Three bodies found at Mexico Pemex blast site, toll reaches 36

Mexican rescue workers found three more bodies over the weekend amid the rubble of a deadly blast that tore through state oil firm Pemex's main office complex, the government said, as search efforts appeared to near a close.

The death toll from Thursday's explosion stands at 36, Pemex said via Twitter. Rescue workers had been digging through the last sections of the building's basement and could soon call off their search. One person was reported still missing.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/us-mexico-pemex-idUSBRE91304120130204

Opposition attacks German minister's energy plans

The head of Germany's opposition Social Democrats (SPD) criticized government plans to cap power price rises for consumers but signaled on Saturday he was open to talks.

Conservative environment minister Peter Altmaier last week outlined proposals to spread the cost of Germany's switch to renewables away from nuclear power between households and industry before September's election.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/02/02/us-germany-energy-prices-idUKBRE91109A20130202

Romanian influx? We're already here says envoy (AND we built the Olympic village)

Romanians have by-passed immigration controls to work in the UK and played a vital role in staging London 2012, according to the country’s ambassador.

In a provocative intervention yesterday, Dr Ion Jinga said it was thanks to his countrymen that the Olympic Stadium was built.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273014/Romanian-influx-Were-says-envoy-AND-built-Olympic-village.html#axzz2Ju41D2IQ

Spanish corruption scandal further dents support for Rajoy government

Spain's opposition Socialist Party called yesterday for the resignation of the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, over a corruption scandal as a poll showed the lowest support on record for his centre-right People's Party (PP).

Media reports over the past two weeks have alleged that at least a dozen senior PP officials, including Mr Rajoy, received payments from a slush fund operated by its former treasurer. Mr Rajoy denies wrongdoing, but the scandal has provoked fury among Spaniards already disenchanted by deep recession and high unemployment.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spanish-corruption-scandal-further-dents-support-for-rajoy-government-8479154.html

French jets bomb northern Mali

French warplanes have carried out air strikes in Mali's far north as they try to secure the final rebel stronghold of Kidal after a three-week offensive.

Thirty jets targeted Islamist militants' training and communication centres around Tessalit - a mountainous area near the Algerian border.

French President Francois Hollande has pledged to help rebuild Mali after the rebels who seized its north are beaten.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21314779

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KYUSHU, JAPAN - 4th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 04:00:54 UTC
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 01:00:54 PM at epicenter
Location
30.334°N, 130.995°E
Depth
54.3 km (33.7 miles)
Region
KYUSHU, JAPAN
Distances
147 km (91 miles) SSE (163°) from Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan

Nuclear storage clean-up bill could cost £70bn

Britain is storing an "extraordinary accumulation of hazardous nuclear waste" in "outdated facilities" which will cost nearly £70bn to clean up, MPs have warned the Government.

Almost all of the major nuclear-decommissioning projects at the Sellafield complex in Cumbria are behind schedule and many of them are over-budget according to a Parliamentary inquiry into Britain’s “failing” nuclear-reprocessing industry.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nuclear-storage-cleanup-bill-could-cost-70bn-8479145.html

For South Koreans, a familiar tone from Pyongyang

As a child, Lee Yoon Jung used to hide underground with her classmates when the sirens rang at her school. The emergency drills were held in case of a North Korean attack.

Lee, now 46, has children of her own, who do not have such exercises at their schools in Ulsan, South Korea.

It represents the attitude shift over recent decades of tension between the two Koreas. South Koreans have become accustomed to living next to their northern neighbor, which often releases bellicose statements and calls it a "group of puppet traitors."

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/03/world/asia/south-koreans-opinion-nuclear-test/index.html

‘SNC knows Syrian government will not be defeated on the military battlefield’

Hopes for progress in Syria were raised after Russia's FM Sergey Lavrov met with the leader of the main opposition group. But peace is impossible while other governments are influencing the conflict, political analyst Marcus Papadopoulos told RT.

While addressing the Munich Security Conference Lavrov explained that despite the worsening situation in the region, peace is still within reach and the war in Syria “could be over if all sides stuck honestly and loyally to the principles of the June 30 Geneva conference.”

