Sandy Hook fake fundraisers galore: Yet *another* same-day-as-the-shooting fundraiser shows up, and even gets the actual date of the shooting wrong, places it as December 15th

Generosity is a Gift That Keeps Giving (-1 point for lack of originality: Matt)


For the families in Newtown CT, this holiday season has been one that will be forever engrained with the tragedies that took place on December 15th, 2012. To help, many very generous people have gone well out of their way to express their care and support. Today we want to feature one of these generous and inspiring people, who is giving their best to support their fellow Americans.

Meet Cathy Canfield, Cathy is a child therapist from Alexandria, VA who is doing everything in her ability to help the children of Newtown. When Cathy heard about the tragedy that took place on Friday the 15th, she knew that she could help in some way. She wrote a small post on Facebook that mentioned her desire to drive to Newtown and put her skills to good use during this difficult time. After a bit of encouragement from some friends who saw the post, Cathy decided to create a free online fundraiser to help her secure the funds she needed. Not long after, and to much surprise she found that she had raised $2,100 with the help of her friends. Cathy then proceeded to contact the schools to find where her skills could be best put to use. Unfortunately, the only thing Cathy heard back was that there had already been so much help and support given to the town that they did not know if Cathy could even get an opening.

http://www.youcaring.com/blog/post/2012/12/14/Holiday-Fundraiser-for-Newtown-Students.aspx

Haiti Still Suffering Three Years After Earthquake

"Violence and Homosexuality": Why no matter how many times a piece of "diversity propaganda" is hammered into our skulls, the truth will always manage to escape

In 1992 two Jeffersonville, Indiana lesbians, aged 17 and 16, abducted a 12-year-old girl whom they accused of trying to “steal a girlfriend.” The little girl was pushed into the trunk of a car, stabbed repeatedly, and beaten with a heavy metal bar. While still struggling, they poured gasoline on her and set her ablaze. Later that year a Fort Lauderdale, Florida 14-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder for helping to kill his 40-year-old father. The father “was stabbed 45 times and beaten so badly with an iron skillet that the skillet shattered.” The boy confessed that he helped his father’s former homosexual lover and roommate kill him so he and the 31-year-old “could live together.”

These murders fit traditional psychiatric opinion: excessive violence is naturally associated with other forms of social pathology. From this perspective, those who rebel against society’s norms – homosexuals, prostitutes, alcoholics, etc. – are more apt to be violent also. Gay leaders reply that they are not pathological, rebellious, or sexually deviant. They contend that gays are gentle, loving people and that the violence they experience proves that they need special ‘hate crime’ laws to protect them from non-homosexual ‘gay bashers.’

Who’s right? Does the excess of violence naturally well up from within a pathological gay subculture or do outsiders direct it toward homosexuals? Keeping in mind that only about 2%—3% of adults are homosexual or bisexual, (1) let’s examine varieties of violence.

(Make sure you read the incredibly "shocking" and enlightening rest here:)
http://www.familyresearchinst.org/2009/02/violence-and-homosexuality/

Matt's thoughts:
Although, we know better than God, right? We celebrate murder and call it "a women's choice." We celebrate deviant behaviour and call it "tolerance." We celebrate cultural warfare and call it "diversity". We celebrate wage slavery, usury and poverty and call it "free enterprise." We celebrate cowardice and call it "the right to bear arms." We celebrate mass murder, oppression and fanaticism and call it "Christianity." We celebrate the destruction of the black community and call it "civil rights." We celebrate the combination of indoctrination, pedantry and bigotry and call it "higher education." We celebrate dictatorship and call it "Republic." And yet, not a single person can deny that society has gotten progressively worse due to all these things and more. Who isn't afraid of the stones of "tolerance" and "equality" and "tradition" and "law" and "courtesy" tossed by profiteers who have not even the basic understanding of the words, of reality, and what has been commanded of us? Am I alone in going insane over what complete and utter garbage passes for "normal" and "beautiful" today?

History teaches us that the biggest guns are always taken first, then dictators chip away until all means of self-defense are possessed

When the Supreme Court, or any other court for that matter, makes a ruling in a case they first look for precedent, in other words to see if there has been a court decision rendered on the same subject in the past and usually defer to the old decision in ruling on the case.

The greatest teacher in life is experience; it only takes one time of burning your fingers on a hot stove to know that you never want to touch another one.

The next greatest teacher is observation, paying attention to someone else's experiences and profiting from their wins and losses, trials and errors.

In my generation I have seen the rise and fall off fascism, communism, different experiments in socialism and the kind of downright social and fiscal foolishness that leads to what has recently happened in Greece.

