The epicenter was 94 km (58 miles) WSW of Kuqa, China
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
Sunday, September 30, 2012
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 94 km (58 miles) WSW of Kuqa, China
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
4.4 Magnitude Earthquake MOLUCCA SEA - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 142 km (88 miles) NNW of Tobelo, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 74 km (45 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
4.5 Magnitude Earthquake KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 116 km (72 miles) East of Ust'-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake NORTH INDIAN OCEAN - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 685 km (425 miles) WSW of Banda Aceh, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
Taiwanese warships heading to Diaoyu / Senkaku Islands, Special Forces contemplating landing on islands to prevent Japanese police actions, bringing region precipitously close to war
With regards to the people protesting for the protection of the Diaoyu Islands, Taiwanese authorities have also given approval and support. Ma Ying-jeou expressed on the 24th that Taiwanese fishermen have been catching fish in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands for hundreds of years but now often suffer interference from Japan’s Coast Guard, which makes the fishermen extremely angry. He said, “If this problem can’t be resolved, it may also be very difficult to sit down and discuss other issues”. The Ma Administration emphasized on the 24th that the Yilan fishermen heading towards the waters of the Diaoyu Islands were sailing out on “legal/lawful” fishing operations and that the “Coast Guard” would definitely protect them, also dispatching multiple warships to escort them. more
String of deadly attacks kill at least 32 in Iraq
Sept. 30 - Emergency service workers try to contain damage in the aftermath of deadly bomb attacks in Iraq which have killed at least 32 people.
D-FOX: Please contact us if you can read this
To D-fox: if you're reading this, please contact us at thecomingcrisis@gmail.com. It's important -- we believe.
Major quake hits Colombia, no reports of death or damage
The 7.1-magnitude quake had its epicenter in the southwestern province of Cauca with a depth of about 103 miles, Colombian officials said.
"So far there are no reports that there has been damage to any part of the country, only reports that it was felt," Jaime Raigosa, coordinator of the National Seismological Network, said. "Fortunately, the quake was deep."
The U.S. Geological Survey had reported a 7.4-magnitude earthquake but then downgraded it to 7.1.
The quake was felt in neighboring Ecuador but authorities reported no damage there. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that no tsunami was expected. Source
Muslim protesters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh
Members of the Buddhist minority in the Cox's Bazar area in the southeast of the country said unidentified people were bent on upsetting peaceful relations between Muslims and Buddhists.
Muslims took to the streets in the area late on Saturday to protest against what they said was a photograph posted on Facebook that insulted Islam.
The protesters said the picture had been posted by a Buddhist and they marched to Buddhist villages and set fire to temples and houses.
Police said they had deployed extra security forces and banned gatherings in Buddhist-dominated areas.
"We brought the situation under control before dawn and imposed restrictions on public gatherings," said Salim Mohammad Jahangir, Cox's Bazar district police superintendent. Read More
7.3 Magnitude Earthquake COLOMBIA - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 9 km (9.3 miles) WNW of Isnos, Colombia
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
Tropical Storm Churns Through Central Japan
As a typhoon, Jelawat has already sparked chaos in the south of the country, injuring more than 100 people, flipping vehicles and causing power cuts.
This morning it made landfall in the Aichi prefecture with less intensity, but winds of up to 112mph, and is currently moving up the main island Honshu and central areas.
The storm is expected to churn northeastwards later in the day, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
It warned high waves of up to 10 metres (33ft) could hit islands and the Pacific coast near Tokyo, while up to 50cm (20ins) of rain is expected in some areas in the next 24 hours.
More than 2,000 people in the central Mie prefecture have been told to evacuate their homes, while residents in the capital have been urged to stay indoors, although Jelawat is not now expected to pass through the city.
Dozens of high-speed train services have been suspended across the country and some 500 flights cancelled. Read More
5.4 Magnitude Earthquake EAST OF THE VOLCANO ISLANDS - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 869 km (540 miles) North from SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
Huge forest fires hit Turkey-Syria border
A huge forest fire has hit the Turkish border, threatening refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin.
