NEWS BRIEFS

Former CIA Officer: Dubai Ports Not So Secure
A former CIA officer believes he knows why liberal and conservative Republicans are united in their opposition to a White House proposal that would let a Dubai-owned company manage some terminals at major U.S. ports. "There is current intelligence that individuals with ties to jihadist terrorist groups have sought refuge in Dubai/U.A.E. within the last three months," he said...

US Allies Snipe Over Efforts to Fight Terror
A top U.S. general is on a mission to ease tensions between two key Asian allies, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which accuse each other of failing to make a serious effort to capture Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists...

GOP Plan to Balance Budget Called ‘Huge Step Forward’
A group of U.S. House Republicans will unveil a plan Wednesday that they say will balance the federal budget in the next five years. One conservative leader calls it “a huge step forward” -- a return to Republican roots of fiscal discipline and reform...

Hamas Website Encourages Kids to Become Martyrs
A new Hamas website for children encourages them to become suicide bombers. The homepage shows a cartoon of a girl using a slingshot to throw rocks, it also offers stories about “martyrs,” said Palestinian Media Watch, an independent Israeli media watchdog...

Thai Leader Under Growing Pressure
Thailand’s embattled prime minister is facing new difficulties now that labor unions have thrown their support behind a growing mass movement agitating for his resignation.The crisis roiling Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra risks the stability of a key U.S. ally in Southeast Asia...