Malaysian Flight MH17 Shot Down in Ukraine, 295 on Board Feared Dead (Photos)

KIEV, Ukraine (Thursday: July 17, 2014) – Reported by madn3wz

A Malaysian Airline plane was reportedly shot down over war-torn part of the Ukraine on Thursday leaving the doubts about the fate of 295 on board. Flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

A man stands next to the wreckage of the malaysian airliner carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur after it crashed, in rebel-held east Ukraine, near the town of Shaktarsk, on July 17, 2014.(AFP Photo / Dominique Faget)

There are unconfirmed reports that all 295 aboard were killed in the tragedy , however, an official confirmation is yet to be made from Ukraine or Malaysia.

In a tweet, Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Najib Tun Razak has made a statement on the downed Flight MH17.

“I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation.”

Continue reading .... HERE

Report Tags: Malaysian Airliner, Malaysian Airliner Crashed over Ukraine, Malaysian Plane Crash, Malaysian Flight MH17, Malaysian Airliner Shot down in Ukraine

Israel holds murdered teenagers' funerals

JERUSALEM, Israel (Tuesday, July 01) - Reported by madn3wz

Funerals of slain Israeli teens were held at on Tuesday afternoon in each of the victims’ hometowns, a day after the bodies of three teenagers were found in the West Bank. Tens of thousands of mourners converged to attend the funeral ceremonies of the teenagers.

Avi and Rachel Fraenkel embrace during the funeral of their son, Naftali, a 16-year-old with dual Israeli-American citizenship, in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Nof Ayalon, Tuesday, July 1, 2014. (Image credit: The Montreal Gazette)

Addressing thousands of mourners, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described their killers as "heinous murderers".

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon was present in the funeral ceremony of 19-year-old Eyal Yifrach in Elad, while Finance Minister Yair Lapid attended the funeral of 16-year-old Gil-ad Shaar in Talmon.

The burial service of 16-year-old Naftali Fraenkel was held in Nof Ayalon and attended by Education Minister Shai Piron. The three teenagers were laid to rest side-by-side at the Modi'in Cemetery, after services were held at the teens' respective hometowns. 

Mourners arrived in large convoys of buses arranged for the ceremony. PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres were among the speakers to eulogize the youths, whose bodies were wrapped in blue and white Israeli flags and laid on stretchers.

The bodies of all three were found on Monday, north of the Palestinian town Halhul, just north of Hebron. They had been missing since June 12. Israel has blamed the Palestinian militant group Hamas for the deaths. Hamas has denied any involvement.

On Monday night, following the discovery of the bodies, an urgent cabinet meeting was called to assess the situation and to decide how to respond. Then Israel launched a massive air strike on the Gaza Strip, hitting 34 targets which the IDF said were terror-related. 

Report tags: Israeli Teens Funeral,  Israel, kidnapped teen, Israeli teens kidnapped, Bodies found of Missing Israeli teens, Hamas, Hebron, Gil-Ad Shaer, naftali fraenkel, eyal yifrah, Slain Israeli Teens Funeral

For more photos click HERE.

Sources:

The Montreal Gazette

Haaretz

BBC News

Breaking News!! Bodies of Three Missing Israeli Teens Found in West Bank

TEL AVIV, Israel (Monday, June 30) - Reported by madn3wz

The bodies of the three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped earlier this month were found by security forces in a field northwest of Hebron on Monday afternoon.

Missing Israeli Teens Found Dead in West Bank

Israeli military source confirms, on the condition of anonymity, that the bodies found near the village of Halhul are of the three missing teen settlers who were disappeared on June 12 from a close vicinity.

Israel yet to announce the discovery formally. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a special cabinet meeting later Monday night before releasing the news formally.

According to Israel Radio; Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon had announced earlier on Monday evening  that there was some progress in the search operation for Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel (who also holds an American passport) and Eyal Yifrah.

Three missing teens were last seen hitchhiking near Hebron. Their disappearance sparked a massive social media campaign under the hashtag #bringbackourboys.

Palestinian militant group Hamas was accused by Israeli behind the abduction of the teenagers; but Hamas has repeatedly denied the accusation.

Report Tags: Israel, Kidnapped teen, Israeli teens kidnapped, Bodies found of Missing Israeli teens, Hamas, Hebron, Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrah

Sources:

Washington Post

Associated Press

Santa Barbara Rampage: 7 Killed, 7 Injured (Watch Sheriff's News Briefing)

SANTA BARBARA, CA. (Saturday, May 24) – Reported by madn3wz

At least seven people were killed, including the suspect, Friday night by a drive-by shooter who went on a "mass murder" rampage near a Santa Barbara university campus, authorities said Saturday.

