The Coming Crisis

Spain on collision course with Brussels over budget deficit targets

2012-03-05T23:52:00.002-05:00

European commission accuses Spain of 'serious deviation' after PM Mariano Rajoy sets deficit target of 5.8% rather than 4.4% agreed

Spain is on a collision course with the European commission after Brussels fired a warning shot at the austerity wracked country for planning to overshoot its budget deficit targets.

In an early test for the EU's new fiscal regime, the commission said Madrid was engaged "in a serious deviation" from previous pledges after Mariano Rajoy, Spain's new conservative prime minister, confirmed the government would fail to meet a budget deficit target this year of 4.4% of gross domestic product agreed earlier with Brussels. Rajoy has set a new target of 5.8% for this year after revealing that last year's deficit was 8.5%.

The stand-off between the European authorities and Spain, a vulnerable party in the eurozone's debt crisis, came as Greece raced against the clock to sign up willing creditors for writing down half of its debt to private lenders.

Athens has until Thursday evening to conclude a debt swap with its private creditors, reducing its obligations by €100bn as a central element in its new €130bn bailout accord with the eurozone.

It remained unclear on Monday night whether some 90% of Greece's private creditors would volunteer for the deal by Thursday, casting uncertainty over the prospects for the bailout. Read More

Thousands evacuate NSW towns as floods continue in Australia

2012-03-05T23:50:00.003-05:00

Aerial view from a helicopter of flooded areas in Wagga Wagga in southwest NSW, Australia Photograph: Lukas Coch/EPA

Sixteen river systems have flooded in NSW, with Queensland and northern Victoria also facing serious flood threats.

Vast areas of Australia's east and southeast are facing devastating flooding after weeks of heavy rain.

In NSW alone – Australia's most populous state – an area the size of France is either under water or at risk of going under, after 16 river systems have flooded. Southeast Queensland and northern Victoria also face serious threats of flooding.

"This is devastating for small businesses, for farmers and for those whose houses have been flooded," said NSW state premier, Barry O'Farrell, who toured the state's affected region.

Attention has focused on the NSW town of Wagga Wagga, 475kms south west of Sydney, as it faces its biggest flood in 150 years.

Around 9,000 residents have been evacuated from the city centre amid fears the town's levee banks may not withstand the flood coming down the Murrumbidgee river.

It brings to 13,000 the number of people evacuated from their homes across the state.

The levee surrounding Wagga Wagga is 11m high and the river is expected to peak at 10.9m later on Tuesday. It's NSW's biggest inland city with 50,000 residents and it is an important agricultural, military and transport hub. Read More

China: Immolations Are Terrorism In Disguise

2012-03-05T23:46:00.001-05:00

Following the self-immolation of more than 20 Tibetans in the last year, the Chinese authorities say they are preparing for "a war against secessionist sabotage".

At least 21 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in a spate of suicides and attempted suicides that began early last year.

Most of the self-immolations were carried out by Buddhist monks and nuns, some of them believed to be as young as 17.

Tibetan exile groups say that several of those who set themselves alight chanted slogans calling for greater religious freedom as they burned.

Many Tibetans in China complain of heavy-handed government interference in their religious practices, including forced "political education" sessions in monasteries. Read More

North Korea's Kim visits DMZ, orders high alert

2012-03-05T23:41:00.002-05:00

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the heavily armed border with rival South Korea and ordered troops to be on high alert, state media reported Sunday, just days after Washington and Pyongyang agreed to a nuclear deal after years of deadlock.

Kim's visit to Panmunjom village in the Demilitarized Zone, his first reported trip there since the December death of his father, Kim Jong Il, comes amid escalating militaristic rhetoric aimed at U.S. ally South Korea.

Recent North Korean threats, including vows of a "sacred war" against Seoul over U.S.-South Korean military drills, appear to be aimed at a domestic audience, analysts say, and could be an effort to bolster Kim Jong Un's credentials as a military leader after showing off his diplomatic skills on the U.S. nuclear deal. Read More

Obama Warns Israel Against Attack On Iran

2012-03-05T23:33:00.002-05:00

US President Barack Obama has promised his "rock solid" commitment to Israel's security - but warned against any pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear capability.

Mr Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the US "will always have Israel's back", during a meeting at the White House.

But, while Mr Obama confirmed military action remains an option, he insisted diplomacy and sanctions have to be given time.

He said: "When I say all options are on the table I mean it. Having said that, I know both the prime minister and I prefer to resolve this diplomatically.

"We understand the costs of any military action.

"My policy here is not one of containment. My policy is prevention of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons." Read More

Anti-Putin Protesters Cleared by Riot Police, Hundreds Arrested

2012-03-05T23:29:00.001-05:00

Russian riot police have detained hundreds of protesters at rallies challenging Vladimir Putin's presidential election victory.

The arrests came as a Downing Street spokesman said British Prime Minister David Cameron called Mr Putin to say he looked forward to working with him to overcome obstacles between the two countries.

"The leaders agreed on the importance of building a stronger relationship, without disguising differences and areas of concern," the spokesman said.

In Moscow, officers detained opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny along with fellow opposition leaders Sergei Udaltsov and Ilya Yashin.

"They robbed us," Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption blogger, told a crowd of protesters in the capital's Pushkin Square. Read More

Christopher Tappin Denied Bail as Judge declares "he may be a danger to the community"

2012-03-05T23:25:00.002-05:00

The wife of a retired British businessman accused of arms dealing charges has described a US judge's decision to refuse him bail as an "outrage".

Christopher Tappin's wife Elaine said the move to remand her 65-year-old husband in custody was "heartbreaking".

Judge Robert Castaneda ruled Tappin must remain in custody after US prosecutors told the federal court in El Paso, Texas, he may be a "danger to the community" if released.

The judge agreed measures could be imposed to ensure Tappin is monitored if released, but he said a discrepancy in the Briton's financial statement led to him being denied bail.

Tappin lost his two-year battle against extradition to America in February and denies attempting to sell batteries for surface-to-air missiles which were to be shipped from the US to Tehran via the Netherlands.

Mrs Tappin, 62, of Orpington, Kent, said: "This is an outrage. God only knows how he'll bear up. It's heartbreaking.

"He's a man of his word and is certainly not at risk of fleeing - where would he go? He doesn't have his passport or access to money. Read More

Anthony Paul Grainger Died in Fatal Police Shooting: NO Weapons Found at the Scene

2012-03-05T23:21:00.002-05:00

An "initial visual search" inside a car in which a man was shot dead by police has failed to locate any weapons, the police watchdog has said.

Anthony Paul Grainger, from Bolton, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest after the car he was in was stopped in the village of Culcheth, Cheshire.

The vehicle was stopped on Saturday evening in what police described as a "pre-planned operation". Mr Grainger was shot by an armed officer.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) deployed investigators to the scene and took over the investigation following the shooting at around 7.20pm.

Initial evidence collected suggests two police firearms were discharged during the incident, the IPCC said.

However, a full ballistic examination needs to be undertaken on the recovered police weapons to confirm this. Read More

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION - 6th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T23:18:00.002-05:00

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake has struck the Nicobar Islands, India at a depth of 41.7 km (25.9 miles), the quake hit at 02:52:45 UTC Tuesday 6th March 2012
The epicenter was 90 km (55 miles) Northeast of Mohean, Nicobar Islands, India
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake REVILLA GIGEDO ISLANDS REGION - 6th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T23:15:00.003-05:00

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck the Revilla Gigedo Islands Region at a depth of 40.8 km (25.4 miles), the quake hit at 02:32:04 UTC Tuesday 6th March 2012
The epicenter was 229 km (142 miles) ENE of Socorro Island, Mexico
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA - 6th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T23:11:00.004-05:00

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has struck the Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska at a depth of 25.6 km (15.9 miles), the quake hit at 00:47:23 UTC Tuesday 6th March 2012
The epicenter was 104 km (65 miles) Southwest from Atka, Alaska
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake MASBATE REGION, PHILIPPINES - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T23:09:00.002-05:00

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake has struck the Masbate Region, Philippines at a depth of 42 km (26.1 miles), the quake hit at 23:06:31 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 10 km (6.2 miles) ESE of Masbate, Masbate, Philippines
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake MONA PASSAGE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T23:06:00.003-05:00

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Mona Passage, Dominican Republic at a depth of 180 km (111.9 miles), the quake hit at 22:52:53 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 40 km (24.8 miles) SSE from Higüey, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has struck Southern Xinjiang, China at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 21:57:53 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 138 km (85.5 miles) West of Kashi, Xinjiang, China
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Bird Flu Bangladesh: 3 Market Workers infected

2012-03-05T15:04:00.004-05:00

Dhaka, Mar 5 (bdnews24.com)—Detection of three new human infections with the deadly H5NI strain of bird flu in a week has set alarm bells ringing as scientists have found evidence of the virus in the live-bird market in crowded Dhaka.

The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) confirmed a human case on Feb 26 when a worker of a live-bird market in southern part of the capital was tested H5N1 positive at the IEDCR's surveillance site.

Its director Prof Mahmudur Rahman told bdnews24.com that they had informed the government's Department of Livestock right away and suggested 'immediate' steps to disinfect wet markets.

bdnews24.com saw no cleaning drive but learned the livestock department fixed a technical committee meeting for Wednesday instead of beginning to disinfect the market.