There is an old saying that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

There is at this time a huge debate in our nation about the private ownership of firearms. The president and the anti gun crowd claim they do not want to do away with private ownership, that they only want to modify the existing laws having to do with assault weapons -which can be construed as anything in your gun cabinet of any heavy caliber - and clips for semiautomatic weapons holding more than 10 bullets.

I submit to you that what is going on here is the first assault on private gun ownership

They will take what ever they can get now and continue to chip away until all you can legally own to protect your family with is a baseball bat.

http://cnsnews.com/blog/charlie-daniels/precedent-teaches-us-left-really-wants-all-our-guns

Patriotic Group 'Citadel' To Build Armed 'Defensible' Neighborhood Fortress, Hosting Thousands of Americans Ready to Fight Federal Government

A group of like-minded patriots, bound together by pride in American exceptionalism, plan on building an armed community to protect their liberty.

The group, named Citadel, intends to purchase 2,000 to 3,000 acres for the project in western Idaho.  The community will comprise of 3,500 to 7,000 families of patriotic Americans who "voluntarily choose to live together in accordance with Thomas Jefferson's ideal of Rightful Liberty."

According to the Citadel website, Rightful Liberty means that "neighbors keep their noses out of other neighbors' business, that neighbors live and let live."

Citadel explains that residents in the community will be bound by the following:

• Patriotism
• Pride in American Exceptionalism
• Our proud history of Liberty as defined by our Founding Fathers, and
• Physical preparedness to survive and prevail in the face of natural catastrophes --such as Hurricanes Sandy or Katrina -- or man-made catastrophes such as a power grid failure or economic collapse.

Residents should also agree that being "prepared for the emergencies of life and being proficient with the American icon of Liberty -- the Rifle -- are prudent measures."

http://cnsnews.com/blog/gregory-gwyn-williams-jr/patriotic-group-build-armed-defensible-neighborhood-fortress

Italian consul in Benghazi shot at in car but unhurt

An Italian consul came under fire in his car in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Saturday but was unhurt, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.

"He is completely unharmed," said the spokesman.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-libya-italy-idUSBRE90B0GM20130112

Treasury says it will not produce platinum coins to avert debt crisis

The U.S. Treasury Department said on Saturday it will not produce platinum coins as a way of generating $1 trillion (620 billion pounds) in revenue and avoiding a battle in Congress over raising the U.S. debt ceiling.

The idea of minting $1 trillion in platinum coins has gained some currency among Democrats in recent days, with Republicans threatening to hold up an increase in the debt ceiling unless deep spending cuts are made.

The United States is expected to reach its debt limit in February.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-usa-debt-platinum-idUSBRE90B0HI20130112

Petrol bombs thrown at protesters outside Egypt president's palace

Unknown attackers threw petrol bombs at tents housing protesters outside the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo on Saturday and fired rubber bullets at security forces, injuring at least 15 people, officials and witnesses said.

Four tents were burnt in the attacks, injuring several protesters. One police officer and six soldiers, deployed to the scene to arrest the attackers, were wounded by rubber bullets, according to the interior ministry. The health ministry said a total of 15 people were injured.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-egypt-protesters-idUSBRE90B0GR20130112

Britain Sends Planes To Hep French Fight In Mali

Britain will provide transport planes to assist the French military operation in Mali, Downing Street has confirmed.

David Cameron spoke with Francois Hollande on Saturday evening as France attempted to contain al-Qaeda linked rebels in the north of the West African country.

French military strikes on the country have already claimed the lives of at least 100 rebels in a fight over the strategic town of Konna.

Mr Hollande has raised his country's terror threat level amid fears of retaliatory terror attacks in France.

He said that France "has to take all necessary precautions" in the face of a terrorist threat, including "surveillance of our public buildings and our transport network."

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister spoke to President Hollande this evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Mali and how the UK can support French military assistance provided to the Malian Government to contain rebel and extremist groups in the north of the country.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037037/britain-sends-planes-to-hep-french-fight-in-mali

UK Defence chiefs prepare new plans to defend Falkland Islands against Argentinian invasion

Defence chiefs have drawn up new contingency plans designed to prevent hostile action by Argentina towards the Falkland Islands.

A series of military options are being actively considered as the war of words over the islands intensifies.

It is understood that additional troops, another warship and extra RAF Typhoon combat aircraft could be dispatched to the region ahead of the March referendum on the Falkland Islands’ future.

The options being proposed by planners at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, north-west London are also said to include a “show of force” such as conducting naval exercises in the South Atlantic.

These could involve the deployment of the Royal Navy’s Response Task Force Group, a flotilla comprising destroyers, a frigate, a submarine and commandos.

