David Mamet: Gun Laws and the Fools of Chelm (Perhaps the greatest pro-gun article ever written in the history of mankind, and hence, a must-read)

Karl Marx summed up Communism as “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” This is a good, pithy saying, which, in practice, has succeeded in bringing, upon those under its sway, misery, poverty, rape, torture, slavery, and death.

‘In announcing his gun control proposals, President Obama said that he was not restricting Second Amendment rights, but allowing other constitutional rights to flourish.’

For the saying implies but does not name the effective agency of its supposed utopia. The agency is called “The State,” and the motto, fleshed out, for the benefit of the easily confused must read “The State will take from each according to his ability: the State will give to each according to his needs.” “Needs and abilities” are, of course, subjective. So the operative statement may be reduced to “the State shall take, the State shall give.”

All of us have had dealings with the State, and have found, to our chagrin, or, indeed, terror, that we were not dealing with well-meaning public servants or even with ideologues but with overworked, harried bureaucrats. These, as all bureaucrats, obtain and hold their jobs by complying with directions and suppressing the desire to employ initiative, compassion, or indeed, common sense. They are paid to follow orders.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2013/01/28/gun-laws-and-the-fools-of-chelm-by-david-mamet.html

Matt's thoughts:
I demand every person read this!

UNSEEN FOOTAGE OF FRANCE'S MASSACRE IN IVORY COAST OF UNARMED CIVILIAN PROTESTORS IN 2007 (WARNING: GRAPHIC)

Is this footage really unseen?
Some may have seen it, but due to general media blackouts of European military excursions into Africa (as well as American ones), it was downplayed and in many cases simply not shown. The only reason we even know about this happening is because someone in the crowd filmed it with their camera.

What are we seeing?
You are seeing French troops, perhaps even Foreign Legion, fire upon unarmed civilian protestors, massacring many. You can tell they're French from two signs: first, the trademark turreted armoured vehicle the French use, which looks like a tank with wheels rather than tracks. And secondly, white faces appear later on as the French troops advanced into the crowd.

Why is this relevant right now?
France has just issued a media blackout of northern Mali. That means French troops will now venture into the country and be able to do whatever they want, since it won't be reported outside of civilian-captured video like what you just saw here from the Ivory coast. Are we to believe that the fighters in Northern Mali are simply "Islamic terrorists" like we're told whenever the West encounters a group it doesn't like in that part of the world? Could they simply not be Muslim freedom fighters? What less right to they have to resist tyranny than anyone else in the world?

What we need to ponder:
When does it reach a point where in order to help our brothers and sisters there, we need to begin fighting them here? Is it alright because they're Muslim? Because they're black? Because they're far away? When will we join the battle and defend those unable to defend themselves, however hard they may try? When will Christians and Muslims and Jews realize how they're being divided for the gain of an evil few, and begin fighting, in the literal definition, against all our oppressors?

West's fears over Syria Islamists mount as coalition flounders....Bit late for that, isn't it?

Western concern over the growing strength of jihadist rebels in Syria is mounting, hindering aid to the moderate Syrian National Coalition opposition and possibly pushing it into the arms of religiously conservative backers, diplomatic sources said.

The widely recognised coalition has failed to gain traction on the ground in Syria since being formed in November, its credibility undermined by its failure to secure arms and cash in the battle to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/uk-syria-crisis-coalition-france-idUKBRE90O10Y20130125

Iraqi troops shoot, kill four in Falluja

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake JUJUY, ARGENTINA - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 19:53:29 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 04:53:29 PM at epicenter
Location
24.172°S, 65.315°W
Depth
43.6 km (27.1 miles)
Region
JUJUY, ARGENTINA
Distances
49 km (31 miles) E (91°) from San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake KURIL ISLANDS - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 19:43:04 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 06:43:04 AM at epicenter
Location
49.770°N, 155.585°E
Depth
72.5 km (45.1 miles)
Region
KURIL ISLANDS
Distances
108 km (67 miles) SSW (201°) from Severo-Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands, Russia

Casey Anthony gets off on two more charges

A Florida appellate court on Friday set aside two of the four convictions Casey Anthony faced for lying to detectives during the investigation into her missing 2-year-old daughter.

Judges on the 5th District Court of Appeals agreed with Anthony's attorneys that two of the charges constituted double jeopardy, or being convicted more than once for the same crime.

"We cannot conclude that the Legislature intended to authorize separate punishment for each false statement made during a single interview," the judges said in their ruling.

http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2013/jan/25/1/appeals-court-sets-aside-two-of-four-casey-anthony-ar-616412/?referer=None&shorturl=http://tbo.ly/W4Gj9q

Obama recess appointments unconstitutional

In a case freighted with major constitutional implications, a federal appeals court on Friday overturned President Obama’s controversial recess appointments from last year, ruling he abused his powers and acted when the Senate was not actually in a recess.

The three-judge panel’s ruling is a major blow to Mr. Obama. The judges ruled that the appointments he made to the National Labor Relations Board are illegal, and the board no longer has a quorum to operate.

But the ruling has even broader constitutional significance, with the judges arguing that the president’s recess appointment powers don’t apply to “intrasession” appointments — those made when Congress has left town for a few days or weeks.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/25/federal-court-obama-broke-law-recess-appointments/

Ex-CIA Officer: Torture great way to get false confessions

'N. Korea rattles nuclear saber on cue but still a wildcard'

'Mad Max' Keiser: They killed the markets - he's gonna run them over

Anti-government rally in Baghdad

18-metre whale washes up dead on French beach

Chilling animated map shows brutal Arctic air invasion sweeping across America as country faces MORE snow today

A chilling animation has revealed the path of the Arctic air that brutally invaded the United States this week, as frost continues to bite at every corner of the country.

The animation, made with weather data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, reveals how freezing temperatures barreled deep into the South early this week - before retreating and returning again.

It comes as millions across the country continue to battle snow and ice, with more snow storms expected on Friday before some let up this weekend.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268212/Animated-map-shows-chilling-Arctic-air-invasion-U-S-temperatures-continue-plummet.html

Gawker writer Travis Okulski says cold weather is 'worse than the Holocaust'

A Gawker writer is being slammed by critics today after comparing the East Coast cold snap to the Holocaust.

