Mary Kerswell, 67 had paid £10 to see her records after a misunderstanding in which she was mistaken for another patient. But receptionists at the Biggleswade Health Centre in Bedfordshire, reportedly refused to print them out. When she took a seat and refused to leave until she had them, police were called and Mrs Kerswell, a retired scientist, was frogmarched from the building, she claims.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2305620/Grandmother-handcuffed-escorted-GP-surgery-demanding-medical-notes.html
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Russian city being 'eaten alive': Cars, buses, and trucks disappear beneath the earth as they are swallowed by sinkholes
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306085/The-Russian-city-eaten-alive-Cars-buses-trucks-disappear-beneath-earth-swallowed-giant-sinkholes.html
France launches major offensive on Mali Islamists
A French force of 1,000 soldiers in a major offensive has swept a valley thought to be a logistics base for al-Qaeda-linked Islamists near the Malian city of Gao, an AFP journalist accompanying the mission reported.
Operation Gustav, one of France's largest actions since its intervention in its former colony, involves dozens of tanks, helicopters and aircraft, said General Bernard Barrera, commander of the French land forces in Mali, on Monday.
"We surrounded the valley north of Gao, which we believe serves as a logistics base for jihadist groups, and we began to search methodically," said Barrera, who is based in Gao, the largest settlement in northeastern Mali.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/France-launches-major-offensive-on-Mali-Islamists/Article1-1039617.aspx
Operation Gustav, one of France's largest actions since its intervention in its former colony, involves dozens of tanks, helicopters and aircraft, said General Bernard Barrera, commander of the French land forces in Mali, on Monday.
"We surrounded the valley north of Gao, which we believe serves as a logistics base for jihadist groups, and we began to search methodically," said Barrera, who is based in Gao, the largest settlement in northeastern Mali.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Africa/France-launches-major-offensive-on-Mali-Islamists/Article1-1039617.aspx
7 killed by new bird flu strain in China
A 64-year-old retired man in Shanghai became the latest victim of the H7N9 bird flu virus that had previously not been known to infect humans, the city government said Monday.
The Shanghai government said the man died Sunday night, a week after first experiencing chills. He sought medical treatment last Wednesday for pneumonia-like conditions. By Sunday morning, his condition worsened, he was out of breath and was admitted to a ward for in-patient treatment. He died hours later.
http://www.kpic.com/news/health/7-killed-by-new-bird-flu-strain-in-China-201943781.html
Indonesia on alert over H7N9, steps up monitoring: official
Indonesian Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said on Monday that the new strain of bird flu H7N9 has not entered Indonesia, but the country is on alert over possible spread of the virus and keeps monitoring the development of the disease.
Indonesia has had experience of being hit, the hardest, by avian influenza, H5N1 virus, which has killed 160 people out of 192 infected since 2005.
"Until now, there is no impact of (H7N9) based on report of WHO. But we have to be alert and we will watch closely the development of the virus," he said on the sidelines of a business meeting at JS Luwansa hotel.
The deputy minister said that cooperation with the agency in charge of animal disease had been carried out to investigate imported products.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/health/2013-04/08/c_132293109.htm
Indonesia has had experience of being hit, the hardest, by avian influenza, H5N1 virus, which has killed 160 people out of 192 infected since 2005.
"Until now, there is no impact of (H7N9) based on report of WHO. But we have to be alert and we will watch closely the development of the virus," he said on the sidelines of a business meeting at JS Luwansa hotel.
The deputy minister said that cooperation with the agency in charge of animal disease had been carried out to investigate imported products.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/health/2013-04/08/c_132293109.htm
China confirms 4 new H7N9 cases
Chinese health authorities have said that, during the 24-hour period ending 5 p.m. on Monday, China has confirmed four new cases of H7N9 avian influenza, including one death.
This has brought the total number of people infected with the bird flu virus in the country to 24, of whom seven have died, the National Health and Family Planning Commission announced.
The agency said in a brief statement that between 5 p.m. on Sunday and 5 p.m. on Monday, two patients in east China's Jiangsu Province were confirmed to be infected with the H7N9 avian influenza virus, while the neighboring Anhui Province also reported a new case.
In Shanghai, one patient has already died after being newly confirmed as an H7N9 case.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-04/08/c_124554015.htm
This has brought the total number of people infected with the bird flu virus in the country to 24, of whom seven have died, the National Health and Family Planning Commission announced.
The agency said in a brief statement that between 5 p.m. on Sunday and 5 p.m. on Monday, two patients in east China's Jiangsu Province were confirmed to be infected with the H7N9 avian influenza virus, while the neighboring Anhui Province also reported a new case.
In Shanghai, one patient has already died after being newly confirmed as an H7N9 case.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-04/08/c_124554015.htm
Australia: Get ready for arrival of flu, hospital warns
HEALTH authorities are urging the public to prepare for the influenza season with fears it could be as severe as the one experienced in the northern hemisphere.
The West Moreton Hospital and Health Service predicts the H1N1 and H3N2 flu strains will be prevalent this winter.
Last year the West Moreton health region recorded 652 cases of flu with 64 people hospitalised.
AMA Queensland president Dr Alex Markwell said the indications were the flu season had the potential to be strong.
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/get-ready-for-arrival-of-flu-hospital-warns/1820514/
The West Moreton Hospital and Health Service predicts the H1N1 and H3N2 flu strains will be prevalent this winter.
Last year the West Moreton health region recorded 652 cases of flu with 64 people hospitalised.
AMA Queensland president Dr Alex Markwell said the indications were the flu season had the potential to be strong.
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/get-ready-for-arrival-of-flu-hospital-warns/1820514/
Hundreds of dead fish found rotting in Shanghai river
Just weeks after over 16,000 putrefying pigs were pulled from Shanghai's Huangpu river, more than 250kg of dead carp had to be retrieved from a river in the city's Songjiang district.
Mystery still surrounds the cause of death, but numerous explanations have surfaced in the Chinese media since residents first complained about the foul-smelling fish last Monday.
Theories reportedly include climate change, electrocution, an explosion or even a drug overdose.
The Shanghai Daily quoted a local government official who "speculated" the fish could have been "drugged".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9978239/Hundreds-of-dead-fish-found-rotting-in-Shanghai-river.html
Mystery still surrounds the cause of death, but numerous explanations have surfaced in the Chinese media since residents first complained about the foul-smelling fish last Monday.
Theories reportedly include climate change, electrocution, an explosion or even a drug overdose.
The Shanghai Daily quoted a local government official who "speculated" the fish could have been "drugged".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9978239/Hundreds-of-dead-fish-found-rotting-in-Shanghai-river.html
Six U.S. Air Force cyber capabilities designated "weapons"
The U.S. Air Force has designated six cyber tools as weapons, which should help the programs compete for increasingly scarce dollars in the Pentagon budget, an Air Force official said on Monday.
Lieutenant General John Hyten, vice commander of Air Force Space Command, which oversees satellite and cyberspace operation, said the new designations would help normalize military cyber operations as the U.S. military works to keep up with rapidly changing threats in the newest theater of war.
