Weasel words: Clegg insisted he didn't know about sex allegations against peer but now admits he ordered probe FIVE YEARS ago into 'non specific' claims

Nick Clegg (right) was accused of a 'classic cover-up' last night after admitting he has known for five years that Lord Rennard (left) faced claims of molesting women. In a stunning about-face, Mr Clegg said he asked his chief of staff, Danny Alexander, to probe 'concerns about Chris Rennard's conduct' in 2008. The Deputy Prime Minister conceded he accepted the denials of the then Lib Dem chief executive at face value and allowed him to retire on health grounds a year later.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283916/Weasel-words-Nick-Clegg-insisted-didnt-know-sex-allegations-Lord-Rennard.html

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 25th February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 03:52:34 UTC
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 12:52:34 PM at epicenter
Location
37.663°N, 141.889°E
Depth
22.2 km (13.8 miles)
Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
110 km (68 miles) NE (53°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan

N Korea 'to destroy' US, Kim-III visits drill

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen a military drill, state media said Saturday, his third such inspection in as many days as tensions run high following Pyongyang’s third nuclear test.

Accompanied by top military commanders, Kim watched a flight exercise and a paratrooping drill by the Korean People’s Army, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. “He called on the KPA service personnel to put spurs to making preparations for going into action, keeping themselves at maximum alert at all times. “Once the enemies make a provocation, you should give full play to the inexhaustible combat capability to deal deadly blows at them ... and blow up their strongholds of aggression,” he was quoted as saying by KCNA.

The state news agency did not to give the date of the visit but it was believed Kim’s latest trip was on Friday. KCNA said Friday Kim had also inspected a tactical attack exercise combined with live shell firing. On Thursday, KCNA reported he had visited KPA Unit 323, which is believed to be an anti-air missile unit.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/24-Feb-2013/n-korea-to-destroy-us-kim-iii-visits-drill

Cyclone Rusty intensifies to Category Two - North West on alert

On Tuesday gales could extend as far west as Mardie and inland towards Marble Bar and Millstream.

"Further intensification is likely as the cyclone approaches the coast on Monday and Tuesday and there is a high risk that Rusty will cross the coast a severe tropical cyclone.

However, the slow motion of the cyclone means that the crossing time and location is uncertain.

"Rusty is a large tropical cyclone and its slow movement is likely to result in higher than usual rainfall in the Pilbara and western Kimberley. Very heavy rainfall is expected in near coastal parts of the eastern Pilbara and western Kimberley on Monday.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/cyclone-warning-for-coastal-wa/story-e6frg6n6-1226584443907

Merkel Calls for New Talks With Turkey on EU Role

German Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled movement in stalled negotiations over Turkey's bid for membership in the European Union ahead of a two-day visit for political talks in Ankara, illustrating that growing concern about Turkey's political drift away from the West could help Germany and France overcome their opposition to allowing Turkey into the 27-nation bloc.

The German leader embarks on Sunday for two days of talks with Turkish leaders and businesses, and a visit to German troops stationed on the border to Syria as part of air-defense units deployed to protect North Atlantic Treaty Organization partner Turkey from rocket attacks from within Syria. In her weekly podcast, Ms. Merkel said she remains skeptical about the outcome of EU membership talks with Turkey, which began in 2005, and have been stalled over a bitter dispute between Turkey and Greece over the status of the divided island Cyprus. Despite the huge obstacles, Ms. Merkel called for restarting talks with Ankara.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323864304578321813395518822.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Morsi's call for vote won't calm Egypt's streets

Egypt's streets are turning into a daily forum for airing a range of social discontents from labor conditions to fuel shortages and the casualties of myriad clashes over the past two years.

Parliamentary elections called over the weekend by the Islamist president hold out little hope for plucking the country out of the turmoil. If anything, the race is likely to fuel more unrest and push Egypt closer to economic collapse.

"The street has a life of its own and it has little to do with elections. It is about people wanting to make a living or make ends meet," said Emad Gad, a prominent analyst and a former lawmaker.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/24/egypts-vote-turbulent-streets/1944757/

Navy finds underwater ‘Grand Canyon’

An underwater “Grand Canyon” has been discovered in images captured by a Royal Navy survey vessel.

