Hurricane Sandy LIVE (New posts below)

 

Dolphin washed up in wake of Superstorm Sandy

Greeks protest as Troika debt deal looms

Government Suffers EU Budget Vote Defeat

David Cameron has suffered a blow after losing a Commons vote on the European Union's long-term budget.

The Prime Minister had hoped to get backing for his threat to veto any rise in the EU budget.

But eurosceptic Conservatives and Labour MPs backed a rebel Tory bid calling for the Prime Minister to push for a real-terms cut in the EU's budget for 2014-20.

The Government was defeated by a margin of 307 votes to 294.

http://news.sky.com/story/1005279/government-suffers-eu-budget-vote-defeat

130 fleeing Burma violence feared dead as boat sinks

Up to 130 people trying to escape ethnic violence in Burma are said to be missing after their boat sank off the coast of Bangladesh. Police and community groups said the boat containing families of Rohingya Muslims, sank while trying to make its way towards Malaysia.

“We have heard from our sources on the ground that there were 130 people on the boat,” said Tun Kin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (Brouk). “We still don’t know where it happened.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/130-fleeing-burma-violence-feared-dead-as-boat-sinks-8269579.html

Greek union calls strike for November 6-7

Greece's main union on Wednesday called a 48-hour general strike for November 6-7 in protest at a new wave of austerity measures unveiled by the government in order to unlock EU-IMF bailout loans.

"The central aim and demand of the unions is the rejection (by parliament) of unacceptable, destructive and coercive measures imposed by the troika," the GSEE union said in a statement, referring to the EU, IMF and European Central Bank.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j_ByZlQgGu6pxUT60_JX09XROing?docId=CNG.329ccfef04a36194aac9d0fcc0452b7c.3b1

GlaxoSmithKline to review European operations amid sales fall

Britain's biggest drug maker, GlaxoSmithKline, has announced a review of its European operations as sales fell 8pc in the third quarter, which could lead to significant job cuts.

Sir Andrew Witty, chief executive of GSK, declined to give any details on what impact the review would have on staff numbers – insisting it could mean the business hires more people in Europe – but analysts raised fears that the move signalled “downsizing”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9646589/GSK-to-review-European-operations-amid-sales-fall.html

France warns Iran after meeting Israeli PM

French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday said he wanted "concrete acts" from Iran to prove it was not pursuing a nuclear arms drive after his first face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At a press conference with Netanyahu, whose aim during a two-day visit to France is to seek more pressure on Iran, Hollande warned that Paris would back "other sanctions" if Tehran failed to convince on its contested nuclear programme.

"This is a threat which cannot be accepted by France," Hollande said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gy5INqydh7TLXZjTVbJwPGsU9vZg?docId=CNG.6276ae73f6b087293594c096783bd811.181

Merkel reassures Turkey on EU talks, Erdogan raps Cyprus

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday the European Union (EU) would pursue accession talks with his country in good faith, despite some persistent disagreements.

Erdogan said on Tuesday the EU would lose Turkey if it did not grant it membership by 2023, the first time he has indicated how long Ankara might continue down the path towards EU entry.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-germany-turkey-erdogan-idUSBRE89U12720121031

Wall Street scrambles to raise cash after Sandy

Wall Street firms and U.S. banks scrambled to raise cash on Wednesday, as U.S. financial markets resumed normal trading after a devastating storm pummeled the U.S. East Coast and closed major markets for two days.

Major banks and investment houses rely on the money markets - a key cash source for financial markets - to finance trading positions and loans they make. Companies sell commercial paper and other short-term debt to money market funds and other investors to fund their inventories and payrolls.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-storm-sandy-moneymarkets-idUSBRE89U0YT20121031

Ignoring threat, activists send more flyers to North Korea

South Korea and U.S. team up for joint air force exercise

NYPD airlifts stranded residents to safety

Bombing intensifies in Syria

Computer geeks: Uncle Sam wants you

BOSTON - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is considering setting up a "Cyber Reserve" of computer security experts who could be called upon in the event of a crippling cyber attack.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/net-us-usa-cybersecurity-reserve-idUSBRE89U16Z20121031

Iraq eyes the war next door

In guesthouses and mosques across Iraq's Anbar province, the talk at Sunni tribal gatherings has turned from the usual debate over local politics to a matter even more pressing - the war next door.

Many people in Iraq's Sunni heartland, once al Qaeda's stronghold in the country, are most concerned with helping their kin.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-syria-crisis-iraq-idUSBRE89U0X020121031

Mandatory evacuations will not be lifted until affected buildings are inspected: New York mayor

Clinton calls for overhaul of Syria opposition

The United States called on Wednesday for a major overhaul of Syria's beleaguered opposition, saying it was time to move beyond the Syrian National Council (SNC) and bring in those who are "in the frontlines fighting and dying today".