"This means that the game-changing capability that cyber is is going to get more attention and the recognition that it deserves," Hyten told a cyber conference held in conjunction with the National Space Syposium in Colorado Springs.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/net-us-cyber-airforce-weapons-idUSBRE93801B20130409
Lieutenant General John Hyten, vice commander of Air Force Space Command, which oversees satellite and cyberspace operation, said the new designations would help normalize military cyber operations as the U.S. military works to keep up with rapidly changing threats in the newest theater of war.
"This means that the game-changing capability that cyber is is going to get more attention and the recognition that it deserves," Hyten told a cyber conference held in conjunction with the National Space Syposium in Colorado Springs.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/net-us-cyber-airforce-weapons-idUSBRE93801B20130409
U.S. envoy says must fight mistrust for Middle East peace
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he is trying to break down mistrust on both sides of the "festering" conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and would not rush into a new peace process.
Making his third visit to the region in less than three weeks, Kerry met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday night had dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night.
"I am intensely focused on this issue ... because it is vital, really, to American interests and to regional interests to try to advance the peace process and because this festering absence of peace is used by groups everywhere to recruit and encourage extremism," Kerry told reporters traveling with him.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-palestinians-israel-kerry-idUSBRE9370XZ20130408
Making his third visit to the region in less than three weeks, Kerry met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday night had dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night.
"I am intensely focused on this issue ... because it is vital, really, to American interests and to regional interests to try to advance the peace process and because this festering absence of peace is used by groups everywhere to recruit and encourage extremism," Kerry told reporters traveling with him.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-palestinians-israel-kerry-idUSBRE9370XZ20130408
The Buddhist crusade on Myanmar's Muslims
The Buddhist monk grabbed a young Muslim girl and put a knife to her neck.
"If you follow us, I'll kill her," the monk taunted police, according to a witness, as a Buddhist mob armed with machetes and swords chased nearly 100 Muslims in this city in central Myanmar.
It was Thursday, March 21. Within hours, up to 25 Muslims had been killed. The Buddhist mob dragged their bloodied bodies up a hill in a neighborhood called Mingalarzay Yone and set the corpses on fire. Some were found butchered in a reedy swamp. A Reuters cameraman saw the charred remains of two children, aged 10 or younger.
Ethnic hatred has been unleashed in Myanmar since 49 years of military rule ended in March 2011. And it is spreading, threatening the country's historic democratic transition. Signs have emerged of ethnic cleansing, and of impunity for those inciting it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-myanmar-violence-specialreport-idUSBRE9370AP20130408
"If you follow us, I'll kill her," the monk taunted police, according to a witness, as a Buddhist mob armed with machetes and swords chased nearly 100 Muslims in this city in central Myanmar.
It was Thursday, March 21. Within hours, up to 25 Muslims had been killed. The Buddhist mob dragged their bloodied bodies up a hill in a neighborhood called Mingalarzay Yone and set the corpses on fire. Some were found butchered in a reedy swamp. A Reuters cameraman saw the charred remains of two children, aged 10 or younger.
Ethnic hatred has been unleashed in Myanmar since 49 years of military rule ended in March 2011. And it is spreading, threatening the country's historic democratic transition. Signs have emerged of ethnic cleansing, and of impunity for those inciting it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-myanmar-violence-specialreport-idUSBRE9370AP20130408
Egypt suspends commercial flights from Iran after protests
Egypt has halted commercial flights from Shi'ite power Iran until mid-June, days after the first such flight in 34 years between the countries provoked protests from hardline Sunni Islamists in Cairo.
That first commercial flight, from Cairo to Tehran, took off on March 30 in the latest step towards normalizing ties broken after the 1979 Iranian revolution, when Egypt gave sanctuary to the deposed shah of Iran.
But hardline Sunni Islamists who accuse Iran of trying to spread the Shi'ite faith in Sunni countries objected and about 100 people demonstrated in front of a senior Iranian diplomat's residence in Cairo on Friday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-egypt-iran-idUSBRE9370AB20130408
That first commercial flight, from Cairo to Tehran, took off on March 30 in the latest step towards normalizing ties broken after the 1979 Iranian revolution, when Egypt gave sanctuary to the deposed shah of Iran.
But hardline Sunni Islamists who accuse Iran of trying to spread the Shi'ite faith in Sunni countries objected and about 100 people demonstrated in front of a senior Iranian diplomat's residence in Cairo on Friday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-egypt-iran-idUSBRE9370AB20130408
North Koreans don't show for work at Kaesong factory park
North Korean laborers did not show up for work on Tuesday at a factory complex operated with South Korea, companies with operations there said, effectively shutting down the zone for the first time since it began shipments in 2004.
Pyongyang's decision to halt work at the Kaesong industrial park coincided with speculation it would carry out a missile launch, or even another nuclear test, in what has become one of the worst periods of tension on the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
About 475 South Korean workers and factory managers remain in Kaesong, a few kilometers inside the border with North Korea. The South Korean government said 77 would return on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/us-korea-north-idUSBRE93408020130409
Pyongyang's decision to halt work at the Kaesong industrial park coincided with speculation it would carry out a missile launch, or even another nuclear test, in what has become one of the worst periods of tension on the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
About 475 South Korean workers and factory managers remain in Kaesong, a few kilometers inside the border with North Korea. The South Korean government said 77 would return on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/us-korea-north-idUSBRE93408020130409
Paris Brown Tweets Investigated
Paris Brown, 17, apologised for the messages, which were posted before she took up the one-year post with Kent Police.
However, a spokesman said the force had received "a number of complaints" about her comments and was now investigating "whether any offences have been committed".
Miss Brown appeared to use homophobic, racist and violent language in her tweets, which included one saying she was pleased her brother had thumped someone.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075561/youth-crime-commissioners-tweets-investigated
Here are some of the tweets from Paris Brown's now-deleted @vilulabelle account:
"I really wanna make a batch of hash brownies."
"im gonna start walking home from Sittingbourne to sheerness everyday. I want to f******cut everyone."
"Been drinking since half 1 and riding baby walkers down the hall at work oh my god i have the best job ever haha!!"
"Im either really fun, friendly and inclusive when Im drunk or Im an anti social racist, sexist, embarrassing a*******. often it's the latter."
"I don't condone violence but im so pleased that my brother thumped the fat little **** that gave his tiny little friend a black eye."
"F****** hell why are the people from Direct Pizza so difficult to talk too!! IT IS CALLED ENGLISH. LEARN IT."
"Everyone on Made In Chelsea looks like a f****** fag."
North Carolina Pit Collapse Killing six-year-old Chloe Jade Arwood and seven-year-old James Levi Caldwell
The bodies of six-year-old Chloe Jade Arwood and seven-year-old James Levi Caldwell were pulled from a 24ft pit in the town of Stanley, outside of Charlotte, said Lincoln County Emergency Services spokesman Dion Burleson.
