Activist monk seeks Buddhism overhaul in Thailand over corruption fears

NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand (Reuters) - Phra Buddha Issara is a monk with a mission. From his Buddhist temple near Bangkok he is calling for a radical overhaul of Thai Buddhism, fearing millions of dollars in temple donations and a rapidly modernizing nation are corrupting monks.

U.S.-led coalition launches air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq, Syria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S.-led coalition launched 11 air strikes in Iraq and nine in Syria since early Friday against Islamic State militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said.

Netanyahu takes Iran campaign to Jerusalem holy site

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu took his campaign against a nuclear deal with Iran to Jerusalem's sacred Western Wall on Saturday, on the eve of his departure to Washington to address Congress on the issue.

After Announcing Plans To Recapture Mosul In The Spring, The Pentagon Has Decided To Scrap Its Attack Plans

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters stand guard on the outskirts of Mosul (Reuters/Azad Lashkari)

Daily Beast: Pentagon Scrubs Major Attack on ISIS



Just days ago, the generals were trumpeting plans to knock ISIS out of its most important stronghold in Iraq. Now, those plans are on indefinite hold.


The U.S. military’s goal to retake Iraq’s second largest city from the self-proclaimed Islamic State has been pushed back several months at least, defense officials told The Daily Beast. That’s a major shift for the Pentagon, which recently announced that the first major ground offensive in the war against ISIS could come in the next few weeks.


Defense officials once hoped that Iraqi troops could move into Mosul by the Spring and reclaim the city from ISIS. Now, those officials say, Fall is more realistic. And even that date was tenuous.


“It is an Iraqi decision but we don’t want to do anything until they are ready and can win decisively,” a military official explained to the Daily Beast. “They cannot now.”


WNU Editor: I just do no get it. Th U.S. has tens of thousands of soldiers, body armor, advance tech, satellites. aircraft, precision bombs, and alliances with scores of countries. The Islamic State numbers has a few thousand dedicated fighters .... and that is about it. But in this great match-up it is the U.S. that hesitates?!?!?!?! Something is wrong with this picture

More News On The Pentagon Scraping Plans To Recapture Mosul

Pentagon scraps attack on Mosul; Iraqi forces not ready for major battle -- Washington Times



US rethinks 'spring offensive' against ISIL in Mosul: Officials -- Press TV

Pentagon gives up plan to take Mosul from ISIS by springtime -- Haaretz

US rethinking plan to retake Mosul from ISIS -- WSJ/FOX News

Russians to march in memory of murdered critic of Putin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Opposition supporters will march through Moscow on Sunday in memory of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, whose murder has increased concern about Russia's future among opponents of President Vladimir Putin.

Obama to veto bill letting Congress weigh in on Iran deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama would veto a bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate allowing Congress to weigh in on any deal the United States and other negotiating countries reach with Iran on its nuclear capabilities, the White House said on Saturday.

Maduro says Venezuela captures U.S. citizens linked to espionage

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday his government had captured Americans, including a pilot, involved in espionage activities and said U.S. citizens in the future will have to seek visas to come to the OPEC nation.

3.2 billion euros of Egypt-French arms deal financed by loan from Paris: Sisi

CAIRO (Reuters) - The French government loaned Egypt 3.2 billion euros to finance the recent multibillion-euro purchase of French military equipment, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in an interview on al-Arabiya TV on Saturday.