On the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov met for the first time with Syrian opposition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib. The meeting was closed to the media.

http://rt.com/news/syria-peace-talks-opposition-370/

Oil spill near Tairua, New Zealand

An oil spill and a two minor crashes have kept emergency services busy around the Waikato this morning.

Motorists are being urged to drive with care following an oil spill stretching over two kilometres of road near Tairua.

Northern fire communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said the fire service was advised of the oil spill just after 8am.

"The oil or diesel spills stretches over two kilometres of road from Opoutere School north," he said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8259545/Oil-spill-near-Tairua

Strong quake strikes Hokkaido, hurting 10

A powerful earthquake struck Hokkaido late Saturday, injuring more than 10 people and leaving about 700 homes without power.

The quake occurred at 11:17 p.m. and measured upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the cities of Kushiro and Nemuro, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The focus of the quake, which had an estimated magnitude of 6.4, was about 120 kilometers deep in Hokkaido's Tokachi region, the agency said.

The temblor had no impact on the Tomari nuclear plant in Hokkaido or the Higashidori nuclear plant in Aomori Prefecture, operators said. Both plants have been offline.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T130203003789.htm

Freddy Martin 'Thrown Off Five-Storey Building'

A nine-year-old New York City boy is fighting for his life after he was allegedly thrown off the roof of a five-storey building by his teenage neighbour.

Police say Casmine Aska, 17, dragged the young boy out of his Bronx apartment and up the stairs before hurling him off the top of the building.

Neighbours who discovered the victim lying on the pavement identified him as Freddy Martin, the New York Daily News reported.

http://news.sky.com/story/1047018/bronx-boy-thrown-off-five-storey-building

Assad: Syria Can Confront Israeli Aggression

President Bashar al Assad has accused Israel of trying to destabilise Syria after an air strike on a military research base near Damascus last week.

The comments by Mr Assad are the first since the attack on Wednesday that US officials say was targeting a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons inside Syria bound for Hizbollah.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046916/assad-syria-can-confront-israeli-aggression

£1m A Week Spent On 'Absurd' Child Benefits

Tens of thousands of children who live abroad but receive benefits claimed by immigrant families in Britain are costing British taxpayers more than £1m a week, campaigners claim.

The research by Migration Watch UK comes after the Government admitted just under 30,000 families are claiming benefits and tax credit for 50,000 children who live outside the UK but within the European Union (EU), as well as Iceland and Norway.

http://news.sky.com/story/1047093/1m-a-week-spent-on-absurd-child-benefits

Undercover Police 'Stole' Dead Children's IDs

Undercover police officers working for the Metropolitan Police assumed the identities of dead children and were issued fake passports in their names, it has been claimed.

Britain's largest police force allegedly carried out the practice for three decades without consulting or informing the children's parents.

http://news.sky.com/story/1047065/undercover-police-stole-dead-childrens-ids

Most-Wanted Foreign Criminals Hiding In UK

A most-wanted list of high-risk foreign criminals believed to be hiding in Britain - including three suspected murderers and an accused rapist - has been released.

The list of 17 criminals wanted by authorities in other European countries who are thought to be in the UK has been unveiled by Scotland Yard and Crimestoppers.

It is the third Operation Sunfire campaign and includes the search for 32-year-old Dritan Rexhepi, who is wanted over a double murder in Albania and has links to London, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

http://news.sky.com/story/1047084/most-wanted-foreign-criminals-hiding-in-uk

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE SOUTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA - 4th February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 03:49:27 UTC
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 12:49:27 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
4.971°S, 133.910°E
Depth
21.8 km (13.5 miles)
Region
NEAR THE SOUTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
Distances
94 km (58 miles) NNW of Dobo, Indonesia

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 4th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 01:20:21 UTC
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 10:20:21 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
5.547°S, 130.837°E
Depth
58.7 km (36.5 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
212 km (131 miles) W of Tual, Indonesia

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 23:04:18 UTC
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 08:04:18 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.330°N, 141.802°E
Depth
48.8 km (30.3 miles)
Region
IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Distances
252 km (156 miles) N of Chichi-shima, Japan

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
5.3
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 22:56:11 UTC
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 07:56:11 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.312°N, 142.014°E
Depth
34.8 km (21.6 miles)
Region
IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Distances
247 km (153 miles) N of Chichi-shima, Japan

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 20:54:43 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 05:54:43 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
32.377°S, 71.598°W
Depth
37.9 km (23.6 miles)
Region
OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
Distances
35 km (21 miles) WNW of La Ligua, Chile

America's 2nd Revolutionary War: A Vice Documentary (And worth watching)

North Korea may actually be planning two nuclear weapons tests, not just one

North Korea has virtually finished preparations for nuclear tests in two tunnels at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Hamgyong Province, observers believe.

