Glacier The Size Of Manhattan Breaks Apart (Amazing)

Russian nuclear-armed bombers circle US military bases on Guam to send message: "We will back China in war with Japan"

Two Russian nuclear-armed bombers circled the western Pacific island of Guam this week in the latest sign of Moscow’s growing strategic assertiveness toward the United States.

The Russian Tu-95 Bear-H strategic bombers were equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and were followed by U.S. jets as they circumnavigated Guam on Feb. 12 local time—hours before President Barack Obama’s state of the union address.

Air Force Capt. Kim Bender, a spokeswoman for the Pacific Air Force in Hawaii, confirmed the incident to the Washington Free Beacon and said Air Force F-15 jets based on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, “scrambled and responded to the aircraft.”

“The Tu-95s were intercepted and left the area in a northbound direction. No further actions occurred,” she said. Bender said no other details would be released “for operational security reasons.”

The bomber incident was considered highly unusual. Russian strategic bombers are not known to have conducted such operations in the past into the south Pacific from bomber bases in the Russian Far East, which is thousands of miles away and over water.

http://freebeacon.com/bear-bombers-over-guam/

Did Israel frame Hezbollah for the Bulgarian bombing?

Last week, the website of the New York Times announced: "Bulgaria Implicates Hezbollah in July Attack on Israelis."

The investigation into the 2012 attack, which took place in the coastal city of Burgas and killed five Israeli tourists along with a Bulgarian bus driver and the bomber himself, is summarised in the article as follows:

"With help from the United States and Israel, investigators here broke the case - and linked it to Hezbollah - using a tip from a secret source and some old-fashioned detective work, tracing the printer that had produced two forged [driver's] licences back to Lebanon."

Given that a lot of things unrelated to Hezbollah - like falafel and Israeli-equipped militias - can also be traced to Lebanon, some may fail to perceive an immediate smoking gun.

As for the "help" provided to the Bulgarians by the US and its junior partner, the initial stages of assistance are viewable in the New York Times' assessment the day after the bombing:

"American officials… identified the suicide bomber responsible for a deadly attack on Israeli vacationers here as a member of a Hezbollah cell that was operating in Bulgaria and looking for such targets, corroborating Israel's assertions."

That it took the Bulgarian administration approximately six-and-a-half months to discover a "reasonable assumption" of involvement in the crime by "members of the militant wing of Hezbollah" suggests that some countries are not endowed with the same talent for issuing spontaneous guilty verdicts, and may instead require some prodding.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/02/201321395948332662.html

Russian meteor smashes into icy lake

Stay away from meteors, government tells Russians

Russia's authorities on Friday cautioned residents of the Urals to stay away from any unidentified objects after a meteor dramatically burned up above the region, with a precious meteorite apparently plunging into a local lake.

French firm suspended after horsemeat scandal

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
5.5
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 19:55:30 UTC
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 07:55:30 AM at epicenter
Location
17.753°S, 178.782°W
Depth
546.7 km (339.7 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
530 km (330 miles) NW (315°) from NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga

Widespread Palestinian rioting erupts in West Bank

Widespread rioting erupted in the West Bank on Friday in support of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, with groups of Palestinians hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails at IDF soldiers, who responded with various riot dispersal means.

In Betunia, west of Ramallah, near the Ofer security prison, some 300 Palestinians rioted and threw rocks at the IDF. Two soldiers were lightly injured by rocks thrown, an army spokeswoman said. Four Palestinians were lightly injured by rubber bullets in the clash.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=303419

Asteroid 2012 DA14: LIVE

Live video for mobile from Ustream

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a German lawyer and financier to head the Vatican bank

Pope Benedict has appointed a German lawyer and financier to head the Vatican bank, completing his most important item of unfinished business before renouncing the papacy at the end of the month.