Crews had been searching for the children since Sunday, when Chloe's father, Jordan Arwood, called 911 to report the collapse. Officials were on the scene within minutes but could not get to the children.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075424/cousins-killed-in-north-carolina-pit-collapse
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake TAIWAN - 9th April 2013
4.2
Date-Time
Tuesday, April 09, 2013 at 00:32:24 UTC
Monday, April 08, 2013 at 07:32:24 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
5.717°S, 80.240°W
Depth
36.2 km (22.5 miles)
Region
NEAR THE COAST OF NORTHERN PERU
Distances
39 km (24 miles) W of Pueblo Nuevo, Peru
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE COAST OF GUATEMALA - 8th April 2013
4.3
Date-Time
Monday, April 08, 2013 at 21:22:03 UTC
Monday, April 08, 2013 at 03:22:03 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
12.668°N, 90.676°W
Depth
61.2 km (38.0 miles)
Region
OFF THE COAST OF GUATEMALA
Distances
137 km (85 miles) SW of Acajutla, El Salvador
CHINA CONDUCTS LIVE FIRE MILITARY DRILLS ON BORDER WITH NORTH KOREA
China’s military and defense ministry on Sunday confirmed that military forces in a border region near North Korea conducted live-fire drills amid tensions between North Korea and the United States.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, canceled a planned test launch of a Minuteman III ballistic missile to avoid further upsetting ties with North Korea.
Intelligence sources said signs continue to indicate that North Korea is planning to conduct a flight test soon of its intermediate-range Musudan missile that has enough range to reach Guam.
http://freebeacon.com/p85963/
Matt's cocked eyebrow:
Did you notice the source of all the photos on this piece? "Chinese Internet". What the heck is a Chinese internet?
SYRIAN ARMY DEFEATS REBEL TERRORISTS IN DAMASCUS, LIBERATES CAPITAL
In a series of lightning strikes, the Syrian army’s 4th Division-Republican Guard was able to drive most of the rebels out of the eastern suburbs of Damascus Monday, April 8, debkafile’s military sources report.
The division’s armored units cornered the rebel forces which had massed in the Ghouta suburb ready to take the center of Damascus. Few will survive the merciless pounding by the Syrian tanks and artillery. In two other eastern suburbs, Daria and the Sayida Zainab, the rebels were surprised while preparing to storm the international airport and made a panicky rush for the exits when they saw the Syrian forces driving toward them.
By this operation, Bashar Assad, aided by his brother Maher at the head of the 4th Division, were able to surprise the rebel forces in time to curtail their advance from the eastern suburbs on the center of Damascus and seat of government.
Syria’s rulers owe this landmark success to the speed of their operation and the positioning of tanks and heavy artillery in the vanguard to lay down a hellish carpet of fire as they moved.
This tactic was almost certainly designed by Assad’s foreign military advisers, either Iranian or Russian, as the largest-scale military operation to be seen on the battlefield in Syria’s two-year uprising-turned-civil war.
http://www.debka.com/article/22883/Syrian-Army-ousts-rebels-from-E-Damascus-lifts-threat-to-capital
5.6 Magnitude Earthquake JAVA, INDONESIA - 8th April 2013
5.6
Date-Time
Monday, April 08, 2013 at 18:53:43 UTC
Tuesday, April 09, 2013 at 01:53:43 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.151°S, 106.070°E
Depth
46.7 km (29.0 miles)
Region
JAVA, INDONESIA
Distances
29 km (18 miles) SSW of Panyaungan Timur, Indonesia
Father watched baby son roll to his death in buggy moments after posing for picture by river... then drowned trying to save him
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305718/Father-watched-baby-son-roll-death-buggy-moments-posing-picture-river--drowned-trying-save-him.html
That’s an eye-opener for Putin! Russian president confronted by topless demonstrator in Germany
The activists, who strip off to highlight a range of issues, including women's rights, press freedom and domestic violence were dragged kicking and screaming from the premises by security guards
As one women tried to push through to Putin she was blocked by his aides - her back was painted with an obscene word directed against the Russian president.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305706/That-s-eye-opener-Putin-Russian-president-confronted-topless-demonstrator-Germany.html
'Margaret Thatcher has died from a STRIKE': Red-faced staff at BBC forced to correct breaking news blunder just moments after death was announced.......Oh, the Irony!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305848/Margaret-Thatcher-died-STRIKE-BBC-forced-correct-breaking-news-error-moments-death-announced.html
U.S. business groups worried by cybersecurity law aimed at China
The U.S.-China Business Council on Monday criticized a new law aimed at thwarting cyber attacks by discouraging the Justice Department and several other government agencies from buying information technology systems from China.
"The national security of the United States is critical, but it must not be used as a means of protectionism," John Frisbie, the group's president, said in a letter urging leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives to block similar measures in the future.
"Product security is a function of how a product is made, used, and maintained, rather than by whom or where it is made. Imposing a country-specific risk assessment creates a false sense of security if the goal is to improve our nation's cybersecurity," Frisbie said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-usa-china-cybersecurity-idUSBRE9370RI20130408
"The national security of the United States is critical, but it must not be used as a means of protectionism," John Frisbie, the group's president, said in a letter urging leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives to block similar measures in the future.
"Product security is a function of how a product is made, used, and maintained, rather than by whom or where it is made. Imposing a country-specific risk assessment creates a false sense of security if the goal is to improve our nation's cybersecurity," Frisbie said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-usa-china-cybersecurity-idUSBRE9370RI20130408
Second person dies from Egypt clashes
Two more deaths were reported on Monday after sectarian violence at Cairo's Coptic cathedral that the Egyptian government and Muslim and Christian leaders scrambled to calm.
A security source said a 21-year-old Muslim man, named only as Mohamed, died of a fractured skull in hospital after fighting between local Muslims and Copts who had been attending a funeral for four Christians shot dead in a town near Cairo.
The health ministry said at least 90 people, including 11 policemen, were wounded around the cathedral, seat of the Coptic pope, in one of the worst sectarian flare-ups since the fall of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-egypt-clashes-idUSBRE93503A20130408
A security source said a 21-year-old Muslim man, named only as Mohamed, died of a fractured skull in hospital after fighting between local Muslims and Copts who had been attending a funeral for four Christians shot dead in a town near Cairo.
The health ministry said at least 90 people, including 11 policemen, were wounded around the cathedral, seat of the Coptic pope, in one of the worst sectarian flare-ups since the fall of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-egypt-clashes-idUSBRE93503A20130408
Serbia rejects Kosovo deal, begs EU for more time
Serbia on Monday rejected a European Union-brokered plan to tackle the ethnic partition of its former province Kosovo, a move that could hurt Belgrade's hopes of starting membership talks with the bloc.
But the coalition government called for the "urgent" continuation of negotiations to reach an accord, with the EU set to consider this month whether to recommend the start of accession talks with Serbia.