A South Korean government source said analysis of satellite images showed brisk activity of support vehicles and personnel at a tunnel on the southern side of the test site, and on Saturday the area was cleaned and personnel left.

Intelligence agencies suspect that this means a nuclear test is imminent. Preparations at a tunnel on the western side of the site were apparently completed earlier.

The government here is now watching for the possibility of two separate nuclear tests either simultaneously or in quick succession.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/02/04/2013020400499.html

Mini Drones: Army Deploys Tiny Helicopters (Which of course will never be abused)

British troops are using a nano drone just 10cm long and weighing 16 grams on the front line in Afghanistan to provide vital information on the ground.

They are the first to use the state-of-the-art handheld tiny surveillance helicopters, which relay reliable full motion video and still images back to the devices' handlers in the battlefield.

The Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle is the size of a child's toy, measuring just 10cm (4 ins) by 2.5cm (1 inch), and is equipped with a tiny camera.

http://news.sky.com/story/1047004/mini-drones-army-deploys-tiny-helicopters

D-FOX: Please contact us if you can read this

To D-fox: if you're reading this, please contact us at thecomingcrisis@gmail.com. It's important -- we believe.

Bill Stevens Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Public Hearing: A Speech Worth Hearing

Cage dogs of Hong Kong: The tragedy of tens of thousands living in 6ft by 2ft rabbit hutches - in a city with more Louis Vuitton shops than Paris

Hong Kong, one of the world's richest cities, is abuzz with a luxury property boom that has seen homes exchanged for record sums.

But the wealth of the city has a darker side, with tens of thousands priced out of housing altogether and forced to live in the most degrading conditions.

These pictures by British photographer Brian Cassey capture the misery of people - some estimates put the figure as high as 100,000 - who are forced to live in cages measuring just 6ft by 2 1/2ft.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084971/Hong-Kongs-cage-homes-Tens-thousands-living-6ft-2ft-rabbit-hutches.html

Alabama sheriff: 5-year-old hostage gets chips, toys as standoff enters 6th day

A gunman barricaded in an underground bunker with a 5-year-old hostage is making the boy "as comfortable as possible," authorities said, as the standoff in southeastern Alabama entered its sixth day Sunday.

Police have said little about what, if any, demands have been made by the man who they say killed a school bus driver and grabbed the kindergartener Tuesday afternoon before holing up in the bunker in Midland City.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/03/us/alabama-child-hostage/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

China cyber attacks on West growing

Allegations that Chinese hackers infiltrated the computers of two leading U.S. newspapers add to a growing number of cyber attacks on Western companies, governments and foreign-based dissidents that are believed to originate in China, experts say.

According to one recent report, one in every three observed computer attacks in the third quarter of 2012 emanated from China.

Chinese officials have denied that Beijing has supported any cyber attacks, stressing that hacking is illegal in the country.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/01/tech/china-cyber-attacks/index.html?hpt=hp_c5

Clashes at pro-Kurdish demonstration in Turkey

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 17:46:59 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 09:16:59 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
27.692°N, 56.497°E
Depth
45.1 km (28.0 miles)
Region
SOUTHERN IRAN
Distances
59 km (36 miles) NNE of Bandar 'Abbas, Iran

Sarai Sierra Murder: 11 arrested over murder of US woman in Istanbul

Police forensics search for missing New Yorker Sarai Sierra near the district of Sarayburnu in Istanbul, Turkey Photo: AP

The body of Sarai Sierra, 33, a mother-of-two, was found on Saturday near Istanbul's ancient city walls. Police said that she had suffered a fatal blow to the head.

