The Top 10 Stories of February 6, 2012
Quote of the day.
"In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope that we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign…" - Queen Elizabeth II, in a message to the public on today’s 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
(Guardian)
1. U.S. military Archbishop blames war for woes of Iraqi Christians.
The toppling of Saddam Hussein''s regime might have brought democracy to the country, but it also unleashed sectarian violence that has been taking a toll on the country''s religious minorities,
(Christian Post)
2. Catholics plan counterattack on new contraception coverage.
The Catholic Church reacted strongly Friday to a White House defense of new rules that will force many religious employers to provide contraception to their workers in government-mandated health insurance plans.
(Los Angeles Times)
3. Romney wins overwhelming victory in Nevada.
Mitt Romney secured an overwhelming victory in Saturday’s Nevada caucuses, giving the former Massachusetts governor his second consecutive win of the year as he tightened his claim to dominant front-runner status in what had been a turbulent Republican presidential race.
(Washington Post)
4. Payroll tax cut splinters GOP.
Republicans, once again, face a defining choice less than a month before the payroll tax holiday expires.
(Politico)
5. Fears grow of Israeli attack on Iran.
For the first time in nearly two decades of escalating tensions over Iran''s nuclear program, world leaders are genuinely concerned that an Israeli military attack on the Islamic Republic could be imminent -- an action that many fear might trigger a wider war, terrorism and global economic havoc.
(AP/Newsday)
6. Palestinians to form unity government.
The rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have agreed to form a new unity government in the West Bank and Gaza, which will be headed by Mahmoud Abbas,
(Guardian)
7. Egypt defies U.S. by setting trial for 19 Americans.
Egypt’s military-led government said Sunday that it would put 19 Americans and two dozen others on trial in a politically charged criminal investigation into the foreign financing of nonprofit groups that has shaken the 30-year alliance between the United States and Egypt.
(New York Times)
8. Syrian unrest after a failure of diplomacy.
The collapse of diplomatic efforts to mediate Syria’s uprising reverberated across the country Sunday, emboldening a government that pressed on with a crackdown in the capital’s suburbs and the north and prompting rebel leaders to vow that only force would drive President Bashar al-Assad from power.
(New York Times)
Prominent Syrian lawmaker says the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force has recently arrived in [Syria] to help manage Assad''s regime brutal suppression…
(Haaretz).
The Obama administration closed the U.S. Embassy in Damascus and pulled all American diplomats out…
(CBS/AP)
9. U.S. weighs shift of tactics in Afghanistan.
The U.S. military is planning to elevate the role of Special Operations forces in Afghanistan as it shifts away from a combat focus to a mission that places greater emphasis on advising Afghan forces and raids to kill top insurgent leaders,
(Washington Post)
10. Death toll from European cold reaches 280.
Subzero cold combined with snowstorms continued to claim lives across Europe, bringing the death toll to more than 280 by Sunday - most of the victims were in Ukraine, where 30 more people died over the weekend.
(Deutsche Presse-Agentur/McClatchy News)
