The UK Independence Party (UKIP) declares itself the official opposition after making big gains in local elections. UKIP is averaging 25% of the vote in the wards where it is standing with more than 140 seats so far, the state-run BBC reported. Labour stands in the lead and the Conservatives in second place with 29% and 25% respectively. UKIP is also in third place with 23% of votes while the Liberal... 

Israel has inaugurated its fifth Dolphin-class submarine, allegedly capable of launching cruise missiles with nuclear warheads. A German shipyard in Kiel has a contract to build a sixth sub “to ensure the security of Israel’s citizens,” the PM said. The submarine has been baptized INS Rahav. Rahav is a demon, a cosmic sea monster, ‘Prince of the Sea’ according to the Talmud. It was also... 

Despite a recent clamor within Washington policy circles and troublesome commentary in the U.S. media regarding further military intervention in Syria’s unrest, a new survey of U.S. opinion shows little appetite for another war of choice in a region far from home. The poll, conducted by CBS News and the New York Times, shows 62 percent of Americans believe “the U.S. does not have a responsibility... 

The Department of Homeland Security is under investigation for purchasing large stockpiles of ammunition, days before legislation was introduced that would restrict the amount a government agency can legally buy. The Government Accountability Office is now conducting the investigation into the alleged DHS purchases, which is “just getting underway,” GAO spokesman Chuck Young told US News &... 

Italy’s new Prime Minister Enrico Letta delivers his speech at the parliament in Rome on April 29, 2013. Italy’s new Prime Minister Enrico Letta says the coalition government will pursue growth policies to reverse an austerity drive which is killing Italy. The remarks were made on Monday during Letta’s inaugural speech to parliament. “Italy is dying from austerity alone. Growth policies... 

Top Afghan officials have been on the CIA’s payroll for over a decade, receiving tens of millions of US dollars in cash. Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted to receiving the clandestine financial support, but dismissed the sum as a “small amount.” A New York Times report has revealed that unparalleled corruption in the Afghan government has been encouraged by the US Central Intelligence Agency.... 

Australia says it would continue to send back illegal Sri Lankan asylum seekers if their claims are not covered by the refugee convention. “When people arrive in Australia unauthorised, any claims they make for their reasons to travel to Australia are assessed by the Department of Immigration. If these claims are not covered by the refugee convention, they will be returned to their home land wherever... 

Israeli aircraft have launched a strike on a Palestinian radical group in Gaza in response to insurgents’ rocket fire, the Israeli military say. There were no casualties from the strike, according to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The group said the jets hit one of their training bases in the southern Gaza Strip. Conflicting reports suggested that there were at least three... 

British Tory cabinet minister Ken Clarke British Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke has described some people intending to vote the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in the upcoming local elections as racists. Speaking to Sky News Murnaghan programme on Sunday, the minister without portfolio accused the party of having no positive policies and being merely “against” immigrants and foreigners. Clarke... 

The United States and its allies are stepping up pressure on Syria by accusing Damascus of using chemical weapons against foreign-backed militants, Press TV reports. Analysts believe that the war rhetoric against Syria is very similar to the media propaganda launched by the US and its allies ahead of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. On Friday, the US President Barack Obama claimed the world cannot stand... 

The White House says President Barack Obama may approve using military force against the Syrian government. On Friday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration has a number of options with regards to handling reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons, and those include using military force among other possibilities. Fielding a question from the media... 

Less than a week after SWAT police went house to house ripping families out of their homes during broad daylight in the manhunt that ensued following the Boston bombings, other police departments have seemingly taken a police state cue and followed suit. Yesterday it was reported that FBI agents and local police SWAT along with the California Highway Patrol conducted a “massive sweep” of Oakland... 

Privacy advocates can breathe a sigh of relief as the controversial US Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) appears to be all but dead in the water, with all signs pointing to it being shelved by the Senate. The bill, which was purportedly designed to allow the federal government to share private user information with corporations in situations of a suspected cyber threat, was the... 

The harsh spending cuts by the EU governments have triggered massive protests in many European countries. The file photo shows anti-austerity protesters marching towards the Greek parliament in Athens. New data show that public confidence in the European Union has dropped to record low levels in six biggest EU countries amid high unemployment rates and a deepening recession in Europe. According to... 

French people protest against gay marriage ahead of parliament vote in Paris on April 23, 2013. French parliament has adopted a bill legalizing gay marriages and adoptions for same-sex couples, despite massive opposition protests. The lower house National Assembly, where President Francois Hollande’s Socialists have an absolute majority, approved the bill on Tuesday with 331 votes against 225. Before...