JNN 01 Dec 2013 Los Angles : The Hollywood producer behind such box office hits as Fight Club, Pretty Woman and LA Confidential has spoken about his former activities as an Israeli secret agent and arms dealer, confirming claims made earlier in an unauthorized biography. Continue reading
JNN 28 Oct 2013 New York : If the potential to make money is the biggest determinant of what you choose to study in college, think hard about an engineering discipline — specifically oil.
That’s because the major with the greatest earnings potential, for both bachelor’s degree and graduate degree holders is petroleum engineering, according to a report on NPR.org’s Planet Money. Citing data compiled by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, the report said median earnings — half are above and half are below — for petroleum engineers is $120,000 annually, whether they have a bachelor’s degree or higher .
* Petroleum Engineering
As for why it’s the same regardless of whether the data include undergraduates only or all graduates, the report said one of the Georgetown researchers theorized that petroleum engineers with graduate degrees stand a higher chance of working in academics, meaning they wouldn’t be as likely to garner the top earnings found in private industry.
Here are the five top-earning majors the data revealed, along with their median yearly pay:
Of note is that when all graduates are factored in, earnings associated with health and medical preparatory programs match petroleum engineering’s median salary, at $120,000.
That changes markedly from the findings covering only those with undergraduate degrees. At the bachelor’s level, health and medical preparatory degree holders earn $40,000, putting them among the 10 majors with the lowest earnings. The reason is that this major is a first step — bachelor’s students tend to use the degree to go on to medical school or some other graduate program, which enhances their earnings potential considerably.
Ultimately, you won’t go wrong with the sciences, the job titles make clear. You’ve already seen the top five, and as for the remaining degrees in the top 10, the best pay is associated with mathematics and computer science, aerospace engineering, naval architecture and marine engineering, chemical engineering and electrical engineering. Those jobs, at the median, earn $94,000 to $98,000.
One of the biggest fears for many college graduates is finding a good job that pays well and has solid career prospects.
Some career paths are going to be more beneficial and open to a recent grad. To help new degree holders find the right field, the University of California, San Diego has compiled its fifth annual list of “Hot Careers for College Graduates.”
For this report, UCSD looked at four criteria — “current employment in the field, projected growth in the occupation between 2010 and 2020, median annual salary in the occupation, and workplace environment characteristics.”
The study also looked at “bridgeability factor,” a yes or no decision “based on whether a college graduate could bridge into the career with one or two years of study or reskilling.” Several careers — such as nurse, veterinarian, and pharmacist — scored well on UCSD’s criteria, but would be unobtainable for an untrained college graduate.
Almost half of the careers in the top 10 dealt with computers and technology, including the top two on the list. Although two different types of software developers — applications and systems — tied for the first spot on UCSD’s rankings, we decided to solely designate systems software developers as the number one career, based on its stronger long-term job prospects.
#1 Software Developer — Systems Software
“Although the demand for applications software developers is higher, systems software developers have a better projected employment growth rate (32% by 2020 versus 28% by 2020 for the applications software developers) as well as a higher mean annual salary ($102,550, almost $5,000 more for the applications software developer).”
#2 Software Developers — Applications
“The difference between these types of software developers is that the applications software developers are more focused on the consumer side of the software development, testing and modifying the product to ensure the desired results, and the systems software developer’s role pertains to the formulation and analysis of software requirements. A bachelor’s degree in computer science or mathematics, as well as strong programming skills, are what an applicant usually needs for a job as an applications software developer.”
#3 Market Research Analyst/Marketing Specialist
“Government data shows 392,740 currently employed marketing research analysts under classification code 13-1161. Although the mean annual salary, $67,380, is considerably less than the number one and number two careers in the hot careers list, the job outlook between now and 2020 shows a deep and urgent need for more qualified individuals in these positions, with a projected growth rate of 41 percent by 2020.”
#4 Accountant/Auditor
“Accountants and auditors earned the number four spot on the hot careers list because of the sheer demand for accounting jobs. At last official count, 1,129,340 people in the U.S. were employed as accountants and auditors, with a respectable projected growth rate in the field of 16% by 2020. The mean annual salary for accounting and audit careers is $71,040, which has increased by nearly $10,000 in the past three years alone (from $61,690 in just 2010). Salary growth also illuminates why this is a promising career path for individuals with financial aptitude.”
