Africa's richest man joins twitter

Africa's richest man, @AlikoDangote, joins twitter - Premium Times Nigeria http://bit.ly/1is6D98

Glenn Greenwald: The span class="caps"NSA/span Can "Literally Watch Every Keystroke You Make"

Glenn Greenwald: The span class="caps"NSA/span Can "Literally Watch Every Keystroke You Make"

Islam: Sadaqah (alms)

Abu Dhar al-Ghafari said:
"The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

'Sadaqah is prescribed for every Person every day the sun rises.'

I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, from what do We give Sadaqah if We do not possess property?

'He said:
'The doors of Sadaqah are
Takbir (Allahu Akbar), Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La-ilaha-ilAllah, Astaghfirullah, enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing thorns, bones & stones from the paths of Peoople, guiding the blind, listening to the Deaf & Dumb until You understand them, guiding a Person to His object of need if You know where it is, hurrying with the strength of Your legs to one in sorrow who is appealing for help & supporting the weak with the strength of Your arms. These are all the doors of sadaqah."

- Ahmad

Saudis offer Russia SECRET oil deal if it drops support for Syrian regime:

"I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the Games are controlled by us," he allegedly said.
http://business.financialpost.com/2013/08/27/syria-russia-saudi-oil-deal/?__lsa=87b5-0279
 
 

Caught On Tape: Suicide Bombing In Russia's Fifth Largest Train Station Kills 15, One Month Ahead Of Sochi Games:

Who is the invisible hand behind all terrorist activities in proximity to Sochi: Saudi Arabia.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-29/caught-tape-suicide-bombing-russias-fifth-largest-train-station-kills-15-one-month-a
 

Suicide bombings in Russia kill over 30:

A suicide bomber killed 14 people aboard an electric bus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd during the Monday morning rush hour, and authorities believe it was the work of the same group that set off a bomb at the railway station a day earlier.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/at-least-10-killed-in-bus-explosion-volgograd/2013/12/30/234aa338-7115-11e3-bc6b-712d770c3715_story.html
 
 

15 Palestinians die from hunger in Syrian camp:

At least 15 Palestinians have died of hunger since September in a besieged refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told AFP on Monday.
http://www.arabnews.com/news/501056
 
 

Training of Syrian insurgents steps up in Saudi Arabia:

The source said the United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to train around 1,500 insurgents. The programme began a few months ago and most of the personnel will be trained by the end of 2013.
http://www.janes.com/article/28498/training-of-syrian-insurgents-steps-up-in-saudi-arabia
 
 

Syria's Assad urges fight against Saudi religious ideology:

Syria's President Bashar Assad Monday called for a battle against Wahhabism, the political and religious ideology embraced by the Saudi government, a key backer of the uprising against his regime.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Dec-30/242679-syrias-assad-urges-fight-against-saudi-religious-ideology.ashx
 

Lebanon fires on Syrian aircraft over airspace breach:

The Lebanese Army fired Monday on a Syrian warplane over the northeast border town of Arsal, in a rare military response to Syrian violation of Lebanese airspace.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Dec-30/242651-syrian-warplanes-strike-outskirts-of-lebanon-border-town.ashx
 
 

44 Iraq MPs resign after protest camp cleared:

The announcement was made at a televised news conference at which the MPs also demanded "the withdrawal of the army... and the release of MP Ahmed al-Alwani," a Sunni who was arrested during a deadly raid on Saturday.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Dec-30/242682-44-iraq-mps-announce-resignation-after-protest-camp-cleared.ashx
 
 

Secret pre-Iraq War talks between Blair and Bush to be published:

Tony Blair and George Bush exchanged voluminous correspondence prior to the start of military operations in Iraq. Now, the UK is moving to declassify details of the talks for an inquiry into Britain's involvement in the conflict, British media reported.
http://rt.com/news/blair-bush-iraq-communication-release-977/
 

Al-Jazeera demands Egypt release four journalists:

Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera has demanded the release of four of its journalists seized by Egyptian police in Cairo at the weekend. They include its Cairo bureau chief Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and former BBC correspondent Peter Greste.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25553206

Why is Egypt's government targeting Al-Jazeera?

As the security situation has deteriorated, anyone questioning the official line on current events has come to be regarded, at best, as highly suspicious.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25551518

Propaganda alert: Wiesenthal releases 'Top Ten 2013 anti-Semitic, anti-Israel slurs' list:

Iran and Turkey's leaders take top spots, American Jewish anti-Semites also make the list
http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/Wiesenthal-releases-Top-Ten-2013-anti-Semiticanti-Israel-slurs-list-336564
 
 

The NSA has nearly complete backdoor access to Apple's iPhone:

The U.S. National Security Agency has the ability to snoop on nearly every communication sent from an Apple iPhone, according to leaked documents shared by security researcher Jacob Appelbaum and German news magazine Der Spiegel.
http://www.dailydot.com/politics/nsa-backdoor-iphone-access-camera-mic-appelbaum/

French telecom operator Orange threatens to sue NSA over cable tapping:

France's largest telecom group, Orange, has threatened to sue the NSA over hacking the underwater cable that it jointly owns with 15 other companies, French media reported in the wake of the latest Snowden revelation.
http://rt.com/news/france-orange-sue-nsa-991/
 
 

Edward Snowden's legal adviser discusses latest developments: Video

The ACLU's Ben Wizner discusses whether Snowden is looking for an amnesty deal and the latest developments surrounding the former NSA contractor.
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/meet-the-press/53936628#53936628

Cop Breaks 84 Year Old's Neck For Touching Him: Video

The World War II veteran is out of surgery. He suffered an injury doctors at Florida Hospital say only about 10 percent of people are lucky enough to survive.
http://www.policebrutality.info/2013/12/cop-breaks-84-year-olds-neck-for-touching-him.html
 
 

George Galloway - The State of Britain - Oxford Union - Video

"The gap between rich and poor today in Britain is wider than it was when Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist. "George Galloway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTTXh9NG6Dg&sns=tw
 

How Detroit went broke: The answers may surprise you :

The numbers, most from records deeply buried in the public library, lay waste to misconceptions about the roots of Detroit's economic crisis.
http://www.freep.com/article/20130915/NEWS01/130801004/Detroit-Bankruptcy-history-1950-debt-pension-revenue
 

Supplication seeking Allah's help in making one's difficult affairs easier and solve one's difficult problems. This was the special prayer taught to the Prophet (saw)

Rabbi AdKhilNee MudKhala Sidqin Wa AkhRijNee MukhRaja Sidqin, WaJ'Al Lee Min Ladunka SulTaaNan NaSeeRah

(O My Lord! Let My Entry Be By The Gate Of Truth And Honor, And My Exit Be By The Gate Of Truth And Honor And Grant Me From Thy Presence An Authority To Aid Me).

- Surah al-Israa' Verse 80

Importance Of Salaah and The Mercy of Allaah

The Prophet (saw) narrates that Allah (swt) has said: "Verily, I have enjoined upon Your Ummah 5 times Salaah and I have taken upon Myself an oath that anyone who observes them at their appointed time, I shall admit Him into Paradise; if anyone does not offer them regularly, there is No such Guarantee from Me for him (I may Punish him or Forgive him)"
- Abu Dawud

Importance Of Sallaah and The Mercy of Allaah

The Prophet (saw) narrates that Allah (swt) has said: "Verily, I have enjoined upon Your Ummah 5 times Salaah and I have taken upon Myself an oath that anyone who observes them at their appointed time, I shall admit Him into Paradise; if anyone does not offer them regularly, there is No such Guarantee from Me for him (I may Punish him or Forgive him)"
- Abu Dawud

US, Russia no match for China's secret technology

CHINA HAS JUST SENT WARSHIP NEAR US WATERS Obama is angry

Volgograd bombings shock Russia

Terrorists in Syria play soccer with heads of civilians - English pravda.ru

Terrorists in Syria play soccer with heads of civilians - English pravda.ru

There's an Alarming Number of Deaths in US Jails: Whether guilty or innocent, people in the criminal justice system are still people. Their cries for help should not go ignored By Cara Tabachnick

Kyam Livingston begged for help. After seven hours of lying on the floor of a jail cell, the 38-year-old mother of two died, her calls unheeded by the correction officers providing security for the approximately 15 female inmates at Brooklyn "central booking" jail this past summer, according to witnesses and court documents.

