Relief Efforts Underway To Earthquake Striken Indonesia
JAKARTA - The powerful earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Java early Saturday morning has killed more than 3,000 people and injured thousands more. The 6.2 magnitude quake shook the densely populated province of Central Java, hitting the ancient royal city of Yogyakarta hardest. Many buildings collapsed, and power […]

WASHINGTON - Police in Washington, D.C say they are investigating reports of the sound of gunfire at a Congressional office building on Capitol Hill.
The sound of shots was reported in a garage beneath the Rayburn building, which holds offices of members of the House of Representatives.
There have been no reports of injuries or any gunman.
The […]

Sea-Based Missile Defense Test Successful
By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service
 

WASHINGTON – A U.S. Navy ship shot down a long-range ballistic missile in its final seconds of flight during a test yesterday.It was the first successful ship-launched intercept of a ballistic missile in its terminal phase, U.S. military officials said.  
During the Navy and Missile Defense […]

Hamas Withdraws From Gaza To Avoid Clashes With Fatah 
GAZA - The governing Palestinian group Hamas says it has withdrawn its militia from the streets of the Gaza Strip to avoid further bloody clashes with the rival Fatah faction.
A Hamas commander said his troops withdrew from all locations Friday, as ordered by the Interior Ministry.
Hamas deployed […]

Democrats Call On Congress To Lower Skyrocketing Gas Prices 
WASHINGTON - House and Senate Democrats joined today to call on the Bush Republican Congress to act to lower skyrocketing gas prices, one of the most pressing issues facing Americans heading into the Memorial Day Weekend driving season. The Democrats released a new report by the Center for […]

Speaker Dennis Hastert Praises Passage of ANWR 
WASHINGTON - Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) today made the following comments regarding the passage of House legislation to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and eventually help lower energy costs in America:
“Yet again, House Republicans have voted in favor of opening ANWR and relieving energy costs for […]

Iran’s Vice President Says Tehran Remains Open To Negotiations.
ISLAMABAD - Iran has again dismissed suggestions that its controversial nuclear program is aimed at developing weapon’s technology. During a visit to neighboring Pakistan, Iran’s vice president said Tehran remains open to negotiation.
After talks with Pakistani leaders, Iranian Vice President Parviz Dawoudi told reporters in Islamabad Iran […]

Research Group Says Textbooks In Saudi Arabia Teach Violence 
WASHINGTON - A private research group in Washington says religious textbooks in Saudi Arabia, despite revisions, continue to teach intolerance and violence.
The Washington-based Center for Religious Freedom and the Institute for Gulf Affairs recently analyzed 12 new textbooks the Saudi government says were purged of all intolerant […]

Former Enron Chairman Ken Lay Convicted On All Six Counts 
HOUSTON - The jury in the Enron fraud and conspiracy trial Thursday delivered guilty verdicts on all six charges against former Chairman Ken Lay and 19 out of 28 counts against former Chief Executive Officer Jeff Skilling. The two men now face possible life in prison, but […]

Cold War To War On Terrorism, U.S. Military Overhaul 
WASHINGTON - The terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ensuing U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, focused attention at the Pentagon on one unavoidable fact - the world’s most powerful military force was not very well prepared to fight the wars of the 21st century.
The […]

Indonesians Refuse To Leave Erupting Volcano To Wait For Spiritual Sign 
Mt. Merapi, Java -  Indonesian authorities have ordered more than 20,000 people living on the slopes of Central Java’s Mount Merapi to leave, fearing an imminent eruption, but many are refusing to go. Local villagers believe there is a spiritual kingdom at the top of the mountain, and […]

Japan Announces Deployment Of Whaling Fleet To Northwestern Pacific Ocean
CAPE COD - The government of Japan has announced the deployment of its whaling fleet to hunt 260 whales in the northwestern Pacific, following its killing of 863 whales earlier this year. Conservation groups around the world, including IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare - www.ifaw.org), have […]

U.S. Military Deploys Hospital Ship Mercy To Asia 
Pentagon - The U.S. military has deployed one of its huge hospital ships to Asia on a mission designed to build good will and also help prepare for responding to future disasters.
The ship is called the Mercy, and it is the same one that was deployed to help […]

U.S. Restores Diplomatic Relations With Syria After 25 Years 
WASHINGTON - After 25 years, the United States has decided to restore normal diplomatic relations with Libya and remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.  The process began in 2003 when Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi agreed to dismantle his nuclear weapons program and cease […]

Former Defense Secretary Perry Calls For Negotiations With Iran 
WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry is calling on the Bush administration to negotiate directly with Iran, saying he believes that is the only path toward resolving the nuclear crisis.  He drew comparisons to his experience dealing with North Korea when he was defense secretary […]

Dozens Of Taleban Rebels Killed in Afghanistan By Coalition Forces
ISLAMABAD - U.S. Military officials in Afghanistan say 24 Taleban rebels have been killed in a clash with government and coalition forces in southern Afghanistan. U.S. officials have also apologized for an air strike earlier this week that reportedly killed 16 civilians.
Officials say the rebels were […]

Republicans Outraged At FBI Search On Capitol Hill 
CAPITOL HILL - An unprecedented search carried out by the FBI in the office of a member of Congress continues to stir controversy.   Majority Republican leaders in the House of Representatives are outraged by the incident, which involves a bribery-related federal investigation into the activities of a House […]

Doctors, patients need to learn to recognize a stroke
By George L. Richards III
Scripps Howard Foundation WireWASHINGTON - Doctors are often poorly trained and lack the skills needed to identify a stroke, a medical group says.Strokes are the third-leading cause of death in the nation and the leading cause of long-term disability, according to the American […]

U.S. Justice Department Names Gun Dealers Ranking In Sales of Guns Traced To Crime 
SACRAMENTO - In a rare release of information the gun industry has tried to keep secret, the Justice Department has revealed data naming the gun dealers who rank as the five leading sellers of guns traced to crimes.
The release came in connection with […]

China Modernizing Strategic Forces, DoD Report States
By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2006 – The U.S. welcomes the rise of a peaceful and prosperous China, but is taking note as the Asian nation systematically modernizes its military capabilities, a Defense Department report on Chinese military power released today states.”China is beginning to […]

Bush, Olmert Discuss Iran, Peace And Security 
WHITE HOUSE - The search for Middle East peace and the threat to regional security posed by Iran’s nuclear intentions topped the agenda when President Bush met Tuesday with the new Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert.
Prime Minister Olmert came to the White House hoping to win support for his plan […]

U.S. Condemns Syria For Human Rights Abuses 
STATE DEPARTMENT - The United States Tuesday condemned what it said was the Syrian government’s blatant abuse of the rights of those peacefully seeking to express opposing views. The government of President Bashar al-Assad last week arrested at least nine democracy advocates in what was described as the biggest […]

Purported Osama bin Laden Tape Says Moussaoui Not Connected to 9/11
WASHINGTON - A new audiotape purportedly from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden says imprisoned terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui had nothing to do with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
The tape was released on an Internet website Tuesday.
A man claiming to be bin Laden […]

U.S. House of Representatives Calls For Sanctions Against Palestinian Authority
Capitol Hill - By a 361 to 37 majority, the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday approved legislation calling for sanctions against the Palestinian Authority following the Hamas election victory earlier this year.   The White House remains opposed to the legislation.
The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act had the support […]

Greek, Turkish Fighter Jets Collide Above Aegean Sea
ANKARA, TURKEY - Greek and Turkish fighter planes collided Tuesday in disputed airspace above the Aegean Sea.
The NATO allies gave different accounts of the incident. Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul spoke shortly after the crash, and said it would not affect their […]