Travis Okulski, senior writer for Gawker Media's car blog Jalopnik, had been tweeting complaints about the cold weather Thursday when he compared the brutal slaughter of 6 million people to the bitter cold weather.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268253/Gawker-writer-Travis-Okulski-says-cold-weather-worse-Holocaust.html

Police hunt for women after brawl at social services is caught on tape

Napolitano warns of 'imminent threat' of a 'cyber 9/11'

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned on Thursday that a major cyber attack is a looming threat and could have the same sort of impact as last year's Superstorm Sandy, which knocked out electricity in a large swathe of the Northeast.

Napolitano said a 'cyber 9/11' could happen 'imminently' and that critical infrastructure - including water, electricity and gas - was very vulnerable to such a strike.

'We shouldn't wait until there is a 9/11 in the cyber world. There are things we can and should be doing right now that, if not prevent, would mitigate the extent of damage,' said Napolitano, speaking at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington and referring to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268205/Intelligence-agencies-warn-cyber-9-11-happen-imminently.html

Marking your cards: The DNA gun that can invisibly tag criminals for weeks after a riot

It may look more like a high tech water pistol or something out of a sci-fi film than the latest weapon in the fight against crime.

But an innovative new tagging system using a gun and DNA pellets could make it easier for police to mark the cards of even the most volatile criminal.

Unlike a taser or gun that fires real bullets, the weapon won't hurt a suspect or render them incapacitated so that officers can pounce.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2268038/DNA-gun-invisibly-tag-criminals-weeks-riot.html

Schools and businesses among potential list of Western targets in Benghazi, warn European officials

Schools catering for the children of British and other foreign workers in the Libyan city of Benghazi are among the potential targets of terrorists and kidnap gangs, European officials have warned.

All Britons are being urged by the Foreign Office to leave the city after it became aware of the 'specific and imminent threat', just days after the deadly hostage crisis in the neighbouring country of Algeria.

European officials, who did not want to be named, said that schools, businesses and offices of non-governmental organisations were among the potential targets.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267620/Britons-Benghazi-warned-immediately-Foreign-Office-reports-imminent-threat.html

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake MONTENEGRO - 25th January 2013

Magnitude ML 4.3
Region MONTENEGRO
Date time 2013-01-25 18:52:26.0 UTC
Location 43.26 N ; 18.83 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 26 km NE Gacko, Montenegro

Hunt for Nazis after WW2 was deliberately scuppered by France, South America and West Germany, claims author

One that got away: The 'perverted Angel of Auschwitz' Dr Josef Mengele, (left) was able to flee to South America while former comrades Rudolf Hoess (centre) Josef Kramer (right) were hanged for war crimes

A new book about Nazis on the run after WW2 shows how governments around the world torpedoed efforts to hunt down the worst of the Holocaust murderers for decades out of 'vested interests'.

'Nazi Hunt: South America's Dictatorships and the Avenging of Nazi Crimes,' by German historian Daniel Stahl, calls the half-hearted efforts of postwar governments a 'coalition of the unwilling.'

He says the French feared prosecutions would expose mass collaboration with the Nazis, the South Americans feared a spotlight on their own murderous regimes and the West Germans wanted to help 'old comrades' get away.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268242/Nazis-run-World-War-Two-escaped-capture-countries-world-willing-help-hunt-claims-new-book.html

Lib Dem MP David Ward could be kicked out of party after suggesting 'the Jews' had not learned the lessons of the Holocaust

A Liberal Democrat MP faces expulsion from the party for saying ‘the Jews’ had not learned from the murder of six million in the Holocaust, in their treatment of the Palestinian people.

David Ward, MP for Bradford East, wrote on his own website that he was ‘saddened’ that they ‘could within a few years of liberation from the death camps be inflicting atrocities on Palestinians…on a daily basis.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268344/Lib-Dem-MP-David-Ward-kicked-party-suggesting-Jews-learned-lessons-Holocaust.html

Immigrant who was part of gang that lured schoolgirls into a house for sex cannot be deported because he is a member of 'persecuted tribe'

An immigrant who was locked up for four years after he had unprotected sex with a 13-year-old girl cannot be deported because he is member of a 'persecuted' African tribe, it was disclosed today.

Jumaa Kater Saleh, 24, who arrived in the UK in November 2004 hidden in a lorry, was convicted of two charges of sexual activity with a female under 16 in May 2008.

After serving his sentence, Saleh was recommended for deportation and detained under the 2007 Borders Act pending moves to send him back to Sudan because of the seriousness of his criminal offences.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268353/Immigrant-gang-lured-schoolgirls-house-sex-deported-member-persecuted-tribe.html

Queensland hit by flash flooding

Floodwaters have cut off several towns along the state’s coast and more than 70 roads including the state's major highways are impassable.

There have also been several dramatic rescues.

In one incident, a rescuer was swept away after dragging a 14-year-old boy to safety from raging floodwaters in the Queensland city of Rockhampton.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0125/breaking34.html

Al-Shabab Twitter Account Apparently Suspended

A Twitter account used by Somali insurgent group Al-Shabab has apparently been suspended, days after the group used the page to boast about killing a French hostage and showed graphic photos of a dead French soldier.

Although Twitter has not confirmed it shut down the account, a message on the Twitter page used by al-Shabab in English said "the profile you are trying to view has been suspended."

http://www.voanews.com/content/alshabab-twitter-account-apparently-suspended/1590652.html

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF SHIKOKU, JAPAN - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 17:46:18 UTC
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 02:46:18 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.379°N, 132.197°E
Depth
9.7 km (6.0 miles)
Region
SOUTHEAST OF SHIKOKU, JAPAN
Distances
189 km (117 miles) SE of Nishinoomote, Japan

France impose media blackout on North Mali war

Decommissioning a nuclear power plant

Neverending Protest: Egypt marks 2 yrs of revolution with fresh clashes

Swine flu infected 1 in 5, death rate low, study shows.....But it sure was a fantastic Cash Spinner!

At least one in five people worldwide were infected with swine flu during the first year of the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic, an international research group said on Friday, but the death rate was just 0.02 percent.

The results echo other studies that found children were hit harder by the H1N1 strain, which swept around the world, than they are by regular seasonal flu outbreaks and that people over 65 were less vulnerable.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-flu-h1n1-pandemic-idUSBRE90O0T720130125

Libya 'astonishment' at UK call for Britons to evacuate

Libyan officials expressed their "astonishment" after Britons and all other westerners were told to leave the city of Benghazi due to fears of an "imminent" terror threat in the wake of the Algerian hostage siege.