Santa Barbara Shooting Claimed Seven Lives

Seven other were also reported injured in the tragic shooting spree which is dubbed as "premeditated mass murder" by police after an initial analysis of written and videotaped evidence. The County Sheriff Bill Brown also called the shooter as "severely mentally disturbed."

"We have obtained and are currently analyzing videotaped evidence that suggests that this atrocity was a premeditated mass murder," Sheriff Brown told reporters.

The gunman got into two gun battles with deputies in the beachside community of Isla Vista before crashing his black BMW into a parked car, Brown told further. The suspect was found dead with a gun shot in his head but it wasn't immediately clear whether he was killed by gunfire or if he committed suicide, he said.

Watch Bill Brown News Briefing and Continue Reading HERE.

Report Tags:

Santa Barbara Shooting, 7 killed in Santa Barbara Shooting, County Sheriff News Briefing, Bill Brown News Briefing, Isla Vista Shooting, Retribution, Retribution Video, YouTube Retribution, Elliot Rodger, Bill Brown

Oscar-Winning Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in NYC apartment aged 46

New York City, NY (Sun, Feb. 02) – Reported by madn3wz

Academy award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in his Manhattan apartment, according to NYC police. He was 46.

Oscar-Winning Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in NYC apartment aged 46

According to further details; Hoffman's body was discovered by one of his personal assistants at about 11:35 am Sunday in the bathroom of his apartment. Apparently the cause of the death is drug overdose as his body was found with a hypodermic needle still in his arm.

Police found what they believe to be heroin inside the apartment, a source told CNN.

Read the statement from the family of the deceased actor .... HERE

Breaking News: 10 Foreign Tourists Shot Dead in Northern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Sun, Jun 23) – Reported by madn3wz

10 Foreign Tourists Shot Dead in  Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan

At least ten foreign tourists were shot dead on Sunday morning by unidentified gunmen in northern Pakistan.

According to police sources; unknown armed men stormed a hotel in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan at about 1 a.m. on Sunday and killed 10 foreign tourists, mostly of Chinese origin. The tourists from Ukraine and Russia are also reported among the dead.

"Unknown people entered a hotel where foreign tourists were staying last night and opened fire," Ali Sher, a senior police officer in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan province, told Reuters. "They killed 10 foreign tourists and fled."

The attackers escaped the scene while noo one has yet claimed the responsibility as the area had been cordoned off and police were hunting for the killers, local TV channel Geo news reported.

Further details to follow ….

Exlusive Photos: Unification Church's First Mass Wedding Since Sun Myung Moon's Death

GAPYEONG, South Korea (Sun, Feb 17) — About 3500 couples tied their wedding knots Sunday in South Korea in the first mass wedding organized by the Unification Church on Sunday - the first since the death of their "messiah" and controversial church founder Sun Myung Moon.

 Unification Church's First Mass Wedding Since Sun Myung Moon's Death

It was certainly an awesome event participated by thousands of identically-dressed couples - many of mixed nationality who had met just days before - taking part in the ceremony in Gapyeong, north-east of the capital, Seoul.

The event was not only participated by followers- often known as "Moonies" – inside South Korea; but more than 24,000 members were also married in other countries via video link.

Sunday's event carried a special resonance, with Moon's 70-year-old widow Hak Ja Han presiding for the first time without her husband who died in September last year because of complications from pneumonia. An estimated 30,000 people attended the 92-year-old's funeral.

The church's mass weddings began in the early 1960s and originally involved just a few dozen couples. Over the years they grew in size and attracted international media attention.

In 1997, some 30,000 couples were married in Washington. and two years later around 21,000 filled the Olympic Stadium in Seoul.

Report Tags:

mass wedding, Mass Wedding Korea, Mass Wedding South Korea, Moonie Mass Wedding, Unification Church, Sun Myung Moon, Sun Myung Moon Mass Wedding, South Korea, Hak Ja-han

For more photos >>>> Click HERE.

To Hell With Sanctions and Warning -- N Korea Ready for Further Nuclear Tests This Year

Pyongyang, North Korea (Fri, Feb 15) – They’re not gonna stop even after the worldwide condemnation and threats following third nuclear test, after nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, that was conducted by isolated nation – North Korea, earlier this week on Tuesday (Feb 12).

