MFS - The Other News

                          Morning Posting.

• Egypt volatile situation : President Mobarak will  adress the nation shortly - Al Jazeera English - Live Streams From Egypt ! Here .
• Egypt protests on Twitter!  here.

• HT:EnduringAmerica.Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Black Hole or Another Day of Revolution?Read and see the whole story as it develops here.

• Egypt: Internet down, Brotherhood leaders arrested. Facebook, Twitter sites disrupted; counter-terror force takes up positions in strategic locations ahead of more anti-government protests; security forces arrest at least five opposition leaders, five former MPs.The developments were a sign that President Hosni Mubarak's regime was toughening its crackdown following the biggest protests in years against his nearly 30-year rule.The counter-terror force, rarely seen on the streets, took up positions in strategic locations, including central Tahrir Square, site of the biggest demonstrations this week.Facebook and Twitter have helped drive this week's protests. But by Thursday evening, those sites were disrupted, along with cell phone text messaging and BlackBerry Messenger services. Then the Internet went down.Earlier, the grass-roots movement got a double boost - the return of Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and the backing of the biggest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.After midnight, security forces arrested at least five Brotherhood leaders and five former Members of Parliament, according to the group's lawyer, Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maksoud, and spokesman, Walid Shalaby. They said security forces had also taken a large number of Brotherhood members in a sweep in Cairo and elsewhere. The real test for the protest movement will be whether Egypt's fragmented opposition can come together, with Friday's rallies expected to be some of the biggest so far. In a move likely to help swell the numbers on the streets, the Muslim Brotherhood ended days of inaction to throw its support behind the demonstrations. On its website, the outlawed group said it would join "with all the national Egyptian forces, the Egyptian people, so that this coming Friday will be the general day of rage for the Egyptian nation." However, Internet disruptions were reported by a major service provider for Egypt. Italy-based Seabone said there was no Internet traffic going into or out of the country after 12:30 am local time Friday.Read the full story here.

• ECtHR: Turkey holds the title of ‘worst human rights violator’!In an annual report released on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the top judicial body to rule on human rights violations in Europe, once again found that Turkey is by far the worst violator of human rights among the 47 signatory states of the European Convention on Human Rights. In statistical data on violation judgments by country for the last year, Turkey once more topped the chart with 18.55 percent of all violation judgments, practically the same as last year's figure of 18.81, followed by Russia with 14.48 percent and Romania 9.54 percent. In 2010, a total of 278 judgments were entered for Turkey and only in nine cases did the court find no violations.The most common human rights violation committed by Turkey was against Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which concerns the right to a fair trial (42 cases) and lengthy proceedings (83 cases). This article was often raised as the reason for the rulings against Turkey.Hmmmm.......Erdogan...The defender of human rights?'John 8:7'"Let him that is without sin among you first cast the stone at her'(Israel).Read the full story here.World Report 2011: Turkey

• ‘Valley of the Wolves Palestine’ to be screened in Germany.The screenwriter of a newly released Turkish movie that features the story of the Mavi Marmara incident said on Wednesday that the ban of the movie in Germany is “illegal” and that the film will be screened in that country today. The long-expected movie was slated to be released today in Germany but it was withdrawn after an authoritative German film association recommended that theaters in the country not show the movie, allegedly for containing anti-Israel propaganda and for coinciding with Holocaust Remembrance Day. Bahadır Özdener said, while speaking after a première of the movie in İstanbul, that the movie will most probably be screened in Germany today and that their lawyers are taking necessary steps in this regard.“Kurtlar Vadisi Filistin” (Valley of the Wolves Palestine) is the latest release of the Panafilm movie company, which has the biggest budget in the Turkish cinema industry. The movie is featuring the lethal Israeli storming of the Mavi Marmara aid ship on May 31 last year that killed eight Turks and an American citizen.Speaking about a possible crisis the movie might cause between Israel and Turkey, Özdener said there are many “unspoken sides of the relationship” between the two countries since 1948 and he said he hopes the movie will create an opportunity to discuss these things.Hmmmm......The worst human rights violator as victim,great role play,perhaps the hanged Armenians can figure as background decor?Read the full story here.

