1983 Footage of Grazing Cow Abducted by UFO in Puerto Gaboto, Argentina (Matt's UFO bender continues)

Matt's thoughts:

Yes, yes. I know it's most likely fake, and perhaps obviously so.

However, I posted this for a reason, a philosophical one. What happens when something is so far out of bounds from our paradigm of thinking that the sheer lack of comprehension we face upon reviewing such an event renders its veracity irrelevant?

What if this video had been real? What if we had witnessed a cow being drawn up into the sky in a UFO, but because the idea of that happening is so "out there" that despite us witnessing the truth, we still don't believe?

What are the repercussions of this? Do we miss out on a great deal of information and learning because we're afraid/unwilling/incapable to leave our own thinking houses?

More importantly, how do we prevent this from happening? When any standard we could make for testing still suffers from the limitations of our imaginations, experiences and expectations, what tools are left to evaluate something as real, false, useful, or irrelevant?

Bizarre "objects" filmed flying out of Japan tsunami debris wave front

Matt's thoughts:
I wonder how many of these strange occurrences have taken place on film, but due to how difficult they are to observe, go unnoticed. What are all these lighted objects flying in and out of things, flying in the skies and doing strange acts, and reported over crop fields?

Amazing UFO Formation in Santiago Chile (december 2012)

Matt's thoughts:

-- You'll notice at one point that the lights actually move into the formation of the Great Pyramids, or Orion's Belt constellation.

-- As has been reported in many other instances, the lights "transform" (for lack of a better word at present) into aircraft-like light sets that mimic our safety lighting on aircraft. However, as Alison Kruse proved after contacting the FAA and conducting in-depth studies of this phenomenon, the "copies", while resembling our planes, don't follow any known commercial or military lighting regulations.

-- In typical "human" fashion, a whole city full of people is mostly too busy to look up from their iPhones and television sets to notice something amazing occurring in the skies directly overhead.

-- I honestly have no ideas what these objects could be. ET visitors? Secret military craft (although I doubt this one for a variety of reasons)? Ethereal entities? Fact and fiction has begun to blur over this particularly fascinating issue.

Israeli troops kill Canadian soldier after shelling/bombing UN outpost, incident report "quietly removed"

The Defence Department has quietly removed from the Internet a report into the killing of a Canadian military officer by Israeli forces, a move the soldier’s widow says is linked to the Conservative government’s reluctance to criticize Israel for any wrongdoing.

Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener and three other United Nations observers were killed in 2006 when the Israeli military targeted their small outpost with repeated artillery barrages as well as an attack by a fighter aircraft.

IN early 2008, the Defence Department posted on its website a 67-page report from the Canadian Forces board of inquiry into the killing. The board found Hess-von Kruedener’s death was preventable and caused by the Israeli military.

But less than a year later, the report was quietly removed from the DND website and has since remained off-limits to the public through official channels.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/removes+report+killing+Canadian+soldier+Israeli+forces/7742746/story.htm

Matt's thoughts:
It's important to remember that God's patience towards hubris is a finite affair. Sadly, many seem to learn that lesson too late.

A crisis year for the U.S.: 2012 was tough, but just wait until you see 2013

The United States went through it’s normal pattern of reeling from one crisis to another as it stumbled through 2012, a year highlighted by numerous mass shootings, extreme weather events, a battle between rich and everybody else and round after round of bare-knuckle politics bought and paid for by record amounts of corporate greenbacks.

Thousands of people streamed into Newtown, Conn., from all over the United States after a mentally deranged Adam Lanza, 20, shot dead 20 first-graders and seven adults. They brought teddy bears and flowers. They prayed and expressed sorrow and sympathy. In the end, however, they turned the massacre into a sort of self-absorbed “happening.” Gun-loving America produced 16 mass shootings in 2012, according to The Nation. They resulted in the murders of 89 people and the wounding of 111. Six of the shooters committed suicide. Motivation for these shootings included mental illness, domestic disputes, loss of job and racism. The Connecticut killings sparked yet another debate over weak gun laws. U.S. President Barack Obama, who rarely mentioned gun control during his election campaign, promised fast action and to use “all of the powers of his office” to ban the sale of military-style rifles and magazines. He tasked U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden with coming up with a plan that can be brought to Congress in January.

http://www.canada.com/crisis+year+2012+tough+just+wait+until+2013/7752891/story.htm

Tijuana, Mexico UFO sightings, December 25, 2012

Intriguing part:
When the three lights form a perfect equilateral triangle.