Ernst von Freyberg, chairman of a Hamburg-based engineering company, fills a position left vacant since last May when the bank, formally known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), sacked Ettore Gotti Tedeschi for incompetence and “progressively erratic” behaviour in the midst of a probe by Italian prosecutors into suspected money laundering activities.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9ed7e80c-7766-11e2-9ebc-00144feabdc0.html

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake ALASKA PENINSULA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.2
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 19:32:44 UTC
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 10:32:44 AM at epicenter
Location
54.297°N, 161.521°W
Depth
10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Region
ALASKA PENINSULA
Distances
100 km (62 miles) SSE (149°) from King Cove, AK

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 18:33:44 UTC
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 01:33:44 AM at epicenter
Location
4.482°N, 94.875°E
Depth
35.6 km (22.1 miles)
Region
OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
Distances
128 km (79 miles) SSW of Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Asteroid 2012 DA14 brushes by Earth

An asteroid is making the closest known fly-by for a rock of its size today, just hours after a meterorite crashed to Earth in Russia, with nearly a thousand people injured by space debris in an event unprecedented in modern times. Scientists insist the events are purely coincidental...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9873233/Asteroid-2012-DA14-brushes-by-Earth-live.html

18.48 Turns out the asteroid may be more affected by us than we are by it. (Good). Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary science at MIT, has suggested that many of these near-Earth asteroids experience a "seismic jolt" when they pass too close to the planet's gravitational field:

We are going to be looking closely for evidence of seismic activity on 2012 DA14 as it passes by... This is the first case of an object coming close enough to experience quakes AND where we have enough notice to plan observations.

18.36 Wait! CBS News has found the one expert who claims that the meteorite in fact *could* be related to the asteroid. Michio Kaku, a physics professor at the City University of New York, says that even though space agencies have not seen any direct relationship between the two (cough), "asteroids occur in swarms" and so it is "very possible that there's a swarm of asteroids around DA14".

He also reprises our friend Rusty's comment from earlier: "The Earth is moving in a cosmic shooting gallery".

Islamists rally against violence in Egypt

Thousands of Islamists rallied in Cairo on Friday in support of Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood president who has been the target of protester rage in weeks of violent demonstrations.

Repeating the pattern of recent weeks, Mursi's opponents rallied again on Friday, this time gathering outside El-Quba, one of the presidential palaces in the northern suburbs of Cairo. The activists dubbed it "Checkmate Friday".

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-egypt-protest-idUSBRE91E0W720130215

EU bank rules boss scolds lack of U.S. cooperation

European Union financial services chief Michel Barnier launched a volley at U.S. finance regulators on Friday, criticizing recent rule-making and calling for better cooperation across the Atlantic.

Barnier urged establishment of a cooperation mechanism between the United States and Europe, to better ensure the two regions could rely on each others' supervisors, give a clearer message to markets and put in place clearer rules.

"If we choose to part ways, this will send the wrong signal to markets and to the rest of the world. It would increase the cost of capital, and reduce growth prospects," he said, speaking before a business audience.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-financial-regulation-idUSBRE91E0XS20130215

Incredible amateur videos of meteor over central Russia; 1,000 injured

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 18:27:46 UTC
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 02:27:46 AM at epicenter
Location
32.778°N, 95.340°E
Depth
43 km (26.7 miles)
Region
SOUTHERN QINGHAI, CHINA
Distances
253 km (157 miles) NW (316°) from Qamdo, Xizang (Tibet)

Russian meteor largest in a century, We didn't see it Coming!

A meteor that exploded over Russia this morning was the largest recorded object to strike the Earth in more than a century, scientists say. Infrasound data collected by a network designed to watch for nuclear weapons testing suggests that today's blast released hundreds of kilotonnes of energy. That would make it far more powerful than the nuclear weapon tested by North Korea just days ago and the largest rock crashing onto the planet since a meteor broke up over Siberia's Tunguska river in 1908.

"It was a very, very powerful event," says Margaret Campbell-Brown, an astronomer at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, who has studied data from two infrasound stations near the impact site. Her calculations show that the meteoroid was approximately 15 metres across when it entered the atmosphere, and put its mass at around 40 tonnes. "That would make it the biggest object recorded to hit the Earth since Tunguska," she says.