Alternatives include deploying elements of the Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade — the airborne task force which includes members of the Parachute Regiment — which has just completed a series of demanding exercises in Spain preparing for “general war”.

More here

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHEASTERN IRAN - 12th January 2013

Magnitude ML 4.0
Region NORTHEASTERN IRAN
Date time 2013-01-12 22:12:02.9 UTC
Location 35.39 N ; 60.70 E
Depth 4 km
Distances 20 km N Torbat-e jam, Iran

Belfast Protests: 29 Police Officers Injured

Twenty-nine police officers have been injured during disorder in East Belfast.

Police used water cannon during sectarian clashes between loyalists and republicans in the Castlereagh Street area.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037204/belfast-protests-29-police-officers-injured

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NORTH OF ASCENSION ISLAND - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 21:50:18 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 08:50:18 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
0.072°N, 17.034°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
NORTH OF ASCENSION ISLAND
Distances
931 km (578 miles) NNW of Georgetown, Saint Helena

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE COAST OF WESTERN TURKEY - 12th January 2013

Magnitude ML 4.0
Region NEAR THE COAST OF WESTERN TURKEY
Date time 2013-01-12 20:50:12.0 UTC
Location 38.85 N ; 26.06 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 28 km S Polikhnítos, Turkey

'Russian warships near Syria: warning to US, NATO'

CDC: 'A Lot of Influenza Activity Out There'

Roads melt in Australia as heatwave hits

'Mali intervention may lead to nightmare'

Flu Forces Okla. District to Cancel Classes

Australia fire crews on high alert as bushfires rage

Funeral of Palestinian shot dead in Gaza by Israeli Soldiers

Russian Orphan With US 'Parents' Becomes TV Star

Costa Concordia anniversary: Italian coastguard release new rescue footage

Aaron Swartz Death: He was facing charges for allegedly hacking millions of documents from MIT

Mr Swartz was indicted in July 2011 on charges of stealing millions of documents from MIT and online scientific journal archive JSTOR. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in September 2012.

Mr Swartz founded software company Infogami which later merged with the popular social news site Reddit.

He also founded and served as the director of Demand Progress, a non-profit political action group that focuses on "civil liberties, civil rights, and government reform".

http://news.sky.com/story/1037210/reddit-co-owner-aaron-swartz-found-dead

Over 100 dead in French strikes and fighting in Mali

More than 100 people including rebels and government soldiers were killed in Mali during French air strikes and fighting over the strategic town of Konna, Malian military sources and witnesses said on Saturday.

An army officer at the headquarters of Mali's former military junta in Bamako said nearly 30 vehicles carrying Islamist fighters had been bombed and "over 100" rebels had been killed in fighting.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE90912Q20130112

Big Issue Vendors Stabbed To Death in Birmingham

The Big Issue has confirmed that two men who were stabbed to death in Birmingham city centre worked as vendors of the publication.

The magazine's founder and editor-in-chief John Bird said: "Myself and everyone at The Big Issue has been deeply saddened to hear the tragic news that two of our well-liked Birmingham based vendors were stabbed to death in the city centre.

"We are struggling to make any sense of this utterly senseless attack, and our sincerest condolences go out to the families of the victims.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037121/birmingham-big-issue-vendors-stabbed-to-death

Belfast Protests: 16 Police Officers Injured

Sixteen police officers have been injured during disorder in East Belfast this afternoon.

Police used water cannons during sectarian clashes between loyalists and republicans in the Castlereagh Street area.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037204/belfast-protests-16-police-officers-injured

Disable Java on your computers to avoid hacking attacks, Americans warned by Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged computer users to disable Oracle Corp's Java software, amplifying security experts' prior warnings to hundreds of millions of consumers and businesses that use it to surf the Web.

Hackers have figured out how to exploit Java to install malicious software enabling them to commit crimes ranging from identity theft to making an infected computer part of an ad-hoc network of computers that can be used to attack websites.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261318/Americans-warned-Homeland-Security-warning-disable-Java-computers-Java-avoid-hacking-attacks.html

Instagram loses nearly HALF its daily users in a month after backlash over failed bid to win right to sell users' photos to advertisers

Facebook’s ill-fated purchase of Instagram stumbles from one disaster to the next after new figures revealed that the photo-sharing service has lost almost 50 per cent of its daily users in less than a month.

