Last U.S. troops Iraq home by Christmas

U.S.: the case of cotton specialist Chancy, who was among the first U.S. troops to invade Iraq in 2003 and the last to leave last weekend, four tours and nine years of struggle were more than enough.

The 31-year-old was one of about 200 soldiers of the first Cavalry Division was given a raucous standing ovation Saturday at his base in Texas, where he arrived home in time for Christmas Eve to remember .

"I'm glad it's over with, the fact that everyone can come home and I hope everyone did not sacrifice in vain, because people could not come home," he said.

Standing in the turret, which raised his hands in jubilation last weekend as his armored column rolled into Kuwait at the first light, ending a conflict that sparked a fierce insurgency in Iraq and deeply divided Americans. On Saturday he and his comrades marched through freezing rain on the parade field here as family and friends cheered and waved American flags.

After a brief ceremony in which the colors of the unit was deployed after the long flight, Col. Phil Battaglia issued a single order: "Charge" Moments later, cotton wrapped his arms around his wife Tia and his eight-year-old son Tyler.

Also attending the ceremony were Virginia Solis and his four children, who welcomed home Specialist Ismael Solis, 32, a veteran of three Iraq tours.

"It's hard for me," he said. "It had to be mother and father at the same time." The celebration was tempered by the knowledge that while the U.S. is definitely out of Iraq, which is still at war in Afghanistan. The wives of some of the returning soldiers, he said they were preparing for another tour. "They said they will implement in 2013, which is just another step that we take when we get there," said Tricia Joseph, who is 19 years and four months pregnant.

"Either way, I'll be standing by your side at all." The joy is also overshadowed by the knowledge that many soldiers never returned. U.S. lost 4484 soldiers in Iraq, while 32,000 people were injured, according to Iraq Coalition casualties.

The first cavalry division, which rotates through Iraq three times and smaller units sent in the past, lost 283 soldiers there, a spokesman said.

"It's scary not knowing if our loved ones come home, especially when he is the father of her children," said Amanda Tougas, mother of two children.

Some soldiers expressed concern about whether Iraq will be able to defend his absence. Cotton fears that a series of bombings in Baghdad earlier this week could be a sign of things to come.

"I was expecting something to happen, but I hope it stable in the light of all the sacrifices we made, and I hope will be resolved," he said.

U.S. President Barack Obama has been criticized by some Republicans for failing to convince Iraq to extend a 2008 State of Forces Agreement in order to keep some U.S. troops in the country. However, many veterans, said he thought the U.S. had done as much as I could.

The 2003 invasion toppled the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein, who was tried and executed in 2006, and a "surge" of 20,000 U.S. troops in 2007 helped stem a wave of sectarian bloodshed brink of civil war.

AFP

South Korea allows private condolences Kim

S Korea: The South Korean government will allow private groups to send messages of condolence to North Korea after the death of its leader Kim Jong-Il, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday.

The last gesture of reconciliation came a day after Seoul expressed solidarity with the people of North Korea Kim's death, despite the high cross-border tensions. The ministry, which by law must approve all contacts between South Korea and North, who "basically allow" this type of message, the spokesman said Boh-Seon Choi.

"Our position is that we will authorize requests unless there is a special reason (not to)," Choi told reporters.

He said four groups seeking to send such messages include Hyundai Asan and the government of Roh Moo-Hyun Foundation, named in memory of the late former president of the South met with Kim in the second inter-Korean summit in 2007.

The South also suspended Tuesday a plan to display Christmas lights near the border, which had criticized the communist North as "psychological warfare".

Seoul not to send official delegates to Pyongyang to attend the funeral of Kim on December 28.

However, it has allowed the Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Chung-Eun and family of the late President Kim Dae-Jung Dae-Jung visit.Kim held its first summit with North Korean leader in 2000, while Hyundai was pioneer in cross-border business projects.

Hyun and Lee Hee-ho, the widow of Kim Dae-Jung, are taking formal steps to visit Pyongyang.