A Jordanian-Palestinian confederation in the works?

Aspects of a possible confederation between a Palestinian West Bank state and the Hashemite Kingdom – not Syria - were the subject of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s recent conversation with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman, debkafile’s sources reveal. Nothing was decided and the two leaders agreed to hold further discussions in the coming days.

This idea has become a focal talking point in Amman, Washington and Palestinian centers.
Netanyahu brought some pointed questions to the highly confidential one-on-one at the Hashemite palace: He asked the king how much responsibility would Jordan undertake in controlling West Bank security and intelligence activity? What were his plans for extending such control from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip? And how would Jordan’s intentions fit into the security arrangements demanded by Israel in both territories as part of any accord with the Palestinians?

http://www.debka.com/article/22638/A-Jordanian-Palestinian-confederation-aired-by-Netanyahu-Abdullah-

Matt's thoughts:
Not a bad idea at all, upon pondering.

Firefighter Ambush Deaths: Charge Over Guns

A 24-year-old woman has been charged in connection with two weapons used by William Spengler when he killed two firefighters responding to a house fire in New York state.

New York State Police Senior Investigator James Sewell said Dawn Nguyen, of Rochester, faces a state charge of filing a falsified business record.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031113/firefighter-ambush-deaths-charge-over-guns

Fiscal Cliff: Obama 'Optimistic' After Talks

Barack Obama has called for "immediate action" to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff after urgent talks with Congressional leaders.

He urged politicians to agree a deal, saying: "The hour for immediate action is here. It is now."

He said he remained "optimistic" that an agreement could be reached to avoid millions of families being hit with big tax increases and deep spending cuts.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031145/fiscal-cliff-obama-optimistic-after-talks

India: Gang-Rape Victim Dies In Hospital

A 23-year-old Indian woman who was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi has died in a Singapore hospital.

The brutal attack in which the medical student was badly beaten and raped for almost an hour before being thrown out of the moving bus sparked protests across India.

The chief executive of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where she was flown for specialist treatment, said she had suffered severe organ failure.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031134/india-gang-rape-victim-dies-in-hospital

Nouel Alba Arrested 'for setting up fake donation website while posing as aunt of six-year-old Sandy Hook victim'

A New York City woman has been arrested after federal authorities said she tried to scam donors by posing as a relative of one of the children killed in the Newtown massacre.

Nouel Alba, 37, was arrested Thursday and charged with lying to FBI agents.

Investigators said she used her Facebook account, telephone calls and text messages to seek donations for what she called a ‘funeral fund’ for six-year-old Noah Pozner. Instead, money went to a PayPal account she controlled.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253919/Noah-Pozner-site-Feds-arrest-woman-setting-fake-donation-website-posing-aunt-year-old-Sandy-Hook-victim.html

Jake Benton Howell Arrested: Police foil ANOTHER school mass shooting plot: Las Vegas teens who stockpiled guns and explosives arrested

A teenager arrested last week with an unloaded assault rifle at a Las Vegas high school has been linked by counterterrorism investigators to another local teen who federal authorities said stockpiled guns and explosives and spoke about staging a mass casualty attack.

Police already were looking for 18-year-old Jake Benton Howell when he arrived at his former school on Dec. 21 with 40 rounds of ammunition and a 7.62mm SKS rifle in the back seat of his car, according to a police report released on Thursday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253997/Las-Vegas-teens-stockpiled-guns-explosives-held-plotting-mass-killing-school.html

'Fire rainbows' spotted in the sky over Arizona

Residents of Douglas in Arizona have been treated to a rare and stunning phenomenon - fire rainbows.

Caused when ice crystals splits sunlight into different colours, they cause the sky to flicker with colour.