Despite its massive size, the object went undetected until it hit the atmosphere. "I'm not aware of anyone who saw this coming," says Heiner Klinkrad, head of the European Space Agency's space debris office at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany.

http://www.nature.com/news/russian-meteor-largest-in-a-century-1.12438

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake REYKJANES RIDGE - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 17:50:36 UTC
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 03:50:36 PM at epicenter
Location
52.693°N, 34.556°W
Depth
15 km (9.3 miles)
Region
REYKJANES RIDGE
Distances
1057 km (656 miles) SE of Nanortalik, Greenland

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 16:32:57 UTC
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 03:32:57 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
67.711°N, 142.095°E
Depth
15.4 km (9.6 miles)
Region
NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA
Distances
146 km (90 miles) WSW of Druzhina, Serbia

DA14 ASTEROID TO PASS BY EARTH IN PRECISELY 45 MINUTES

Germany discovers bird flu case on poultry farm

German authorities said a case of H5N1 bird flu had been discovered during initial tests on a poultry farm in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

The case was discovered in a duck farm, which was carrying out its own tests, the Brandenburg state agriculture ministry said on Friday.

The H5N1 virus mainly affects birds but occasionally jumps to people. Experts fear it may mutate into a form that could spread easily among humans, who have no natural immunity against it.

The initial finding was confirmed by a state laboratory, and final tests are currently being carried out, the state ministry said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-bird-flu-germany-idUSBRE91E0MO20130215

3 Cuba schools on lockdown after nearby gunshots

Officials with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office placed Cuba Elementary School, Cuba Middle School and Cuba High School on lockdown shortly before 1 p.m. after receiving a report of shots fired. They lifted the lockdowns before 3 p.m.

The shots scared third grader Tiana Trujillo and her classmates.

“The office called my teacher and told us that there is a lockdown, and everyone started crying and stuff, then we heard footsteps in the hallway,” Tiana said.

The footsteps were from officers searching inside the school.

http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Reported-gunshots-spark-lockdowns-in-Cuba-N-M/-/9153728/18550598/-/kwvbia/-/index.html

POSSIBLE SECOND METEORITE EXPLOSION AND IMPACT IN CUBA; INFORMATION INCOMING

Latest stories Meteorite Shower Hits Russia Injuring Over 900

More than 900 people have been injured after a meteor strike in central Russia, the country's interior ministry said.

Fragments of at least one meteorite - the weight of a double-decker bus - were seen falling from the sky in the Chelyabinsk region at around 9am local time, around 1,500km east of Moscow.

A regional governor said 950 people have been injured. Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies said at least 82 children were hurt and 34 adults and 12 children were being treated in hospital. Two people are in intensive care.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052514/meteorite-shower-hits-russia-injuring-over-900

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake GREECE - 15th February 2013

Magnitude ML 4.5
Region GREECE
Date time 2013-02-15 14:42:54.0 UTC
Location 40.35 N ; 23.98 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 2 km N Ouranópolis, Greece

Blade Runner in the dock: Oscar Pistorius's father reaches out to his distraught son after he is formally charged with murdering his model girlfriend who 'was shot four times through a bathroom door'

Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius, 26, broke down in tears as the charge was read out to him in Pretoria Magistrates' Court (left) before his father Henke reached out to him (centre) this morning. The Paralympic star is accused of killing of model Reeva Steenkamp (top right), 29, whose name was officially revealed for the first time today, in the early hours of Valentine's Day. The dramatic hearing came as a picture emerged of the gun (bottom right), believed to be a 9mm, allegedly used in the shooting. According to reports in South Africa, security guards found Pistorius by Miss Steenkamp's body in the bathroom of Pretoria mansion after she had been shot four times through the door.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278970/Oscar-Pistorius-breaks-tears-charged-count-murder-Reeva-Steenkamp.html

Nadine Dorries' Expenses To Be Investigated

Controversial Conservative MP Nadine Dorries is facing an investigation into her expenses claims by the parliamentary expenses watchdog.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) compliance officer Peter Davis said he had reason to believe Ms Dorries may have been paid travel and accommodation costs she was not entitled to.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052700/nadine-dorries-expenses-to-be-investigated

Hollande Tiptoes Toward Raid on Pensions Under Pressure From EU

President Francois Hollande is preparing to take on a French sacred cow: pensions.