Libya said Friday it has yet to be informed by any Western country of their intention to evacuate citizens after several states issued security alerts for their citizens to leave the second city of Benghazi.

"There has been no formal notice to us from any other country of its intention to evacuate its citizens from the city of Benghazi," an interior ministry source was quoted as saying by Lana news agency.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/9826536/Libya-astonishment-at-UK-call-for-Britons-to-evacuate.html

US Pulls Out of Civil Society Group With Russia

The U.S. pulled out of a joint working group on civil society with Russia that had been a key element of the Obama Administration's "reset" policy with Moscow, protesting what it called the Kremlin's deepening crackdown on critics.

The move, though mainly symbolic, is the latest sign of a deepening chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that has taken hold since Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency last year. While both sides insist publicly they want to continue cooperation, officials and analysts say Washington is likely to turn its focus away from an increasingly prickly and uncooperative Moscow.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324039504578263813919988342.html

Kim Jong Eun surgery rumors force open a sliver of daylight with China

North Korea’s official news agency has taken the unusual step of publicly rebuking a rumor about young leader Kim Jong Eun, and has chastised China, its sponsor and only real ally, in the process. The vitriolic report insists that the 30-year-old Kim absolutely, positively did not receive plastic surgery to look more like his deceased grandfather, Kim Il Sung. Such rumors have been around for years, but just as rumors. So why condemn them now, at the risk of just lending them greater legitimacy?

Since taking control of the country, Kim Jong Eun has aggressively cultivated an image in his grandfather’s likeness. Kim Il Sung, considered North Korea’s national founder, is practically deified. His son and heir, Kim Jong Il, rarely appeared in public and never fully inherited his father’s cult of personality. Now, Kim Jong Eun seems to be doing everything he can to draw comparisons between himself and his beloved grandfather, which could help him considerably in consolidating and maintaining power.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/25/kim-jong-eun-surgery-rumors-force-open-a-sliver-of-daylight-with-china/

Russia parliament backs "gay propaganda" ban

Russia's parliament backed a draft law on Friday banning "homosexual propaganda", in what critics see as an attempt to shore up support for President Vladimir Putin in the country's largely conservative society.

Only one deputy in the State Duma lower house voted against the bill, but passions spilled over outside the chamber, where 20 people were detained after scuffles between Russian Orthodox Christians and gay activists who staged a "kiss-in" protest.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-russia-gay-idUSBRE90O0QT20130125

Before Mursi visit, Germany condemns comments that hurt peace

Germany has condemned all comments at odds with the goal of Middle East peace ahead of a visit by Egypt's president, whose vitriolic remarks against Jews and Zionists in 2010 when he was a Muslim Brotherhood leader have stirred outrage.

The utterances by Mohamed Mursi, who became Egypt's first freely elected leader in July of last year, were first reported by the New York Times earlier this month. Widely seen as anti-Semitic, the comments were condemned by the United States.

Next week Mursi is due to visit Germany, whose Nazi past and strong support of Israel make it highly sensitive to anti-Semitism. He is due to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-egypt-jews-germany-idUSBRE90O0GQ20130125

Muslim Brotherhood under fire

Italy: Earthquake hits near Bologna

An earthquake has shaken parts of northern Italy, forcing some residents onto the streets.

The magnitude-4.8 quake struck at a depth of 15.5km (9.6 miles) 35km north of the city of Lucca, officials said.

The tremor was felt as far away as Milan and Florence, Italian media say. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21197406

Egypt Protests: Some 100 Injured In Clashes

Some 100 people have been injured in clashes betwen police and protesters in Egypt on the second anniversary of the revolution.

Police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of opponents of President Mohamed Morsi, gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042682/egypt-protests-some-100-injured-in-clashes

Nehemiah Griego 'killed family, went to church' ......Another Mass Shooting connected to a Drill?

 Note: there was a drill going on that same day?, regarding a scenario of mass shooting in a church...... Drills where also conducted in the area and exact date of the following events: 

 9/11 

Statement made by FEMA spokesman Tom Kenney to Dan Rather on Wednesday, September 12th, 2001. In this interview, Kenney states that FEMA was deployed to New York on Monday night, September 10th, to be ready to go into action on Tuesday morning, September 11th.

** On September 11, 2001, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was involved in an ongoing operation which involved deploying fighter aircraft to northwestern North America. The US Military and NORAD had also planned to conduct several military exercises and a drill was being held by the National Reconnaissance Office, a Department of Defense agency. The operations, exercises and drills were all canceled following the September 11 attacks.
 
 London Bombing


  Sandyhook 

(Dec 14, 2012 FEMA L-366 Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters Location: 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT9 AM – 4 PM

States’ crime rates show scant linkage to gun laws

President Obama has called for stricter federal gun laws to combat recent shooting rampages, but a review of recent state laws by The Washington Times shows no discernible correlation between stricter rules and lower gun-crime rates in the states.

States that ranked high in terms of making records available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System also tended to have tighter gun laws — but their gun-crime rates ranged widely. The same was true for states that ranked poorly on disclosure and were deemed to have much less stringent gun-possession laws.

For example, New York, even before it approved the strictest gun-control measures in the country last week, was ranked fourth among the states in strength of gun laws by the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, but was also in the top 10 in firearm homicide rates in 2011, according to the FBI.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/24/states-crime-rates-show-scant-linkage-to-gun-laws/

Another RAF Plane Takes Off For Mali

An RAF Sentinel intelligence plane has taken off for Mali as part of an operation to fight al Qaeda militants in the country.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042984/another-raf-plane-takes-off-for-mali

North Korea threatens ‘declaration of war’ over U.N. sanctions

North Korea threatened to take “strong physical countermeasures” Friday if South Korea takes part in enforcing United Nations sanctions, which it called a “declaration of war.”

The United Nations Security Council resolution approved unanimously on Tuesday condemns North Korea for launching a rocket in December.

“Sanctions mean war and a declaration of war against us,” the Committee for Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland said in a statement carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/25/north-korea-threatens-declaration-war-over-un-sanc/

Obama recess appointments unconstitutional, court

A federal appeals court has overturned President Obama’s controversial recess appointments from last year, arguing he abused his powers and acted when the Senate was not actually in a recess.

