Russian politician warns about usage of weather weapons against enemies, takes credit for Japan tsuanmi in bizarre rant

Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors discover blood clot

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was admitted to a New York City hospital on Sunday after doctors discovered that a blood clot had formed, the State Department said in a statement.

Philippe Reines, a deputy assistant secretary, said in the statement that the clot stems from a concussion Clinton sustained several weeks ago.

Reines said that Clinton, 65, is being treated with anti-coagulants at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. She will be monitored there for the next 48 hours, he said.

“Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion," he said. "They will determine if any further action is required.”

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/30/16255487-hillary-clinton-hospitalized-after-doctors-discover-blood-clot?lite

"This Land is Mine": An enlightening look into the absurdity of claiming monopoly over land in Israel/Palestine, and who the real "Master" of the territory is

Matt's thoughts:
Arrogance ultimately undoes us all. A film only for those still capable of contemplation.

One in 12 in US military has clogged heart arteries

Just over one in 12 U.S. service members who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars had plaque buildup in the arteries around their hearts - an early sign of heart disease, according to a new study.

None of them had been diagnosed with heart disease before deployment, researchers said.

"This is a young, healthy, fit group," said the study's lead author, Dr. Bryant Webber, from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.

"These are people who are asymptomatic, they feel fine, they're deployed into combat," he told Reuters Health.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-military-heart-idUSBRE8BR0I220121228

Oregon bus crash: Five killed, 20 injured

Five people were killed and at least 20 others injured on Sunday when a charter bus skidded off an icy highway near Pendleton, Oregon, police said.

The Oregon State Police said a preliminary investigation showed the charter bus, carrying about 40 people, "lost control on the snow/ice covered westbound lanes of Interstate 84" near Pendleton.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-usa-buscrash-oregon-idUSBRE8BT0AV20121230

Merkel says euro zone crisis far from over.....Happy New Year!!

The euro zone sovereign debt crisis is far from over even though reform measures designed to address the roots of the problem are beginning to bear fruit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said in her New Year's address.

In a taped interview to be broadcast on Monday evening, Merkel urged Germans to be more patient even though the euro zone crisis has already dragged on for three years. She drew a line linking German prosperity to a prosperous European Union.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-germany-merkel-idUSBRE8BT0B420121230

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.

Fiscal deal stalls as clock ticks to deadline

Efforts to prevent the economy from tumbling over a "fiscal cliff" stalled on Sunday as Democrats and Republicans remained at loggerheads over a deal that would prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year's Day.

One hour before they had hoped to present a plan, Democratic and Republican leaders said were still unable to reach a compromise that would stop the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that could push the economy into recession.

"There are still serious differences between the two sides," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-usa-fiscal-idUSBRE8A80WV20121230

Adam Robinson Arrested in the US on Child Sex Charges

A British man has been arrested by police in California after allegedly flying to the US for sex with a 13-year-old girl he contacted online.

Adam Robinson, 21, is accused of committing a "lewd act upon a child" six times from December 15 to December 23 - the day before the girl's 14th birthday, according to court documents filed in the United States.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031670/child-sex-charges-british-man-held-in-us

Four dead as rains flood Baghdad

The worst rains to hit Baghdad in 30 years left four people dead and many of the Iraqi capital’s residents struggling to cope with heavy flooding on Wednesday as the government declared a national holiday. Patients reported long and difficult journeys to hospitals, shopkeepers complained of a lack of business and several roads were immersed in water, in some cases as much as waist-high. In the predominantly-Shia northeastern district of Sadr City, the area surrounding Fatima al-Zahra hospital was completely flooded, and patients said trips that normally took 15 minutes had taken them as long as two hours.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/27-Dec-2012/four-dead-as-rains-flood-baghdad

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL PERU - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
5.2
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 20:49:29 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 03:49:29 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
12.878°S, 70.974°W
Depth
41.5 km (25.8 miles)
Region
CENTRAL PERU
Distances
112 km (69 miles) ENE of Pisac, Peru

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 19:25:54 UTC
Monday, December 31, 2012 at 02:25:54 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
2.026°S, 100.765°E
Depth
62.4 km (38.8 miles)
Region
KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
68 km (42 miles) W of Sungaipenuh, Indonesia

Japan tsunami debris heads for Hawaii beach that's already an ocean dumping ground

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Al Qaeda Terror Camp in Lattakia, Syria (30/12/12)

Pittsburgh hit with heavy snow

Protests erupt in Iraq

Old Aleppo, a ghost town of ruined treasures

A 13th century mosque is shuttered, its tottering minaret struck at the base by a shell. Snipers fire from nests atop the immense stone walls of the citadel, where ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Turkish warriors once perched.