#5 Network/Computer Systems Administrator
“The criteria that landed this occupation on the hot careers list are a mean annual salary of $76,320 paired with a projected growth rate of 28% by 2020. Increased reliance on technology in homes and every economic sector will continue to generate strong demand for graduates who can fulfill the numerous needs of users and enterprises. Currently, the U.S. government reports 350,320 systems administrators employed, but increasingly complex security threats, cybersurveillance, and upcoming ‘meaningful use’ requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will no doubt continue to require additional manpower on the front lines of computer networks and systems.”
#6 Computer Systems Analyst
“Computer systems analysts scored strongly in every category of hot careers evaluation. With 482,040 systems analysts currently employed in the U.S., the career category is projected to experience growth in demand of 22 percent by 2020. With a mean annual salary of $83,800, it is among the most highly remunerative job categories on the list.”
#7 Management Analyst
“There are a reported 540,440 employed nationwide at present. All industries — even government organizations and not-for-profit organizations — rely on the unique expertise of management analysts to operate efficiently. With the onset of the global economic recession that began in 2008, utilization of management consultants has been growing, and demand for these professionals is projected to continue to grow by 22% by 2020. The mean annual salary for management consultants is $88,070.”
#8 Public Relations Specialist
“Compared to other jobs on the hot careers list, public relations specialists represent the smallest number of people currently employed (201,280), but the field has a projected growth rate of 23% by 2020 … The mean annual salary in the field, counting both corporate and self-employed public relations specialists, is $61,980.”
#9 Insurance Sales Agent
“As the population lives longer, there will be an increased need for insurance agents; the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this career path to increase by 22% by 2020. Our research shows there are 336,740 insurance agents nationwide, earning a mean annual salary of $63,400. Although one third of all insurance sales agents in 2010 reported having at least a bachelor’s degree, only a high school diploma is required for entry to this job — a unique factor among the top ten hot careers.”
#10 Professional Colleges Teacher
“Professional Colleges teachers have chosen an occupation that is high on the hot careers list because of the number of currently employed teachers—1,360,380. Outnumbering any other single occupation nationally, a teaching career path tends to offer a form of stability that is relatively rare in other fields of pursuit … Overall demand for teachers is significant on a national level. From 2010–2020, a large number of teachers from the Professional Colleges are also expected to retire, which will create additional positions for new teachers and results in projected national growth in the career of 18% by 2020.”
JNN 02 Nov ’2013 ISLAMABAD – At least six people were killed including chief of Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan ( TTP ) Hakeemullah Mehsud in a U.S. drone strike on Friday evening in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported. Continue reading
JNN 31 Oct 2013 ABUJA – A total solar eclipse will occur on November 3, 2013. It is a hybrid eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.0159. Totality will be visible from the northern Atlantic Ocean (east of Florida) to Africa (Gabon (landfall), R. Congo, DR Congo, Uganda), with maximum of 1 minute and 39 seconds visible from the Atlantic Ocean south of Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Outside of Africa, a shallow partial solar eclipse shall be seen from eastern North America, southern Greenland, the Caribbean, northern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East and Madagascar.
But according to Michael S. Z Nkalubo, the Tourism Ministry Permanent Secretary, the November 3 will be a hybrid (annular/total) solar eclipse.
More than 30,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Uganda for a rare viewing of the solar eclipse next month in the northern part of the country. The country’s Tourism Ministry officials say they anticipate the event to attract several international eclipse trackers to Uganda to the districts of Nebbi, Arua, Gulu, Soroti and Masindi that will provide the most vintage locations for viewing the rare occurrence of a total solar eclipse on Sunday 3rd November, 2013.
The country has planned several activities to showcase the richness of Uganda’s tourism potential during the event to take advantage of the visiting tourists.
An eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon revolving in its orbit around the earth comes between the sun and the earth. The moon blocks the light of the sun and a shadow of the moon is cast over the earth’s surface.
A partial solar eclipse will occur on Sunday in different parts of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, a top government official said on Tuesday.
The director-general in charge of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) Seidu Mohammed disclosed this reporters in Abuja, the country’s capital city.
Mohammed urged Nigerians to go about their normal businesses as such occurrences happened occasionally.
