputy
29/08/15 17:50 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Sheriff: 30-year-old man charged with capital murder in killing of suburban Houston deputy

» Swazi crash kills reed-dance women
29/08/15 17:49 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from BBC News - World. Nearly 40 girls and young women are reported to have been killed in a road crash in Swaziland while travelling to a famous traditional festival.

» At Least 38 Women and Girls Killed in Swaziland Car Crash
29/08/15 17:48 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from TIME. (JOHANNESBURG) — At least 38 girls and young women were killed in a crash while travelling to Swaziland’s most famous traditional festival, a famous traditional festival in Swaziland, a rights group ...

» U.S. Is Seen as Laggard as Russia Asserts Itself in Warming Arctic
29/08/15 17:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. With warming seas creating new opportunities at the top of the world, nations are scrambling over the Arctic. But Russia may be beating the United States to the punch.

» #BuyPens: Refugee pictured selling pens in Beirut says he'll help other Syrians with thousands raised from Indiegogo campaign
29/08/15 17:46 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from - World RSS Feed. This photo of Abdul, a Syrian refugee, trying to sell pens on the streets of Beirut while his daughter lay sleeping slumped over his shoulder captured hearts around the world so much that...

» Europe rethinks train security after Americans thwart attack
29/08/15 17:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from AP Top Headlines At 4:45 p.m. EDT. PARIS (AP) -- European countries will increase identity checks and baggage controls on trains after American passengers thwarted an attack on a high-speed train from Amst...

» Best quotes from censored or banned 'dangerous books'
29/08/15 17:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. From Neil Gaiman to Marcus Zusak to Suzanne Collins to Oscar Wilde, we share some of the best ‘dangerous books’ quotes from novels, authors and campaigners defending our right...

» Turkey Launches Its First Airstrikes of ISIS Campaign
29/08/15 17:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Turkish fighter jets carried out operations against Islamic State targets in Syria late Friday, as part of the United States-led coalition to fight the group, the Foreign Ministry said.

» Turkey carries out first air strikes as part of anti-Isis US coalition
29/08/15 17:44 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Network Front | The Guardian. Attacks on targets in northern Syria follow agreement on the ‘procedures and technical details’ of cooperation between the two nations Turkish fighter jets have carried out th...

» More ID, Bag Checks on Europe's Trains After Foiled Attack - New York Times
29/08/15 17:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Top Stories - Google News. The Express Tribune Fox News More ID, Bag Checks on Europe's Trains After Foiled Attack New York Times PARIS — European countries will increase identity checks and baggage contro...

» Refugee children, close to death, found in van in Austria
29/08/15 17:43 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Reuters: World News. VIENNA (Reuters) - Three young children suffering from dehydration and close to death have been rescued from a van crammed with 26 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Aust...

» Rowan County Clerk Closes Office Ahead of Gay Rights Protest
29/08/15 17:42 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from ABC News: Top Stories. Rowan County clerk closes office ahead of gay rights protest, asks Supreme Court for 'asylum'

» With Ruble’s Decline, Russian Tourists Gain Appreciation for the Motherland
29/08/15 17:40 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from NYT > World. Russians vacationing in their home country has become more common since the ruble’s fall late last year put foreign vacations out of reach of many in the middle class.

» Suspect arrested in killing of Texas sheriff's deputy
29/08/15 17:25 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks
mikenova shared this story from Home - CBSNews.com. Authorities annnounce arrest in "cold-blooded assassination" of uniformed sheriff's deputy at gas station