To Hell With Sanctions and Warning -- N Korea Ready for Further Nuclear Tests This Year

"North Korea is moving to become an existential threat to the U.S.," said by former senior US official on Pyongyang's nuclear test this week. It was the most powerful of North Korea's three nuclear tests so far, providing a bomb of perhaps half the strength of that which devastated Hiroshima in World War II.

North Korea has reportedly been preparing for their fourth and fifth nuclear test very soon even after warnings from Washington and others that more sanctions would be imposed on the isolated state.

According to Reuters citing an anonymous source related to the issue; in effort to force U.S. into diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, North Korea reportedly tells their key ally China about their preparations for the one or possibly two nuclear test in this year.

"It's all ready. A fourth and fifth nuclear test and a rocket launch could be conducted soon, possibly this year," the source said, adding that the fourth nuclear test would be much larger than the third at an equivalent of 10 kilotons of TNT.

Further nuclear tests will be carried out, the source said, except Washington holds talks with North Korea and dumps its policy of what Pyongyang assumes as an attempt of regime change in the country.

The North is banned under United Nations sanctions from developing missile or nuclear technology after its 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests. The U.N. Security Council has only just tightened sanctions on Pyongyang after it launched a long-range rocket in December.

Washington already took Tuesday’s nuclear test very seriously and issued warnings that more sanctions would be imposed on North Korea. It will be interesting to see how U.S. will react to the latest development in the region?

Report Tags:

North Korea, North Korean Nuclear Test, North Korea Threat, North Korea Sanctions, North Korea Further Nuclear Tests, Nuclear Tests, Pyongyang,

"America is the most corrupt nation.": Jackie Chan

HONG KONG (Sat, Jan 12) – Reported by madn3wz

"America is the most corrupt nation.": Jackie Chan

Famous martial art hero Jackie Chan becomes a controversial personality by showing his anti-American sentiments in his recent interview on a Hong Kong television show.

According to details; “Rush Hour,” star said in his interview that America is “the most corrupt country in the world” and that the Chinese people should be proud of their country.

Chan’s anti-Americanism may come as a shock to his American fans but the Washington Post describes that the Hong Kong star often found himself entangled into the political discussion in China. Chan usually saves his political comments for a small and controlled audience but he was not reluctant to show his anti-Americanism.

In the recent interview; Chan discussed China’s recent progress, eliminating dishonesty from its government; while calling America "the most corrupt [country] in the world." Chan then maintains, blaming US for the world's troubles.

Chan said (with some translation help from the Post):

“If you talk about corruption, the entire world, the United State, has no corruption? (The United States) is the most corrupt in the world. Where does this Great Breakdown [financial crisis] come from? It started exactly from the world, the United States. When I was interviewed in the U.S., people asked me, I said the same thing. I said now that China has become strong, everyone is making an issue of China. If our own countrymen don’t support our country, who will support our country? We know our country has many problems. We [can] talk about it when the door is closed. To outsiders, [we should say] “our country is the best.”

This interview is most likely not so startling to Chinese viewers. Chan has been thrilling disagreement for a few years now for criticizing Taiwan and Hong Kong as models of what can go wrong when you have “too much freedom.” 

Report tags: Jackie Chan, Jackie Chan Anti-America, Anti-American Sentiments, America, USA, Anti-Americanism, Jackie Chan's Anti-Americanism

No comments from Saudi authorities as BBC report shows Saudi weapons in Syrian rebel base

ALEPPO, Syria (Tue, Oct. 09) - Reported by madn3wz

No comments from Saudi authorities as BBC report shows Saudi weapons in Syrian rebel base

Weapons and ammunition that were actually intended for the Saudi military have allegedly been diverted to Syrian rebel base, according to recently released video footage.

Three big crates, having almost 90 kgs of gross weight, from a Ukrainian arms manufacturer addressed to Saudi Arabia have been seen in a Syrian rebel base in the city of Aleppo - a stronghold of the so-called 'Free Syrian Army', BBC television reported.  

The presence of such weapons clearly suggests that some Persian Gulf countries are against the President Assad's regime and helping the rebels. 

Saudi Arabian authorities refused to comment on the issue. 

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

According to the report, the crates of ammunition found in an Aleppo mosque were made by the Ukrainian firm Dastan, Luhansk Cartridge Works (LCW), founded in 1895 and specializes in naval weapons and missile complexes. 

