Video - Student Lectured By Teacher About Obama Speaks Out On FOX News.

HT: TundraTabloids.

Overnight Music video - Mireille Mathieu sings for Israël "Exodus"

European Union Catherine Ashton: Palestinians have right to throw stones as part of nonviolent protest.

European Union Catherine Ashton: Palestinians have right to throw stones as part of nonviolent protest.(IMRA).Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Take a careful look at this statement issued by the European Union. The EU doesn't deny that Bassem Tamimi engaged in soliciting protesters to throw stones. And the EU doesn't take a stand against stone throwing.
Question: Does the EU consider stone throwing to fall within the classification of "non-violent protest"?] EUROPEAN UNION Brussels, 22 May 2012 A 233/12.  http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130332.pdf

Statement by the Spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton on the case of Bassem Tamimi The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued the following statement today: "The High Representative is very concerned by the conviction of Bassem Tamimi in an Israeli military court on 20 May 2012 on charges of taking part in illegal demonstrations and of soliciting protesters to throw stones. The EU considers Bassem Tamimi to be a 'human rights defender' committed to non-violent protest against the expansion of an Israeli settlement on lands belonging to his West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. The EU attended all court hearings in his case and is concerned at the use of evidence based on the testimony of a minor who was interrogated in violation of his rights. The EU believes that everyone should be able to exercise their legitimate right to protest in a non- violent manner."Read the full story here.

Erdogan's BFF Obama allowed Israel to be excluded from the NATO summit to satisfy the Turks.

Erdogan's BFF Obama allowed Israel to be excluded from the NATO summit to satisfy the Turks.(Israelmatzav).The State Department is scrambling to deny it, but the reality is that Israel has been excluded from the NATO summit in Chicago because President Hussein Obama's best friend forever, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wanted it that way.

Administration officials first condescendingly insisted that critics had a “misconception” about how NATO worked. There just wasn’t enough time and space to invite members from “all those partnerships and alliance[s].” Then it turned out that there was room for members of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. The Initiative, though undoubtedly valuable, is unlikely to be as critical to NATO’s core focus on the Mediterranean than the Mediterranean Dialogue of which Israel is a part.

So last week the standard for attendance shifted. The new bar was participation in the NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Quote-unquote from NATO’s Secretary-General Rasmussen: “Israel has not been invited to attend the summit because Israel is neither a participant in ISAF, nor in KFOR.”

But that still won’t work. Summit participant Jordan is a formal ISAF partner but provides exactly nothing worth listing to the mission. Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Qatar are also in Chicago, even though none are in ISAF or KFOR.

One wonders, then, what new excuse the Obama administration will trot out this week?

The answer can’t be about providing input on Kosovo or Afghanistian. That might colorably bring the Stans on board – regional presence, supply lines, etc – but not Qatar. Even worse for the administration’s prevarication, they can’t use that to justify excluding Israel. It was just last month when IAF chief Ido Nechushtan was awarded a U.S. Air Force decoration for the contributions the IAF has made to America’s war-fighting capabilities in Afghanistan. If the goal is to brainstorm how to fight in and/or withdraw from the country, Israeli input would seem relatively valuable.

The White House’s overarching narrative is that Turkey never vetoed Israel’s invitation to the Chicago summit because Israel was never invited to the Chicago summit. That’s hard to believe but – if it’s true – it’s a cause for deep concern. Invitations were sent out to over 30 non-NATO members, including those with no connections to NATO, but no one remembered to invite the American ally and NATO partner that controls the Middle East’s most powerful military? Forget the Obama White House’s supine acquiescence to Turkey’s neo-Ottoman weight throwing. According to this theory, the most successful military alliance in history is being run by idiots.

Just imagine what it will be like if God forbid Obama is reelected. Not only will Israel be excluded from NATO, but NATO might even be used to attack Israel.Hmmmm.........Obama: “A man is judged by his deeds, not his words.” So if you want to know where my heart lies, look no further than what I have done — to stand up for Israel."Read the full story here.

RCMP ‘to ease Canadians into the idea’ of U.S. agents in Canada.

                                                         Full seize map here.


RCMP ‘to ease Canadians into the idea’ of U.S. agents in Canada.(Yahoo).Uncle Sam could soon be coming after you on Canadian soil.According to an article in Embassy Magazine, the Harper government is moving forward on several initiatives that could give U.S. FBI and DEA agents the ability to pursue suspects in Canada.But, according to a RCMP officer, they're doing it in "baby steps.""We recognized early that this approach would raise concerns about sovereignty, of privacy, and civil liberties of Canadians," RCMP Chief Superintendent Joe Oliver, the Mounties' director general for border integrity, told the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence on May 14.
"We said 'Let's take baby steps, let's start with two agencies to test the concept, let's demonstrate to Canadians and Americans that such an approach might work."

Baby step 1, according to Embassy Magazine, has already happened in the form cross border pilot projects allowing Canadian and American agents in each others waters.