Brandon Rios, who captured the amazing images with his father, said he was 'completely astonished' by the phenomenon.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2254125/I-didnt-think-like-exist-The-incredible-rainbows-spotted-Arizona.html

FBI's secret file on Marilyn Monroe: Document that shows agency kept track of intimate details about actress

The agency documented an anonymous phone call to the New York Daily News warning that playwright Arthur Miller was a communist and Monroe had 'drifted into the communist orbit' after her marriage to him. The redacted document reveals that on July 11, 1956, the agency got a tip that an anonymous male caller phoned the Daily News to report that the actress's company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, was 'filled with communists' and that money from the company was being used to finance communist activities.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254054/Marilyn-Monroe-Productions-filled-communists-The-FBI-file-shows-agency-tracked-actress-investigated-communist-ties-1950s.html

Tamzin and Jessica Porter: Killed On A47

Two sisters aged seven and 10 have been killed and three other people injured after a car crash in Norfolk.

The children, named by police as Tamzin and Jessica Porter, were in a car along with a 38-year-old man, a 43 -year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy when it crashed on the A47 near Wisbech at 6.40pm on Thursday, according to Norfolk Police.

All five occupants of the black Ford Focus were taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, where the girls died from their injuries.

http://news.sky.com/story/1030792/norfolk-car-crash-two-sisters-killed-on-a47

Piers Morgan To Stay or Not to Stay

Piers Morgan tells Americans the Bible is 'flawed' (and he doesn't think much of their US constitution either)

CNN host Piers Morgan has said he believes the Bible and the U.S. Constitution are 'inherently flawed' and that the Bible needs an amendment changing its stance on same-sex marriage.

The bold statements come days after the British journalist divided America with his strict stance on gun laws following the Sandy Hook massacre, even sparking e-petitions to deport him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253902/Now-Piers-Morgan-says-Bible-flawed.html

Praying Hitler in ex-Warsaw ghetto sparks emotion

A modern artist has caused huge controversy after placing a statue of Adolf Hitler praying on his knees in the former Warsaw Ghetto.

Some Jewish groups have expressed fury at the 'senseless' decision to install the provocative artwork in the area where thousands of Jews were forced to live during the rule of the Nazi regime.

In total, around 300,000 Jews from the Ghetto died or were sent to their death in concentration camps.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254295/Artist-installs-statue-HITLER-Warsaw-Ghetto-300-000-Jews-died-Nazi-regime.html

Dark study discovers people swerve when they see turtles on road... in order to deliberately run them over

Clemson University student Nathan Weaver just wanted to put together a project to help figure out the best way to assist turtles in crossing the road. But he also ended up with a peek into the dark souls of some human beings.

Weaver put realistic-looking rubber turtles, no bigger than a saucer, in the middle of a lane on a busy road near campus. Then he got out of the way and watched as over the next hour, seven drivers intentionally ran over the turtle, and several more appeared to try to hit the defenseless animal, but missed.

"It was a bit surprising. I've heard of people and from friends who knew people that ran over turtles. But to see it out here like this was a bit shocking," said Weaver, a 22-year-old senior in Clemson's School of Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Sciences.

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/12/27/4507782/clemson-students-turtle-project.html

Is North Korea on the brink of its third nuclear test? New satellite image shows secretive state is step closer to launching US missile

North Korea has repaired flood damage at its nuclear test facility and could conduct a quick atomic explosion if it chose - and could trigger a detonation in as little as two weeks.

But water streaming out of a test tunnel may cause problems at the site, analysis of recent satellite photos has found.

Leaders in Washington and around the world are braced for the possibility that if punished for a successful long-range rocket launch on December 12, that the UN considers a cover for a banned ballistic missile test, North Korea's next step might be its third nuclear test.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254283/The-map-shows-North-Korea-ready-nuclear-explosion-New-satellite-image-shows-secretive-state-repaired-flooded-test-site.html

'Britain would be better off leaving Europe': Thatcher rival Jacques 'Up Yours Delors' makes massive euro u-turn (and it's only 22-years too late)

One of the key architects of the European single market today admitted Britain would be better off leaving the European Union.