The media upstate announced Monday that leader Kim died Saturday of a heart attack at age 69. AFP

Medvedev warns of "extremists" of protests from Russia

Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Thursday that "extremists" were trying to stir instability in Russia through the wave of protests that has shaken the Kremlin after the disputed elections.

In his last annual address to the nation before his expected transfer of power to Vladimir Putin next year, Medvedev promised Russia would severely than the West of interfering in its greatest explosion of protest in many years.

But the quest to recognize the mood of the nation was changing after 12 years of domination by Putin, proposed a series of political reforms, including the resumption of direct elections of local governors.

"Attempts to manipulate the Russians, the lead astray and inciting struggle in society are unacceptable," he said, two days before a new opposition protest in Moscow expected to draw tens of thousands.

"We will not allow extremists to drag provocative and society in their plans," Medvedev said, adding: ". We will not allow foreign interference in our internal affairs", "Russia needs democracy, not chaos "Medvedev said.

Medvedev annual address to both Houses of Parliament came after December 4 parliamentary elections showed an unexpectedly strong decline in support for the ruling party and were followed by mass demonstrations against election fraud.

Tens of thousands took to the streets a week after the election to protest the conduct of the polls, while nearly 40,000 people on Facebook have committed to attend a new demonstration in Moscow on Saturday.

AFP

U.S. Police arrest protesters occupy Denver

U.S.: U.S. police have arrested nine protesters occupied in Denver, the capital of the central state of Colorado, and dismantled their camp, which was set on fire during the riots.

The police arrested on Tuesday during a confrontation with protesters anti-corporatism, said police spokesman Lt. Matthew Murray Denver.

Not immediately known who torched the camp, set up by protesters in Civic Center Park outside the Capitol building in downtown Denver.

Once the police pushed protesters back, firefighters extinguished the fire and "public works crews" dismantled the camp, he said.

In recent weeks, police have dismantled occupy camps in cities and towns in the U.S., harshly attacking and arresting dozens of demonstrators.

The anti-Wall Street protest in Denver was one of the camps for the last time a major U.S. city as part of an occupied country movement. The protest movement, which gave voice to the cries and complaints of the people against poverty, unemployment, war and corporatism, first started in Spain before gaining fame in the U.S. and then moving to other countries

In recent weeks, police have dismantled strongly protest camps in New York, Los Angeles and many other cities, while the site of the Denver protest has continued to draw protesters despite freezing temperatures and repression the police.

Since October, the police attacked the camp of Denver three times and the protesters removed from the site, but came back. However, one protester said Occupy the latest clash was more "tense" than before.

There have been 5425 arrests during protests in 94 cities Occupy U.S. until December 12, according to San Pedro de la Paz, a group affiliated to occupy St. Petersburg, Florida.

Occupy Wall Street movement began when a group of protesters gathered in the financial district in New York on September 17 to protest the unfair distribution of wealth in the country and the excessive influence of large corporations on policies USA. Press TV

U.S. Vatican spokesman dies

Vatican City, Cardinal John P. Foley, who served as head of Vatican communications for more than two decades, died early Sunday in Pennsylvania. He was 76. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced his death, without indicating the cause. However, Foley was suffering from leukemia.

Foley's comments provided U.S. television viewers of the Mass of the Holy See Christmas midnight for 25 years. His last appearance on the NBC national broadcast of television of the Mass was in December 2009.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II appointed Archbishop Foley and named a chief operating officer of the Vatican press as president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Foley served in office until 2007.

"Everyone who had known Cardinal Foley admired and loved him for his kindness and his spirituality," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told Vatican Radio.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Foley the great master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which offers spiritual and financial support of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem and its surroundings and helps to maintain the Christian shrines in the region.

Foley was promoted to cardinal the same year.

"Cardinal Foley was a man of apostolic power. Anyone who knew him immediately realized his intense love for the Church and his zeal for the communication of the gospel," said Archbishop Charles Chaput Philadelphia, in a statement.

"His charisma and gentle spirit will be sorely missed throughout the universal Church."

Foley died in Villa St. Joseph in Darby, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He said funeral arrangements are pending.

