Mohamed Morsi approves martial law in Egypt, state media reports

CAIRO: Struggling to subdue continuing street protests, the government of President Mohamed Morsi has approved legislation reimposing martial law by calling on the armed forces to keep order and authorizing soldiers to arrest civilians, Egypt's state media reported on Saturday.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Mohamed-Morsi-approves-martial-law-in-Egypt-state-media-reports/articleshow/17535688.cms

Shelly Frey Killed by Walmart security guard

Shelly Frey, (pictured) a 27-year-old mother of two has been fatally shot by an off-duty sheriff's deputy after he suspected her of shoplifting at a Houston Walmart. Harris County Sheriff's deputies have said that Tisa Andrews, Yolanda Craig and Shelly Frey were stealing when they were confronted by Louis Campbell a 26-year veteran of the force who works as a security guard at the store.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245074/Walmart-security-guard-shoots-shoplifting-mother-dead-parking-lot-tries-escape-young-children.html

Tabitha Schulke fighting for life after mystery illness forces doctors to amputate her legs

Doctors in Portland are searching for the cause of an 18-year-old girl's worsening illness that has taken her legs and is now threatening to take her life.

Tabitha Schulke, 18, began experiencing flu-like symptoms on Thanksgiving morning. Suddenly, her illness worsened and she began developing gangrene on her feet. She's now fighting for her life in the critical care unit of a Portland Hospital.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2244913/Oregon-teen-fights-life-mystery-illness-forces-doctors-amputate-legs.html

Triple-dip alert: Recession fears as figures show industrial output has fallen to lowest level in 20 years

Britain is on the brink of a triple-dip recession, experts warn as latest figures reveal industrial output has now fallen to its lowest level in 20 years.

In a week when chancellor George Osborne put yet another squeeze on the hard working middle-classes, figures for October revealed manufacturing production dropped by 1.3 per cent - more than two per cent down on this time last year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245015/Triple-dip-alert-Recession-fears-figures-industrial-output-fallen-lowest-level-20-years.html

North Korea looks set to delay controversial rocket launch

North Korea will likely postpone the launch of a long-range rocket, state news agency KCNA said on Saturday, but gave no reasons for delaying the plan which has been widely condemned by countries including Russia and the United States.

KCNA quoted a spokesman for the country's space agency, which plans to send a satellite into space on the rocket, as saying it was "seriously examining the issue of readjusting the launching time of the satellite".

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/08/us-korea-north-idUSBRE8B70AY20121208

Thailand: Two English Teachers Found Dead

Two English teachers have been found dead sitting side-by-side in the living room of an apartment on the outskirts of Bangkok, according to Thai police.

The men - an American aged 40 and a 35-year-old from Britain - were discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Lieutenant Colonel Chamnong Kongtapan, chief investigator at the local police station in Pathum Thani province.

Detectives investigating the cause of death found an empty medicine bottle in the room from a government-run drug rehabilitation centre.

http://news.sky.com/story/1022591/thailand-two-english-teachers-found-dead

Starbucks Tax Protest: Stores 'Shut Down'

Campaigners claim to have shut down a number of Starbucks' UK stores during protests over the coffee chain's tax arrangements.

Activisit group UK Uncut had planned more than 40 demonstrations across the country, "transforming" shops into refuges, creches and homeless shelters to highlight the "disproportionate" effect the coalition government's cuts to the public sector are having on women.

http://news.sky.com/story/1022526/starbucks-tax-protest-stores-shut-down

Silvio Berlusconi Says He Will Run For PM

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has said he will run for prime minister again in a general election next year.

Speaking near the northern city of Milan, the leader of the right-wing People of Freedom party said: "I'm returning sadly to public service.

"And again, I'm doing it out of a sense of responsibility."

http://news.sky.com/story/1022649/italys-silvio-berlusconi-says-he-will-run-for-pm

Plane Crashes In Suffolk Village, 1 Dead

One person has died after a light aircraft crashed into a tree in a Suffolk village.

Suffolk Police said the aircraft came down in Aldham, near Hadleigh, where it collided with a tree and became submerged in a pond.