In the meantime, the IEDCR that oversees human infections of bird flu disclosed on Monday that another two cases were confirmed on Sunday night in their lab.

"They are also live-bird market workers," Prof Rahman told bdnews24.com and added that they expected the livestock department to move quickly for the sake of public health safety.

"The virus's presence in live-bird market means it is now even closer to people," he added. Read More

Obama Reassures Netanyahu Over Iran Threat

2012-03-05T15:01:00.001-05:00

US president Barack Obama has promised his “rock solid” commitment to Israel’s security - but warned against any pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear capability.

Mr Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US “will always have Israel’s back” during a meeting at the White House.

But while he confirmed military action remains an option he insists diplomacy and sanctions have to be given time.

He said: “When I say all options are on the table I mean it. Having said that, I know both the prime minister and I prefer to resolve this diplomatically.

"We understand the costs of any military action.

“My policy here is not one of containment. My policy is prevention of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.”

Mr Netanyahu added: “Israel and America stand together.” Read More

McCain calls for US to lead on Syria airstrikes

2012-03-05T14:48:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — Arizona Sen. John McCain is calling for the United States to lead an international effort to begin air strikes on Syria.

McCain says that the Syrian government's brutal crackdown on its opponents has resulted in war crimes and that its neighbors in the region will intervene militarily, with or without the U.S. From the Senate floor on Monday, McCain said the United States has a moral and strategic obligation to force out President Bashar Assad and his loyalists.

Last month, McCain urged international cooperation to help supply the anti-Assad rebels with weapons and other aid. At the time, he stopped short of endorsing direct U.S. military involvement. Source

Suicide attack hits base where Korans burned

2012-03-05T14:31:00.002-05:00

(Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least two civilians Monday after detonating explosives at the gates of the NATO base where copies of the Koran were burned, Afghan officials said.

The bomber targeted a vehicle belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said district governor Kabir Ahmad Rahil, adding there could be foreign casualties, although a NATO spokeswoman said no coalition troops had been harmed in the attack on Bagram airfield.

Four more civilians were wounded in the attack, Rahil said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was "revenge" for the Koran burning, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a text message to media. He added that "a number of Americans" were killed and their tanks destroyed in the attack, although the Islamist group often exaggerate casualties.

Afghanistan's army chief has said the burning of Korans last month at the NATO base an hour north of Kabul advanced the Taliban's cause and warned that any repeat of such "negligence" by Western forces could be disastrous. Read More

Riot Police Clear Anti-Putin Protesters

2012-03-05T14:23:00.000-05:00

Riot police are clearing protests against Russia's new President Vladimir Putin after his disputed election win, with opposition leaders being seized.

Opposition figureheads Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov have been detained in Moscow. Earlier, police held Eduard Limonov, the leader of the Other Russia movement, and about 50 of his supporters after they held an "unsanctioned protest".

"They robbed us," Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption blogger, told a crowd of protesters in Moscow's Pushkin Square.

"We are the power," he said to cheers, before being detained and taken away by police.

A few hours before, in Russia's second city of St Petersburg, police reportedly arrested dozens of protesters from a demonstration of about 1,500 people, including local deputies from the liberal Yabloko party.

Opposition leaders have accused the authorities of widespread fraud and claim many people were allowed to cast multiple votes. Read More

Greek factory worker, 52, shoots boss and colleague after being laid off

2012-03-05T13:44:00.002-05:00

A crazed man shot his boss and a co-worker after being laid-off from the Greek rubbish bin factory he had worked at for 30 years.

Distraught Dimitris Manikas, 52, barged into the Helesi factory in Komotini, northern Greece brandishing a hunting rifle and demanded to know why he had been fired.

After shooting the two men he took three other people hostage and only surrendered after 11 hours of tense negotiations with police.

His former boss Sakis Andrianopoulos - a man who he had known for decades and who was the best man at his wedding - is recovering in hospital after being shot in the neck and the chest.

The co-worker is also expected to make a full recovery.

Officials have played down the shooting as an isolated incident, but many Greeks also see it as a cautionary tale of the human toll of an economic crisis that has left more than one in five Greeks jobless. Read More

Mysterious sounds coming from the sky that are so loud they set off car alarms?

2012-03-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

Chinese hackers 'had full control' over Nasa lab that commands 23 spacecraft

2012-03-05T13:14:00.002-05:00

Chinese hackers gained 'full access' to the computer network in one of Nasa's key control centres, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

JPL manages 23 spacecraft conducting active space missions, including missions to Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.

The hackers, operating from an internet address in China, gained full system access in November 2011, allowing them to upload hacking tools to steal user IDs and control Nasa systems, as well as copy sensitive files.

The hackers were also able to modify system logs to conceal their actions.

‘The intruders had compromised the accounts of the most privileged JPL users, giving the intruders access to most of JPL's networks,’ said National Aeronautics and Space Administration Inspector General Paul Martin.

The cyber attack was one of 'thousands' of computer security lapses at the space agency.

Martin said the hackers gained full system access, which allowed them to modify, copy, or delete sensitive files, create new user accounts and upload hacking tools to steal user credentials and compromise other NASA systems. Read More

IAEA seeks access to key Iranian military base, director says

2012-03-05T13:11:00.003-05:00

Vienna (CNN) -- Evidence of ongoing activities at an Iranian military base suspected of being involved in testing related to nuclear weapons makes inspectors eager to get there as soon as possible, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday.

Speaking to reporters during the agency's board of governors meeting, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano declined to provide details on whether the activities at the Parchin military base involve ongoing testing or efforts to remove evidence.

"But I can tell you that we are aware that there are some activities at Parchin and it makes us believe that going there sooner is better than later," Amano said.

IAEA inspectors had asked to visit the facility during a February trip to Iran but were rebuffed, according to the agency. Inspectors believe Iran may have used Parchin to test high explosives that could be used to detonate a nuclear weapon. Read More

What would a second Obama term bring?...........hmmm.......Is it Golf?

2012-03-05T13:06:00.001-05:00

Amir Mirzaei Hekmati Death Sentence Annulled By Iranian Court

2012-03-05T13:02:00.002-05:00

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- An Iranian court has canceled the death sentence for an American accused of espionage in Iran, semi-official news agencies there reported Monday.

Iran's intelligence ministry sentenced Amir Mirzaei Hekmati to death in January, but the nation's Supreme Court annulled that sentence, ISNA news agency reported Monday.

The overturned verdict means that a lower court will review the case, Fars news agency said, citing Iran's attorney general.

Another lower court previously had convicted the 28-year-old of "working for an enemy country," as well as membership in the CIA and "efforts to accuse Iran of involvement in terrorism," the news agencies have reported. Read More

Do we take Iran at its word on nukes?....Do we take U.S. Word on Nukes? Remember Iraq?

2012-03-05T12:57:00.002-05:00

(CNN) -- What is at stake in the meeting between the leaders of the United States and Iran?

U.S. President Barack Obama was meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, in what could be one of the most difficult yet significant encounters with a foreign leader since his inauguration. Nothing less than another war in the Middle East is at stake, and administration officials tell me Obama will again try to urge Israeli patience and restraint when it comes to military action over Iran's nuclear program. He previewed his stance when he spoke at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington DC on Sunday, making his own tough stance against Iran's nuclear program clear and insisting that he "[has] Israel's back."

"I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say," Obama said. Read More

Thousands Evacuated In Deadly Oz Floods

2012-03-05T12:48:00.001-05:00

A second person has died as communities across south and east Australia battle a flood crisis which has seen almost 5,000 people evacuated from their homes.

Heavy rain, especially in rural areas, has caused flash flooding, cut off many isolated home, and so far claimed the lives of two men.

The worst of the flooding so far has been in the state of New South Wales, but the states of Queensland and Victoria have also been hit by unseasonably large downpours.

Emergency officials said they were concerned about an area in southwest New South Wales, where the Murrumbidgee River has burst its banks and inundated homes near the city of Wagga Wagga. Read More

Arrests At Protests After Putin Election Win

2012-03-05T12:42:00.000-05:00

Opponents of Vladimir Putin are gathering in Moscow for a mass protest after his disputed victory, with reports of arrests both in the capital and in St Petersburg.

The news agency AFP reports that Eduard Limonov, an opposition leader of the Other Russia movement and 50 of his supporters were arrested at a demonstration outside the central election commission in Moscow.

Meanwhile, in Russia's second city of St Petersburg, police have reportedly arrested dozens of protesters from a demonstration of about 1,500 people, including local deputies from the liberal Yabloko party.

Opposition leaders have accused the authorities of widespread fraud and claim many people were allowed to cast multiple votes. Read More

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN ITALY - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T12:02:00.001-05:00

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck Northern Italy at a depth of just 2 km (1.2 miles), the quake hit at 15:15:07 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 6 km (3.7 miles) Northwest of Rezzoaglio, Italy
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Anthony Garcia, Convicted killer, got unemployment while in Los Angeles jail: US

2012-03-05T11:44:00.002-05:00

A convicted killer who got caught because he'd tattooed a graphic mural of the murder scene on his chest raked in more than $30,000 in unemployment benefits while he sat in the Los Angeles County jail system, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Anthony Garcia, 26, had family and friends cashing his $1,600-per-month checks while he served time, said Capt. Mike Parker, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. His accomplices would then deposit a portion of the money into Garcia's jail account. They also shared the cash with Garcia's fellow incarcerated gang members.