The dramatic drop in traffic has been attributed to an attempt made before Christmas to introduce new terms and conditions which sparked an outcry from users including celebrities such as Kim Kardashian.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260955/Instagram-lost-nearly-HALF-daily-users-month-backlash.html

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake SERAM, INDONESIA - 12th January 2013

Magnitude mb 5.5
Region SERAM, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-01-12 17:33:41.0 UTC
Location 2.95 S ; 129.83 E
Depth 30 km
Distances 119 km NE Amahai, Indonesia

Water cannon and plastic bullet fired in Belfast as 1,000 protestors clash in escalating violence over flying of union flag

Police have come under attack during fresh violence linked to the Union flag in Belfast.

Bricks, bottles and other missiles were hurled in east Belfast this afternoon, an eyewitness said.

Trouble erupted close to a nationalist interface as loyalists were returning from a city centre protest about the union flag in the city centre.

The ugly brawl happened as loyalists returned from a demonstration at city hall, against the council's decision to limit the number of days the union flag is flown.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261290/Water-cannon-plastic-bullet-fired-Belfast-loyalists-nationalists-clash-violent-protest-flying-union-flag.html

Aaron Swartz commits suicide at 26

Aaron Swartz, an online activist and co-founder of the popular social media site Reddit, committed suicide in New York City Friday. He was 26 years old.

The news of Swartz’s untimely death was confirmed to MIT's The Tech by both his uncle and his lawyer Saturday morning.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261277/Aaron-Swartz-Co-founder-popular-message-board-Reddit-dead-New-York-battling-depression.html

(Aaron Swartz keynote - "How we stopped SOPA")

Syrian troops capture majority of key Damascus suburb: official

Syrian troops have captured most of a strategic Damascus suburb used by rebels as a base to threaten key regime facilities in the capital, a government official said Saturday.

The announcement that regime forces had taken Daraya came a day after anti-government activists said rebels and Islamic militants seeking to topple President Bashar Assad took full control of Taftanaz air base in the northwest. That dealt a significant blow to Assad's military, with helicopters, tanks and multiple rocket launchers seized.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/syrian-troops-capture-majority-of-key-damascus-suburb-official-1.1111364

Kurd Protest in Paris Demands Justice in Killings

Thousands of Kurds from across Europe descended upon Paris on Saturday, demanding justice for three activists shot dead in the French capital. The Turkish leader, meanwhile, demanded how a wanted militant could have found a comfortable refuge in France.

Crowds of Kurds streamed to Paris from throughout Europe, marching through the neighborhood where Sakine Cansiz's body was found inside a Kurdish information center along with two other activists. Cansiz was a founder of the Kurdish rebel group that has been battling the Turkish government for three decades.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-france-solve-kurdish-killings-18197247

China landslide kills 46

U.S. hit by flu epidemic

African states ready troops as France bombs Mali rebels

French aircraft pounded Islamist fighters in Mali for a second day on Saturday and neighboring states accelerated plans to send in troops in an international campaign to crush the rebels.

A French pilot died on Friday when his helicopter was shot down near the central Mali town of Mopti. Hours later, a French hostage being held by Islamists in Somalia was killed during a bungled rescue attempt unrelated to events in Mali but which highlighted France's conflict with such groups in Africa.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-mali-rebels-idUSBRE90912Q20130112

Americans feel austerity's bite as payroll taxes rise

Americans are beginning to feel the pinch from Washington's decision to embrace austerity measures aimed at bringing down the nation's budget deficit.

Paychecks across the country have shrunk over the last week due to higher federal tax rates, and workers are already cutting back on spending, which will drag on the economy this year.

In Warren, Rhode Island, Ben DeCastro got his first paycheck on Friday in which taxes on his wages rose by 2 percentage points. That works out to about $30 a week.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-usa-fiscal-taxes-idUSBRE90B0AW20130112

Denis Allex Killed in Somalia Hostage Raid: Islamists Claim he is still Alive!

France has said one of its soldiers and an intelligence agent have been killed in a failed hostage rescue attempt in Somalia.

The agent, who is code-named Denis Allex and was captured by militants in 2009, died in the fighting with Islamists overnight, the French government said.

However, the Al Shabaab militia has said he is still alive.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037144/somalia-hostage-raid-french-agent-killed

Belfast Protests: Four Police Officers Injured

Four police officers have been injured during disorder in East Belfast this afternoon.

Police used water cannons during sectarian clashes between loyalists and republicans in the Castlereagh Street area.