The three-judge panel’s ruling is a major blow to Mr. Obama. The judges ruled that the appointments Mr. Obama made to the National Labor Relations Board are illegal, and the board no longer has a quorum to operate.

But the ruling has even broader constitutional significance, with the judges arguing that the president’s recess appointment powers don’t apply to “intrasession” appointments — those made when Congress has left town for a few days or weeks.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/25/federal-court-obama-broke-law-recess-appointments/

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN ITALY - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 14:48:18 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 03:48:18 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
44.280°N, 10.527°E
Depth
4.8 km (3.0 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region
NORTHERN ITALY
Distances
3 km (1 miles) WSW of Frassinoro, Italy

Samsung Total strikes Iran oil deal, lured by cheap fuel - sources

South Korea's Samsung Total Petrochemicals Co has revived a contract to buy Iranian oil after a year's hiatus, as thin margins in plastics make the cheap fuel from Iran hard to resist, people familiar with the deal said on Friday.

Stringent U.S. and European sanctions aimed at reducing Iran's oil income and forcing Tehran to curb its nuclear program have made shipping and paying for the oil hard, halving the Islamic Republic's crude exports.

The deal is a rare example of a buyer returning to the market for Iranian oil despite the obstacles arising from sanctions and efforts by Western powers to stem the flow.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-samsungtotal-iran-oil-idUSBRE90O0FQ20130125

Jake Evans Murder Confession: Teen Copies Halloween Film

A Texas teenager has confessed to police that he shot his mother and sister after repeatedly watching a horror film about a boy who kills without remorse.

Newly released evidence in the case includes a four-page document handwritten by Jake Evans.

In it he calmly explained how he planned to kill several members of his family last October - inspired by the 2007 remake of the horror classic Halloween.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042783/murder-confession-teen-copies-halloween-film

U.S. researchers tracking flu through Twitter

Researchers and computer scientists at Johns Hopkins University have devised a way to track cases of influenza across the United States using the microblogging site Twitter.

Twitter is full of tweets about the flu, which has been severe and reached epidemic proportions this year, but it has been difficult to separate tweets about the flu from actual cases.

"We wanted to separate hype about the flu from messages from people who truly become ill," said Mark Dredze, an assistant research professor in Johns Hopkins' department of computer science, who monitors public health trends by looking at tweets.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/us-usa-flu-twitter-idUSBRE90N1CQ20130124

US hit by A new strain of stomach bug, spreading around globe

NEW YORK (AP) - A new strain of stomach bug sweeping the globe is taking over in the U.S., health officials say.

Since September, more than 140 outbreaks in the U.S. have been caused by the new Sydney strain of norovirus. It may not be unusually dangerous; some scientists don't think it is. But it is different, and many people might not be able to fight off its gut-wrenching effects.

Clearly, it's having an impact. The new strain is making people sick in Japan, Western Europe, and other parts of the world. It was first identified last year in Australia and called the Sydney strain.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/20669949/cdc-new-version-of-stomach-bug-causing-us-illness

Fed's Holdings of U.S. Gov't Debt Hits Record $1,696,691,000,000 -- Up 257%!

In data released Thursday afternoon, the Federal Reserve revealed that its holdings of U.S. government debt had increased to an all-time record of $1,696,691,000,000 as of the close of business on Wednesday.

The Fed's holdings of U.S. government debt have increased by 257 percent since President Barack Obama was first inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009, and the Fed is currently the single largest holder of U.S. government debt.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/fed-s-holdings-us-govt-debt-hit-record-1696691000000-257-under-obama

Feinstein Gun Control Bill to Exempt Government Officials

Not everyone will have to abide by Senator Dianne Feinstein's gun control bill. If the proposed legislation becomes law, government officials and others will be exempt.

"Mrs. Feinstein's measure would exempt more than 2,200 types of hunting and sporting rifles; guns manually operated by bolt, pump, lever or slide action; and weapons used by government officials, law enforcement and retired law enforcement personnel," the Washington Times reports.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/feinstein-gun-control-bill-exempt-government-officials_697732.html

Clinton: We Came, We Saw, He Died

Combat cam: France bombs rebel targets in Mali

US lawmakers introduce beefed-up assault weapons ban

Algeria Siege: Norwegians Confirmed Dead

Two Norwegian oil workers have been confirmed dead after the al Qaeda hostage crisis in Algeria last week.

Norwegian oil firm Statoil confirmed the deaths following the siege at the Amenas gas plant.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042825/algeria-siege-norwegians-confirmed-dead

North Korea calls South Korea 'Puppet traitors'

UK GDP: Questions for Mr Osborne in Davos go Unanswered

I asked George Osborne three questions this morning, minutes after the latest GDP figures came out. He only answered one of them.

He admitted that the figures weren't good. You could say his general tone came under the heading of "disappointed, but not surprised".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21198191

Mali crisis: US admits Failing to train local troops in "values, ethics and a military ethos"

The US military commander in Africa says the Pentagon made mistakes in its training of Malian troops now trying to oust Islamists from the north.

Gen Carter Ham of United States Africa Command (Africom) said its forces had failed to train Malian troops on "values, ethics and a military ethos".

He was speaking after reports of abuses by Mali government troops taking part in the French-led counter-offensive.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21195371

Egypt: Protests Begin In Cairo On Anniversary

Protests have started in Cairo's Tahrir Square on the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak and brought in an Islamist government.

Despite President Mohamed Morsi calling for calm, protesters have been making their way to the city's main square to demonstrate, with some throwing missiles.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042682/egypt-protests-begin-in-cairo-on-anniversary

Barry McCarney Jailed for 25 Years

A man has been ordered to serve at least 25 years for murdering the 15-month-old daughter of his former partner.

Barry McCarney, 33, of Co Tyrone, was found guilty last month of Millie Martin's murder in Enniskillen in 2009.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042769/man-jailed-for-25-years-for-toddlers-murder

Nile Ranger Arrested For Rape

Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger has been arrested on suspicion of rape, sources said.