• HT:WatchmansWarning.Dept of Homeland Security forces tru TV to stop airing Fema camp video?Very important and critical information is being suppressed and hidden from the American people. This story is rather shocking, nevertheless it is much-needed to be heard.Read and see the full story here.

• Somali militant group recruiting Canadian youth. Top Canadian security officials say they have intercepted or intervened in a number of cases involving Canadian youths set to join the Somalia-based militant organization al-Shabaab, but in spite of their efforts many others may have joined the group.Canadian security officials believe at least 20 Canadian youths have been recruited by al-Shabaab — and that most of those young men have come from the Greater Toronto Area.Al-Shabaab is based in Somalia, and believed to have links to al-Qaeda.Canadian officials claim the group has been so successful at recruiting that it is now considered to be the number 1 threat to Canada's national security.In an interview with CBC News, Insp. Keith Finn of Canada's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team said that in spite of the successes of intercepting some youths bound for al-Shabaab training camps, there's always concern about those who've slipped through and could eventually return to Canada as trained terrorists."The problem is, if they're prepared to act on it, a very small number of people can cause a great deal of damage to Canadians," said Finn.Abdullahi Mohamed said he fears that unless the federal government reaches out to young Muslims there will be more young men from Canada joining al-Shabaab."Help us before they use us. Employ us before they employ us. The ball is in your court federal government. Wake up before the blood is soaked in the streets of Toronto, like it was in London, Stockholm and New York."Read the full story here.

• HT:Vladtepesblog.They tried to kill the EDL leader! THEY CAME AFTER HIM WITH A SHOTGUN!Muslim in Full Islamic Garb Attempts to Shoot and Kill EDL Leader.I was just informed by a mate in the UK that one of the leaders of the English Defence League (EDL) was shot at by a Muslim in full jihad mode. “It is with regret that I have to give you this expected news, but tonight we have seen the religion of peace in their full glory. One of the EDL leaders Kevin Carrol has been targeted by Muslim gangs in Luton and has been shot at several times. Details are a little sketchy as armed police have the area contained at present. Kev and his family are safe I can confirm that much.Videodeclaration by Kevin here.

• PROPAGANDA: Reagan And Obama On The Cover Of TIME.TIME Magazine’s new February 2011 issue has a cover that features Ronald Reagan with his arm around a jovial Barack Obama. You can see the image below. This is propaganda. Plain and simple.Anyone who knows anything about Ronald Reagan knows that he would not only disapprove of everything Obama stands for, he would be the first one to call out Obama as the leftist, liberal, big government Democrat he is.Ronald Reagan warned America about ObamaCare 50 years ago. Do you think he would want to be photoshopped onto a magazine cover yukking it up with his political nemesis?It’s no secret that since the November 2010 “shellacking” the Obama loving media has been desperately trying to re-brand Captain Priorities as a practical centrist but this is ridiculous. Consider two key coincidences…

1. Reagan’s 100th birthday celebration is happening in… February 2011.
2. Obama’s new press secretary used to work for…. TIME Magazine.Feast your eyes on the lowest depths of hypocrisy in liberal media. Warning: Image may induce vomiting…Hmmmm......"On Hawaii vacation, Obama reads up on Reagan".Like a good actor rehearsing his "Role"?Read the full make believe story here.

• Medicare chief Berwick gets W.H. nod.On Wednesday night, the White House renominated Dr. Don Berwick to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.The nomination is likely to be yet another flashpoint in the contentious health-care repeal debate on Capitol Hill. Republicans strongly objected to Berwick’s appointment last year, pointing to his previous comments in support of the British health system and rationing with “eyes open” or closed.Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called the renomination “a disappointing decision.”“A day after the president committed to coming together to move our country forward, he’s chosen to renominate one of his most contentious nominees to head an agency that impacts the lives of more than 100 million Americans,” said Hatch, who is the ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee.“Given Dr. Berwick’s controversial views, Republicans will expect a full hearing to understand how the administration is implementing the $2.6 trillion health law, its impact on the American people, and the consequences to future of Medicare and Medicaid.”He will face a hearing in the Finance Committee and confirmation by the full Senate.Berwick is likely to face a difficult nomination. Many Republicans are still angry about his recess appointment and have significant questions about the agency he oversees.The administration recess-appointed Berwick to the post in July, arguing that Republicans had signaled they would slow-walk or oppose his nomination proceedings. Republicans were likely to oppose the confirmation but welcomed a chance to grill him in a confirmation hearing. The White House made the recess appointment before a hearing was held.Hmmmmm......My way or the highway?Read thew full story here.

