ISRAEL - Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu kept up his assault on the framework nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, warning late Saturday that the Islamic republic could not be trusted. It was the latest attack on the controversial deal under which Iran would allegedly curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from punishing economic sanctions.
UK - Orthorexia nervosa, the 'health food eating disorder', gets its name from the Greek word ortho, meaning straight, proper or correct. This exaggerated focus on food can be seen today in some people who follow lifestyle movements such as 'raw', 'clean' and 'paleo'. American doctor Steven Bratman coined the term 'orthorexia nervosa' in 1997 some time after his experience in a commune in upstate New York.
VATICAN - Pope Francis' reputation as liberal takes a knock over reports that he rejected the nomination of a new French ambassador to the Vatican on the grounds that he was a homosexual. Pope Francis has reportedly barred the nomination of a close aide of President Francois Hollande as new French ambassador to the Vatican because he is gay. The apparent rejection calls into question the pope's reputation as holding more liberal views on homosexuality.
VATICAN - As the world grapples with combating climate change, one world leader aiming to influence the outcome might come as a surprise. The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics not only says the world must try to protect against an environmental catastrophe regardless of its cause, but he is preparing the first ever papal letter to the church’s bishops focused on the environment.
ITALY - Italy’s Five Star Movement (M5S) party has collected more than 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for a law that would allow a referendum on withdrawal from the eurozone. M5S MP Carlo Sibila says he expects a referendum to take place at the start of next year.
USA - For the first time in modern history, an entire year has been dedicated to dirt. The 68th United Nations General Assembly has declared 2015 the International Year of the Soils. And not a minute too soon, if you put any stock in Franklin D Roosevelt’s 1937 warning: “The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
USA - San Francisco-based iGem group said it found a way to make cheese proteins using genetic sequences found in mammals. The DNA blueprints are inserted into the yeast, which creates cheese that is vegan-compatible because of the lack of animal products.
USA - Oregon's worsening drought has triggered a federal disaster loan program in 13 Oregon counties. The US Small Business Administration announced Friday that low-interest loans meant to offset economic losses associated with the drought are now available for small, nonfarm businesses in Grant, Jackson, Baker, Crook, Douglas, Harney, Josephine, Klamath, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wheeler counties, as well as California's Siskiyou County.
USA - Madera County sits smack in the middle of the state, and it’s mostly farms. As in many parts of the Valley, wells have gone dry here and water prices have soared. Thieves, who’ve been increasingly targeting rural farms, are starting to understand that anything water-related is a potential bonanza.
GERMANY - Germany snubbed Greece's call for more than 278 billion euros ($306 billion) in war payments Tuesday, calling it "dumb" to mix World War II claims with Athens' negotiations for more aid. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said calls for reparations for the brutal four-year Nazi occupation of Greece only hampered progress on efforts to financially shore up Athens as it battles its massive debt mountain.
GREECE - Leftist leader uses Kremlin visit to assert Greece will forge an independent foreign policy as his near-bankrupt government courts eastern suitors. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ramped up his defiance towards eurozone creditors on Wednesday, using a visit to the Kremlin to assert that his country’s sovereignty remained undiminished in the wake of its protracted debt crisis.
MIDDLE EAST - Last week, Sharm el-Sheikh hosted the 26th Arab League summit. It ended with a bang. In the final communiqué, the organization of 22 Arab states announced the establishment of a "unified Arab force" to address regional security challenges.
IRAN - Iran sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, state media reported, establishing a military presence off the coast of Yemen where Saudi Arabia is leading a bombing campaign to oust the Iran-allied Houthi movement.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - Temple Institute holds re-enactment of new barley offering on same day it was performed in Holy Temple thousands of years ago. The re-enactment of the offering and training session for kohanim priestly descendants was held on the 16th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar, the same day when the Omer offering was performed in the Holy Temple in ancient times.
EGYPT - An Egyptian procurement of 356 AGM-114K/R3 Hellfire II missiles has been cleared by the State Department, the first new procurement since the White House lifted a freeze on weapon sales to that nation. The sale also comes as Egypt takes part in anti-militant operations in Yemen, which the US is indirectly aiding with logistical support.