On the 9/11 Anniversary, Loss and Tension

The ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was marked on Saturday by the solemn memorials and prayer services of years past, but also by events hard to envision just a year ago — heated demonstrations blocks from ground zero, political and religious tensions and an unmistakable sense that a once-unifying day was now replete with division.

American Doctors Held in Zimbabwe

JOHANNESBURG — Five Americans — two doctors, two nurses and an organizer — who carried donated AIDS drugs to Zimbabwe for distribution to the poor were arrested Thursday and remained jailed in Harare on Saturday on a charge of dispensing the medicine without the supervision of a pharmacist or proper licenses, their lawyer said.

Succession Gives Army a Stiff Test in Egypt

CAIRO — When a boiler at Military Factory 99 exploded in early August, killing one civilian worker and injuring six, a group of employees called a strike to demand safer working conditions, as they are entitled to do under Egyptian law.

Investigators look for cause of California inferno

SAN BRUNO, California – California firefighters voiced hope that the death toll from a horrific inferno would not rise above four, as attention turned to what had ignited the devastating explosion.
Emergency workers said they had searched over 75% of the smoldering ruins left by a huge gas pipeline blast late on Thursday, which injured 52 people, including three with critical burns.

Death toll from dengue rises to 501

MANILA, Philippines – Climate change could be one of the reasons behind the alarming rise in the number of dengue cases in the country, a health official said Saturday.
Dr. Eric Tayag, head of the Department of Health’s (DOH) National Epidemiology Center, said mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus now have more areas to breed.

Obama backs plans to build mosque near Ground Zero

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has backed controversial plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero, the site of 9/11 terror attacks in New York, arguing that if one can build a Hindu temple, why not a mosque.

Islam controversies cast shadow over 9/11 events

China puts off talks with Japan amid diplomatic row

BEIJING: China has put off its mid-September talks with Japan on the controversial East China Sea issue in protest against seizure of a Chinese fishing boat which had collided with two Japanese patrol vessels near disputed islands, deepening the diplomatic row over the matter.

US pastor says he will never burn Quran

NEW YORK: A US pastor, who had threatened to burn Quran, on Saturday said he never burn copies of the holy book, even if a mosque is built near ground zero in this America's commercial capital.
"We will definitely not burn the Quran, no," Pastor Terry Jones of Florida told NBC.
"Not today, not ever," he said when pressed whether his planned demonstration might happen at a later date.

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Thousands of Afghans in anti-Quran-burning protest

AP – An Afghan man lies in hospital after being injured at a protest in reaction to a small American church's …
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghans set fire to tires in the streets and shouted "Death to America" for a second day Saturday despite a decision by an American pastor to call off plans to burn copies of the Islamic holy book.
The protests, the largest drawing a crowd estimated at more than 10,000 people, continued despite a decision by a Florida pastor to call off

Bill Nye Given the World(s) - The Planetary Society Blog | The Planetary Society

Bill also presented Lou, a dyed-in-the-wool Yankees fan, with a special retirement gift from himself, the staff and the board -- two original seats from Yankee Stadium. After trying them out with his wife Connie, Lou later quipped, "Hmmm -- maybe I will REALLY retire!" While Lou is stepping down as executive director, he plans to stay actively involved with the Planetary Society, overseeing the Lightsail project and working with other programs.

A full-disk multiwavelength extreme ultraviolet image of the ... - Yahoo! News Photos

Happy Birthday, Ray Bradbury! - | The Planetary Society

Celebrating Ray Bradbury's 90th Birthday
The Planetary Society presented a giant birthday card reflecting some of the 1600 birthday wishes collected from members and fans. Pictured here with the card (left to right): Ray Bradbury Week organizer Steven Leiva, Louis Friedman, Ray Bradbury, and Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti. Credit: The Planetary Society

September 11, 2001 News Archives - The 9/11/2001 Terrorist Attack on America.

September 11 attacks - Wikipedia

Obama: Muslims soldiers 'are out there putting their lives on the line for us'

Barack Obama: 'If you could build a church on a site ... then you should be able to build a mosque on a site." Photograph: Scott Applewhite/AP

Tony Blair, when he was prime minister, used to give monthly press conferences that would run as long as journalists had questions to ask. By the end of them Blair was still comfortable, asking "Any more questions? Anyone?" while it was the journalists who wilted. Maybe Barack Obama should try the same thing.