She had also been stabbed several times in the abdomen, but there was no sign of rape or theft.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/turkey/9845488/11-arrested-over-murder-of-US-woman-in-Istanbul.html

Nuclear test imminent as Kim Jong-un talks tough

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong-un has chaired a high-level meeting that discussed a looming "great turn" in military capability, state media say, fuelling expectations of an imminent nuclear test.

Mr Kim made a "historic" speech at the ruling party's Central Military Commission meeting, attended by the heads of the army, the National Defence Commission and the strategic rocket force, the official Korean Central News Agency reported yesterday.

The meeting discussed "bringing about a great turn in bolstering military capability", said KCNA, which gave no date or details of Mr Kim's speech.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/nuclear-test-imminent-as-kim-jong-un-talks-tough/story-e6frg6so-1226567720845

Egypt tensions rise as footage emerges of police beating protester

Graphic footage of a naked Egyptian man being dragged across a street and beaten by at least eight riot policemen during a protest in Cairo on Friday night has intensifed popular fury at President Mohamed Morsi and sparked calls from Egypt's opposition for "an end to this regime of tyranny".

The video shows Hamada Saber, reportedly a 50-year-old unemployed labourer, lying on the ground outside the presidential palace in north-east Cairo, with his trousers around his ankles, being beaten with batons and fists before being dragged into a police van.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/03/egypt-footage-police-beating-protester

Syrian opposition chief under fire for talks with Assad allies

Syria's opposition leader flew back to his Cairo headquarters from Germany on Sunday to explain to skeptical allies his decision to talk with President Bashar al-Assad's main backers Russia and Iran, in hope of a breakthrough in the crisis.

The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers, and U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, portrayed Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib's new willingness to talk with the Assad regime as a major step towards resolving the two-year-old war.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/03/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE9100KV20130203

Thousands more birds expected to be washed up in 'enormous eco crime'

Already more than 250 stricken birds, mostly guillemots, have been rescued from beaches along a 200 mile stretch of the south coast, from West Sussex to Cornwall.

The birds are covered in a heavy “glue-like” substance, believed to be some kind of oil dumped from a ship, that makes it impossible for them to swim and feed.

Conservationists fear this could just be the start of the “environmental disaster”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9845356/Thousands-more-birds-expected-to-be-washed-up-in-enormous-eco-crime.html

Man with knives tasered outside Buckingham Palace

China's show of force in South China Sea

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 14:23:06 UTC
Monday, February 04, 2013 at 01:23:06 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
11.034°S, 165.420°E
Depth
46.1 km (28.6 miles)
Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances
56 km (34 miles) SW of Lata, Solomon Islands

'West faces dangerous game choosing 'bad' vs 'acceptable' terrorism'

Egypt on Edge: 'A few handshakes won't change desperate reality'

Catholic Hell: Faith fails as sex abuse in church silenced

Hollande gets camel & whip 'for fighting Islamist rebels' in Mali.....Sure that will help his Country's debt problem

Street's all you've got: Heavy-handed UK govt austerity exposed

Iraqi Sunnis rally to demand PM's downfall

Berlin offers safe injection facilities to addicts ..........so they can Legally Inject heroin, crack and cocaine

Iran unveils its very own stealth fighter

Darien Long: Zero tolerance Atlanta guard who filmed himself Tasering abusive mother and warning off drug dealers is given $20,000 by fans

A fundraising campaign launched to support zero tolerance mall cop, Darien Long, pictured right, has so far raised almost $20,000. The security guard at Atlanta's Metro Mall hit the headlines this week when a film of him tasering an abusive mother, left, spread across the internet. Supporters have backed Long who they say is doing a good job trying to clean up downtown Atlanta.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272392/Zero-tolerance-mall-cop-filmed-tasers-abusive-mother-given-20-000-wishers-helping-clean-Atlanta.html

Train derails in North Carolina carrying toxic chemicals

Suicide bomber who attacked U.S Embassy in Turkey as it's revealed he was jailed for FIVE YEARS on terrorism charges

The first pictures of the suicide bomber who attacked the U.S. Embassy in Ankara on Friday have emerged as Turkish officials identified him as convicted terrorist Ecevit Sanli.