Born November 11, 1935 in the same city. He attended the University of San Jose and entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1957, where he was ordained priest. He later obtained a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

During his stay in Rome, he served as assistant editor and Vatican correspondent for the Spanish-language newspaper of the Archdiocese, the Catholic Standard & Times, becoming its editor in chief from 1970 to 1984.

On his return to Philadelphia in 1966, Foley was named coadjutor of the parish St. John the Evangelist and served on the faculty at Cardinal Dougherty High School from 1967 to 1984.

Monday, AFP

Armed attacks and explosions in central Liege, Belgium! Two dead and dozens others injured

At least two people were killed and 47 injured (including a child), on Tuesday in the center of Liege (Belgium southeast), when four men allegedly fired shots and threw explosive devices and grenades, announces the Belgian media.

An initial assessment revealed a dead, suspect that a person who threw the grenade, and ten wounded. However, the number of injured victims raised. Liege police confirmed the incident.

Clutter is chaotic and there are conflicting reports about the exact number of attackers.

According to preliminary information provided by witnesses, a man about 40 years, would have thrown a grenade into the courthouse. Some other explosive attack after being thrown into a bus stop at the Place Saint-Lambert. Many people found that there were four explosions.

Shots were also heard when a guy seems to handle a Kalashnikov gun fired on a bus.

The news agencies of Belgium stated that the attacks took place in the Place Saint-Lambert, the main square of Liege, where the courthouse, near a busy Christmas market.

It was reported that police arrested a second attacker, while a third is still battling security forces. The fourth gunman allegedly escaped from the place of attack.

DSK: The surveillance video of the Sofitel

Here are excerpts from the very first video surveillance of the Sofitel in Manhattan that fateful day of 14 May, released today by BFM TV. It shows many things, some rather bizarre, but then to understand everything about the case DSK ...

We had the version of Nafissatou Diallo. That of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Then that, long after the battle, an American journalist. Later revelations that had quickly revive the conspiracy theory ... Trier of blabla: there is now indisputable version video surveillance, Big Brother is watching us.

Well you can do many things to say-and contrary to the images, the short film below plead more in favor of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. You know, the famous "reasonable doubt".

At trial, counsel for the maid had indeed described a hastily starting DSK of the Sofitel where the heinous crime was committed. On the video, we find instead a client like any other, waiting quietly and gently turn before being able to adjust his room at the reception, the former IMF chief missing even a taxi to the first institution that n ' is clearly in no hurry to flee.

The first act of which we can draw one conclusion: Dominique Strauss-Kahn did not leave a v (i) oleur the Sofitel.

In the second part of the video, the second act, we witness the emergence of Nafissatou Diallo, a part-time, sorry, 45 minutes after the alleged sexual assault. And the maid, who told her superior, still waiting for several minutes, obviously not panic, before telling the scene with three security guards of the hotel will still an hourglass before calling 911.

And this is just after Nafissatou has mimicked the aggression of its colleague DSK in an unlikely role-playing attacker / attacked, we discover the stage the most incredible flavor of the day: dance as "touch down ! " security guards after they called the police. So of course their little choreography of sight lasts much shorter than 3 minutes announced, but this demonstration of joy retains its mystery.

DSK on surveillance video of the Sofitel

Cat inherits nearly £10million (Video)

A CAT cut from the top of the feline rich list after inheriting nearly £ 10 million.

However, the Italian Pussycat animal remains only the third richest in the world.

Rich Tommaso Maria Assunta owner died and left the entire family fortune.

She was rescued as a stray and could not think of anyone better to leave your property portfolio after he died last month aged 94, with no living relatives.

This means that the cat is the proud owner of houses and villas in Italy, as well as shares and bank accounts swollen.

His lawyers, Anna Orecchioni and Giacinto Canzona, said Tommasino fortune left in a will he wrote and deposited them in his office in Rome in 2009.

Ms. Orecchioni explained that the Italian legislation Tommasino not entitled to inherit the money directly and he was finally given to the nurse Mary, Stefania.

Ms. Orecchioni said: "In the end we decided that Stefania was the best person to manage the money that Maria had left in his will.

"To be honest I do not need all that money. He is happy with a bowl of milk and some cookies."