HMS Enterprise found the 250m-deep canyon in the Red Sea during a nine-month mission to improve understanding of the waters east of Suez. The 3D images were created after the vessel left the Egyptian port of Safaga and were made using a multibeam echo sounder.

Derek Rae, commanding officer of HMS Enterprise, said: “These features could be the result of ancient rivers scouring through the rock strata before the Red Sea flooded millennia ago.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/navy-finds-underwater-grand-canyon-8508642.html

Nick Clegg admits: I DID know about sex claims against Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard...for THREE YEARS!!

The gravest crisis of Nick Clegg's tenure as Liberal Democrat leader deepened last night after he admitted he was aware of “non-specific” allegations that a senior party official had sexually harassed women. Despite days of denying knowledge of the claims, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed that “indirect and non-specific concerns” about Lord Rennard's conduct had been passed to his office – but he insisted he had not known about detailed allegations that surfaced last week.

His admission plunged the party into turmoil just three days before the Eastleigh by-election, where it had been confident of victory until the dramatic new twist of events.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nick-clegg-admits-i-did-know-about-sex-claims-against-liberal-democrat-peer-lord-rennard-8508402.html

Topless protesters attempt to confront Berlusconi at polling station

South Korea's new president demands North drop nuclear ambitions

South Korea's new president Park Geun-hye urged North Korea on Monday to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and to stop wasting its scarce resources on arms development, less than two weeks after the country carried out its third nuclear test.

Park, 61, the daughter of South Korea's former military ruler Park Chung-hee, is the first female president of prosperous South Korea and one of her campaign promises was to engage with the North if it halted its nuclear weapons plans.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/25/us-korea-politics-park-idUSBRE91O02Y20130225

Pound 'At Risk' After AAA Credit Rating Blow

Global financial markets are to deliver their first response to the decision of a major credit agency to strip the UK of its prized AAA credit rating today.

Senior Conservatives have rallied round Chancellor George Osborne in the wake of the decision by agency Moody's, predicting it will have little impact on the Government's borrowing costs.

But there are fears that sterling will be hit hard in the wake of the news.

http://news.sky.com/story/1056445/pound-at-risk-after-aaa-credit-rating-blow

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 25th February 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 02:59:43 UTC
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 02:59:43 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
15.359°S, 176.470°W
Depth
60.3 km (37.5 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
217 km (134 miles) ESE of Sigave, Wallis and Futuna

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF ALASKA - 25th February 2013

Magnitude mb 5.2
Region SOUTH OF ALASKA
Date time 2013-02-25 00:22:11.0 UTC
Location 47.92 N ; 153.82 W
Depth 33 km
Distances 1503 km S Anchorage , Alaska

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS - 25th February 2013

Magnitude
5.2
Date-Time
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 00:13:51 UTC
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 12:13:51 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
32.445°S, 178.128°W
Depth
45.7 km (28.4 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
Distances
133 km (82 miles) SSE of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFF COAST OF HOKKAIDO, JAPAN - 24th February 2013

Magnitude M 5.6
Region OFF COAST OF HOKKAIDO, JAPAN
Date time 2013-02-24 21:02:31.5 UTC
Location 41.48 N ; 147.30 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 250 km SE Nemuro , Hokkaido, Japan

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 20:54:04 UTC
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 08:54:04 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
32.176°S, 178.058°W
Depth
9.9 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
Distances
114 km (70 miles) SE of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand

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.

George Carlin on Soft Language (A lesson in propaganda)

Clegg 'Knew Of Concerns About Lord Rennard' for THREE YEARS!....

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg was "made aware of concerns and unease around Lord Rennard" more than three years ago, Sky sources say.

Several women have accused the party's former chief executive of inappropriately touching and propositioning female party workers, which he strenuously denies.

