Tuesday, January 05, 2010

01/05/10

* Spotty enforcement for new US air screening rules On the first day of what was supposed to be tighter screening ordered by the United States for airline passengers from certain countries, some airports around the world have conceded they had not cracked down.

* Iraq to sue Israel over destroyed reactor An Iraqi parliament member said Tuesday that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki plans to sue Israel for damages done to his country following its destruction of the Tammuz nuclear reactor.

* Yemen fertile ground for terror groups Yemen, a rugged, poor country on the southern Arabian Peninsula, is emerging as a key theater in the international fight against terrorism.

* Jordanian Double Agent Murders 7 CIA, 1 Fellow Jordanian Spy A Jordanian spy sent to Afghanistan to search for top Al Qaeda leaders apparently succeeded in his mission.

* Jordanian Lawyers Seek Arrest of Two Knesset Legislators Lawyers in Jordan have petitioned its courts for an arrest warrant for Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and National Union Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad for their labeling Jordan a “Palestinian state.”

* Obama's nuclear weapons plan runs into resistance US President Barack Obama's plan to begin phasing out nuclear weapons has run up against powerful resistance from officials in the Pentagon and other American agencies.

* FACTBOX-Key 2010 global political risks to markets The risk of sovereign debt default, looming elections, social unrest, populism, and thorny relations between the United States and China could all hit global markets in 2010.

* Iran blocks EU delegation visit Iran has postponed a visit to Tehran by Euro MPs who were going to meet Iranian opposition activists and Majlis (parliament) members this week.

* Iraq - the new destination for daring tourists It doesn't seem like the ideal location for a vacation, and yet Iraq has managed to appeal to a daring few who are intrigued by the country's rich history, culture, archeology and more recently, Saddam Hussein's legacy.

* Is a Taliban-style group taking over Somalia? A hard-line Islamist militia known as Al-Shabab is capturing key areas throughout Somalia, but analysts differ over whether the group can actually take over the country.