Until a few months ago, Old Aleppo was both a living museum and a breathing city, where souk shoppers haggled over spices, books and olive-oil soap beneath wrought-iron filigree balconies and wooden lattice screens.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-syria-aleppo-idUSBRE8BT02620121230

Senator majority leader Harry Reid says Democrats not in position to make counteroffer to latest Republican proposal

'Seven Die' In Traffic Officer Fitness Test

Seven people are believed to have died while undergoing a fitness test used to select prospective candidates for traffic officer jobs in South Africa.

The victims were among tens of thousands of applicants competing for 90 provincial traffic officer posts in Pietermaritzburg, in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, according to a report by the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation.

More than 35,000 job seekers reportedly applied for the 90 jobs that were up for grabs and around 15,000 people are believed to have taken the physical tests late last week.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031607/seven-die-in-traffic-officer-fitness-test

New Galaxies: Hopes To Find 700,000 In 2013

Scientists are hoping the huge radio telescope facility in Western Australia officially opened earlier this year will help them uncover 700,000 new galaxies in 2013.

Two surveys named Wallaby and Dingo will scour vast regions of space to help provide new clues about galaxy evolution.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031582/new-galaxies-hopes-to-find-700000-in-2013

Belfast Police Officer Finds 'Bomb' Under Car

A viable explosive device has been found under the car of a police officer in Northern Ireland.

The bomb apparently fell off the car while it was being reversed out of his drive in east Belfast.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031635/belfast-police-officer-finds-bomb-under-car

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 16:58:41 UTC
Monday, December 31, 2012 at 04:58:41 AM at epicenter
Location
21.797°S, 176.685°W
Depth
216.6 km (134.6 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
167 km (104 miles) WSW (244°) from NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga

'Viable bomb' found under police officer's car in east Belfast

It is understood a viable bomb has been found under a policeman's car in east Belfast.

Army bomb disposal officers have been called to deal with the device at the Upper Newtownards Road.

A number of houses in the area have been evacuated.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20869871

Drama in Washington as fiscal cliff looms

Leaders in deeply polarized Washington groped Sunday for a stop-gap deal to avert a fiscal calamity due to strike within hours and could shock markets and spark global economic turmoil.

But even as major players raced the ebbing 2012 calendar to reach a pact to avoid the "fiscal cliff," but would fall short of a hoped-for long-term deficit cutting deal, a fierce game of political blame shifting was underway.

Democratic President Barack Obama, eyeing a short-term political victory, accused Republicans of causing the mess, saying they had refused to move on what he said were genuine offers of compromise from Democrats.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iDKqREiYsyb34k_uh0QtoxBbGAxg?docId=CNG.e4c35a9fa97d5084525d707c051fd65d.4e1

Clash during India gang-rape protest

C. Africa army retreat, rebels advance on capital

The Turning Point - Full Film

Iran shows defence capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz

Homeless Timothy Henry Gray found dead before he could be told about his fortune: Body of 'heir' to reclusive Huguette Clark's $300m discovered frozen to death under railway bridge

A long-lost relative of the reclusive and eccentric New York heiress Huguette Clark, who stood to inherit $19 million of her $300 million fortune has been found dead from hypothermia in rural Wyoming.