According to Sky sources, Mr Clegg did not know any names or specific allegations.

http://news.sky.com/story/1056342/clegg-knew-of-concerns-about-lord-rennard

Outrage as high school students are caught on camera wearing Ku-Klux-Klan hoods and robes to North Dakota state hockey clash

Three students were photographed in KKK hoods at a High School hockey clash on Friday night. The North Dakota Red River High School fans managed to sneak the racist costumes into the stadium but were caught on camera wearing the hoods. They and their parents have since been contacted by the school.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283537/Outrage-high-school-students-caught-camera-wearing-Ku-Klux-Klan-hoods-robes-North-Dakota-state-hockey-clash.html

Subway horror as 'drunk' man's legs are sliced off after he falls onto the tracks in NY

A man described as Hispanic and in his 40s was allegedly drunk as he fell onto the tracks at a Bronx station at 9.30pm last night. Firefighters, pictured, saved the victim but he lost both his legs after being crushed under a D-train at 161 Street-Yankee Stadium, inset. It comes after three fatalities on the tracks this week. He is currently being treated at Lincoln Hospital.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283757/Middle-aged-man-legs-sliced-Saturday-night-New-York-subway-train-drunkenly-falling-tracks.html

Takeover & Torture: Police brutality levels back to days of dictatorship in Egypt

Syrian opposition reports former nuclear site capture

Syrian rebels have captured the site of a suspected nuclear reactor near the Euphrates river which Israeli warplanes destroyed six years ago, opposition sources in eastern Syria said on Sunday.

Al-Kubar site, around 60 km (35 miles) west of the city of Deir al-Zor, became a focus of international attention when Israel raided it in 2007. The United States said the complex was a North Korean-designed nuclear reactor geared to making weapons-grade plutonium.

Omar Abu Laila a spokesman for the Eastern Joint Command of the Free Syrian Army said the only building rebels found at the site was a hangar containing at least one Scud missile.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-syria-crisis-nuclear-idUSBRE91N0A420130224

Four shot dead in Bangladesh bloggers protest

Islamists demanding the execution of bloggers they accuse of blasphemy clashed with police in Bangladesh for a third straight day Sunday, and at least four protesters were killed when police opened fire.

Up to 3,000 protesters, including students from religious schools known as madrassas and supporters of the main opposition party, barricaded a highway at Singair in the central district of Manikganj, police said.

"They attacked us with machetes, sticks, bricks and firearms from three sides when we tried to clear the barricade. We fired back in self-defence," Mizanur Rahman, deputy police chief of Manikganj, told AFP, adding at least 40 people were injured including policemen.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jIm0HSlaIm-HSExxm39FBoTgj2Ow?docId=CNG.7b0ca89e83d5ae19454cde6898838762.701

Karzai orders US special forces out of Afghan province

The Afghan president has ordered US special forces to leave Wardak province within two weeks.

The decision was being taken due to allegations of disappearances and torture by Afghans considered to be part of US special forces, said a spokesman for Hamid Karzai.

The strategically significant, central province of Wardak has been the recent focus of counter-insurgency operations.

A US statement said it took all allegations of misconduct seriously.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21566295

Merkel visits German troops operating Patriots in Turkey

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting German troops deployed to operate Patriot missile batteries in Turkey.

The Patriots were sent to Turkey, a NATO member, to protect it from spillover from Syria's civil war.

Merkel's two-day visit comes as Turkey grows increasingly frustrated over the slow progress in its bid for European Union membership. Before arriving Sunday, Merkel said she backs opening a new chapter in those stalled talks, despite being skeptical about Turkey's accession.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_DbLnYBAoF8pnUqoUy-K1jrXBKQ?docId=7ecb989398dc413d873c4939ab90c2f8

Death of Palestinian prisoner fans violence in West Bank

The unexplained death of a Palestinian prisoner held in Israeli custody fanned violent clashes across the West Bank over the weekend, and calls from the Palestinian Authority (PA) for an international investigation.

According to Shin Bet intelligence sources quoted in the Hebrew media, Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old father-of-two, was arrested on 18 February in relation to a stone-throwing incident in November, during which an Israeli was lightly injured. Aside from an old back injury inflicted by a tear-gas canister, his relatives insist he was healthy when he was arrested.