Facing European Union pressure to reach budget targets, the Socialist president is risking the wrath of his core supporters to shrink the pension system, which had a deficit of 14 billion euros ($19 billion) in 2011.

While leaving the issue of fixing the retirement age to talks between representatives of employees and employers, Hollande may propose separating pension increases from inflation, government officials said. He’s venturing upon a pension overhaul -- which few of his predecessors have managed without drawing millions into the streets -- as his government says it’s unlikely to meet this year’s budget-deficit target.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-14/hollande-tiptoes-toward-raid-on-pensions-under-pressure-from-eu.html

EU Commission probed by ombudsman over lobbyists

The European Ombudsman has begun investigating the European Commission's links with lobbyists amid concern about alleged conflicts of interest.

The Commission, which drafts EU laws, has been accused of allowing officials to take up consultancy jobs without a sufficient "cooling off" period.

The ombudsman - the EU's main transparency watchdog - has asked to see Commission files on cases where outside interests may have won favours.

Brussels is a major hub for lobbyists.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21470715

Iranian company tried to smuggle nuclear parts from China, US report shows

THE Western-led effort to slow or halt Iran's nuclear development has suffered two significant setbacks.

A US report shows that Tehran tried to smuggle thousands of specialised magnets through China to speed its path to reaching nuclear weapons capability. And UN inspectors have returned from Tehran without securing access to suspected nuclear sites or setting a date for further negotiations.

Yesterday's report, by a renowned American nuclear scientist, says the smuggling operation highlights the importance of China as a transit point for Iran's nuclear program, and calls for sanctions against the firms involved.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/iranian-company-tried-to-smuggle-nuclear-parts-from-china-us-report-shows/story-e6frg6so-1226579175479

North Korea now immune from attack

"NORTH Korea is moving to become an existential threat to the US." This is the stark, sobering judgment of a former senior US official on Pyongyang's nuclear test this week. It was the most powerful of North Korea's three nuclear tests so far, providing a bomb of perhaps half the strength of that which devastated Hiroshima in World War II.

It is still unclear whether it was a plutonium device, like the previous two, or one that used highly enriched uranium. If it is the latter, North Korea now has two sources of fuel.

The truth is, Western intelligence knows very little about what goes on inside North Korea, especially inside the head of Pyongyang's bombastic young dictator, Kim Jong-un.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/north-korea-now-immune-from-attack/story-e6frg76f-1226579122871

Greek inflation evaporates as downturn weighs

Greek inflation evaporated in January, hitting its lowest level since data began in 1996, the national statistics service (ELSTAT) said on Friday, as the country's economic downturn sapped consumer price pressures.

The EU-harmonized consumer inflation rate (HCPI) was 0.0 percent year-on-year in January, ELSTAT said, below a 0.2 percent forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-greece-inflation-idUSBRE91E0EU20130215

Turkey to Iran gold trade wiped out by new U.S. sanction

Tighter U.S. sanctions are killing off Turkey's gold-for-gas trade with Iran and have stopped state-owned lender Halkbank from processing other nations' energy payments to the OPEC oil producer, bankers said on Friday.

U.S. officials have sought to prevent Turkish gold exports, which indirectly pay Iran for its natural gas, from providing a financial lifeline to Tehran, largely frozen out of the global banking system by Western sanctions over its nuclear program.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-iran-turkey-sanctions-idUSBRE91E0IN20130215

North Korea tells China of preparations for fresh nuclear test

North Korea has told its key ally, China, that it is prepared to stage one or even two more nuclear tests this year in an effort to force the United States into diplomatic talks with Pyongyang, said a source with direct knowledge of the message.

Further tests could also be accompanied this year by another rocket launch, said the source who has direct access to the top levels of government in both Beijing and Pyongyang.