Membership talks would mark a major milestone in Serbia's recovery from a decade of war and isolation under late strongman Slobodan Milosevic and provide a much-needed boost for its ailing economy, still the biggest in the former Yugoslavia.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-serbia-kosovo-deal-idUSBRE9370FA20130408
But the coalition government called for the "urgent" continuation of negotiations to reach an accord, with the EU set to consider this month whether to recommend the start of accession talks with Serbia.
Membership talks would mark a major milestone in Serbia's recovery from a decade of war and isolation under late strongman Slobodan Milosevic and provide a much-needed boost for its ailing economy, still the biggest in the former Yugoslavia.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-serbia-kosovo-deal-idUSBRE9370FA20130408
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake KAMCHATKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA - 8th April 2013
Region KAMCHATKA PENINSULA, RUSSIA
Date time 2013-04-08 15:05:17.0 UTC
Location 51.29 N ; 156.51 E
Depth 114 km
Distances
23 km S of Ozernovskiy, Russia / pop: 2,615 / local time: 04:05:17.0 2013-04-09
4.2 Magnitude Earthquake JAVA, INDONESIA - 8th April 2013
Region JAVA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-04-08 14:18:11.2 UTC
Location 8.44 S ; 108.05 E
Depth 40 km
Distances
124 km S of Tasikmalaya, Indonesia / pop: 271,143 / local time: 21:18:11.2 2013-04-08
UN weapons team ready to enter Syria
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said a UN team is in Cyprus and ready to enter Syria to investigate allegations that chemical weapons have been used in the country.
Speaking in the Hague Ban Ki-moon said: "I can announce today that an advance team is now in Cyprus for the final stage... We are ready."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22064799
Speaking in the Hague Ban Ki-moon said: "I can announce today that an advance team is now in Cyprus for the final stage... We are ready."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22064799
In France, Hollande is losing the battle for the eurozone
It is just 11 months since France elected François Hollande as its first Socialist president since 1995, spurring a wave of expectation on the European left that he would lead a pro-growth offensive against the cheerleaders of austerity. When his party and its allies won an absolute majority in the national assembly, it seemed Europe might be acquiring a real challenger to the Berlin-Brussels-London consensus.
It has not turned out like that, of course, evoking inevitable reminders of the last Socialist presidency, that of François Mitterrand. He came to office in 1981 on a reflationary platform declaring that there was nothing wrong with dreaming; the trouble was that waking up proved very jarring, as the Hollande administration is now discovering.
Growth under the would-be expansionary champion has not risen; in fact, it has positively slumped. Finance minister Pierre Moscovici says it might total 0.1% this year compared with the official forecast of 0.8%. The economy contracted by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2012. France will miss the target of reducing its deficit to 3% of national output in 2013. Unemployment is at 10.6%, and much higher among young people.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/08/hollande-france-europe-austerity-growth
It has not turned out like that, of course, evoking inevitable reminders of the last Socialist presidency, that of François Mitterrand. He came to office in 1981 on a reflationary platform declaring that there was nothing wrong with dreaming; the trouble was that waking up proved very jarring, as the Hollande administration is now discovering.
Growth under the would-be expansionary champion has not risen; in fact, it has positively slumped. Finance minister Pierre Moscovici says it might total 0.1% this year compared with the official forecast of 0.8%. The economy contracted by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2012. France will miss the target of reducing its deficit to 3% of national output in 2013. Unemployment is at 10.6%, and much higher among young people.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/08/hollande-france-europe-austerity-growth
U.S. allies plan big Gulf naval exercise in May
Representatives from more than 30 nations will gather in Bahrain for the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 13 from May 6-30, eight months after they staged a previous edition of the exercises at a time when Israel and Iran were trading threats of war.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-gulf-naval-idUSBRE9370NV20130408
David Cameron: EU must wake up to the modern world
David Cameron urged Europe to “wake up” to the modern world as he tried to breathe life into his EU reform agenda.
Embarking on a tour of European capitals, he warned that the EU was too regulated and inflexible to prosper without major changes. “We want a Europe that wakes up to this modern world of competition and flexibility,” the Prime Minister said. “Do we think that the European Union has sometimes overreached itself with directives and interventions and interferences? Yes, it has. And that needs to change.”
Mr Cameron’s trip follows last week’s decision by France and Germany to snub his plea to take part in a review of EU powers and their impact. The British leader began in Madrid with talks with Spain’s prime minister Mariano Rajoy this morning, and was travelling to Paris for a working dinner with president François Hollande. Later this week he meets the German chancellor Angela Merkel.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron-eu-must-wake-up-to-the-modern-world-8563860.html
Embarking on a tour of European capitals, he warned that the EU was too regulated and inflexible to prosper without major changes. “We want a Europe that wakes up to this modern world of competition and flexibility,” the Prime Minister said. “Do we think that the European Union has sometimes overreached itself with directives and interventions and interferences? Yes, it has. And that needs to change.”
Mr Cameron’s trip follows last week’s decision by France and Germany to snub his plea to take part in a review of EU powers and their impact. The British leader began in Madrid with talks with Spain’s prime minister Mariano Rajoy this morning, and was travelling to Paris for a working dinner with president François Hollande. Later this week he meets the German chancellor Angela Merkel.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron-eu-must-wake-up-to-the-modern-world-8563860.html
Riot police clash with protesters at Turkish military coup trial
Riot police gassed and hosed down hundreds of demonstrators with water cannons outside a courthouse where one of Turkey's most lengthy and contentious trials is approaching its conclusion.
Crowds of protesters began arriving early Monday at the Silivri Prison Complex, which houses the 13th Istanbul High Criminal Court. This judicial body has been hearing one of Turkey's most polarizing and high-profile court cases.
The trials have been going on for nearly four years. Prosecutors accuse hundreds of suspects of being part of a covert ultranationalist organization that wants to overthrow the government and sow unrest.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/08/world/turkey-courthouse-protest/?hpt=wo_c2
Crowds of protesters began arriving early Monday at the Silivri Prison Complex, which houses the 13th Istanbul High Criminal Court. This judicial body has been hearing one of Turkey's most polarizing and high-profile court cases.
The trials have been going on for nearly four years. Prosecutors accuse hundreds of suspects of being part of a covert ultranationalist organization that wants to overthrow the government and sow unrest.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/08/world/turkey-courthouse-protest/?hpt=wo_c2
Helicopter crashes in Peru with 13 people on board
French oil company Perenco, which had chartered the helicopter, said "so far, no survivors had been found" in the dense jungle area where the helicopter crashed.
It is not yet known what caused the helicopter to come down on its way to one of the company's oil fields.
Perenco said the nine passengers and four crew were Peruvian nationals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22063650
Nutella Heist: 5.5 Tonnes Of Spread Stolen, .............Germans do like their chocolate, but this is taking it a bit far!
They stole the jars from a parked trailer in the central German town of Bad Hersfeld.
The haul of Nutella, which is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero, is worth around 16,000 euros (£13,600).
http://news.sky.com/story/1075280/nutella-heist-5-5-tonnes-of-spread-stolen
Two arrested over Glasgow schoolgirl bus rape
TWO men have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl on a bus in Glasgow.