Just a few days later, he died in Megiddo Prison. According to officials at the Israeli prison service, the most probable cause of death was cardiac arrest.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/24/violence-west-bank-custody-death

Long-lost continent found under the Indian Ocean

The drowned remnants of an ancient microcontinent may lie scattered beneath the waters between Madagascar and India, a new study suggests.

Evidence for the long-lost land comes from Mauritius, a volcanic island about 900 kilometres east of Madagascar. The oldest basalts on the island date to about 8.9 million years ago, says Bjørn Jamtveit, a geologist at the University of Oslo. Yet grain-by-grain analyses of beach sand that Jamtveit and his colleagues collected at two sites on the Mauritian coast revealed around 20 zircons — tiny crystals of zirconium silicate that are exceedingly resistant to erosion or chemical change — that were far older.

The zircons had crystallized within granites or other igneous rocks at least 660 million years ago, says Jamtveit. One of these zircons was at least 1.97 billion years old.

http://www.nature.com/news/long-lost-continent-found-under-the-indian-ocean-1.12487

MC Hammer Slams Police After California Arrest

MC Hammer has taken to Twitter to speak out about his arrest by California police on suspicion of obstructing an officer.

The 1990s rapper, who was later released on bail, suggested in a series of tweets that he had been the victim of racial profiling.

MC Hammer was held on Thursday evening in the car park of a shopping centre in Dublin, northern California.

http://news.sky.com/story/1056284/mc-hammer-slams-police-after-california-arrest

The USDA’s Organic Deception

Organic is organic, or is it? It would seem that it is all a matter of perspective when one takes a stroll through the mountains of documents on the FDA and USDA websites.

The word “organic” is fast becoming a high-dollar money-maker for corporations smart enough to jump on the bandwagon and start marketing their products as “made with organic ingredients,” or “certified organic.” Even Monsanto is taking advantage of this burgeoning market, and people naïve enough to believe that what we have traditionally thought of as pure, organic food, is still that way, are being duped.

It makes perfect sense, however, in a Machiavellian sort of way. Flood the food supply with poisons, then lead people to believe that the only safe choice left is USDA Certified Organic. Then buy up the organic companies one by one, and start changing the “organic” rules from the inside out via the bought and paid for government agencies so that you can reap the profits from those trying to escape the poisons.

http://farmwars.info/?p=4913

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SALTA, ARGENTINA - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 16:43:38 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 01:43:38 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
24.150°S, 66.934°W
Depth
170 km (105.6 miles)
Region
SALTA, ARGENTINA
Distances
62 km (38 miles) W of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 16:40:22 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 01:40:22 PM at epicenter
Location
31.244°S, 68.466°W
Depth
92.6 km (57.5 miles)
Region
SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA
Distances
34 km (21 miles) N (8°) from San Juan, Argentina

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN XIZANG-INDIA BORDER REGION - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.0
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 15:16:42 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 11:16:42 PM at epicenter
Location
29.945°N, 94.950°E
Depth
35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
Region
EASTERN XIZANG-INDIA BORDER REGION
Distances
257 km (160 miles) WSW (239°) from Qamdo, Xizang (Tibet)

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 14:51:20 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 11:51:20 PM at epicenter
Location
7.431°S, 128.628°E
Depth
142.4 km (88.5 miles)
Region
KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA
Distances
308 km (191 miles) W (281°) from Saumlaki, Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 14:36:16 UTC
Monday, February 25, 2013 at 02:36:16 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
24.970°S, 177.623°W
Depth
234.9 km (146.0 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances
476 km (295 miles) N of Raoul Island, New Zealand

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 14:33:19 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 08:33:19 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
11.040°N, 91.988°E
Depth
4.2 km (2.6 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region
ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
Distances
107 km (66 miles) SW of Bamboo Flat, India

3.5 Magnitude Earthquake NEVADA - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
3.5
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 14:13:21 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 06:13:21 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
38.030°N, 118.062°W
Depth
11.4 km (7.1 miles)
Region
NEVADA
Distances
26 km (16 miles) S (174°) from Tonopah Junction, NV

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake EAST TIMOR REGION - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 13:01:58 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 09:01:58 PM at epicenter
Location
8.529°S, 127.380°E
Depth
35.5 km (22.1 miles)
Region
EAST TIMOR REGION
Distances
198 km (123 miles) E (88°) from DILI, East Timor

