BREAKING: Libyan Rebels May Begin Seeking U.N. Airstrikes

In a sign of mounting frustration among rebel leaders over Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s diminished but unyielding grip on power, rebel leaders here are debating whether to ask for Western airstrikes under the United Nations banner, according to four people with knowledge of the deliberations.

By invoking the United Nations, a council of opposition leaders made up of lawyers, academics, judges and other prominent figures is seeking to draw a distinction between such airstrikes and foreign intervention, which the rebels said they emphatically opposed.

“He destroyed the army; we have two or three planes,” said a spokesman for the council, Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga. He refused to say if there would be any imminent announcement about such strikes, but he wanted to make it clear: “If it is with the United Nations, it is not a foreign intervention.” (read more)

Saudi stocket market tumbles 7%

Stocks have lost a chunk of early gains, while oil and gold have spiked higher as traders are spooked by a 7 per cent fall in the Saudi Arabia stock market on fears unrest may spread to the desert Kingdom.

However, global equities are still within 0.5 per cent of last month’s cyclical highs after the market again showed its fortitude in recent sessions, having swiftly absorbed Mideast turmoil and rising inflationary pressures. (read more)

Palestinians try to create 'Facebook revolution'

The mass demonstrations sweeping the Middle East are touching the Palestinian territories, where West Bank and Gaza Strip activists are trying to organize their own "Facebook revolutions."

The Palestinian activists are inspired by the calls for democracy that toppled autocratic leaders in Egypt and Tunisia and threaten longtime rulers in Libya and Bahrain.

In recent weeks, activists using Facebook have brought hundreds of people onto streets of the West Bank, waving Palestinian flags and calling for change. Smaller gatherings have taken place in Gaza. The protesters hope to stage a massive demonstration in both areas on March 15. (read more)

Saudi Arabia sends tanks to riot-hit Bahrain

Saudi Arabia has sent dozens of tanks to Bahrain, where anti-government protests continue for about two weeks, Egypt's Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper said on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing "15 tank carriers carrying two tanks each heading towards Bahrain" along the 25-km King Fahd causeway, which links the small island nation of Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

Protestors are mainly Shiites account for about 70% of the Bahraini population, but have long complained of discrimination and other abuses by the Sunni Khalifa dynasty that has ruled the tiny Gulf nation for more than two centuries. (read more)

Oman deploys army units fearing more unrest

Oman deployed troops north of the capital Muscat and near the border with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, following three straight days of anti-government protests, a government official said.

Oman, ruled by a powerful family dynasty, is the latest Arab nation to be swept up in a wave of regional unrest that has already brought down two leaders and threatened the rule of others.

The center of protests in Oman has been the port town of Sohar, about 120 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of Muscat, where demonstrators demanding higher salaries and jobs have clashed with security forces. (read more)

Yemeni president: US and Israel behind unrest in Middle East?

Yemen's embattled U.S.-backed president accused Washington on Tuesday of instigating protests against his regime, as hundreds of thousands marched in cities across Yemen in the largest rallies yet seeking the longtime ruler's ouster.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh's allegations, unprecedented in their harshness, signaled a growing rift with the United States that could hurt a joint campaign against the al-Qaida terror network in Yemen.

Saleh's comments Tuesday, including charges that the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Sanaa is giving instructions to the protesters, appeared to be part of an attempt to silence the calls for his resignation. Saleh has come under mounting pressure to step down since anti-government protests erupted a month ago. (read more)

Who Owns the United States of America?

Regardless of how much closer Obama's budget brings our economy into a balance of payments not seen since 2001, we will continue to run deficits for the next decade, and the national debt will keep growing every year that happens.

While most of the country's $14 trillion debt is held by private banks in the U.S., the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Board estimate that, as of December, about $4.4 trillion of it was held by foreign governments that purchase our treasury securities much as an investor buys shares in a company and comes to own his or her little chunk of the organization.Looking at the list of our top international creditors, a few overall characteristics show some interesting trends: Three of the top 10 spots are held by China and its constituent parts Read More

1. Mainland China

Amount of U.S. debt: $891.6 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 20.4%

2. Japan

Amount of U.S. debt: $883.6 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 20.2%

3. United Kingdom

Amount of U.S. debt: $541.3 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 12.4%

4. Oil Exporters

Amount of U.S. debt: $218 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 5%

5. Brazil

Amount of U.S. debt: $180.8 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 4.1%

6. Caribbean Banking Centers

Amount of U.S. debt: $155.6 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 3.6%

7. Hong Kong

Amount of U.S. debt: $138.2 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 3.2%

8. Canada

Amount of U.S. debt: $134.6 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 3.1%

9. Taiwan

Amount of U.S. debt: $131.9 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 3.0%

10. Russia

Amount of U.S. debt: $106.2 billion - Share of total foreign debt: 2.4%

Oil climbs despite Saudi output pledge

World oil prices advanced on Tuesday despite OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia's pledge to ensure sufficient supplies to cover Libya's production shortfall.

Brent North Sea crude for delivery in April rose 67 cents to $112.47 per barrel.