He said that partial eclipse would occur in April 2014, March 2015 and September 2016.
Mohammed advised Nigerians not to panic unnecessarily as nothing untoward would happen on that day.
The director told reporters that the partial eclipse would not affect the airspace but advised Nigerians not to think that the world would come to an end because of the occurrence.
He advised Nigerians to wear sunglasses to view the occurrence, adding that the measure would protect their eyes from damage that might arise.
The agency would provide such glasses for some Nigerians, especially children and selected Nigerians, he added.
Solar Eclipse
When the moon passes in front of the sun, the shadow falls on the earth and it appears to exactly cover the sun’s disc. This is what a solar eclipse is – a shadow casted by moon obstructing sunlight from reaching the Earth.
During a solar eclipse, the moon actually casts two shadows towards earth. One shadow shaped like a cone is called the umbra. This becomes narrower as it reaches the earth. No direct sunlight penetrates into this area. The path of this is called the path of totality. If you are positioned in this area then you can see a complete blocking of the sun and view a total solar eclipse. Total eclipse is observable only within a narrow strip of land or sea over which the umbra passes.
The second shadow is called the penumbra which spreads out as it reaches the earth. The penumbra is spread over a large area. People viewing the eclipse from this area of the earth’s surface will see only a partial blocking of the sun.
The tropical regions of Africa will therefore enjoy vintage viewing points of the second and final solar eclipse of the year on November 3, 2013. Most parts of this region will see either a total solar eclipse or a deep partial solar eclipse.
In Uganda, the total solar eclipse track runs across northern Uganda and areas of Nebbi, Arua, Gulu, Soroti, Masindi are expected to see the total eclipse; whereas the rest of the country will see a deep partial Eclipse.
This hybrid solar eclipse starts as an annular and soon after becomes total when using the usual eclipse classification based on a smooth lunar limb profile. So most watchers in northern Uganda are likely to view a total eclipse, but even then a truly total eclipse will not be seen until about 16:06:45 local time.
A hybrid solar eclipse refers to a solar eclipse whereby some sections of the central eclipse path are annular whereas other parts are total. If you were at just the right spot in the Atlantic Ocean, you’d possibly see a four-second annular eclipse at sunrise.
According to Jean Meeus and Fred Espenak of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the eclipse changes from annular to total in just fifteen seconds, and the remainder of the approximate 13,600-kilometer central eclipse track remains total.
The track across Uganda descends from the high mountains along the border with the DRC, crosses the flat plateau north of Lake Albert, climbs over a lower set of hills to reach Gulu, and descends again.
What you’ll observe depends on where you live. Skywatchers in the eastern United States, northeastern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East and most of Africa will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, while people along the path of totality in central Africa will see the sun totally obscured by Earth’s nearest neighbor for a few dramatic moments.
If you live in eastern North America, you’ll have to get up early to enjoy the show. The partial eclipse will be visible at sunrise — about 6:30 a.m. local time — and last for about 45 minutes, experts say. Viewers in Boston and New York will see the sun more than 50 percent covered by the moon, while our star will appear 47 percent obscured from Miami and Washington, D.C.
Warning: If you are planning to watch Sunday’s solar eclipse in person, be extremely careful. Never look directly at the sun, either with the naked eye or through telescopes or binoculars without proper filters. To safely view solar eclipses, you can buy special solar filters or No. 14 welder’s glass to wear over your eyes. Standard sunglasses will NOT provide sufficient protection.
You can also build a simple pinhole camera, or look at the shadows filtering onto the ground through the leaves on a tree. (The spaces between leaves often create many natural pinholes).