Step 2 is the 'Shiprider' program which will make it permanently legal for U.S. agents to be certified as police in Canadian waters. This is on track to be passed into law by the Harper government's omnibus budget bill, C-38.

And step 3, is to roll out cross-border policing over land.

Embassy also notes that the government is not ruling out U.S. aerial surveillance over Canadian land.These initiatives are part of the much-touted perimeter security initiative between Washington and Ottawa, designed to provide a thicker wall of security around the continent while easing trade barriers at the borders.Critics have bemoaned the loss of Canada's jurisdiction and sovereignty over the new policing measures but Canadian officials insist it's needed."Criminals are exploiting the fact that we have to respect our boundaries and we have to stop at the border," Oliver said.Hmmmmm...........Will the Canadians living close to the U.S. Border also loose their rights under the U.S. NDAA laws?Read the full story here.

Video - Iranian youth publicly whipped for drinking Alcohol.

Video - Iranian youth publicly whipped for drinking Alcohol..(Ynet).HT: IsraelMatzav.Iranian barbarity: A video clip recently uploaded to YouTube shows a young Iranian man being publicly whipped as punishment for drinking alcohol. The clip, uploaded by members of the Iranian opposition, shows a young many lying on his stomach in a city square and being whipped at least 20 times by a masked man.To the side stands another man, a cleric, who appears to be instructing the flogger on how to carry out the punishment. Dozens of locals are seen looking on. The user who published the clip said that it was filmed last Sunday in the village of Miane in northwest Iran. Witnesses said the young man had been arrested for allegedly drinking alcohol.Consumption of alcohol is forbidden in the Islamic Republic, as is the import or sale of alcohol, although Jews and Christians are permitted to use wine for ritual purposes. From time to time, the police conduct raids to combat the smuggling of alcohol into Iran, mostly from other Gulf countries. However, many young people remain undeterred by the ban on alcohol and continue to hold parties where it flows freely, apparently unconcerned that they could find themselves in the same situation as the young man in the video. Public flogging is a punishment given not only for drinking, but also for other violations of Sharia law.  Hmmmm......Sharia Law......Nope.....I'll Have a cold one.Read and see the full story here.

U.S. Six Strikes Copyright Infringement Scheme Delayed Again

U.S. Six Strikes Copyright Infringement Scheme Delayed Again.(GP).And it's one, two, six strikes you’re out at the old ball game - but the ball game has been delayed. And when I say ballgame, I mean the agreement between rights holders in the United States and Internet service providers which would institute a "six strikes" system for those naughty people that infringe on copyrights while using the Internet...
In an undetermined (at this point) number of months, the Center for Copyright Information (CCI) will begin the process of tracking down copyright infringers as part of an agreement all major U.S. Internet providers struck with the MPAA and RIAA. All of the parties involved eventually agreed to a system where copyright infringers would receive a series of warnings from their service providers telling them that that their behavior is unacceptable and would offer some form of "education" to show those individuals the error of their ways. After six warnings ISPs can decide what kind of action to take against repeat offenders including slowing down connections or temporary disconnections.
The agreement was called "Copyright Alerts" when it was revealed in July of last year and some ISPs were expected to send out the first warnings before the end of 2011. But something happened and that deadline passed by without a peep from all involved. The one thing that was revealed was that there was a new deadline: July 1, 2012, but it looks like that one will be missed too.
Web site TorrentFreak recently asked the CCI about the upcoming target date:
"The dates mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are not hard deadlines but were intended to keep us on track to have the Copyright Alert System up and running as quickly as possible and in the most consumer friendly manner possible," a spokesperson told the publication. "We do not intend to launch until we are confident that the program is consumer friendly and able to be implemented in a manner consistent with all of the goals of the MOU. We expect our implementation to begin later this year."
The CCI went on to tell the publication that the group has selected a third-party company that will be responsible for monitoring BitTorrent swarms, but did not reveal the name of that company.
"The technology partner we have identified and begun working with is an independent and impartial expert and we expect to have an announcement about the independent expert shortly," TorrentFreak was told.
This could be why the six strikes plan has been delayed, because the unnamed technology partner is being doubly scrutinized to make sure their data collection methods are accurate.Read the full story here.

US Airways Jet Held on Runway after passenger claims to have device surgically implanted inside her

US Airways Jet Held on Runway after passenger claims to have device surgically implanted inside her.(Yahoo).A flight from Paris bound for Charlotte was diverted to Maine on Tuesday after reports say a passenger claimed to have a device surgically implanted device inside.

US Airways flight 787--which left Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time en route to Charlotte Douglas International--was rerouted to Bangor, Maine, shortly after noon ET, CNN reported. The Boeing 767 was carrying 179 passengers and a crew of nine, a spokesman for the airline said, confirming that there had been an unspecified "security issue."

A Homeland Security official told NBC News that the flight was diverted because a "passenger was acting suspiciously."

According to CNN, a French woman on board the flight handed a note to a flight attendant, claiming that she had a surgically implanted explosive inside of her.