Armed with six kilograms of TNT - enough to blow up a two-story building - and a hand grenade, Sanli, killed himself and a Turkish security guard in the brazen attack, which has been labelled an act of terror by U.S. officials.
As the U.S. flag flew at half-staff today and security at the embassy was heightened, details about the 40-year-old assailant emerged.

Sanli was not linked to al Qaeda, rather he was a member of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, or DHKP-C. He had spent five years in prison on terrorism charges after he was arrested in 1997 for alleged involvement in attacks on two official buildings in Istanbul.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272414/Ecevit-Sanli-embassy-attack-Suicide-bomber-attacked-U-S-Embassy-Turkey-revealed-jailed-FIVE-YEARS-terrorism-charges.html#axzz2Jpm3BOfp

Assad: Syria Can Confront Israeli Aggression

President Bashar al Assad accuses Israel of trying to destabilise Syria after an air strike near Damascus last week, according to state media.

Assad made the remarks in a meeting with Saeed Jalili, Iran's national security council secretary, in the Syrian capital. It was his first reported response to Wednesday's attack.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046916/assad-syria-can-confront-israeli-aggression

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 11:36:39 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 09:36:39 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
5.004°S, 153.218°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
62 km (38 miles) SSE of Taron, PNG

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 11:15:01 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 09:15:01 PM at epicenter
Location
5.093°S, 153.056°E
Depth
59.6 km (37.0 miles)
Region
NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
137 km (85 miles) SE (135°) from Rabaul, New Britain, PNG

Tom Sublett found dead at the bottom of a lake with a gunshot wound to his head and his hands tied together.... and coroner rules it a suicide

A medical examiner has ruled that a Georgia county commissioner who drowned near a boat dock after suffering a gunshot to the head committed suicide, the county coroner said Friday.

Police found the body of 52-year-old Glynn County Commissioner Tom Sublett early on Dec. 11 in the water beside a docked boat on St. Simons Island.

His wallet was in his back pocket and still contained his driver's license and credit cards. An empty gun holster and a magazine loaded with 9mm bullets were found in Sublett's car nearby, but no gun was recovered.

Glynn County Coroner Jimmy Durden said in a telephone interview that the manner of death according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Savannah is going to be suicide.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272671/Tom-Sublett-Man-dead-lake-gun-shot-wound-head-hands-tied.html#axzz2Jpm3BOfp

Bank of America website crashes leaving its customers unable to access their money

Bank of America says its online banking website crashed Friday, leaving customers unable to access their accounts.

From late morning Friday, customers trying to log on saw a message that said the site was 'temporarily unavailable.'

Bank of America (BAC), based in Charlotte, N.C. and the second-largest U.S. bank by assets, said it was working on the problem, but wouldn't elaborate on what caused the outage.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272616/Bank-America-website-crashes-leaving-customers-unable-access-money.html#axzz2Jpm3BOfp

The Black Hornet - tiny spy drone that can follow enemies all the way home

It fits easily into the palm of your hand and looks to the world like a child’s toy helicopter.

But this tiny, remote-controlled aircraft is, in fact, British forces’ latest weapon against the Taliban.

Codenamed Black Hornet, the eight-inch long plastic moulded drone has three cameras hidden inside its nose, yet weighs just 15 grams, or just over half an ounce.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272590/The-Black-Hornet--tiny-spy-drone-follow-enemy-targets-way-home.html#axzz2Jpm3BOfp

Criminals face new 'spartan prisons': Justice Secretary's tough regime: uniforms, no Sky TV and less pocket money

An end to Britain’s ‘holiday camp’ jails, with a ban on Sky TV, fewer televisions, more prison uniforms, less pocket money for inmates and a ban on gay couples sharing cells is planned by the Government.

The return to ‘spartan’ jails marks the biggest prison regime shake-up for 60 years and is designed to signal a tough new approach to law and order by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.