Witnesses told the family that she had died in the cell among fetid conditions before she was taken to Brooklyn Hospital Health Center on 21 July 2013 where Livingston was pronounced dead at 6:58am, according to police reports. A witness, registered nurse Aleah Holland, told The Daily News, that police at Central Booking ignored her complaints of stomach pains and diarrhea. She said that when she and other inmates banged on the bars calling for help, officers told them Livingston was an alcoholic.

No one knows what happened, and no one wants to say. The NYPD told the family that she died of a seizure, but her family says she never suffered from seizures. This October the family sued the city, the NYPD, and the Department of Corrections in an effort to force systemic change and "responsibility" for her death.

Livingston was one of the few hundred jail deaths that happen across the country. In 2011, (the latest available numbers) 885 inmates died (pdf) in the custody of local jails, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported. Notice I said jails. These are different from prisons. Prisons are for people who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced. There are roughly 3,000 jails nationwide and each facility is set up to process people that have been arrested before they are arraigned or go to trial. Some will serve a misdemeanor sentence (of under a year). The majority will be let go because the charges against them won't stick as they move through the legal system. Others will remain in jails while waiting to go to trial too poor to make bail – yet to be convicted of anything. Regardless, they will be treated as criminals.

As a result, there is great hesitancy on the part of security to address sick complaints as seriously as they should be, especially in jail where the churn of people is endless, with most disappearing quickly. For those with health issues, this suspension of belief can prove fatal.

Across the nation the news is chilling: in Albany, New York, Irene Bamenga, 29, had pleaded with jail staff to deliver her medicine before dying from a life-threatening heart condition. She was at the jail for a week, where she died awaiting deportation to France.

In Irving, Texas Sarah Tibbet, 37, died on a jail cell floor after not receiving insulin for her diabetes while she was in custody. Her boyfriend, who was in the cell next to her, told the news that he had screamed at the guards at the facility for over 10 minutes until they took action.

In Cook County, Illinois, the death of Eugene Gruber from pneumonia, which resulted from paraplegia following spine injuries suffered in an altercation with a corrections officer in the Lake County Jail was ruled a homicide. Over the next 24 hours, the Chicago Tribune reported, Gruber complained that he couldn't move his legs and was carried around, sometimes with his legs dragging, as guards tried to take his mug shot.

Some jails, such as New York City's Rikers Island, can house inmates on misdemeanor charges for up to a year. But that is often not the case. Hundred of thousands of people pass through jails yearly, in New York City alone the jails processed 90,000 people through its "booking centers". There is no delineation or separation within these facilities. Rapists and murders can be sharing a cell with someone who urinated on the sidewalk. Some people can be in the facilities for 24 hours, others can languish for years.

In "booking centers" agencies from NYPD, FDNY, Department of Corrections to the Department of Mental Health share responsibility for hustling detainees through the 24 hour arrest-to-arraignment process while maintaining their safety, making hard to assign responsibility when things go wrong. In these under resourced and chaotic environments the challenge of protecting – and believing –inmates health concerns can be overwhelming. 

For anyone the process is scary, humiliating and contentious. But, in particular, the relationship between the inmates and the officers are especially fraught with distrust, especially when it comes to health issues. There is the dual loyalties of doctors and nurses: in a correctional setting, security is often more important than patient care. Doctors and nurses that staff these jails don't have any medical information or background on the patients that they serve. Resources are scarce. Although some "central bookings" have a clinic on site, for most inmates' health issues mean an off-site visit to the hospital. That necessitates a delay in arraignments, and arranging an ambulance and police escort, often at a great financial and time cost to the city.

Livingston was arrested on the night of 20 July at her 79-year old grandmother's house, accused of violating a specialized protection order in place that forbid her from drinking on the premises or engaging in loud arguments. Police first took her to Kings County Hospital, a public hospital, to get "detoxed" and toxicology tests, a standard procedure when they suspect someone has been drinking. Then they took her to Central Booking, when after she was photographed and her eyes scanned, police handed her over for a medical check in with EMS (part of the FDNY), she was transferred to a female cell until arraignment before the judge.

Then she waited in a cell, waiting to go home, except she never made it. Sixty-six percent of the time, charges are dropped, and people go through a humiliating process only to go home. But regardless of guilt or innocence, the people in the criminal justice system are still people: mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, and their cries for help should not go ignored.

Cara Tabachnick is the deputy director of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which trains journalists on covering the criminal justice system. She is also managing editor of www.thecrimereport.org, a criminal justice news service. She has been reporting on the justice system for a decade.

© 2013 The Guardian

 

Nigel Farage calls on government to let Syrian refugees into UK:

"I think refugees are a very different thing to economic migration and I think that this country should honour the spirit of the 1951 declaration on refugee status that was agreed," he told BBC News.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/29/nigel-farage-syrian-refugees-uk?CMP=twt_fd
 
 
 

Saudi Arabia pledges $3bn to Lebanese army:

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman announces largest grant ever given to the country's armed forces. He said the funds would allow Lebanon's military to purchase French weapons. He did not provide any further details of the deal.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/12/saudi-arabia-pledges-3bn-lebanese-army-2013122916819356742.html
 
 

French president to meet Hariri in Riyadh:

French President Francois Hollande will meet former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Syrian opposition leader Ahmed Jarba in Saudi Arabia, where he arrived Sunday, said a member of his entourage.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Dec-29/242570-french-president-to-meet-hariri-in-riyadh.ashx
 
 

Palestinians have no partner for "Peace" Haaretz Editorial:

Even Israel's friends have given up on defending its positions, and some are already supporting sanctions against Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.565938
 

Palestinian villagers' complaints of squatter violence are going unheard:

Residents of the West Bank village are repeatedly attacked, but very few complaints to the Israeli police and army produce indictments.
http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/.premium-1.566019
 
 

Fact or propaganda? US deal will trade off 'Jewish' Israel for 1967 lines - report:

US Secretary of State John Kerry will offer Israeli and Palestinian negotiators a political trade-off: Israeli recognition of the 1967 lines as a basis for the future Palestinian state, in return for Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people
http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-deal-will-trade-off-jewish-israel-for-1967-lines-report/
 
 

Kerry reportedly says he will consider freeing Israeli as part of prisoner swap:

Israel's Channel 10 TV station first reported Friday that Kerry offered to free Pollard as part of an exchange for the release of a fourth group of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as peace talks resume between the two sides.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/29/kerry-returns-to-israel-to-talk-with-leaders-about-peace-negotiations-amid-new/
 
 

PLO urges Hamas to sever ties with Muslim Brotherhood:

A Fatah representative in the PLO executive committee said Hamas should detach itself from the Brotherhood, warning of political, economic, and security consequences if Hamas remained "subordinate" to "this banned terrorist group."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=660789
 

Female suicide bomber kills 15 in Russia's Volgograd (VIDEO):

Another 34 were injured, 8 of them more critically, including a girl of 9. The child has been taken to a local hospital. Her mother died in the blast, according to the Committee.
http://www.rt.com/news/volgograd-blast-victims-russia-937/
 
 
 

The existential struggle for the heart of political Egypt: Op-Ed:

The violence itself is merely a symptom - and only one of them - of a deepening divide cutting Egyptian society into at least two, if not more, hostile factions that view themselves as exclusively legitimate and the other as entirely illegitimate.
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/the-existential-struggle-for-the-heart-of-political-egypt#full
 

US army personnel briefly detained in Libya:

Four members of the United States military have been released after briefly being taken into custody by the government, US officials have said.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/12/us-army-personnel-briefly-detained-libya-2013122852537210875.html
 

US "embassy security" staff released after arrest near Sabratha:

Some mystery still surrounds the details of the arrests. The men were said to have been travelling in two vehicles when they were stopped. One of these was reportedly later set ablaze.
http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/12/28/us-embassy-security-staff-released-after-arrest-near-sabratha/
 

Thousands protest against Niger's president:

At least 20,000 people march against Mahamadou Issoufou's rule, accusing government of corruption and media censorship.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/12/niger-protest-2013122818045873463.html
 
 

Judge Says the NSA Can Look at Your Phone Records Because They're Not Yours:

Pauley said, no one has a Fourth Amendment right to stop the government from examining his telephone records, which are not really even his:
http://reason.com/blog/2013/12/27/judge-says-the-nsa-can-look-at-your-phon
 
 

Documents Reveal Top NSA Hacking Unit:

The NSA's TAO hacking unit is considered to be the intelligence agency's top secret weapon. It maintains its own covert network, infiltrates computers around the world and even intercepts shipping deliveries to plant back doors in electronics ordered by those it is targeting.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-nsa-uses-powerful-toolbox-in-effort-to-spy-on-global-networks-a-940969.html
 
 

Glenn Greenwald: 'A Lot' More NSA Documents to Come:

"This is a digital agent orange. It took the leaves from the forest where we used to live and flourish," said Tim Pritlove, one of the annual event's organizers.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/12/greenwald-lot-nsa-documents-come/
 
 

Military sex assault reports jump by 50 percent:

The number of reported sexual assaults across the military shot up by more than 50 percent this year, an increase that defense officials say may suggest that victims are becoming more willing to come forward after a tumultuous year of scandals that shined a spotlight on the crimes and put pressure on the military to take aggressive action.
http://news.yahoo.com/military-sex-assault-reports-jump-50-percent-165235599--politics.html

EU leaders should 'hang heads in shame' over failure to take in Syrian refugees -Amnesty says:

UK one of ten EU countries which has failed to resettle vulnerable Syrian refugees
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/syria-eu-leaders-should-hang-heads-shame-over-failure-take-refugees-new-briefing
 
 

Texas Pastor John Hagee Tells Atheists To Get On A Plane, 'Leave The Country' - Video

John Hagee, began by declaring that America was founded as, and still remains, a Christian nation. As such, if atheists and humanists don't like being wished a "Merry Christmas" ... well, they can just get out of the country.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/hagee-people-who-dont-hearing-merry-christmas-should-leave-country

'Embarrassed' to use Facebook:

Teens shift to other sites to 'unfriend' with parents: 2013 marked the start of what looks likely to be "a sustained decline" of what had been "the most pervasive" of all social networking sites.
http://rt.com/news/embarrassed-facebook-teens-parents-942/
 

Islam: The Importance Of Hijab

Allah Ta'ala declares in Surah Al-Ahzab of The Noble Quran (Q33 verse 59):

"O Prophet!
Tell Your Wives & Your Daughters & the Women of the Believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen Themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that They should be known (as free respectable Women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful"

And in Surah An-Noor of The Noble Quran (Q24:31), Allah Ta'ala Says:

''And tell the believing Women to lower Their gaze (from looking at forbidden things) & protect Their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) & not to show off Their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron) &  to draw Their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks & bosoms) & not to reveal Their adornment except to their Husbands or Their Father's or Their Husband's Father's or Their Sons or Their Husband's Sons or Their brothers or Their Brother's Sons Or Their Sister's Sons or Their (Muslim) Women (i.e. their Sisters in Islam) or the (Female) Slaves whom Their right hands possess or old Male Servants who lack vigour or small Children who have no sense of feminine sex.

And let Them not stamp Their feet so as to reveal what they hide of Their adornment
And all of You beg Allah to forgive You all, O Believers, that You may be successful"

Advice:
*Wear proper hijab/khimar.
It must be loose & not revealing the shape of Your body
It must not be see through
It must not resemble the clothing of a Man or the non-Muslims

*Avoid fancy Hijabs in bright colours with patterns or tassels or sequins. 
Hijab should be plain & simple with maximum coverage

*Hijab is not just a head scarf (a common misconception)
Skinny jeans, see-through clothes & tight t-shirts messes up the whole modesty concept.
It is preferable to wear an outer garment outside, such as an Abaya or Jilbab

And Allah knows Best!

McDonald's to employees: Avoid burgers and fries - it's risky for your health:

McDonald's employee resources website recommended workers to avoid burgers and fries whenever possible due to health risks.
http://rt.com/usa/mcdonalds-employees-fast-food-764/
 
 

New Revelation : AG Eric Holder Is Protecting JPMorgan Chase NYC From Criminal Investigation:

The information obtained might reveal that the bank chose to financially benefit from criminal activity:
http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18387-new-revelation-that-attorney-general-eric-holder-is-protecting-jpmorgan-chase-nyc-from-criminal-investigation
 

Swiss Banks Are Now Agents for the IRS :

Bloomberg's note on December 23 that Swiss banks were having a hard time complying with the terms of an agreement between the Swiss government and the U.S. Department of Justice hardly caused a ripple of media concern, not to mention outrage. The time for such expressions is long past.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/17254-swiss-banks-are-now-agents-for-the-irs
 

US Military imposes blackout on Guantánamo hunger-strike figures:

The Guantánamo prison, whose motto is "safe, humane, legal, transparent detention," announced Tuesday that it will no longer disclose daily hunger-strike figures - abandoning a practice that allowed the public to see the rise and fall of the captives' nearly year-long protest.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/03/3795285/guantanamo-ends-daily-hunger-strike.html#storylink=cpy
 
 

Greenwald "Snarks" at MSNBC: I Defend Snowden Like You Defend Obama '24 Hours a Day':

Things got heated when MSNBC anchor Kristen Welker accused Greenwald of "crossing a line" in his defense of Snowden. "What do you say to your critics who say you've become more of a spokesman for Edward Snowden?" she asked
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/greenwald-snarks-at-msnbc-i-defend-snowden-like-you-defend-obama/
 
 

UN condemns Christmas Eve demolitions of Palestinian homes by Israel:

32 of those displaced were children, "including a five year old girl who is paralyzed from the waist down."
http://rt.com/news/un-condemns-israeli-demolition-805/
 
 

Saudi blogger sentenced to death for apostasy:

A Jeddah criminal court found Badawi, who has been in prison since June 2012, guilty of insulting Islam through his website and in television comments. His lawyer appealed the sentence, which also included 600 lashes.
http://myfox8.com/2013/12/25/saudi-blogger-sentenced-to-death-for-apostasy/
 

U.N. experts urge U.S., Yemen to explain erroneous drone strikes:

United Nations human rights experts told the United States and Yemen on Thursday to say whether they were complicit in drone attacks that mistakenly killed civilians in wedding processions this month.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/26/us-yemen-strike-un-idUSBRE9BP0EV20131226
 
 

Galloway: President Putin is my man of the year:

Vladimir Putin, in the words of George Galloway, "played a blinder" and prevented a cataclysm for the entire world an accomplishment more than worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_12_26/President-Putin-man-of-the-year-Obama-an-empty-raincoat-George-Galloway-5159

Poll: Almost 70 Percent of Americans View Economy as Weak:

A new CNN/ORC poll shows that almost 70 percent rate the economy as generally in poor shape, while only 32 percent see it as strong.
http://www.moneynews.com/Economy/Americans-view-economy-weak/2013/12/27/id/544064
 

US rally: We're in a legalized ponzi scheme: CNBC Video

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000231196
 

Bribery pays off in US justice system: BofA's legal costs mount in Countrywide mortgage fiasco:

Prosecutors want BofA to pay $864 million over a program called 'The Hustle.' The bank already has shouldered about $50 billion in losses, settlements and other costs related to its Countrywide purchase.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-countrywide-bofa-20131227,0,618632.story
 

UK anti-Muslim hate crime soars, police figures show:

Hundreds of anti-Muslim offences have been carried out across the country in 2013, with Britain's biggest force, the Metropolitan police, recording 500 Islamophobic crimes.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/27/uk-anti-muslim-hate-crime-soars
 

Snowden showed us we are sleepwalking into Orwellian horror - ex-intelligence officer:

The internet has given the surveillance agencies unprecedented capabilities to snoop at anyone, anywhere. On the other side are the whistleblowers, to whom World Web has given the chance to see what is really going on behind the closed doors of Big Brother. Who is right?
http://rt.com/shows/sophieco/espionage-internet-security-justify-861/

The NSA's Got Your Number:

Although officials have insisted that the orders issued under the telephony metadata program do not compel the production of customers' names, it would be trivial for the government to correlate many telephone numbers with subscriber names using publicly available sources.
http://webpolicy.org/2013/12/23/metaphone-the-nsas-got-your-number/
 

UK: Sports Fans WARNED Not To Use The Word "Yid" Or Face Police Investigation -Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABBNIIPFogE
 
 

France May Ban Black Comedian for "Anti-Semitic" Jibes:

He said his ministry is studying legal ways to ban shows by Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, a comedian repeatedly fined for hate speech who ran in the 2009 European Parliament elections at the head of an "Anti-Zionist List" including far-right activists.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/12/27/world/europe/27reuters-france-antisemitism.html
 

Israeli soldier fires at Palestinian woman then flee the scene - Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SL_Hdrlsik
 
 

Lieberman promoting bill to force Arab parties out of the Knesset:

Netanyahu, Lieberman agree to raise electoral threshold; opposition calls move anti-Arab
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.565472
 

Likud MK's bill would annex the Jordan Valley:

In a bid to prevent a full Israeli withdrawal from the Jordan Valley under a future peace agreement with the Palestinians, Likud MK Miri Regev on Thursday introduced legislation to annex the area and its access routes.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-mks-bill-would-annex-the-jordan-valley/
 

Palestinians call on USA to stop new illegal Israeli settlements construction:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the US to dissuade Israel from its plan to build 1,400 new homes in Jewish settlements. The construction project is to be announced next week upon the release of a group of Palestinian prisoners.
http://rt.com/news/israel-announce-new-settlements-866/
 

UN rights experts 'seriously' concerned about Yemen drone strikes:

The UN said in a statement that 16 civilians were killed and at least 10 injured when two separate wedding processions were targeted by drones in the country on 12 December.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/90133/World/Region/UN-rights-experts-seriously-concerned-about-Yemen-.aspx
 
 

Turkey scrambles fighting jets to intercept Syrian planes:

Turkey scrambled two F-16 fighter jets in order to intercept two Syrian aircraft that approached Turkish airspace, a Turkish military statement said on Friday.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=190110
 
 

South Sudan government agrees to end hostilities:

South Sudan's government on Friday agreed to end hostilities, regional leaders said at the end of a crisis summit, raising hopes for a potential breakthrough in efforts to cease violence that has displaced more than 120,000 people in the world's newest country.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/12/27/south-sudan-government-agreement/4218073/
 
 

Declaring Muslim Brotherhood "Terrorists" Has Far-Reaching Implications:

It is a Pyrrhic victory because since the 1940s, every Egyptian government that clashed with the MB failed to crush it.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/12/op-ed-declaring-muslim-brotherhood-terrorists-far-reaching-implications/
 

Egyptian govt threatens Brotherhood leaders with death sentences:

Interior Ministry spokesman Hany Abdel Latif told state TV that anyone taking part in Brotherhood protests will be jailed for five years. Jail terms for those accused under the terror law stretch up to life imprisonment.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/12/26/homemade-bomb-hitsbusincairo.html
 

Dozens of bodies recovered after violence in Central African Republic:

Red Cross workers have recovered 44 bodies from the streets of Central African Republic's capital, Bangui, they said on Thursday after inter-religious fighting in the last two days.
http://www.euronews.com/newswires/2273690-six-chadian-peacekeepers-killed-in-central-african-republic/
 
 

Luqman (as) Advices His Son:

"O My Son!
Join not in worship (others) with God:
for false worship is indeed the highest wrong-doing
Show gratitude to Me & to thy Parents
Love - Thanks - Obedience - Respect

"My Son!
"If there be (but) the weight of a mustard seed & it were (hidden) in a rock or (anywhere) in the heavens or on earth, God will bring it forth: for God understands the finest mysteries (&) is well acquainted (with them)." 
Knowledge of Allah (swt)

"O My Son!
Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just & forbid what is wrong."
And bear with patient constancy whatever betide thee; for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs,"
And swell not thy cheek (for pride) at Men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for God loveth not any arrogant boaster,"

The boastful person can deny & not admit other's right; He considers others like a seed because he thinks he is top most" (Ibn Masûd (ra) said: Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: no one will enter the Garden since his heart contains a weight of a seed of boastfulness", & a man asked: "If a
man likes his clothes & his shoe to be
beautiful? " And the Prophet (saw) said: "Allah is beautiful & He likes the
beauty, the boastfulness is to deny, to scorn what is just & to depreciate People.")
Muslim

"And be moderate in thy pace,"
"And lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the donkey»."
It was related that Anas (ra) said:
Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: the High Majestic said: "I have 4 qualities which one of them is Mine, the 2nd is for You, the 3rd is between You & Me & the last one is between You & My Servants
*What is Mine: to not worship other along with Me;
*What is Yours: if You do good deeds, I will reward You;
*What is between You & Me: To pray (Du'a) & the acceptance is Mine;
*And what is between You & My Servants: To like to Themselves what
You like to Yourself."

What Jonathan said about Nigeria terrorism at Christmas Day Service

Video evidence shows Jonathan lied on claim he was misquoted in Christmas Day comment

Video evidence shows Jonathan lied on claim he was misquoted in Christmas Day comment

Nigeria: PDP exhibiting ‘last kick of a dying horse’ – Fani-Kayode By Iro Dan Fulani

Fani-Kayode dismisses Jonathan's commitment to fighting Boko Haram
An All Peoples Congress, APC, chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode, said the recent actions of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the political misfortunes affecting the party signified the 'last kick of a dying horse.'
Mr. Fani-Kayode told journalists in Yola that the PDP was a sinking ship that would sink forever, come 2015.
"PDP is dying. Every day the party is dying and they are behaving like a chicken whose head has been cut off and is just flapping pa-pa-pa. This is the last kick of a dying horse," Mr. Fani-Kayode said.
Mr. Fani-Kayode said the PDP had become disillusioned following the loss of five governors and the looming loss of four more alongside senators and House of Representative members. He said this made the ruling party to resort to threats of arresting members of the opposition for treason simply because of a call for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The former minister described Mr. Jonathan's response to an open letter by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, as shallow. He pointed out that serious issues had been raised in Mr. Obasanjo's letter that needed to be addressed by the presidency, particularly the issue of training snipers.
"This is not a joking matter. It is not a matter of rhetoric or something to be swept under the carpet with ordinary denial. It is a very serious allegation as people are marked for assassination. We want a commitment from the President that he would retrace his steps and ensure Nigeria does not go over the brink.
"I also want to say this is a very serious thing and I say it with all sense of responsibility; it would be the gravest mistake on his part or the part of anybody within the PDP or the leadership of this government to try to effect any sinister plan of eliminating anybody within the opposition," Mr. Fani-Kayode warned.
He also dismissed the administration's "commitment" to fighting Boko Haram, saying the present situation where the insurgents were attacking army formations in spite of the state of emergency showed the weakness of the administration.
Mr. Fani-Kayode, who was in Yola for the Christmas with former presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, described Adamawa as an exemplary state where Muslims and Christians were living peacefully.
He also lauded the state governor, Murtala Nyako, for ensuring peaceful co-existence among the diverse people of the state.
He described Mr. Nyako's defection to APC with four other governors as a welcome development saying the measure would not only ensure smooth victory for APC in the affected state but at the national level.