• God absent from Russia church's new spiritual guide.(Reuters Life!) - God is absent from a new spiritual guide the Russian Orthodox Church is drafting in tandem with Russia's ruling party, a newspaper said on Thursday.Instead justice, patriotism and solidarity top the list of the guideline, dubbed "Eternal Values: The foundation of Russian Identity, which the Church is to publish with the dominant United Russia party, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.The moral guide lists the values in order of their importance in the eyes of the church and the party: 1. justice, 2. freedom, 3. solidarity, 4. unity, 5. self-restraint and sacrifice, 6. patriotism, 7. welfare and 8. love, the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported.The paper cited Church spokesman, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, as saying the principles were based on how strongly they are "rooted in God's truth and in the life experiences that remain constant."The Orthodox Church has gained substantially in power in Russia since the fall of communism, forming close ties with Russia's political elite.But its dominance has drawn criticism from rights groups who say it's growing political role undermines Russia's secular constitution.Earlier this month, the Church outraged Russian feminists by proposing that women dress more modestly.Hmmm.....Mother Russia and Father state?Read the full story here.

• HT:RealClearPolitics.Video : Obama To Schools: Stop Just Serving "Tater Tots And Pizza".In a YouTube interview on Thursday afternoon, President Obama talks about what he thinks is healthy for people to eat.Read and see the full story here.

• Do Muslims cheat?In the past, we learned from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that “Muslims don’t commit genocide,” and that “Muslims don’t resort to terror.” Only a couple of days before an unidentified suicide bomber killed 35 people at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport this week, Mr. Erdoğan made an addition to his “Muslims don’t” series: “Muslims don’t kill.”That – hopefully – completes his scientific analysis of the link between murder and faith which took off in Davos two years ago with his infamous line, “Jews know well how to kill.”But this time Mr. Erdoğan colored his interpretation with a line of caution that “those who do kill are not Muslims.” That reasoning means speaking against a basic teaching of the Quran that says “mortals are not entitled to decide who is a Muslim and who is not (only Allah the Almighty knows).”Apart from “speaking against the Quran,” there is another problematic aspect about Mr. Erdoğan’s thinking. If his assertion that anyone who attempts to kill a human being cannot be Muslim is correct, the world’s Muslim population cannot be as big as the statistics say.Mr. Erdoğan, in the absence of substantial evidence, may be thinking that the Moscow bombing was the work of ultra-secularist Turks – who are not Muslim because they probably drink alcohol, and eat pork too!But his reasoning is problematic for his fellow Muslims, in view of past and present-day murders.The prime minister may choose to believe that Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, a Muslim, did not commit genocide in Darfur. Politics aside, he may choose to believe that all petty criminals convicted of murder in the entire Muslim world are in fact crypto Jews. He may choose to believe that it was not the Muslim Chechen terrorists who killed hundreds of schoolchildren in Beslan in 2006. He may also choose to believe that Black September and al-Qaeda were or are charity organizations. But what might he have thought when, for instance, Hamas (or Hezbollah) killed innocent Israelis, including schoolchildren? That the Hamas (or Hezbollah) chaps are not Muslims because “Muslims don’t kill?” No.All that reminds me of the teachings of one of the contemporary Muslim world’s greatest thinkers, H.E. Fethullah Gülen, who once preached: “The philosophy of our service is that we open a house somewhere and, with the patience of a spider, we lay our web to wait for people to get caught in the web; and we teach those who do. We don't lay the web to eat or consume them but to show them the way to their resurrection, to blow life into their dead bodies and souls, to give them a life.”Now, politics aside, and speaking strictly socially, think about it yourself: Would you have coffee with a man who wholeheartedly believes that Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Shintoists, Bahais, atheists, Germans, Turks, Bolivians, Sicilians, Kenyans, Tibetans, Japanese, or whoever… would not kill?If not, go have a glass of wine with a spider. Oh, yes I’ve seen plenty of spiders that drink wine!Hmmmm.....BRAVO!....Well Said !Read the full story here.