Texas: Dead Crickets Kick Up A Stink In US Town
A bank and a chemist are among the firms struck by the foul odour from the dead insects that have apparently been trapped inside walls and have also been found on pavements in Waco.
Bank manager Jani Rodriguez said he had used several scented products to try and mask the stench in his branch.
The firm has also had the carpets cleaned and covered up openings where crickets might sneak in, like the small space around its glass doors.
But the bad smell remains and the problem seems to get worse when it rains.
This is because the insects are flushed out of cracks and crevices in the dirt where they normally live. Read More
China: 50ft tsunami of foam sweeps through village after chemical spill
The mass of soapy suds blanketed the water in Xintang, in China's Guangdong province, leading to evacuations along the banks of the river.
But officials have now said the only threat posed by the foam - thought to have been caused by chemicals washed into the river - was the possibility of 'one or two dead fish' lurking in the bubbles.
'Panic': A local man is dwarfed by the mass of suds floating down a river in southern China
The bizarre scene is thought to have been caused after heavy rainfall washed a non-toxic chemical deodorant from a household rubbish tip into the river.
The bubbles were created when the chemical was swept over a waterfall, officials said.
A spokesman said: 'People are right to be cautious but it is harmless. It made very large bubbles when it went over a waterfall, but apart from one or two dead fish, it is harmless.' more
Thoughts: Besides, those Chinese could use a third arm anyway to faster knit our Gucci socks for us. It's win-win, right?
Fire engulfs pesticide factory in India
Sept. 30 - Chemicals are reduced to ashes as sudden fire engulfs pesticide factory of India's eastern state of Bihar. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
Supreme Court to consider jurisdiction for rights abuses
The case pits a Nigerian widow against a multinational oil company. Esther Kiobel and others say Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell) helped the Nigerian government commit human rights violations against her husband, who was executed in 1995. Shell has denied the allegations and argues that cases involving foreign governments committing atrocities in their own countries do not belong in the U.S. court system at all.
That the justices are considering the sweeping question of whether an entire class of lawsuits can be heard in the United States can be traced to briefs filed by three lawyers whose clients aren't even involved in the case.
How their briefs came to be sheds light on one of the most closely watched cases before the Supreme Court this term and shows how the efforts of private lawyers pursuing a public policy goal can have momentous consequences. Read More
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake PANAMA-COLOMBIA BORDER REGION - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 26 km (16 miles) East of Acandi, Colombia
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
Deadly Kenya grenade attack targets children in church
The attacker targeted St Polycarp's church on Juja Road.
A police spokesman said they suspected sympathisers of Somalia's al-Shabab Islamist militants were to blame.
Kenyan troops are at present part of an African Union force that has forced al-Shabab from its last Somali urban stronghold of Kismayo.
The Daily Nation quoted local police as saying that a number of those hurt at the church were injured in a stampede after the attack.
The police spokesman, Charles Owino, told Reuters news agency: "We suspect this blast might have been carried out by sympathisers of al-Shabab. Read More
Diana Dudas Body Found after going missing during Spanish Floods
Diana Dudas was reported missing in the town of Vera, Almeria, after torrential rain hit the area leaving at least 10 others dead.
The 52-year-old had a Spanish husband, Javier, and had lived in Spain for several years.
She had her own holistic therapy clinic and hairdressers in the town and had just written a book.
Her friend, Genny Sutcliffe, 56, said she was "absolutely devastated".
"I was told that her body was found washed up in the lagoon," said Mrs Sutcliffe. Read More
JILL MEAGHER MARCH: TENS OF THOUSANDS MARCH IN HONOUR OF JILL MEAGHER
Police closed Brunswick's Sydney Road to traffic for more than an hour on Sunday as people of all ages walked where the 29-year-old ABC staffer spent her final moments before her alleged abduction and murder last weekend.