Trouble flared after a city centre demonstration against the council's decision to limit the number of days the Union flag is flown from City Hall.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037204/belfast-protests-four-police-officers-injured

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA - 12th January 2013

Magnitude M 4.8
Region OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Date time 2013-01-12 16:41:19.5 UTC
Location 3.46 N ; 93.08 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 340 km SW Banda aceh, Indonesia

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE - 12th January 2013

Magnitude ML 4.2
Region OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE
Date time 2013-01-12 15:57:16.0 UTC
Location 18.77 S ; 70.69 W
Depth 36 km
Distances 52 km SW Arica, Chile

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 14:32:38 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 11:32:38 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
53.114°S, 46.971°W
Depth
14.5 km (9.0 miles)
Region
SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Distances
702 km (436 miles) W of Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake KURIL ISLANDS - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
5.3
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 13:37:23 UTC
Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 12:37:23 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
47.400°N, 153.439°E
Depth
35 km (21.7 miles)
Region
KURIL ISLANDS
Distances
377 km (234 miles) ESE of Vostok, Russia

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake TAIWAN REGION - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 12:34:16 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 08:34:16 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
23.984°N, 122.345°E
Depth
28 km (17.4 miles)
Region
TAIWAN REGION
Distances
74 km (45 miles) E of Hualian, Taiwan

France holds emergency war meeting over operations in Mali and Somalia after significant defeats and set backs

French special forces failed early Saturday, Jan. 12, to rescue a hostage from the hands of the Qaeda-linked Somali Shabaab, while a second French air and commando force continued operations in support of the Mali government‘s drive to arrest an Islamist advance.

In Paris, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian denied a connection between the two French counter-terror operations taking place in the last 48 hours in East and West Africa – both against wings of al Qaeda. He reported a French soldier was killed in Somalia, another was missing and the fate of the hostage held for three years by Shabaab was unknown. Seventeen Islamist fighters were reported killed. In Mali, a French pilot was killed when his helicopter was shot down near the key northern city of Konna.

Saturday, President Francois Hollande called his war cabinet into an unusual emergency session after the first direct French interventions in the fight against Islamist terrorism went awry and confronted him with his first military crisis.

By plunging into two fronts, Mali and Somalia, France offered two terrorist wings - the Somali Shabaab, which comes under Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and the Malian Ansar Dine, which is part of Al Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM), to issue a joint ultimatum to Paris: Stop both missions immediately or else eight French hostages will be executed one by one. Among them, in Mali, are four nuclear engineers and technicians.

http://www.debka.com/article/22681/French-operations-in-Mali-Somalia-face-losses-Al-Qaeda-threat-to-hostages

On Being Sane In Insane Places (Must-read)

How do we know precisely what constitutes “normality” or mental illness? Conventional wisdom suggests that specially trained professionals have the ability to make reasonably accurate diagnoses. In this research, however, David Rosenhan provides evidence to challenge this assumption. What is -- or is not -- “normal” may have much to do with the labels that are applied to people in particular settings.

If sanity and insanity exist, how shall we know them?

The question is neither capricious nor itself insane. However much we may be personally convinced that we can tell the normal from the abnormal, the evidence is simply not compelling. It is commonplace, for example, to read about murder trials wherein eminent psychiatrists for the defense are contradicted by equally eminent psychiatrists for the prosecution on the matter of the defendant’s sanity. More generally, there are a great deal of conflicting data on the reliability, utility, and meaning of such terms as “sanity,” “insanity,” “mental illness,” and “schizophrenia.” Finally, as early as 1934, {Ruth} Benedict suggested that normality and abnormality are not universal.[1] What is viewed as normal in one culture may be seen as quite aberrant in another. Thus, notions of normality and abnormality may not be quite as accurate as people believe they are.

http://psychrights.org/articles/rosenham.htm

US Has 330,000 Drug Offenders in Prison, Spends More On Drug War Than Cost to End World Hunger

CLN Editor’s Commentary: Shocking statistics released in the Bureau of Justice report discussed below reveal that the U.S. incarcerates 330,000 drug offenders, though this does, thankfully, represent a slight decline of .09% since the previous year. According to the VERA Institute for Justice, the national standardized average per-inmate annual cost of incarceration is $31,286. This represents an annual cost to US taxpayers of $10,324,380,000 per year, or about $103 billion over a decade. According to The Wall Street Journal, if you add in drug-related spending on police and the court personnel used to try drug users and traffickers, the annual cost of America’s drug war to taxpayers soars to about $40 billion, or $400 billion per decade.

To put this figure in perspective, the estimated cost of ending world hunger over the same ten year time frame is $300 billion.