JNN 23 Oct. 2013 New York – Apple, the tech titan has revealed its new tablets — the iPad Air and an upgraded iPad mini — that are lighter and faster than their predecessors. Continue reading
JNN 23 Oct 2013 Riyadh : Saudi Arabia says it plans to make a ‘major shift’ in its dealings with the United States over Iran, Bahrain, Palestine and Syria. Continue reading
JNN 23 Oct 2013 Montreal : Hundreds of people in the Canadian province of Quebec have taken to the streets to protest against a proposal to ban public workers from wearing religious symbols. Continue reading
JNN 22 Oct 2013 Jeddah : A group of Shia Americans visiting Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj were threatened and attacked earlier this week on Oct. 16 by a radicalized Wahabi group of extremists. On one of the nights where Hajj pilgrims are required to stay overnight in the city of Mina, a group of young men began asking different sets of pilgrims if they were from the United States. Continue reading
JNN 20 Oct 2013 Paris : What many commuters choking on smog have long suspected has finally been scientifically validated: air pollution causes lung cancer. Continue reading
JNN 19 Oct 2013 Karachi : The full moon will dip into Earth’s shadow tonight (Oct. 19), producing a lunar eclipse that can be seen by keen observers around the world. Continue reading
JNN 18 Oct 2013 Washingoton: President Obama and Congress have signed off on extending the debt ceiling through to February. The new legislation only temporarily solves the US budget dispute, begging the question if America will ever limit its borrowing. Continue reading
JNN 16 Oct 2013 Karachi : Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, which gives a Message of Sacrifice , and on this day God Want to see the Passion of every Muslim to Sacrifice their Most Beloved thing in the Hour of Need , as and when God Wants them to Sacrifice. Continue reading
JNN 15 Oct 2013 New York : A US debt default could hit on Thursday, and world leaders are second guessing the dominant role America plays in finance. Regardless of the final decision in Washington, confidence and credibility in the US has already eroded. Continue reading
JNN 15 Oct 2103 Florida : Just as the U.S. Latino population is on the rise – Hispanics are now the nation’s largest minority – so is the number of Latino Muslims. And it’s not just a result of Arab Latin Americans emigrating to the United States.
According to organizations like WhyIslam.org, Latinos are one of the fastest growing segments of the Muslim community. About six percent of U.S. Muslims are now Latino – and as many as a fifth of new converts to Islam nationwide are Latino.
The American Muslim Association of North America, based in North Miami, says heavily Hispanic South Florida in particular is home to a rising number of Latino Muslims.
Not that conversion to Islam is easy in Latino society, as Marina Gonzalez knows. A Nicaraguan-American nurse in Miami, Gonzalez converted five years ago and wears the hijab, the Muslim women’s head garb. At first her family stopped talking to her.
“They [were] calling me Talibana,” Gonzalez recalls. “My mother, she didn’t like to go [out] with me because I wear the hijab.”
But now her mother “understands. When I go to my parents’ house they turn off the TV when I have to pray. I’m so happy.”
Najib Sowma’s first name was Dario before he converted six years ago. Today he’s a leading member of the Al-Ihsaan mosque in South Miami-Dade. But his Cuban mother was initially shocked.
“Now her views have changed,” says Sowma. “Prior to me being Muslim to who I am now, she sees a big difference in my character.”
If it’s a surprise that many Latinos are moving from a predominantly Roman Catholic culture to an originally Arab faith, perhaps it shouldn’t be. For one thing, like African-Americans in the 1960s, Latinos are discovering their own historical and cultural ties to Islam and the Arab world. And that starts with what most defines Latinos: Spanish.
“Our language is nurtured by more than 4,000 words that come from Arabic,” says Wilfredo Ruiz, a Puerto Rican-born Muslim who converted a decade ago and is a lawyer for the South Florida chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations. “Every word in Spanish that starts with ‘al,’ for example, like alcalde, alcantarilla, almohada.”
That’s because Arab Muslims ruled Spain for some 800 years during the Middle Ages – and made the Iberian Peninsula one of the most advanced civilizations of its time. A millennium later, Ruiz says that past is an inescapable part of the Hispanic DNA.
“What most Latinos who have embraced Islam find most amazing is their cultural affinity to the Muslim culture,” says Ruiz. “It’s like rediscovering your past. That area of our past has been hidden from us.”
Ruiz points out that both Latinos and Arabs highly value the extended family and traditions like offering hospitality to strangers. In religious terms, Latinos like Gonzalez say Islam provides a simpler, more direct form of worship than Catholicism does. They also feel more structure than they see in the evangelical churches so many Latinos join today.
“The connection I have with God now is better than before,” says Gonzalez.
Yet many take comfort in the overlap between Catholicism and Islam. Muslims, for example, venerate the Virgin Mary as well as Jesus, at least as a prophet.
“At the beginning when I was reading the Quran I said, “Oh, [Muslims] believe in the hereafter, in angels,’” says Liliana Parodi, a Peruvian-American surgical technician in Miami who converted 24 years ago. “You know, it’s not so much difference.”