Nigeria: Authority Stealing; Jonathan budgets millions for non-existing aircraft, boats in foreign embassies By Bassey Udo

The 2014 budget presented to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan last week contains fraudulent request for funds.
In what clearly appears a ploy by officials to brazenly steal public funds, the Federal Government is asking the National Assembly to approve about N30million which it purportedly plans to spend on fueling aircraft and boats owned by Nigerian embassies abroad.
The fraudulent request is coming when government officials know that none of Nigeria's foreign mission owns a plane or boat.
Details of the 2014 Federal Budget presented last week by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to the National Assembly on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, revealed that the foreign affairs ministry is asking for about N30million to cater for these phantom expenditures.
Officials claim Nigeria's foreign missions in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Algeria, and Mali would need an average of N1.785million each to fuel aircraft, and another N2.381million each to fuel boats during the year.
Similar provisions, concealed under the general fuel and lubricants subheads, were made for the embassies in Turkey, Lebanon, and United Arab Emirate, UAE.
The budget for the mission in Mali also has ludicrous demands for aircraft maintenance cost (N638,365); boat maintenance cost (N635,435), and railway equipment maintenance cost (N999,8240).
When released, these funds will simply go into the pockets of corrupt officials since the embassy does not own aircraft or boat and has no railway line to maintain.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ogbole Odeh, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview in Abuja on Tuesday that the provision for aircraft fuel cost in the budget for the foreign missions was strange, as the federal government does not maintain aircraft in any of its embassies abroad.
"Aircraft fuelling cost? This sounds strange to me. I have never heard of such," Mr. Odeh said, in response to an enquiry by PREMIUM TIMES . "What is normal is motor vehicle or generator fuelling costs. To the best of my knowledge, none of the Nigerian Missions abroad maintains an aircraft. Or what purpose is the railway equipment maintenance supposed to serve? I don't know. It sounds ridiculous."
This is not the first time PREMIUM TIMES has uncovered fraudulent fund requests smuggled into budgets by corrupt officials.
Earlier this year, this newspaper revealed how the Federal Government made provisions for about a quarter of a billion Naira in the 2013 budget for fuelling and maintaining electricity generators in Nigerian embassies abroad where, indeed, they had no such need.
Although some embassy officials denied being aware of such provisions in their budgets, indications are that the federal government would still purportedly spend about N872.46million on generator fuel costs in its foreign missions across the world this year.
For instance, the government has budgeted about N5.815million to be spent by Nigeria's Mission in New York on plant/generator fuel cost, in addition to about N3.813million set aside for electricity charges.
In Washington DC, about N199,674 would be spent on plant/generator fuel cost during the year, while another N3.124million would be spent on electricity charges in a country widely known to have stability in electricity supply as the least of its worries.
Similarly, in London, a provision has been made in the budget for about N1.641million to be spent on plants/generator fuel cost, apart from about N20.441million set aside for electricity charges.
The Nigerian mission in South Africa hopes to spend about N5.921million on electricity charges, in addition to about N1.445million on plant/generator fuel cost during the year.
Unlike Nigeria, most of these countries have steady electricity supplies and it is not known why officials continue to demand millions to fuel generators.

Purported Iyabo Obasanjo’s letter a forgery – ex-President Obasanjo’s family members, aides

Spokespersons and family members of ex-President Obasanjo allege presidency officials forged the letter as a way of getting back at Mr. Obasanjo over his acerbic letter to President Jonathan
A shocking letter purportedly written by Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in which she mocked her father as a liar, an abuser and a hypocrite, is fake, family members, and aides to Mr. Obasanjo have told PREMIUM TIMES.
In the 11-page letter, published by Vanguard newspaper Wednesday, Ms. Obasanjo-Bello denounced her father as a self-seeking man lacking in all key expectations of a father and a leader, but often appearing quick to accuse others of the same ills.
Mrs Obasanjo-Bello, a former senator, purportedly said her father confirmed to her his failed effort at securing a third term as president. She spoke of her father's "stupidity and cruelty", and deplored him for all the "many atrocities" he has been able to get away with.
"Nigerians were your enablers every step of the way. People ultimately get leaders that reflect them," Ms. Obasanjo-Bello was quoted as saying by Vanguard.
She said the letter came in the spirit of open letters since Mr. Obasanjo had last week penned an acerbic piece to President Goodluck Jonathan. But she made it clear her writing was not in support of Mr. Jonathan, or the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, but an "outpouring from my soul to God."
But in multiple interviews early Wednesday, close family members of Mr. Obasanjo, who claimed to have spoken to the former President about the matter, and two of his close aides called the letter a forgery and vowed Ms. Iyabo-Bello would not write to her father that way. One family member said Mr. Obasanjo spoke with Iyabo only two days back and apparently both related as cordial as always.
"I can tell you that such letter never existed. I can tell you authoritatively that it only existed in the imagination of those who forged and published it. It is the height of desperation by those who masterminded it," Tunde Oladunjoye, an aide to Mr. Obasanjo, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Oladunjoye said he could confirm that Mr. Obasanjo had not received any such letter from his daughter.
One senior family member, refusing to be named for security reasons, said with all of Mr. Obasanjo's faults, he knows his children and their likely behaviour, and that the letter does not fit into any of their behavioural pattern.
A former aide to Mr. Obasanjo and former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, said based on his knowledge of the two individuals, it was impossible for Ms. Obasanjo to have sent her father such mail.
"I can tell you the so-called letter was forged by those in government," Mr. Fani-Kayode said. "They think they can get at Baba that way. But they are mistaken. One thing is that if they want to fight Baba, they should face him and leave his family out of it. Baba has spoken the truth and they should respond to the issues he raised.
Ms. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello could not be immediately reached. She is yet to respond to multiple emails sent her by this newspaper.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt she is currently in the United States.
However, all family members and aides who work closely with Mr. Obasanjo quickly placed the blame for the allegedly "forged" letter at the doorsteps of the presidency as a desperate response to Mr. Obasanjo's own stinging letter to President Jonathan last week, in which he accused the president of being inept, corrupt, and clannish.
In the 18-page letter exclusively published by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Obasanjo accused Mr. Jonathan of making plans for a violent election in 2015 and preparing to launch snipers against the opposition and critics, of whom at least 1,000 are currently on the government watch-list.
Mr. Obasanjo's letter has stirred a swell of reactions with calls for investigation into the many allegations. Many Nigerians have also dismissed the former president as lacking the moral authority to condemn his successor.
Beyond asking Mr. Obasanjo to substantiate his claim that the government is training snipers, the presidency has yet to fully respond to the letter. An earlier statement said Mr. Jonathan had directed aides not to respond, as he will personally do so at the "appropriate time."
Regardless of the directive, groups believed to be loyalists of the president have in the past days launched what appears to be a massive campaign of calumny against Mr. Obasanjo.

See What The Desks Of 39 Successful People Look Like

See What The Desks Of 39 Successful People Look Like http://www.businessinsider.com/desks-of-famous-people-2013-1

The Biggest Things We Learned About Sex In 2013 By STEPHANIE PAPPAS

The worst stereotypes of science suggest that it's boring, staid, or overly complex.
Not these studies. More often than people may think, science gets downright dirty, peering into bedrooms and asking nosy questions about secret fantasies. The science of sex is anything but dull.

With that in mind, here are 10 of the sex stories most likely to have caused blushing in 2013.
1. More housework, less sex?

Egalitarianism in household chores may not lead to scorching hot action in the sack, according to research published in February in the journal American Sociological Review. The study researchers found that men who did "feminine" chores such as cooking and washing had less sex than those who did not.

