Stockpile: DHS announces second $4.5 million gun purchase in less than a week

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted details of a no bid contract with weapons manufacturer Sig Sauer, worth $4.5 million over the next five years.

The contract is identical to the one DHS announced last week with Heckler & Koch.

Both contracts are for $900,000 worth of "replacement parts" a year, for weapons used by DHS agents.

While it is hard to imagine how or why a domestic agency could anticipate firing their weapons enough over the next five years to need $1.8 million annually in replacement parts, the DHS documents clearly state their need to "stock sufficient quantities of parts needed to fulfill the quantities of parts anticipated to be ordered."

In April 2012, DHS purchased $143,000 worth of submachine guns from Heckler & Koch.

http://www.examiner.com/article/stockpile-dhs-announces-second-4-5-million-gun-purchase-less-than-a-week

Argentinian Cardinal Bergoglio Elected As Pope

The 76-year-old will be known as Pope Francis I and appeared on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to cheers from tens of thousands of the gathered faithful.

Addressing the crowds, he acknowledged his status as the first ever non-European pope, saying he comes from the "other end of the world".

He also conducted a prayer for 'pope emeritus' - former pontiff Benedict XVI - who he is thought to have been runner-up to at the last conclave in 2005.

http://news.sky.com/story/1064177/new-pope-cardinal-bergoglio-elected

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is Pope Francis

ObamaCare Tax Increases Are Double Original Estimate

The Joint Committee on Taxation recently released a 96 page report on the tax provisions associated with Affordable Care Act. The report describes the 21 tax increases included in Obamacare, totaling $1.058 trillion – a steep increase from initial assessment, according to the Tax Prof Blog. The summer 2012 estimate is nearly twice the $569 billion estimate produced at the time of the passage of the law in March 2010.

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/tax-prof-obamacare-tax-increases-are.html

‘North Korean’ propaganda video shows dystopian America Clip claims US citizens eat birds, live off snow and shelter in tents

Obama: I Didn't do it......Secret Service and Congress to Blame for the Cancellation of White House Tours

President Obama says he's not the one who canceled the White House tours. He made the comments in an interview with ABC News.

"[O]ne more question about the spending cuts," said the interviewer from ABC News. "You’ve been takin’ a lotta heat for this cancellation of the White House tours. They get– the Secret Service says it’s costs about $74,000 a week. Was canceling them really necessary?"

"You know, I have to say this was not– a decision that went up to the White House. But th– what the Secret Service explained to us was that they’re gonna have to furlough some folks. What furloughs mean is– is that people lose a day of work and a day of pay," Obama said, in response.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-i-didnt-cancel-wh-tours-secret-service-and-congress-blame_707546.html

UFOs described as military-style aircraft puzzle FL residents.

Some Marion County residents have reported seeing unidentified flying objects in the skies over Ocala.

The UFO has been described as military-style aircraft, according to residents.

Eyewitnesses said the aircraft looked like a bunch of helicopters flying in formation with a large plane.

The mystery aircraft were most recently spotted Monday between 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., witnesses said.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/UFOs-puzzle-Ocala-residents/-/1637132/19294910/-/j9j961/-/index.html

Eileen Hart Arrested for Reciting Constitution at Tax Meeting

Police in Clayton, New Jersey, confiscated two guns from a woman after she complained about county government moving to raise her property taxes and inspect her property without a search warrant.

Eileen Hart of Franklin Township was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and harassing officials from the Gloucester County Office of Assessment and Appraisal Systems, Inc.

http://www.infowars.com/new-jersey-woman-arrested-for-reciting-constitution-at-tax-meeting/

Obama to let spy agencies scour Americans' finances

The Obama administration is drawing up plans to give all U.S. spy agencies full access to a massive database that contains financial data on American citizens and others who bank in the country, according to a Treasury Department document seen by Reuters.