More Latina women convert to Islam than Latino men do. Islam is admittedly questioned for its segregation of women. But Latinas like Parodi say it’s hypocritical for a male-dominated Catholic Church – which forbids women priests, birth control and divorce – and an ultra-macho Latino society – whose Spanish-language television networks still portray women as spitfire sexpots – to criticize their new faith in that regard.
“I tell them, ‘Look at yourself,’” says Parodi. “The sad part is [when they] see women as objects.”
A decade ago, the nation’s image of a Latino Muslim was unfortunately Jose Padilla, the so-called “Dirty Bomber” who was convicted for aiding terrorists. But for Ruiz, who was also a Navy chaplain, much has changed since then – and Latinos are less fearful now of converting.
“They soon come to learn that [Muslims] abhor violence,” Ruiz says. “We have the same aspirations for social justice as a Christian or a Jew does.”
Which means, as Eid al-Adha arrives next Monday evening, more Latinos will be saying “Eid Mubarak.” Which is Arabic for “Eid Bendito.” Which is Spanish for “Have a Blessed Eid.”
JNN 07 Oct 2013 New York : The Super Star and a Legend Singer Madonna revealed this week she has been studying the Holy Quran, a practice which has come alongside her efforts to build girls’ schools in Islamic countries. Continue reading
JNN 3 Oct 2013 WASHINGTON — The ongoing partial federal government shutdown and fiscal uncertainties are dampening American economic recovery, and a default on U.S. debt payments would have “immediate and substantial” negative effects on the country’s economy that would be difficult to quickly reverse, said David Stockton, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). Continue reading
JNN 28 Sept 2103 President Barack Obama announced Friday that he had spoken by telephone with Iran’s president Hasan Rouhani — the first direct conversation between leaders of both countries since Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979. Continue reading
JNN 22 Sept 2013 Washington : The US Air Force inadvertently dropped an atomic bomb over North Carolina in 1961. If a simple safety switch had not prevented the explosive from detonating, millions of lives across the northeast would have been at risk, a new document has revealed. Continue reading
JNN 21 Sept 2013 ISLAMABAD: Russia is ready to execute the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project, ignoring the U.S. sanctions on Iran, a Russian minister has revealed in a meeting with Pakistan’s petroleum minister in Islamabad. Continue reading
JNN 21 Sept 2013 Tunis : Tunisian women who under the Influence of Wahabi / Salafi Jihadist have traveled to Syria to wage “ Jihad al Nikah” or ‘sexual jihad’, which is performing sexual intercourse with dozens of Islamist fighters are returning home pregnant, Tunisia’s Interior Minister Lotfi ben Jeddou told MPs. Continue reading
JNN 17 Sept 2013 Washington , D.C : At least 13 people died Monday during a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, officials said. One gunman died in the shooting, and police are seeking another possible shooter. Continue reading
JNN 14 Sept 2013 New York : Two new iPhones in an array of colors and a redesigned operating system to run them were among the major announcements from Apple on Tuesday. Continue reading
JNN 12 Sept 2013 Tehran : Iran plans to unveil a documentary disclosing a series of truths about September 11 attacks in New York, without disclosing name of the producers. Continue reading
JNN 05 Aug 2013 Baghdad : An Iraqi Shi’ite militia group said on Friday it would attack U.S. interests in Iraq and the region if Washington carries out a military strike on Syria. Continue reading
JNN 4th Aug 2013 New York : Top-secret intelligence community documents recently leaked to the Washington Post reveal that the United States has ramped-up its surveillance of Pakistan’s nuclear program. Continue reading
JNN 03 Sept 2013 Hague : There is Strong sense of the Majority of the World against the US War Hysteria of a Possible Attack or Strike on Syria , on the Pretext of the Chemical Weapons attack on the Civilians , as till now this could not be even Proved that the forces loyal to Bashar Al Asad have Used the Chemical Weapons , as at a time when they were in the Win Win Situation , and why should they use the Chemical Weapons , to create a chaos and to put the World against them , while as the Independent source has even provided Proofs that the Saudi Government has provided the Chemical Weapons used by the terrorist on the Civilians to set a Pretext for a Strike against Syria By US.