New York's light sweet crude for April, known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI), gained 35 cents to $97.32.

Fears about supply disruption due to a wave of unrest in Libya and other countries in the oil-rich Middle East sent Brent soaring close to $120 last week. (read more)

Battle for Libya Continues: Pro-Gadhafi forces try to retake strategic city of Zawiya -- "We are expecting a major battle"

Government opponents in rebel-held Zawiya repelled an attempt by forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi to retake the city closest to the capital in six hours of fighting overnight, witnesses said Tuesday.

The rebels, who include mutinous army forces, are armed with tanks, machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. They fought back pro-Gadhafi troops, armed with the same weapons, who attacked from six directions. There was no word on casualties in Zawiya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli.

A similar attempt was made by pro-Gadhafi forces Monday night to retake the city of Misrata, Libya's third-largest city 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of Tripoli. Rebel forces there repelled the attackers.

"We will not give up Zawiya at any price," said one witness. "We know it is significant strategically. They will fight to get it, but we will not give up. We managed to defeat them because our spirits are high and their spirits are zero." (read more)

Massive landslide hits Bolivian capital due to "sudden seismic activity"

Sudden seismic activity caused a "mega-mudslide" in the Bolivian capital of La Paz Sunday, the country's state news agency reported.

The mudslide left at least 800 families homeless, according to the ABI news agency's report, which did not mention any fatalities or injuries.

A fault stretching 80 to 100 hectares (200 to 250 acres) triggered the disaster, ABI said.

Bolivia's president called an emergency meeting of government ministers late Sunday to evaluate the damage left behind by the mudslide and declared the area an emergency zone. (read more)

If the Saudis revolt, the world’s in trouble

Be careful what you wish for. After an ambiguous start, Western leaders have broadly welcomed the wave of protest and revolutions sweeping North Africa and parts of the Middle East. But beneath the words of encouragement about people taking charge of their own destiny, there is a growing and vital concern – the security of our oil and gas supplies.

The West’s complicity in supporting the autocratic regimes that characterise many of the big oil-exporting nations is in part explained by the fact that, whatever their sins, they did at least seem to provide stability in the energy markets. That stability, however, has been thrown up in the air by the wave of protest sweeping the region.

Initially, it was assumed that there was a difference between oil-poor Arab nations such as Tunisia and Egypt, where the uprisings have been as much about living standards as anything else, and the much richer Gulf states. That theory was swiftly proved wrong. (read more)

Tea party vision for Montana "leading US to Civil War"

With each bill, newly elected tea party lawmakers are offering Montanans a vision of the future.

Their state would be a place where officials can ignore U.S. laws, force FBI agents to get a sheriff's OK before arresting anyone, ban abortions, limit sex education in schools and create armed citizen militias.

It's the tea party world. But not everyone is buying their vision.

Some residents, Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer and even some Republican lawmakers say the bills are making Montana into a laughingstock. And, they say, the push to nullify federal laws could be dangerous.

"We are the United States of America," said Schweitzer. "This talk of nullifying is pretty toxic talk. That led to the Civil War." (read more)

Troubled banks rise to highest level in 18 years

The number of banks at risk of failing made up nearly 12 percent of all federally insured banks in the final three months of 2010, the highest level in 18 years.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp said Wednesday that the number of banks on its confidential "problem" list rose to 884 in the October-December quarter, up from 860 in the previous quarter. Those are banks rated by examiners as having very low capital cushions against risk.

Twenty-two banks have failed so far this year. And more banks are at risk, even as reported the industry's highest earnings as a group since the financial crisis hit three years ago. (read more)

Max Keiser on Revolts: Americans Joining Middle East Uprising Trend

LIBYA, AL ARABIYA REPORTS 10,000 DEAD?

There are at least 10,000 dead and 50,000 wounded in Libya, according to reports by Al Arabiya on Twitter quoting a member of the International Criminal Court. The death toll was reportd by the Libyan member of the ICC, Sayed al Shanuka, who was interviewed from Paris. The official figures provided by the Libyan government yesterday indicated 300 dead, while this morning Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini stated that he believed more in the death of ''more than 1,000 innocents".

After last night's speech on television by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who stated that "I will resist until my death", tension emerged today in Libya while foreigners flee and power supplies to Europe are being shut down. The government still controls Tripoli, but has now lost Cyrenaica. This morning Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini mentioned ''civil war'' between ''death units and squads'' and accused Gaddafi of ''horrible bloodshed'', asking him to stop. Even the Italian government, which the opposition accused of not having spoken about Gaddafi's repression, is now attacking the Libyan leader. (read more)

China's ground and fresh water "running out"

A severe drought in China has forced the government to look for alternative ways to find water.

Workers have been digging deep underground in search of the much needed resource, but, as Al Jazeera's Melissa Chan finds out, this may have created an even bigger problem. (source)

Earth's magnetism going awry: Pilots, boaters adjust to shift in magnetic north

Magnetic north, the point at the top of the Earth that determines compass headings, is shifting its position at a rate of about 40 miles per year. In geologic terms, it's racing from the Arctic Ocean near Canada toward Russia.