Two F-15 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the flight over the Atlantic, NORAD said. The plane landed safely in Bangor.

Doctors on board the flight examined the woman and "saw no sign of recent scars," according to House Homeland Security Committee chairman Peter King's office.

The woman, a French citizen from Cameroon, had planned a 10-day visit to the United States, CNN added. She was traveling alone and had no checked baggage."[We are] aware of reports of a passenger who exhibited suspicious behavior during flight," the TSA said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution the flight was diverted to BGR where it was met by law enforcement."Read the full story here.

Kuwait - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs wants list of churches in Kuwait, no reason given.

Kuwait - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs wants list of churches in Kuwait, no reason given.(AN).The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr Adel Al-Kandari has asked the Director-General of Kuwait Municipality to give him a list of all churches in Kuwait without giving any reason, reports Al-Watan daily quoting reliable sources. He also wants all details about these churches, their location, the geographical distribution and area of each church. He also wants to know if any land has been allotted to build a church but has not yet been used. Meanwhile, the Assistant Undersecretary for Road Sector at the Ministry of Public Works Saud Al-Naqi has called upon the Kuwait Municipality to identify the car parking area needed to be developed for the Egyptian Coptic Church in Hawalli. Flashback Could it be related to: "February, Kuwaiti MP Osama al-Munawar announced on Twitter that he was planning to submit legislation that would remove all churches in the country."The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has said that all churches in the Arabian Peninsula must be destroyed. The statement prompted anger and dismay from Christians throughout the Middle East. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah made the controversial statement in a response to a question from a Kuwaiti NGO delegation. A Kuwaiti parliamentarian had called for a ban on the construction of new churches in February, but so far the initiative has not been passed into law. The NGO, called the Society of the Revival of Islamic Heritage, asked the Sheikh to clarify what Islamic law says on the matter.Hmmmm........"CHANGE".Read the full story here.

Pakistani Women Writers Denounce Islamic Clerics' Fatwas Against Women's Use Of Cell Phones And Access To Secular Education.

Pakistani Women Writers Denounce Islamic Clerics' Fatwas Against Women's Use Of Cell Phones And Access To Secular Education.(Memri).Former Pakistani lawmaker and cleric Maulana Abdul Haleem recently issued a fatwa (Islamic degree) against secular education and justifying honor killings of women.The fatwa was issued in a sermon during a weekly Friday prayer in Kohistan district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Haleem also threatened that women from secular NGOs who visit Kohistan district may be married off forcibly to local men. In a similar incident, a cleric announced a fatwa in a mosque in Noshki town of Pakistan's Baluchistan province, justifying acid attacks on women who use cell phones.

Both fatwas elicited no condemnation from the main Pakistani media. However, two Pakistani women – an author and a blogger –slammed the clerics' fatwas, arguing that there is an urgent need to stop such fatwas against women. 
In an article titled "Fatwas Against Women: From The One Who Wears Bangles," Fouzia Saeed – an author and a social scientist – stated: "I think it is time for our society to forcefully stop such people who not only violate the dignity and safety of women citizens, but also give a bad name to Islam…"
In another article "Our Stunted Society," blogger and communications consultant Tazeen Javed argued that such fatwas are breeding narrow-mindedness.
She wrote: "A country like ours can ill-afford adventurism of any kind, but most dangerous is the practice of resorting to a fatwa to get a point across. Not only does this breed a narrow and rigid view of issues, it also leaves no room for dialogue, debate, and consultation, making us an increasingly 'stunted' and intolerant society."

Fouzia Saeed: "A Fatwa Was Announced In A Mosque On May 11, Stating That Any Woman Using A Cell Phone Will Have Acid Thrown In Her Face"

"However, over the last four years there has been a steady improvement in creating space for women to be more visible in public. After decades of repression, women have turned the cycle in a different direction by building a high level of solidarity among women from many backgrounds. The awareness that one woman's advancement is linked to breaking the shackles of others has gained ground. Not just women; many men are fully in support of this process of change.
"Who will tell the 'fatwa guys' that they are nearly an extinct species? Who will tell these men that they need to wake up to 2012. Who will tell them that our interest in them is limited to a single news item? Perhaps they should be kept in a museum with the caption 'we used to have people like this who thought work for women was 'un-Islamic' but marrying them by force was 'Islamic.' Idiots who thought talking on a cell phone was 'un-Islamic' but throwing acid in women's faces was 'Islamic'!'
"I think it is time for our society to forcefully stop such people who not only violate the dignity and safety of women citizens, but also give a bad name to Islam, a religion which places a priority on the dignity of women."
"I Am More Worried About Those Who Put On A Progressive Facade And Continue To Reinforce Myths That Imply Women Are Inferior"
"I am not so worried about these fatwas because I am confident that our society will not let itself regress. I am more worried about those who put on a progressive facade and continue to reinforce myths that imply women are inferior. Our society takes these 'put-downs' for granted and uses them in a patronizing manner.
"Putting down a man by calling him a 'woman,' and thus a coward, has gone on for generations. These 'humiliations,' while being common among the ignorant, do concern me more when they are commonly used by our leaders.
"About two weeks ago, a senior minister raised his hands and announced that he was not wearing bangles, implying that he was not a coward but was 'brave' like a 'man' and would handle the violence in Karachi with a 'man's courage.' Ironically, men with their 'bravery' and 'courage' have already given that city enough trouble…
"I am a woman who wears bangles yet feels quite brave. I am also a daughter of a brave woman, a woman who wears bangles and has felt very brave all her life. I salute my mother today on Mothers' Day and all the mothers who wear bangles while standing bravely…"