See more stats here

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 12:16:00 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 10:16:00 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.260°N, 144.767°E
Depth
35 km (21.7 miles)
Region
OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
331 km (205 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE COAST OF OREGON - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 11:19:51 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 03:19:51 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
43.631°N, 127.382°W
Depth
10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Region
OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
Distances
247 km (153 miles) WNW of Bandon, Oregon

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake VANUATU - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 10:22:07 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 09:22:07 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
18.878°S, 169.210°E
Depth
212.6 km (132.1 miles)
Region
VANUATU
Distances
74 km (45 miles) N of Isangel, Vanuatu

BBC faces huge payout over Jimmy Savile: Victims 'hold bosses to blame' for creating monster who abused EIGHTEEN girls under ten and dying child at Great Ormond Street

Many of his 214 known offences were on BBC premises and he even attacked a girl during the last edition of Top of the Pops in 2006. The paedophile also preyed on young people at a hospice and 13 hospitals, including a terminally ill child at Great Ormond Street. The victim, aged 11 or 12, told relatives before dying that Savile had touched them inappropriately.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261077/Jimmy-Savile-scandal-Report-reveals-raped-34-women-girls-sexually-assaulted-450.html

Ed Miliband's solar swindle: Cost of green subsidies will add £1 billion to family household bills

Ed Miliband’s controversial scheme to encourage homeowners to install solar panels and wind turbines is set to cost families an extra £1billion in higher bills, figures reveal.

Subsidies for solar panels rose 14-fold last year as individuals and businesses piled into the scheme, criticised as being a licence to print money.

The payments, funded by a levy on electricity bills, jumped from £9.2million in 2010/11 to £128.3million in 2011/12, according to figures compiled by energy regulator Ofgem.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261055/Ed-Milibands-solar-swindle-Cost-green-subsidies-add-1-billion-family-household-bills.html

SATURDAY ESSAY: He's taken millions from dictators and cosied up to warlords, but is 'Teflon Tony' really plotting an alliance with a super-rich financier?

When Tony Blair visited Beijing a few weeks ago to open a prestigious conference on philanthropy, he showed he had lost none of the evangelical fervour that once dazzled British voters.

Giving an impassioned sermon to an A-list audience on the crucial role of compassion, the former Prime Minister spoke of how societies should be measured not just by what people do for themselves, but by what they do for others.

‘The best philanthropy is about changing the world,’ he proclaimed. ‘Flourishing philanthropy is an essential part of a flourishing society.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261133/Hes-taken-millions-dictators-cosied-warlords-As-reported-Teflon-Tony-plotting-alliance-super-rich-financier-devastating-critique--Man-turned-amorality-art-form.html

1,000 Britons a day hit by Indian call centre swindle: Police believe fraudsters have made £10million from UK victims

Up to 60,000 Britons have been the victims of a multi-million-pound Indian call centre and internet fraud, the Mail can reveal.

Investigators believe the sheer number taken in by the loans scam makes it one of the biggest frauds ever carried out in the UK from overseas.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261142/1-000-Britons-day-hit-Indian-centre-swindle-Police-believe-fraudsters-10million-UK-victims.html

Spanish police say seized items intended for Iran nuclear program

Madrid (CNN) -- It was not a routine traffic stop.

At a toll road booth in northern Spain on Friday, Spanish police swooped in to inspect a trailer truck and seized what they said was material destined for Iran's nuclear program, an Interior Ministry statement said.

Two people were arrested.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/11/world/europe/spain-iran-material-seized/?hpt=wo_c2

Haiti quake: Why isn't aid money going to Haitians?

Three years on from Haiti's devastating earthquake, the country's UN special envoy has revealed little official aid money has gone to the country's government and organisations. Why is the funding bypassing Haitians?

After the Earth shook beneath Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince in the late afternoon of 12 January 2010, the epic scale of the destruction soon became clear.

Many of the country's poorly-constructed buildings had simply disintegrated, leaving 200,000 people dead and more than two million without homes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20949624

Israel orders eviction of Palestinian outpost in E1 area

Israel has ordered the leaders of the Bab al-Shams Palestinian outpost, erected Friday in the disputed E1 area, near Ma'aleh Adumim, to immediately evict the premises.

A group of 200 Palestinians, backed by foreign activists, created the outpost, whose name means "Gate of the Sun," in the early hours of Friday morning.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4331460,00.html

Angry Pakistani Shiites refuse to bury dead

Shiite families refusing to bury their dead after twin bombings in Pakistan's troubled southwestern city of Quetta vowed to continue their sit-in protest Saturday until the army takes over security.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered on the main road near the snooker hall that was the scene of Thursday's twin suicide attacks, alongside more than 60 coffins carrying the victims' shrouded bodies, senior administration official Hashim Ghilzai told AFP.

The refusal to bury the bodies is an extreme position in Islamic society where the dead are normally buried the same or next day, but families say they will not leave until authorities agree to put the security and administration of the city under army control.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/angry-pakistani-shiites-refuse-to-bury-dead-316535

Death toll from SW China landslide rises to 46

ZHENXIONG, Yunnan, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a landslide that hit a mountainous region in southwest China's Yunnan Province Friday rose to 46 as bodies of the last two missing were found Saturday morning, rescuers said.