Police arrested Garcia's father, 47-year-old Juan Garcia, and girlfriends 45-year-old Sandra Jaimez and 25-year-old Cynthia Limas on unemployment fraud and related charges Thursday, Parker said.

"It's pretty appalling when you think about somebody sitting in jail collecting unemployment," Parker said. more

Rebecca Motley sues AMC Livonia theater over extortionate prices of snacks (Hear, hear)

2012-03-05T11:42:00.001-05:00

Joshua Thompson loves the movies.

But he hates the prices theaters charge for concessions like pop and candy.

This week, the 20-something security technician from Livonia decided to do something about it: He filed a class action in Wayne County Circuit Court against his local AMC theater in hopes of forcing theaters statewide to dial down snack prices.

"He got tired of being taken advantage of," said Thompson's lawyer, Kerry Morgan of Wyandotte. "It's hard to justify prices that are three- and four-times higher than anywhere else."

American Multi Cinema, which operates the AMC theater in Livonia, wouldn't comment on the suit. A staffer at the National Association of Theatre Owners in Washington, D.C., angrily hung up the phone when asked about industry snack pricing practices.

Although consumer experts predicted that the case will be dismissed, it struck a chord Friday with area moviegoers, who said they're tired of being soaked on movie munchies.

"The prices are ridiculous," Rebecca Motley, 55, a self-employed Southfield physician, said while leaving the AMC Star Southfield 20.

Motley said she and her office manager spent $5 each for morning movie tickets and $11 each for soft drinks and popcorn.

"When I was a kid, $1 could get you into the movies and buy you a pop and popcorn. But not anymore," Motley said. "I don't know how kids can go on their own to a movie anymore." more

Frenchman Sues Google for Posting Peeing Picture

2012-03-05T11:40:00.003-05:00

A Frenchman claiming that a Google Maps' Street View picture of him peeing in his front yard has made him a "laughingstock" is suing the tech giant for 10,000 euros.

"Everyone has the right to a degree of secrecy," his lawyer, Jean-Noel Bouillard, told Reuters. "In this particular case, it's more amusing than serious. But if he'd been caught kissing a woman other than his wife, he would have had the same issue."

The man, who was not identified but referred to as in his 50s and living in a village of 3,000 in the Maine-et-Loire region, "He discovered the existence of this photo after noticing that he had become an object of ridicule," Bouillaud told AFP, asking that the name of the village not be published.

The Street View photo has the man's face blurred out, but villagers figured out who the man was immediately, according to Bouillaud. Bouillaud did not explain why his client was peeing in his front yard instead of his home, only that the man was on his own property with the gate closed. The man is suing Google for 10,000 euros (around $13,000) in damages.

Google's Street View has a collection of unusual photos and peeing isn't the half of it -- apparently it captures lots of prostitutes, drunkenness and public nudity, as well as a some very beautiful landscapes. more

Steve Bridges as President Obama (Steve Bridges has passed away)

2012-03-05T11:14:00.002-05:00

And as George W. Bush...

Mike Baynes's home 'invaded' by government search of fish tanks

2012-03-05T11:05:00.001-05:00

A B.C. man who raises tropical fish said his home and privacy were invaded when local enforcement agencies knocked on his door while looking for a marijuana grow operation, and then forced him to pay for an electrical inspection and upgrade his fish-tank operation.

“I felt violated,” said Mike Baynes, 67, from Surrey, B.C. “When they came in here and saw no grow-op, I think they should have said ‘I’m sorry Mike,’ and then turned around and walked out.”

Baynes is one of 128 Surrey residents who don’t have grow operations, but were nevertheless subjected to searches and electrical repair orders in recent months because they use a lot of hydro.

“I think that is an invasion of privacy,” he said. “I don’t think that the City of Surrey has anything to do with my hydro consumption.”

Seven B.C. municipalities, including Surrey, are registered with BC Hydro to get monthly lists of all customers who use more than three times the daily average amount of power. more

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck the San Francisco Bay Area, California at a depth of 9.2 km (5.7 miles), the quake hit at 13:33:20 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 1 km (0.6 miles) North from El Cerrito, California
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck Mindanao, Philippines at a depth of 37 km (23 miles), the quake hit at 13:59:31 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 5 km (3.1 miles) Southwest of Sarangani, Mindanao, Philippines
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Republic of Congo fire threatens second arms depot; first explosion killed hundreds

2012-03-05T09:34:00.000-05:00

BRAZZAVILLE, REPUBLIC OF CONGO—International experts fought Monday to prevent a fire from reaching a second arms depot in the capital of the Republic of Congo, a day after a blaze set off a series of explosions so violent they flattened buildings, killing hundreds and trapping countless others under the falling debris.

Small detonations continued to shake Brazzaville, though the blasts were not nearly as loud as those that had convulsed the city on Sunday, splitting beams, buckling numerous buildings including two churches, and causing windows to explode in a 3-mile (5-kilometre) radius of the depot. Houses trembled as far away as the south of the country, and across the mighty Congo River in the heart of Kinshasa, the capital of the neighbouring Central African nation of Congo.

“For the time being, there are Russian, French and Congolese experts in the field who are trying to put out the fires. Their goal is to avoid that the fires reach a second depot of even heavier weapons,” said Delphin Kibakidi, the spokesman of the local chapter of the Red Cross.

It’s unclear how far the second depot is from the first, with some officials saying it is located in the same army barracks. A large crowd had gathered outside the municipal morgue, which along with a nearby hospital had registered 206 deaths hours after the first blast on Sunday. Read More

Henryville twister caught on tape

2012-03-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

Etna has its Third Major Eruption of 2012

2012-03-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Etna just keeps on rolling. The Italian volcano had its third paroxysm of 2012 (see above) on March 4 and first since early February. This new eruption was a short event that was preceded by 18 days worth of small strombolian activity.

The event may have been only ~2 hours, but it produced some spectacular explosions, aiding in some part by interaction with snow and a pyroclastic flow was spotted as well. Osservatario Etneo reported that even a small lahar was produced during this paroxysm as a result of volcanic material mixing with snow.

Air traffic around Sicily was not effected by this paroxysm. As usual, Eruptions readers were all over the event, capturing web cam captures images and Boris Behncke snapped a few shots of the action as usual. Read More

BREITBART CONSPIRACY: YASHA LEVINE GOES TO WESTWOOD TO INVESTIGATE BREITBAGGERS’ CLAIMS OF WHITE HOUSE ASSASSINATION PLOT

2012-03-05T09:15:00.000-05:00

It didn’t take long after Andrew Breitbart’s death was reported for the Baggertarian Believers to start ominously tweeting out some of the craziest (and funniest) conspiracy theories this side of the John Birch Society.

Part of the blame goes to the official “Breitbart died of natural causes” story they put out—no one believes he died of “natural causes,” neither his fans nor his detractors. But if you’re a fan of Breitbart, you can’t face the awful reality of what everyone knows did kill him—degenerate personal habits, and bile.

So naturally, Breitbart’s abandoned hate-junkies turned to wild conspiracy theories and plots that did everything to avoid his obvious drug addictions and swollen arteries, and instead externalized the cause to the usual list of villains: George Soros, Media Matters, Jihadis, liberals, #OWS, the Illuminati, One World Government, and so on. And of course, the “socialist” “Islamic” “Kenyan” is the Breitbart-Bircher crowd’s number one favorite as the guy running the conspiracy…because you know, Andrew Breitbart knew too much, man! He flew too high!

“Did President Obama or the criminal interests that put him in office have Andrew Breitbart killed?” Read More

Death toll in south Yemen attacks rises to 85

2012-03-05T09:11:00.000-05:00

(Reuters) - At least 85 soldiers were killed in twin suicide bombings and ensuing clashes with al Qaeda-linked fighters in south Yemen Sunday, medical sources said Monday.

Militants detonated two vehicles laden with explosives at two army posts outside the southern Yemeni city of Zinjibar early Sunday, sparking heavy clashes between Islamist fighters and the military.

Medics Sunday had put the number of army personnel killed at 35. A military source said some soldiers were also missing.

The attacks, which were claimed by al Qaeda, are the latest since president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office last month.

The violence highlights the challenges he faces as he tries to stabilize Yemen after a year of protests against his predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Source

South Koreans react to North's threats

2012-03-05T09:09:00.000-05:00

Mar. 5 - South Koreans are not worried about North Korea's threats. Sophia Soo reports.

Koran burning breeds Afghan suicide bombers

2012-03-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

(Reuters) - Matihullah, 24, had always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Then news spread that Western soldiers had burned many copies of the Muslim holy book at a NATO base in Afghanistan.

He gave up his studies and embarked on a new mission in life -- to become a suicide bomber.

"Since the desecration and burnings of holy books of the Koran, I have been burning with the desire of revenge. It is running in my blood," said Matihullah, wearing the traditional white skull cap worn by many Afghans.

"I have two other brothers to take care of our family and I feel very proud to get my revenge."

The desecration of the Korans, which the United described as unintentional, triggered widespread protests in which 30 people were killed. Afghan security forces turned their weapons on American soldiers.