The isolated regime conducted its third nuclear test on Tuesday, drawing global condemnation and a stern warning from the United States that it was a threat and a provocation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-korea-north-nuclear-idUSBRE91E0J820130215

Meteorite Russia: Injured exceeds 900 People

More than 900 people have been injured after a meteor strike in central Russia, the country’s interior ministry said.

Fragments of at least one meteorite - the weight of a double-decker bus - were seen falling from the sky in the Chelyabinsk region at around 9am local time, around 1,500km east of Moscow.

A regional governor said 950 people have been injured. Russia’s Ministry of Emergencies said at least 82 children were hurt and 34 adults and 12 children were being treated in hospital. Two people are in intensive care.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052514/meteorite-shower-hits-russia-injuring-over-900

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 12:39:54 UTC
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 11:39:54 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
67.735°N, 142.205°E
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA
Distances
140 km (86 miles) WSW of Druzhina, Serbia

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 12:23:54 UTC
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 11:23:54 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
10.655°S, 165.473°E
Depth
35 km (21.7 miles)
Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Distances
40 km (24 miles) W of Lata, Solomon Islands

Horsemeat Found In Schools' Cottage Pies

Lancashire County Council has confirmed that horsemeat has been found in cottage pies delivered to 47 schools.

It comes as Whitbread pub and restaurant company says horsemeat has been found in its beef lasagne and burgers.

The products were sold in Premier Inn, Brewers Fayre, Beefeater Grill and Table Table.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052658/horsemeat-found-in-schools-cottage-pies

If everyone is Europe is eating Horse, What has happened to all the Cows?

Meteorite Shower Hits Russia Injuring 524

The Russian Academy of Sciences estimates the meteor weighed about 10 tonnes and entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of at least 33,000mph - 15 times the speed of a rifle bullet - and shattered up to 32 miles above ground.

Meteors typically cause sizeable sonic booms when they enter the atmosphere because they are travelling much faster than the speed of sound.

The emergencies ministry said that 20,000 rescue workers had been dispatched to help the injured and locate those needing help.

The defence ministry said it had identified a six metre crater near a lake in this region and has sent soldiers to the site of the impact.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052514/meteorite-shower-hits-russia-injuring-524

UK retail sales drop fuels triple-dip recession fears

Fears Britain may be heading towards an unprecedented triple-dip recession flared again as the government reported a surprise drop in high street spending last month.

Despite surveys suggesting shoppers had been out in force in January, the Office for National Statistics said the volume of retail sales fell by 0.6% in January.

This followed a revised 0.3% drop in December and reflected the tough trading conditions for shops and stores in the two key trading months of the year. Last month saw a number of high-profile casualties such as HMV and Blockbuster.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/15/uk-retail-sales-drop-triple-dip-recession

Russia Goes On High Alert After UFO Shoot-Down Injures Hundreds

A grim report prepared by the Space Forces Command (VKS) circulating in the Kremlin today says that one of its air defense units operating in “high alert”status, and located at the Urzhumka settlement near Chelyabinsk, fired at and destroyed [photo 2nd left] an “unidentified cosmic object” at an altitude of 20 kilometers which then exploded causing widespread massive damage and injuring over 500 people.

Chelyabinsk, one of the nation’s most vital industrial centers, is a city and the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of the oblast, 210 kilometers (130 mi) south of Yekaterinburg, just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on the Miass River, on the border of Europe and Asia, with a population of 1.3 million.

The air defence unit attacking this UFO, this VKS report says, used an S-400 ‘Triumph’ system ordered to Russia’s borders this past fall by President Putin.

http://beforeitsnews.com/paranormal/2013/02/russia-goes-on-high-alert-after-ufo-shoot-down-injures-hundreds-2447712.html

Missile Strike At Oklahoma Ammunition Plant?

Telex reported a missile strike,
***** MISSILE STRIKE
***** 34°50'04.66"N
***** 95°55'28.98"W
***** GMT 21:03:25
***** McAlester Oklahoma

Child Murderer Subhan Anwar Killed In Jail

A child murderer has been killed in Worcestershire's Long Lartin Prison, the Ministry of Justice says.