Police Scotland said it followed appeals for information and witnesses following a report of a serious sexual assault in Pollok on Friday, 22 March.
The men, both aged 22, were expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court today.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/two-arrested-over-glasgow-schoolgirl-bus-rape-1-2882713
Police Scotland said it followed appeals for information and witnesses following a report of a serious sexual assault in Pollok on Friday, 22 March.
The men, both aged 22, were expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court today.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/two-arrested-over-glasgow-schoolgirl-bus-rape-1-2882713
Margaret Thatcher Dies After Stroke
http://news.sky.com/story/1075292/margaret-thatcher-dies-after-stroke
Immune to the Global Crisis: Total UK Wealth Tops £7trn As Rich Get Richer
Total household wealth in the UK has soared past the £7trn mark for the first time but society is becoming more divided, according to new research.
Net wealth - the value of residential buildings and financial assets less outstanding debts - is estimated to have hit £7.05trn at the end of 2012.
But the increase has not been shared equally between the top and bottom rungs of society, with the top 10% accumulating wealth at a much greater rate.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075186/total-uk-wealth-tops-7trn-as-rich-get-richer
Net wealth - the value of residential buildings and financial assets less outstanding debts - is estimated to have hit £7.05trn at the end of 2012.
But the increase has not been shared equally between the top and bottom rungs of society, with the top 10% accumulating wealth at a much greater rate.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075186/total-uk-wealth-tops-7trn-as-rich-get-richer
Syria: Rebel Car Bomb Explodes In Damascus
A car bomb has exploded in central Damascus causing a number of deaths and injuries, according to Syrian television.
The blast in the capital caused extensive damage and was followed by intense gun fire, reports from the scene claim.
State television said: "Terrorists detonate car bomb between Sabaa Bahrat Square and Shahbander Street."
http://news.sky.com/story/1075246/syria-car-bomb-explodes-in-damascus
The blast in the capital caused extensive damage and was followed by intense gun fire, reports from the scene claim.
State television said: "Terrorists detonate car bomb between Sabaa Bahrat Square and Shahbander Street."
http://news.sky.com/story/1075246/syria-car-bomb-explodes-in-damascus
Bangladesh reports first H5N1 bird flu death
A two-year old baby from eastern Bangladesh has died of H5N1 virus, the first bird flu death in the South Asian country, a senior health official said Monday.
Head of the country's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) under the Health Ministry Mahmudur Rahman told Xinhua Monday that "the seventh case of Influenza A ( H5N1) has been confirmed from one of our surveillance sites in Comilla, some 96 km east of capital Dhaka."
He said this was a 1 year 11 months old male child from Chauddogram sub-district of Comilla.
The child was admitted to Comilla Medical College Hospital, later transferred to Dhaka Shishu Hospital and then to a private clinic, Rahman said.
"The child died on Feb. 18, 2013," he said.
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/04/08/144-Bangladesh-reports-first-bird-flu-death-.html
Head of the country's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) under the Health Ministry Mahmudur Rahman told Xinhua Monday that "the seventh case of Influenza A ( H5N1) has been confirmed from one of our surveillance sites in Comilla, some 96 km east of capital Dhaka."
He said this was a 1 year 11 months old male child from Chauddogram sub-district of Comilla.
The child was admitted to Comilla Medical College Hospital, later transferred to Dhaka Shishu Hospital and then to a private clinic, Rahman said.
"The child died on Feb. 18, 2013," he said.
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/04/08/144-Bangladesh-reports-first-bird-flu-death-.html
H7N9 Bird Flu Cases Reach 21 In China; Death Total Unchanged At Six
Three new cases of the deadly bird flu H7N9 were discovered in China yesterday, bringing the total in the country to 21, the government’s Xinhua news agency reported this morning. The sick have all been discovered in eastern China; Shanghai, one of the country’s most important international business hubs, has 10 of the cases.
Eastern Chinese cities have been closing live poultry markets and taking other measures to try to contain the disease which has killed six to date.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said on Friday it was following the latest deadly flu outbreak in China “closely,” according to an announcement posted at the website of the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2013/04/07/deadly-h7n9-bird-flu-cases-reach-21-in-china-death-total-unchanged-at-six/
Eastern Chinese cities have been closing live poultry markets and taking other measures to try to contain the disease which has killed six to date.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said on Friday it was following the latest deadly flu outbreak in China “closely,” according to an announcement posted at the website of the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2013/04/07/deadly-h7n9-bird-flu-cases-reach-21-in-china-death-total-unchanged-at-six/
Vladimir Putin on North Korea: Any nuclear conflict may make Chernobyl look like a fairy tale.
North Korea, after weeks of threats against the United States and South Korea, suspended its sole remaining major project with the South on Monday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin said any nuclear conflict may make Chernobyl look like a fairy tale.Reclusive North Korea's decision to all but close the Kaesong industrial park coincided with speculation that it will carry out some sort of provocative action in coming days - another nuclear weapons test or missile launch.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-korea-north-idUSBRE93408020130408
British Man Wins HUGE Victory For 9/11 BBC Broadcast Building 7 Demolition BIG WIN in COURT
Tony Rooke claimed the BBC intentionally misrepresented facts about the 9/11 attacks when it reported that World Trade Center 7 collapsed “due to an office fire, which, even the NIST report says, fell at free-fall speed for eight floors in 2.5 seconds. That is absolutely impossible without a controlled demolition being involved.” The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the U.S. government agency charged with investigating collapses.
In an act of civil disobedience, Rooke refused to support the BBC and pay the license fee because he believed the BBC has covered up the events of that day. To pay the license fee, he said, would be tantamount to supporting the terrorists responsible for the controlled demolition. He also argued that supporting terrorists would violate the UK’s Terrorism Act, which states: “It is an offence for someone to invite another to provide money, intending that it should be used, or having reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used, for terrorism purposes.”
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/04/british-man-wins-hugel-victory-for-911-bbc-broadcast-building-7-demolition-big-win-in-court-2614920.html
NORTH KOREA TO PULL WORKERS OUT OF KAESONG
The announcement came amid reports of heightened activity at the North's nuclear test site, although the South Korean Defence Ministry denied suggestions that a fourth nuclear test was imminent.
North Korea "will withdraw all its employees from the zone", Kim Yang-Gon, a senior ruling party official, said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
At the same time, Pyongyang "will temporarily suspend the operations in the zone and examine the issue of whether it will allow its existence or close it", Kim added.
Kaesong was built in 2004 as a rare symbol of cross-border economic co-operation.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/16630708/no-signs-north-preparing-nuke-test-seoul/
Adam Lanza May have carried out killings 'as act of revenge after suffering from years of bullying at school'
A friend of killer Adam Lanza's mother has said the gunman may have launched his murder spree at Sandy Hook Elementary School as an 'act of revenge' after suffering years of bullying as a student at the Connecticut school.