Two senior U.S. officers were shot dead at their desks in the heart of the Interior Ministry by what Afghan security officials said was a police intelligence officer, stunning NATO and the Kabul government. Read More

U.S. to offer legal backing for "targeted killing": source

2012-03-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

(Reuters) - The Obama administration on Monday plans to outline how U.S. laws empower the government to kill Americans overseas who engage in terrorism against their home country, a source familiar with the matter said, months after a drone strike killed a U.S.-born cleric who plotted attacks from Yemen.

Civil liberties groups have been pressuring the administration to offer justification for what has been described as a top-secret "targeted kill" program in which Americans who have joined al Qaeda or other militants are deemed legitimate targets to be killed overseas.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder plans to address the issue and the underpinning legal principles for using lethal force during remarks at Northwestern University School of Law on Monday afternoon in Chicago, the source said Sunday on condition of anonymity.

The Obama administration has stepped up using unmanned aerial drones against terrorism suspects including the September killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born cleric who went into hiding in Yemen who had been directing al Qaeda militants to launch several attacks against the United States. Read More

Syrian troops pursue crackdown in Deraa, Homs

2012-03-05T08:49:00.001-05:00

(Reuters) - Syrian forces flooded the city of Deraa on Monday after overnight clashes there and pursued "clean-up" operations in Homs, where the Red Cross was still struggling to gain access to a former rebel bastion.

China said it would send an envoy to Syria to try to halt a conflict that has divided Beijing from Western and Arab powers demanding stronger action against President Bashar al-Assad.

Hundreds of troops and security men fanned out in Deraa, where the anti-Assad revolt flared nearly a year ago, on a scale not seen for months, a resident of the southern city said.

The clampdown followed attacks on security checkpoints in the city centre that were also the most extensive for months. At least one person was killed, the Deraa resident told Reuters.

Outgunned rebels have multiplied hit-and-run assaults across Syria in the last few days to signal their defiance after the military overran the Baba Amr district of Homs. Read More

Growth worries send world shares, euro lower

2012-03-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

(Reuters) - World stocks fell and the euro traded near two-week lows on Monday after fresh economic data raised expectations of a recession in Europe, and China signaled it would accept a slower growth rate.

Nervousness over whether Greece will complete a bond exchange with private creditors by March 8, to secure a 130 billion euro ($172 billion) bailout deal and avoid a messy debt default, also undermined demand for riskier assets.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street with January factory orders data and a key index of non-manufacturing activity in February, due at 1500 GMT, likely to extend the focus on the outlook for the global economy. Read More

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T08:37:00.002-05:00

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck the San Francisco Bay Area, California at a depth of 8.8 km (5.5 miles), the quake hit at 13:33:12 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 2 km (1.2 miles) North from El Cerrito, California
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

NOTE: A second earthquake followed this one slightly shallower with a depth of 5,5 km measuring 4.0 Magnitude, for some unknown reason USGS decided to remove this one altogether.

Please if you are in the Area could you confirm the 2nd Earthquake, Much appreciated, thank you.

Just noticed that one of my Maps has not been refreshed since the 2 quakes hit, so took a screenshot to show the quakes how they originally appeared on USGS before they removed 1.

Witchcraft Torture Couple Jailed For Life for the Murder of Kristy Bamu, with a Minimum Term of 30 Years

2012-03-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

A couple convicted of torturing and drowning a teenage boy they accused of being a witch have been jailed for life.

Kristy's sister Magalie, 29, was given a minimum term of 25 years and her partner Eric Bikubi, 28, a minimum term of 30 years.

They were sentenced at the Old Bailey in London following their convictions last week for the murder.

Judge David Paget told the couple that they were guilty of "prolonged torture involving metal and physical suffering being inflicted before death."

Kristy, 15, died in a bath at a tower block flat in Newham, east London, on Christmas Day 2010 after days of brutal abuse. Read More

Tibetans take their lives in protest of Chinese rule

2012-03-05T08:30:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- The unrest among Tibetans in western areas of China appeared to take another macabre turn over the weekend with reports that a mother of four and a middle school student died after setting themselves on fire in separate protests against Chinese rule.

The acts -- which the Chinese government has not confirmed -- would bring the total number of reported self-immolations by Tibetans in China during the past year to more than 20, according to estimates from advocacy groups.

They follow an increase in security measures by the Chinese authorities in the region in response to the unrest of recent months and ahead of the sensitive anniversary of protests by Tibetan monks four years ago that ended in bloodshed.

The mother of four, a 32-year-old woman named Rinchen, set herself alight Sunday in front of Kirti Monastery in the county of Aba, which Tibetans call Ngaba, in Sichuan Province, the Tibetan advocacy group Free Tibet said in a statement. Read More

U.S. NAVY rescues Iranian in capsized boat

2012-03-05T08:27:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- The U.S. Navy rescued a survivor from an Iranian cargo vessel that sank in the Persian Gulf, killing at least three other crew members, the military said Sunday.

It was the latest incident in a string of rescues since the beginning of the year, against a backdrop of high tensions between the United States and Iran.

The coastal patrol boat USS Firebolt and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maui conducted a search and rescue mission for survivors of the capsized Iranian dhow -- a sailing vessel typically used to haul cargo -- on Saturday and Sunday, the Navy said in a statement. The Firebolt's crew also recovered the remains of three of those who had died in the sinking, the Navy said.

One survivor was recovered and treated for shock and hypothermia. He said the dhow sank in bad weather Friday night with six mariners aboard. The sailor reported that four of his shipmates died and one was missing, according to the Navy. Read More

U.S.-Afghan tensions threaten strategic talks

2012-03-05T08:25:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- The United States appeared Monday to raise the possibility there may be no long-term strategic agreement with Afghanistan after American troops withdraw in 2014, a move that comes amid heightened tensions over the burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers.

The sticking point in negotiations over a Strategic Partnership Agreement, which would provide support and aid to Afghanistan, appears to be an end to night raids and speed up a timeline to hand over U.S.-run detention facilities.

No one in Washington or Kabul has publicly said the two countries are at an impasse, though the negotiations have dragged on for nearly a year.

Over the weekend, the United States released a brief statement that for the first time appeared to question whether an agreement could be reached. Read More

Checkpoint attacks kill 23 Iraqi police

2012-03-05T08:22:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- Gunmen in SUVs opened fired on numerous checkpoints in iraq's Anbar province early Monday, killing at least 23 police, authorities in Ramadi and Baghdad said.

One of the attackers was killed in the shootouts with officers, according to police officials, who said the rest of the gunmen -- dressed in Iraqi security forces uniforms -- fled to unknown locations.

The gunmen opened fired on each checkpoint after claiming to have papers for the arrest two officers from the city.

The shootings took place in Haditha, a predominantly Sunni town about a 360 kilometers (225 miles) west of Baghdad. Source

Rebels go on 'offensive' as attacks by Syrian regime spread

2012-03-05T08:13:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- After pummeling the western city of Rastan over the weekend, government troops turned their lethal attention to cities across the country Monday, opposition activists said.

Three people were killed in the southern province of Daraa, and one was killed in each of the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, said the Syrian Network for Human Rights, an opposition activist group.

The Syrian regime has also ramped up raids and arrests across the country, detaining hundreds of civilians in the past two days, the network said Monday. It said Syrian journalist and blogger Rafaa Masri was among those recently detained.

The Syrian government, meanwhile, said 12 "martyrs" from the army were buried Monday. Read More

Protesters 'to march on Kremlin'

2012-03-05T08:09:00.000-05:00

Big issues at China's Party Congress

2012-03-05T08:06:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- China's National People's Congress (NPC) meets every year and brings about 3,000 national delegates together in Beijing's Great Hall of the People to discuss government reports, pass legislation and formalize appointments of government officials.

The NPC is constitutionally the highest organ of government power in China although it has long been considered a rubber-stamp parliament. It passes virtually every measure, resolution and law put forward by the government or the Chinese Communist Party.

Since the early 1990s, the NPC has passed several laws aimed at building up a legal system and has sought to promulgate a "rule by law" rather than a "rule by men" -- an attempt to steer the party away from its Maoist structures to fit more closely the international norms that govern the world's capital markets. Read More

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T08:01:00.001-05:00

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia at a depth of 156.9 km (97.5 miles), the quake hit at 12:45:43 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 259 km (161 miles) WNW from Saumlaki, Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Race to save the leatherback turtle

2012-03-05T07:57:00.000-05:00

London (CNN) -- The leatherback turtle is one of the ocean's titans. The largest member of the turtle family, it is also one of the world's biggest reptiles, outsized only by some species of crocodile. Adults can weigh more than 900 kilograms and reach more than 2 meters in length, with the largest ever discovered measuring about 3 meters from bill to tail.

The species gets its name from its ridged, dotted carapace which, unlike other sea turtles, has the texture of hard rubber. Spending virtually its entire life at sea, the leatherback -- the only warm-blooded sea turtle -- is able to withstand colder waters than other species.

This has allowed it to become the most geographically dispersed reptile, spotted off the coasts of Newfoundland and Norway in the north, to New Zealand and the southern tip of Africa.

But despite its wide spread across the world's oceans, leatherback populations have plummeted in recent decades. The impact of commercial fishing, the poaching of their eggs and other hazards saw their numbers drop by an estimated 80% during the 1980s and 1990s, and today the species is classified as critically endangered. Read More

Job threat betrayal, Australia...Welcome to our world

2012-03-05T07:47:00.000-05:00

There's a new threat to Australian workers and their jobs, with big financial institutions planning to shift employment to Asia to reduce costs.