Mr Grayling believes prisoners do not deserve the kind of lifestyle and ‘frills’ that are beyond the reach of families on low wages.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2272572/Criminals-face-new-spartan-prisons-Justice-Secretary-s-tough-regime-uniforms-Sky-TV-pocket-money.html#axzz2Jpm3BOfp

Funerals in Pakistan as attack leaves at least 35 dead

Sarai Sierra's Dead body found in Turkey

Syrian TV broadcast images of Israeli air raid aftermath

33 injured in Boston bus crash

White House rebuffed Clinton-Petraeus plan to arm Syrian rebels: report

A plan developed last summer by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-CIA Director David Petraeus to arm and train Syrian rebels was rebuffed by the White House, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

The United States has sent humanitarian aid to Syria but has declined requests for weapons by rebels fighting to overthrow the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/03/us-usa-syria-clinton-idUSBRE91201220130203

Biden raises possibility of direct U.S.-Iran talks

The United States is ready for direct talks with Iran if it is serious about negotiations, Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday, backing bilateral contact many see as crucial to easing a dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.

Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Biden said Iran - which says it is enriching uranium for peaceful energy only - now faced "the most robust sanctions in history" meant to ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/03/us-iran-nuclear-idUSBRE91107720130203

Is street politics the enemy of democracy in Egypt?

The head of the Egyptian army, General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, has warned that continuing political strife is pushing the country to the brink of collapse. So can the newly-formed democracy, forged in the revolution two years ago, survive?

Leila, a teacher in her 40s, in a dark green headscarf, was one of many I talked to in Tahrir Square who was keen to give her views.

Why, I wondered, was she back here now, exactly two years since the revolution to oust President Mubarak began, calling for his successor to step down? Because nothing's changed, she told me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21281334

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 10:22:40 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 09:22:40 PM at epicenter
Location
10.549°S, 166.566°E
Depth
35.5 km (22.1 miles)
Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances
82 km (50 miles) ENE of Lata, Solomon Islands

Scotland: Three people airlifted to safety in avalanche rescue

Three people have been rescued after they were hit by a wall of snow sliding down a mountain.

They were climbing in the Cairngorms in Scotland when it happened.

The climbers had to be airlifted to hospital with leg injuries after being hit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/21311990

Next stop UK: Romanians & Bulgarians are queueing up for handout Britain

AN army of jobless Bulgarians and out-of-work Romanians are preparing to invade Britain, The Sun can reveal today.

From next year people from the two countries gain the right to live and work in the UK unrestricted.

But it’s not just the work that is attracting them — it’s the generous benefits system too.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4776276/Romanians-Bulgarians-are-queueing-up-for-handout-Britain.html

Israeli defense minister makes first comments on Syria airstrike, suggests Israel responsible

Israel’s defense minister made his country’s first public comments Sunday on an airstrike in Syria, suggesting that Israel had been behind the attack.

U.S. officials have said the attack hit a convoy of anti-aircraft weapons inside Syria bound for the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group but Israel hasn’t publicly acknowledged the airstrike.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israeli-defense-minister-makes-first-comments-on-syria-airstrike-suggests-israel-responsible/2013/02/03/0863508a-6dea-11e2-b35a-0ee56f0518d2_story.html

Iraq violence: 'Many dead' in Kirkuk police HQ attack

At least 16 people have been killed as suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a police HQ in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, medical sources say.

Officials said militants had tried to seize the compound after a bomb exploded at the gates, but were unsuccessful. A police chief was hurt.

No group has said it carried out the attack.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21311931

5 survive plane crash off Venezuela; 1 killed

A small plane has crashed into the sea off Venezuela’s coast, leaving one person dead and five survivors who were rescued and brought to shore.

The twin-engine Beechcraft BE-58 went down east of the coastal city of Cumana in the Gulf of Cariaco on Saturday, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said.

Mr. Reverol said the pilot had declared an emergency due to the failure of both engines and landed the plane down in the water.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/5-survive-plane-crash-off-venezuela-1-killed/article4375028.ece

Greece: Far-Right March On Athens

It was supposed to be a remembrance rally, but as thousands packed Athens to honour three fallen heroes, the black-clad crowd of men in military fatigues and baseball caps crested with mangled swastikas, offered the grimmest reminder yet of Greece's tireless march to the far right.

Organised by Golden Dawn, which emerged from political obscurity here to win 7% of the national vote last June, last night's event showcased the group's biggest public gathering to date.