At around the same time as the crash, homes in Aldham and nearby Elmsett lost power because of a fault on the 11,000-volt overhead electricity distribution network.

http://news.sky.com/story/1022641/suffolk-light-aircraft-crash-one-person-dead

5.7 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
5.7
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 16:35:17 UTC
Sunday, December 09, 2012 at 02:35:17 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.211°S, 143.929°E
Depth
10.7 km (6.6 miles)
Region
NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
Distances
102 km (63 miles) S of Ialibu, Papua New Guinea

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake TAIWAN REGION - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 14:26:55 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 10:26:55 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
25.753°N, 122.336°E
Depth
289.1 km (179.6 miles)
Region
TAIWAN REGION
Distances
91 km (56 miles) NE of Keelung, Taiwan

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 13:53:37 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 11:53:37 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.768°N, 143.955°E
Depth
34.7 km (21.6 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
243 km (150 miles) SE of Ofunato, Japan

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 12:50:10 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 10:50:10 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.623°N, 143.569°E
Depth
35 km (21.7 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
218 km (135 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

SYRIAN REBELS CAPTURE AL-SAFIRA, BASE CONTAINING SCUD MISSILES TIPPED WITH CHEMICAL WEAPONS, ASSAD WARNS REBELS NOT TO USE THEM AND THREATENS CHEMICAL WEAPONS COUNTER-STRIKE: DEVELOPING

More info:
http://www.debka.com/article/22596/Assad%E2%80%99s-last-warning-to-rebels-before-using-chemical-weapons-West-Israel-on-high-preparedness

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 10:27:31 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 08:27:31 PM at epicenter
Location
7.145°S, 144.048°E
Depth
33.6 km (20.9 miles)
Region
NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
Distances
95 km (59 miles) S of Ialibu, Papua New Guinea

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake TAJIKISTAN - 8th December 2012

Add caption

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 10:09:41 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 03:09:41 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
38.124°N, 74.160°E
Depth
157.6 km (97.9 miles)
Region
TAJIKISTAN
Distances
17 km (10 miles) ESE of Murghob, Tajikistan

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake HALMAHERA, INDONESIA - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 08:11:56 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 05:11:56 PM at epicenter
Location
2.571°N, 128.368°E
Depth
153.9 km (95.6 miles)
Region
HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
Distances
225 km (140 miles) NNE (29°) from Ternate, Moluccas, Indonesia

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 07:18:13 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 05:18:13 PM at epicenter
Location
37.834°N, 143.884°E
Depth
35.2 km (21.9 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
267 km (166 miles) E (99°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan

Protesters surge around Egypt's presidential palace

Iran's long-range missiles lag U.S. fears

An internal report for the U.S. Congress has concluded that Iran probably is no longer on track, if it ever was, to having an ocean-crossing missile as soon as 2015.

The study casts doubt on a view long held by U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran could be able to test-fly by 2015 an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, if it receives "sufficient foreign assistance."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/08/us-iran-usa-missile-idUSBRE8B61C920121208

Pakistan tribal sources say U.S. drone strike kills al Qaeda commander

Tribal sources from Pakistan's northwest said on Saturday a U.S. drone attack had killed a senior al Qaeda commander in the latest blow to the militant Islamist group that has been targeted in many similar attacks.

Abu Zaid was killed, along with 10 other people, in the drone strike on a hideout in Pakistan's North Waziristan, one of the tribal regions near the border with Afghanistan, early on Thursday, the sources said. Zaid had just moved to the hideout a few days ago, they said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/08/us-pakistan-qaeda-drone-idUSBRE8B704820121208

Starbucks Tax Row: Protests Planned Across UK

Coffee chain Starbucks is braced for protests over its tax arrangements despite announcing changes to its payments.

The US-owned giant said it expects to pay around £10m in UK corporation tax for each of the next two years, following the revelation that it paid just £8.6m in 14 years of trading in Britain and nothing in the last three years.