Osama bin Laden challenged by former comrade

Al-Jazeera footage of Osama bin Laden in 2001. Photograph: Maher Attar/Corbis
Is Osama bin Laden willing to listen to constructive criticism from an old friend? If so, a former al-Qaida comrade-in-arms has some advice for him to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, coinciding this year with the row over Qur'an-burning by an obscure American church that could, .....

Qur'an burning: Protester 'shot dead' as Nato troops open fire on demonstrators,The Guardian

Reaction from the Islamic world to an extremist American preacher's threat to burn the holy book Link to this video

A protester against a US pastor's plans to burn copies of the Qur'an is reported to have been shot dead in northern Afghanistan after crowds attacked a Nato base.

Fireball tragedy in California suburb brings gas industry under scrutiny

Chimneys and burned-out cars are left in the wake of an explosion and fire in San Bruno, south of South Francisco. Photograph: Max Whittaker/Getty Images
The natural gas industry is coming under intense scrutiny today, after a massive fireball ripped through a ruptured pipeline in a suburban town near San Francisco, killing at least four people, injuring dozens more, and burning more than 50 homes to the ground.

Barack Obama appeal halts pastor's plan to burn Qur'ans – for now

A protester stands outside the Dove World Outreach Centre church in Gainseville, Florida. Pastor Terry Jones gave a two-hour deadline to the New York Muslim leader. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Florida pastor who sparked an international crisis with his plan to burn hundreds of Qur'ans has given an undertaking that he will not carry out the ...

Muslims in America increasingly alienated as hatred grows in Bible belt

 

An opponent of the proposed Muslim centre and mosque near the former World Trade Centre in New York. Photograph: Peter Foley/EPA
Safaa Fathy was as surprised to discover that she is at the heart of a plot against America as she was to hear that her small Tennessee town is a focus of hate in the Muslim world.

Medal of Honor to be awarded to living service member for first time since Vietnam

Salvatore Giunta is to be presented with the Medal of Honor, the highest US military award for valour
The award will be received by Sgt Salvatore Giunta, a rifle team leader in Afghanistan who braved heavy Taliban fire at close quarters to tend to three injured fellow soldiers.

Sgt Giunta, 25, from Hiawatha, Iowa, has said that “I didn’t run through fire to do anything heroic or brave......

Iran settles dispute with British Museum over Cyrus Cylinder

The 2,500-year-old Cyrus Cylinder
Iran cut ties with the British Museum in February over its failure to lend the Cyrus Cylinder, linked to the Persian ruler’s 6th century BC conquest of Babylon.

France 'carrying out racial holocaust' claims Castro

He said that strong protests in France were “essential” to counter the expulsions, “especially when at the same time millionaires are limiting the rights to retirement and reducing employment opportunities”, referring to recent plans to raise the retirement age in France from 60 to 62.

Iran cancels plans to release American hiker Sarah Shourd

American hikers Shane Bauer, left, Sarah Shourd, center, and Josh Fattal, sit at the Esteghlal Hotel in Tehran
The Iranian Culture Ministry had earlier said one of the three hikers would be released to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, but had not confirmed the identity.

Toddler whose heart stopped for an hour makes 'miracle' recovery

Gore Otteson was without a heartbeat for between 50 to 55 minutes after he wandered away from the family holiday cabin and ended up face down in an irrigation ditch
Gore Otteson was without a heartbeat for between 50 to 55 minutes after he wandered away from the family holiday cabin and ended up face down in an irrigation ditch. His parents were ....

Chanel boutique opening in Soho, New York

As New York Fashion Week opened, Karl Lagerfeld played host to the city's fashionable finest for the launch of the new Chanel store.
Chanel's creative director Karl Lagerfeld shares a moment with German actress Diane Kruger

England ease to victory against Pakistan as Steven Davies stars with bat

Good times: England's Stuart Broad celebrates dismissing Pakistan's Umar Akmal
Photo: ACTION IMAGES
They even managed to fell a giant, though even that proved too easy with Mohammad Irfan, Pakistan’s 7ft pace bowler, injuring himself while trying to bowl during England’s innings.

Defence spending: thousands of troops to be cut

 

The cuts will lead to a substantial reduction in the size of the Army
The cuts, which are part of the strategic defence review, will lead to a substantial reduction in the size of the Army, which will also have to give up many of its tanks and armoured vehicles. Soldiers could also be ordered to serve longer on the front line in Afghanistan, and be given less time to recuperate between tours.