Tazeen Javed: "Fatwas Are So Commonplace That Even A Power Utility Company Resorted To Seeking One A Few Years Back To Get People To Pay For Their Electricity".


Following are excerpts from Tazeen Javed's article:
"[We] are teeming millions of people who cannot feed themselves, have limited access to energy, and will be dumber and weaker in the future because of the stunted mental and physical growth of our children due to the lack of education. At such a juncture in history, amongst us are individuals who issue fatwas and promote misogyny and obscurantism against hygiene, education, health, and progress.
"The latest fatwa is one issued by a former legislator. Maulana Abdul Haleem of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rehman group) came up with a series of misogynist fatwas clearly detailing what the priorities of his political and religious followers should be. For starters, the fatwa declares formal education for women to be un-Islamic. As if declaring the act of going to school and getting an irreligious education was not enough, he also reprimanded the parents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Kohistan district who send their daughters to school and asked them to terminate their education. He also strictly told them that failure to do so would earn them a spot in eternal hellfire.Hmmmmm......An uneducated mass is easyer to misLead"Read the full story here.

Obama campaign heads ‘forward’ to the abyss.

Obama campaign heads ‘forward’ to the abyss.(Politico).By Keith Koffler.The Obama team needs to take a step backward and reconsider its new campaign rallying cry, “Forward.” The slogan reflects a hubris that bodes poorly for President Barack Obama’s prospects. Only a group of people who do not fully understand how Americans perceive them could proclaim “forward” when 60 percent of the country thinks the nation is on the wrong track.That track, after nearly 3½ years of his presidency, is the one that Obama put us on. Not anybody else. The slogan at least suggests a certain integrity on the part of the White House when it blames President George W. Bush for its problems. Obama and his aides must really believe the policies they presume to move forward with are not at all responsible for the nation’s dire condition — and think that Americans agree with them on this. Before they agree to move forward with Obama, they will likely take a look at where he has brought us. Forward to where? Americans will ask.

1. Under Obama, the unemployment rate soared above 8 percent and has stayed there. Forward to 9 percent? 
2. Under Obama, the national debt has risen by some $5 trillion. Forward to $6 trillion? 
3. The economy grew by only 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2012. Forward to 1 percent?
4. Opposition to Obama’s signature achievement, “Obamacare,” runs roughly 10 points ahead of support. Forward to more unpopular programs?

The only reassurance Americans might get from being told to move “forward” is that Obama has not been clear about where he wants to go. Take a look at Obama’s campaign website. There’s almost nothing about what he intends to do during a second term. “Forward” is not just a sign of presidential hubris. It’s a Freudian slip, a revelation of the left-leaning instincts of the most liberal president this country has ever had. “Obamacare’s” cost, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates when it was passed, would be close to $1 trillion. The White House declared that it had responsibly “paid for” the program with spending cuts and tax increases. Left out was that all those savings will no longer be available to bring down the deficit. The suggestion was that “Obamacare” was cost free. Not at all.Hmmmm......"FORWARD" Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.Read the full story here.

Emirati artist captures President Barack Hussein Obama in traditional Arab attire.

Emirati artist captures President Barack Hussein Obama in traditional Arab attire.(24/7).By Mohamad Al Sidafy.Kanoo’s portraits of historical figures with Arab headwear aimed at sparking dialogue on tolerance.Ever seen US President Barak Obama in traditional Arabic attire? Well, head to Gallery Meem in Dubai for a display of portraits that captures not only President Obama, but various other world-famous celebrities wearing the traditional attire.Read and see the full story here.

Obama 'officials' pressured contractors to change job loss figures, recordings reveal.

