Hillary Clinton vows full disclosure with Iraqis :

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday she was only recently made aware of reconciliation talks between U.S. diplomats and Sunni insurgents in Iraq, and she promised to keep the Iraqi government informed about such discussions...

“We intend to make sure the Iraqi government is fully informed of any such activities,” Clinton told reporters following a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. “We want a close working relationship.”


Iraqi officials said Friday they were investigating reports of the meetings, calling them a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. The reports, which detail a supposed signed agreement between the Americans and insurgents, have angered Iraqis as they seek to establish their authority in the wake of the withdrawal of American troops from Iraqi cities.

Despair, devastation in war-ravaged Swat Valley :

Pakistani forces in Swat Valley claim victory in fight against Taliban militants Refugees trickling back to the region find towns, bridges destroyed Up to 2.5 million Pakistanis estimateds to have been displaced by conflict Local businessman.

"Everything is in ruins," one returning businessman said. "It will take months for life to return to normality."



The United Nations estimates that 375,000 Swat Valley residents fled their homes during the fighting.

Swine flu fears prompt run on UK pharmacies :

Pharmacies in England are reporting a run on supplies like surgical masks, thermometers and anti-bacterial gels by customers concerned about swine flu amid a surge in the number of people infected by the virus.




The UK's Department of Health estimated this week that there were around 100,000 new cases of swine flu in England in the week ending July 17 -- nearly double the number of cases for the previous seven days.

Iranian Regime takes on Monitoring Equipment :

Nokia-Siemens have sold monitoring equipment to the Iranian regime.
The technology allows Irantelecom to tap phone lines, read emails and track other electronic communications.

Bangladesh trials alerts of Disaster on cell phones :

Bangladesh’s flood and cyclone-prone areas,
Will now receive advance warning of an impending natural disaster through an alert on their cell phones.

Jackson's battle against sleep disorder:

Jackson's would use 10-plus pills a night to another staffer.


"Jackson was doing better because he was down from 30 to 40 Xanax pills a night," according to the document.





The insomniac singer traveled with an anesthesiologist who would "take him down" at night and "bring him back up" during a world tour in the mid-90s.

The investigators found numerous bottles of prescription drugs in the singer's $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills.

Obama in Ghana :

The president's visit to the nation is the third by a sitting American leader. Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to visit Ghana in 1998 as part of a six-nation Africa tour. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, stopped there as part of a four-nation Africa tour during his last year of office.

Ghana, which was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence, went through growing pains, including a staunch military rule, but emerged as a democracy in 1992. It gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Pirates hijack Indian dhow :

A sea-jacking of an Indian cargo vessel with around 15 Indian crew (took place) around lunchtime (Friday) just 14 nautical miles off the port city of Bosasso in the semi-autonomous north-eastern region of Somalia," australia.to website reported.
Initial reports indicate of business deal gone sour.

U.S.in Afghanistan :

U.S. launches 'major operation' in Afghanistan



The assault has prompted Pakistani authorities to redeploy troops along the Afghan border to stop Taliban from escaping the push in Helmand, where more than 30 U.S., British and Danish troops have been killed since January, with the latest being a pair of British soldiers slain in Helmand on Wednesday.

Plane crash survivor in France :

'Miracle' plane crash survivor back in France
A teenage girl who survived a plane crash off the Comoros islands by clinging to wreckage in the Indian Ocean has flown back to Paris on a ministerial plane. Bahia Bakari, the only known survivor from the 153 people aboard the Yemenia Airways flight, arrived at Paris' Le Bourget airport early on Thursday morning on a French government plane.