Haaretz [Israel], by Barak Ravid Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:24:01 GMT Hamas on Saturday vowed revenge after one of its senior commanders was killed in Israeli air strikes on Hamas'linked targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday night. "This new stupidity won't easily pass. We promise revenge for the blood of our martyr," the al'Qassam Brigades said in a leaflet faxed to reporters. (Snip) The dead man is believed to be Issa al'Batran, a commander of Hamas forces in the central Gaza region. Batran, thought to have been involved in manufaturing rockets, has been the target of a number of Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent of which, in January, killed

Bloomberg News, by Anwar Shakir & Farhan Sharif Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:20:33 GMT Karachi ' The local head of Pakistan’s largest rescue service said the death toll from flash floods in the country could reach thousands in the next few days. Already, over 800 deaths have been reported because of the devastation brought by the floods in the country’s northwest. “The death toll could go as high as 3,000 because the level of destruction has been so great,” (Snip) Pakistani television channels showed images of people on flooded roads grabbing wreckage to keep from being swept away, drowning goats and buffalo, and makeshift boats.

Times of India, by Staff from agencies Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:13:32 GMT Kim Jong'hun might well be envious of Dunga and Maradona, the two South American coaches sacked for their teams’ "poor" performance in the recent FIFA world cup. Kim, the North Korean coach, has not just been sacked, he has suffered public humiliation and been made to work unpaid as a construction worker. News leaks from Pyongyang further say that Kim fears he might soon be executed. (Snip) Under coercion, every player blamed the defeat on the coach who has reportedly been expelled from the governing Workers Party.

Daily Mail [UK], by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:05:59 GMT Cynics may dismiss it as just a piece of driftwood or a trick of the light. But a photograph showing what appears to be a long'necked sea creature has got marine experts scratching their heads. The 'animal' was snapped stalking a shoal of fish just 30 yards off the British coast. The fish were apparently so terrified they beached themselves just seconds later. The creature was spotted off the Devon coast at Saltern Cove, Paignton, by locals who reported a sighting of what they thought was a turtle. But pictures taken by one of the baffled witnesses, Gill Pearce, reveal

Agence France'Presse, by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:55:30 GMT London ' Prince Charles on Saturday urged Britain to tackle "possibly the greatest challenge humanity has faced" by creating a more sustainable future. The heir to the throne, 61, wrote in The Daily Telegraph newspaper that too often people saw "becoming more sustainable" as a threat to their quality of life or a risk to the economy. But he insisted that small, simple measures could be taken that would make the journey fun and more positive, as he launched a new initiative called Start.

Big Hollywood, by Leo Grin Posted By: DW626- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:55:29 GMT A Los Angeles Times article I read recently made me chuckle. It began by wearily tossing an exhausted barb at the 3'D phenomenon sweeping Hollywood: “With sighs of relief, critics last week took off their Polaroid glasses and looked at a couple of old'fashioned, two'dimensional films.” The big'screen photography of one of those pictures drew particular attention, with one critic noting that “It gives reality a true third dimension. . . the kind of 3'D you cannot get with mechanical tricks or by any other means except a rich comprehension and ingenious mastery of the visual storyteller’s art.”

Telegraph [UK], by Peter Hutchison Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:52:59 GMT Women are attracted to macho men and see modesty as a sign of evolutionary weakness, a study has shown. Research suggested that females have found the rise of the “more feminine man”, or “metrosexual”, a big turn'off. Women see modesty amonsgt men as a poor character trait that could adversely affect their employability or earnings potential. The study of 132 female and 100 male student volunteers found, however, that men did not view female modesty negatively.

ABC News, by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:43:48 GMT In an exclusive interview on "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour, to air this Sunday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi dodged a question about how she would have voted on a bill funding the war in Afghanistan. "Now you didn't vote. I know the speaker doesn't have to vote. But how would you have voted?" Amanpour asked Pelosi in the Speaker's ceremonial office in the Capitol. (Snip) "Is it worth it?" Amanpour repeated pointedly. "Is it worth it?" "That is the question," Pelosi replied. "But that's my question to you,"

New York Post, by Geoff Earle Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:38:05 GMT Washington ' The extent of potential conflicts of interest in Rep. Charles Rangel's relentless efforts to raise money for a center in his name is far greater than had previously been known, The Post has learned. At the same time Rangel was meeting with lobbyists and seeking multimillion'dollar donations, those very same lobbyists were pushing legislation on taxes, trade, health care and bailout rules before the House Ways and Means Committee '' the powerful panel Rangel chaired before handing over the gavel during the investigation of his alleged ethics violations.

Jerusalem Post [Israel], by Staff Posted By: Photoonist- Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:34:07 GMT China has invested an estimated $40 billion in Iran's oil and gas sector Deputy Oil Minister Hossein Noqrehkar Shirazi said in an AFP report Saturday. Speaking to the Mehr news agency, Shirazi stated that oil exports from Iran to China have decreased in the first six months of 2010 by 30 percent to 66.12 million barrels, compared to the same time period in 2009. (Snip) China has proposed participating in the construction of seven new refineries in Iran.