It's boosts profits, but cost thousands of jobs in areas once considered to be safe.

But the biggest slap in the face is that the workers who are facing the sack are being forced to train foreigners to take over their positions.

So what are the loopholes that are allowing people here on working visas to steal Aussie jobs?

Just how safe is your job?

A career in banking used to be a job for life, but lately bank employees are being terminated to make way for cheaper overseas contract workers.

The worst part is that Aussie bank employees facing redundancy are being forced to train foreigners to take over their positions. Read More

New suicide tactics in Syria uprising

2012-03-05T07:40:00.001-05:00

CNN's Nic Robertson reports on a suicide bombing in Syria that indicates a disturbing new trend in the unrest.

Note: Are they for real? they are calling this a new trend? The rebels called this an attack by the Government and the Media lapped it up with no Proof whatsoever and Continued to ignore other options... Now that they have proof that terrorists are at play in Syria, how can they be sure they are not part of what is happening in Homs?

Is Germany's euro strategy working?

2012-03-05T07:37:00.000-05:00

I have been guilty, on many occasions, of eviscerating the strategy taken by the leaders of the euro zone to combat its dangerous debt crisis. They have routinely acted too late with too little, causing contagion to spread through the zone, because they have been unwilling to put the interests of the euro over their own political careers.

I have been far from alone in forwarding such a critique. Everyone from George Soros to Timothy Geithner has expressed their concern over Europe’s lack of action. The primary target has been German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is really driving the entire effort. Her insistence on austerity would send Europe into a tailspin, critics contended, while her continued resistance to steps many believe would halt the crisis – such as a bigger bailout fund, or jointly issued Eurobonds – was putting the entire monetary union at risk.

But sentiment appears to be changing. There seems to be growing optimism in Europe that the worst of the debt crisis is behind them. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was practically giddy at last week’s summit of European Union leaders. “We’re turning the page on the financial crisis,” he said at a press conference. “The strategy we’ve implemented is bearing fruit.” Now I find myself under attack. One former TIME editor is bombarding me with emails saying that my continued gloom about Europe’s future is more and more misplaced.

So is Merkel’s debt crisis strategy actually working? Have its many critics been wrong all along? Well, in my opinion, the answer depends on what we mean by “working.” Read More

Iranian Jews in Israel prepare for worst

2012-03-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- Shamshiri in Tel Aviv is as busy as any restaurant might be during the lunch hour rush. Nestled in a part of the market area known as Little Persia, Shamshiri is run by Jews from Iran, providing a home away from home for other Iranian Jews.

Moluk, the matriarch of her family, is just one of tens of thousands of Iranian Jews who immigrated to Israel during the course of the last 60 years. She arrived in Israel in 1964 from Isfahan, where her sister still lives to this day.

In Iran there are an estimated 25,000 Jews remaining in the country, making it the largest Middle Eastern population center for the religion outside of Israel. Moluk, like many Iranian Jews in Israel, still keeps in touch with relatives back home.

She says there are no problems between Jews and Muslims in Iran. Jews, she explains, can practice their faith freely in Iran and are not persecuted. Read More

Tokyo stocks fall after China lowers growth target

2012-03-05T07:34:00.001-05:00

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks fell Monday as market sentiment was dampened after China's announcement during the session that it has lowered its economic growth target for 2012.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 78.44 points, or 0.80 percent, from Friday at 9,698.59. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished down 4.96 points, or 0.59 percent, at 832.86.

Decliners were led by the iron and steel, sea transport and mining sectors. Gainers included the pulp and paper, retail, and information and communications sectors.

Stocks opened lower and extended their losses in line with falls in other Asian markets after China, Japan's biggest trading partner, announced it has set its gross domestic product growth target for 2012 at 7.5 percent, down from around 8 percent last year, brokers said.

Tokyo stocks faced selling ''in line with falls in Asian shares after China's announcement,'' said Hiroichi Nishi, equity division manager at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. Read More

Saving sake: Struggling to restore confidence in Fukushima's liquor-destined rice

2012-03-05T07:31:00.000-05:00

"It really brought tears to my eyes," said Fukushima Prefecture sake producer Yasuhiro Watanabe, recalling the moment he saw a brand new bottle of sake and vegetables from the prefecture discarded in a station rubbish bin in Tokyo.

Watanabe, the 46-year-old president of Fukushima sake manufacturing company Watanabe Shuzo Honten was on his way back from a June 2011 campaign with friends to promote Fukushima Prefecture produce in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis when he saw the discarded products. He guessed someone had bought them under obligation and then thrown them away.

After the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Watanabe took part in several "revival campaigns," promoting Fukushima Prefecture produce in a bid to curb rumors about radiation from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. However, his efforts were not always well received. On one occasion an angry person confronted him and shouted "Don't sell things like that here" -- even though he had strived to let people know that all the sake, or rice wine, had been tested and no radioactive materials had been detected.

He recalls thinking: "Next year I'm going to produce rice that contains absolutely no radioactive materials." Read More

Anxious Fukushima town residents await review of no-go zone

2012-03-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

OKUMA, Fukushima -- This town frequently witnesses many vehicles carrying workers to and from the crippled Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant.

Okuma has a total area of about 78 square kilometers and is one of the municipalities that host the nuclear power plant. But the annual radiation dose tops 20 millisieverts for its east side, of which 70 percent still logs an annual radiation dose of more than 50 millisieverts.

As a result, roads, irrigation facilities and other infrastructure badly damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis have yet to be repaired.

In October last year, the town government mapped out a reconstruction blueprint to rebuild mainly areas where radiation doses are relatively low. But the central government is contemplating a review of the no-go zone as early as April, and it is not clear which area will be dropped from the no-go zone.

Decontamination efforts under the central government are not making progress, prompting Mayor Toshitsuna Watanabe to say with a sigh, "We cannot come up with a specific reconstruction program until the central government decides on its policy." Read More

Fukushima city sees more patients with insomnia, high blood pressure: survey

2012-03-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

FUKUSHIMA -- The rate of insomnia and high blood pressure among people in this city had grown significantly in the first six months since the outbreak of the nuclear disaster in comparison to data from the previous year, a recently revealed survey shows.

The poll, conducted by a medical care cooperative, which operates several clinics in the capital city of Fukushima, shows that between March 11 and Aug. 31, 2011, patients in the city who were diagnosed with insomnia stood at 27 percent more than the same period in the preceding year, while those suffering from high blood pressure had correspondingly increased by 13 percent.

The cooperative obtained the results by analyzing data from a total of 4,551 patients who visited one of the institution's clinics in the city of Fukushima between March 11 and Aug. 31 last year, and compared it with those of the 4,434 patients who visited the clinic in the same period in 2010.

According to the findings, patients suffering from an inability to sleep had increased from a total of 292 in 2010 to 370 in 2011, while those diagnosed with high blood pressure had increased from 493 to 557 in the surveyed period. Furthermore, patients diagnosed with herpes zoster -- a type of skin rash, often associated with a weakened immune system, among other causes -- had increased by more than two times, from 19 to 50.

People diagnosed with hyperlipidemia -- excessive fat in the blood, which often occurs due to a lack of physical exercise -- had also increased by 7 percent, from 418 to 449. Read More

Fukushima village comes together for radioactive cleanup and recovery project

2012-03-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

IITATE, Fukushima -- The people of this village are all gone, ordered to leave last year due to radioactive contamination. The citizens of Iitate, however, are working for the day they might return, as dump trucks rumble through the abandoned center loaded with soil and other materials for disposal -- part of a government model decontamination operation.

The villagers were told in April 2011 that they would have to evacuate Iitate by June the same year after a plume of radioactive fallout from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant washed over the community. A 320-billion-yen cleanup operation is now under way under the slogan, "Let's everyone go home together," while the village's recovery plan -- finalized on Dec. 16 last year -- calls for reducing contamination to the point that voluntary returns can begin in five years.

The village's decontamination plan, however, does not entirely jibe with the central government's. Announced at the end of January, the village work schedule calls for decontamination to start with areas at high elevations -- at odds with the central government's orders that the worst-contaminated sites be given priority. The village administration made the decision based on experiments that showed rain water was washing radioactive materials from the high ground into low-lying areas. Read More

Medical personnel quitting Fukushima due to lingering fears of radiation exposure

2012-03-05T07:18:00.000-05:00

FUKUSHIMA -- Fears of radiation exposure continue to haunt people in Fukushima Prefecture, nearly one year after the March 11 megaquake and tsunami triggered the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.

Some residents are falling ill after being deprived of an ordinary life at home and in the office. Meanwhile, 62,674 residents, or roughly 3 percent of the prefecture's pre-disaster population, have evacuated outside the prefecture as of Feb. 23.

Even worse, harmful rumors still abound and are affecting local agriculture and tourism.

Just before 6 a.m. on a regular working day, a radiological technologist in his 30s removes snow from the roof of his car at his home in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, before heading for a hospital in the city of Fukushima. He normally returns home after midnight.