United Kingdom
Any possibility of British involvement in a military campaign in Syria has been effectively ruled out after British lawmakers voted down the prospect in parliament, costing the U.S. the nation’s closest ally in a potential strike.
By a 285 to 272 margin British MPs rejected the government’s motion to support in principle military action against Syria. A second vote was due to be held on committing to action following the report by United Nations weapons inspectors, who are currently investigating claims that President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons on civilians.
British MPs also voted down an opposition Labor amendment calling for more information about the deployment of chemical weapons in Syria.
The Labor amendment was defeated Thursday by 332 votes to 220. “A number of Tories in the no lobby with Labor,” wrote Labor MP Jon Trickett.
The vote could be a blow to Cameron’s authority after he has advocated UK military action in the event U.S. forces deploy missiles in the Middle East.
Cameron, while advocating limited attacks against the Assad government, admitted he was not “100 percent certain” that Assad was behind a recent chemical attack, but that it was “highly likely”.
After the defeat in the parliament, Cameron admitted it was clear that Britons did not want action and said he “will act accordingly.” One MP shouted “resign” as Cameron pledged he would not order an attack.
Phillip Hammond, the UK Defense Secretary, said the U.S. “will be disappointed that Britain will not be involved”, however he did not think it would halt the process, “I don’t expect that the lack of British participation will stop any action,” he told the BBC.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel commented on the UK’s decision, explaining that a concerted international effort is the way forward in this matter.
“It is the goal of President (Barack) Obama and our government … whatever decision is taken, that it be an international collaboration and effort,” he said on a trip to the Philippines.
The vote came just before U.S. President Barack Obama met with congressional lawmakers and other key leaders to brief them on possible military action in Syria. White House deputy spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Thursday that the U.S. was prepared to “go it alone” in Syria to protect American “core national security interests.”
“The president of the United States is elected with the duty to protect the national security interests of America,” he said. “The decisions he makes about our foreign policy is with our national security interests front and center.”
United Nation
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pleaded Wednesday for a diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict, even as US appeared to be moving toward punitive military strikes against President Bashar Assad’s regime.
Ban said Wednesday a United Nation team investigating the alleged chemical attack must be given time to establish the facts. The investigators left their hotel Wednesday, and two anti-regime activists said the team was expected to visit an eastern suburb of the capital, Damascus, affected by the Aug. 21 strike that the group Doctors Without Borders says killed 355 people.
Syria has denied it was behind the alleged attack and challenged Washington to present proof to back up its accusations
Ban said the team already has already “gathered valuable samples and interviewed victims and witnesses.”
He also urged the United Nations Security Council, whose permanent members are bitterly divided over Syria, not to go “missing in action” as the Syria crisis deepens.
Without explicitly referring to moves apparently preparing for military action by Washington and its allies, Ban urged a peaceful resolution to Syria’s civil war.
“Here in the Peace Palace, let us say: Give peace a chance. Give diplomacy a chance. Stop fighting and start talking,” Ban said.
NATO
NATO’s secretary-general says he does not foresee a major role for the bloc regarding the crisis in Syria except deploying Patriot missiles to Turkey.
“I don’t foresee any further NATO role,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a press conference on Monday. However, he said the bloc still conducts “closed consultations between allies.”
Rasmussen added that he had seen concrete evidence that made him convinced a chemical attack was carried out in Syria.
He stated that he could not discuss evidence presented to him thus far. “I do not comment on intelligence reports,” he affirmed.
EH also said he thought the Syrian government was responsible for the attack; an allegation that has been vehemently rejected by the Syrian government.
Yet he believed any subsequent strikes against the country were fully up to the discretion of the constituent states, adding that it could take time to build internal support.
UN chemical weapons inspectors left Syria on Saturday, and it will likely be three weeks before they provide the public with their analyses.
However, the US is pressing ahead with its claims of concrete evidence.
The US, backed by Israeli intelligence elements, claimed they had evidence that showed the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical attack near Damascus.
RUSSIA
Russia dismissed US documents as not convincing and called on the US to stop its military plans and follow with the political solutions and negotiations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that a ‘regime of secrecy’ by the West is unacceptable with regards to evidence on an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. “If there truly is top secret information available, the veil should be lifted. This is a question of war and peace. To continue this game of secrecy is simply inappropriate,” Lavrov said in an address to students of the Moscow State University of International Relations.