The research was correlational, so chores may not be a direct turnoff, but egalitarian relationships may be less spicy, the researchers said. However, research does show that people in equal partnerships are happier. [Busted! 6 Gender Myths in the Bedroom & Beyond]
2. After baby, mom waits

Doctors usually clear new moms to have sex six weeks after delivery, but most wait a bit longer — at least for vaginal sex. Whereas 41 percent of women had resumed vaginal sex within six weeks, 65 percent had by eight weeks. By 12 weeks, 78 percent had resumed sex. By six months, that number was 94 percent.

But more than half (53 percent) of women had engaged in some sort of sexual activity by six weeks, the researchers reported in February 2013 in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
3. So does dad

After childbirth, moms aren't the only ones who experience sexual changes. Dads have highs and lows, too. Fatigue, stress and babies who won't sleep were the main factors keeping new dads from feeling sexual desire. Factors such as their partner's breastfeeding or vaginal bleeding were less of an influence, researchers reported in August 2013 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
4. Sex for headache relief

"Honey, I have a headache" may be more of a come-on than an excuse, at least if a study published in March in the journal Cephalalgia is to be believed. According to the study, about a third of migraine sufferers get relief from getting busy.

It's not clear why sex would relieve some migraines, but endorphins released by the brain during sex may explain the soothing effect, the researchers said.
5. Bats have oral sex

Humans aren't the only species to get sexually creative. A bat species called Indian flying foxes (Pteropus giganteus) does, too. Male flying foxes perform oral sex on females before penetration, researchers reported in March 2013 in the journal PLOS ONE. The oral sex seems to prolong the sexual encounter, the researchers said, perhaps increasing the chances of conception. The male bats may also be removing competitors' sperm from the females' vaginas, they added.
6. Hookup culture isn't so wild

Popular media often portrays modern college students as hopping from bed to bed in a series of casual sexual relationships. But the "hookup culture" is overblown, according to research presented in August 2013 at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.

Researchers compared responses from national representative surveys of 18- to 25-year-olds taken in 2002-2010 and in 1988-1996. They found that in both groups, about 31 percent said they'd had one sexual partner in the last year. Only half reported having more than two sexual partners after age 18. In other words, college kids don't appear to be getting more promiscuous.
7. Sex as exercise?

Those college kids could be missing out on some moderate caloric burning, according to research published in October 2013 in the journal PLOS ONE. The study used wearable fitness monitors to track couples as they had sex in the course of their everyday lives. It found that sex burns an average of 4.2 calories a minute for men and 3.1 calories a minute for women. [Sexy Tech: 6 Apps That May Stimulate Your Sex Life]

That's better than a walk, but not as good as a jog. While sex may not be the most efficient exercise for weight loss, the authors noted that at moderate intensity, it could count as part of someone's daily workout.
8. Hookups don't lead to orgasm for women

Casual "hookup" sex is anticlimactic for women much of the time, according to a November study of 600 college students. Hookup sex was half as likely to lead to an orgasm as sex within a relationship for women, the researchers found. Relationships may be more orgasm-friendly for women because her partner learns what she likes and cares about her needs, the researchers suggest.

In other climax news, orgasms may start in the foot. A 55-year-old woman whose experience was reported this year in the Journal of Sexual Medicine said the sensation started in her left foot, traveled up her leg to her vagina, causing what felt just like an orgasm achieved during sex.
9. How hormones influence sex

The hormonal influences on the female sex drive are tough to uncover, partially because many women in relationships may have sex when they're not necessarily "in the mood." But for a study published in October 2013 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers took a hard look at how the hormones associated with ovulation influence sex drive. It turns out that single women have more sex around ovulation, suggesting this window of fertility may nudge women toward sex. However, women in relationships were less influenced by biology, the study found.
10. Male birth control blocks sperm

The search for effective and safe male birth control beyond condoms continued in 2013, with a promising rodent study suggesting there may be hope for manly contraception. The method uses a combination of drugs that allow sperm to be produced as usual, but prevent that sperm from traveling through the vas deferens and out of the urethra during ejaculation.

The road from rodent studies to human drug trials is long, but researchers are hopeful, they wrote in December in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — though there is one catch.

"A lack of ejaculate has the potential to be disconcerting," the researchers wrote in their study.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us@livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

Nigeria: Obasanjo Snubs Jonathan

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he will prefer to ignore President Goodluck Jonathan than join further issues with him over the latter’s response to his letter dated December 2, 2013, where he levelled weighty allegations of corruption, ineptitude, and training snipers to kill over 1000 Nigerians among others against the president.

Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan Replies Former President Obasanjo's Letter

By Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

December 20th 2013
His Excellency,
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR
Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road,
Ibara, Abeokuta.

RE: BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

I wish to formally acknowledge your letter dated December 2, 2013 and other previous correspondence similar to it.

You will recall that all the letters were brought to me by hand. Although both of us discussed some of the issues in those letters, I had not, before now, seen the need for any formal reply since, to me, they contained advice from a former President to a serving President. Obviously, you felt differently because in your last letter, you complained about my not acknowledging or replying your previous letters.


It is with the greatest possible reluctance that I now write this reply. I am most uneasy about embarking on this unprecedented and unconventional form of open communication between me and a former leader of our country because I know that there are more acceptable and dignified means of doing so.

AMCON Set To Redeem N1Trn Bonds But Critics Say AMCON Remains A Drainpipe By SaharaReporters, New York

CBN Gov. Lamido Sanusi Lamido and Mustafa Chike-Obi- Managing Director/CEO, AMCON





The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, says the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) is set to pay-off N1 trillion of the entire series 1, 2, 3, and 4 bonds held outside of the CBN, on December 30.

Update: APC leads House of Reps as 37 PDP members defect

Update: APC leads House of Reps as 37 PDP members defect

Signs Of The Hour

On the authority of 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said:
"While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, rested his knee against his thighs, and said, O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." Said the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, that you should perform salah(ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka'bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." Said he (the man), "You have spoken truly." We were astonished at his thus questioning him and telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about iman (faith)." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken truly." Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, " It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Messenger of Allah) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about the signs thereof (i.e. of its coming)." Said he, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Messenger of Allah) said, "O 'Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion." [Muslim]
::Union Paradise®

Read our special report, the true incredible story of Obasanjo and Jonathan

NATO commander concerned at Russian missile deployment

NATO commander concerned at Russian missile deployment

Letter: Obasanjo challenges Jonathan, Kashamu, others to go to court

Letter: Obasanjo challenges Jonathan, Kashamu, others to go to court

Jonathan encourages corruption in Nigeria, Speaker Tambuwal says

Jonathan encourages corruption in Nigeria, Speaker Tambuwal says

Corruption: Tambuwal’s criticism of Jonathan ‘unfortunate’- Abati

Corruption: Tambuwal’s criticism of Jonathan ‘unfortunate’- Abati

Obasanjo’s letter: SERAP wants UN to pressure Jonathan to halt alleged training of snipers

Obasanjo’s letter: SERAP wants UN to pressure Jonathan to halt alleged training of snipers

Obasanjo's Letter Marks End Of Jonathan And PDP -- Fani-Kayode Pt.3

BBC HARDtalk- Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Obasanjo To Share Blame In Issues Raised In Letter To GEJ - NLC

Obasanjo's Letter Marks End Of Jonathan And PDP -- Fani-Kayode Pt.2

Obasanjo's Letter Marks End Of Jonathan And PDP -- Fani-Kayode Pt.1

Obasanjo Blasts Jonathan in 18 Page Letter

Obasanjo Fires Again, Warns Jonathan: ‘Keep your reply, save Nigeria!’

By Soni Daniel

As the Presidency prepares a reply to the 18-page letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan on the state of the nation, indications emerged, yesterday, that the former leader was not expecting any reply but action from Jonathan.

