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Tsunami Aims at Philippines After Quake
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - A powerful quake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, triggering a potentially destructive tsunami that was headed toward the Philippines on the second anniversary of the deadly waves that killed thousands in south Asia. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of between 6.7 and 7.2, was felt throughout Taiwan. It collapsed two homes in the southern city of Pingtung, trapping six people, ETTV cable news reported. The quake also triggered fires and gas leaks, the station said.
King Abdullah: Israel not as strong as we thought
Jordanian king tells Japanese newspaper ‘The perception in the Middle East is that Israel lost Lebanon war’; adds: More and more countries in the region will now believe that the only way to get Israel to listen is through force and not negotiations.
Foreign ministry official: Syria ready to negotiate
Center for Policy Research head tells Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee radical countries increasingly fearful of possible Syrian shift toward western bloc. Meanwhile, Syrian sources reject possibility of resuming negotiations in coming year as 'Olmert's government is weak'.
Nigerian pipeline explodes, killing 200
LAGOS, Nigeria - A ruptured gasoline pipeline burst into flames Tuesday as scavengers collected the fuel in Nigeria's largest city, killing at least 200 people. The death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers tried to document more charred corpses.
Iraq court says Saddam should hang in 30 days
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld Saddam Hussein's death sentence for crimes against humanity and said he should hang within 30 days. "The appeal court has approved the death sentence. They (the government) has the right to choose the date starting from tomorrow up to 30 days. After 30 days it will be an obligation to implement the sentence," the head of the Iraqi High Tribunal, Aref Abdul-Razzaq al-Shahin, told a news conference.
Jerusalem is expecting snow!
Snow began falling on Mount Hermon this morning and current forecasts say snow may begin falling in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning. Heavy rains have already began falling in Tel Aviv, Haifa and the Galilee area today, and the stormy weather halted flights at Sde Dov airport in north Tel Aviv with planes being diverted to Ben-Gurion International Airport, according to Army Radio.
Israel protests Kassam fire
Israel Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Gillerman has submitted an urgent protest to the duty president of the UN Security Council strongly condemning Palestinian violations of the November 25 ceasefire. In the letter, Gillerman states that since the ceasefire took effect one month ago, 53 Kassam rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza.
Archbishop warns of a future full of dread for the Middle East
The Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas message to issue a veiled attack on the policies of Tony Blair and George Bush in the Middle East. In a frank speech, Dr Rowan Williams said it was "chilling" to find in the troubled region an "almost total absence" of any belief in a political solution to the crisis.
Olmert decision has military 'up in arms'
TEL AVIV – The Israeli army is "up in arms" regarding an order issued yesterday by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove a series of West Bank security checkpoints that regularly stop terrorists from infiltrating Jewish cities, according to military officials.
Armadillos nudging their way northward
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- For years, Lloyd Nelson laughed off as myth reports that armadillos -- those armored, football-sized critters with the big claws and bigger nose -- had waddled their way into southern Illinois, the same place folks say they've seen cougars.
Queen Modifies Christmas Message Tradition
(CBS/AP) British Queen Elizabeth II delivered her annual Christmas message Monday, calling for mutual respect between young and old and greater religious tolerance. "The wisdom and experience of the great religions point to the need to nurture and guide the young, and to encourage respect for the elderly," the queen said in a prerecorded message filmed at Southwark Cathedral in London.
IRAN STEPS UP TRAINING OF HAMAS
TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Iran has accelerated military training of Hamas. Israeli officials said up to several hundred Hamas operatives have recently left the Gaza Strip for Iran. They said the operatives were undergoing several weeks of military training by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Russia Launches Three Satellites for Own Global Positioning System
Russia has expanded its global navigation satellite system (Glonass) with three satellites, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported on Tuesday quoting a spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
Second Volcano Erupts in Russia`s Far East in Two Days
According to a local seismology center a second volcano has erupted on the Kamchatka Peninsula — Russia’s Far East, spewing out ash up to an altitude of 6 miles, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday. A village 31 miles away from the Shiveluch volcano, was covered with ash, and volcanic tremors were registered in the area, the seismology center spokesman said.
U.S. Senator calls for dialogue with Damascus
DAMASCUS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A visiting U.S. senator on Tuesday called for dialogue between Washington and Damascus to solve Middle East issues. U.S. Republican Senator Arlen Specter said that the current U.S. policy toward Syria was not active and Washington should open dialogue with Damascus on all the Middle East issues.
Girls as young 12 to be vaccinated against STD in UK
BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Girls as young as 12 in Britain are to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease which can cause cervical cancer, according to the Department of Health plans Monday. Girls could be immunized against the human papilloma virus (HPV) before they become sexually active under an National Health Service (NHS)-funded mass vaccination scheme. The virus is one of the main causes of cervical cancer, which kills around 1,000 women a year in the country.