Heavy snow this winter is a big challenge for him and other drivers as they travel the Kuriko mountain pass linking Yonezawa and Fukushima. A roundtrip takes five hours. Sometimes his car gets stuck in the snow, and he has to shovel snow, wondering, "What am I doing here?" Read More

URGENT EVACUATION ORDER ISSUED - Wagga Wagga in Southern New South Wales

2012-03-05T07:12:00.002-05:00

VIDEO: Thousands flee NSW floods

The State Emergency Service and the police issued the order shortly after 10pm (AEDT).

The order, affecting central Wagga Wagga, comes as the Murrumbidgee River threatens to reach some of the highest levels since flood records began.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects the river to reach 10.8 metres by 7am (AEDT).

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell is due to visit Wagga Wagga shortly, and tour disaster-hit areas with SES commissioner Murray Kear.

The heart of Australia's food bowl resembled a cluster of ghost towns yesterday after thousands of residents fled their homes amid the worst flooding in NSW in decades.

Many homes and businesses are under water, cars have been washed away and paddocks resemble lakes.

But the scale of the devastation is yet to be realised because residents cannot reach their flooded homes.

Meanwhile, an intense low developed off the southeast Queensland coast yesterday, with forecasters warning there was a 50 per cent chance of it becoming a cyclone.

Farmers are resorting to extreme measures to shift stock to higher ground - one in Wagga Wagga has housed 100 sheep on his front veranda.

While rain eased in inland NSW yesterday, the flood crisis - which covers three states - worsened.

A second man died when his car was washed off the road between Gympie and Maryborough yesterday.

About 5000 people have been evacuated in NSW and 2000 more are isolated. Read More

Bergtraum High School Students Brawl With Cops - New York

2012-03-05T07:01:00.000-05:00

FBI set to probe New York Republican congressman's 'illegal' fundraising after Anthony Weiner reported him'

2012-03-05T06:57:00.000-05:00

Spiritual leader: Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto is an adviser to Israel¿s powerful elite as well as sports stars such as LeBron James.

The FBI is considering whether to open an investigation into allegations that followers of a New York City rabbi made illegal campaign contributions to U.S. Representative Michael Grimm, according to a law enforcement official.

Followers of Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, an influential figure in Israel with a headquarters in Manhattan, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Grimm when he first ran for office in 2010, according to campaign records.

Some donors have since said that they broke rules to donate more cash to the Republican's campaign than allowed by law.

Pinto hasn't commented publicly, but former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner, a Democrat who had been close to the rabbi, said in interviews with several media outlets on Friday and today that Pinto approached him in the fall of 2010 to complain that Grimm had extorted him for the money.

Grimm had allegedly disclosed to Pinto that he was a former FBI agent and that he was a good person to have as a friend not an enemy. Read More

Andrew Breitbart's unexpected death sparks wild conspiracy theories

2012-03-05T06:48:00.000-05:00

Andrew Breitbart's untimely death has sparked wild conspiracy theories that the publisher was murdered on the President's orders.

The Conservative blogger, who published the infamous tweets that brought down former Representative Anthony Weiner, died on Thursday after he suddenly collapsed on a sidewalk near his Los Angeles home.

Within hours of his death, the internet was awash with methods and motives invented by conspiracy theorist explaining how and why Obama had the author killed.

The theories are fueled by Breitbart's announcement at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington last month that he had a college video of Obama that that would blow the lid off his presidency.

'[We] are going to vet [Obama] from his college days to show you why racial division and class warfare are central to what hope and change was sold in 2008,' Breitbart told the CPAC, reports Yahoo News.

'The rest of us slept while they plotted, and they plotted, and they plotted.' he added.

Breitbart said he planned to release the damning footage before the general election. Read More

Russians caught dancing and kissing at polling stations on webcams put up to counter ballot box fraud

2012-03-05T06:43:00.000-05:00

In the run up to the controversial presidential election, webcams were placed in polling stations across Russia amid allegations of fraudulent voters casting extra ballots.

But the live streaming cameras picked up a bit more than anyone bargained for - broadcasting images of revellers partying and even a couple kissing to the public around the country.

Just like the UK, many polling stations in Russia were based in schools, public halls and community centres during today's election.

But on the eve of the presidential election last night, some of the footage lived streamed showed scenes that were a world away from the usually drab polling stations.

While many of the webcam feeds just showed empty rooms awaiting voters' arrival the following morning, others live streamed party-goers shaking some moves at a make-shift discos on the eve of the election. Read More

'Disaster junkies' are reconstructing America's backbone during highest reported wave of natural disasters

2012-03-05T06:37:00.000-05:00

Taking a break from laying sod in a tornado-torn neighborhood, volunteer David Elliott cocked his head to the left. He was trying to remember all the trips he's made to help rebuild after disasters.

Elliott went to New Orleans seven times after Hurricane Katrina swamped the city in 2005, or was it eight? He was in Nashville, Tenn., after floodwaters inundated the city in 2010.

He's been to Alabama three times since tornadoes killed about 250 people statewide in April. Wait: that was just last year?

'I've lost track,' said Elliott, of Sacramento, Calif.

Rebuilding after storms is becoming a growth industry as the United States is slammed by more natural disasters, and leaders of the response efforts say the nation's recovery network functions as well as it does because of a backbone of volunteers nicknamed 'disaster junkies.'

The small group of people like Elliott travel from tragedy to tragedy shoveling mud out of flooded houses and rebuilding neighborhoods laid waste by busted levees, tornadoes and wildfires. Often, they bring more helpers with them.

On Friday severe storms slammed parts of the South and Midwest creating even more work opportunities for volunteers.

No one knows exactly how many disaster junkies are active in the United States, but the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster says a core group of around 300 people travel the country at least six months out of each year performing such work. Read More

San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks players bolt from field after game invaded... by a swarm of BEES

2012-03-05T06:32:00.000-05:00

There was a buzz about this baseball game and it wasn't because of either team's sporting prowess.

During the second inning yesterday between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, a swarm of bees descended, sending players running in all directions and fans ducking for cover.

Grounds crew at the stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona were forced to use a combination of cotton candy and lemonade to help disperse around 600 insects that delayed San Francisco's 11-1 win over Arizona for 41 minutes.

Center fielder Chris Young said: 'I didn't see them at first I just heard them. I am not afraid of one or two of them, I wouldn't flinch at that.

'When you start talking about 500 or 600 of them - I am afraid of that. I would be afraid of anything of that many. If there were that many mosquitoes, I would be afraid of that.'

The bees moved towards the right field line then down to the Giants dugout behind first base. Two sections of fans near the dugout were evacuated and the bees settled on a camera alongside the dugout. Read More

Tony West the Lawyer who defended 'American Taliban' fighter appointed to Justice Department... overseeing Guantanamo

2012-03-05T06:28:00.000-05:00

The new lawyer appointed to oversee Justice Department policy toward detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp worked as a defense attorney for a fighter who admitted to fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Tony West, who was appointed as acting associate attorney general -- the number three spot at the agency -- represented the so-called 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh.

At least one Justice Department critic is calling the appointment unsavory, given West's previous client.

As the lead defense lawyer for Lindh, who was charged with conspiracy to murder US citizens and aiding al-Qaeda and the Taliban, West was often the public spokesman for the young American.

Lindh was detained when he surrendered with group of foreign fighters in Afghanistan shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Read More

Obama insists he is prepared to attack Iran over nuclear plans

2012-03-05T06:25:00.000-05:00

President Barack Obama said Sunday that United States will not hesitate to attack Iran with military force to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but he cautioned that 'too much loose talk of war' recently has only helped Tehran and driven up the price of oil.

Speaking to a powerful pro-Israel lobby, Obama appealed to Israel for more time to let sanctions further isolate Iran.

He sought to halt a drumbeat to war with Iran and hold off a unilateral Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

And he insisted, 'There should not be a shred of doubt by now: when the chips are down, I have Israel’s back.' Read More

Samuel Jones: Fire-fighters find body at bottom of 'uninhabitable' 30-ft hole thought to be that of missing four-year-old boy

2012-03-05T06:21:00.000-05:00

Authorities said they have discovered the body of a four-year-old boy who has been missing since yesterday at the bottom of an ‘uninhabitable’ hole.

Samuel Jones, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, was reported missing Saturday night after he was last seen playing in his backyard that afternoon.

Detectives found a lifeless body in a 14-inch-wide hole around 7am this morning near where he disappeared.

The well is more than 30 feet deep.

Carlsbad police spokeswoman Lt. Jennifer Moyers told KOB-TV that police are fairly sure the body is that of Samuel.

She added that retrieving his body could be a timely endeavour, as the walls could easily collapse.

in addition, rescue crews from Roswell are driving in with equipment to help extricate the body.

Ms Moyers said a detective found a 14-inch-wide hole that is likely an old well in a neighbour’s backyard.

Fire-fighters determined no one could survive in the hole.

Ms Moyers said foul play isn't suspected but police are treating the case as a homicide as a precaution. Read More

Is there life on Jupiter? Unlikely, say scientists as they discover ocean on planet's moon is too acidic for most organisms

2012-03-05T06:19:00.000-05:00

Scientists have long held out hope that life might be found on Europa, a moon of Jupiter which has an ice cap like Earth's.

This is because underneath the ice is an extensive ocean - and water is usually a sure sign of life.

But now researchers suggest that the ocean may in fact be too acidic to support the vast majority of lifeforms.