The proposed plan represents a major step by U.S. intelligence agencies to spot and track down terrorist networks and crime syndicates by bringing together financial databanks, criminal records and military intelligence. The plan, which legal experts say is permissible under U.S. law, is nonetheless likely to trigger intense criticism from privacy advocates.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-us-to-let-spy-agencies-scour-americans-finances-20130313,0,2719682.story

White Smoke As New Pope Elected At Vatican

White smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel after cardinals choose a new leader of the Catholic church.

http://news.sky.com/story/1064177/new-pope-white-smoke-in-vatican-city

THE NEW POPE HAS BEEN SELECTED -- INFORMATION INCOMING

Danny Nightingale: Wins Gun Conviction Appeal

SAS sniper Danny Nightingale has won an appeal against a conviction for illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition.

Sergeant Nightingale's barrister told three appeal judges that the soldier was put under "improper pressure" to plead guilty.

The judges agreed, quashing the convictions and ordering a retrial after a hearing in London.

http://news.sky.com/story/1063794/danny-nightingale-wins-gun-conviction-appeal

Paying Just $11 a Day, Subcontractors Ripping Off Fukushima Nuclear Accident Decontamination Workers

The Tokyo Shimbun has discovered that workers involved with national government controlled cleanup projects resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are being ripped off by subcontractors.

Despite being able to rent lodging facilities from the government and others for free or for very little money, contractors forcibly deduct inflated accommodation and meal charges from workers’ pay. When the 10,000 yen (US$111) a day “danger pay” provided to contractors by the government (read: taxpayers) is taken into consideration, it means the contractors themselves end up forking out a measly 1,000 yen (US$11) a day per worker.

Due to the risk of radiation exposure during decontamination work, the national government provides danger pay of 10,000 yen a day per worker. However, the allowance is paid to workers through operators contracted to undertake the cleanup work, resulting in a breeding ground of corruption due to the opacity of contractor wage payments.

In one case, workers carrying out hazardous decontamination work in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture, received 6,000 yen or so from the contractor each day, close to Fukushima’s minimum wage. The contractor then deducted between 4,500 yen and 4,750 yen for food and lodging, meaning the workers were only receiving a little over 11,000 yen per day after the government-funded 10,000 yen “danger pay”.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/01/15/paying-just-11-a-day-subcontractors-ripping-off-fukushima-nuclear-accident-decontamination-workers/

More Than Half of Cleanup Staff at Fukushima Nuclear Plant on Counterfeit Contracts

It has come to light that the Japanese government’s Fukushima Daiichi cleanup plan is failing due to problems concerning counterfeit contracts. The government is now left reassessing its human resource strategy and considering how to effectively secure the number of employees required to carry out the work. As it presently stands, more than half of the laborers employed at the nuclear site are suspected of being involved in counterfeit contract work.

Termed as the ‘working schedule’, the plan to disassemble and decommission the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was finalized by the government and Tokyo Electric Power in July last year. It was estimated at the time that a workforce of around 12,000 would be required to effectively carry out operations at the plant, and that by the year 2016 any possible shortages in working numbers would be resolved.

Up until May last year, the designated number of employees qualified to work with radioactive materials was estimated at a total of 24,300. Excluding personnel exposed to high levels of radiation through onsite work, the number of laborers deemed suitable to re-engaged in work once their designated contract had come to a close was 23,300. It was stated by the government that this number would be sufficient in steering the work at Daiichi towards a state of completion.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/03/14/more-than-half-of-cleanup-staff-at-fukushima-nuclear-plant-on-counterfeit-contracts/

Man, 20, dies from swine flu and pneumonia after NHS Direct nurse told him to go to the chemist rather than A&E

A 20-year-old man died from swine flu and pneumonia after a senior nurse at NHS Direct told him to go to the chemist instead of A&E.

The unnamed man, known only as Patient A, had called the hotline twice in two days complaining of diarrhoea and vomiting for six days. He also described a chesty cough and discoloured mucous.

But rather than following the advice on the computer, which said the man should go to A&E, Fadzai Jaravaza, a senior nurse advisor for NHS Direct Essex, instead told the caller to get cough syrup from the chemist and treat himself.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2292649/Man-20-dies-swine-flu-pneumonia-NHS-Direct-nurse-told-to-chemist-A-E.html

Bomb scare halts train traffic between Switzerland and Italy

Rail traffic through the Alps between Switzerland and Italy was halted on Wednesday after an anonymous caller said there was a bomb on a freight train, Swiss police said.