Timothy Henry Gray's body was discovered by children sledding under a Union Pacific Railroad overpass in Evanston, in the southwest of the state on Thursday, as the temperatures hit 10 degrees.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254875/Homeless-millionaire-dead-told-fortune-Body-heir-reclusive-Huguette-Clarks-300m-discovered-frozen-death-railway-bridge.html

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake TAIWAN - 30th December 2012

Magnitude ML 5.4
Region TAIWAN
Date time 2012-12-30 16:03:25.0 UTC
Location 23.46 N ; 120.93 E
Depth 6 km
Distances 40 km W Yuli, Taiwan

Scientologists facing fraud and extortion charges in Belgium after police probe into 'criminal organisation'

** Offices in Belgium, where it is considered a 'cult' have been raided

Belgian federal prosecutors are preparing to bring charges against the Church of Scientology as a 'criminal organisation', it has today been reported.

It is believed the charges of fraud, illegal medicine, breaches of privacy and extortion have been drawn up against the Church and two senior executives.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254846/Scientologists-facing-fraud-extortion-charges-Belgium-police-probe-criminal-organisation.html

Julia Thurgarland, 70, is found strangled at her farm house as pensioner is arrested for her murder

A 71-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a churchwarden was strangled to death in her farmhouse in a sleepy country village.

Julia Thurgarland, 70, was found dead at a farmhouse, in Maplebeck, near Newark in Nottinghamshire, on Friday afternoon.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254892/Pensioner-71-arrested-suspicion-murder-churchwarden-Julia-Thurgarland-strangled.html

7 injured, 20 missing in reoccurred Colombia landslide

At least seven people were injured and some 20 others went missing in a landslide reoccurred Saturday in southern Colombia, relief agencies said.

The incident occurred when a bulldozer was removing earth that blocked a driveway below the Andes Mountains in the aftermath of a previous landslide, and about 20 cars were waiting in a queue to pass at the time, said the Risk Management Department.

http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2012-12/30/content_27550681.htm

Hazmat called to ammonia leak in downtown LA

Firefighters said they sealed a significant ammonia leak coming from a pipe at a cold storage facility in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.

Firefighters were dispatched to the area after receiving a call about a strong smell of ammonia. The leak was found on the roof of Los Angeles Cold Storage Co. at 400 S. Central Ave. between 4th and 5th streets.

"We got LAPD on scene to assist us with the evacuation. We cleared about a block in either direction and found out that we did actually have a leak from one of the pipes on the roof," said Battalion Chief Greg Gibson of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8936422

Obama says failure to reach fiscal deal would hurt markets

Financial markets would be affected adversely if U.S. lawmakers fail to agree on a "fiscal cliff" deal before Tuesday, President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast on Sunday, while urging Congress to act quickly to extend tax cuts for middle-class Americans.

Lawmakers are seeking a last-minute deal that would set aside $600 billion in tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts that are set to start within days. If Congress does not make that happen, the first bill brought up in the new year would be to reduce taxes for middle-income families, Obama told NBC's "Meet the Press."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-usa-fiscal-obama-idUSBRE8BT04S20121230

Michigan hospital blazes trail in fungal meningitis fight

After his first day working at St Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor hospital's newly created Fungal Outbreak Clinic, Dr David Vandenberg struggled to describe to his boss the enormity of what lay ahead. He settled on a line from the movie Jaws.

"We're going to need a bigger boat," Vandenberg told Dr Lakshmi Halasyamani, chief medical officer of the Michigan hospital, echoing the film's local police chief after he first eyes a 25-foot (7.5-metre) killer shark.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-usa-meningitis-michigan-idUSBRE8BT03X20121230

Sunni protesters attack Iraq official's convoy, guards wound two

Bodyguards for Iraq's deputy prime minister wounded two people when they fired warning shots at Sunni protesters who pelted his convoy with bottles and stones on Sunday, witnesses said.

The incident took place the city of Ramadi in western Anbar province, to where Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq had travelled to address people in an attempt to defuse sectarian tensions.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-iraq-protests-idUSBRE8BT04820121230

Pakistan militants kill 41 in mass execution, attack on Shi'ites

Pakistani militants, who have escalated attacks in recent weeks, killed at least 41 people in two separate incidents, officials said on Sunday, challenging assertions that military offensives have broken the back of hardline Islamist groups.

The United States has long pressured nuclear-armed ally Pakistan to crack down harder on both homegrown militants groups such as the Taliban and others which are based on its soil and attack Western forces in Afghanistan.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-pakistan-taliban-idUSBRE8BT00T20121230

California: Ice Lake Rescue Drama Captured On Video

What should have been a day of sledging thrills turned into a string of near-disasters in California after one person fell into an icy lake.

