http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with world news and current affairs that matter en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296304,eu-condemns-philippine-massacre.html Stockholm - The Swedish presidency of the European Union Wednesday condemned the massacre of more than 50 people earlier this week in the southern Philippines. Sweden, holder of the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc, said it was confident aut... Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:46:25 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296304,eu-condemns-philippine-massacre.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296303,federer-reflects-only-briefly-on-proud-return-to-top--feature.html London - Roger Federer was pausing only briefly to delight in his return to year-end world number one status a year after losing the honour to Rafael Nadal in Shanghai. There was the more pressing matter to hand of Thursday's grudge duel with Argenti... Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:46:22 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296303,federer-reflects-only-briefly-on-proud-return-to-top--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296300,excluding-east-jerusalem-from-settlement-halt-major-issue-fayyad.html Ramallah - Excluding occupied East Jerusalem from any possible temporary Israel settlement construction freeze is a major issue for Palestinians, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Wednesday. Reacting to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Net... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:28:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296300,excluding-east-jerusalem-from-settlement-halt-major-issue-fayyad.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296299,at-least-five-dead-41-injured-in-twin-iraq-bombings.html Baghdad - At least five people were killed and 46 injured when two bombs exploded in the central Iraqi city of Karbala on Wednesday, doctors told the German Press Agency dpa. Witnesses said the first bomb badly damaged a restaurant on Karbala's Jamai... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:28:15 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296299,at-least-five-dead-41-injured-in-twin-iraq-bombings.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296298,irans-defence-minister-predict-more-wars-in-region.html Tehran - Iran's defence minister on Wednesday predicted more wars in the volatile Middle East, ISNA news agency reported. We are living in a region which has in the recent years witnessed several wars such as the (1980-88) Iran-Iraq war, the first a... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:22:12 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296298,irans-defence-minister-predict-more-wars-in-region.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296297,background-barrosos-new-european-commission-team.html Brussels - Officials in Brussels on Wednesday published the complete list of national figures taking part in the incoming European Commission, the European Union's executive arm. Negotiations are now underway to allocate portfolios, with the new 27-m... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:16:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296297,background-barrosos-new-european-commission-team.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296294,danish-parties-fail-to-agree-on-eu-referendum.html Copenhagen - Danish opposition parties Wednesday failed to persuade Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to call a referendum on some of the country's current opt-outs from the European Union. We should not be too hasty, he said after a meeting with... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:58:12 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296294,danish-parties-fail-to-agree-on-eu-referendum.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296293,irans-supreme-leader-says-efforts-by-opposition-futile--summary.html Tehran - The Iranian supreme leader said Wednesday that efforts by the opposition to change the country's political status quo were futile. Those who are deceived by a smile or applause by the enemy and try to confront the establishment and constitu... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:46:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296293,irans-supreme-leader-says-efforts-by-opposition-futile--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296292,large-doping-trade-network-busted-in-austria.html Vienna - Austrian police have uncovered what was likely one of the biggest international networks peddling illegal growth hormones for athletes, the police authority of Lower Austria province said Wednesday. Investigators found some 2 tons of illicit... Australasia,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:46:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296292,large-doping-trade-network-busted-in-austria.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296290,rights-group-settlers-who-harm-palestinian-olive-crops-unpunished.html Jerusalem - Israel has failed to act against Jewish settlers who vandalize Palestinian olive crops in the West Bank, Israeli rights group Yesh Din charged Wednesday. Over the past four years, Israeli police investigated 69 incidents in which settlers... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:46:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296290,rights-group-settlers-who-harm-palestinian-olive-crops-unpunished.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296289,ukrainian-killed-in-pirate-attack-on-german-ship-off-benin.html Hamburg - A shipboard battle with pirates off the West African coast left a Ukrainian officer dead before the pirates fled with their booty, the vessel's German owners said Wednesday. The crew of the tanker Cancale Star managed to take one of the pir... Africa,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:40:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296289,ukrainian-killed-in-pirate-attack-on-german-ship-off-benin.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296288,france-to-tighten-laws-against-domestic-violence.html Paris - The French government is drawing up a law that will sharpen punishment for those found guilty of domestic violence, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Wednesday. The new law will include penalties for psychological violence and will make f... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:34:14 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296288,france-to-tighten-laws-against-domestic-violence.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296279,us-tricking-tehran-with-nuclear-deal-parliament-chief-says.html Tehran - Iran's parliament speaker Wednesday accused the United States of trying to trick Tehran with a deal to exchange enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, the official news agency IRNA reported. Evaluating the deal and the US part in it, we realize... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:16:15 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296279,us-tricking-tehran-with-nuclear-deal-parliament-chief-says.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296277,pakistan-charges-seven-suspects-in-mumbai-terror-attack.html Islamabad - A Pakistani court on Wednesday indicted seven people suspected of involvement in the terrorist attacks in India's financial hub of Mumbai one year ago. Prosecutor Malik Rab Nawaz said the suspects had been indicted for planning, financin... India,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:10:13 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296277,pakistan-charges-seven-suspects-in-mumbai-terror-attack.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296276,southern-sudanese-president-narrowly-avoids-plane-crash-death.html Kampala - The president of Southern Sudan on Wednesday narrowly avoided becoming the second successive leader of the autonomous region to die in an air crash when a tyre burst on his plane just before take-off at an northern Ugandan airfield. Salva K... Africa,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:04:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296276,southern-sudanese-president-narrowly-avoids-plane-crash-death.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296271,convicted-rapist-hanged-in-iran.html Tehran - A convicted rapist was hanged Wednesday at a prison in the Iranian city of Karaj, west of the capital Tehran, ISNA news agency reported. The 25-year-old convict was executed after his death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court, ISNA s... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:28:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296271,convicted-rapist-hanged-in-iran.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296270,death-toll-in-philippine-political-massacre-at-57--summary.html Manila - Philippine security forces Wednesday dug up three vehicles and 10 more bodies from the site of a massacre linked to a political rivalry in the country's troubled south, bringing the death toll to 57. Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce, a regi... Asia,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:28:15 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296270,death-toll-in-philippine-political-massacre-at-57--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296269,irans-supreme-leader-says-efforts-by-opposition-futile.html Tehran - The Iranian supreme leader said Wednesday that efforts by the opposition to change the country's political status quo were futile. Those who are deceived by a smile or applause by the enemy and try to confront the establishment and constitu... Middle East,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:22:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296269,irans-supreme-leader-says-efforts-by-opposition-futile.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296268,belgian-king-appoints-leterme-as-premier-for-a-second-time.html Brussels - King Albert of Belgium appointed Yves Leterme as the country's prime minister for a second time Wednesday following the resignations of Herman Van Rompuy, who is to become European Union president. The king has accepted the resignation of... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:10:14 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296268,belgian-king-appoints-leterme-as-premier-for-a-second-time.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296265,gambling-grannies-arrested-on-cyprus.html Athens/Nicosia - Forty-two elderly women, including a 95- year-old, where arrested in a raid on a gambling den on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, reports said Wednesday. The women, the majority of them aged between 75 and 85, were charged... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:58:14 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296265,gambling-grannies-arrested-on-cyprus.html