The Simplon tunnel was closed at around 11:30 a.m. (7.30 am. ET) as police dog handlers searched for explosives. The police said the tunnel might reopen on Wednesday evening.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-switzerland-italy-bombscare-idUSBRE92C0SS20130313

Germany hails its finances as "envy of the world".... Well in their eyes anyway

The German government trumpeted its finances on Wednesday as a model for Europe and a source of envy across the globe, as it presented a budget plan which foresees new borrowing shrinking next year to its lowest level in four decades.

The long-term plan approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet is a testament to Germany's economic strength during the euro zone debt crisis but underscores the deep divide in Europe, where many countries are still struggling to bring down swollen debt and deficits.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-germany-budget-idUSBRE92C0TI20130313

Cyber threats against U.S. "ramping up," Obama says

Cyber security threats against the United States are growing, President Barack Obama said before a meeting on Wednesday with corporate leaders about the issue, as concerns rise about hacking attacks emanating from China.

Speaking in a television interview, Obama stopped short of echoing concerns expressed by some lawmakers that the United States was engaged in some kind of electronic war with China.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/net-us-usa-obama-cyber-idUSBRE92C0JN20130313

At least four shot dead in neighboring New York towns: reports

At least four people were killed in two shootings in nearby towns in upstate New York on Wednesday and police were searching for a single gunman, according to local media reports.

Authorities confirmed the shootings took place in the Village of Herkimer at about 9:50 a.m. EDT and in nearby Mohawk, but declined to disclosed details about injuries or deaths.

WKTV television in Utica reported a total of six people were shot, including two killed at Gaffey's Car Wash on Mohawk Street in Herkimer and two killed at John's Barber Shop in Mohawk.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-usa-shooting-newyork-idUSBRE92C0SW20130313

Suicide bomber kills 10 spectators at Afghan goat polo game

A suicide bomber blew himself up during a traditional Afghan game of buzkashi, a game of horse polo played with a dead goat, killing at least 10 spectators in the northern province of Kunduz on Wednesday, the local governor's office said.

Among those killed were the district police chief who is the brother of Afghanistan's House Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, a spokesman for the Kunduz governor said. Two other family members were also killed.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-afghanistan-attack-idUSBRE92C0UX20130313

Syrian troops and rebels open new battlefront near Damascus

Heavy fighting erupted in an area between Damascus and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday in what could be a new battlefront between Syrian troops and rebels, opposition sources said.

Rebel fighters attacked an army barracks manned by elite Republican Guards and the Fourth Mechanised Division, headed by President Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher, in Khan Sheih, 6 km (4 miles) from the outskirts of Damascus, civilian activists and an opposition military source said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE92C0G720130313

Can You Tell The Difference From White House's $277,000 Calligraphy Staff Invite And Fake Made With Computer

Can you tell the difference between White House invitations crafted by a quarter-million dollar calligraphy staff and the fake one we made using our station computer and printer for pocket change?

The computer printed invitation we made for our story would likely be spotted by Secret Service agents in a second, but when we asked you on Facebook and in person, most of you couldn't tell the difference.
Weeklystandard.com called out the $277,050 expense in a Daniel Halper column juxtaposing that expense against the most high profile White House sequestration cut.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/248315/158/White-House-277K-Staff-Invitations-Vs-Cheap-Fake

Matt's curiosity:
Do they do birth certificates as well?

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SERAM, INDONESIA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 14:49:30 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 11:49:30 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
2.834°S, 129.310°E
Depth
33 km (20.5 miles)
Region
SERAM, INDONESIA
Distances
70 km (43 miles) NE of Amahai, Indonesia

China: Safety Fears As More than 7000 Dead Pigs Found

Residents of Shanghai have become increasingly concerned about contaminated water as the number of dead pigs found floating in a river rose to nearly 7,000.

The pig carcasses started appearing in Shanghai on Saturday and are thought to have been dumped in the city's main Huangpu river further upstream after dying of disease.