As they overshot the edge of the ice and fell into the bitterly-cold water, flailing and waving their arms in panic, pals to rushed to their aid.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031566/ice-lake-rescue-drama-captured-on-video

Norovirus Cruise: 'Outbreaks' On Two Ships

More than 400 passengers and crew have been sick with vomiting and diarrhoea as suspected norovirus hits two cruise ships sailing in the Caribbean.

Both luxury liners, the Queen Mary 2 and the Emerald Princess, reported the outbreak to the Centres for Disease Control, following guidelines that come into play when more than 2% of the passengers and crew are laid low.

The US public health agency said it was still conducting lab tests to determine the pathogen, but it said norovirus was suspected.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031527/norovirus-cruise-outbreaks-on-two-ships

Molly Crumley Death: Mother stops her car on highway and leaves daughter, 11, in car before leaping 55 feet to her death off busy traffic bridge to land on frozen-over lake

A Wisconsin mother left her 11-year-old daughter in the car as she jumped to her death off a busy traffic bridge to land on the frozen-over lake below.

Molly Crumley, 48, of River Falls, pulled onto the shoulder of eastbo

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254809/Molly-Crumley-death-Mother-leaves-daughter-11-car-plunges-55-feet-death-busy-traffic-bridge-land-frozen-lake.html

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
5.2
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 12:21:23 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 06:21:23 AM at epicenter
Location
14.525°N, 92.927°W
Depth
35.5 km (22.1 miles)
Region
OFFSHORE CHIAPAS, MEXICO
Distances
76 km (47 miles) W (268°) from Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico

UK Independence Party support hits all-time high of 15% as anti-EU sentiment among voters increases

Support for the UK Independence Party (Ukip) has reached a new high of 15 per cent, up from 4.5 per cent last year, according to a new poll.

The anti-EU, right-wing populist party's rating has risen by another percentage point in the past fortnight as its fortunes continue to rise, the Opinium survey for The Observer found.

The party believes in the right of the people of the UK to govern themselves, 'rather than be governed by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254815/UK-Independence-Party-support-hits-time-high-15-anti-EU-sentiment-voters-increases.html

Debt-hit soldiers are targeted by 3,300% payday loan firm... in MOD's own magazine

The Ministry of Defence was condemned last night for cashing in on the debts of its poorest soldiers by selling advertising space in its staff magazine to a payday loans company.

For an undisclosed fee, Forces Loans, which charges an APR of more than 3,300 per cent, is promoting its loans in Defence Focus – a magazine published by the MoD and read by British troops worldwide.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254767/Debt-hit-soldiers-targeted-3-300-payday-loan-firm-MODs-magazine.html

RSPCA destroys HALF of the animals that it rescues - yet thousands are completely healthy

The RSPCA destroys nearly half the animals it ‘rescues’ each year, with thousands being put down for non-medical reasons, shocking figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal.

The animal-welfare charity destroyed 53,000 animals last year – 44 per cent of those it took in – leading critics to claim that the organisation spends too much time on prosecuting cases of neglect and cruelty and not enough on finding new homes for animals.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254729/RSPCA-destroys-HALF-animals-rescues--thousands-completely-healthy.html

Three-quarters of doctors who are struck off in Britain are trained abroad

Three-quarters of the doctors who have been struck off this year were trained abroad, new figures have revealed.

Statistics released by the General Medical Council have shown doctors trained overseas are five times more likely to be struck off than UK-trained doctors.

The 'worrying and shocking' figures have raised concerns at the training of health professionals coming to work in Britain from other countries.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254824/Three-quarters-doctors-struck-Britain-trained-abroad.html

Achtung, Austerity! Prices & poverty pervade as Germans unfurl fears

Medical Marvels: Fancy Living Forever?

