Benghazi: Obama knew
President Obama has been caught in a web of deception — one that threatens to ensnarl his re-election bid. Multiple e-mails and diplomatic cables reveal that the administration deliberately deceived the public. Libyagate now haunts Mr. Obama, relentlessly eroding his credibility and trustworthiness. It is a stake aimed at the heart of his presidency.
Obama explains why he didn't visit Israel
The NBC network aired an interview with US President Barack Obama on Thursday, in which he explained why he hadn't visited Israel during his term – a fact which Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney used against him during the last presidential debate this week.
For DHS, Cybersecurity Education Begins in Kindergarten
In a blog on the Department of Homeland Security website, Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department is working to develop the next generation of leaders in cybersecurity beginning in kindergarten. In a blog titled, “Inspiring the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals,” Napolitano said, “...we are extending the scope of cyber education...through the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, involving students from kindergarten through post-graduate school.”
Iran cancels EU visit after delegation sets 'precondition'
Iran has cancelled a European Parliament delegation visit to Tehran after the group asked to meet two Iranian activists awarded a top EU rights prize, a parliament spokeswoman said on Saturday. ...Iran's Mehr news agency quoted an Iranian parliamentary official as saying the European delegation had stated as a "precondition" a visit with Sotoudeh and Panahi.
US official urges EU to name Hezbollah 'terrorists'
The White House’s senior terrorism advisor slammed the European Union Friday for not designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, saying that omission made it harder to combat the Lebanese militant group’s activities.
Israel's Likud Party and Yisrael Beitenu to join forces
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's party will run alongside that of his ultra-nationalist Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, in January's election. Mr Netanyahu said Likud and Yisrael Beitenu's joint list would create a stable government able to deal with the security and economic challenges ahead.
Iran dissidents Sotoudeh and Panahi win Sakharov prize
The European Union's annual Sakharov prize has gone to two Iranians noted for their opposition to the government. Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who represents opposition activists and is now in prison, and banned filmmaker Jafar Panahi were the joint winners.
Ukraine election puts democracy under scrutiny
As Ukraine holds a parliamentary election on Sunday, the country's future direction will once again be in question. Western officials are calling the vote pivotal, billing it as a "litmus test of Ukraine's democratic credentials".
Killings Shatter Syrian Truce
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 150 people were killed on the first day of a cease-fire in Syria. The truce went into effect Friday in observance of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The human rights observers said children were among the victims in a bomb blast near a playground and a mosque in Damascus.
Weakened Sandy headed for landfall in northeast U.S.
Hurricane Sandy was downgraded on Saturday morning but remains a highly menacing tropical storm likely to have a major impact on the northeastern United States early next week, forecasters said. Sandy was about 350 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, just below hurricane strength according to the Saffir-Simpson scale of storm intensity.
Israel rattled by rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric from Egypt
The new tone coming out of Egypt - punctuated by President Mohammed Morsi mouthing "Amen" to an Imam's call for the destruction of Israel - is rattling residents of the Jewish state, who claim the Obama administration isn't taking the ratcheted-up rhetoric seriously.
Al Qaeda's Zawahri calls for kidnap of Westerners
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Muslims to kidnap Westerners, join Syria's rebellion and to ensure Egypt implements sharia, SITE Monitoring reported on Saturday, citing a two-part film posted on Islamist websites. The Egypt-born cleric, who became al Qaeda leader last year after the death of Osama bin Laden, spoke in a message that lasted more than two hours.