Workers have been removing the carcasses but have been overwhelmed as increasing numbers of dead pigs have appeared.

http://news.sky.com/story/1064076/china-safety-fears-as-more-dead-pigs-found

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 12:41:05 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 10:41:05 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.943°S, 148.487°E
Depth
56.9 km (35.4 miles)
Region
NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
78 km (48 miles) ESE of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN COLOMBIA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 12:12:07 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 07:12:07 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.715°N, 73.069°W
Depth
150.2 km (93.3 miles)
Region
NORTHERN COLOMBIA
Distances
6 km (3 miles) WNW of Aratoca, Colombia

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 12:11:10 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 10:11:10 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.878°S, 148.664°E
Depth
68.2 km (42.4 miles)
Region
NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
92 km (57 miles) ESE of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.9
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 11:28:53 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 09:28:53 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.168°S, 148.202°E
Depth
71.9 km (44.7 miles)
Region
NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
65 km (40 miles) NE of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea

North Korea Threatens 'Merciless' Retaliation

North Korea has confirmed it has pulled out of an armistice with its "enemies" and added the next step was an act of "merciless" military retaliation.

In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, the armed forces ministry argued that the real "warmongering" was coming from the US and its "puppets" in South Korea.

"They would be well advised to keep in mind that the armistice agreement is no longer valid and (North Korea) is not restrained by the North-South declaration on non-aggression," it said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1064052/north-korea-threatens-merciless-retaliation

'Exploding' meteorite seen in South African sky

Cape Town - Residents across Cape Town claimed to have sighted a meteorite on Tuesday after what appears to have been a fireball "exploded" in the sky.

It is said to have been sighted just after noon. Nicola Loaring, an outreach astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory, said they had received about four or five reports.

The green and blue light with a white tail that was reported to them appeared to be that of "a fireball, which is a bright meteor".

https://www.theinnoplex.com/news/newssub/exploding-meteorite-seen-in-south-african-sky

Dutch Raise Terror Threat to Highest Level Over Syria Fighters

The Dutch government has raised its terror threat level over fears Dutch citizens are fighting in Syria and returning radicalised.

The Dutch fear that its citizens who have been fighting in the war-torn Middle Eastern country will be traumatised and may be more likely to commit domestic terror acts.

The Netherlands' National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism said in a statement: "The chance of an attack in the Netherlands or against Dutch interests abroad has risen,"

http://news.sky.com/story/1063988/dutch-raise-terror-threat-over-syria-fighters

Euro Puppets: The European Commission’s remaking of civil society

• With public confidence in the European project waning, the idea of initiating a ‘civil dialogue’ with the public emerged in the mid-1990s as a way of bolstering the EU’s democratic legitimacy.
• Citizens have not been consulted directly, however. Instead they have been ventriloquised through ‘sock puppet’ charities, think tanks and other ‘civil society’ groups which have been hand-picked and financed by the European Commission (EC). These organisations typically lobby for closer European integration, bigger EU budgets and more EU regulation.
• The composition of ‘civil society’ at the EU level is largely dictated by which groups the Commission chooses to fund. There has been a bias towards centre-left organisations, with a particular emphasis on those promoting policies that are unpopular with the public, such as increasing foreign aid, restricting lifestyle freedoms and further centralising power within EU institutions.

http://www.iea.org.uk/publications/research/euro-puppets-the-european-commission%E2%80%99s-remaking-of-civil-society

Bully US threatens Pakistan with sanctions over Iran pipeline

Rabbis with Rifles? Sacred clause splits Jewish society

South Korea Carries Out Military Drills

England is the soup kitchen of the world and the soup is running out

Escaped Missouri Jail Inmates Caught

Large Qaeda convoy in Eastern Syria (11.03.13)

Nigel Farage: Eurozone completely incompatible with nation-state democracy

Horrifying moment schoolgirl hit by a car and THEN a bus

Desperate hunt for survivors after bus falls off bridge in China killing 14

Fourteen people have died and eight are injured after a double-decker bus plunged at least 30ft from a bridge in China last night.

The sleeper coach, travelling from the provincial capital Wuhan to Enshi, was carrying 22 passengers, most of whom were migrants, when it fell from the road crossing the Yangtze River.