Hundreds laid flowers and notes, lit candles and signed a condolence book for Ms Meagher's family at makeshift memorials outside the local Baptist church, as well as the boutique where CCTV footage captured the moments before she disappeared.
Local resident Philip Werner, who organised the march, led the procession with a banner that read "Choosing peace, hope, non-violence and solidarity with all women".
Mr Werner said he had felt compelled to unite people, many of whom had never known Ms Meagher but shared in the shock and sadness of her death, which occurred as she walked from a bar on the popular nightlife strip towards her nearby home. Read More
China: Internet has dismissed the name of 'Bo Xilai'
On September 28, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
announced that Bo Xilai,
the former CCP Secretary in Chongqing was expelled
from the CCP and dismissed from position.
His alleged crimes and evidences and clues have been
transferred to judicial organs.
Meanwhile, micro blog in China lift up ban on names of
Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai and Wang Lijun.
In a short time, netizens' comments had piled up.
People in China had never posted on micro blogs
so freely to discuss about Bo and Wang's case.
Enter Bo Xilai online, you could find over 6.5 million results;
if enter Wang Lijun, more related articles show up, about 7 million results;
even enter Gu Kailai, you will find 1.65 million results.
About possible prosecution and sentencing of Bo Xilai,
a media person Shi Kefei said, "If you read carefully through the draft,
you can see the current problems are divided into
two categories- one is alleged crime, and the other clues.
The latter is worthy of concerning,
and it's a very dramatic mystery."
An youthful writer, Zhang Chunjiang raised such a question,
"In addition to the superficial offenses,
how will the CCP explain Bo's crimes on organ harvesting
from living human beings?"
Sensitive Word "Organ Harvesting Alive" Lifted
On the very day of Bo's sanction, "living organ harvesting",
which is closely related to Bo's case, was also lifted on microblogs in China. Read More
US Embassy issues terror warning for Americans in Egypt
The diplomatic mission stated on its website that it has “credible information suggesting terrorist interest in targeting US female missionaries in Egypt.”
The embassy urged US citizens to “exercise vigilance, taking necessary precautions to maintain their personal security.” Americans in Egypt were also advised to maintain valid travel documents and to regularly monitor the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which lists updated travel warnings and alerts.
On August 4, the US issued a travel warning to Americans to “take precautions in travel to the Sinai.” It warned that “overland travel from Israel to the Sinai in particular is strongly discouraged.” That warning came soon after Israel urged its citizens to get out of the Sinai. The next day, Sinai terrorists killed 16 Egyptian border guards in an assault at the Egypt-Gaza-Israel border.
Also on Friday, the chairwoman of the House of Representatives committee that oversees foreign aid said she would block $450 million in US assistance to Egypt in light of tense relations between the two countries. Read More
Christians 'flee Egypt town after death threats'
Last week, flyers began circulating in the town of Rafah on the Gaza Strip border demanding that its tiny Coptic population move out, residents said.
Officials at the local church informed the authorities of the threats, but no actin was taken, they added.
Days later, a shop belonging to one of the families was fired on with automatic rifles, witnesses said.
The events prompted the families to leave Rafah but there were conflicting accounts over whether they had done so voluntarily or been evicted.
"The families have left Rafah and gone to El-Arish," one official said on condition of anonymity.
Another official denied that any Coptic families had left at all. Read More
MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: OBAMA PLANS $450 MILLION CASH FOR EGYPT
The aid is part of the $1 billion in assistance that the Obama administration has pledged to Egypt to bolster its transition to democracy after the overthrow last year of the former president, Hosni Mubarak. Its fate, however, was clouded by concerns over the new government’s policies and, more recently, the protests that damaged the American Embassy in Cairo.