As a result, everyone who uses a compass, even as a backup to modern GPS navigation systems, needs to be aware of the shift, make adjustments or obtain updated charts to ensure they get where they intend to go, authorities say. That includes pilots, boaters and even hikers.

"You could end up a few miles off or a couple hundred miles off, depending how far you're going," said Matthew Brock, a technician with Lauderdale Speedometer and Compass, a Fort Lauderdale company that repairs compasses.

Although the magnetic shift has little impact on the average person and presents no danger to the Earth overall, it is costing the aviation and marine industries millions of dollars to upgrade navigational systems and charts. (read more)

Newest psychiatric horror: Brain pacemakers to zap psychiatric disease

Call them brain pacemakers, tiny implants that hold promise for fighting tough psychiatric diseases — if scientists can figure out just where in all that gray matter to put them.

Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, has proved a powerful way to block the tremors of Parkinson's disease. Blocking mental illness isn't nearly as easy a task.

But a push is on to expand research into how well these brain stimulators tackle the most severe cases of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome — to know best how to use them before too many doctors and patients clamor to try.

"It's not a light switch," cautions Dr. Michael Okun of the University of Florida. (read more)

We'll use military force to free Libya, vows PM: Cameron plans no-fly zone over country and even threatens to send British troops - 1st Mar 2011

- Leaked papers revealed UK forces have trained Libyan troops in Britain
- Wild-eyed Gaddafi proclaims 'All my people love me' in interviews
- Dictator's forces fail to retake rebel-held city closest to capital
- Tony Blair condemned for ‘dodgy dealing’ with Gaddafi in 2004
- Gaddafi’s son Saif pledges that the regime will ‘fight to the last bullet.

David Cameron threatened Colonel Gaddafi with military action last night, promising a no-fly zone and arms shipments to his enemies.

In a dramatic move that could define his premiership, the Prime Minister even suggested he could send British troops into Libya as a peacekeeping force to stop Gaddafi’s henchmen massacring democracy campaigners.

At a National Security Council meeting yesterday morning, he ordered military chiefs to draw up plans for the no-fly zone. If Gaddafi turned his air force on the rebels, RAF warplanes would be able to intervene.

But today it emerged that Gaddafi's forces had failed in a bid to retake the rebel-held city closest to the capital, Tripoli. Read More

Update: Reward total rises to £10,500 as more swans found dead - 28th Feb 2011

THE reward to flush out the callous gunman who shot dead eight swans has risen from £5,500 to £10,500.

Three people have stumped up the cash between them after being disgusted by the shootings.

As reported, three dead swans were found covered in blood in a field off Totney Drove near Blackford by a passing motorist on Monday morning.

Animal care manager Sara Cowen from East Huntspill-based Secret World Wildlife Rescue and a Burnham hovercraft crew rushed to the scene and found an injured swan, which had survived the shootings, in the rhyne. Read More

DEADLY NEW VIRUS THREAT - and scientist are giving it a helping hand

NOTE: Yesterday reports started appearing that the swine flu is yet again dying out for the year, cases are down, not many new ones are appearing. after a couple of months of scare mongering it seems the regular flu has beat the figures again and come out the biggest killer. now this;

SWINE and bird flu could mutate together into a form that creates a doomsday bug, say scientists.

Experts at the China Agricultural University mixed genes from the two strains of the disease to generate 127 new viruses.

The hybrids were tested on mice and eight of the new strains proved more virulent and dangerous than either disease on their own. Source , a simular report from August 2010 (seems they have been trying to mix the strains for a while now)

NOTE: Its not enough that the world was scared with swine flu now scientists are playing around and giving the mutation a little help by mixing the two strains.

What we should not forget is the facts, the regular flu kills hundred's of thousands each year, are you scared into taking non tested vaccines for this?

Largest earthquake since 1969 rattles Arkansas state - 28th Feb 2011

Residents across the entire state were awoken by the strongest earthquake yet Sunday night.

According the the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS), a preliminary magnitude 4.7 hit 4 miles northeast of Greenbrier just after 11:00 p.m.

It was felt across the state as well as into Missouri and Mississippi. Two aftershocks where reported afterwards, a 3.8 magnitude then a 3.6 magnitude.

So far, there have been no reports of damage or injuries.

"We probably wouldn't see structural damage until a 5 or 5.5," says Bekki White, Director of the Arkansas Geological Survey. "What you're going to see now is pictures sway, things fall off the wall, shaking, maybe some windows break." Read More

NOTE: There has been a swarm happening in Arkansas for at least 6 months now, all the earthquakes seem to be generated in the same area, if anyone can shed some light as to why they are all isolated to this one area we would be interested to hear from you.

BREAKING NEWS: 6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Easter Island Region - 1st Mar 2011

This Morning a 6.o Magnitude Earthquake was registered 378km (235 Miles) from Hanga Roa, Easter Island at 00:53 UTC. 01/03/2011

The Depth of the Quake was just 10km (6.2 Miles) and followed a earlier Earthquake of 5.1 Magnitude.

No Stunami was generated

Source