An investigation has been launched, but initial reports suggest the coach may have swerved to avoid a motorcyclist.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292535/Horror-crash-leaves-14-dead-injured-bus-plunges-bridge-China.html

Farage: Watch this most boring and dangerous speech by Commissioner Rehn

Mars could have supported life, scientists find

Islamist inroads in Mali may undo war on al Qaeda

Residents who slipped into a non-descript mud-brick house after Islamist fighters fled Mali's desert town of Timbuktu uncovered a trove of arms, ammunition and documents - the workings of the local al Qaeda recruitment office.

"We found lots of IDs, passports and birth certificates," said El Hadj Garaba, who searched through the house with neighbors before French intelligence officers arrived.

The documents - from Mali, nearby African nations and distant countries like Saudi Arabia and Britain - suggest the Islamist groups used their 10-month occupation of northern Mali to stretch their tentacles across West Africa and beyond.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-mali-rebels-recruits-idUSBRE92C05V20130313

Saudi Arabia executes seven men for armed robbery

Seven men have been executed in Saudi Arabia, officials say, despite appeals by UN experts and human rights groups.

A witness told AFP news agency that the men had been shot dead in a public square in the southern city of Abha.

The men were sentenced to death in 2009 after being found guilty of organising a criminal group, armed robbery and breaking into jewellery shops.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21767667

Shark Attack: Fisherman Killed In Jamaica

A 68-year-old spear fisherman has been killed by a shark while diving in waters off the coast of southern Jamaica.

George Facey was fishing with a group which encountered sharks off a remote island some three miles off the south coast.

The veteran spear fisherman became separated from the group when he was attacked, by tiger shark reportedly 4.8m-long (16ft).

http://news.sky.com/story/1063919/shark-attack-fisherman-killed-in-jamaica

Tiger Mauls Farmer To Death In Indonesia

A farmer has been mauled to death in western Indonesia by a rare Sumatran tiger which is also suspected of attacking five other people.

Karman Lubis was attacked while working on a rubber plantation near the Batang Gadis National Park in North Sumatra province.

Park official Yudi Santoso confirmed the 32-year-old's body was found on Tuesday less than a mile from the plantation.

http://news.sky.com/story/1063901/tiger-mauls-farmer-to-death-in-indonesia

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL ALASKA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 08:05:44 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 12:05:44 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
62.559°N, 151.071°W
Depth
83.6 km (51.9 miles)
Region
CENTRAL ALASKA
Distances
26 km (16 miles) NW (321°) from Petersville, AK

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake IRAQ - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 06:23:01 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 09:23:01 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
36.610°N, 43.403°E
Depth
9.9 km (6.2 miles)
Region
IRAQ
Distances
28 km (17 miles) ENE of Qada' Talkif, Iraq

The Shocking Truth About Obama's Drones

Matt's curiosity:
Why is it never mentioned that many if not most of the drone operators, who conduct these strikes and kill those innocents in question, are Christian?

Gabby Giffords' husband branded a 'hypocrite' after buying an ASSAULT RIFLE the day before appearing at the supermarket where she was shot to talk about gun control

Mark Kelly, pictured, the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, left, went to a Tucson gun store a week ago to buy a .45-caliber handgun and a military-style assault rifle the day before he appeared with his wife at the supermarket where she was wounded in a shooting rampage two years ago to speak about reducing gun violence. His actions have ignited fury on both sides of the firearms debate.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292438/Mark-Kelly-Gabby-Giffords-husband-buying-handgun-assault-rifle.html

Unemployed Tunisian man sets himself alight in protest which echoes shocking images of Arab Spring

A jobless man set himself on fire in Tunisia today in a gesture recalling the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, whose death ignited a revolt that shook the Arab world.

Security forces and bystanders in Tunis tried to extinguish the flames before the man was rushed to hospital, witnesses said.

'He is in very critical condition,' a medical source in Mourouj hospital said, but gave no further details.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292301/Unemployed-Tunisian-man-sets-alight-protest-echoes-shocking-images-Arab-Spring.html

Britain could go it alone and arm Syrian rebels if Europe won't: We are still an independent country, says Cameron

 Independent? who is he fooling? Deported any terrorist lately? oh wait, Brussels prevents you from carrying out your own laws!