The United States Agency for International Development notified Congress of the cash infusion on Friday morning during the pre-election recess, promptly igniting a smoldering debate over foreign aid and the administration’s handling of crises in the Islamic world. Read More
Surreal: Clinton Pledges $45 Million in Aid to Al Qaeda in Syria
by Tony Cartalucci
September 28, 2012 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the US would be providing an additional $45 million in "non-lethal aid" to the "opposition" in Syria, reported the Associated Press. The Western press chose their words carefully, ensuring that the term "civilian opposition" was repeatedly used to describe the armed terrorist forces attempting to violently overthrow the Syrian government.
In reality, the "opposition" in Syria constitutes foreign terrorist legions flowing across Syria's borders, and in particular, staging and crossing over from NATO-member Turkey. In fact, it was recently admitted by the terrorist legions themselves that their headquarters has been located within Turkish territory for the duration of the conflict. In a recent France 24 article titled, "Free Syrian Army move HQ from Turkey to Syria," armed militants claimed they had only just recently "moved from Turkey to within Syria."
Clinton's Aid is Going to Al Qaeda, Not a "Civilian Opposition."
While the Western media attempts to portray heavily armed foreign terrorists as "Syria's civilian opposition," it has been revealed that entire brigades are led by Libyan terrorists drawn from the ranks of the US State Department (#29), UK Home Office (page 5, .pdf), and UN-listed terror organization, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG).
The presence of LIFG in Syria was first announced by the Western press in November of 2011 when the Telegraph in their article, "Leading Libyan Islamist met Free Syrian Army opposition group," would report:
Abdulhakim Belhadj, head of the Tripoli Military Council and the former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, "met with Free Syrian Army leaders in Istanbul and on the border with Turkey," said a military official working with Mr Belhadj. "Mustafa Abdul Jalil (the interim Libyan president) sent him there." Read More
50 Countries Label Genetically Engineered Foods – When Will Americans have the Right to Know and Choose?
By Dr. Mercola
The greatest opportunity to give people the right to know if their food is genetically engineered will occur with the California ballot initiative – officially known as Proposition 37 – which is coming up for vote on November 6. Proposition 37 will require labeling of genetically engineered foods, and end the routine industry practice of labeling and marketing such foods as "natural."
Your support, regardless of what state you live in, can make all the difference between winning and losing.
As summed up by Mark Bittman in a recent New York Times piece:1
"Polls show Prop 37 to be overwhelmingly popular: roughly 65 percent 'for', to 20 percent 'against', with 15 percent undecided. Nationally, on the broader issue of labeling, in answer to the question of whether the Food and Drug Administration should require that:
'Foods which have been genetically engineered or contain genetically engineered ingredients be labeled to indicate that,' a whopping 91 percent of voters say 'yes' and 5 percent say 'no'. This is as nonpartisan as an issue gets, and the polls haven't changed much in the last couple of years.
...Prop 37 isn't a ban on foods containing genetically engineered material; it's a right-to-know law. As things stand, you can find out whether your salmon is wild or farm-raised, and where it's from, but under existing legislation you won't be able to find out whether it contains the gene of an eel.
That has to change. We have a right to know what's in the food we eat and a right to know how it's produced. This is true even if food containing or produced using GMO's were the greatest thing since crusty bread.
...If genetically engineered food is so terrific, persuade us; if it's not, well, fine. In any case, it should be up to us to buy it or not, but first we have to know what it is." Read More
Pepe Escobar: ''Why Qatar wants to invade Syria''
What an entrance at the UN General Assembly in New York; Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani called for an Arab coalition of the willing-style invasion of Syria, no less. [1]
In the words of the Emir, "It is better for the Arab countries themselves to interfere out of their national, humanitarian, political and military duties, and to do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed in Syria." He stressed Arab countries had a "military duty" to invade.
What he means by "Arab countries" is the petromonarchies of the Gulf Counter-Revolution Club (GCC), previously known as Gulf Cooperation Council - with implicit help from Turkey, with which
the GCC has a wide-ranging strategic agreement. Every shisha house in the Middle East knows that Doha, Riyadh and Ankara have been weaponizing/financing/providing logistical help to the various strands of the armed Syrian opposition engaged in regime change. Read More
Berlusconi: euro is a 'swindle' and Germany wants ''hegemony"
Speaking at a book presentation event in Rome on Thursday (27 September), he called the euro a "big swindle" and said that it would be no "tragedy" if Germany - which has displayed "hegemony, not solidarity" in the crisis - left the common currency.