Support in the ‘democratic counties’ being referred to by Rasmussen is sparse.
A BBC poll published on Monday found that 71 percent of people thought the British Parliament was right to reject military intervention in Syria, while 72 percent said they did not think the move would negatively impact UK-US relations. A further two thirds said they would not care if it did hurt the bilateral relations.
French opinion is also heavily weighted against the move, despite French President François Hollande stating in the wake of the UK Commons vote against military action that he supported a “firm” response.
Fifty-nine percent of French voters oppose involvement in an airstrike by their nation, according to IFOP poll results published on Saturday.
China
China said there should be no rush to force UN Security Council action against Syria until a probe by UN experts into suspected chemical weapons use is complete.
In remarks reported by the official Xinhua news agency on Friday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a telephone call that China fully supported an independent and objective inspection free from outside pressure, Reuters reported.
“Before the investigation finds out what really happened, all parties should avoid prejudging the results, and certainly ought not to forcefully push for the Security Council to take action,” Wang told Ban, Xinhua reported.
Military force would not help resolve the Syrian issue and only worsen turmoil in the Middle East, Wang said.
“A political resolution is still the only way out,” he said.
Wang said in separate conversations with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby that whoever used chemical weapons had to accept responsibility.
Calm and restraint were also needed, Wang said.
“Taking unilateral action will make it hard to resolve the issue, and its legality will attract doubts,” he said.
“All sides should be urging peace and pushing for talks.”
U.S. officials acknowledged on Thursday they lacked conclusive evidence that the Syrian government ordered the August 21 poison gas attack, and some allies have warned that military action without UN Security Council authorization risks making the situation worse.
French President Francois Hollande said the British vote would not affect France’s will to act to punish the Syrian government for the apparent chemical weapons attack.
On Thursday, a meeting of the UN Security Council’s permanent members ended without reaching an agreement to resolve the Syrian crisis.
Representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China met on Thursday afternoon at the UN headquarters in New York for the second time in two days, but the meeting broke up after less than an hour, with the ambassadors steadily walking out.
The diplomats made no comments about the Security Council’s session. British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant looked gloomy as he walked past reporters.
The previous meeting on Wednesday also abruptly ended with the Security Council deeply divided over a British-proposed draft resolution to authorize military action against Syria.
The Western members of the council have been pushing for a resolution on the use of force while Russia and China are strongly opposed to any attack on Syria.
The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.
Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said on Wednesday that the West is seeking to turn Syria into a second Iraq and that the issue of chemical weapons use is only a pretext for war.
On Tuesday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said there is “no doubt” that the Syrian government used chemical weapons and that it must be held accountable, appearing to prepare the ground for the military offensive against the Arab country.
U.S. allies, notably Britain, France and Turkey, have also accused Syria of using chemical weapons.
During a news conference on Tuesday in Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem challenged the United States and its allies to present evidence that the government had used chemical weapons.
“We are hearing war drums around us. If they want to launch an attack against Syria, I think using the excuse of chemical weapons is not true at all. I challenge them to show what proof they have,” Muallem said.
He also stated that any military action against Syria would serve the interests of Israel and al-Qaeda-linked militants fighting against the Syrian government.
“The war effort led by the United States and their allies will serve the interests of Israel and secondly al-Nusra Front,” the Syrian foreign minister noted.
Russia urged the West not to jump to conclusions on the chemical weapons attack, and await the findings of a UN inspection team, which will leave the Arab country by Saturday morning.
All countries should wait for the results of the probe and “show prudence and avoid tragic mistakes” by jumping to conclusions about the incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on August 25.
“Our American and European partners must understand what catastrophic consequences this kind of politics would have for the region, for the Arab and Islamic world as a whole,” Lukashevich said, advising the West to avoid military action against Syria.