Mr Delors's radical U-turn comes 22 years after he infuriated Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and other Eurosceptics by trying to force European federalism on the UK.

In November 1990 the economist became the subject of a famous headline in the Sun newspaper which read: 'Up Your Delors!'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254299/Britain-better-leaving-Europe--Thatcher-rival-Jacques-Up-Yours-Delors-makes-massive-euro-u-turn-22-years-late.html

Second Indian gang rape victim 'committed suicide' after police took two weeks to take any action

A rape victim in India is believed to have committed suicide after police took 14 days to register her case and a further 30 days to make an arrest.

It is believed the teenage girl was kidnapped from Baras village in the Patiala district of Punjab during Diwali on November 13, by two men.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253910/Teenage-Indian-rape-victim-committed-suicide-police-took-weeks-action.html

YouTube cancels billions of video views after finding they had been 'faked' - but were hackers working for the music industry?

This graph tracks the loss in views suffered by Sony BMG: The label behind such stars as Alicia Keys, Rita Ora and Labrinth lost more than 850million views in a single day

The world's biggest recording companies have been stripped of two billion YouTube hits after the website cracked down on alleged 'fake viewers'.

Universal, home of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, lost a total of one billion views in the video site’s biggest ever crackdown on artificially inflated figures.

Sony was second hardest hit, with the label behind such stars as Alicia Keys, Rita Ora and Labrinth losing more than 850million views in a single day.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2254181/YouTube-wipes-billions-video-views-finding-faked-music-industry.html

Iran starts navy drills in Strait of Hormuz

Deal reached to avert U.S. port strike for now

A union representing dockworkers on the U.S. East Coast and an alliance of shippers have reached a labor agreement that will avert a strike that threatened to wreak havoc on the United States' economy.

The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents 14,500 workers at 15 container ports in the eastern United States, and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) of shippers, terminal operators and port authorities, have agreed to extend their current contract by 30 days to finalize details, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said in a statement on Friday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-usa-ports-deal-idUSBRE8BR0ET20121228

Wall Street heads for longest losing streak in three months

Stocks fell on Friday, putting the S&P 500 on track for a fifth straight decline, as President Barack Obama and top congressional leaders were set to make a last-ditch attempt to steer the country away from severe fiscal austerity next year.

Obama and lawmakers from both political parties will meet at the White House on Friday afternoon for talks in an effort to agree on a solution before a New Year's deadline to keep large tax hikes and spending cuts from taking effect. Economists say that combination of automatic higher taxes and lower government spending - known as the "fiscal cliff" - could push the U.S. economy into a recession.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-markets-stocks-idUSBRE8BG0D620121228

Monti says will lead centrists in Italian vote

Outgoing Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Friday he would lead a coalition of centrist parties who support his European and reform-minded agenda in the parliamentary election in two months' time.

The announcement clarifies Monti's involvement in the vote, after he said on Sunday that he may be willing to seek a second term if a credible political force backed his reform agenda.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-italy-vote-idUSBRE8BR0GK20121228

Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson Back In UK following her Abduction 3 years ago

Six-year-old Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson has arrived back in the UK three years after being abducted by her father.

Atiya vanished in November 2009 after going to stay with her father, Razwan Ali Anjum.

The former insurance salesman said he was taking the girl to Southport.

Instead he took her to Lahore, Pakistan, and told Atiya's mother - Gemma Wilkinson - that she was "never going to see Atiya again", courts have heard.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031094/abducted-atiya-anjum-wilkinson-back-in-uk

David Cameron 'risks leading Britain out of EU by accident'

David Cameron has been warned that he risks leading Britain out of the European Union by accident because he has misread the willingness of fellow EU leaders to concede to his demands for a looser European union.