He also criticised the eurozone bailout fund, the ESM, which was ratified by Berlin the same day.
Belrusconi said that it only contributes to the vicious circle of recession and debt: "To receive aid you have to sign a memorandum with austerity measures, which bring the economy to collapse and into a recessionary spiral." Read More
Why An Islamic Revolution In Saudi Arabia Is A Surefire Way To Send Oil To $300 A Barrel
But with a coming leadership crisis, it is becoming all too likely.
Saudi is facing major economic challenges as dramatic increases in social spending and domestic fuel consumption eat through the kingdom’s all-important oil revenues.
Saudi Arabia is smack in the middle of the Middle East, an ever-tumultuous region currently rocking and rolling more than usual as the Arab Spring challenges longstanding autocratic assumptions, while war-torn Syria and defiant Iran tip the delicate Sunni-Shia religious balance in the world’s most important oil region.
While the House of Saud might present itself as a stable, strong, and cohesive royal family, in truth the king and his successors are growing old and incapacitated in a throne room full of competing contenders. Meanwhile, the only other organized social group in the country – the Islamists – are waiting just outside the door.
Want to see oil at $300 a barrel?
To see $300/bbl oil, or to watch the news as Saudi troops attack Tehran, or to see a stranglehold on US oil imports, watch what a failed succession battle in the House of Saud that ends up destroying the whole family and ushering in an Islamist age in Saudi Arabia would do to the price of oil.
It could happen sooner than you think.
A Shaky House of Saud
The king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Aziz bin Saud, is almost 90 years old. In Saudi Arabia’s royal system, the throne passes not from father to son but from brother to brother. The problem with the system is that none of King Abdullah’s brothers are exactly young and full of vigor.
Crown Prince Salman, next in line to the throne, is already 76. He got the Crown Prince nod after two of his elder brothers died. The remaining brothers now average 80 years of age. Read More
Powerful typhoon feared to make landfall on Honshu, Japan
Typhoon Jelawat is expected to make landfall later Sunday in the Tokai region in central Japan, with the season's 17th typhoon approaching the Kanto area in the evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Around 3 p.m. Sunday, it was moving past the tip of Shiono Cape in the western prefecture of Wakayama, packing winds of up to 126 kilometers per hour.
The agency is warning of torrential rain, thunderstorms and high waves, forecasting rainfall of up to 500 millimeters in the Tokai region, 400 mm in Kanto and 300 mm in Kinki over the 24-hour period through Monday noon. Read More
Investigators find cracks in second Dreamliner engine
The NTSB identified the problem as a cracked fan midshaft on a Dreamliner General Electric GEnx-1B turbofan engine, the group said in a written statement posted on its website Thursday. The 787 had not yet flown when investigators identified the engine problem, investigators said.
Inspectors uncovered the cracked second engine during an inspection of all in-service engines of that type, the NTSB said. The statement included no further details of the discovery. The NTSB, which investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents, said its investigation of the engine troubles is continuing.
GEnx engines are manufactured at a General Electric facility in Cincinnati. Read More
China manufacturing continues to slump
The HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index, a key measure of manufacturing produced by global banking giant HSBC (HBC) and data research firm Markit, came in at 47.9 in September.
That was up slightly from 47.6 in August and higher than an initial estimate of 47.8 for September that was released last week. However, any reading below 50 is an indication that the manufacturing sector is contracting.
China's economy is still growing at a faster rate than the economies of the United States, Europe and Japan. But there are worries that the pace is slowing due to the problems in Europe as well as sluggishness in the U.S. Both Europe and the U.S. are key export markets for China. Read More
Hundreds killed in Pakistan flooding
Some 350,000 people have been forced from their homes and another 4.7 million people affected by the flooding since August 22, Ahmed Kamal of the National Disaster Management Authority said.