Obama 'officials' pressured contractors to change job loss figures, recordings reveal.(FB).Obama administration officials may have pressured government contractors to change job loss estimates associated with coal regulations, audio recordings reveal.
The tapes show that unnamed officials with the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) asked government contractors to change their calculations of job losses associated with the Stream Protection Rule.
A preliminary draft of an environmental impact statement estimated that up to 7,000 coalminers could lose their jobs under the administration’s “preferred” regulation. After a leaked copy of the report went public, officials asked the contractors to compare job estimates to a model in which another regulation was enforced, rather than the real world numbers.
“It’s not the real world, this is rulemaking,” an OSM official tells a skeptical contractor on the recording.
“If we’re to assume [the 2008 rule] is enforced in the coal-producing states, this is a very small [impact],” the contractor replies. “But that, as you said, is not the real world, that’s pretending … I thought we were looking at what’s going to change in Kentucky, what’s going to change in Pennsylvania, what’s going to change in Ohio, what’s going to change in Wyoming.”
When a second OSM official makes light of the “theoretical discussion,” the contractor shoots back that “his [the OSM official’s proposed criteria] was theoretical, mine was practical.”
The agency fired the contractors studying the rule less than one month later.
The House Natural Resources Committee obtained the tapes from an unidentified third party after OSM provided heavily redacted transcripts—the exchange above, for example, was blacked out—and withheld the audio recordings.
Rep. Bill Johnson (R., Ohio) blasted the administration’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation.The rule, known originally as the Stream Buffer Zone Rule, was never codified and has been loosely enforced. George W. Bush signed an official Stream Buffer Zone rule in 2008 that maintained the 100-foot restriction, but also included more exemptions for mining companies to conduct operations within the barrier.
When Obama came into office, he ordered OSM to rewrite the rule to please his environmentalist base. OSM has spent more than $5 million studying the impacts of sediment run off and water protection and hopes to release an official rule proposal later this year.The committee released the tapes on Friday. OSM officials have until May 24 to respond to a second subpoena from the committee. Johnson pledged to continue pushing for transparency at the agency.
“We’re going to keep marching down this path,” he said. “We’re not going to stop until we get a full accounting of why the administration has chosen to rewrite this rule and why they are going about it in a speedy, haphazard way.”Hmmmmm...........Obama : ‘If someone wants to build a new coal-fired power plant they can, but it will bankrupt them because they will be charged a huge sum for all the greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.’ "Read the full story here.

Video - Israeli Defense Forces - "Hatikva".

Is Google Maps Blocking Judea and Samaria?And if so why?

Is Google Maps Blocking Judea and Samaria?And if so why?(INN).Arutz Sheva has received several complaints over the past few weeks from residents of Judea and Samaria (Shomron) who use Google Maps to receive driving directions before setting out on the roads. The residents complained that in recent weeks, when they looked for directions between two points in Judea and Samaria, they received an error message which said that no information is available on the points in question.
One of the complainants, Joe from Havat Gilad (Gilad Farm) in the Shomron, told Arutz Sheva on Monday that the problem goes beyond trips from one point to another within Judea and Samaria, and also extends to trips from within Judea and Samaria to points outside of the area.
It should be noted that those who wish to see driving directions from a point outside of Judea and Samaria to a point within the area have no problems accessing the site and receive no error messages. However, they must be sure to use discretion and not attempt to go through Arab villages and towns, even if that is the shortest route.
(Ed. note: Those using a GPS in Israel must be sure it is programmed especially for Israel, as GPS gives the shortest route between two places - and that may easily be a very dangerous one. IDF soldiers stopped unwary tourists with GPS as they were about to make a turn into an Arab city, leading to reprogramming for Israeli GPS.)
Joe, who has used Google Maps himself for a long time, said he tried to turn to Google and ask for clarifications on this issue but was unsuccessful. He noted, however, that perhaps the company decided not to include Judea and Samaria due to its fear that of lawsuits from users who might use the service and mistakenly end up in danger by entering areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
Arutz Sheva asked Google Israel to comment on the matter but did not hear back from the company. When the company responds, its statement will be published in full.Read the full story here.

Will Superman be gay?But, but what will happen to Lois Lane?Will she become a Lesbian or will she die?

Will Superman be gay?But, but what will happen to Lois Lane?Will she become a Lesbian or will she die?(Fox).Honchos at Superman's comic book home, DC Comics, said this weekend that one of their most identifiable (but as of yet unnamed) straight characters will soon be coming out of the closet, according to a report. At the Kapow Comic Convention held last weekend in London, DC co-publisher Dan DiDio said the publisher would be reintroducing a previously existing character who would now be “one of our most prominent gay characters," the website BleedingCool.com reports. Didio said DC's position had shifted on the subject since he said in an interview last year that any homosexual characters would be new introductions, and that none of their existing characters' sexual orientations would shift. DC vice president Bob Wayne likened DC's change in tune to President Obama's shift on gay marriage, explaining that DC's policy “has evolved,” the report says.Hmmmmm......Seems the world'evolves' around Obama?Read the full story here.

Google warned by EU's antitrust inquiry of "search manipulation concerns".