Family friend Marvin LaFontaine said Lanza, who killed 26 people during one of the worst school shooting in America's history, had been harboring resentment towards the Connecticut school for years.
And he said mother Nancy Lanza was so angered by the school's inability to protect her son, she would sometimes sit in his class to make sure nobody touched him.
He told the New York Daily News: 'I think Adam felt betrayed by the school and this was his act of revenge.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305255/Adam-Lanza-Sandy-Hook-gunman-Adam-Lanza-carried-killings-act-revenge-suffering-years-bullying-school.html
Family friend Marvin LaFontaine said Lanza, who killed 26 people during one of the worst school shooting in America's history, had been harboring resentment towards the Connecticut school for years.
And he said mother Nancy Lanza was so angered by the school's inability to protect her son, she would sometimes sit in his class to make sure nobody touched him.
He told the New York Daily News: 'I think Adam felt betrayed by the school and this was his act of revenge.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305255/Adam-Lanza-Sandy-Hook-gunman-Adam-Lanza-carried-killings-act-revenge-suffering-years-bullying-school.html
UN Warns North Korea Over Nuclear Test
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged North Korea not to carry out a new nuclear test - saying it would be a "provocative" act.The comments came as South Korea backtracked over claims that the North was preparing to carry out a fourth test.
South Korean minister Ryoo Kilhl-Jae had told parliament there were such signs amid reports of increased activity at the main atomic test site Punggye-ri.
But later South Korea's Defence Ministry said: "We found there had been no unusual movements that indicated it wanted to carry out a nuclear test."
http://news.sky.com/story/1075136/un-warns-north-korea-over-nuclear-test
Homeland Security safety video: Police u-turn as they now advise people to confront gunman if they are caught up in a mass shooting and unable to flee
Police are advising people to fight back if they are unable to flee or hide during a mass shooting, a controversial new tactic that authorities say might be the only way to prevent devastating loss of life.
It comes as research based on numerous mass shootings in the U.S., revealed that those who took a more active role had a better chance of survival than those who waited for help to arrive.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305350/Police-advise-people-fight-caught-mass-shooting-unable-flee.html
Radiation from Japan's nuclear disaster could be to blame for a THOUSAND malnourished seals washing up in California
Radiation from Japan's nuclear disaster could be the reason why more than a thousand sick sea lion pups have washed up on the beaches of Southern California in the past few months, experts believe.
Earlier this week, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared an 'unusual mortality event' after the starving pups washed ashore in record numbers since the start of the year.
The NOAA has assembled a team of biologists, veterinarians and public health officials to try and determine why roughly 1,100 of the frail animals have become stranded and had to enter marine mammal rehabilitation centers up the west coast.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305560/Radiation-Japans-nuclear-disaster-blame-hundreds-malnourished-seals-washed-California.html
Lindsay Sandiford WILL be executed for drug smuggling in Bali after losing appeal against death sentence
British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford has lost her appeal against her death sentence in Bali for drug trafficking.
A Bali High Court spokesman said a panel of judges on the Indonesian island upheld the sentence handed down to the 56-year-old in January.
Sandiford will be executed by firing squad if her death penalty is upheld. But she can now make a further appeal to Indonesia’s Supreme Court in Jakarta.
Drugs mule Sandiford was caught smuggling cocaine worth £1.6 million in the lining of a suitcase from Bangkok to the island last year.
She got a death sentence despite taking part in a sting after her arrest which resulted in the arrest and conviction of the smuggling plot’s alleged masterminds, who got lighter sentences.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305654/Lindsay-Sandiford-WILL-executed-drug-smuggling-Bali-losing-death-sentence-appeal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
A Bali High Court spokesman said a panel of judges on the Indonesian island upheld the sentence handed down to the 56-year-old in January.
Sandiford will be executed by firing squad if her death penalty is upheld. But she can now make a further appeal to Indonesia’s Supreme Court in Jakarta.
Drugs mule Sandiford was caught smuggling cocaine worth £1.6 million in the lining of a suitcase from Bangkok to the island last year.
She got a death sentence despite taking part in a sting after her arrest which resulted in the arrest and conviction of the smuggling plot’s alleged masterminds, who got lighter sentences.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305654/Lindsay-Sandiford-WILL-executed-drug-smuggling-Bali-losing-death-sentence-appeal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
South Korea denies suggestion of imminent North Korea nuclear test
Speculation has been mounting that North Korea will launch some sort of provocative action in coming days - an arms test or a missile launch - after weeks of bellicose threats against the South and the United States.
The prospect of another test would have boosted tension, already driven up by Pyongyang's fury over the imposition of new U.S. sanctions after its last nuclear test in February.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/08/us-korea-north-idUSBRE93408020130408
4.7 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE - 8th April 2013
Region OFFSHORE COQUIMBO, CHILE
Date time 2013-04-08 08:50:09.2 UTC
Location 30.09 S ; 71.41 W
Depth 29 km
Distances
16 km SW of Coquimbo, Chile / pop: 161,317 / local time: 04:50:09.2 2013-04-08
Animal-To-Human Transmission Of MRSA
Cambridge scientists have linked two human cases of infection with the antibiotic- resistant superbug MRSA to farms in Denmark. The results of the study, published today in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, suggest the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria was transmitted from the livestock to the farmers.The type of MRSA which was found in both of the human cases was only discovered two years ago by Dr Mark Holmes and his colleagues from the University of Cambridge. The new strain’s genetic makeup differs greatly from previous strains, which means that the ‘gold standard’ molecular tests currently used to identify MRSA - a polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR) and slide agglutination testing - do not detect it.
For this study, the scientists used whole genome sequencing to investigate two cases of the new MRSA where the patients lived on farms to see if the same strain could be found in the animals on the farm.
http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2013/04/animal-to-human-transmission-of-mrsa-2480018.html
N. Korean Satellite Flies Over America Over And Over And Over Again In The Next 5 Days…(didn't American say it fell out of the sky?)
The North Korean satellite launched into space back in December of 2012 that is said to be for weather forecast purposes but is being widely portrayed in the West as a veiled ballistic missile test passes over the East Coast of America and as far west as just west of the New Madrid fault line over and over and over again in the next several days.
http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2013/04/n-korean-satellite-flies-over-america-over-and-over-and-over-again-in-the-next-5-days-2457512.html
If it didn't fall out of the sky, why would America lie about this? If it did fall out of the sky, why is it on LIVE satellite tracking? http://www.n2yo.com/?s=39026
North Korean satellite likely dead and out of control, New York Times reports
U.S. and South Korean intelligence reports say the rocket quickly broke up and splashed into the Yellow Sea.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said the first stage of the missile fell into the sea about 100 miles west of Seoul. The remaining stages were believed to have failed and no debris fell on land, NORAD said, adding that the missile and resultant debris were never a threat.
http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2013/04/n-korean-satellite-flies-over-america-over-and-over-and-over-again-in-the-next-5-days-2457512.html
If it didn't fall out of the sky, why would America lie about this? If it did fall out of the sky, why is it on LIVE satellite tracking? http://www.n2yo.com/?s=39026
North Korean satellite likely dead and out of control, New York Times reports
U.S. and South Korean intelligence reports say the rocket quickly broke up and splashed into the Yellow Sea.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said the first stage of the missile fell into the sea about 100 miles west of Seoul. The remaining stages were believed to have failed and no debris fell on land, NORAD said, adding that the missile and resultant debris were never a threat.