The 21-year-old Premier League footballer was held by Northumbria Police following an allegation made by a woman that she was attacked at a hotel in Jesmond, Newcastle between Wednesday and Thursday.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042756/newcastle-utd-striker-arrested-for-rape

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake WESTERN IRAN - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 12:11:24 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 03:41:24 PM at epicenter
Location
31.763°N, 50.946°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
WESTERN IRAN
Distances
124 km (77 miles) SW (214°) from Esfahan, Iran

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake RUSSIA-XINJIANG BORDER REGION - 25th January 2013

Magnitude mb 4.3
Region RUSSIA-XINJIANG BORDER REGION
Date time 2013-01-25 10:33:38.9 UTC
Location 49.77 N ; 87.47 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 62 km S Aktash

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE - 25th January 2013

Magnitude ML 4.1
Region ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
Date time 2013-01-25 10:28:17.0 UTC
Location 23.09 S ; 67.35 W
Depth 245 km
Distances 176 km SE Calama, Chile

'Wherever US stuck its finger in Arab awakening it hasn't ended well'

'Catalan govt's policies may ruin any chance of independence'

Kim Dotcom: 'I want to encrypt half of Internet, total govt spying must stop!'

Police warn Kashmiris of possible nuclear attack

Australian teen saved from fast-moving waters

Large banks seen dodging EU financial tax bullet

A financial trading tax (FTT) planned by a group of euro zone nations could leave major banks, its main target, relatively unscathed while less nimble smaller trading houses, pension funds and asset managers bear the brunt.

Germany, France and nine other countries are pushing ahead with the tax on trades in stocks, bonds and derivatives, keen to show voters they can claw back some of the taxpayers’ money used to bail out banks during the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

However, bankers and finance industry experts are sceptical about a tax that will not be imposed even in all 17 euro zone members, let alone in Europe’s biggest financial centre, London.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130125150503

A study, funded by the European Commission says NHS drug decisions 'flawed'

The Government’s drugs watchdog has hit back at criticism by European researchers over the system it utilises to recommend which medicines should be funded for NHS use.

A study, funded by the European Commission, said the system applied by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was flawed and should be scrapped.

NICE, however, responded by saying the measure it uses for assessing the value of new drug treatments in England and Wales – quality-adjusted life years (QALY) - was the best available at present and branded the study “limited.”

http://www.healthcare-today.co.uk/news/nhs-drug-decisions-flawed/23591/

25-foot ice stacks take over street

Arctic blast hits eastern U.S.

Aiman Youssef can't catch a break with the weather.

First, Superstorm Sandy leveled his home and devastated most of his neighborhood in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Now, an arctic blast that forecasters warn can have deadly consequences is gripping the region.

A gas-powered heater and a tent was the only defense Youssef had late Thursday from the biting cold as he handed out jackets and sweaters at a makeshift supply depot he established to help his Midland Beach neighbors who, in some cases, are still struggling to get the power back on.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/us/cold-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Gun control personal for lawmaker

David Cox Killed On School Run

A father has been killed during a family school run after the car he was driving veered into a river - moments before the same thing happened to his wife.

David Cox, 42, was driving his 11-year-old daughter to school along a bridle path near to the Monsail Trail, north of the A6, when the Toyota Aygo plunged into the River Wye.

His wife was driving their nine-year-old son in another car behind him which also slewed into the water.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042518/river-wye-crash-dad-killed-on-school-run

Cantor Fitzgerald CEO: Watch 'dopey' U.S. go off fiscal cliff

The world thought the U.S. fiscal cliff deadline was December 31, but "the fiscal cliff is (still) coming", says Richard Lutnick, CEO of global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

"You're going to watch the U.S. do crazy, crazy things this year," said Lutnick to CNN's Richard Quest at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/25/business/us-dopey-fiscal-cliff-davos/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

Why U.S. should rethink North Africa plan

As theater, Hillary Clinton's congressional testimony on the September attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi did not disappoint. The secretary of state was prepared. She was poised. And she was fiery.

Clinton likely regrets her exasperated response to persistent questions by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who repeated the charge that the Obama administration had misled Americans over whether there was a protest on the night of the Benghazi attack, as reports first indicated. She exploded: "With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night decided they'd go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?" The response instantly inspired the critical hashtag #WhatDifferenceDoesItMake and became a hot topic on right-wing radio.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/24/opinion/hounshell-benghazi-mali/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

Rehn: No need for UK 'threat' to leave EU

.

Opinion: U.S getting Egypt wrong

Protests planned around Egypt -- particularly in Cairo's Tahrir Square -- on the second anniversary of the January 25 revolution are expected to be an explosion of dissent, revealing the deep divisions in the country between President Mohamed Morsy and the Egyptian people.

Opposition to Morsy's authoritarianism is broader than the world recognizes. In making accommodations for Morsy's government, the United States is -- once again -- out of step with the Egyptian people.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/24/opinion/schneider-egypt/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

Revealed: North Korea's upgraded nuke test site

Satellite imagery of a North Korean nuclear test site identifies what could be key installations that would likely play a prominent role if Kim Jong Un orders a test, which the government threatened to do on Thursday.

The analysis of the Pung-gye-Ri Nuclear Test site by U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s 38 North blog shows recently completed structures essential to an underground nuclear weapons test.

One is believed to be a command and control bunker. Another photo shows what appears to be a radio relay system that zigzags through a valley, which the 38North analysts believe could be used as part of a communications system linking the bunker to the North Korean leadership in Pyongyang.

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/24/n-korea-completes-facilities-key-to-any-new-nuke-test-analysis-shows/?hpt=hp_t1

Twin explosions kill at least four in Karachi

Afghan Bomber Targets NATO Convoy

Afghan officials say a suicide car bomber has killed five civilians and wounded at least 15 people in the eastern province of Kapisa.

The attack took place at a marketplace in the Taqab district.

Police say the bomber targeted a convoy of NATO supply trucks but failed to hit them.

http://www.rferl.org/content/afghanistan-suicide-bombing/24883402.html

Syria Intelligence Officers Killed by Car Bomb, Observatory Says

At least eight members of Syrian military intelligence were killed by a car bomb near an army building in the southern town of Sa’sa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The attack late yesterday was carried out by the Al-Nusra Front, an Islamist group that has fought as part of the rebel movement seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, the U.K.-based Observatory, which supports the opposition, said in an e-mailed statement today.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-25/syria-intelligence-officers-killed-by-car-bomb-observatory-says.html

UN expert investigates US drone attacks, targeted killings that involve civilian casualties

A U.N. expert on Thursday launched a special investigation into drone warfare and targeted killings, which the United States relies on as a front-line weapon in its global war against al-Qaida.