Google warned by EU's antitrust inquiry of "search manipulation concerns".(Telegraph).By Emma Barnett.Google has been warned about manipulating search results for its own gain by the European Competition Commissioner and given a matter of weeks to find remedies for the problems outlined in the large anti-trust inquiry into the search company’s business. In a letter to Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, the EU’s anti-trust chief, Joaquin Almunia, outlined for the first time four areas of concern that have arisen through its lengthy investigation into the company. The Commission began an antitrust investigation into the internet search giant in November 2010 after complaints from rivals, including Microsoft, that it had abused its dominant market position. Almunia’s first concern centres on Google’s manipulation of search results. “In its general search results, Google displays links to its own vertical search services differently than it does for links to competitors,” he said. “We are concerned that this may result in preferential treatment compared to those of competing services, which may be hurt as a consequence.” Secondly he is concerned about Google’s observance of copyright laws. “Our second concern relates to the way Google copies content from competing vertical search services and uses it in its own offerings,” Almunia explained. Icomp, an internet lobbying body, financially backed by Microsoft, which has complained about Google's dominance in the past, welcomed Almunia's statements. An Icomp lawyer, David Wood, said Almunia "implies that the commission has found that Google's behaviour constituted an abuse of its dominant position in the online search market".Read the full story here.

Video - Rapper - Why i love Jesus but reject Islam.

HT: Shoebat.

Results of Egyptian expat voting in Saudi Arabia halted over ‘irregularities’

Results of Egyptian expat voting in Saudi Arabia halted over ‘irregularities’.(AA).Egypt’s Supreme Presidential Elections Commissions halted the announcement of the results of expatriates’ voting held in Saudi Arabia following a complaint by Islamist presidential candidate Abdul Muniem Abul Fotouh claiming some irregularities, Al Arabiya reported on Tuesday. The campaign supporting Abul Fotouh on Monday requested that the commission send a judge to investigate alleged violations of the electoral process in Jeddah, Egypt’s al-Masry al-Youm reported. The campaign claimed, in a statement, that it had detected certain irregularities. It said that the consulate in Jeddah closed its doors after voting and asked the supervisors to leave and start the vote count the next day. It also claimed that certain political forces collected ID cards from voters and voted on their behalf and duplicate ballots were sent by mail, the Egyptian daily reported. The campaign urged the commission to take legal action against the offenders to protect the integrity of the election from fraud. Egypt’s ambassador in Riyadh, Mahmoud Ouf, on Monday announced that Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi was leading the presidential race in Saudi Arabia. He said Mursi received 49.5 per cent of expatriate votes in Riyadh, the country’s largest expatriate constituency, which has over 80,000 registered Egyptian voters, the state-run al-Ahram daily reported. On Sunday, Egypt’s consul in Jeddah, Ali al-Esheiry, announced the Egyptian expatriate presidential poll results in Saudi Arabia’s second largest city, Jeddah. He said that Mursi received 26,934 votes, while Abul Fotouh recieved14,573 votes, al-Ahram reported. According to the announcement by the Egyptian Embassy in Riyadh, Abul Fotouh came in second place after Mursi with 26 percent of the votes, while leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi came in third place and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa came in the fourth place. In a press conference on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr said he and other diplomats in the ministry are impartial toward all presidential candidates. Egypt holds its first truly competitive leadership election in its history from Wednesday to pick the man to replace Hosni Mubarak, ousted last year in a popular uprising. The first-round takes place on May 23 and 24, with about 50 million of Egypt’s 82 million population eligible to vote. According to the official schedule, counting will be completed on May 26, followed by a period when appeals will be heard. The first-round result will be formally announced on May 29, according to Reuters. If any candidate achieves more than 50 percent of the votes in the first leg, he wins outright. That seems unlikely given the spread of candidates, so a run-off between the top two vote getters is expected to go ahead on June 16 and 17, with the result due on June 21.Read the full story here.

US fighting 'extremists' in Afghanistan, Pakistan: Obama.

US fighting 'extremists' in Afghanistan, Pakistan: Obama.(Ptv).“It is in our national interest to see a Pakistan that is democratic, that is prosperous and that is stable; that we share a common enemy in the extremists that are found not only in Afghanistan, but also within Pakistan; and that we need to work through some of the tensions that have inevitably arisen after 10 years of our military presence in that region,” Obama said after his brief meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari. Washington had previously claimed it was fighting al-Qaeda members and Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Addressing the final day of the NATO summit in Chicago, the US president said that NATO leaders have agreed on a formal withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 “to bring our war in Afghanistan to a responsible end." “We agreed that Afghan forces will take the lead for combat operations next year in mid-2013… And this will mark a major step toward the goal we agreed to in Lisbon; completing the transition to Afghan lead for security by the end of 2014 so that Afghans can take responsibility for their own country and so our troops can come home,” he said on Monday. He, however, added that foreign troops will remain in the country after 2014 to support and oversee the training of Afghan forces. “We also agreed on what NATO's relationship with Afghanistan will look like after 2014. NATO will continue to train, advise and support Afghan forces as they grow stronger,” he said.Hmmmm......Once your'e an ally of Al-Qaida in Lybia and now in Syria you can't call them 'the enemy'?Read the full story here.

NATO 'ally' and Obama 'buddy' Turkey opposes anti-Iran sanctions: Turkish minister.