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard – who was at the heart of Britain's team during the Maastricht treaty negotiations in 1991 – fears the UK is facing "bust-up time" with the other 26 EU countries.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/28/david-cameron-britain-eu-accident

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake SULAWESI, INDONESIA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
5.6
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 17:32:17 UTC
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 01:32:17 AM at epicenter
Location
0.246°S, 122.951°E
Depth
102.1 km (63.4 miles)
Region
SULAWESI, INDONESIA
Distances
75 km (46 miles) SSW of Bilungala, Indonesia

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake EL SALVADOR - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 16:23:49 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 10:23:49 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
13.782°N, 88.904°W
Depth
181.1 km (112.5 miles)
Region
EL SALVADOR
Distances
1 km (0 miles) ESE of San Martin, El Salvador

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 16:11:22 UTC
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 02:11:22 AM at epicenter
Location
38.134°N, 143.966°E
Depth
17.2 km (10.7 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
270 km (168 miles) E (92°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan

Pro-Gun Group Offers Teachers Weapons Training

Gun-rights advocates in Utah have trained 200 teachers how to handle concealed weapons in the latest effort to confront school assailants.

The course follows the murder of 20 children and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

English teacher Kevin Leatherbarrow, who holds a licence to carry a concealed weapon, says he does not see anything wrong with arming teachers in the aftermath of the school shooting.

"We're sitting ducks," said Mr Leatherbarrow, who works at a Utah charter school. "You don't have a chance in hell. You're dead - no ifs, ands or buts."

http://news.sky.com/story/1030788/pro-gun-group-offers-teachers-weapons-training

Avian flu virus learns to fly without wings

Potentially fatal bird flu viruses can spread on the wind, a hitherto suspected but unproven route of transmission.

Usually, people catch bird flu through close physical contact with each other or, much more commonly, with infected poultry.

The newly identified capacity for wind to spread it opens up a potential route by which the viruses can spread between farms.

The finding came about after Dutch researchers studied an outbreak of the avian flu strain H7N7 in poultry on Dutch farms in 2003, which resulted in 89 confirmed human infections including one death.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23029-avian-flu-virus-learns-to-fly-without-wings.html

Controversial H5N1 influenza work likely to resume

Some scientists may resume controversial experiments on the potentially deadly avian influenza virus H5N1, following a high-level meeting this week. The suggestion comes in the wake of a global debate about the risks and benefits of such research and a voluntary moratorium on the experiments lasting nearly a year.

International flu experts, research funders and public-health officials met on Monday and Tuesday this week at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland to discuss the future of the work — so-called gain-of-function experiments that change the properties of what is called highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in ways that might make it more transmissible and infectious in humans, in order to investigate the possible natural evolution of the virus.

http://www.nature.com/news/controversial-h5n1-influenza-work-likely-to-resume-1.12089

New H5N1 Outbreak Reported in Central Nepal

NEPAL - Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), probably of the H5N1 subtype, has broken out in farmed broilers in the region of Bagmati.

The veterinary authority sent Follow Up Report No.2 dated 24 December to the World Organisation for Animal Health

The report describes one new outbreak of HPAI at a commercial farm with 42-day-old broiler chickens reared in a closed farm premises in the region of Bagmati in central Nepal, starting on 13 December. Of the 3,000-bird flock, all but 150 broilers died and they were subsequently destroyed.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/27666/new-h5n1-outbreak-reported-in-central-nepal

Bangladesh Slaughters 150,000 Birds After Worst H5N1 Virus Outbreak in 5 Years Detected

At least 150,000 chickens and 300,000 eggs have been destroyed at a giant poultry farm near Dhaka in Bangladesh after the major outbreak of avian flu was detected last week, officials said Wednesday.

This season's bird flu outbreak was the worst in five years. Officials at Bay Agro at Gazipur detected the deadly H5N1 flu strain 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Dhaka on Monday after dozens of birds died, which had prompted the poultry company to send samples to a laboratory for testing.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/13638/20121226/bangladesh-slaughters-150-000-birds-worst-h5n1.htm

Red tide kills thousands of mullet along beaches in Sarasota, Charlotte counties

A beachgoer walks past piles of dead mullet near Blind Pass Beach on Manasota Key on Thursday. Sarasota County officials are reporting increased levels of red tide.

Staff photo by Mike Lang

The smell of dead fish and irritating red-tide polluted air greeted beachgoers who wanted to relax at three public beaches this week.

Officials reported thousands of dead fish — mostly large mullet — piled up along the shore at Blind Pass and Manasota beaches in Sarasota County as well as Englewood Beach in Charlotte County.