Nigeria: Impeach Jonathan now, APC tells National Assembly

APC, Nigeria’s biggest opposition party, has urged the National Assembly to rise beyond partisanship and save Nigeria from imminent collapse by immediately kick-starting the process of impeaching President Goodluck Jonathan for gross misconduct......Continue Reading:


Impeach Jonathan now, APC tells National Assembly


Bisi Akande, Interim National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC

How 15 famous companies got their quirky names

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-15-famous-companies-got-their-quirky-names-2013-11

How Does The Financial System Work? 2 Minute Video John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with a lesson on how the financial system really works.

ALI MOORE, PRESENTER: Time now for John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with a lesson on how the financial system really works.

BRYAN DAWE: Thanks for your time.

JOHN CLARKE: Very good to be with you Bryan, being.

BRYAN DAWE: Now you're a market economist?

How does the financial system work

Stanley Fischer Next Federal Vice Chairman

Putin: We won't let anyone achieve military dominance over Russia - Video

Putin: We Won't Let Anyone Achieve Military Dominance 'No one will prevail over Russia militarily': Putin eyes $700bn to advance Army By RT

Russia will not allow any nation to dominate it in military terms, the Russian president said. Some nations are developing new kinds of weapons, which may tip the global strategic balance, but Russia knows how to counter them.

Why Israel Won’t Abide Any Iran Nuclear Accord

With or without nuclear weapons, Iran and its allies are the chief impediments to Israeli hegemony in the Middle East.

By Maysam Behravesh and Anders Persson,The interim nuclear deal that was finally clinched between Iran and the world powers in Geneva in last November has been hailed by many in the West as a historic breakthrough for international diplomacy.

Iran Halts Nuclear Talks After US Blacklist Move

Iranian negotiators halted nuclear talks with major powers to return for consultations in Tehran on Friday after Washington blacklisted a dozen companies and individuals for evading US sanctions, state media reported.

By AFP/ND

Iranian negotiators halted nuclear talks with major powers to return for consultations in Tehran on Friday after Washington blacklisted a dozen companies and individuals for evading US sanctions, state media reported.

Fact Or Fiction? Chinese Naval Vessel Tries To Force U.S. Warship To Stop In International Waters By Bill Gertz

A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials.

Warning: Jobless rate may be rigged

The Labor Department chose not to disclose that the data going into that figure are under investigation for falsification.
http://nypost.com/2013/12/07/warning-jobless-rate-may-be-rigged/

Why Is Former Bank Of Israel Head Being Given Number Two Position At The US Federal Reserve?

Video report -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djr1uoDA9_s

Who's Watching You Watch Porn?

Privacy experts warn that advertisers, even the NSA, could be following your visits to adult sites.
http://www.alternet.org/whos-watching-you-watch-porn

CIA Torture Report Poised for Release -- At Least Some of It

Portions of the Senate's long-awaited report on Bush-era interrogation practices are poised to be released, according to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/12/13/cia_torture_report_poised_for_release_at_least_some_of_it#stha

Congress triples Obama's request on defense cooperation with Israel

Defense cooperation funding, to which Israel contributes, is separate from the $3.1 billion Israel receives in defense assistance as part of a 10-year package.
http://www.jta.org/2013/12/12/news-opinion/united-states/house-energy-committee-approves-cooperation-bill#.UqnRSM9ahdg.twitter

US to add $173 million for Israel missile defense

Funds for missile defense collaboration are separate from the average $3 billion (NIS 10.5 billion) in defense assistance Israel receives from the United States annually .

http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-adds-173-million-for-israeli-missile-defense/

Report: American Jew who vanished in Iran was on rogue CIA mission

An American Jewish man who disappeared in Iran in 2007 had been working for the CIA in a rogue operation, an American newspaper reported.
http://www.jta.org/2013/12/13/news-opinion/united-states/report-american-jew-who-vanished-in-iran-was-on-rogue-cia-mission

Moscow warns new U.S. sanctions may jeopardize Iranian nuclear talks

Moscow said Friday it can not accept a recent U.S. decision to introduce new sanctions against a group of Iranian individuals and businesses, warning that the measure will jeopardize nuclear talks.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=187260

Israel & Saudi team up, frustrated at US policy: Video report

The unlikely pairing of Saudi Arabia and Israel are reportedly teaming up, in response to Washington's Middle East policies. Representatives from the countries' intelligence services apparently met for talks in Jerusalem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgPHjFuMbcg

Abbas rejects US plan for permanent Israel troop presence

President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected US proposals for Israel to keep troops in a future Palestinian state along its border with Jordan, a Palestinian source said on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=656916

EX-CIA DIRECTOR: Bashar Assad Win May Be Syria's 'Best Option'

But Michael Hayden, the retired US Air Force general who until 2009 was head of the Central Intelligence Agency, said a rebel win was not one of the three possible outcomes he foresees for the conflict.
http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-hayden-syria-assad-2013-12

Greenwald’s Twitter War Over PayPal-NSA Allegations By JP Sottile

In the interconnected, instantaneous and byte-sized world of internet journalism, both cyber-space and real-time often bend and warp into a self-referential wormhole.

And one of those fascinating wormholes just opened on Twitter as super neo-journalist Glenn Greenwald and 9/11 whistleblower Sibel Edmonds exchanged a series of increasingly vitriolic and accusatory tweets over Edmonds’ latest blog on Boiling Frogs Post: BFP Breaking News–Omidyar’s PayPal Corporation Said To Be Implicated in Withheld NSA Document.

In it, Edmonds claims that Greenwald’s soon-to-be financial partner and backer—PayPal billionaire Pierre Omidyar—was, in effect, a knowing partner with NSA spying and financial data-mining efforts:


The 50,000-pages of documents obtained by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden contain extensive documentation of PayPal Corporation’s partnership and cooperation with the National Security Agency (NSA), according to three NSA veterans.

However, Edmonds also writes:


To date, no information has been released as to the extent of the working relationship and cooperation between the two entities – NSA and PayPal Corporation.

Edmonds implies that this is not a matter of there being no info regarding PayPal’s cooperation with the NSA, but more a notable, perhaps self-serving omission:


What’s more, the billionaire owner of PayPal Corporation has entered into a $250 Million business partnership with two journalists-Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, a journalist duo who possess the entire cache of evidence provided by Edward Snowden. Despite earlier pledges by the journalists in question, only one percent (1%) of Snowden’s documents has been released.

Of course, this didn’t sit well with Greenwald and he unleashed his displeasure in a series of tweets during a sometimes painful to read “cyber-sation” with Edmonds:



@sibeledmonds You're actually too stupid and/or crazy to even know your own accusations. That's actually sad. I'm sorry I bothered with you.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 12, 2013

Ouch.

Greenwald’s point is that she cannot know what is in the massive trove of Snowden documents and, therefore, is making unsubstantiated claims regarding a possible conflict of interest in his partnering with Omidyar:



@mannersNJ @sibeledmonds @newacademic @JustSikko She made claims about what's in NSA docs even though she has no idea what's in them.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 12, 2013

Edmonds’s story does quote other notable NSA whistleblowers—William Binney and Russell Tice—on the topic of PayPal which, it should be noted, infamously cut off use of its service to fund Wikileaks after its groundbreaking efforts to shed light on government secrecy.

Although Binney does not respond to what is specifically in the Snowden docs—which makes Greenwald’s point—he does state that financial institutions have long cooperated with the NSA and expresses some concerns about Omidyar:


Sunlight, transparency, is the only cure; the only way to bring about needed changes. This is why the public is entitled to have all the evidence and documents. The partnership with PayPal’s owner, thus, the new ownership of Mr. Snowden’s documents by an individual who is implicated in these documents, presents grave concerns and consequences, and a major conflict of interest for transparency, integrity and whistleblowers.