Activist group UK Uncut is planning more than 40 demonstrations across the country, "transforming" Starbucks stores into refuges, creches and homeless shelters.

http://news.sky.com/story/1022526/starbucks-tax-row-protests-planned-across-uk

Eight Police Officers Injured In Belfast

Belfast has been hit by another night of rioting as hundreds of loyalists took to the streets to protest over flags.

Eight police officers were injured, with two needing hospital treatment, and five people were arrested following clashes across the city.

Trouble flared at Shaftesbury Square - a popular party spot near Queen's University - after a man tried to drive a black van through a loyalist road block of about 200 people.

http://news.sky.com/story/1022508/belfast-flag-violence-rioting-in-city-centre

Syria: Rebel Prisoners On Their Religious War

Sky's Tim Marshall gains exclusive access to a prison where he finds evidence that international jihadists are operating in Syria.

The men, four Syrian, an Iraqi, and a Turk, said they had indeed been in the jihadist movement fighting President Assad's forces, but now renounced the armed struggle even though they continued to espouse Salafist ideology. All are awaiting court appearances.

Jamil Us Turk, Ahmed al Rabido, Hamid Hassan al Attar, Bahar al Bashah, Ali Hussein and Mahmoud al Ahab said they were happy to be interviewed and had not been badly treated.

At one point I asked the guards to leave, spoke with the men alone and checked them for obvious signs of mistreatment, which were not apparent. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International both accuse the Syrian regime of routinely torturing prisoners.

http://news.sky.com/story/1022491/syria-rebel-prisoners-on-their-religious-war

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 06:16:55 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 04:16:55 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.248°S, 143.930°E
Depth
21.7 km (13.5 miles)
Region
NEAR SOUTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
Distances
161 km (100 miles) SSW (193°) from Mount Hagen, New Guinea, PNG

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 02:26:14 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 12:26:14 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.408°N, 143.862°E
Depth
30 km (18.6 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
265 km (165 miles) E (81°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 02:12:52 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 12:12:52 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.604°N, 143.792°E
Depth
30.5 km (19.0 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
236 km (146 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake OAXACA, MEXICO - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.0
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 00:30:30 UTC
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 06:30:30 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
16.654°N, 97.204°W
Depth
10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Region
OAXACA, MEXICO
Distances
39 km (24 miles) W of Santa Maria Ayoquezco de Aldama, Mexico

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th December 2012

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 00:08:17 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 10:08:17 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.921°N, 143.841°E
Depth
10.7 km (6.6 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
225 km (139 miles) SE of Ofunato, Japan

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 23:52:04 UTC
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 05:52:04 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
12.685°N, 87.868°W
Depth
69.6 km (43.2 miles)
Region
NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
Distances
46 km (28 miles) W of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
5.6
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 23:00:02 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 09:00:02 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.732°N, 143.863°E
Depth
34.2 km (21.3 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
237 km (147 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 21:36:37 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 07:36:37 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.727°N, 143.568°E
Depth
27.6 km (17.2 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
213 km (132 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 21:20:52 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 07:20:52 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.437°N, 143.900°E
Depth
40.8 km (25.4 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
252 km (156 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 21:01:12 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 07:01:12 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.447°N, 143.654°E
Depth
21.7 km (13.5 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
232 km (144 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 20:30:39 UTC
Saturday, December 08, 2012 at 06:30:39 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.796°N, 143.603°E
Depth
25.5 km (15.8 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
213 km (132 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake MICHOACAN, MEXICO - 7th December 2012

Magnitude
4.2
Date-Time
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 20:07:15 UTC
Friday, December 07, 2012 at 02:07:15 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
18.357°N, 102.467°W
Depth
70.6 km (43.9 miles)
Region
MICHOACAN, MEXICO
Distances
13 km (8 miles) SSW of Arteaga, Mexico

If all else fails, US will hit Iran in 2013, say former top advisers to Obama and Bush

At Washington Institute gala, Dennis Ross, Elliott Abrams and outgoing US ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey insist the president will strike next year if diplomacy doesn’t succeed.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/if-all-else-fails-us-will-hit-iran-in-2013-say-former-top-advisers-to-obama-and-bush/

Captain Capitalism and Christmas Karl