The poisoned fish were being cleaned up Thursday as health officials warned of an increase in red tide at several other spots in southern Sarasota County.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121227/ARTICLE/121229755/2416/NEWS?Title=Red-tide-kills-thousands-of-fish

600 measles cases reported in Karachi

Between 500 and 600 cases of measles were reported from different areas of Karachi over the last few weeks and the number of children affected from the potentially deadly, airborne viral disease was on the rise, but provincial health authorities either remained oblivious to the alarming situation or were hiding the facts, medical experts stated on Thursday.

“I have seen four cases of measles myself. One was admitted to the Abbasi Shaheed hospital, one at Ziauddin Hospital and two children were brought to my clinic who had measles,” Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) President Professor Dr Iqbal Memon told The News.

He said measles cases had been reported from Saddar, Orangi town, SITE, Sachal Goth, Gadap and Sohrab Goth. “Pediatricians are treating children with measles and also reporting these cases to town health officials and the WHO’s Measles Cell.”

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-150864-600-measles-cases-reported-in-Karachi

Australia Shark attack: man loses finger and knuckle

A paddle boarder had part of his hand bitten off as he attempted to fight off a shark on the NSW north coast.

The 29-year-old man also suffered a deep gash to his thigh when he was attacked by what is believed to be a bull shark at Diamond Head, about 50 kilometres south of Port Macquarie, at 10.45am on Friday.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said paramedics arrived to find a 29-year-old man, who is believed to be from the Central Coast, with shark bites to his hand and thigh.

http://www.bunburymail.com.au/story/1207919/shark-attack-man-loses-finger-and-knuckle/?cs=12

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NORTH INDIAN OCEAN - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 15:04:40 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 09:04:40 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
1.694°N, 89.550°E
Depth
14.1 km (8.8 miles)
Region
NORTH INDIAN OCEAN
Distances
764 km (474 miles) W of Sinabang, Indonesia

Winter snow storm hits New England as '16 die' in US

Sixteen people have been reported killed by a severe snow storm moving through the north-eastern US after disrupting Christmas in the Midwest.

States in New England are seeing heavy snowfall, with over a foot (30cm) already fallen in parts of Massachusetts, weather officials said.

Flights were grounded and road collisions reported as the storm moved across the middle of the US.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20852774

New Jersey police officers shot

Three police officers in New Jersey were shot early on Friday, and one is in surgery for his wounds, a hospital official said.

The three officers, two men and a woman, were brought to Cooper University Hospital shortly after 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT), hospital spokeswoman Lori Shaffer said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-usa-shooting-newjersey-idUSBRE8BR09W20121228

New York police seek suspect in death of man pushed in front of subway

Police in New York City on Friday released surveillance video of the woman suspected of pushing a man to his death in front of a subway train, the second such crime in the city this month.

The video shows the woman running from the elevated platform on Thursday night. Witnesses told police she had been following the man closely and mumbling to herself. She got up from a nearby bench and shoved him as the train pulled in.

It did not appear the man noticed her, police said. They said the condition of the man's body was making it difficult to identify him.

The woman was described as Hispanic, in her 20s and heavyset.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/28/new-york-subway-push-death

China tightens internet controls

China has tightened its control of the internet, enshrining in law a requirement for internet companies and telecom operators to confirm the identity of their users to make it easier for the authorities to trace the source of “illegal” online information or behaviour.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ab3e9d4-50d4-11e2-b287-00144feab49a.html

Americans blame Republicans more than Democrats for "fiscal cliff": Reuters/Ipsos poll

Americans blame Republicans in Congress more than congressional Democrats or President Barack Obama for the current "fiscal cliff" crisis, as the deadline approaches for action to avert big tax increases and spending cuts, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Thursday.

When asked who they believed to be more responsible for the "fiscal cliff" situation, 27 percent blamed Republicans in Congress, 16 percent blamed Obama and 6 percent pointed to Democrats in Congress. The largest percentage - 31 percent - blamed "all of the above."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/27/us-usa-fiscal-poll-idUSBRE8BQ0J620121227

Iraqi Sunnis stage big anti-government rallies

Tens of thousands of protesters from Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority poured onto the streets after Friday prayers in a show of force against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, keeping up a week-old blockade of a highway.