• Russians name Muslim convert as prime suspect for airport bombing.Security sources have named an ethnic Russian Christian who converted to Islam as the prime suspect in Monday's deadly suicide bombing at a Moscow airport.Sources close to the investigation said that Vitaly Razdobudko, a 32-year-old from the southern Russian city of Stavropol, was being sought in connection with the attack, the Kommersant newspaper reported yesterday. It is not known whether Razdobudko is suspected of being the actual suicide bomber or an accomplice.Razdobudko went missing in October last year, with his wife, according to police sources in Stavropol. He is believed to have been an Orthodox Christian, of Slavic appearance, who later converted to Islam.Unconfirmed reports suggest that Russia believes the airport attackers may have been trained at al-Qa'ida camps on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistani media yesterday quoted sources in the country's intelligence agency saying that officers from Russia's security service, the FSB, had asked their Pakistani counterparts for information and support.So far, no group has taken responsibility for the bombing. However, Umarov vowed last year to hit energy and transport infrastructure in the heart or Russia. The airport attack was timed to cause maximum embarrassment for Russia,coming just before Mr Medvedev travelled to Davos to drum up foreign investment in Russia. Militant groups have also threatened to target sporting events. Russia will host the World Cup in 2018 and the Winter Olympics in 2014. And the winter games will be held in Sochi, not far from the North Caucasus region, and.Yesterday, more top transport officials were sacked, including the head of air transport security for the western part of Russia. Mr Medvedev said the airport's security had been in a "state of anarchy", and appears keen to blame civilian bodies rather than ask why the FSB security services and police failed to stop the attack.Read the full story here.

• Hawaii lawmakers want release of Obama birth info.HONOLULU – Five Hawaii Democratic representatives want to pass a law making President Barack Obama's birth records public and charge $100 to see them.The bill, introduced this week, would change a privacy law barring the release of birth records to anyone unless they have a tangible interest.The measure hasn't been scheduled for a public hearing yet, and can't move forward until that happens.Its primary sponsor, Rep. Rida Cabanilla, says she wants to end the controversy surrounding Obama's birth by handing over official state records to those who will pay.She says the fee would help offset the extra work by state employees who handle frequent phone calls and e-mails from people who believe Obama wasn't born in Hawaii.Hawaii's health director has said she's verified Obama's original records, and notices were published in two newspapers within days of his birth at a Honolulu hospital.Hmmmmm......It's like the Hawaian "Loch Ness Monster" all claim to have seen it ,there are copies of it but there's no proof of the real deal?Read the full story here.

• Fate of Canadian Oil Pipeline in U.S. Rests With State Department.The decision to approve a pipeline that would bring Canadian oil across America via pipeline to refineries in Texas has fallen to the State Department, which finds itself in a battle among states as it weighs the environmental impact against jobs and cheaper, friendlier oil.TransCanada says its $13 billion project is a win-win for both countries and earned some stateside cheerleaders last week after it finalized deals to let U.S. producers in North Dakota and Montana use part of its proposed pipeline. Under the agreement, about 65,000 barrels a day worth of their tar sands oil would glide from Alberta, Canada, through the Canadian firm's pipeline en route to facilities in Cushing, Okla. The so-called Keystone XL line is part of a broader pipeline system projected to eventually carry more than 1 million barrels a day across the two countries.But objections have been building over the past several months in the wake of the BP oil spill last April in the Gulf of Mexico. The Sierra Club complained that the pipeline would indirectly contribute to global warming, and a Nebraska Republican senator complained it would cross a vital aquifer. And U.S. property owners have challenged Canadian firm TransCanada's attempts to build on their land.TransCanada claims the overall project will reduce the United States' dependence on oil from the Middle East and Venezuela, and create 20,000 U.S. jobs in the process. "The American people want oil from friendlier sources and from a trading partner such as Canada," TransCanada spokesman Shawn Howard told FoxNews.com.Asked about the climate change concerns, Howard said TransCanada is merely transporting the oil, a process he suggested would have minimal environmental impact. "We need to put ... some of the claims out there into perspective. This is a pipeline transporting oil to meet consumer demand," he said. "There's going to be next to no emissions associated with the actual operation of this line." Howard said he hopes the State Department issues a permit "as soon as possible," though he added the firm could furnish more information if necessary.Hmmmmm.......We don't want oil from our Canadian friends?Read the full story here.