Two prisoners are being held in police custody after the death of Subhan Anwar, who was jailed in 2009 for torturing and killing a two-year-old girl.

Anwar is understood to have been held hostage in his cell at the Category A jail before he was killed, according to the Press Association.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052592/child-murderer-subhan-anwar-killed-in-jail

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake LOMBOK REGION, INDONESIA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 10:42:51 UTC
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 06:42:51 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
8.686°S, 116.365°E
Depth
109.1 km (67.8 miles)
Region
LOMBOK REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
1 km (0 miles) SSW of Beson, Indonesia

'Starve society to impose unseen poverty': EU chiefs' way out of crisis

Neo-Nazis, anti-fascists & police clash in Dresden

Russian meteor: Spectacular dash cam video of meteorite fireball falling in Urals

Oscar Pistorius police statement: Previous alleged 'domestic incidents' at Oscar Pistorius' home

Russian meteor: Meteor explodes in flash of brilliant light over Russian Urals scattering meteorites

'EU striving to keep euro at all costs'

Tax the world: EU’s controversial ‘Tobin’ tax might take effect in 2014

The controversial ‘Tobin’ tax on financial transactions which could raise over $40 billion a year has been agreed upon by 11 EU member states.

The European Commission agreed a proposal for a financial transaction tax (FTT) to be introduced in eleven EU member states in 2014 despite wide spread opposition. The countries that supported the initiative are France, Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia. Together they make up roughly two-thirds of the EU's GDP.

Now the law needs to be unanimously ratified by the governments of the 11 members of the FTT zone.

http://rt.com/business/news/eu-transactions-tax-agreed-2014-292/

Mafia plotting to crash Serbian Air Force One – Interior Ministry

Mafia-linked criminal gangs have been trying to sabotage a Serbian government aircraft with the country's top officials on board, Serbia's Interior Ministry announced.

A special investigation has produced evidence that the mafia is planning to hire staff among the aircraft's maintenance personnel to set up a malfunction in the plane in the hopes of it crashing after takeoff. The aim of the mission, investigators believe, is to take out top government officials during an international trip.

The Serbian government employs two planes – a Falcon 50, made in 1981, and a Learjet 31A manufactured in 1991. The Falcon 50 remains the main choice of air travel for the head of state. In recent years, both aircraft repeatedly suffered minor and major faults that sometimes led to the disruption of Serbian leaders' foreign visits.

http://rt.com/news/serbia-government-plane-mafia-plot-267/

Russia: meteorite was intercepted by Missile air defenses

Russia’s Urals region has been rocked by a meteorite explosion in the stratosphere. The impact wave damaged several buildings, and blew out thousands of windows amid frigid winter weather. Hundreds are seeking medical attention for minor injuries.

According to unconfirmed reports, the meteorite was intercepted by an air defense unit at the Urzhumka settlement near Chelyabinsk. A missile salvo blew the meteorite to pieces at an altitude of 20 kilometers, local newspaper Znak reports quoting a source in the military.

Regnum news agency quoted a military source who claimed that the vapor condensation trail of the meteorite speaks to the fact that the meteorite was intercepted by air defenses.

http://rt.com/news/meteorite-crash-urals-chelyabinsk-283/

Russia Military Discovers 6 Meter Crater from Urals Meteorite

Chile: Red Alert Over Valparaiso Forest Fire

Chilean authorities have declared a red alert after a forest fire broke out in the port city of Valparaiso.

At least 70 homes have been destroyed and more than 500 families have been forced to evacuate.

The blaze broke out on the city's San Roque hill, some 75 miles northeast of the capital, Santiago.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052553/chile-red-alert-over-valparaiso-forest-fire

Oscar Pistorius: prosecutors say he premeditated the murder of his girlfriend

Olympic star Oscar Pistorius has broken down in tears as he appeared in court charged with murdering his girlfriend.

He stood before magistrate Desmond Nair with his head bowed as the charge was read out.