Cell-phone tells what mode you're in
LONDON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A mobile phone system being developed by an Australian scientist can allow people to keep track of what their friends and colleagues are up to, and whether it's a good time to call them. The Swarm system is being developed by Christine Satchell at the University of Melbourne, Australia, according to the latest issue of the New Scientist.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - A powerful quake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, triggering a potentially destructive tsunami that was headed toward the Philippines on the second anniversary of the deadly waves that killed thousands in south Asia. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of between 6.7 and 7.2, was felt throughout Taiwan. It collapsed two homes in the southern city of Pingtung, trapping six people, ETTV cable news reported. The quake also triggered fires and gas leaks, the station said.
King Abdullah: Israel not as strong as we thought
Jordanian king tells Japanese newspaper ‘The perception in the Middle East is that Israel lost Lebanon war’; adds: More and more countries in the region will now believe that the only way to get Israel to listen is through force and not negotiations.
Foreign ministry official: Syria ready to negotiate
Center for Policy Research head tells Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee radical countries increasingly fearful of possible Syrian shift toward western bloc. Meanwhile, Syrian sources reject possibility of resuming negotiations in coming year as 'Olmert's government is weak'.
Nigerian pipeline explodes, killing 200
LAGOS, Nigeria - A ruptured gasoline pipeline burst into flames Tuesday as scavengers collected the fuel in Nigeria's largest city, killing at least 200 people. The death toll was expected to rise as rescue workers tried to document more charred corpses.
Iraq court says Saddam should hang in 30 days
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An Iraqi appeals court on Tuesday upheld Saddam Hussein's death sentence for crimes against humanity and said he should hang within 30 days. "The appeal court has approved the death sentence. They (the government) has the right to choose the date starting from tomorrow up to 30 days. After 30 days it will be an obligation to implement the sentence," the head of the Iraqi High Tribunal, Aref Abdul-Razzaq al-Shahin, told a news conference.
Jerusalem is expecting snow!
Snow began falling on Mount Hermon this morning and current forecasts say snow may begin falling in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning. Heavy rains have already began falling in Tel Aviv, Haifa and the Galilee area today, and the stormy weather halted flights at Sde Dov airport in north Tel Aviv with planes being diverted to Ben-Gurion International Airport, according to Army Radio.
Israel protests Kassam fire
Israel Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Gillerman has submitted an urgent protest to the duty president of the UN Security Council strongly condemning Palestinian violations of the November 25 ceasefire. In the letter, Gillerman states that since the ceasefire took effect one month ago, 53 Kassam rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza.
Archbishop warns of a future full of dread for the Middle East
The Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas message to issue a veiled attack on the policies of Tony Blair and George Bush in the Middle East. In a frank speech, Dr Rowan Williams said it was "chilling" to find in the troubled region an "almost total absence" of any belief in a political solution to the crisis.
Olmert decision has military 'up in arms'
TEL AVIV – The Israeli army is "up in arms" regarding an order issued yesterday by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove a series of West Bank security checkpoints that regularly stop terrorists from infiltrating Jewish cities, according to military officials.
Armadillos nudging their way northward
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- For years, Lloyd Nelson laughed off as myth reports that armadillos -- those armored, football-sized critters with the big claws and bigger nose -- had waddled their way into southern Illinois, the same place folks say they've seen cougars.
Queen Modifies Christmas Message Tradition
(CBS/AP) British Queen Elizabeth II delivered her annual Christmas message Monday, calling for mutual respect between young and old and greater religious tolerance. "The wisdom and experience of the great religions point to the need to nurture and guide the young, and to encourage respect for the elderly," the queen said in a prerecorded message filmed at Southwark Cathedral in London.
IRAN STEPS UP TRAINING OF HAMAS
TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Iran has accelerated military training of Hamas. Israeli officials said up to several hundred Hamas operatives have recently left the Gaza Strip for Iran. They said the operatives were undergoing several weeks of military training by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Russia Launches Three Satellites for Own Global Positioning System
Russia has expanded its global navigation satellite system (Glonass) with three satellites, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported on Tuesday quoting a spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
Second Volcano Erupts in Russia`s Far East in Two Days
According to a local seismology center a second volcano has erupted on the Kamchatka Peninsula — Russia’s Far East, spewing out ash up to an altitude of 6 miles, RIA Novosti reported Tuesday. A village 31 miles away from the Shiveluch volcano, was covered with ash, and volcanic tremors were registered in the area, the seismology center spokesman said.
U.S. Senator calls for dialogue with Damascus
DAMASCUS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A visiting U.S. senator on Tuesday called for dialogue between Washington and Damascus to solve Middle East issues. U.S. Republican Senator Arlen Specter said that the current U.S. policy toward Syria was not active and Washington should open dialogue with Damascus on all the Middle East issues.
Girls as young 12 to be vaccinated against STD in UK
BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Girls as young as 12 in Britain are to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease which can cause cervical cancer, according to the Department of Health plans Monday. Girls could be immunized against the human papilloma virus (HPV) before they become sexually active under an National Health Service (NHS)-funded mass vaccination scheme. The virus is one of the main causes of cervical cancer, which kills around 1,000 women a year in the country.
Cell-phone tells what mode you're in
LONDON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A mobile phone system being developed by an Australian scientist can allow people to keep track of what their friends and colleagues are up to, and whether it's a good time to call them. The Swarm system is being developed by Christine Satchell at the University of Melbourne, Australia, according to the latest issue of the New Scientist.