One of the three countries requesting the investigation was Pakistan, which officially opposes the use of U.S. drones on its territory as an infringement on its sovereignty but is believed to have tacitly approved some strikes in the past. Pakistani officials say the drone strikes kill many innocent civilians, which the U.S. has rejected.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/un-expert-investigates-us-drone-attacks-targeted-killings-that-involve-civilian-casualties/2013/01/24/b0701c0e-669c-11e2-889b-f23c246aa446_story.html

Nick Clegg: our capital spending cuts have hurt the economy

The Deputy Prime Minister conceded that cuts in capital spending made by the Coalition in 2010 had hampered economic growth. The Coalition must do more to put money into building projects and other infrastructure work, he said.

Ministers have now "realised" that they should have been doing more to boost such spending, he added.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg/9825823/Nick-Clegg-our-capital-spending-cuts-have-hurt-the-economy.html

Violence flares on anniversary of Egypt uprising

CAIRO - Hundreds of youths clashed with Egyptian police in Tahrir Square on Friday in a violent start to the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak and led to the election of an Islamist president who is now the focus of protester rage.

Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies are expected to mass in Tahrir Square later on Friday to revive the demands of a revolution that they say has been betrayed by the Islamists.

http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=300937

3.2 Magnitude Earthquake SAN JUAN ISLANDS REGION, WASHINGTON - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
3.2
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 09:11:56 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 01:11:56 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
48.435°N, 122.555°W
Depth
22.8 km (14.2 miles)
Region
SAN JUAN ISLANDS REGION, WASHINGTON
Distances
7 km (4 miles) NW (319°) from La Conner, WA

UK GDP Falls By 0.3% In Last Quarter....putting the UK on track for a triple-dip recession

The UK GDP has fallen by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics.

http://news.sky.com/story/1042704/uk-gdp-falls-by-0-3-percent-in-last-quarter

North Korea threatens war with South over UN sanctions

North Korea threatened to attack rival South Korea if Seoul joined a new round of tightened U.N. sanctions, as Washington unveiled more of its own economic restrictions following Pyongyang's rocket launch last month.

In a third straight day of fiery rhetoric, the North directed its verbal onslaught at its neighbor on Friday, saying: "'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration of war against us."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-korea-north-idUSBRE90O0AJ20130125

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN TEXAS - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
4.1
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 07:01:19 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 01:01:19 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
31.913°N, 94.426°W
Depth
5 km (3.1 miles)
Region
EASTERN TEXAS
Distances
3 km (1 miles) WNW of Timpson, Texas

Sandy Hook Shooter Adam Lanza Dead Before Shooting?

Jennifer Bigham deemed insane when she drowned her daughter, 3, in 2010 is free because doctors say she's regained her sanity

A mother who was deemed insane after drowning her three-year-old daughter in the bathtub has been allowed to walk free from jail just three years later - because doctors say she regained her sanity.

Jennifer Bigham, from Modesto, California, admitted killing the toddler in 2010 and was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

After doctors ruled she is now sane, Bigham has been allowed to walk free and was released from jail on Tuesday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267830/Mother-deemed-insane-drowned-daughter-3-2010-free-doctors-say-shes-regained-sanity.html

Three European countries urge their people to get out of Benghazi after 'imminent and specific' terror threat - but U.S. only 'advises' against traveling there

The State Department has only 'advised' Americans against traveling to the Libyan city of Benghazi even after Britain, Germany and the Netherlands today urged their citizens to immediately leave the in response to what was described as an imminent threat against Westerners.

The U.S. pointed to a travel advisory issued earlier this month and did not strengthen its warning even after the European countries issued statements variously describing the threat as specific and imminent but none gave details as to its exact nature.

Today sources within the British department linked an al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim) to the latest threats who are an offshoot to the terrorists responsible for last week's hostage crisis in Algeria that ended with the deaths of 37 Westerners and 29 Islamists, the Independent reports.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267846/US-advises-traveling-Benghazi-countries-say-immediately-Libyan-city-imminent-specific-terror-threat-emerges.html

Arctic sea-smoke breaks over Portland at dawn after temperatures as low as -36F sweep U.S. (and Chicago's incredible freezing fire is STILL burning two days later)

A barge motors through arctic sea-smoke on its way out of Portland Harbor where the temperature at sunrise on Thursday was around minus 5 (pictured left). A fire, which started on Tuesday, continued to blaze in Chicago after 48 hours as crews' equipment froze in their hands (right). A deep arctic freeze has caused parts of the Midwest to the Northeast to see a fourth day of glacial temperatures which fell as low as -36F.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267993/Pprtland-Arctic-sea-smoke-Chicago-warehouse-frozen-burning-days-later.html

Mary Kay Beckman sues Match.com for $10m after man she met on the site tried to kill her with a butcher's knife and stomped on her head when she dumped him after eight days

Mary Kay Beckman, of Nevada (bottom right and left, after she was attacked), wants to push Match.com to post a disclaimer about the risks after she was nearly stabbed and stomped to death by Wade Ridley (top right), who became angry that she had broken up with him. Ridley, 54, later went on to murder another woman whom he also met on the dating site in 2011. The convicted killer committed suicide in prison while serving a 70-year sentence.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267884/Woman-sues-Match-com-10m-man-met-site-tried-kill-butcher-knife-stomped-head-dumped-days.html

Human rights? He isn't even human: Family's outrage as notorious killer bidding for freedom is granted anonymity by judge

A family whose lives were wrecked by one of Britain’s most notorious killers last night condemned the human rights ruling which cloaks his bid for freedom in secrecy.

The man – whose own lawyer described his crimes as ‘horrific and horrendous’ – has begun a taxpayer-funded court action demanding he be released from prison.

Normally such a case would be heard in open court, but the order means his identity cannot be revealed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267942/Human-rights-He-isnt-human-Familys-outrage-notorious-killer-bidding-freedom-granted-anonymity-judge.html

Barclays bankers including former boss Bob Diamond lose High Court bid to remain anonymous over alleged involvement in Libor-fixing scandal

A judge yesterday named the Barclays bosses who tried to keep their identities secret in a landmark case linked to the rate-fixing scandal.