Richard De Wit Claims "the devil" took over his body when he Killed Sarah Groves
Richard De Wit, 43, told police he had murdered Sarah Groves, who had been staying on the New Beauty houseboat at Dal Lake in Srinagar for two months with her boyfriend.
He has yet to be charged.
"He has confessed that he committed the murder under the influence of some drug. We have sent his blood sample for testing to ascertain the facts," deputy inspector general of police Afadul Mujtaba said.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/16619790/devil-confesses-to-killing-uk-woman/
WikiLeaks' Assange Releases 1.7m US Records
The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has published 1.7 million US diplomatic and intelligence records on his whistleblowing website.
The documents cover diplomatic or intelligence reports on every country in the world and most of the work was done by Mr Assange while he has been staying at the Ecuadorian embassy, where he has sought political asylum.
The data comprises records from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1976, covering a variety of diplomatic traffic - including cables, intelligence reports and congressional correspondence.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075206/wikileaks-assange-releases-1-7m-us-records
The documents cover diplomatic or intelligence reports on every country in the world and most of the work was done by Mr Assange while he has been staying at the Ecuadorian embassy, where he has sought political asylum.
The data comprises records from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1976, covering a variety of diplomatic traffic - including cables, intelligence reports and congressional correspondence.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075206/wikileaks-assange-releases-1-7m-us-records
Michael Arrington publicly accused by his ex-girlfriend of 'rape, assault and making threats to kill her'
Jenn Allen, who is herself a tech entrepreneur, wrote accusations last month that Arrington had physically and emotionally abused her during their eight year relationship and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. In a subsequent post on a news site, she claimed that Arrington had also sexually assaulted a friend.
After Ms Allen's accusations became public, news sites reported another allegation against Arrington - that he threw an ex-girlfriend against her bed in 1999.
Arrington, who has been named one of the most powerful people in the Internet, has not responded to the allegations and he could not be reached for comment by MailOnline.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305449/TechCrunch-founder-powerful-venture-capitalist-accused-rape-physical-abuse-public-posts-ex-girlfriend.html
Southeast side neighborhood on high alert after bee attack Kills 4 Dogs
A Southeast side neighborhood is on high alert Sunday after Africanized bees killed four dogs and attacked people there.
It happened Thursday afternoon near Golf Links and Harrison by Davis Monthan Air Force Base.
"Those things are capable of killing you," said Sandy Moore.
Moore today swept up what's left of the dead Africanized bees that took over her home.
"I'd say within the last day or so we've gotten a good hundred at least that covered the whole patio," said Moore.
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/21903686/south-east-side-neighborhood-on-high-alert-after-bee-attack
It happened Thursday afternoon near Golf Links and Harrison by Davis Monthan Air Force Base.
"Those things are capable of killing you," said Sandy Moore.
Moore today swept up what's left of the dead Africanized bees that took over her home.
"I'd say within the last day or so we've gotten a good hundred at least that covered the whole patio," said Moore.
http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/21903686/south-east-side-neighborhood-on-high-alert-after-bee-attack
Lindsay Sandiford Death sentence: Bali Court Upholds Briton's Death Penalty
An Indonesian court has upheld the death sentence of Lindsay Sandiford, a British grandmother found guilty of trafficking cocaine.http://news.sky.com/story/1075177/bali-court-upholds-britons-death-penalty
Tell Mr Hollande we’re sorry, but his camel has been eaten
Now his camel has been eaten.
The young animal, a gift to Mr Hollande for liberating Mali, has been killed and stewed, according to Jean-Yves Le Drian, France’s Defence Minister.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article3733167.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2013_04_07
Seven die in Modelo brewery accident in Mexico City
An accident at a Mexico City brewery killed seven people early Sunday, Corona beermaker Grupo Modelo said.
The accident happened in a tank that was undergoing maintenance and cleaning, a spokeswoman for the company said in a statement. No details were provided.
Grupo Modelo said it has informed authorities and has begun investigating the accident.
"Modelo is deeply sorry for this incident and will support the affected families permanently," the statement said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/uk-mexico-modelo-deaths-idUKBRE9360C820130407
The accident happened in a tank that was undergoing maintenance and cleaning, a spokeswoman for the company said in a statement. No details were provided.
Grupo Modelo said it has informed authorities and has begun investigating the accident.
"Modelo is deeply sorry for this incident and will support the affected families permanently," the statement said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/uk-mexico-modelo-deaths-idUKBRE9360C820130407
Facebook has Made Billions from their Members.......Now it's time to charge them!
The website is testing a new system for private messaging, with a sliding scale of fees for members based on their number of followers and how many others are paying to contact them.The proposed payments are aimed at preventing users being bombarded with “spam” messages, according to the website.
Facebook has previously allowed members to send messages from their account to strangers for free.
Fans wishing to send messages to Olympic diver Tom Daley could be charged £10.68, while those hoping to contact author Salman Rushie could pay £10.08, according to the Sunday Times.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9977718/Facebook-tests-new-payment-system-to-charge-users-for-messaging.html
Portugal budget: PM Passos Coelho seeks alternative cuts....Keep an eye on your Portuguese bank account Guys!
Pedro Passos Coelho said social security, health, education and public enterprises would have to be cut.
This would allow the country to avoid a second eurozone bailout, he said.
The European Commission warned it not to depart from the bailout terms, and said carrying out the agreed programme was a precondition for further help.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22058461
EU failings can't be 'brushed under the carpet', David Cameron to tell leaders.......Shame he Won't back up his talk with actions
It is his first major European tour since he promised that his party would seek to repatriate powers from Brussels and hold a referendum on EU membership in the next parliament.
During the trip, he will seek to reassure his fellow leaders that the “best outcome” for Britain is membership of a reformed EU, amid fears that the UK is drifting apart from Brussels.
However, he will also repeat his warning that public support for the EU is “wafer-thin” in the UK and there must be a new relationship with Brussels.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/9977518/EU-failings-cant-be-brushed-under-the-carpet-David-Cameron-to-tell-leaders.html
Cameron to meet EU leaders to push reform plan.....Just like he pushed for Non-Existent EU Budget Cuts?
Cameron infuriated European allies in January when he said he would try to renegotiate terms of Britain's EU membership and ask voters in a referendum if they wanted to stay in the bloc.
France and Germany accused him of treating the EU like an "a la carte menu" from which he could pick powers. The opposition Labour Party said Britain risked sleepwalking towards EU exit.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/us-britain-europe-idUSBRE9360DE20130407
Iran lines up behind North Korea, warns the US of “great losses”
Tehran’s intercession in the Korean crisis on the side of its ally in Pyongyang was predictable, even though the US preferrs to ignore the close interrelations between the two allies.