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, signaling a more active stance by Washington in attempts to form a credible political opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said a meeting next week in Qatar would be an opportunity to bring more people to the table and broaden the coalition against him.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-syria-usa-idUSBRE89U1AY20121031

Minerals Find Gives New Clues To Life On Mars

Nasa has discovered the mineralogy of Martian soil is similar to balsatic, weathered soils of volcanic origin in Hawaii.

The minerals were found in the first sample of soil collected recently by Mars rover Curiosity using its Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin), said Nasa on its website.

http://news.sky.com/story/1005148/minerals-find-gives-new-clues-to-life-on-mars

Calvin Lock: Ibuprofen Allergic Reaction 'Nearly Kills' Boy

An 11-year-old boy was left covered in blisters and fighting for his life after suffering a rare allergic reaction to Ibuprofen.

Calvin Lock was given Nurofen for Children by his mother for a sore throat on the doctor’s advice. But a few days later clusters of spots started appearing all over his body.

The burns led to him losing 65% of his skin and the youngster had to be put on a life support machine.

http://news.sky.com/story/1005163/ibuprofen-allergic-reaction-nearly-kills-boy

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 16:26:38 UTC
Thursday, November 01, 2012 at 04:26:38 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
30.157°S, 177.791°W
Depth
61 km (37.9 miles)
Region
KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
Distances
99 km (61 miles) S of Raoul Island, New Zealand

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake TANZANIA - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 15:15:06 UTC
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 06:15:06 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
5.333°S, 34.833°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region
TANZANIA
Distances
22 km (13 miles) SSE of Ikungi, Tanzania

Sandy Uncovers Bomb At Guantanamo Bay

The US military has had to close down a ferry landing at Guantanamo Bay after Hurricane Sandy uncovered an old bomb.

The 500lb (227kg) object was discovered several days after the hurricane - later downgraded to a superstorm - hit the Cuban island.

Officals at the US naval base evacuated the area around the bomb and flew in a disposal crew.

http://news.sky.com/story/1005110/sandy-uncovers-bomb-at-guantanamo-bay

Hezbollah reportedly installs surveillance camera network along Israeli border, "in preparation for conflict"

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-installs-surveillance-camera-network-along-israeli-border/

GM Slashes Jobs Amid Europe Car Downturn

General Motors has announced European job cuts amid the sales downturn in the continental car market.

http://news.sky.com/story/1005159/gm-slashes-jobs-amid-europe-car-downturn

In darkened NYC, safety on the list of concerns

Faced with the prospect of days without power and swaths of the city plunged into darkness at night, police brought in banks of lights and boosted patrols to reassure victims of a monster storm that they won't be victims of crime.

Some prominent galleries in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood hired private security and apartment building superintendents suddenly became guards. In Coney Island, about 100 police officers stood on corners or cruised in cars to guard a strip of vandalized stores and a damaged bank, to the relief of shaken residents.

http://news.yahoo.com/darkened-nyc-safety-list-concerns-070353718--finance.html

Cyclone Nilam: India evacuates 5,000 on southern coast ahead of cyclone

At least 5,000 people were evacuated from India's southern coast Wednesday as powerful Cyclone Nilam surged in, authorities said.

Evacuations were ordered in low-lying areas off the coast of Tamil Nadu state, said Jatindranath Swain, the province's disaster management commissioner.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/31/world/asia/india/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Italy job woe: 'To work I have to move'

Afghanistan Helmand roadside bomb kills 10 civilians

A roadside bomb in the southern Afghan province of Helmand has killed at least 10 civilians, officials say, most of them women and children.

A second roadside bomb in the same province killed another person.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20153542

Sudan rebels 'recruit children' from refugee camp

Sudanese rebels are using a refugee camp across the border in South Sudan as recruitment grounds for troops including child soldiers, a senior US official said Wednesday.