• Problem pupils will be enrolled at 'boot camps' run by former soldiers says Education Secretary.Disruptive children will be sent to ‘boot camps’ run by former soldiers under Government plans.Expelled pupils are to receive a ‘military-style education’ at the special units separate from mainstream schools.Former army officers who fought in Afghanistan will keep the youngsters under close supervision while teaching them teamwork and basic skills.There will be a strong emphasis on physical exercise including assault courses and training similar to the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme.Children will be taught maths skills by learning how to use a map in a forest. They will also be expected to volunteer in their community. Michael Gove yesterday paved the way for the measures as he unveiled his Education Bill, which focuses on boosting standards and improving behaviour in schools.If passed, the Bill will grant the Education Secretary powers to order a local council to close failing schools.And it will strip academy sponsors of their involvement in a school if that school under-performs.The Bill also seeks to hand teachers more power to tackle bad behaviour in the classroom while freeing them of the reams of unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy introduced under Labour.There are currently 16,000 youngsters under the age of 16 who are outside the school system, often because they have been excluded and no school will take them in.At present they are taught in one of more than 400 Pupil Referral Units which local authorities are obliged to provide. Yesterday Mr Gove said most local authority-run referral units ‘are not up to snuff’ and expressed his desire for them to be closed and reopened as academies. He said he envisaged that they would be run by and modelled on charities such as Skill Force, which trains and hires veterans to teach disadvantaged and disruptive young children.Hmmmmm........God works in mysterious ways,there was a time they would have been send to the Jesuit institute.Read the full story here.

• One L of a mistake: White man with short hair and stubble is issued provisional driving licence... featuring a photo of burka-clad Asian woman.When Scott Allen received his provisional licence through the post, he realised something was not quite right. While the bearded white 27-year-old's name, address and date of birth was all correct, the photograph showed a picture of an Asian woman in an hijab.The green card, which had been issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), also contained the signature of an unknown person - presumed to be the woman in the traditional Muslim head dress in the picture.Mr Allan, from Acton, West London, applied for his licence on the internet but was told he would need to send a photograph and proof of ID in the post.So he was startled to receive a licence a couple of weeks later - before he had even supplied his picture and passport.Mr Allan said: 'I was surprised when I opened the envelope from the DVLA and found a driving licence because I had not completed the application process.'That surprise turned to disbelief when I looked closer and saw the face of an unknown woman staring back at me beside my name, address and date of birth.'There is no resemblance between the two of us whatsoever.'I am a white male, with a beard and short hair but the photograph is of an Asian woman in an hijab - it's laughable.'I am astounded that the DVLA could make such a massive mistake.''There is a funny side to it but, clearly, a more serious one too,' he said.'Driving licences are widely accepted as official proof of identification and if the wrong ID gets into the wrong hands it could have serious consequences.'He added: 'When I phoned the DVLA to complain they initially failed to acknowledge there was a problem.Hmmmmm......."Looks are deceiving"?Read the full story here.

• And now for something completely different.Yes, he can walk. But just how close IS he to being human?The pictures of Ambam the gorilla standing up on his hind legs and walking, for all the world just like one of us, are quite captivating.Not only do they serve as a powerful reminder that, after chimpanzees, gorillas are the second closest living relative to humans, but for me they also brought back so many happy memories of my own encounters with these gentle giants of the great ape world. Nothing, not even David Attenborough, ­prepares you for the moment you come face-to-face with a wild gorilla for the first time.Walking on our hind legs - bipedal motion, as it’s called - is one of the distinguishing characteristics that makes us humans human, and we’re always impressed by an ­animal, be it dog, bear or, indeed, gorilla that can mimic it. But there’s another reason why those pictures of Ambam are so powerful and that’s because, quite unwittingly, he is reproducing that almost mythical moment from ­evolutionary history when one of our ape-ancestors came down from the trees and walked on its hind legs for the first time.Read and see the full story here,video here.