Toting blue-and-white Greek flags, orange-red flares and wooden torches, some 30,000 supporters, according to organisers, gathered in central Athens, shouting slogans indicative of the party's virulent and truculent beliefs.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046797/greece-far-right-march-on-athens

Boston Bus Crash: Dozens Of Passengers Hurt

More than 30 passengers, many of them students, have been hurt after their bus struck a bridge in Boston.

The bus, which was carrying 42 high school pupils and teachers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, crashed into Western Avenue Bridge on Soldier's Field Road.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046805/boston-bus-crash-dozens-of-passengers-hurt

North Korea Meeting Hints At Nuclear Test

Fears are growing that a planned nuclear test by North Korea may be imminent.

State news reports from the capital Pyongyang claim that the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has presided over meeting at which "important decisions" regarding the country's military were made.

According to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Mr Kim chaired an "enlarged meeting" of the country's Central Military Commission.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046870/north-korea-meeting-hints-at-nuclear-test

Chris Kyle Death: Ex-US Navy Seal Sniper Shot Dead

A former US Navy Seal sniper has been shot dead at a shooting range in Texas, according to reports.

Chris Kyle, who also wrote the best-selling book, American Sniper, was killed alongside another man.

It is believed the 38-year-old had been helping a soldier who was recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046849/chris-kyle-ex-us-navy-seal-sniper-shot-dead

Iraq: 33 Dead In Bomb Blast And Gun Attack

At least 33 people have been killed in a co-ordinated suicide car bombing and gun attack on a police base in northern Iraq.

A car bomb went off before two militants dressed in police uniforms and armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests stormed the compound in the city of Kirkuk, police said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1046841/iraq-33-dead-in-bomb-blast-and-gun-attack

Seabird death toll rises in mystery oil spill

Investigators were today still trying to identify the source of a pollution spill that may yet kill thousands of seabirds along a stretch of the South Coast from West Sussex to Cornwall.

Hundreds of birds were washed ashore over the weekend covered with a sticky, oily substance. Experts say a change in the wind direction yesterday blew many birds out to sea and it is feared they will die of cold and exhaustion.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/seabird-death-toll-rises-in-mystery-oil-spill-8478500.html

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 10:12:07 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 08:12:07 PM at epicenter
Location
5.434°S, 154.253°E
Depth
138.8 km (86.3 miles)
Region
BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
166 km (103 miles) WNW of Arawa, Papua New Guinea

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake MOROCCO - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude mb 4.0
Region MOROCCO
Date time 2013-02-03 07:04:46.0 UTC
Location 31.02 N ; 5.82 W
Depth 230 km
Distances 62 km SW Tinghir, Marocco

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 06:20:51 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 03:20:51 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.581°S, 130.128°E
Depth
150.8 km (93.7 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
200 km (124 miles) NW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 05:22:12 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 02:22:12 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.600°S, 72.767°W
Depth
37 km (23.0 miles)
Region
OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE
Distances
43 km (26 miles) SW of Constitucion, Chile

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.0
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 05:01:07 UTC
Saturday, February 02, 2013 at 10:01:07 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
64.952°N, 122.966°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
Distances
185 km (114 miles) E of Norman Wells, Canada

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 03:57:32 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 02:57:32 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
10.876°S, 165.357°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances
54 km (33 miles) WSW of Lata, Solomon Islands

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 03:20:29 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 03:20:29 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
29.724°S, 178.890°W
Depth
197.5 km (122.7 miles)
Region
KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
Distances
112 km (70 miles) WSW (242°) from Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 03:08:23 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 03:08:23 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
21.434°S, 178.710°W
Depth
578.2 km (359.3 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
86 km (53 miles) S of Ndoi Island, Fiji

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 02:29:13 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 01:29:13 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
10.963°S, 165.333°E
Depth
9.9 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances
61 km (37 miles) WSW of Lata, Solomon Islands

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake MARIANA ISLANDS REGION - 3rd February 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 02:00:57 UTC
Sunday, February 03, 2013 at 12:00:57 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
17.257°N, 147.211°E
Depth
69.5 km (43.2 miles)
Region
MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
Distances
181 km (113 miles) ESE (122°) from Pagan, Northern Mariana Islands