The landslide hit the Zhaojiagou area of Gaopo Village, Zhenxiong County around 8:20 a.m. Friday. Zhenxiong is some 550 km northeast of the provincial capital, Kunming.

Forty-six residents -- 27 adults and 19 children -- were buried in the landslide, according to the local civil affairs bureau.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-01/12/c_132098172.htm

U.S., Russia talks on Syria end without breakthrough as rebels seize strategic air base

This citizen journalism image provided by Edlib News Network, ENN, shows a damaged Syrian air force helicopter at Taftanaz air base, Friday Jan. 11, 2013.

International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi and senior envoys from Russia and the United States called for a political solution to end the Syria conflict on Friday but reached no breakthrough.

Brahimi urged world powers to "create an opening" diplomatically to help stem the bloodshed and alleviate the Syrian people's suffering. He said that he would brief the UN Security Council later this month on his latest consultations.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/u-s-russia-talks-on-syria-end-without-breakthrough-as-rebels-seize-strategic-air-base-1.493490

U.S. warns on Java software as security concerns escalate

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged computer users to disable Oracle Corp's Java software, amplifying security experts' prior warnings to hundreds of millions of consumers and businesses that use it to surf the Web.

Hackers have figured out how to exploit Java to install malicious software enabling them to commit crimes ranging from identity theft to making an infected computer part of an ad-hoc network of computers that can be used to attack websites.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-java-security-idUSBRE90A0S320130111

Protesters in orange jumpsuits, hoods demand Obama close Guantanamo

Haiti still struggling three years after quake

No clear path for Obama to act alone on U.S. debt cap: experts

The White House would be taking a risk if it tries to make a constitutional end-run around Congress' authority to raise the debt ceiling, legal experts said.

The "public debt" clause of the 14th Amendment is being cited by a number of lawmakers as giving President Barack Obama a legal way to issue debt and pay bills, working around the debt ceiling and avoiding default.

The 14th Amendment is best known for extending civil rights protections in the wake of the Civil War. The amendment's fourth section was designed to guarantee Union debt incurred during the war, including compensation due to Union soldiers and their widows.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-usa-fiscal-constitution-idUSBRE90B04Z20130112

French hostage Denis Allex killed in raid in Somalia: France defense ministry

Denis Allex, a French soldier held hostage in Somalia since 2009, was killed during a raid on Friday night by French troops trying to rescue him, the French defense ministry said on Saturday.

Two other French soldiers and 17 Somalian fighters were killed in the fighting, the ministry said in a statement.

"Faced with the instransigence of the terrorists, who refused to negotiate for three and half years and who were holding Denis Allex in inhumane conditions, an operation was planned and carried out," said the ministry.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/12/us-somalia-france-hostage-idUSBRE90B06H20130112

Flu hits epidemic level: CDC

Influenza has officially reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with 7.3 percent of deaths last week caused by pneumonia and the flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

The early start and fast spread of flu this season - especially after 2011-2012's very mild outbreak - has overwhelmed doctors' offices and hospitals, forcing some patients to wait through the night to be seen in emergency departments.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-usa-flu-idUSBRE9080WD20130111

Canada, Newfoundland: Blizzard wallops Newfoundland, St. John's buried under 48 cm of snow Read it on Global News: Blizzard wallops Newfoundland, St. John' s buried under 48 cm of snow

ST. JOHN'S - It could be days before Newfoundland's capital city is unearthed after a brutal winter storm that brought St. John's to a virtual standstill, knocked out power across the island and shut down its busiest airport.

Schools and government offices were closed Friday in St. John's, which was among the areas hit hardest. The airport recorded wind gusts of more than 100 kilometres an hour and 48 centimetres of snow before it changed to freezing drizzle in the afternoon.

Snow continued to fall in the northwest Avalon Peninsula after it turned to rain in St. John's, but Environment Canada said amounts wouldn't approach the 80 centimetres originally predicted.

Read it on Global News: Blizzard wallops Newfoundland, St. John' s buried under 48 cm of snow

http://www.globalmaritimes.com/blizzard+wallops+newfoundland+st+johns+buried+under+48+cm+of+snow/6442786487/story.html

Hundreds of thousands of dead fish reported on Masonboro Island, North Carolina

Image: (Source: Michele Walker, NCDENR)

Hundreds of thousands of dead fish have been reported this week at Masonboro Island by state environmental officials, according to a spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Environmental officials explain that the fish, Atlantic menhaden, which travel in very large groups, took a wrong turn, up Loosins Creek.