Stefania said, "I had no idea it was worth so much."

Animal richest in the world is believed to Gunter, a German shepherd that left more than £ 90million by owner Liebenstien Karlotta heiress.

In 1988, British prisoner Ben Rea left his fortune of £ 9 million to his cat Blackie.

Syrian forces kill at least 14: activists

NICOSIA: At least 14 people, four of them children, were killed when Syrian security forces opened fire in several cities on Friday, with most of the victims who fall in the restive region of Homes, activists said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 10 civilians were killed around Homs, two in Daraa, cradle of the protests against the regime since March, a civilian in Hama and one in Douma, near Damascus. Twenty-three civilians were wounded in Homs, he said.

The Syrian opposition National Council earlier warned of the dangers of a "slaughter" in the center of the protest of Homs, a city in central Syria, said he was surrounded by government forces.

Two children, aged between 10 and 12, were shot dead in nine different districts of Homs itself, and a 14 year old boy was fatally injured in aqrab near the Observatory based in Britain, said in a statement. He said 19 people were arrested in Hula, also in the province of Homs.

One civilian died in Hama as security officials opened fire to disperse a protest near the mosque Mustafa Jaber, said, while a woman and a girl 12 years old, were shot dead by "indiscriminate firing" in Daraa.

The rights body said a man died in a similar incident in Douma, whose streets were the scene said "the violent clashes between a group of deserters and security officers."

Mr. Putin is Mr. Nasty or Nice?

Russia: Vladimir Putin has a choice between embracing reform and tighten the control of the state to preserve its dominance after losing support in the elections in Russia and against the protests, analysts said.

Putin, Russian Prime Minister today, plans to extend its 11 years of rule by Russia to regain his old job in the Kremlin in the March presidential polls, which now seem a much more difficult than a week ago.

After the shock loss of his ruling United Russia party, 77 seats and votes about $ 13 million in legislative elections on Sunday, Putin's reputation for enjoying popularity has been dented invincible.

He is now at a crossroads between tightening the screws or the opening of its system of strict political control.

"The frustrations are evident and to a large extent a result of this weekend's election and may become a game changer," said Chris Weafer, chief strategist at investment bank Troika Dialog in Moscow.

"People have made their views very clear and, as is the case everywhere, governments ignore such strong statements at your own risk." United Russia won less than half the votes, a sharp drop of more than 64 percent in 2007, with many of the middle class and young voters to vote to protest the Communist party's monopoly of power.

The opposition insisted the results would have been even more dramatic in fair elections, while Western monitors said the vote was biased towards the ruling party.

Putin himself has spoken explicitly about the protests, but his spokesman Dmitry Peskov seemed to recognize a change was needed.

"Certainly, people expect that version 2.0 of Putin," he told the BBC Russian. "Obviously, the party would also have to undergo a period of renewal," he said. However, some analysts said it was impossible to expect that Putin, a former KGB agent who many blame for eroding civil liberties in the last decade, will soon become a champion of reform. "Putin will return to the Kremlin to preserve the status quo," said Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, told AFP. "He has no plans for change. AFP

U.S. Police arrest 62 protesters occupied the protesters

U.S.: Police arrested 62 protesters Wednesday as supporters of lobbying from Wall Street Occupy objective to promote the interests of U.S. companies in Washington, the corridors of power. Undeterred by the constant rain, more than 1,000 protesters - many of them union activists - closed several blocks of K Street, the epicenter of the industry of the U.S. capital influential and lucrative lobbying, around noon.

The police, including a trio riding, intervened when several dozen protesters sat or lay on wet pavement in the streets 14 and K, and refused to yield to the threat of arrest for obstruction of public roads.

"This speaks well of America," one of the rain-soaked protesters, Kelly Caldwell, Portland, Oregon, sarcastically shouted as police officers with long yellow coats put the handcuffs and dragged him to a waiting truck.

Sixty-two people were arrested, a spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Police told AFP. Details of the charges they face were not immediately available.