Around 60,000 people blocked the main road through the city of Falluja, 50 km (32 miles) west of the capital, setting fire to the Iranian flag and shouting "out, out Iran! Baghdad stays free" and "Maliki you coward, don't take your advice from Iran".

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-iraq-protests-idUSBRE8BR08O20121228

Putin signs ban on U.S. adoptions of Russian children

President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday that bans Americans from adopting Russian children and imposes other sanctions in retaliation for a new U.S. human rights law that he says is poisoning relations.

The law, which has ignited outrage among Russian liberals and child rights' advocates, takes effect on January 1. Washington has called the law misguided and said it ties the fate of children to "unrelated political considerations."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-russia-usa-adoptions-putin-idUSBRE8BQ06K20121228

Spain does not need European help for now says PM

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Friday that Spain did not need to tap for now the European Central Bank's bond-buying program for troubled euro zone governments but did not rule out asking for aid in the future.

Rajoy has faced pressure from Spain's international partners -- including the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) -- to seek a European Union bailout. He has resisted so far, helped by an easing of the euro zone debt crisis.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-spain-rajoy-idUSBRE8BR09520121228

Syria opposition leader rejects Moscow invitation

Syria's opposition leader has rejected an invitation from Russia for peace talks, dealing another blow to international hopes that diplomacy can be resurrected to end a 21-month civil war.

Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's main international protector, said on Friday it had sent an invitation for a visit to Moaz Alkhatib, whose six-week-old National Coalition opposition group has been recognized by most Western and Arab states as the legitimate voice of the Syrian people.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE8AJ1FK20121228

Inside the West's economic war with Iran

In his first week as U.S. president, Barack Obama told Iran's leaders he would extend a hand if they would "unclench their fist" and persuade the West they weren't trying to build a nuclear bomb.

So far, they have not. In response, the United States and the European Union this year took a step they had long resisted, imposing trade sanctions to choke off Iran's lifeblood: oil revenue.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-iran-sanctions-idUSBRE8BR04620121228

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 14:27:10 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 07:27:10 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.380°S, 103.594°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
Distances
1067 km (663 miles) SSE of Easter Island, Chile

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake COQUIMBO, CHILE - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 13:50:34 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 10:50:34 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.560°S, 71.290°W
Depth
40.3 km (25.0 miles)
Region
COQUIMBO, CHILE
Distances
38 km (23 miles) N of La Serena, Chile

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
5.5
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 13:42:34 UTC
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 01:42:34 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
55.652°N, 164.794°E
Depth
29.8 km (18.5 miles)
Region
KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION
Distances
91 km (56 miles) NW of Nikol'skoye, Russia

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE GUATEMALA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 13:27:41 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 07:27:41 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
13.805°N, 91.246°W
Depth
66.7 km (41.4 miles)
Region
OFFSHORE GUATEMALA
Distances
38 km (23 miles) SW of La Gomera, Guatemala

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 13:04:16 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 04:04:16 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
52.700°N, 169.600°W
Depth
7.9 km (4.9 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region
FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
56 km (34 miles) WSW of Nikolski, Alaska

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake KURIL ISLANDS - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 12:30:40 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 11:30:40 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
46.503°N, 151.201°E
Depth
99.7 km (62.0 miles)
Region
KURIL ISLANDS
Distances
293 km (182 miles) ENE of Kuril'sk, Russia

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 11:07:50 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 07:07:50 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.255°S, 124.401°E
Depth
540.1 km (335.6 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
193 km (119 miles) NW of Dili, East Timor

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 10:35:46 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 10:35:46 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.663°S, 176.310°W
Depth
9.9 km (6.2 miles)
Region
KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Distances
160 km (99 miles) ESE of Raoul Island, New Zealand

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 10:13:15 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 07:13:15 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.609°S, 129.830°E
Depth
150.7 km (93.6 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
221 km (137 miles) NW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 09:38:59 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 09:38:59 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.774°S, 177.140°W
Depth
9.7 km (6.0 miles)
Region
KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake CORDOBA, ARGENTINA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 08:50:11 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 05:50:11 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
31.332°S, 65.029°W
Depth
34.1 km (21.2 miles)
Region
CORDOBA, ARGENTINA
Distances
5 km (3 miles) ESE of Salsacate, Argentina

EU PRESIDENT IN A PANIC OVER BRITAIN'S EXIT

TOP Eurocrat Herman Van Rompuy has claimed British attempts to loosen ties with Brussels could “unravel” the entire European Union.