NATO 'ally' and Obama 'buddy' Turkey opposes anti-Iran sanctions: Turkish minister.(Ptv).Turkish Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz has reiterated his country’s opposition to the US-led sanctions against Tehran, saying Turkey will not comply with anti-Iran embargoes. “We voted against Iran’s sanctions in the United Nations,” said Yilmaz, adding that Turkey, as a friendly country to Iran, “will not support sanctions against the Islamic Republic.” Yilmaz made the remarks in a meeting with Chairman of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) Mohammad Nahavandian and a number of Iranian businessmen in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Monday. The US, Israel and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program, and have used the allegation as a pretext to push the UN Security Council to impose four rounds of sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The US and the EU have imposed new financial sanctions as well as oil embargoes against Iran since the beginning of 2012, claiming that the country’s nuclear energy program includes a military component. Iran strongly rejects the allegations, maintaining that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The Turkish minister further said Iran and Turkey should use all the existing opportunities and capacities to boost the volume of bilateral trade, which currently stands at USD 16 billion per annum. He also called for the establishment of more joint entry ports as well as the expansion of cross-border transportation between Iran and Turkey. During the meeting, Iran's Deputy Commerce Minister Massoud Movahedi praised ‘the deep-rooted’ relations between Tehran and Ankara, and said the two sides have planned to double the volume of their trade in the next three years.Hmmmm......When will NATO realize the threat that Turkey poses to the West?Read the full story here.

PM Netanyahu: "Iran must halt uranium enrichment, stockpiling.This is Israel’s position. It has not changed, and it will not change.".

PM Netanyahu: "Iran must halt uranium enrichment, stockpiling.This is Israel’s position. It has not changed, and it will not change."(JPost).Two days before six world powers sit down in Baghdad for talks with Iran, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu unequivocally declared Monday that Israel would only be satisfied if Iran halted all uranium enrichment and shipped its stockpiles out of the country. In addition, at a speech at a Civil Service Commission event in Jerusalem, he said Tehran must close its underground nuclear facility at Qom.“This is the only way it will be possible to ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear bomb,” he said. “This is Israel’s position. It has not changed, and it will not change.” The prime minister’s comments came even as International Atomic Energy Agency head Yukiya Amano held rare talks in Tehran on Monday. Amano, who was on his first trip to the Islamic Republic since taking office in 2009, was also due to meet Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. “I really think this is the right time to reach agreement. Nothing is certain but I stay positive,” Amano, a veteran Japanese diplomat with long experience in nuclear proliferation and disarmament affairs, said before departure from the Vienna airport. He added that “good progress” had already been made. Netanyahu, however, did not share Amano’s positive take on the course of events.
Referring to comments that Iranian Chief of Staff Maj.- Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi made Sunday that “the Iranian nation is standing for its cause, which is the full annihilation of Israel,” Netanyahu said Iran’s goals were clear. “It wants to annihilate Israel, and is developing nuclear weapons to realize this goal,” he said.
The prime minister ridiculed those who claim that when Iran’s leaders say they want to wipe Israel off the map, they actually “mean something else in Farsi. It will be interesting to hear what they say of the Iranian chief of staff’s remarks yesterday.”
Netanyahu said Iran was threatening not only Israel, but the whole world, and that the world’s powers must show determination, not weakness, in the face of Iran’s malicious designs.
The world powers, he said, needed to make clear and unequivocal demands of Iran, and not give concessions.In Barak’s assessment, the Iranians will try to create the appearance of progress to get some of the sanctions revoked and relieve some of the world’s intense pressure. “We have made our position clear,” Barak said. “We have shared it with those involved, including during my last visit to Washington [over the weekend]. Israel thinks that the bar has to be set in such a manner – the demand that they stop enrichment – that does not allow for any Iranian [nuclear] development.”Some diplomats and analysts said Amano, given a recent history of mistrustful relations with Iran, would go to Tehran only if he believed a framework agreement to give his inspectors freer hands in their investigation was close. Iran has been stonewalling IAEA requests for better access for four years. “Amano would not have traveled to Tehran had he not been provided with assurances that progress could be made. If he returns to Vienna empty-handed, the embarrassment will be more damaging for Tehran than the agency,” said Ali Vaez, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group. “However, if the IAEA is satisfied with Tehran’s cooperation, Iranian negotiators will have a new trump card to play at the negotiating table in Baghdad.”Hmmmmm......."Tiiiiiime is on my side, Yes it is".Read the full story here.

Obama 'Administration' lets China bypass Wall Street for Treasury orders.