Blast kills six on a bus in Karachi, Pakistan

Egyptians react as Morsi signs disputed constitution into law

Utah Teachers Trained to Use Guns

Myanmar probes deadly plane crash-landing

Jesse Ventura Conspiracy Theory - The Reptilian Agend

Russian plane crash: Moment of impact

3.5 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL CALIFORNIA - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
3.5
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 11:52:35 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 03:52:35 AM at epicenter
Location
36.157°N, 118.060°W
Depth
1 km (~0.6 mile) (poorly constrained)
Region
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Distances
13 km (8 miles) SSW (205°) from Olancha, CA

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake MOLUCCA SEA - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 11:33:41 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 07:33:41 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
1.574°N, 126.690°E
Depth
58.6 km (36.4 miles)
Region
MOLUCCA SEA
Distances
115 km (71 miles) NW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake INDIA-BANGLADESH BORDER REGION - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 08:16:44 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 02:16:44 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
24.265°N, 91.890°E
Depth
30.5 km (19.0 miles)
Region
INDIA-BANGLADESH BORDER REGION
Distances
9 km (5 miles) NE of Kamalpur, India

Cough syrup death toll rises to 34, Pakistan

Seven more people died after consuming tainted cough syrup here, rising death toll to 34. The deceased are Kamroo, Ramzan, Younis, Qasim, Faisal, Saleem Sabir and Maqbool. Sources disclosed that seven more people were still being treated at the DHQ Hospital.

Meanwhile, teams of the district administration, Health Department and the police sealed 15 medical stores for selling intoxicated cough syrup. Under instructions from Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, the district administration has launched a crackdown against medical stores selling spurious medicines. Giving break-up, Dr Mahjabeen, who supervised the crackdown, said that six medical stores had been sealed in Nandipur Town, three in Aroop Town, four in Qila Didar Singh Town and one each in Kamoke and Wazirabad.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-19853-Cough-syrup-death-toll-rises-to-34

UK employment set to reach record high of 30 million by 2015

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has issued its latest analysis of the UK jobs market and it says there is a high possibility that the number of people in work in the UK will reach 30 million by 2015.

It says that low wage increases and attempts by firms to retain skilled workers has helped to keep unemployment down.

It said the number of people working will continue to grow in 2013 but that the reasons for this during a period when the economy is weak remain difficult to explain.

http://www.myfinances.co.uk/pensions/2012/12/29/cipd-predicts-uk-employment-to-hit-30-million-by-2015

City Leaders Warn Of 'Civil Unrest' Amid Cuts

City leaders have warned that spending cuts could lead to social unrest and the "break-up of civil society".

The council leaders of three of England's biggest cities - Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield - say the north of England has been unfairly targeted.

But there are also signs of a backlash from rural authorities, mostly Conservative-led, who claim the shires are losing out disproportionately under the Government's cuts.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031495/city-leaders-warn-of-civil-unrest-amid-cuts

Insisting on Assad's Exit Will Cost More Lives, Russian Says

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said Saturday that there was “no possibility” of persuading President Bashar al-Assad to leave Syria, leaving little hope for a breakthrough in the standoff. He also said that the opposition leaders’ insistence on Mr. Assad’s departure as a precondition for peace talks would come at the cost of “more and more lives of Syrian citizens” in a conflict that has already killed tens of thousands.

Moscow has made a muscular push for a political solution in recent days, sending signals that the Kremlin, one of Mr. Assad’s most important allies, sees a pressing need for political change.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0

Facebook Instagram use dived after photo fiasco

Facebook Inc's Instagram lost almost a quarter of its daily users a week after it rolled out and then withdrew policy changes that incensed users who feared the photo-sharing service would use their pictures without compensation.

Instagram, which Facebook bought for $715 million this year, saw the number of daily active users who accessed the service via Facebook bottom out at 12.4 million as of Friday, versus a peak of 16.4 million last week, according to data compiled by online tracker AppData.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/28/us-facebook-instagram-idUSBRE8BR0HE20121228

Most Greeks say government crackdown on tax evaders failing: poll

More than two-thirds of Greeks say their government is failing to fight tax evasion, a poll showed on Saturday, a major focus of popular discontent along with austerity measures imposed to unlock bailout aid.

Almost 68 percent of respondents in a Kapa Research/To Vima poll said the ruling coalition of conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was not doing enough to catch tax dodgers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/29/us-greece-poll-idUSBRE8BS0C320121229

Wall Street Week Ahead: Cliff may be a fear, but debt ceiling much scarier

Investors fearing a stock market plunge - if the United States tumbles off the "fiscal cliff" next week - may want to relax.