More than 15,000 villages have been affected and many houses destroyed or damaged in the past five weeks, he said.
Pakistan has suffered a series of devastating inundations, affecting millions of people, in recent years.
Pakistan, India hit by deadly flooding
Flooding last year killed 470 people and impacted 9.1 million others, Kamal said. Read More
Police brace for trouble as thousands join Northern Ireland march
Over the course of the day, up to 30,000 people were expected to join the Ulster Covenant parade, held to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of a pro-union document which helped shape Northern Ireland's history.
The parade left from Belfast City Hall Saturday morning, headed for the grounds of Stormont, beside the Parliament Buildings.
Concerns over potential disorder along the route center have focused on an area near St. Patrick's Church, where violence flared up between Catholics and Protestants earlier this month.
The parade passed near the flashpoint Roman Catholic church, near the city center, without incident Saturday morning but must still return along that route in the evening. Read More
Global stocks drop, euro falls on euro zone worries
Spain plans to ask for around 40 billion euros ($51.46 billion) in European aid to recapitalize its weak banks, Bank of Spain Deputy Governor Fernando Restoy said on Friday.
An independent audit of Spanish banks by consultancy Oliver Wyman showed the country's troubled lenders would need 59.3 billion euros in extra capital to ride out a serious economic downturn.
Spain will remain in focus, analysts said, with Moody's Investors Service expected to finish a credit rating review soon that may cost Madrid its sovereign investment-grade status.
"At some point that (Spanish) credibility issue is likely to come back," said Derek Halpenny, European head of FX research at Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi in London. "This is the fifth package - so the history of previous packages is that they weren't enough and lacked credibility." Read More
Khadr transferred to maximum-security prison in Canada.
Sept. 29 - The youngest prisoner and last Westerner held in Guantanamo, Omar Khadr, arrives in Canada.
Spain anti-austerity demo turns violent
Sept. 30 - Protesters clash with riot police wielding batons as an anti-austerity demonstration continues into the night in Madrid. Sarah Charlton reports.
Rebels blow up Syrian army tank
Sept. 25 - Amateur video appears to show Syrian rebels using explosives to blow up a military tank in Aleppo. Sarah Charlton reports
Gunfire rages in Syria's Aleppo
Sept. 30 - Amateur footage shows Syrian rebels engaging fire in fierce gunbattles with government troops in the city of Aleppo. Sarah Charlton reports.
Can Assad be pushed out without U.N. help?
Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from the "Friends of Syria" - a group that includes the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey - are due to meet in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Friday.
"I just expect ideas to be presented. There will be no concrete plans," Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Erabi told Reuters. "Governments are not ready to put plans into action and the Security Council is not agreeing on anything."
The 18-month uprising against Assad's rule has killed around 30,000 people, according to activists. The protests have further escalated into an armed insurgency fighting with sectarian overtones that could drag in regional powers. Read More
Venezuelan opposition activists shot dead
Capriles' party, Primero Justicia (First Justice), said the gunmen fired from a van that witnesses identified as belonging to state oil company PDVSA or the local mayor's office during a rally in the agricultural state of Barinas.
The government of President Hugo Chavez, who is seeking re-election, confirmed the deaths and vowed the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami said the circumstances of the attack were still under investigation.
Venezuela is awash with guns, and violent crime is frequently cited as voters' No. 1 concern. Read More
NATO soldier, civilian, killed in Another Afghan "insider" attack
The attack in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday came after the United States said joint operations with Afghan forces were returning to normal.
Joint operations were halted two weeks ago after a surge of attacks by Afghan allies. At least 52 members of the NATO force have been killed this year in so-called green-on-blue attacks.