Anne Richard, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, said Washington had called on rebels fighting in Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states to end militarisation of the Yida refugee camp.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5joRe5DVTV97zosQxvrXg9NbSD2Pg?docId=CNG.9d9bb5d97241aa39684f8140764984ed.6d1

More strikes called in Greece after 2013 budget published as Greece Enters DEPRESSION

• the budget predicts that government debt will hit 189.1% of gross domestic product in 2013. The budget is forecast at 5.2% of GDP, compared with the 4.2% predicted a month ago.
• The revisions mean that Greece no longer expects to post a surplus excluding debt costs of 1.1% of GDP next year. It now only expects a primary surplus of 0.4%.
• The budget also forecasts the Greek economy contracting by 4.5% in 2013, from 3.8% in the previous draft. That means that Greek GDP will have slumped by 21.5% since 2008 by the end of next year. A true depression.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/oct/31/eurozone-crisis-greece-austerity-budget-vote?intcmp=239#block-50910ffc95cb49410b863bbd

Eurozone unemployment hits record level

Eurozone unemployment hit a record level in September in the latest sign that the debt crisis is far from abating. Joblessness in the 17-country bloc increased to 11.6 per cent in September compared with 11.5 per cent in August

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d7b3dde6-2353-11e2-a66b-00144feabdc0.html

Euro zone weighs new Greek aid as numbers deteriorate

Euro zone finance ministers conferred on how to keep Greece afloat as negotiations between Athens and its foreign lenders neared conclusion over reforms the country must implement to receive fresh emergency loans.

Greece needs to push through spending cuts and tax measures worth 13.5 billion euros ($17.5 billion) as well as a raft of economic reforms to appease EU and IMF lenders and secure bailout money to avoid bankruptcy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-eurozone-economy-idUSBRE89U0PV20121031

Rebels bring fight to pro-Assad Palestinians

Syrian rebels said they had formed a brigade of sympathetic Palestinians in a Damascus district to fight armed Palestinians aligned with President Bashar al-Assad.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-syria-crisis-palestinians-idUSBRE89U0H320121031

Obama to return to campaign trail on Thursday with a trip to Nevada: White House

Superstorm Sandy: 'This Is A Wake-Up Call'

Superstorm Sandy is a "wake up call" that could lead to billion dollar flood defences being created in New York City.

Three of New York's top 10 highest floods have occurred in the last two and a half years, and the latest disaster has fuelled calls for major investment in flood defences.

http://news.sky.com/story/1004900/superstorm-sandy-this-is-a-wake-up-call

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
4.2
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 13:00:14 UTC
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 05:00:14 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
41.792°N, 127.083°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region
OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances
230 km (142 miles) WSW of Gold Beach, Oregon

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 12:35:13 UTC
Thursday, November 01, 2012 at 12:35:13 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
18.645°S, 177.530°W
Depth
315.9 km (196.3 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
253 km (157 miles) NNE of Ndoi Island, Fiji

'Gene Hackman Slaps Homeless Man In Self-Defence'

Gene Hackman acted in self-defence when he slapped a homeless man who became aggressive with the actor and his wife, police have said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1004993/hackman-slaps-homeless-man-in-self-defence

Quarter-billion-dollar stimulus grant creates just 400 jobs

Battery maker A123 Systems vowed thousands of new jobs when it received a nearly quarter-billion-dollar stimulus grant in late 2009, but federal job-tracking figures show only a few hundred positions were created before the company joined a growing list of federally backed energy businesses that ended in bankruptcy.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/29/hiring-stats-elusive-in-latest-energy-failure/

MSNBC Ridicules Romney for Collecting Food, Supplies for Sandy Victims

This one is really hard to believe, even for the most biased so-called "news network" in the nation.

MSNBC on Tuesday totally trashed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for collecting food and supplies at a storm relief rally in Ohio to be sent to victims of Hurricane Sandy


http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/10/30/msnbc-trashes-romney-collecting-food-and-supplies-sandy-victims#ixzz2Aoy9BldZ

FACEBOOK CENSORS NAVY SEALS TO PROTECT OBAMA ON BENGHAZI-GATE

Over the weekend, Facebook took down a message by the Special Operations Speaks PAC (SOS) which highlighted the fact that Obama denied backup to the forces being overrun in Benghazi.

The message was contained in a meme which demonstrated how Obama had relied on the SEALS when he was ready to let them get Osama bin Laden, and how he had turned around and denied them when they called for backup on Sept 11.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/10/30/Facebook-Censors-Navy-SEALS-To-Protect-Obama-on-Benghazi-Gate

FEMA, White House send storm victims to Internet for Help

When President Barack Obama urged Americans under siege from Hurricane Sandy to stay inside and keep watch on ready.gov for the latest, he left out something pretty important — where to turn if the electricity goes out.

Despite the heightened expectation of widespread power and cable television failures, everyone from the president to local newscasters seem to expect the public to rely entirely on the Internet and their TVs for vital news and instructions.