The revelation will come as a bitter disappointment to those who have been avidly searching for evidence of life on other planets.

Scientists reached the conclusion by examining chemicals on the surface of Europa, according to Space.com.

These compounds are oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide and oxygen, which can bond with other chemicals to create new compounds. Read More

Janitors suspended after 4 boys found 'bound and gagged in elementary school bathroom'

2012-03-05T06:16:00.000-05:00

Ten-year-old boys were allegedly tied up and gagged by two janitors at their elementary school, according to authorities.

The maintenance workers have been suspended after tying up the four children with 'caution' tape last Thursday at Gregory Elementary School in Long Branch, New Jersey.

The names of the employees have not been released by school authorities and the children involved were not identified.

Michael Salvatore, superintendent of schools, told local news site The Link: 'After the reports and the review of our security cameras revealed the possibility that the incident took place, parents were notified, as well as, the proper authorities.'

Police were investigating but so far no charges had been filed. There was no evidence of sexual abuse but it was reported that the staff members had filmed the incident on their mobile phones, according to Fox News. Read More

Craig E. Rogers and TWO Other Teachers at one high school arrested after 'passing around male student, 16, for sex'

2012-03-05T06:10:00.000-05:00

Three male teachers at a single rural high school have been arrested after admitting to passing a male student amongst themselves during a series of over-lapping physical encounters.

The boy, 16, came forward and told prosecutors that the band director, a swim coach and a substitute Spanish teacher all engaged in physical relationships with him several times on the grounds of North Putnam High School in central Indiana.

Perhaps most horrifying is that the boy was introduced to the band director by the Spanish teacher -- after the two adults talked about the teen during a teach with each other.

The case has shocked the small community, where just 580 students attend the school and 'everybody knows everybody.'

Arrested were: Nicholas A. Vester, 24, a substitute Spanish teacher who worked at the school for 12 weeks last fall; Craig E. Rogers, 24, the band director who is currently on paid leave and Brandon D. Largent, 20, a student at Ivy Tech community college who was a lifeguard and volunteer swim coach at the school. Read More

850 British sex predators 'on the loose' and OFF the RADAR

2012-03-05T06:04:00.000-05:00

Nearly 850 registered sex offenders are at large, with nearly 700 of them missing for more than a year, it was reported.

One has been off the radar for nine years, the Daily Mail said.

Anyone jailed for at least 30 months for a sex crime is placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and required to inform police if they change address.

According to figures obtained by the newspaper, following a Freedom of Information request to the National Policing Improvement Agency, a total of 843 people on the register were at large on September 1 last year. Some 690 of those had been untraceable for more than 12 months, it was reported.

The figures show the number of registered sex offenders at large has more than doubled in two years, with just 356 missing on September 1 2009.

Lynn Costello, of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression, told the newspaper: "The figures don't surprise me because nobody has really had a control of the Sex Offenders' Register since it was brought in. These people are offenders who want to move around and remain underground and undetected." Read More

Payton Bushnell, 3, hospitalised after swallowing 37 magnets which tore apart her insides

2012-03-05T05:58:00.000-05:00

A three-year-old girl has made a miraculous recovery after swallowing 37 powerful magnets which tore up her intestines.

Payton Bushnell is still in hospital after the rare Buckyball magnets snapped her intestines together, ripping three holes in her lower intestine and one in her stomach.

The toddler was rushed into surgery after doctors in Portland spotted the metal balls, which had formed a bracelet-like circle in the girl's body.

Unaware she had swallowed the dangerous magnets, Payton's parents could not work out why their daughter was feeling so unwell, reports KPTV.

When her symptoms became worse, they rushed her to the doctor who after a number of checks took an X-ray.

'They saw a circle had formed in her stomach, and they thought she swallowed a bracelet,' the little girl's mother, Kelli Bushnell told KPTV.

Mrs Bushnell believes Payton mistook the silver balls for the tiny toppings she often uses to decorate cupcakes.

It was only when doctors tried to remove it from her stomach, they realized they were dealing with 37 individual powerful magnets. Read More

7/7 widow Samantha Lewthwaite and the bomb factory found in a house: Fugitive mother-of-three in terror inquiry is pictured at border

2012-03-05T05:47:00.000-05:00

This is the first photograph of the fugitive terrorist Kenyan police suspect is using the identity of 7/7 widow Samantha Lewthwaite.

The image was taken by an undercover officer as the woman crossed the border from Tanzania with her three children using a forged passport.

Anti-terror police have launched a huge hunt for the mother of three, who they believe was a ‘key financier and bomb-making tutor’ for the Somalian Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab.

Officers on the case have found a devastating arsenal of bomb-making equipment which they suspect was for a planned attack on Western tourist targets in the coastal city of Mombasa.

They discovered batteries, hydrogen peroxide and other chemical ingredients during a raid on one of several Mombasa houses where they believe the woman had stayed until she disappeared in December.

The raid followed a tip-off that Al Shabaab was planning to blow up hotels and shopping centres over Christmas and New Year.

The suspect fled with her three children following the arrest of her co-conspirators, Briton Jermaine Grant and Kenyan Foaud Abubakar.

The house was also used as an impromptu bank where police say the suspect would dole out dollar bills to Al Shabaab recruits – funded by ransom money handed to pirates targeting ships off the Horn of Africa.

Shown photographs of Home Counties mother Lewthwaite, Muslim leaders from the mosque closest to the building said it bore a resemblance to a white woman who had been praying there. Read More

Disneyland shut down for three hours after anonymous well-wisher hides 'spiritual message of goodwill' scroll in tree and sparks security alert

2012-03-05T05:41:00.000-05:00

A scroll containing a peaceful message sparked a three hour lock down at Disneyland after the bomb squad was called in to investigate the 'suspicious package'.

An anonymous well-wisher had hidden the 'spiritual message of goodwill' in a tree near the front gates of the Los Angeles theme park on Saturday just hours before it was spotted and reported as suspicious.

The all clear was given and the park was reopened after the person responsible for the message called the police to tell them it was a peaceful note. Read More

Cannabis growers MUST be jailed says top judge as he ignores 'soft' guidelines and imprisons six men

2012-03-05T05:36:00.000-05:00

Judge Alan Goldsack defied guidelines..And Done what he is paid for, His job.

A senior judge has ignored ‘soft’ new drugs sentencing guidelines by jailing six men for growing cannabis.

Judge Alan Goldsack criticised regulations that came into force last week and defied the authority of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

Under the new guidelines, at least four of the six offenders who were jailed at Sheffield Crown Court should probably have been given a community penalty.

Home-grown ‘skunk’ cannabis production is said to have reached ‘epidemic’ proportions in South Yorkshire, the area around the court, and judges there have been routinely jailing even low-level offenders in an effort to clamp down on the industry.

The judges have been following ‘clear and succinct’ guidance given by the Court of Appeal early last year, urging tougher sentences.

However under the new guidelines, the sentence range, if no more than nine plants are involved, goes from a conditional discharge to a medium- level community order.

Even where 28 plants are involved, the sentencing range is from a low-level community order up to 26 weeks in jail.

On Friday Judge Goldsack, the Recorder of Sheffield and the most senior judge sitting at the city’s crown court, sentenced 13 cannabis growers in one hearing. Read More

Prisoners, terrorists and gipsies should be handed MORE human rights, declares equality quang..And we Paid Them £150,000 To Come up with this Rubbish

2012-03-05T05:30:00.000-05:00

Prisoners, gipsies, terrorists and union activists routinely have their human rights abused, a highly controversial report will claim today.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has spent at least £150,000 of taxpayers’ money publishing a review into how public bodies safeguard people’s rights.

The left-wing quango, led by former Labour politician Trevor Phillips, has concluded that ‘more could be done to improve human rights protections of some,’ which also included vulnerable people in care homes and victims of crime.

But it contentiously calls for more rights for groups that include criminals, travellers and gipsies on illegal camps, and suspected extremists.

Some of the EHRC’s conclusions will spark anger because they are in defiance of the rulings of law made in Britain’s courts and decisions made in Parliament. Read More

Tortured by the very doctors who should be saving their lives: Smuggled images reveal horror of Syrian hospital patients

2012-03-05T05:27:00.000-05:00

A hospital worker has provided horrific video evidence that medical staff in the besieged Syrian city of Homs are doing the unthinkable: torturing patients in their care.

Chilling images covertly filmed by the man, who risked his life to bring the plight of what he claims are civilian patients to world attention, are to be broadcast on Channel 4 News tonight.

The grainy footage from the Homs military hospital depicts wards full of wounded men, blindfolded and shackled to their beds. Some bear marks of extreme beating. The apparent instruments of torture – a rubber whip and electrical cable – lie openly on a table in one of the wards.

On the orders of the Syrian government, all of those shot or injured during protests in Homs must be brought to the military hospital where staff are in league with the secret police.

The whistleblower claims many are whipped and beaten in their beds – and worse. Read More

Clare's Law will let you ask police if your partner has a history of violence...Here is Novel Idea, try giving them a Jail Term

2012-03-05T05:23:00.000-05:00

Clare Wood was killed in 2009 by a man she met through Facebook

Women will be given the right to ask police whether a new boyfriend has a history of violence under plans to be announced today.

‘Clare’s Law’ will allow the police to answer women – and men – who ask if their partner has any previous convictions for violence or sex crimes.