In Soviet Union times, the firm majorly supplied cartridges for Soviet military use but later on diversified into sports and hunting markets. One of its key exports is the 7.62mm cartridge used in the AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, which is used by both the Syrian army and rebels, the report said.  

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.  

 Report Tags:

Syria, Syrian War, Syrian Rebels, Free Syrian Army, Saudi Weapon, Saudi Weapon in Syria,

Iran can't be trusted over nuclear program: Bill Clinton says in CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight”

In response to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech in UN General Assembly; former U.S. President Bill Clinton said he doesn't believe Tehran's claims that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon, according to CNN.

Iran can't be trusted over nuclear program: Bill Clinton says in CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight”

Clinton further urged the world to pressurize Iran to allow UN inspectors to verify the assertions made by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his U.N. General Assembly address.

Talking to CNN's Piers Morgan, Clinton said, "What they are really saying is, in spite of the fact that we deny the Holocaust, that we threaten Israel, and we demonize the Unite States, and we do all this stuff, we want you to trust us. They don't have a tenable position."

If Iran gets nukes, "the retaliation would be incomprehensible," and other nations in the region would run to join nuclear power club, Clinton told further.

 

SOURCE:

 

CNN

Obama Adresses UN General Assembly (Video): Warns Iran on Nukes

NEW YORK (Wed, Sep 26) - U.S. President Barack Obama yet again cleared U.S. stance over Iran's nukes on Tuesday saying that his country will do anything possible to prevent Iran being a nuclear power as nuclear-armed Iran would be dangerous for Israel, ignite a regional arms race and destabilize the global economy.

 

Obama Adresses UN General Assembly: Warns Iran on Nukes

 

Obama was adressing in the annual meeting of United Nations Gerneral Assembly. He pledged in a speech to world leaders yesterday that the U.S. will do what it takes to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon and warned that time for a diplomatic resolution “is not unlimited.”

“Make no mistake: A nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained and the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” said Obama, , who seeks re-election on November 6, during his half-an-hour adress to 193-member UN General Assembly.

During his speech Obama also called anew for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following an 18-month civil war without saying how to make it happen. He also offered no fresh ideas on solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Watch video below for more:

 

France to shut down cosulates in 20 countries over blasphemous material published in magazine

PARIS, France (Thu, Sep 20) - According to BBC New; France has decided to close temporarily its embassies, consulates, cultural centres and schools in 20 Muslim countries because of fears of a hostile reaction at a French magazine's publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

 

France to shut down cosulates in 20 countries over blasphemous material published in magazine

 

 

Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly, printed the Muslim prophet in pornographic poses, a move which was decried by the French government as pouring “oil on the fire.” In preemptive response to possible backlash, France immediately closed its embassy and school in Tunisia, where deadly protests raged in front of the American embassy last week.

In France, the government said it won't allow street protests against the cartoons.

"We live in a land where freedom of expression is guaranteed, including that of satire," Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an interview on RTL radio today. "We also live in a land of rights, and if people feel they have been offended they can take it to the courts."

The last time the same magazine published such kind of cartoons, its Paris offices were firebombed.

The French government is calling for restraint and has condemned the magazine for publishing the cartoons.

Source:

BBC News

Sydney Morning Herald

Enduring US Mystery: Amelia Earhart remembered by Google on her 115th birthday

Google has celebrated the 115^th birthday of Amelia Mary Earhart - was a noted American aviation pioneer – who went missing over the South Pacific 75 years ago.

Enduring US Mystery: Amelia Earhart remembered by Google on her 115th birthday

 

According to Wikipedia; during an attempt to make a circum-navigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Purdue-funded Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. Fascination with her life, career and disappearance continues to this day.

Earlier this July a $2.2 million expedition was started hoping to finally solve one of America's most enduring mysteries: What exactly happened to famed aviator Amelia Earhart when she went missing over the South Pacific 75 years ago?

Earhart was the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this record. She set many other records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots.

Earhart joined the faculty of the Purdue University aviation department in 1935 as a visiting faculty member to counsel women on careers and help inspire others with her love for aviation. She was also a member of the National Woman's Party, and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Report Tags: 

Amelia Mary Earhart, Amelia Earhart, Amelia Earhart, Amelia Earhart Missing, Amelia Earhart Mystery, Amelia Earhart Google, Amelia Earhart Doodle, Amelia Earhart Google Doodle, Amelia Earhart Birthday, Lockheed Model 10 Electra,