None of the major cable or local news channels put emergency phone numbers or key radio station frequencies on their screens. The only phone-related instructions on the homepage of ready.gov is how to get monthly disaster-prep text messages. The Federal Emergency Management Agency told the public via Twitter to use texts and social media outlets to stay informed.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83024.html?hp=l10

Ohio's Cuyahoga Overflows From Sandy Rain

Merkel meets heads of financial organizations

Aerials: Superstorm Sandy destruction in Washington DC and New Jersey

Clean up begins after superstorm Sandy

Could the subway be shut down for 21 days? Bloomberg says just five but researchers predict worst-case scenario for New York transit system

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Tuesday that the subway service would be shut down until Saturday or Sunday – a total closure of six to seven days.

But a group of Columbia University researchers analysing the effects of a smaller hurricane or tropical storm suggest that it would shut down the subways for 21 days.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225570/Sandy-storm-update-New-York-City-subway-shut-3-weeks.html

Hoboken Mayor says 25k residents are trapped by flood waters filled with live wires and raw sewage as she begs the National Guard for help

Appearing on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show Tuesday, Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer estimated half of her city was underwater.

'They’re in their buildings and half of Hoboken is literally flooded and under water,' Zimmer said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225602/Hoboken-Mayor-says-25k-residents-trapped-flood-waters-filled-live-wires-raw-sewage-begs-National-Guard-help.html

Before and after the storm: True scale of Sandy's devastation emerges as death toll hits FIFTY and damage set to top $50BN

he full scale of the destruction caused by the 'superstorm' is coming to light, with row after row of Atlantic vacation homes on the horizon wiped out (pictured) by the deadly force of surging waters and winds which reached peaks of 95mph. Deaths were reported in New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Atlantic City's historic boardwalk is in splinters, and this once-bustling New Jersey town is a devastated shadow of its former self.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225112/Superstorm-Sandy-Death-toll-hits-FIFTY-damage-set-50BILLION.html

3.2 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
3.2
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 09:52:57 UTC
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 02:52:57 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.091°N, 121.506°W
Depth
9.4 km (5.8 miles)
Region
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances
8 km (5 miles) E (87°) from San Martin, CA

South Korea activists send leaflets to North

Local residents trying to stop the move got into a minor scuffle with the activists

Activists in South Korea have sent propaganda leaflets to the North, a week after Pyongyang threatened military action over a similar launch.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20119778

Silvio Berlusconi's threat to topple premier Mario Monti's provokes outcry

Silvio Berlusconi's threat to topple premier Mario Monti's provokes outcry. A threat by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to topple premier Mario Monti's government provoked an outcry across the political spectrum on Sunday.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/silvio-berlusconi/9639080/Silvio-Berlusconis-threat-to-topple-premier-Mario-Montis-provokes-outcry.html

Sudan dismisses Israeli concerns on arms supplies

• Khartoum says no foreign role in munitions factory
• Sudan accused Israel of bombing arms plant last week
• Iran warships to be open to public for a day -Sudan

KHARTOUM, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Sudan dismissed as "misleading" Israeli allegations it supplies arms to foes of the Jewish state and said there was no foreign involvement in a munitions factory Khartoum says was bombed by Israel.

http://af.reuters.com/article/sudanNews/idAFL5E8LUA9H20121030

Hurricane Sandy - The new Katrina - Day 2 Surveying Damage

Police fire tear gas as striking platinum miners protest

Police in Rustenberg, South Africa, clashed Tuesday with more than 1,000 striking miners who were barricading public roads near the Anglo American Platinum mine.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, and sporadic scuffles continue, Capt. Dennis Adrio with the North West police told CNN.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/30/world/africa/south-africa-miners/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Shark seriously injures California surfer

A 25-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries Tuesday when a shark attacked him while he was surfing in Eureka, California, local authorities said.

Other surfers pulled the injured man from the water, loaded him into a pickup truck and rushed him to a hospital before the local beach patrol could respond, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/30/us/california-shark-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Jersey Shore 'won't be the same'

Is Sandy a taste of things to come?

We should not be surprised. That's the view of many climate scientists as they survey the destruction wrought by the superstorm that ravaged the Northeast this week. The melting of Arctic ice, rising sea levels, the warming atmosphere and changes to weather patterns are a potent combination likely to produce storms and tidal surges of unprecedented intensity, according to many experts.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/31/us/sandy-climate-change/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Pakistani radical wanted by U.S. offers aid to victims of Sandy

As residents of the U.S. Northeast grapple with the destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy, an offer of assistance has come from an unlikely quarter: the leader of a radical Muslim group in Pakistan who has a $10 million bounty on him from U.S. authorities.

"We offer our unconditional support and help for the victims" of the storm, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, head of the Islamic charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa, said in a statement late Tuesday. "If U.S. government allows, we will send our doctors, relief and rescue experts, food and medicine on humanitarian grounds."