In a scathing attack, the EU Council President accused David Cameron and Euro-sceptic Tories of wanting to “cherry pick” the benefits of EU membership and discard the rest.

Pleading with the UK not to quit, he said a British exit would “see a friend walk off into the desert”.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/367349

Norovirus: Confirmed Cases Up 83% On Last Year

More than 3,500 cases of the norovirus winter vomiting bug in England and Wales have been confirmed in laboratories this season - but the true number could be over one million.

The 3,538 figure - for July to mid-December - is 83% higher than the same period in 2011 where there were 1,934.

The number of confirmed cases have risen by about 500 from last week's 3,046, said the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

http://news.sky.com/story/1030975/norovirus-confirmed-cases-up-83-percent-on-last-year

"2014 L4" 'Brighter than a full moon': The biggest star of 2013... could be Ison - the comet of the century

At the moment it is a faint object, visible only in sophisticated telescopes as a point of light moving slowly against the background stars. It doesn't seem much – a frozen chunk of rock and ice – one of many moving in the depths of space. But this one is being tracked with eager anticipation by astronomers from around the world, and in a year everyone could know its name.

Comet Ison could draw millions out into the dark to witness what could be the brightest comet seen in many generations – brighter even than the full Moon.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brighter-than-a-full-moon-the-biggest-star-of-2013-could-be-ison--the-comet-of-the-century-8431443.html

** the ‘2014 L4’ comet will also be seen from Earth in the spring.

Shares close flat after U.S. budget comments trigger sell-off

The FTSE 100 closed flat on Thursday after comments from a top U.S. lawmaker in U.S. budget negotiations sparked a sell-off in shares, which had been boosted by a recovery in Chinese industrial data.

The market reopened after the Christmas holiday hoping for progress in the U.S. budget negotiations now President Obama has returned from vacation early to try and get a deal done.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/27/uk-markets-britain-stocks-idUKBRE8710BE20121227

Delhi rape victim 'fighting for life' in Singapore

A female student gang-raped on a bus in India's capital Delhi is "fighting for her life" at a Singapore hospital, doctors say.

The 23-year-old victim - who remains on life support - has suffered "significant brain injury".

She arrived in Singapore on Thursday after undergoing three operations in a Delhi hospital.

The attack earlier this month triggered violent public protests that left one police officer dead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20856180

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake MOLUCCA SEA - 28th December 2012

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 05:21:07 UTC
Friday, December 28, 2012 at 02:21:07 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
0.527°N, 126.178°E
Depth
21 km (13.0 miles)
Region
MOLUCCA SEA
Distances
135 km (83 miles) WSW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia

Thousands Are 'Wrongly Branded Criminals'

Nearly 12,000 people have been wrongly branded as criminals over the past five years due to innacurate record checks.

According to the campaign group Big Brother Watch, the cost of redress stands at £1.9m.

In 3,519 cases, the wrong person's entry on the police national computer was disclosed, BB Watch said.

The figures were obtained from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), which recently merged with the Independent Safeguarding Authority to form the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

According to the CRB's annual report in July, 4.1 million checks were carried out in 2011.

http://news.sky.com/story/1030824/thousands-are-wrongly-branded-criminals

Royal Hoax DJs 'Unlikely To Face Charges'

Two Australian DJs who made a hoax call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge are unlikely to face charges.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, Australian police say it is "unlikely any charges will be laid" against the 2day FM presenters, who were put through to the ward caring for Prince William's pregnant wife.

http://news.sky.com/story/1030848/royal-hoax-djs-unlikely-to-face-charges