Edmonds also got Tice to chime in:


For NSA, information from financial institutions such as PayPal is equally if not more valuable and sought after than that obtained from social media and other software companies such as Facebook, Microsoft and Google.” He added, “I wouldn’t doubt the existence of evidence and documents implicating corporations such as PayPal within the large cache obtained by Edward Snowden. The partnership and data collection arrangements have existed for many years.”

Once again, Greenwald’s point is well taken. Neither Edmonds nor her interviewees can state as fact that there is anything in the Snowden docs that shows PayPal-NSA cooperation. However, their point is that—given the statement that only 1% of the documents have been released—the apparent trickle of the information from the trove highlights the need for transparency. Particularly if, in fact, there is anything in there that implicates PayPal.

In fact, Greenwald doesn’t really challenge the claim of PayPal-NSA cooperation, just the claim that he is covering it up by withholding Snowden docs that implicate PayPal:



@jrs7000 I don't doubt Paypal cooperates with NSA – that this is in the docs that we've been paid to withhold are total lies.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 12, 2013

This is a tricky situation. Unlike Wikileaks and their bulk data-dumps, Greenwald and Co. have released classified information in a more traditional, “sound practices of journalism” sorta way. Government officials get the opportunity to respond. Each story is hashed out and vetted in a normalized editorial process. Then the story is run.

But daily revelations about the NSA using every imaginable electronic device to collect data are breeding suspicion and a growing sense that nothing is sacred (although dildos, electric razors and Magic Bullet food processors still seem safely anonymous). It seems that everything is in question, particularly in that redacted zone between the public and its national security minders at the helm of the United States of Surveillance.

Thus, withholding information is an increasingly hard thing to defend.

This creates a bit of a problem for Greenwald and his association with Omyidar which, it seems, is fair to question given what we know about the NSA’s penchant for doing business with many different businesses. Full disclosure of the Snowden documents may be, in the final analysis, the only antiseptic that will calm suspicions amongst allies.

And that’s the sad part of this Twitter tempest. Edmonds was, in fact, an important whistleblower during a very difficult time of post-9/11 hyper-patriotism. William Binney and Russell Tice are also important whistleblowers who both preceded Snowden and, it would seem, are on the same team as Greenwald and Co.

Ultimately, if Greenwald does use that $250m war-chest to create a new journalistic venture, Greenwald and Omyidar will have to address the skepticism expressed by Edmonds:



@MonaHol 3 years after he kept screwing Wikileaks nonstop, 2 yrs screwing Bradley Manning Fund & Supporters? The billionaire found Jesus?!!

— Sibel Edmonds (@sibeledmonds) December 12, 2013

Greenwald has already mounted a strong defense against accusations that the slow, methodical release of Snowden’s treasure-trove is a self-serving, profit-making process that, unlike a massive and direct data-dump, only serves the interests of his newspaper and his career.

But these claims are likely to dog him—both from those who simply seek to punish him through proxies and by those who earnestly criticize a traditional “sound practices of journalism” approach to information that relies on the role of gatekeepers to decide how and when information is released over the Wikileaks-style which emphasizes the public’s inherent right to see immediately what lies behind the veil of secrecy.

In this age of Twitterati, instant attacks, rapid-fire counter-attacks and Matrix-like convolution regarding who is plugged into whom, transparency is the only way to short-circuit festering suspicion—not just for governments, but also for the journalists, whistleblowers and the public they try to serve. Now it seems it’s up to Greenwald to clarify his association with Omidyar and for Omidyar to shine a bright light on PayPal’s associations with NSA.

JP Sottile a newsroom veteran. Stints on the Newshour news desk, C-SPAN, Executive Producer for ABC affiliate WJLA in Washington, and a two-time Washington Regional Emmy Award Winner. Also a documentary filmmaker and writer.


my.firedoglake.com/members/jpsottile/

Criminal action is expected for JPMorgan in Madoff case

JPMorgan Chase and federal authorities are nearing settlements over the bank's ties to Bernard L. Madoff, striking tentative deals that would involve roughly $2 billion in penalties and a rare criminal action. The government will use a sizable portion of the money to compensate Mr. Madoff's victims.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101266885

NASA unveils 6-foot-tall humanoid robot (VIDEO)

NASA scientists have been secretly at work for a year on a walking, humanoid-like robot meant to evoke awe in anyone who comes across it - and it looks like they've accomplished their mission.
http://rt.com/usa/nasa-valkyrie-texas-robot-076/

The End of the Internet As We Know It

Unless the FCC protects net neutrality, the biggest Internet providers will run amok.
http://otherwords.org/end-internet-net-neutrality/

How Americans Were Deceived About Cell-Phone Location Data

Remember when multiple Obama Administration figures said the NSA doesn't collect it? That wasn't true.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/12/how-americans-were-deceived-about-cell-phone-location-data/282239/

Pimping a war with China: Call Made to Congress for China War Plan

The U.S. military needs a more focused war plan specific to China, especially after China's recent declaration of an air defense zone over the East China Sea, a group of defense analysts told a prominent House subcommittee Wednesday.

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/12/12/call-made-to-congress-for-china-war-plan/

Lest we forget: Nelson Mandela comments on death of Yasser Arafat on 11 Nov 2004

Video - Nelson Mandela comments on the death of Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat in Cape Town on 11 Nov 2004

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ExVfEL0y-E

Israel delays Bedouin "resettlement" plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed a plan to resettle tens of thousands of Bedouin Arabs in the Negev desert that had ignited violent protests, an adviser to his government said on Thursday.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/World/2013/12/13/Israel-delays-Bedouin-resettlement-plan.aspx

Amira Hass: How the third intifada will start: Op-Ed

Senseless killing like the shooting of 15-year-old Wajih al-Ramahi are only likely to be repeated.

http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/.premium-1.562848

US hits firms for Iran violations but urges Congress against more sanctions

The US announced Thursday that it was penalising more than a dozen companies and individuals for conducting prohibited business with Iran, barely an hour before it implored Congress yet again not to enact any new sanctions on Tehran.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/12/us-congress-iran-sanctions-violations

Saudi, Iran invited to Geneva-2

Iran and Saudi Arabia, which back opposite sides in Syria's war, are among more than 30 countries slated to attend a peace conference next month, diplomats said.
http://gulftoday.ae/portal/c79c4c07-1cda-451d-b89a-4359a83ee9e3.aspx

'Israel incapable of waging war on Iran'

PressTV - 'Israel threatened to take down world in nuclear Armageddon'.

Iran's space monkey back on earth alive and kicking

Nigeria CAC aims to register companies within two hours

The CAC handles the registration and regulation of company formation in Nigeria.

The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Bello Mahmud, said on Saturday in Abuja that the CAC’s goal was to be able to register companies within two hours, anywhere in Nigeria.

Mr. Mahmud, in a lecture titled ‘Nigeria’s New Business Environment and CAC’s Intervention,’ said it had been able to reduce the period of registration of companies from five days to 24 hours.

The registrar-general, at the 3rd Annual Seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Editors, said that its activities had helped to expose “the wonder banks” in the country.

“Our collaboration with the EFCC, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial agencies have exposed over 370 `wonder banks` out of 400 ones that were investigated.

“We are developing our electronic registration in phases and we are planning to be able to get companies registered within two hours before first quarter of 2014,” he said.

Mr. Mahmud said that the CAC was investing hugely in electronic registration of companies and in making its operations fully ICT- compliant.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that the CAC had inaugurated a committee to review “contemporary law and practices,” both nationally and internationally.

“This change is necessary because in the contemporary world, globalisation is increasingly blurring business boundaries,” Mr. Mahmud said.

“The committee’s findings will soon be made public. We want to bring our operations at the same standard with some of the best company registries,” he said.

He noted that the CAC was the agency charged with the responsibility of registration and regulation of the formation, management and winding up of companies, business names and incorporated trustees.

“Until 2004, registration services were manually carried out in the CAC. Now, we are able to reduce the incidence of mistakes and duplication of names and numbers in registering companies,” Mr. Mahmud added.

(NAN)