But tougher proposals allowing police to disclose information to family or friends who are worried about a loved one’s new partner are understood to have been rejected.

Instead, there will be strict controls and police will have the right to reject requests.

Home Secretary Theresa May will introduce trials in four areas before rolling the scheme out across England and Wales. Read More

'Date Rape': One in three teenage girls have been 'sexually assaulted by their boyfriends'

2012-03-05T05:16:00.000-05:00

One in three teenage girls in a relationship have experienced some form of sexual abuse, campaigners have revealed.

The Government is launching an anti-sexual abuse campaign aimed at teenagers to challenge the misconceptions about 'date rape'.

The Deputy Prime Minister unveiled an advert aimed to shock that will be shown on TV, cinema and online. Read More

Sun-dried tomato alert: Health investigators link them to outbreak of hepatitis cases

2012-03-05T05:13:00.000-05:00

Health experts are investigating an outbreak of potentially deadly hepatitis linked to sun-dried tomatoes, it emerged yesterday.

Seven people developed symptoms of hepatitis A, which is infectious and can lead to fatal liver complications.

Four of them were hospitalised by the illness but have now been given the all-clear.

However, health protection officials fear contaminated samples or other foods containing them could still be on sale or lurking in kitchen cupboards.

This is because they are unable to test food for the virus and do not know which brand of sun-dried tomato is responsible. Read More

Homeowners to pay £735 a year MORE after Halifax hikes mortgage rates - sparking threat of customer exodus

2012-03-05T05:10:00.000-05:00

Homeowners face having to pay up to £735 per year more after Halifax said today they are hiking up their mortgage rates - sparking the threat of a mass customer exodus.

The bank is increasing its standard variable rate mortgage from 3.5per cent to 3.99per cent from May 1, costing 850,000 customers hundreds of pounds per year.

Other lenders are likely to follow suit and increase their charges - despite the Bank of England base rate being held at a historic low of 0.5per cent for three years.

The increase, which is the first for three years, will be seen as rank profiteering by homeowners. Read More

Meteor Mystery: Hunt For Space Rock Remains

2012-03-05T05:06:00.000-05:00

A hunt is under way for the remains of a suspected meteor that was seen shooting across British skies.

Astronomers desperately want to track down any remnants of the space rock in the hope it could yield secrets about the birth of the Earth and solar system.

It was last spotted over the UK above Devon and there has been speculation it could have landed in Normandy, France - or perhaps in the Bay of Biscay.

Most meteors are only the size of tiny pebbles and burn up when they enter the Earth's atmosphere but this one was big enough for some to survive. It is thought to be about the size of a fist.

Even the slowest meteors travel at 10 miles a second - which is much faster than a speeding bullet.

Dr Marek Kukula, public astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, has said any remnants could be worth more than their weight in gold. Read More

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake TONGA REGION - 5th Mar 2012

2012-03-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck the Tonga Region at a depth of 15.6 km (9.7 miles), the quake hit at 09:38:12 UTC Monday 5th March 2012
The epicenter was 93 km (58 miles) WNW from Niue Island
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Hans Blix and El Baradei: The World Is Poorer Without Them

2012-03-05T04:58:00.000-05:00

During a recent ‘Hard Talk’ program in the BBC, the UN’s former chief weapon inspector, Hans Blix was asked why Saddam Hussein of Iraq acted as if he had the weapons of mass destruction despite the fact that he did not have any. Blix with a sarcastic smile replied ‘there are some who hang the board ‘Beware of dog’ never had any dog, but it served as a deterrent and it really worked too’.

What we see now in the world is just the opposite, many who have the vicious dogs but they refrain from putting up any warning signs! This good professor, who has an impressive track record when it comes to identifying illegal weapons of mass destruction, famously told the world that Saddam Hussein did not possess any of those he is accused of, although Bush and Blair were never prepared to listen to him. He was proved absolutely right. On the present Iranian crisis Blix says that he does not believe Iran possesses a nuclear threat, and puts forward a powerful argument in support of his thesis.

The former Director General of the IAEA (1997-2009) Mohamed El Baradei repeatedly downplayed claims of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program. The IAEA Board of Governors and UN Security Council have always commended El Baradei for ‘professional and impartial efforts’ to resolve all outstanding issues with Iran. Read More

Anonymous hackers ratted out by infiltrators

2012-03-05T04:56:00.000-05:00

Image: Members of the hacktivist group "Anonymous" take part in a protest in central Brussels January 28, 2012. (Reuters / Yves Herman)

A law enforcement operation that ended with the arrest of 25 hackers in Europe and South America was not the result of police intelligence but rather an informers’ job within the hacker community, claims Anonymous.

As well as launching a cyber-assault on Interpol’s website, the hacker group appears to be conducting its own investigation in order to find out how police managed to break through its veil of anonymity.

In a statement on Anonymous’ Spanish-language website, the group said that the arrests were down to the “carelessness” of the parties involved. They had apparently given “personal details to spies and people who were not members” of the organization.

“This wave of arrests was not the product of intelligence or technical wizardry on the part of Interpol, like they want you to believe. They were done using a much more deplorable technique: the use of spies and informants within the collective,” says Anonymous. Read More

Iran is unlikely to take any action against Azerbaijan unless Baku allows its territory to be used for attacks against Iran

2012-03-05T04:54:00.000-05:00

“Any attack of that nature by Iran against its neighbors is likely to trigger a greater and broader international response against Tehran”

Washington. Isabel Levine – APA. Washington, DC-based Iranian analysts commented on the recent diplomatic tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran, in their interview with APA.

Alireza Nader, Iran analyst at the RAND Corporation’s Washington Office believes that the Iranian regime’s distrust of Azerbaijan is deep-rooted.

“The Azerbaijan’s government is secular, though most of the population is Shi’a. Iran is of course a Shi’a theocracy. In addition, millions of Iranians are ethnic Azeris; this population is often restive, as was demonstrated by recent protests over Iran’s drying Lake Urumia”.

According to the analyst, Iran is unlikely to take any action against Azerbaijan unless Baku allows its territory to be used for attacks against Iran. “Nevertheless, warming ties between Israel and Azerbaijan will make Tehran more and more anxious in the future”. Read More

More than 69,000 Iraqis killed between "2004-2011" - al-Dabbagh

2012-03-05T04:51:00.000-05:00

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: More than 69,000 Iraqis have been killed as a result of terrorism and acts of violence since 2004 until 2011, official spokesperson of the Iraqi government said on Wednesday.

"The number of Iraqis' who have been killed since April 5, 2004 until the end of 2011, reached 69,263, as well as 239,133 wounded, according to government's reports," Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

"The highest number of casualties was in 2006 as 21,539 Iraqis were killed and 39,329 wounded, and the least were in 2011, during which 2,777 were killed," he added.

"Baghdad ranks first between 2004-2011 as regards the number of casualties with 23,898 killed, followed by Diala, Anbar, Ninewa and Muthanna, where only 94 people were killed," he continued.

"In 2007, Basra, Karbala, Wassit, Diwnaiya, Babel, Ninewa and Kirkuk saw the highest number of casualties compared to the other years," he said. Source

US doubts Pakistan’s use of aid

2012-03-05T04:47:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several other congressmen have expressed concerns over the diversion of its aid money by Pakistan for other purposes, even as the United States has tried to build a firewall in this regard.

“Well, we certainly have constructed one,” Clinton told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on Tuesday when Senator Jim Webb asked if the US had developed a firewall for the financial aid going into Pakistan to avoid chances of US money going into the expansion of the country’s nuclear programme. “I think the fair question is: Even with a firewall, if you provide aid for other purposes, does that permit the government then to divert funds that should be spent for health, education, energy, etc to that programme?

And it remains a serious concern of mine,” Clinton said. She said that part of the ongoing dialogue with Pakistan is around the reforms the Pakistanis need to make for their own people, adding that Pakistan over the years had invested a great deal in its military. Read More

Resetting the debt mountain

2012-03-05T04:43:00.000-05:00

The euro crisis is still hot. There are riots on the streets of Athens. No part of the political progress is happening without hysterics and plot twists.

Yet this is all a side show. The latest Greek bail-out agreement may have gone into the wee small hours, yet it was a non-event as far as the currency markets were concerned.

It seems intuitively wrong and, in a way heartless to say this, but the evidence is obvious and conclusive -the euro hasn’t budged for weeks.

Whether China is supporting the euro or not, and despite historic cinemas getting torched in Greece, the euro is still stable. Read More

The Sorry State of Japan’s Public Finances

2012-03-05T04:41:00.000-05:00

In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, Western credit rating agencies one after another made downward revisions in their assessments of Japanese government bonds. The reasons are not hard to understand. Japan’s ability to sustain its social security system had come into question even before the catastrophe, and the outlook for public finances was further darkened by various spending schemes introduced by the Democratic Party of Japan after it took power in September 2009. Moreover, the anticipated upturn in revenues had been slow to appear.

On top of this, the natural disaster made an expansion in government expenditures on recovery and reconstruction inevitable. When one also takes into account the burden on the government stemming from the damage and losses caused by the nuclear power plant accident, one can see that public finances are likely to be in desperate straits for decades to come. In the meantime, seeing what happened in Japan, people around the world became increasingly concerned about the risks of natural disasters, and nowhere are the risks higher than in Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Read More