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN KAI, INDONESIA - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.1
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 11:27:46 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 08:27:46 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
5.025°S, 132.885°E
Depth
71.5 km (44.4 miles)
Region
KEPULAUAN KAI, INDONESIA
Distances
73 km (45 miles) NNE of Tual, Indonesia

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake LUZON, PHILIPPINES - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 10:23:21 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 06:23:21 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
14.790°N, 120.044°E
Depth
74.4 km (46.2 miles)
Region
LUZON, PHILIPPINES
Distances
18 km (11 miles) SSW of San Nicolas, Philippines

Mother-of-11 having her own 'benefits mansion' being built for her spent hundreds hiring fairground carousel for her children ....No wonder our Country is Screwed!

A benefits-claiming mother-of-11 who is moving into a taxpayer-funded mansion hired a private fairground ride worth hundreds of pounds for one of her children, it has been revealed.

Jobless Heather Frost, who has never done a day's work in her life, is said to have bragged to friends on social media about the extravagant treat, which she bought in the summer of 2011.

Miss Frost, 37, who is to be handed the keys to a so-called 'eco-home' later this year big enough to house her huge brood, managed to fund the party despite living on hand-outs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283691/Heather-Frost--Mother-11-having-benefits-mansion-built-spent-hundreds-hiring-fairground-carousel.html

Naomi Oni Acid Attack Self Inflicted?

Naomi Oni, 20, left, was left with horrific injuries following the incident which happened as she left work at the end of last year. But police are understood to have taken her laptop and are said to have discovered that she had searched the internet for websites about acid attacks before she received her injuries. Searches are said to include material on Katie Piper, right, the model who was scarred in an acid attack in 2008

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283673/Naomi-Oni-Police-seize-injured-womans-laptop-amid-claims-researched-similar-incidents-attack.html

Letter to the Controllers of Europe

Scent of Victory: Israel, Gaza at war of symbols over rocket-themed souvenirs

Deep sea fishing: Subsidising waste and bankruptcy at taxpayer expense

De-industrialisation is a consequence of EU energy policy

Horsemeat scandal: EU's litany of failure finally reaching British public

'German' Jihadist Fighting in Homs, Syria

France says drug-tainted horsemeat likely in food chain....Germans Say...Feed it to the Poor!

Islamist Extremists Training in Syria

Tunisians protest against appointment of new Prime minister‎

Clean up in Gao after fierce battle

Bulgarian crisis ill omen for emerging Europe

The violent protests that forced Bulgaria's cabinet from power this week underscore the lose-lose situation facing the European Union's newest members as they struggle to stop economic downturn and stem growing public anger.

Ruling parties which stick with strict austerity programs to win investor trust risk being bounced from power by voters fed up with cost cutting and tax hikes.

Governments which loosen the fiscal screws or try unconventional ways to rebuild support before elections may alienate investors and invite more pain down the road.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/21/us-bulgaria-easteurope-idUSBRE91K0TO20130221

Italians vote in crucial election for euro zone

Italians began voting on Sunday in one of the most closely watched elections in years, with markets nervous about whether it can produce a strong government to pull Italy out of recession and help resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

Some of the first people to cast their ballots expressed fears that no clear winner would emerge, leading to political stalemate and a coalition that may not govern for long.

"I think we will have to go to elections again ... I expect instability for the next two years," said Vincenzo D'Ouria, voting in Milan.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-italy-vote-idUSBRE91M0EB20130224

Ammar Harris Wanted for the Las Vegas shooting

Police have named a prime suspect in a Las Vegas shooting that killed a rapper and led to the deaths of two other people.

Ammar Harris, 26, is being sought in connection with the attack following the discovery of a Range Rover.