Obama 'Administration' lets China bypass Wall Street for Treasury orders.(Reuters).China can now bypass Wall Street when buying U.S. government debt and go straight to the U.S. Treasury, in what is the Treasury's first-ever direct relationship with a foreign government, according to documents viewed by Reuters. The relationship means the People's Bank of China buys U.S. debt using a different method than any other central bank in the world. The other central banks, including the Bank of Japan, which has a large appetite for Treasuries, place orders for U.S. debt with major Wall Street banks designated by the government as primary dealers. Those dealers then bid on their behalf at Treasury auctions. China, which holds $1.17 trillion in U.S. Treasuries, still buys some Treasuries through primary dealers, but since June 2011, that route hasn't been necessary. The documents viewed by Reuters show the U.S. Treasury Department has given the People's Bank of China a direct computer link to its auction system, which the Chinese first used to buy two-year notes in late June 2011.
China can now participate in auctions without placing bids through primary dealers. If it wants to sell, however, it still has to go through the market. The granting to China of direct bidder status may be controversial because some government officials are concerned that China has gained too much leverage over the United States through its large Treasury holdings.For example, economist Brad Setser, who is a member of the National Economic Council and has also served on the National Security Council, has argued China's large Treasury holdings pose a national security threat. Writing for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2009, Setser posited that China's massive U.S. debt holdings gave it power over U.S. policy via the threat of a swift, large sale of U.S. debt that could send the market into turmoil and drive up interest rates.Hmmmmm.........YU SO PHUKT?Read the full story here.

Video - "If I Was Your President"

HT: BarracudaBrigade.

Iran sacks diplomat after allegedly fondling underage girls in a swimming pool in Brazil.

Iran sacks diplomat after allegedly fondling underage girls in a swimming pool in Brazil.(AA).Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday it has sacked one of its diplomats who allegedly fondled underage girls in a swimming pool in Brazil, where he was stationed before being recalled. “After an investigation into the violations by the Iranian employee of the Iranian embassy in Brazil, it was found his behavior was contrary to administrative regulations and Islamic conduct ... thus he was dismissed,” the ministry said in a statement. Brazilian media identified the diplomat as Hekmatollah Ghorbani, 51, and reported that he groped at least four Brazilian girls aged between nine and 15 in a Brasilia pool last month, making them cry and attracting the fury of their parents. He was arrested but quickly released when Brazilian police verified his diplomatic immunity. Iran’s embassy in Brasilia had initially defended the diplomat by issuing a statement claiming the groping allegations were the result of a “cultural misunderstanding”. But foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast subsequently said the diplomat had been recalled and would be “dealt with”, even though he also asserted that the incident was being twisted by Western and Arab media. In Iran, men and women of any age are not permitted to share swimming pools. Iranian officials and representatives are expected to follow Islamic rules while abroad.Read the full story here.

Former terrorist Bernardine Dohrn received $400,000 DOJ grant money, claims Judicial Watch.

Former terrorist Bernardine Dohrn received $400,000 DOJ grant money, claims Judicial Watch.(CFP).By Jim Kouri.The Obama Justice Department awarded a group headed by a domestic terrorist,—and one-time FBI fugitive with close ties to President Barack Obama—hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars “to reduce racial disparities in the juvenile justice system,” according to a leading Inside the Beltway watchdog group.“This is a story you likely won’t see in the mainstream media, but a reputable political magazine exposed it this week,” according to officials at Judicial Watch, an organization that investigates and exposes government corruption and abuse. According to Judicial Watch’s Corruption Chronicles, Department of Justice has already given $400,000 in grants to an organization that blames disproportionately high criminal behavior among minority juvenile delinquents on discrimination. The San Francisco-based nonprofit describes itself as a leading organization in the field of juvenile justice and ethnic and racial disparities reduction.Among the institute’s board of directors is Bernardine Dohrn, a longtime Obama supporter and fundraiser and proud member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that used explosives to attack the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and other government buildings to protest U.S. policy.
She and her group are believed responsible for the killing and wounding police officers, as well. Dohrn’s violent actions earned her a slot on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list during the 1970s. She eventually served probation and spent some time in jail for refusing to cooperate with an investigation, the Judicial Watch blog states. Dohrn is married to William Ayers, the co-founder of the Weather Underground. Like his wife, Ayers was also an FBI fugitive who has proudly admitted planting bombs in government buildings during the Vietnam era. In fact, he has publicly said that he doesn’t regret his terrorist acts and that in fact his group “didn’t do enough.” 
More recently, the American contingent of the Free Gaza Movement was led by President Barack Obama’s friends and supporters Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn and Jody Davis, who also heads Code Pink. The Free Gaza Movement boasts the names of Bill Ayers,Noam Chomsky, Adam Shapiro and other American radicals allegedly devoted to destroying the United States and Israel.“Using the generous DOJ grant as a guide, it appears that Dohrn is still benefiting from the relationship with Obama. How else could one explain the DOJ grant?” the Judicial Watch blog asks. “As the article that broke the story points out, Dohrn has a history with the Justice Department and it isn’t good. Why would the agency responsible for enforcing the law and defending the country against the attacks she once carried out give her taxpayer dollars?” Dohrn refused to comment about the Judicial Watch allegations.Special thanks to Jill Farrell, director of public affairs at Judicial Watch. for her valuable assistance.Read the full story here.