Prosecutors say they intend to prove that Pistorius is guilty of premeditated murder.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052489/oscar-pistorius-breaks-down-in-tears-in-court

Michael Le Vell Dropped by ITV following Child Abuse and Rape Charges

Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell will no longer appear in the soap after being charged with child sex offences.

Le Vell, who plays garage owner Kevin Webster in the ITV soap opera, is accused of 19 child sex offences, including child rape, and sexual activity with a child between 2001 and 2010, Greater Manchester Police said.

Le Vell, 48, a father-of-two whose real name is Michael Turner, will appear in court charged with the offences on February 27.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052421/itv-drops-corrie-star-after-child-sex-charges

Pipe Bomb Found Near School In Belfast

A pipe bomb has been discovered close to a primary school in north Belfast.

The device was found in the Forthriver Road area in the north of the city on Thursday afternoon, police said.

A suspicious object was discovered by a member of the public at about 3pm in a lane close to Forthriver Primary.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052578/pipe-bomb-found-near-school-in-belfast

Child Murderer Killed In Jail, 2 Arrested

A child murderer has been killed in Worcestershire's Long Lartin Prison, the Ministry of Justice says.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052592/two-held-after-child-murderer-killed-in-jail

Powerful winds from winter storm Nemo cause thousands of LOBSTERS to wash up onshore in Massachusetts

Thousands of lobsters were sent ashore on Nantasket Beach in Massachusetts during last week's freak blizzard. There were also skates, starfish, and clams littering the beach. Seagulls benefited from the weather the most, feasting themselves on the normally-elusive crustaceans and shellfish.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278999/Powerful-winds-weekends-Noreaster-caused-thousands-LOBSTERS-wash-onshore-Massachusetts.html

Brunon Kwiecien Investigation: Terrifying bomb arsenal of the would-be Breivik who 'killed his own mother when she found out about plan to blow up Polish parliament'

Police are investigating whether Brunon Kwiecien, who amassed tonnes of explosives and ammunition, right, murdered his mother Julita Kotas because she found out about his plans. College professor Kwiecien worshipped Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik and wanted to emulate his killing spree.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278711/Brunon-Kwiecien-Terrifying-bomb-arsenal-Breivik-plotted-blow-Polish-parliament.html

'It was like a scene from the Armageddon movie': More than 400 people injured, buildings smashed and Russian mobile network wiped out as meteorite shower causes widespread panic

Fragments of at least one meteorite fell in Satka, in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia, 900 miles east of Moscow and close to the Kazakhstan border, causing an explosion, left, and an arc of smoke to flash across the morning sky, above centre, at around 9:20am local time. An estimated 400 people are believed to be injured. three seriously, and the impact severely damaged the building of the Chelyabinsk State University, right. Images of the meteorite were also captured and posted to YouTube. At first some locals feared a UFO was landing, while scientists are investigating whether or not the strike is related to Asteroid 2012 DA14, which is due to skim the orbit of the Earth later today.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279020/It-like-scene-Armageddon-movie-More-500-people-injured-buildings-smashed-Russian-mobile-network-wiped-meteorite-shower-causes-widespread-panic.html

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA - 15th February 2013

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 06:23:02 UTC
Friday, February 15, 2013 at 05:23:02 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
67.771°N, 142.618°E
Depth
13.8 km (8.6 miles)
Region
NORTHEASTERN SAKHA, RUSSIA
Distances
123 km (76 miles) WSW of Druzhina, Serbia

Russia meteor strike linked to this evenings asteroid 2012 DA14?

Simon O’Toole, an astronomer at the Australian Astronomical Observatory, said he was “not so sure”.

It has been suggested that this is linked to 2012 DA14. I’m not so sure about this. It might be, but the universe is filled with a lot of unusual coincidences. As pointed out elsewhere, DA14 is still half a million kilometres away, travelling at 8km per second, for a start! Could it be part of the asteroid that has broken away and reached earth already? This seems unlikely to me.