The vehicle is believed to have been used in the shooting that killed aspiring rapper Kenny Clutch, 27, who was driving his Maserati down the city's main boulevard.

http://news.sky.com/story/1056259/las-vegas-crash-suspect-named-after-shooting

3.0 Magnitude Earthquake SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
3.0
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 09:55:54 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 01:55:54 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.561°N, 121.956°W
Depth
6.6 km (4.1 miles)
Region
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
Distances
3 km (2 miles) NE (50°) from Fremont, CA

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake COLOMBIA-ECUADOR BORDER REGION - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 09:00:00 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 04:00:00 AM at epicenter
Location
0.975°N, 78.502°W
Depth
9 km (5.6 miles)
Region
COLOMBIA-ECUADOR BORDER REGION
Distances
98 km (61 miles) SSE (163°) from Tumaco, Colombia

Massive green 'fireball' blazes across California sky in another too-close-for-comfort meteor shower

Hundreds of Californians reported seeing a bright light streak across the sky late Thursday in what officials believe was a meteor shower.

Several witnesses described the 10:35 p.m. sighting as a 'green fireball,' while others said it appeared white and some even said they saw streaks of blue.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283311/Massive-green-fireball-blazes-California-sky-meteor-shower.html

Obama sends 100 troops to build new drone base in West Africa to target Al Qaeda

President Barack Obama said Friday that about 100 American troops have been deployed to the African nation of Niger.

Two U.S. defense officials said the troops would be setting up a base for unarmed drones to conduct surveillance.

Obama announced the deployment in a letter to Congress, saying that the forces 'will provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali, and with other partners in the region.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283346/Obama-builds-new-drone-base-West-Africa-combat-spread-Al-Qaeda.html

Nigerian president 'spent $1million of aid money on Beyoncé festival'

The Nigerian president spent $1million of aid money to entice international popstars such as Beyonce and Jay-Z to perform at a music festival in the poverty-stricken country, a media source reported.

A letter stamped and signed by Bayelsa State officials in 2006 revealed that President Goodluck Jonathan, then the Governor of the state, released 150million Nigerian Nairas from the state’s poverty alleviation fund for the inaugural ThisDay Music Festival in the city of Lagos in 2006, according to SaharaReporters.

The document surfaced after reality TV star Kim Kardashian was reportedly paid $500,000 (£329,695) for a fleeting appearance in Lagos last week, angering Nigerian commentators.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283453/Nigerian-president-spent-1million-aid-money-meant-poverty-stricken-country-star-studded-festival-featuring-Beyonc-Jay-Z.html

Bombshell email: Nick Clegg was told of Lib Dem sex scandal four years ago

Nick Clegg knew more than four years ago that a top Liberal Democrat official had been accused of molesting women, a bombshell email claims.

The Deputy Prime Minister has always denied knowing about the allegations – that former party chief Chris Rennard had groped a string of female activists – until hours before they were broadcast by Channel 4 on Thursday evening.

But this appears to be contradicted by the details of an exchange on Facebook, sent via the social networking site’s private messaging service, written in January 2009 by one of the women who came forward to Channel 4. It includes the line: ‘I just don’t know how Nick can know and not do anything... :-( makes me very sad.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283489/Bombshell-email-Nick-Clegg-told-Lib-Dem-sex-scandal-years-ago.html

West Bank: Palestinians hurt by live fire

At least one Palestinian hurt by live fire during clashes in village of Kusra, hospitalized in serious condition. Palestinians say settlers fired live rounds; IDF denies soldiers used weapons

Tough clashes broke out Saturday between dozens of settlers and Palestinians in the village of Kusra south of Nablus.

Three Palestinians were hurt including one who sustained serious injuries to his abdomen, apparently as a result of the use of live ammo. Another sustained moderate wounds, also by live fire according to Palestinians.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4348397,00.html

'Civil war' erupts in Bangladesh; 4 killed

Parts of Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, turned into a battlefield when members of the Jamaat Shibir, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, clashed with the police after the Friday afternoon prayers. Hundreds have been injured with four people killed in the violence that erupted across the country.

The main target of the planned protest marches by 12 Islamic organisations who have accused the government and the media of targeting the Jamaat, were mediapersons.