Closure of K Street Wednesday came a day after protesters backed by unions and civic groups occupied the offices of House and Senate on Capitol Hill as part of a three-day dominate the action of the Capitol. Washington is home to two separate camps open protest, both near the White House, inspired by Wall Street and condemning Occupy social inequality and corporate influence on U.S. policy.

Joining them this week has been a camp style People on the National Mall, consisting of about 15 tents - in view of the Capitol - erected by protesters from different parts of the United States.â

Prominent in the Take Back the Capitol protest is the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents health and public sector employees and supports President Barack Obama for another term in office. AFP

Bomb kills 78 in Afghanistan in 24 hours

An attack in Afghanistan Wednesday took the toll of just over 24 hours of carnage with 78 dead as officials blamed Pakistan for the worst attack, accusing them of trying to stir up sectarian violence in Iraq style.

Nineteen civilians, including seven women and five children, were killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand province troubled southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, highlighting the continuing instability after 10 years of war. It came as the funeral was held for 59 people killed in unprecedented attacks against Shiite Muslims in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, one day earlier, Afghan officials blamed on Pakistani militants.

They accused the militants of trying to further destabilize Afghanistan with sectarian violence in a country already ravaged by a decade of conflict between the government and foreign troops and the Taliban-led insurgents.

Provide details of the attack in Helmand province, provincial security force commander Mohammad Ismail said 19 people, including seven women and five children were killed. The women were all from the same family. AFP

Be wary of the United States uncertain of Iran Israel plans

 An Israeli government official said: "Israel and the United States are in close and continuous communication about the threat to global security by Iran's nuclear program. We appreciate President Obama's determination to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. "The official declined to comment further.

At the same time, however, the relationship of Obama with Israeli leaders were not particularly hot. He has not visited the country as president.

A former U.S. government official said: "There are many cases where the Israelis have taken action without informing the United States first. So we should not always assume a level of coordination (between Washington and Israel) in advance on all matters. "

Repeat performance?

Bruce Riedel, a former senior CIA expert on the Middle East who has advised Obama, said: "Israel has a long history of military operations in Baghdad in Tunis, without giving notice in Washington."

Riedel said the White House wants to send a strong message to Israel that the U.S. does not expect to be taken aback by his ally. "Bibi wants Obama to understand unequivocally that he does not want a repeat in Iran," he said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname.

The Obama administration suspects that Israeli leaders marked for themselves certain "red lines" related to Iran's nuclear progress that could trigger Israeli military action, if crossed, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But Obama administration decision-makers are experiencing a "sense of opacity" in their understanding of where the red lines are drawn Israel, the official added.

Two other U.S. officials, also speaking on condition they not be named, said Washington is deeply concerned about Israel, sanctions and diplomatic pressure skeptics will stop the nuclear program of Iran, may eventually decide to act on its own.

Similarly, one of the U.S. officials said, the speeches and statements by Israeli leaders like Netanyahu's speech Sunday in which he referred to "the right decision at the right time," even if the object allies, could be politically motivated.

Under this interpretation, Netanyahu and other Israeli officials can play a national audience or trying to put pressure on the international community to do more on Iran.

Canadian media beefing up new Chinese

OTTAWA (AFP) - TV broadcaster and the cable industry's premier Shaw Communications announced Tuesday the upcoming launch of a newspaper in Canada Mandarin Chinese to meet the growing demand.

"Global National Mandarin 'The evening newscast of 30 minutes is set to launch the Chinese New Year (January 23), providing viewers with' the biggest news from across Canada and around the world," the companies said in a joint statement.

Initially it will be released in Vancouver and Calgary, but will rely on correspondents in every major Canadian city, as well as Washington, London, Prague and New Delhi.

"As Canada's multicultural communities grow, the demand for cultural content is increasing," said Peter Bissonnette, President of Shaw Communications.

Farmers on tractors protest in the capital of Bulgaria

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) - Grain producers who want higher state subsidies organized a blockade of tractors in the center of the Bulgarian capital Tuesday, the entanglement of downtown traffic.

Some 170 tractors were parked on the square between Parliament and the landmark Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the demonstrators left their vehicle and March-through pouring rain to the seat of government.