Britain is prepared to break ranks with the international community to arm Syrian rebels, David Cameron said yesterday.

In an intervention that will raise fears of being sucked into another foreign war, the Prime Minister said there was ‘danger in inaction’ over a conflict that has claimed 70,000 lives.

He suggested Britain would try to persuade other European Union countries to lift an embargo on arming rebels when the current sanctions lapse in May.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292282/Britain-arm-Syrian-rebels-Europe-wont-We-independent-country-says-Cameron.html

Could Germany spark another war? I fear it's all too possible, says Dominic Sandbrook

The world is at a crossroads in history. Vast, untameable economic forces are remaking the landscape of international affairs.

In Britain, a dithering Prime Minister is buffeted by crisis after crisis. Abroad, from the heart of Europe to the fringes of Asia, economic powers are rising. And there is talk of a new German empire, bigger and more powerful than ever.

t sounds like something ripped from today’s newspapers. But this was the state of the planet in 1913, 100 years ago.

At first glance, the Britain of 1913 appears impossibly different from the Britain of today. Our imperial dominion stretched across the globe, while our bankers and manufacturers were widely regarded as the best in the world.

And in a society rigidly divided by class, the Tories were in the wilderness, Labour was merely a minority third party and the Liberals — led by Herbert Asquith — were entering their eighth successive year of government.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2292401/Could-Germany-spark-war-I-fear-possible-says-Dominic-Sandbrook.html

Britain, France, push EU to drop Syria arms ban.....Why not go the whole way and nominate the rebels for a Nobel Peace Prize?, We can just pretend the Rebels are not also guilty of war crimes

Britain and France raised the pressure on other European Union members on Tuesday to lift a ban on supplying arms to Syria, where anti-government rebels are outgunned by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Britain warned that it could break with the embargo altogether, which requires unanimous agreement by the EU's 27 members to take effect, while France hinted it would push to get the bloc to agree to amend the ban to allow the supply of arms.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/12/us-britain-cameron-syria-idUSBRE92B12I20130312

Airport police detain Russian passenger attempting to smuggle 26,000 diamonds....Been near a Brussels Airport lately?

Judge enters not guilty plea for Colorado theater gunman

SARS: WHO confirms 15th case of deadly new virus in Saudi Arabia

A Saudi man infected with a deadly new virus from the same family as SARS has died, becoming the ninth patient in the world to be killed the disease which has so far infected 15, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old developed symptoms of the novel coronavirus (NCoV) on February 24 and died on March 2, several days after being hospitalized, the WHO said in a disease outbreak update.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/12/us-virus-saudi-who-idUSBRE92B15S20130312

Syria's children shot at, tortured, raped: London Based charity report

A boy of 12 sees his best friend shot through the heart. Another of 15 is held in a cell with 150 other people, and taken out every day to be put in a giant wheel and burnt with cigarettes.

Syria's children are perhaps the greatest victims of their country's conflict, suffering "layers and layers of emotional trauma", Save the Children's chief executive told Reuters.

Syrian children have been shot at, tortured and raped during two years of unrest and civil war, the London-based international charity said in a report released on Wednesday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-syria-crisis-children-idUSBRE92C03N20130313

Venezuela to probe Chavez cancer poisoning accusation

Venezuela will set up a formal inquiry into claims that deceased President Hugo Chavez's cancer was the result of poisoning by his enemies abroad, the government said.

Foes of the government view the accusation as a typical Chavez-style conspiracy theory intended to feed fears of "imperialist" threats to Venezuela's socialist system and distract people from daily problems.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-venezuela-election-idUSBRE92B0MM20130313

Three deaths in Derna from unknown virus

Three people have died in Derna from a viral infection that the authorities suspect could be a form of the H1N1 virus. A post on the Health Ministry’s Facebook page states the deaths were the result of a respiratory track infection, causing shortness of breath, high fever and unconsciousness.

According to a statement from the Health Ministry, the cases did not respond to conventional treatment methods used internationally.