In Dhaka, police and television camera personnel were attacked with bricks and stones by people inside the capital’s main Baitul Mukarram mosque, a mob proceeding to torch vehicles outside. Members of the Jamaat Shibir vandalised Dhaka University and various Martyrs’ Day memorial structures in cities across Bangladesh. Martyrs’ Day was celebrated on February 21 commemorating the start of the independence movement from Pakistan in 1952.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/bangladesh/Civil-war-erupts-in-Bangladesh-4-killed/Article1-1015880.aspx

Iran says it has brought down another foreign spy drone

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have brought down a foreign surveillance drone during a military exercise, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said on Saturday.

"We have managed to bring down a drone of the enemy. This has happened before in our country," the agency quoted war games spokesman General Hamid Sarkheli as saying in Kerman, southeast Iran, where the military exercise is taking place.

The agency gave no details on who the drone belonged to.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-iran-drones-idUSBRE91N00A20130224

Iran announces uranium finds and power plant expansion

Iran says it has found major new uranium deposits and is planning to expand its nuclear power programme.

It said 16 sites had been identified as suitable for the construction of new power plants over the next 15 years.

Iran said the find - which has not been independently confirmed - would treble the size of known uranium deposits.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21559861

North Korea: A nuclear 7-Eleven

Experts differ about the scale and immediacy of the military threat posed by North Korea’s latest nuclear test, but there is little disagreement about the alarming proliferation risks it presents.

The most pressing concern is that cash-strapped North Korea will become a one-stop shop, selling nuclear material, technology and even weapons to other countries, terror groups, or states seen as sponsoring terror.

And there is also a fear that the North’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes will prompt others in the region to reconsider their non-nuclear status, causing the entire non-proliferation regime to unravel.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-161480-North-Korea:-A-nuclear-7-Eleven

Dengue mosquitoes now immune to repellants

Dengue-transmitting mosquitoes have become immune to the world's most commonly used insect repellent. British scientists have found that mosquitoes are able to ignore the smell of the insect repellent DEET for up to three hours after being exposed to it.

Although most insects are strongly repelled by the smell of DEET, studies led by Dr James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have shown that some flies and mosquitoes carry a genetic change in their odour receptors that makes them insensitive to the smell. DEET was developed by the US military during jungle warfare in World War II.


The scientists tested changes in responses to DEET in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are notorious for biting during the day and are capable of transmitting dengue fever and yellow fever viruses.

They found that a brief exposure to DEET was sufficient to make some mosquitoes less sensitive to the repellent.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-02-23/science/37257181_1_deet-dengue-mosquitoes-dengue-fever

Syrian opposition to boycott international talks

Protesting the lack of global condemnation for atrocities in Syria, the country’s main opposition coalition said Saturday it would not attend upcoming talks in Italy, Russia and the United States.

“Due to this shameful international position, the coalition has decided to suspend its participation in the Friends of Syria Conference of international powers due in Rome on Thursday and talks in Russia and the U.S.,” the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces said.

The boycott decision came a day after dozens of people were reportedly killed in a missile attack by troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against a residential area in the northern city of Aleppo. (but let's not mention the 50 + civilians the rebels killed with their car bomb)

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/syrian-opposition-to-boycott-international-talks/article4448837.ece

UK AAA rating will take at least 10 years to regain

Confronted by rising debt and sluggish economic growth, George Osborne is licking his wounds this weekend after the humiliating loss of the UK's AAA credit rating.

The Chancellor has long pointed to the fact that the world's biggest credit-rating agencies maintained their top-notch assessment of the British economy as an endorsement of his austerity programme.

That all changed late on Friday. Moody's reduced the country's credit-worthiness for the first time since its ratings began in 1978.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/aaa-rating-will-take-at-least-10-years-to-regain-8508355.html

Radiation leak at U.S. nuclear facility

Ten-car crash at Daytona sends debris into crowd

Spanish Austerity protest ends in clashes

Bomber killed near Afghan capital's diplomatic zone: police

Afghan security forces shot dead at least one would-be suicide bomber on Sunday in a high-security area of Kabul, home to government departments and diplomatic missions, police said.