In under an hour, the area caused dissolved oxygen levels in the water to drop to close to zero, which ended up killing them.

http://www.wect.com/story/20566054/thousands-of-dead-fish-reported-on-masonboro-island

Australia: 26 dengue fever cases in four Cairns suburbs

DENGUE fever has spread to two more suburbs, taking the number of victims to 25 and forcing authorities to put the entire city on alert.

Parramatta Park and Manoora yesterday joined Whitfield and Mt Sheridan as outbreak areas, raising fears that residents who contracted the mosquito-transmitted virus during the 2008-09 outbreak could be at risk of being infected again.

Queensland Health is conducting tests to determine the source of the latest type-1 dengue cases.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/01/12/238360_local-news.html

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake PAPUA, INDONESIA - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 09:15:13 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 06:15:13 PM at epicenter
Location
2.073°S, 138.859°E
Depth
44.3 km (27.5 miles)
Region
PAPUA, INDONESIA
Distances
211 km (131 miles) WNW (284°) from Jayapura, Irian Jaya, Indonesia

Texas House Explosion Hurts At Least Three

At least three people, including two firefighters, have been hurt in what may have been a natural gas explosion that destroyed a home and scattered rubble throughout a North Texas neighbourhood.

Investigators are looking into what caused the blast on Friday afternoon in the town of Lewisville, 20 miles northwest of Dallas.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037006/texas-house-explosion-hurts-at-least-three

Death Star Proposal Shot Down By White House

The White House has rejected a petition signed by thousands of people calling for a Death Star to be built.

Started by a John D, from Colorado, the petition demanded that work should begin on the project within the next four years.

He claimed having a moon-sized space station and inter-stellar weapon from the Star Wars film series would strengthen national security and create jobs.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037059/death-star-proposal-rejected-by-white-house

Jerome Isaac Jailed for 50 years For Burning Woman Alive In Lift

A handyman who burned a 73-year-old woman to death in a Brooklyn lift has been sentenced to a minimum of 50 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Jerome Isaac, 48, was sentenced for killing Deloris Gillespie inside her Brooklyn apartment building in December 2011.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037017/man-gets-life-for-burning-woman-alive-in-lift

Anastasia Voykina Death: Boyfriend Felipe Lopes Charged With Murder

The boyfriend of a 23-year-old Russian woman who was found dead in her flat has been charged with her murder, police have said.

Felipe Lopes, 27, was arrested on the street in the Farnborough area of Bromley on Wednesday morning after police discovered the body of Anastasia Voykina in a house in Streatham at around 2am on Monday.

A post-mortem examination found she died as a result of multiple fractures to the face, head and neck.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037021/russian-womans-boyfriend-charged-with-murder

Mali: French Air Strikes Drive Back Militants

Mali's army has driven back Islamist rebels from a strategic central town after France intervened with air strikes to stop militants controlling the country's desert north from advancing.

French President Francois Hollande took action in the West African country at the request of interim President Dioncounda Traore who has declared a state of emergency.

Western governments expressed alarm on Thursday after an al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured the town of Konna, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600km (375 miles) south.

http://news.sky.com/story/1037037/mali-french-air-strikes-drive-back-militants

Belfast Clashes: Police Hurt As Bombs Hurled

Four police officers have been injured after more than 30 petrol bombs as well as other missiles were hurled at them in another night of Union flag demonstrations in Northern Ireland.

The most serious disorder was witnessed in Carrickfergus and the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey, both on the northern outskirts of Belfast.

A bus was also set on fire during the disorder. Police deployed water cannon in an attempt to restore calm.

Two people were arrested, police said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1036999/northern-ireland-clashes-four-officers-injured

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA - 12th January 2013

Magnitude ML 4.3
Region SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA
Date time 2013-01-12 08:55:02.0 UTC
Location 31.72 S ; 68.04 W
Depth 242 km
Distances 51 km SE San juan, Argentina

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 05:42:14 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 01:42:14 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
19.677°N, 64.442°W
Depth
33 km (20.5 miles)
Region
VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
Distances
106 km (66 miles) N (353°) from Settlement, Anegada, British Virgin Islands

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake WESTERN IRAN - 12th January 2013

Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 03:25:05 UTC
Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 06:55:05 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
31.847°N, 50.960°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
WESTERN IRAN
Distances
115 km (72 miles) SW (216°) from Esfahan, Iran

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 12th January 2013

Magnitude M 4.8
Region FIJI REGION
Date time 2013-01-12 01:10:46.3 UTC
Location 20.82 S ; 178.09 W
Depth 588 km
Distances 300 km W Nuku'alofa