But they should be scared if a few weeks later, Washington fails to reach a deal to increase the nation's debt ceiling because that raises the threat of a default, another credit downgrade and a panic in the financial markets.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/29/us-usa-fiscal-marketjitters-idUSBRE8BR0J120121229

Rebels take aim at military base in battle to control Syria

Syrian Rebels dismiss calls for peace talks

Moscow 24 TV airs dramatic footage of plane crash rescue

Anti-rape protesters pray for gang rape victim

After "fiscal cliff" debate, more battles, new cliffs

Whether or not the "fiscal cliff" impasse is broken before the New Year's Eve deadline, there will be no post-cliff peace in Washington.

With the political climate toxic in Congress as the cliff's steep tax hikes and spending cuts approach, other partisan fights loom, all over the issue that has paralyzed the capital for the past two years: federal spending.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/29/us-usa-fiscal-dive-idUSBRE8BS0CD20121229

Five Bangladeshi sentenced to death for Saudi diplomat killing

A Bangladeshi court sentenced five members of a gang to death on Sunday for killing a Saudi Arabian diplomat in the capital Dhaka last March, court officials said.

Khalaf Ali, 45, a second secretary at his embassy, was shot at night near the embassy in Dhaka's diplomatic zone, raising an alarm over the first slaying of a diplomat in the country.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/us-bangladesh-saudi-idUSBRE8BT01I20121230

Wallasey tunnel fire: Fire crews evacuate 30 people from their cars

WALLASEY tunnel had to be evacuated after a lorry burst into flames.

Fire crews were called to the Kingsway Tunnel, which runs from Wallasey to Liverpool, at about 2.30pm yesterday after reports the cab of a lorry was on fire.

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/2012/12/29/fire-crews-evacuate-30-people-from-their-cars-after-wallasey-tunnel-fire-100252-32511932/

Canada: Woman suffering flu-like symptoms dies on Via Rail passenger train

A woman was found dead on a Via Rail passenger train early Saturday morning.

The company says the Vancouver-to-Toronto train stopped near Parry Sound, Ont., because four passengers were showing flu-like symptoms.

Emergency crews boarded the train and confirmed that a woman who Via Rail described in a news release as elderly had died.

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/national/woman-suffering-flu-like-symptoms-dies-on-via-rail-passenger-train-1.36788

Swine flu outbreak kills nine people in West Bank

An outbreak of swine flu has claimed the lives of nine Palestinians in the West Bank, the office of Palestinian Authority Prime Minster Salam Fayyad said Saturday, according to AFP.

The PA said that 187 cases of the H1N1 influenza strain had been recorded since the start of the winter season, the majority of which were in the northern West Bank.

http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?id=297735

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake JAVA, INDONESIA - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 07:56:52 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 02:56:52 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.098°S, 105.200°E
Depth
55.6 km (34.5 miles)
Region
JAVA, INDONESIA
Distances
57 km (35 miles) SW of Tugu Hilir, Indonesia

Seals: Killers of Osama Dying or Being Killed?

SEAL Team 4 Commanding Officer Job W. Price commit suicide. He was best known for finding and then killing Osama bin Laden.

Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, died Saturday, Dec. 22, of a non-combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

Suicide of the Officer of this grade raises many questions among the media, as the team was best known for killing Osama Bin Laden that assaulted his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 1, 2011.
 ***
AUGUST 2011: ‘More Than 20 Navy SEALS From The Unit That Killed Osama Bin Laden’ Die In Helicopter Crash

http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2011/08/06/unbelievable-more-than-20-navy-seals-from-the-unit-that-killed-osama-bin-laden-die-in-helicopter-crash/

1991 Book Predicts School Shootings By Drugged Individuals In Order To Disarm Public

Does this seem familiar? From the pages of Milton William Cooper’s 1991 book Behold A Pale Horse:

http://beforeitsnews.com/politics/2012/12/1991-books-predicts-school-shootings-by-drugged-individuals-in-order-to-disarm-public-2479764.html

Media Quiet About San Antonio Theater Shooting

On Sunday December 17, 2012, 2 days after the CT shooting, a man went to a restaurant in San Antonio to kill his X-girlfriend. After he shot her, most of the people in the restaurant fled next door to a theater. The gunman followed them and entered the theater so he could shoot more people. He started shooting and people in the theater started running and screaming. It’s like the Aurora, CO theater story plus a restaurant!

Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?

There was an off duty county deputy at the theater. SHE pulled out her gun and shot the man 4 times before he had a chance to kill anyone. So since this story makes the point that the best thing to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun, the media is treating it like it never happened.

Only the local media covered it. The city is giving her a medal next week. Just thought you’d like to know.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/12/media-quiet-about-san-antonio-theater-shooting-2524596.html

Erika Menendez Charged with Murder over New York Subway Death

A woman who told police in New York City that she shoved a man in front of an oncoming subway train has been charged with murder as a hate crime, prosecutors have said.

Erika Menendez, from the Bronx, was motivated by hatred of Muslims and Hindus, according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031014/new-york-subway-death-woman-charged

Pakistan: 21 Kidnapped Policemen Found Dead

Twenty-one policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban have been found shot dead in Pakistan, government officials say.

Their bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds on a cricket pitch in the troubled tribal Peshawar region in the northwest.

http://news.sky.com/story/1031463/pakistan-kidnapped-policemen-found-dead

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SCOTIA SEA - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
5.2
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 06:44:41 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 04:44:41 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
60.930°S, 36.967°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SCOTIA SEA
Distances
619 km (384 miles) WSW of Bristol Island, Antarctica

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA - 30th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 02:54:51 UTC
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 04:54:51 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
52.047°N, 171.030°W
Depth
53 km (32.9 miles)
Region
FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
Distances
51 km (31 miles) SSE of Amukta Island, Alaska

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 29th December 2012

Magnitude
5.2
Date-Time
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 23:05:26 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 08:05:26 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.056°N, 141.182°E
Depth
58.3 km (36.2 miles)
Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
26 km (16 miles) E of Iwaki, Japan

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake MOLUCCA SEA - 29th December 2012

Magnitude
4.2
Date-Time
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 23:01:21 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 07:01:21 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
0.995°N, 125.607°E
Depth
34.8 km (21.6 miles)
Region
MOLUCCA SEA
Distances
69 km (42 miles) SE of Bitung, Indonesia

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 29th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 22:43:55 UTC
Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 07:43:55 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.603°S, 129.857°E
Depth
168.5 km (104.7 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
219 km (136 miles) NW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake WEST OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - 29th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 21:47:28 UTC
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 02:47:28 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
2.130°N, 97.587°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
WEST OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Distances
812 km (504 miles) WNW of Puerto Villamil, Ecuador

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake WEST OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS - 29th December 2012

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 21:37:01 UTC
Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 02:37:01 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
1.567°N, 98.241°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
WEST OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Distances
856 km (531 miles) WNW of Puerto Villamil, Ecuador

Fateh missiles and Russian-Iranian military cooperation to bolster Assad

French and Israeli intelligence sources affirmed Saturday, Dec. 29, that, contrary to reports appearing in the United States Friday, Iran has accelerated rather than slowed down its 20-percent grade enrichment of uranium and is racing toward a nuclear weapons capacity. Furthermore, for the moment, there is not the slightest indication that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has any intention of accepting the Obama administration’s latest plan for a nuclear deal.

As debkafile has revealed, this plan would require Iran to discontinue production of 20-percent enriched uranium (which can be quickly converted to weapons grade material), and confine itself to producing low 5 percent uranium in agreed amounts. Tehran would also have to accept the removal from the country of its entire stock of 20-percent refined uranium.

The same sources point to the first appearance this week of Iran-made Fateh A-110 high-precision, short-range missiles in the use of the Syrian army against rebel fighters, under the guidance of Iranian officers and instructors, as underscoring the inter-dependence Tehran draws between the Syrian and nuclear issues.

Khamenei now links an acceptable solution for the Syrian dilemma to his possible nuclear flexibility.

http://www.debka.com/article/22640/Fateh-missiles-and-Russian-Iranian-military-cooperation-to-bolster-Assad-