By Justin Vela ISTANBUL – Turkey entertained United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Istanbul at the weekend and basked in praise for its efforts, along with Brazil, in securing a nuclear fuel swap deal for Iran. Ban told Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he welcomed Ankara’s diplomatic efforts since it improves the chances for a diplomatic solution to Iran’s standoff with Western nations over its nuclear program. On Monday, Iran handed a letter to the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, in which it outlined the swap deal in which 1,200 kilograms of its … Continue reading Iran issue forces Turkey to a crossroads

Queen’s Speech: Queen sets out David Cameron’s plans The Queen delivered her 56th Queen’s Speech Major plans to reform schools, police, welfare and Britain’s political system are at the heart of the coalition government’s first Queen’s Speech. But the Queen said cutting the budget deficit and restoring growth would be the new government’s “first priority”. The 22 Bills set out in detail what Prime Minister David Cameron hopes to achieve over the next 18 months. The programme reflects compromises reached by the Conservatives and Lib Dems when they agreed to share power. Unveiling the proposals from her throne in the … Continue reading Queen’s Speech

Evangelist preacher kills wife, stuffs in freezer; What if he were Muslim? Anthony Hopkins is pictured during jury selection Monday, April 5, 2010, in Mobile, Ala. The part-time south Alabama evangelist faces life in prison in the death of his wife, a mother of eight, whose body had been stored in a freezer inside his home for at least three years before it was discovered by investigators. (AP Photo/Press-Register, Mike Kittrell) Original Filename: AP100405119353.jpg Anthony Hopkins, a Christian preacher in Alabama, was arrested for allegedly killing his wife and stuffing her body in the freezer, which was not discovered for … Continue reading Christian Mullah kills wife, stuffs in freezer; What if he were Muslim?

Wall Street’s captains of industry and top policymakers in Washington are often the same people. A lot of them get rich by playing for both teams. The financial crisis has unveiled a new set of public villains—corrupt corporate capitalists who leveraged their connections in government for their own personal profit. During the Clinton and Bush administrations, many of these schemers were worshiped as geniuses, heroes or icons of American progress. But today we know these opportunists for what they are: Deregulatory hacks hellbent on making a profit at any cost. Without further ado, here are the 10 most corrupt capitalists … Continue reading America’s Ten Most Corrupt Capitalists

The 10 Most Harmful Novels for Aspiring Writers Some novels can be more hazard than inspiration. Here are 10 novels that can have a disastrous effect on future writers. Any young person who wants to be a novelist should of course be a reader as well. But some novels can be more hazard than inspiration. They are often well-written, but their effects have generally been disastrous: they inspired younger writers to imitate them, they created awful new genres that debased readers’ tastes, or they promoted literary or social values that we could very much do without. Here are ten 20th-century … Continue reading 10 novels that can have a disastrous effect on the future writer

Ex-Cop Goes Rogue on the Drug War, Tells Pot Smokers How to Outsmart the Police Police admired Barry Cooper when he lied to put drug dealers in prison. Then he flipped the game on them. LIKE THIS ARTICLE ? Join our mailing list: Sign up to stay up to date on the latest Drugs headlines via email. // Petitions by Change.org|Get Widget|Start a Petition » Barry Cooper should know better than anyone that you don’t mess with the police. He was once a cop, and a dirty one at that. But for the past three years, this former narcotics officer … Continue reading Cop tells Druggies ‘How to Outsmart the Police’