Former chief executives Bob Diamond and John Varley, current investment bank boss Rich Ricci and ‘casino banker’ Jerry del Missier were among those trying to keep their involvement in the case under wraps.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267791/Barclays-bankers-including-boss-Bob-Diamond-lose-High-Court-bid-remain-anonymous-alleged-involvement-Libor-fixing-scandal.html

Brussels threatens energy fine of £250,000 per day after Britain fails to follow rules on trading

Britain faces a massive fine of £250,000 a day for failing to abide by the letter of EU rules on energy trading.

A day after David Cameron promised the single market was his 'driving ambition' in Europe, Brussels officials claimed the UK had broken its competition rules.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267963/Brussels-threatens-energy-fine-250-000-day-Britain-fails-follow-rules-trading.html

Burger King's 'cover-up' over horse meat scandal: As chain dumps millions of 'unaffected' patties, Labour warns of cancer-causing drug found in UK abattoirs

Burger King has been accused of covering up its involvement in the horse meat scandal.

Last week, when details of the illegal contamination of burgers emerged, the chain insisted that its products were not involved and so would not be withdrawn.

However, it has now admitted that it secretly removed thousands of burgers from sale over the weekend as a precautionary measure.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267403/Cancer-causing-drug-phenylbutazone-horse-meat-consumed-UK-Labour-warns-Burger-King-dumps-millions-patties.html

Panetta concerned about North Korean threat

Investigators ponder Boeing 787 battery problems

Victims of Algerian hostage crisis return to Japan

Officials flee San Bernardino amid bankruptcy

Top budget officials in crisis-hit San Bernardino, California, are quitting the city at a crucial juncture in its quest to seek bankruptcy protection.

A rush to the doors in San Bernardino city hall threatens the city's ability to qualify for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection by robbing it of the people with the experience to answer questions from the court and creditors. If those questions are not answered, the judge could deny bankruptcy protection, experts say.

San Bernardino's interim city manager Andrea Travis-Miller has quit and will start a new job on February 19.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-usa-debt-bernardino-idUSBRE90O01N20130125

Greek riot police break up striking subway workers' sit-in

Greek riot police stormed a subway train depot in Athens early on Friday to disperse striking subway staff who defied a government order to return to work for a ninth consecutive day, a police official said.

Scuffles broke out when police forced their way through a metal gate shortly after 4 a.m. (0200 GMT) and detained at least 10 workers, the official said on condition of anonymity. One woman was taken to hospital with light injuries, he added.

The escalating standoff has turned into the latest test for Greece's fragile coalition as it faces down the unions to implement austerity measures demanded by foreign lenders as the price for bailout funds.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/25/us-greece-transport-police-idUSBRE90O07720130125

Twitter ordered to identify anti-Semitic tweeters in France

A French court on Thursday ordered Twitter Inc to help identify the authors of anti-Semitic posts or face fines of 1,000 euros ($1,300) per day, as the social network firm comes under renewed pressure to combat racist and extremist messages.

The order, requested by a Jewish student union and rights groups, concerned anti-Semitic material but could open the floodgates to legal pursuit of Twitter users who post a wide range of messages deemed illegal or offensive.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/france-twitter-idUSL6N0ATCBV20130124

Pakistani security agencies are holding at least 700 people indefinitely without trial in connection with the "war on terror"

Over 700 being held without trial: AG

Islamabad: Pakistani security agencies are holding at least 700 people indefinitely without trial in connection with the "war on terror", the country's top law officer informed the Supreme Court Thursday. Attorney General Irfan Qadir made the disclosure before a three-judge bench, led by CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, hearing the case of seven men detained without charges by intelligence agencies since May 2010.

SC begins probe into graft officer's death

Islamabad: Pakistan Supreme Court Thursday launched a probe into the mysterious death of Kamran Faisal, an NAB official probing corruption charges against Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, and issued notices to several senior officials.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/PAKSCAN--Over-700-being-held-without-trial--AG/1064528/

No. 2 Leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen Is Killed

Said Ali al-Shihri, the second-ranking operative in Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, died recently from wounds he received during a “counterterrorism operation” late last year, Yemen’s government announced Thursday.

Mr. Shihri, who fled Saudi Arabia in 2008 after taking part in a Saudi government rehabilitation program for jihadis, was a principal figure in engineering the rise of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula over the past five years.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/world/middleeast/said-ali-al-shihri-qaeda-leader-in-yemen-is-dead.html

UN inquiry into US drone strikes prompts cautious optimism

A newly-announced UN inquiry into the rise of drone strikes and targeted killings around the world has drawn measured optimism and concerns from national security experts and the international human rights community.

Ben Emmerson QC, the UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, announced on Thursday that he will head an inquiry examining the impact of drone strikes on civilian populations in five countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, the Palestinian territories and Somalia.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/24/un-announces-drone-inquiry-human-rights

Witness details killings by Malian forces as human rights group charges dozens of deaths

Malian soldiers killed people accused of ties to radical Islamists at a bus stop around the time the French-led military intervention began, a witness told The Associated Press on Wednesday, detailing how the soldiers shot the victims and then threw their bodies into nearby wells.

The account from the witness, who insisted on anonymity for fear of reprisals, came the same day that a French human rights group accused Malian forces of dozens of “summary executions” and other abuses as they confront Islamic extremists.

“They gathered all the people who didn’t have national identity cards and the people they suspected of being close to the Islamists to execute them and put them in two different wells near the bus station,” he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/us-begins-transporting-french-troops-and-equipment-to-mali-flights-could-last-2-weeks/2013/01/23/d94c8452-6532-11e2-889b-f23c246aa446_story.html

Palestinians say they may have no choice but to take Israel to Hague court

The Palestinians declared Wednesday that they will have no choice but to complain about Israel to the International Criminal Court if the Jewish state proceeds with plans to build housing on land the Palestinians want for a future state.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said his government's decision will largely depend on what the Israelis do with the so-called "E1" area outside the Arab suburbs of East Jerusalem.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/23/us-palestinians-israel-un-idUSBRE90M1EX20130123

Rise of superbugs threatens antibiotic crisis

An extraordinary scene plays out in hospitals across Britain that is a harbinger of crisis ahead. Patients brought in for routine operations pick up infections that until recent times seemed trivial. Now they can be killers. Even the most modern, and powerful, antibiotics can no longer save them.

The story of the superbug MRSA raised awareness of the growing uselessness of antibiotics, but that has been brought largely under control through better hygiene, at least in the UK.