It was too early to say what impact the latest incident would have on plans to restore joint-operations with Afghan forces to normal, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force said. Source
String of Iraq car bomb blasts kill at least 17
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Violence in Iraq has eased since its height in 2006-2007 when sectarian fighting killed thousands of people, but Sunni Islamists and an al Qaeda affiliate still launch regular attacks, seeking to undermine the Shi'ite-led government.
The most deadly explosion took place in Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, where bombs in three parked cars went off separately, killing eight people and wounding 22.
A suicide bomber in a car blew himself up in the city of Kut, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Baghdad, killing four policemen, police and local officials said. Read More
Fareed's Take: Is democracy part of Europe's economic problems?
The downward spiral has produced a great debate about the virtues of "austerity," the idea that governments with large budget deficits must reduce these deficits -– mainly by cutting spending. If they don't get their budgets in order, so the idea goes, they won't be able to borrow money and will face a fiscal nightmare of ever-rising interest rates.
The problem is that as these governments cut spending in very depressed economies, it has caused growth to slow even further -– you see government workers who have been fired tend to buy fewer goods and services, for example -– and all this means falling tax receipts and thus even bigger deficits.
So, economists like Paul Krugman urge: abandon the austerity program, spend more and get budgets in order once the economy has recovered. The problem, in the mind of Keynesians like Krugman, is that European elites, particularly in Germany, have embraced the wrong economic doctrine.
Now, having been in Europe briefly earlier this week, I don't think Europe's elites -– especially German elites -– have really embraced some alternative view of economics. Most do understand that cutting spending during a recession slows down the economy further. Read More
Ahmadinejad: US warnings don't affect our policies
Fareed Zakaria speaks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about his statements on Israel, his country's nuclear program, and what he thinks about U.S. warnings. To watch the full interview, tune into GPS this Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET.
You have indicated that you think that the Israeli prime minister's threats toward Iran are ones you don't take very seriously. But I was wondering how seriously you take the rhetoric of the president of the United States. President Obama said at the United Nations that he was determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Do you regard that as a bluff?
You set forth two or three questions here. I have never used the word bluff. When we say we do not take it seriously, we mean that it impacts – it does not impact our policies in the slightest.
Iran is a vast country. It's a great country. Let's assume a few terrorists come and assassinate some of our officials. Will the country be damaged? No. A couple of bombs will be set to explode. Will the country be destroyed? No. Read More
Japan Carriers Cancel Domestic Flights as Typhoon Jelawat Approaches
All Nippon Airways Co. (9202) canceled 273 domestic flights affecting more than 43,000 passengers, the airline said in a faxed statement. Japan Air said it canceled 128 domestic flights affecting almost 25,000 passengers.
The storm was about 250 kilometers southwest of Nagoya, the hub of the nation’s third-largest metropolitan region, as of 1:45 p.m. local time, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its website. The storm was moving northeast at about 45 kilometers per hour.
Jelawat’s maximum wind velocity will probably be about 40 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall along the central Japan coast this evening, Kenji Okada, a forecaster at the agency, said by phone. Read More
First images of particle jets at edge of a supermassive black hole
Now, however, researchers are putting together an array of telescopes stretched across the globe with the specific goal of imaging the environment near these supermassive black holes. The team behind the Event Horizon Telescope has now used it to image the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, and returned the first details of the disk of matter that is being sucked into that galaxy's central black hole.
It's difficult to imagine the environment near a supermassive black hole. These objects are typically over a million times the mass of our Sun, but all of that matter is crammed into a space that may only be a fraction of the Sun's radius. Any matter falling into one piles up into an orbiting disk of material (called an accretion disk) that increases in density and energy as you get closer to black hole. Any matter that crosses a critical point, however, rapidly spirals inward to the black hole itself. The inner area of the disk is so energetic that it actually sends matter away from the black hole in a wind of particles. Read More
Ancient statue discovered by Nazis is made from meteorite
Researchers say the 1,000-year-old object with a swastika on its stomach is made from a rare form of iron with a high content of nickel.
They believe it is part of the Chinga meteorite, which crashed about 15,000 years ago.