He added that there was no confirmation that the meteorites had exploded: “so far the confirmed damage was almost certainly caused by a shock wave as the object broke the sound barrier”, he said

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/15/meteorite-explodes-over-russian-urals-live-updates

Pistorius hearing Postponed to Feb. 19, Pistorius to remain in custody

Meteorite Shower Hits Russia Injuring 500

More than 500 people have been injured after a meteor strike in central Russia, the country’s interior ministry said.

Fragments of at least one meteorite were seen falling from the morning sky in the Chelyabinsk region at around 9am local time, around 1,500km east of Moscow.

Witnesses described feeling a pressure wave and hearing explosions overhead as the object hurtled to earth. Windows shattered and there were localised power cuts, sparking panic among residents.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052514/meteorite-shower-hits-russia-injuring-500

Coming Crisis Update on Russian Meteor Strike

At present we can't verify the reports that various airbases across the United States are scrambling their craft outside of second hand reports. However, peculiarities are beginning to arise from this story including:

-- the rocket-like smoke trail
-- the smell of sulfer
-- the addition explosions/gunfire-like sounds
-- the tremendous number of Russian workers mobilized to handle this situation

We'll continue to observe this story and keep you posted. We'll sift through the fact and fiction.

In the mean time, email us instantly if you have any footage or additional news on this situation, especially if something is taking place in your area.

REPORTS COMING IN OF "AIRCRAFT SCRAMBLING" AT MOUNTAIN HOME AND JOINT FORCE CLYDE-LEWIS AIRBASES IN THE UNITED STATES; WORKING TO VERIFY

20,000 EMERGENCY WORKERS MOBILIZED IN RUSSIA FOR UNKNOWN PURPOSES: RUSSIAN NEWS

100 INJURIES REPORTED FROM METEOR BLAST: RUSSIAN NEWS

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL REPORT IN REGARDING METEOR STRIKE

Russian officials say a meteorite has fallen in the Chelyabinsk region some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of Moscow. A spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry, Vadim Kolesnikov, said the Friday morning fall caused a blast that broke windows. There were no immediate confirmed reports of injuries, but Russian news agencies cited unnamed sources as saying several people were injured at a school in a thinly populated part of the region, which is on the eastern edge of the Ural Mountains.

MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS TAKING PLACE FOLLOWING INITIAL METEOR IMPACT; MAY BE MORE INCOMING OBJECTS

"WINDOWS BLOWN OUT THROUGHOUT CITY", "RESIDENTS SUFFERING PRESSURE HEADACHES AND FATIGUE"

METEOR SHOWERS REPORTED IN THE SKIES ABOVE UTAH, GEORGIA, THROUGHOUT UNITED STATES

RUSSIAN METEORITE STRIKE CAUSES DAMAGE, SEVERAL INJURED: "CITY CURRENLY SMELLS LIKE GUNPOWDER"

FIVE SUPPOSED IMPACT ZONES, ONE "ROCK" CURRENTLY BEING RECOVERED ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN NEWS SOURCES

RUSSIAN MILITARY HAS SHOT DOWN OBJECT INCOMING FROM SPACE, POTENTIAL METEOR: MORE INCOMING INCOMING

MASSIVE EXPLOSION OVER RUSSIAN CITY CAUSED BY OBJECT FALLING FROM SPACE, POTENTIAL METEORITE STRIKE, CITY IN "FORTRESS MODE" AS AUTHORIES DECLARE EMERGENCY

IMPORTANT: IF YOU HAVE NEWS OR FOOTAGE OF OTHER METEORITE STRIKES OCCURRING AROUND THE WORLD, BE SURE TO INFORM US IMMEDIATELY AT THECOMINGCRISIS@GMAIL.COM. IF YOU WITNESS ANY PECULIAR BEHAVIOUR IN THE SKIES OR ON THE GROUND, NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY.

Sam Woodhead Found Alive In Australia

Missing British backpacker Sam Woodhead has been found alive in the Australian outback.

http://news.sky.com/story/1052459/backpacker-sam-woodhead-found-alive-in-australia