Confirming the three deaths today, Tuesday, while speaking at the press conference in Tripoli on the mass poisoning crisis, the Director Gernal of the National Centre for Disease Control, Dr Mohammed Abughalah, said three others in the town have fallen ill with similar symptoms. They are currently stable and receiving medication at an isolation unit to help prevent the virus from spreading.

http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/03/12/three-deaths-in-derna-from-unknown-respiratory-track-infection/

Nasa: Rock Shows Mars Life Could Have Existed

Nasa scientists have said analysis of a rock sample collected on Mars shows the planet could have supported primitive life.

Sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon - some of the key chemical ingredients for life - were discovered in a tiny sample collected by the rover Curiosity after it drilled into a rock.

At a briefing at Nasa's Washington headquarters on Tuesday, experts said the rock contained clay minerals that formed in a watery environment that may have been favourable for microscopic organisms.

http://news.sky.com/story/1063745/nasa-rock-shows-mars-life-could-have-existed

Libya: Toxic Hooch Kills 60 And Makes 700 Ill

At least 60 people have been killed and 700 made ill in the Libyan capital by a batch of poisonous homemade liquor.

The scale of the alcohol poisoning is so great that hospitals in Tripoli have been overstretched with patients and some of the victims have had to be sent to clinics in other parts of the country for treatment.

The homemade brew, known locally as Boukha, has been laced with methanol, according to the country’s Health Minister Nurideen Doghman.

http://news.sky.com/story/1063823/libya-toxic-hooch-kills-60-and-makes-700-ill

'Cyber Attacks A Bigger Threat Than Al Qaeda'

Cyber attacks have been classified as the top threat to the US by the country's spy chief for the first time in his annual assessment.

James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, has warned that cyber espionage threatened to undercut the American military's technological edge.

He also cautioned that even "unsophisticated" attacks could penetrate poorly protected computer networks for power grids and posed an "increasing risk to US critical infrastructure".

http://news.sky.com/story/1063838/cyber-attacks-a-bigger-threat-than-al-qaeda

Alma Telescope Will See Planets Being Born

The world's most powerful telescope which can produce images ten times sharper than Nasa's Hubble is to become operational in Chile's Atacama desert.

The Alma telescope, which promises to probe deeper into space than ever before, comprises 50 antennae arranged over a 10km (6.2 mile) radius.

The $1.3bn (£870m) observatory works by combining radiowaves collected by the antennae to construct images of space.

It is the equivalent of a giant telescope with a diameter of 14,000m.

http://news.sky.com/story/1063851/alma-telescope-will-see-planets-being-born

3.5 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
3.5
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 04:21:13 UTC
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 09:21:13 PM at epicenter
Location
33.512°N, 116.475°W
Depth
11.2 km (7.0 miles)
Region
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances
19 km (12 miles) ESE (105°) from Anza, CA

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake KAMCHATKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
5.6
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 03:12:53 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 03:12:53 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
60.215°N, 163.358°E
Depth
14.4 km (8.9 miles)
Region
KAMCHATKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA
Distances
53 km (32 miles) WNW of Il'pyrskiy, Serbia

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN - 13th March 2013

Magnitude M 5.2
Region SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Date time 2013-03-13 03:07:02.0 UTC
Location 8.73 S ; 132.35 W
Depth 2 km
Distances
2091 km NE Mahina (pop 14,224 ; local time 17:07:02.7 2013-03-12)

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 13th March 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 01:01:38 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 11:01:38 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.889°S, 148.636°E
Depth
59.6 km (37.0 miles)
Region
NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Distances
91 km (56 miles) ESE of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake PAPUA, INDONESIA - 12th March 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 23:53:55 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 08:53:55 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
2.850°S, 138.928°E
Depth
50 km (31.1 miles)
Region
PAPUA, INDONESIA
Distances
185 km (114 miles) W of Abepura, Indonesia

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 12th March 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 21:32:23 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 06:32:23 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
39.275°N, 142.137°E
Depth
36.9 km (22.9 miles)
Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
22 km (13 miles) E of Kamaishi, Japan

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 12th March 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 20:39:19 UTC
Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 08:39:19 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
18.789°S, 177.676°W
Depth
605.6 km (376.3 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
232 km (144 miles) NNE of Ndoi Island, Fiji