Farmers were farming their heavy equipment deployed on major highways and border crossings for a week.

They pressure the government to maintain subsidies for next year before the elections in October agreed in presidential and local.

US convoys begin leaving from Iraq

Iraq: With less than a month to go, the U.S. military wants to minimize the risks of last minute and paid cash tribal fighters to help provide a safe exit from Iraq after more than eight years of war. Much of the American machine powerful army leaves Iraq by Kuwait to the south on the main highway, a tempting target for militants backed by Iran.

Contingency operating base in Basra, in the north of the border with Kuwait, Col. Douglas Crissman of American forces commands U.S. forces in Iraq in four southern provinces.

Under his supervision, the soldiers are preparing to hand from the base to Iraqi forces in the coming days, but they also oversee the safety of U.S. personnel and equipment on their way slowly down the road.

"We continue our mission and securing career paths for our brothers and sisters," Crissman said, referring to U.S. soldiers and personnel.

Less than 10,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, while five bases have yet to be delivered.

"We managed to come back ... relations with more than 20 tribal leaders," said the colonel.

AFP

The conflict between Iran and Israel, the Gulf States increases the risk of war

LONDON - The concerns of Israel strike Iran may or may not be an exaggeration, but across the region largely hidden from the "cold war" between Tehran and its enemies is climbing fast, bringing with it increased risk of conflict.

Speculation that Israel could attack Iran's nuclear program has been widespread in the Israeli media and oil markets in recent weeks, with the fear that Tehran would respond to devastating attacks on Gulf oil supplies.

But this debate, experts say, lack of large parts of the bigger picture. An increasingly isolated Iran alarms not only Israel and the West, but its Gulf neighbors, including long-time enemy in Saudi Arabia, and they are already responding - and the comparison goes well beyond sanctions simply tightening.

Canada Renews Opposition to Kyoto vows Costs

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) - Canada confirmed Monday he would not sign new commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, a cornerstone of the fight against global warming.

"Canada has made it clear this year that Canada will not make a commitment to a second Kyoto period," Environment Minister Peter Kent said in a briefing to reporters on the sidelines of Canadian negotiations on global climate in Durban.

"Our fixation, our commitment is to Copenhagen and Cancun agreements, he said referring to agreements which, unlike the legally binding Kyoto curbs on greenhouse gas emissions, promote a voluntary approach.

"We believe eventually a new agreement that includes all major emitters in the world both in developed and developing world is the only way to materially reduce megatonnes annually so that we can work to prevent global warming reaching or exceeding two (degrees). "The goal set by a core group of countries at the Copenhagen Summit in 2009, rough, and supported at the climate conference last year in Cancun, Mexico, set a goal of limiting warming to two degrees  .

Guinness World Record, in Toronto, Canada,

Many people have immigrated to foreign countries, coming from Sri Lanka, where many records are we to know through the press each day. In Canada from Sri Lanka Sri Lanka on the type of guy, with his head in the Guinness world record in the 2020 bombing Mohanthas Sivayokanayagam injection needles.

Prior to this country from China(Wei Shengchu)  had the world record, this one is loaded with 2009 pins.

Islamists capture 65% of the vote in elections in Egypt triumph

CAIRO (AFP) - Islamists defeated Liberal rivals in the opening phase of the first election in Egypt since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, the figures show on Sunday, with a choice of four voters Salafi extremists.

Islamist parties won 65 percent of all votes cast for parties in the first round of parliamentary elections last week, while the main secular liberal coalition managed only 13.4 percent.

Among the Islamist voices, the Moderate Party of Freedom and Justice (CLE) of the Muslim Brotherhood won 36.6 percent, followed by the Al-Nur Salafist extremist party with 24.4 percent and moderate Al-Wasat, with 4, 3 percent. "We welcome the choice of the Egyptian people," the spokesman CLE Sobea Ahmed told AFP. "Egypt now requires all parties to work together to get it out of its crisis."

The Brotherhood has been widely expected to triumph in the first free election in decades. It is more organized political group in the country and is well known for his charity work and opposition to Mubarak's 30-year plan.