The rise of other lethal drug-resistant organisms, including salmonella, TB, and E coli, continues, and the chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, warned MPs this week the threat must be listed on the government's National Register of Civil Emergencies.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/24/antibiotics-mrsa

East London Mosque condemns homophobia, yet advertised four anti-gay speakers last month alone

One Tower Hamlets organisation of undoubted national importance that continues to laugh up its sleeve at us is the East London Mosque, the capital’s largest. The mosque’s PR machine lost no time cranking out a statement condemning the “vigilantes” and claiming that the mosque was “committed to building co-operation and harmony between all communities in this borough. The actions of this tiny minority have no place in our faith.” This claim has been trustingly repeated by various journalists in the coverage this week. But, as the most cursory investigation would show, it is a brazen lie.

There is no evidence that the East London Mosque is directly involved in the latest attacks. But at least one activist in the Islamic Forum of Europe, the Islamic supremacist group that runs the mosque, has previously threatened and intimidated people for violating “Islamic norms,” using the IFE’s name.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100200020/east-london-mosque-condemns-homophobia-yet-advertised-four-anti-gay-speakers-last-month-alone/

Australians warned of Benghazi threat

TWO Australians have been told to leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi as soon as they can due to a "specific and imminent threat" against Westerners.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued a travel alert on Friday morning following similar warnings from Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, describing the threat as specific and imminent.

"All Australians in Benghazi should leave immediately," DFAT said on its website.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/australians-urged-to-leave-benghazi-now/story-e6frf7kf-1226561486512

Protesters Clash With Police in Cairo

Protesters clashed with the police on Thursday in Cairo near Tahrir Square on the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

Three police officers and dozens of protesters were injured in skirmishes after protesters tried to dismantle concrete barriers that had been set up around the Interior Ministry after previous demonstrations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/world/middleeast/egypt-protesters-clash-with-police-in-cairo.html?_r=0

Secret Libor list names top Barclays executives

The names were disclosed on Thursday alongside emails which appeared to suggest that some of Barclays’ most senior managers were aware of the rigging.

One message, sent to an employee who was responsible for submitting dollar-Libor rates and raised concerned about the rate-setting process, said: “Guidance, if you can call it that, from the 31st floor is that we don’t stick our head above the parapet in any circumstance.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9825406/Secret-Libor-list-names-top-Barclays-executives.html

Europe urges citizens to leave Libya's Benghazi

European countries urged their nationals to leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday, with Britain citing a "specific and imminent" threat to Westerners days after a deadly attack by Islamist militants in neighbouring Algeria.

Officials declined to give details, but Britain has warned of a growing militant threat in North Africa, which Prime Minister David Cameron has called a "magnet for jihadists".

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/uk-britain-benghazi-threat-idUKBRE90N0JP20130124

North Korea warn South over UN sanctions

North Korea has issued another warning, a day after announcing plans for a third nuclear test.

In a statement, Pyongyang pledged "physical counter-measures" against South Korea if it participated in the UN sanctions regime.

The threat came a day after North Korea said it was proceeding with plans for a "high-level" nuclear test.

The US has condemned the move, with the White House calling it "needlessly provocative".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21191264

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 05:28:39 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 03:28:39 AM at epicenter
Location
55.883°S, 28.137°W
Depth
114.4 km (71.1 miles)
Region
SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
Distances
108 km (67 miles) NNW (329°) from Visokoi Island, South Sandwich Islands

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 05:00:15 UTC
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 12:00:15 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
4.998°N, 95.960°E
Depth
7 km (4.3 miles)
Region
NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Distances
42 km (26 miles) S of Sigli, Indonesia

6 Dead, 18 Hurt In Ecuador Mudslide

At least six people have been killed and 18 others injured in mudslides triggered by heavy rain in a gold-mining community in southern Ecuador, officials said.

Azuay state governor Humberto Cordero said he does not yet have an estimate of how many people are missing after the disaster which happened before dawn today after six hours of torrential downpours.

Mr Cordero told the Associated Press the mudslides have buried homes and blocked roads in the community of Pueblo Nuevo. He said the community can only be reached by helicopter.

http://www.kerryman.ie/breaking-news/world-news/6-dead-18-hurt-in-ecuador-mudslide-3364210.html

DOH confirms chikungunya cases in Samar, Philippines

Catbalogan City — The Department of Health in Samar warned the public against chikungunya virus infection and encouraged local government units to conduct search and destroy operations against Aedes mosquitoes.

Of 28 cases of fever, rashes and joint pains reported in Barangay Guintarcan of Villareal, Samar, 10 were confirmed to have chikungunya, a viral infection transmitted by infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus female mosquitoes.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine is also investigating 235 other cases with the same symptoms reported in Barangay Banquil, also in Villareal.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/01/25/doh-confirms-chikungunya-cases-in-samar/

China media threatens North Korea aid cut over atomic test

North Korea's sole major ally China will decrease aid to Pyongyang if it goes ahead with a planned nuclear test, state-run media said in an unusually frank warning on Friday.

China is the North's leading energy supplier and trade partner and is seen as one of the few nations able to influence Pyongyang's behaviour, with the comments adding a distinctive edge to its typical official calls for stability and dialogue.

"If North Korea engages in further nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to reduce its assistance to North Korea," the Global Times, which is close to the ruling Communist Party, said in an editorial.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-media-threatens-North-Korea-aid-cut-over-atomic-test/articleshow/18178034.cms

Nipah virus strikes back. Bangladesh

The virus that killed nearly 80 percent of its total infections in Bangladesh has struck back killing an 8-year-old boy in Dhaka and leaving his father critically ill, the government’s disease monitoring agency, IEDCR confirms.

According to its Director, the family drank raw date sap brought from Bhaluka on Jan 11 and fell ill six days later. “The boy succumbed on Tuesday at a Dhaka clinic and his father is in an intensive care unit,” Prof Mahmudur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

He said they were confirmed about the presence of the nipah virus in their laboratory at around 5.45pm on Wednesday.

http://bdnews24.com/health/2013/01/23/nipah-virus-strikes-back

3.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE OREGON - 25th January 2013

Magnitude
3.4
Date-Time
Friday, January 25, 2013 at 03:43:07 UTC
Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 07:43:07 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
44.461°N, 124.660°W
Depth
36.7 km (22.8 miles)
Region
OFFSHORE OREGON
Distances
47 km (29 miles) WNW (291°) from Yachats, OR