The findings appear in the Journal, Meteoritics and Planetary Science.
The 24cm (9-inch) tall statue is 10kg (22lb) and is called the Iron Man.
Origins unknown
The story of this priceless object owes more perhaps to an Indiana Jones film script than sober scientific research.
It was discovered in Tibet in 1938 by German scientist Ernst Schafer. His expedition was supported by the Nazis, in particular by Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. Himmler was said to believe the Aryan race originated in Tibet and was keen to recover objects from the area. Read More
7 adults sickened at Riley Hospital with Mystery Illness, State of Indiana
Seven adults got sick and four others were hospitalized Thursday due to an unknown substance they were exposed to inside the emergency room at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. All of those hospitalized have since been relased according to Riley spokeswoman, Abigail Gras.
It all started with an odd smell, which Riley staff members confirmed, prompting a call to the Indianapolis Fire Department. At approximately 11:50 a.m., an IFD hazardous materials team responded, along with members of the Department of Homeland Security, to investigate a possible chemical spill inside the hospital's emergency room. IFD spokesman Lt. Derrick Sayles later said there wasn’t a chemical spill.
Crews were still trying to identify the mystery subtance that caused seven adults to fall ill at Riley, even though investigators admit they may never know what made them sick.
"At this time, everything we found is inconclusive," said Indianapolis Homeland Security Director Gary Coons at a news conference Friday afternoon. Read More
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake TAJIKISTAN - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 87 km (54 miles) North from Khorugh, Tajikistan
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
Amanda Clayton Dead: Michigan $1 Million Lotto Winner Who Was Charged With Welfare Fraud Found Dead
The circumstances surrounding Amanda Clayton's death were not immediately released by police, but ABC News' Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV reported that sources within the police department said they suspect the woman died of an overdose.
An autopsy is pending on Clayton's body, which was found at a home in Ecorse, Mich., police said.
Clayton, who became a millionaire after her big win last September, caused outrage earlier this year when it was revealed she was continuing to get $200 in monthly food aid from the state.
According to the attorney general's office, Clayton failed to report her winnings and employment while receiving $5,475 in food and medical assistance. Read More
Protests Turn Violent Amid Huge Cuts In Spain
Thousands of Spaniards marched close to the parliament building on Saturday amid anger over austerity measures and a prolonged recession.
They protested peacefully for hours, but police with batons marched in before midnight to move on groups who were staying without permission to demonstrate.
Some responded by throwing bottles and rocks.
One press photographer at the scene reported seeing police severely beating a protester who was taken away in an ambulance.
Spanish state TV said two people were hurt and 12 detained near the parliament building. Read More
Spain: Tornado Hits Fair As Floods Kill 10
A 52-year-old British woman is among those missing after torrential rain hit the Andalusia and Murcia regions, and hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes.
The hardest hit provinces are Malaga in the south and Almeria in the southeast.
Among the dead are seven men, two women and a 10-year-old girl who was found drowned in a car.
Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was investigating reports that the unnamed British woman has gone missing in Almeria.
In the region of Valencia, 35 people were reportedly injured after a tornado hit a fairground and flattened a Ferris wheel.
Local media said all the injured were fairground workers and 15 were seriously hurt.
The twister damaged several other rides and cut electricity in the temporary fairground set up in the town of Gandia.
The funfair was closed to the public at the time because of a thunderstorm, reports said. Read More
Miliband Threatens Bank Break-Up Under Labour
The Labour leader was speaking on the eve of a Labour Party conference at which he is under pressure to set out his alternative to the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition.
Banks have been given until 2019 to ring-fence high street operations handling consumer and small business accounts from high-risk "casino" arms within the same group.
But the Opposition accuses Chancellor George Osborne of watering down reforms called for in the Vickers review in the face of lobbying by the industry, and moving too slowly to force change. Read More
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake GULF OF CALIFORNIA - 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 78 km (48 miles) ESE from Santa RosalÃa, Baja California Sur, Mexico
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time