Violence across the country has increased over the last 12 months, sparking concern about how the 350,000-strong Afghan security forces will manage once most foreign troops withdraw by the end of 2014.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-afghanistan-attack-idUSBRE91N02Z20130224

Analysis: The near impossible battle against hackers everywhere

Dire warnings from Washington about a "cyber Pearl Harbor" envision a single surprise strike from a formidable enemy that could destroy power plants nationwide, disable the financial system or cripple the U.S. government.

But those on the front lines say it isn't all about protecting U.S. government and corporate networks from a single sudden attack. They report fending off many intrusions at once from perhaps dozens of countries, plus well-funded electronic guerrillas and skilled criminals.

Security officers and their consultants say they are overwhelmed. The attacks are not only from China, which Washington has long accused of spying on U.S. companies, many emanate from Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Western countries. Perpetrators range from elite military units to organized criminal rings to activist teenagers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-cybersecurity-battle-idUSBRE91N03520130224

New South Wales: THOUSANDS CUT OFF AS RIVERS PEAK

Thousands of residents on the New South Wales north coast remain cut off by floodwaters, though the worst of the crisis appears to be over.

Flood warnings are in place for 15 river systems from Sydney to the Queensland border.

Two people are confirmed dead as a result of the flooding, caused by a slow-moving low pressure system that has made its way down the eastern coast over the past few days.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/latest/a/-/latest/16217426/rivers-cut-off-thousands-as-floods-begin-to-peak/

FREAK STORMS DAMAGE HUNDREDS OF HOMES IN SYDNEY

Hundreds of homes have been damaged by a freak weather system that tore a path of destruction through parts of Sydney and the Illawarra region last night.

The Bureau of Meteorology says two heavy weather systems met in a narrow band along the east coast.

The result was heavy rain and winds gusting close to 100 kilometres an hour, causing major damage, but only in a handful of suburbs.

Narrellan in the south and Malabar in the south-east, as well as Kiama in the Illawarra, were hit hard.

The SES says it received more than 1,000 calls for help from the greater Sydney region.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/latest/a/-/latest/16217844/freak-storms-damage-hundreds-of-homes/

SMALL QUAKE SHAKES VICTORIA

There have been no reports of damage from an earth tremor in Moe in Victoria's south-east.

The magnitude 2.6 earthquake happened about 2:45am (AEDT).

Geoscience Australia's senior seismologist Jonathan Bathgate says the epicentre was about 20 kilometres south of the town at a depth of 33 kilometres.

"A 2.6 is not a large earthquake but is certainly one that can be felt by people quite near to the epicentre," he said.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/latest/a/-/latest/16217526/small-quake-shakes-victoria/

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.4
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 05:07:30 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 09:37:30 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
36.453°N, 70.305°E
Depth
217.1 km (134.9 miles)
Region
HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
Distances
42 km (26 miles) ESE of Farkhar, Afghanistan

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 24th February 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 04:55:19 UTC
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 01:55:19 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
36.991°N, 140.619°E
Depth
56.7 km (35.2 miles)
Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
23 km (14 miles) SE of Ishikawa, Japan

Daytona Crash Injures 29

At least 28 fans and one driver were injured after a 10-car crash at the Daytona Speedway when debris flew into the crowd.

The pile-up appeared to begin at the end of the Nationwide NASCAR race when racer Regan Smith was turned sideways and took several competitors behind him in a pack.

Competitor Kyle Larson's car was sent airborne and then careered into the catch-fencing, tearing a hole in the fence while his engine sheared off with at least one tyre and other debris flying into the stands.

He climbed out of the wreckage afterwards unscathed.

http://news.sky.com/story/1056162/ten-car-crash-at-daytona-track-injures-29

Pistorius Brother To Stand Trial Over Woman's Death

The brother of Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is facing charges over the death of a woman in a car crash in 2010, Sky News has learned.

Carl Pistorius, who was present in court over the past week to support Oscar, is charged with culpable homicide over the alleged accidental death of a female motorcyclist.

His lawyer, who also represents Oscar Pistorius, confirmed the charges to Sky's Alex Crawford.

Carl Pistorius appeared in court just two days before his brother's bail hearing last week.

http://news.sky.com/story/1056214/pistorius-brother-to-stand-trial-over-death

Massive crash at NASCAR injures 29, 14 sent to hospital as shrapnel bombards audience