JNN 2nd Sept 2013 Moscow : The Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) is reporting today that President Putin’s orders this week to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for a “massive military strike” against Saudi Arabia in the event that the West attacks Syria has“stunned” the Wahabi Takfiri Groups around the world as they are being sponsored and funded by Saudi Arabia and could not survive without their support and forced the Saudis to go on “full war alert.” Continue reading
JNN 1st Sept 2013 Washington : Barack Obama has filed a formal request seeking authorization from legislators to launch a “limited” strike on Syria, in response to US government’s allegation of use of chemical weapons by Syrian Forces. The president said the proposed strike was not “time-sensitive”. Continue reading
JNN 29 Aug 2013 New York : The New York Police Department has secretly labeled entire mosques as terrorism organizations, a designation that allows police to use informants to record sermons and spy on imams, often without specific evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Continue reading
JNN 25 Aug 2013 Moscow : Despite President Obama cautioning against intervention in Syria, the Pentagon is making “initial preparations” for a cruise missile attack on Syrian government forces, according to a new report. Continue reading
JNN 14 Aug 2013 The billionaire inventor and entrepreneur behind PayPal and SpaceX unveiled details on Monday about a new transportation system that might someday shuttle people around the world quicker than an airplane and at a fraction of the cost. Continue reading
JNN 8 Aug 2013 New York : As New York City wrestles with rising pension and health care costs, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has warned that the city runs a real risk of bankruptcy like Detroit. Continue reading
JNN 8 Aug , 2013 Karachi : Pakistan’s Central Ruat-e-Hilal Committee have held a meeting at Karachi , and after analyzing the authenticity of the Moon Sighting witnesses from Different Parts of Pakistan , the Chairman of the Ruet e Hilal Commite announced the sighting of the Shawwal Moon, and announced that the Eid ul Fitr will be celebrated across Pakistan on Friday 9 Aug , 2013 Continue reading
JNN 05 Aug 2013 New York : Law-enforcement officials in the U.S. are expanding the use of tools routinely used by computer hackers to gather information on suspects, bringing the criminal wiretap into the cyber age. Continue reading
JNN 05 Aug 2013 : Two decades ago, a Muslim visitor to Mexico would have strived to find a place of worship in the crowded city. This fact has changed. Continue reading
JNN 04 Aug 2013 ROME— The New Chosen Pope Francis said he wouldn’t judge gay priests, he opened the door to a new era of reconciliation within the Roman Catholic Church, which has struggled for decades to confront the presence of homosexuality in its ministry. Continue reading
JNN 26 July 2013 Washington : The US Treasury has already exceeded the federal legal borrowing limit of $16.7 trillion in May. That signals the main structural problems remain unresolved putting at risk the fragile recovery. Continue reading
JNN 24 July 2013 Moscow : Russia’s Immigration Service has reportedly granted entry permission to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who has been stranded at a Moscow airport since last month. Continue reading
JNN 23 July 2013 Newyork : A growing number of Hispanic American women are reverting to Islam, admiring serenity and gender equality established by the Islamic faith hundreds of years ago. Continue reading
JNN 14 July 2013 Karachi : We highly appreciate the Letter sent by the Bi Partisan members of United States Congress addressed to the newly elected Prime Minister of Pakistan. The letter which condemns Shia Genocide in Pakistan by Takfiri Deobandi terrorists (operating as Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan , Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ASWJ , Lashkar-e-Jhangvin and their allied Groups and Cells ). The letter quotes human rights groups documenting incidents of anti-Shia violence in Pakistan. Continue reading
JNN 13 July 2013 Rio de Janerio : South American countries belonging to the Mercosur trade bloc have decided to withdraw their ambassadors for consultations from European countries involved in the grounding of the Bolivian president’s plane. Continue reading
JNN 12 July 2013 Mossow : Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov says hundreds of militants fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad come from the United States and European countries including Russia. While The Pakistani Taliban have visited Syria to set up a base and to assess “the needs of the jihad”, a Taliban official has told the BBC. Continue reading
JNN 11 July 2013 California : A Saudi Arabian princess was arrested Wednesday and charged with human trafficking in Santa Ana, California for allegedly holding up to five women against their will and forcing them to work for several families in an Orange County condominium complex. Continue reading
JNN 05 July 2013 Latin American leaders are meeting to discuss the “hijack” of Bolivian president Evo Morales’ plane in Austria. Regional leaders presented a united front, defending Latin American sovereignty in the face of what they see as post-colonial imperialism. Continue reading
JNN 26 June 2013 Hong Kong : The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell. Continue reading
JNN 29 May 2013 Washington : Two well-trained Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who were involved in the killing of a Boston bombing suspect have suspiciously died. Continue reading
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