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/31/world/asia/pakistan-us-sandy-offer/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Yemen LNG gas pipeline blown up again

A gas pipeline feeding Yemen's only liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal was blown up again on Tuesday night, the operating company said on Wednesday.

"Yemen LNG confirms the sabotage of the 38 inch gas pipeline that links the block 18 to the Balhaf terminal on the Gulf of Aden," said the company, run by France's Total. "The explosion occurred at 2200 on October 30, 2012 at 295 km north of Balhaf Liquefaction Plant."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-yemen-lng-idUSBRE89U08620121031

Barclays hit by fresh U.S. investigations

Barclays, already rocked by an interest rate rigging scandal, unveiled two new U.S. regulatory investigations into the bank's financial probity on Wednesday and said its profit was hit by charges for mis-selling insurance.

Following investigations in the UK over its dealings with Qatari investors, Barclays said the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission were investigating whether its relationships with third parties who help it win or retain business are compliant with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-barclays-results-idUSBRE89U0C420121031

Northeast tries to get back on its feet

Millions across the Northeast will attempt to resume their normal lives on Wednesday as companies, markets and airports reopen despite grim projections of power and mass transit outages around New York for several more days.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/us-storm-sandy-hurricane-idUSBRE89N16J20121031

Living Standards: 'Decade Of Stagnation' Warning

A report warns that even with steady growth, many UK households will be no better off in 2020 than they were in 2000.

http://news.sky.com/story/1004934/living-standards-decade-of-stagnation-warning

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 06:53:56 UTC
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 01:53:56 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
2.048°S, 99.713°E
Depth
21.3 km (13.2 miles)
Region
KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
74 km (45 miles) SE of Muara Siberut, Indonesia

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN - 31st October 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 06:50:01 UTC
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 03:50:01 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
36.014°N, 139.837°E
Depth
46.9 km (29.1 miles)
Region
EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
6 km (3 miles) SW of Iwai, Japan

Ex-FEMA director Michael Brown criticizes Obama for reacting too quickly to storm

Former FEMA director Michael Brown, who was heavily criticized for the agency's failure to prepare for Hurricane Katrina, has criticized President Obama for responding to Hurricane Sandy too early.

In an interview with Denver Westword, Brown said, "One thing [President Obama's] gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [Hurricane Sandy] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in ... Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas? Why was this so quick? ... At some point, somebody's going to ask that question."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/ex-fema-director-michael-brown-criticizes-obama-reacting-202803013.html

Obama’s bad timing: President jokes about the songs on his iPod in pre-taped interview that airs as Superstorm Sandy batters East Coast

As Hurricane Sandy battered the East Coast and disrupted the lives of millions of Americans, radio listeners heard President Obama joke about the songs on his iPod.

The radio segment demonstrates the perils of pre-taped interviews.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225199/Sandy-Bad-timing-Obama-jokes-iPod-songs-pre-taped-interview-Superstorm-batters-East-Coast.html

Cyclist Sylvain Mollier was shot 7 Times, was he the true Target in Alps Massacre?

Cyclist Sylvain Mollier was originally written off as collateral damage in the Alpine massacre. But new evidence seems to point to him being the key to the mystery. It has emerged that he was shot seven times, more than any of the other victims, who were each shot twice.

Mr Mollier was a manager at the Cezus factory near Ugine, owned by Areva, the multi-national that specialises in the research and development of nuclear power.

His job has given rise to speculation that he may have been involved in a plot to supply nuclear material to Iran — with Mr Al-Hilli, as a co-conspirator — which resulted in their elimination by state-sponsored Israeli assassins.

Inevitably, some people believe police have been too quick to discount this theory in favour of the simpler — and less politically charged — ‘lone psychopath’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225436/The-man-whos-key-Alps-massacre-Mail-investigation-uncovers-vital-new-evidence-execution-British-family-thats-baffling-police.html

100 City traders only knew they'd been axed when their security passes didn't work

• Traders 'refused entry then sent into special room'
• Emotional staff joke UBS means 'U’ve Been Sacked'
• But thousands face axe as investment bank shrinks

Shocked investment bankers learnt they had lost their jobs yesterday – when they were refused entry to their offices.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225169/British-banking-jobs-risk-UBS-announce-plans-cut-10-000-roles-worldwide.html

Britain and Ireland suspend aid to Uganda after £10m of funding ends up in Prime Minister’s account

• Up to £10 million of foreign aid was transferred to Patrick Amama Mbabazi's private account
• The aid money was a joint gift from Ireland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden
• Britain has joined Ireland in suspending all aid payments to Uganda

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225443/Britain-Ireland-suspend-aid-Uganda-10m-funding-ends-Prime-Ministers-account.html