And so, on Friday, April 5, Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri stepped forward to point the finger at Washington:
[“The presence of the Americans in [South] Korea has been the root cause of tensions in this sensitive region in the past and present. The US and its allies will suffer great losses if a war breaks out in this region,” he said, adding for good measure: “Independent countries will not submit to the US mischief. The time for Washington’s bullying and extortion is long past.”
DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources: The second part of the statement was a perfect fit for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s flat refusal to accept US demands on Iran’s nuclear program. The Korean crisis gave the Iranians the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
As Kim Jong-Un moved two intermediate missiles to the east coast of North Korea, Gen. Jazayeri’s rhetoric landed on the latest round of talks the six powers were holding with Iran in Amaty, Kazhakstan for a diplomatic resolution of Iran’s nuclear challenge.
http://www.debka.com/article/22879/
And so, on Friday, April 5, Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri stepped forward to point the finger at Washington:
[“The presence of the Americans in [South] Korea has been the root cause of tensions in this sensitive region in the past and present. The US and its allies will suffer great losses if a war breaks out in this region,” he said, adding for good measure: “Independent countries will not submit to the US mischief. The time for Washington’s bullying and extortion is long past.”
DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources: The second part of the statement was a perfect fit for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s flat refusal to accept US demands on Iran’s nuclear program. The Korean crisis gave the Iranians the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
As Kim Jong-Un moved two intermediate missiles to the east coast of North Korea, Gen. Jazayeri’s rhetoric landed on the latest round of talks the six powers were holding with Iran in Amaty, Kazhakstan for a diplomatic resolution of Iran’s nuclear challenge.
http://www.debka.com/article/22879/
Meningitis Outbreak in New York Revives AIDS Epidemic Scare
An unnamed disease is breaking out and spreading throughout gay men in New York City — it’s not a retelling of the early days of the AIDS/HIV epidemic 30 years ago, but one that is happening right now.
In two years there have been 22 cases of men infected with bacterial meningitis, spread throughout all five boroughs of the Big Apple. Seven led to death and 12 of the men were HIV-positive. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene expanded its recommendations in March for the meningitis vaccine to all men who have sex with men — especially those having sex with strangers through online sites or apps — regardless of their HIV status.
Florida Atlantic University Professor Fred Fejes, who specializes in sexuality in the media, said he can’t help but think of an article written in the New York Times when reading about the meningitis outbreak in the same publication 30 years later.
http://southfloridagaynews.com/articles/meningitis-outbreak-in-new-york-revives-aids-epidemic-scare/111080
N. Korea May Conduct Joint Missile-Nuclear Tests, South Says
North Korea may detonate a nuclear device and carry out a missile test together as early as this week, South Korea’s government said, as the totalitarian regime defies international concern including from ally China.
Kim Jong Un’s regime is ready to conduct a fourth underground atomic weapon test with two tunnels prepared at its Punggye-ri testing site, after carrying out its third last month, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok said today in Seoul. National security chief Kim Jang Soo said yesterday the North may stage a provocation including a ballistic missile test on or around April 10.
“China and the United States and the world community are very concerned about the provocative acts and statements” made by North Korea, U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke said today. “They simply need to focus on improving the lives of their people getting away from provocation and focus on in adhering to their international obligations.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-08/north-korea-may-conduct-joint-missile-nuclear-tests-south-says.html
Kim Jong Un’s regime is ready to conduct a fourth underground atomic weapon test with two tunnels prepared at its Punggye-ri testing site, after carrying out its third last month, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok said today in Seoul. National security chief Kim Jang Soo said yesterday the North may stage a provocation including a ballistic missile test on or around April 10.
“China and the United States and the world community are very concerned about the provocative acts and statements” made by North Korea, U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke said today. “They simply need to focus on improving the lives of their people getting away from provocation and focus on in adhering to their international obligations.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-08/north-korea-may-conduct-joint-missile-nuclear-tests-south-says.html
N. KOREA PREPARING FOR FOURTH NUCLEAR TEST: SOUTH
North Korea appears to be preparing a fourth nuclear test as well as a provocative missile launch, South Korea said Monday, despite an unusually blunt call from China for restraint.
Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae told lawmakers there were "signs" that another test was in the pipeline, with intelligence reports showing heightened activity at the North's Punggye-ri atomic test site.
"We are trying to figure out whether it is a genuine preparation for a nuclear test or just a ploy to heap more pressure on us and the US," the JoongAng Ilbo daily cited a senior South Korean government official as saying.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/16624047/signs-n-korea-preparing-nuclear-test-south/
Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae told lawmakers there were "signs" that another test was in the pipeline, with intelligence reports showing heightened activity at the North's Punggye-ri atomic test site.
"We are trying to figure out whether it is a genuine preparation for a nuclear test or just a ploy to heap more pressure on us and the US," the JoongAng Ilbo daily cited a senior South Korean government official as saying.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/16624047/signs-n-korea-preparing-nuclear-test-south/
More Dead Animals in China? Yes; Cause Unknown
First it was thousands of dead pigs--first reported as over 6,000, before the number climbed past 16,000. Then it was dead ducks, about 1,000 of them.
Now about 300 kilograms of dead fish, or 500 to 600 fish, have been dredged out of a dike between the Si and King rivers in Shanghai, Beijing Cream reported, citing Chinese media.
Authories aren't providing an official cause to the dead fish, though they are speculating that illegal blast fishing--using dynamite or other explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection--may have been the cause.
An area Environmental Protection Bureau tested the fish and found no viruses present.
http://beforeitsnews.com/china/2013/04/next-dead-animal-in-china-fish-2445984.html
Now about 300 kilograms of dead fish, or 500 to 600 fish, have been dredged out of a dike between the Si and King rivers in Shanghai, Beijing Cream reported, citing Chinese media.
Authories aren't providing an official cause to the dead fish, though they are speculating that illegal blast fishing--using dynamite or other explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection--may have been the cause.
An area Environmental Protection Bureau tested the fish and found no viruses present.
http://beforeitsnews.com/china/2013/04/next-dead-animal-in-china-fish-2445984.html
Australia: UFO sightings are flying high
THE weather may be cooling down but UFO sightings are heating up.
The state's leading UFO hunters have received an influx of reported sightings this year across the Gold Coast and Tweed.
A theme among the sightings includes shape-changing objects moving rapidly through the sky.
The most recent sighting was reported in Murwillumbah at 8pm on March 20 when a man claimed to have seen a glowing red V-shaped object in the sky near Springbrook.
The object allegedly moved quickly and became a blue colour before disappearing.
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/04/07/449779_gold-coast-news.html
The state's leading UFO hunters have received an influx of reported sightings this year across the Gold Coast and Tweed.
A theme among the sightings includes shape-changing objects moving rapidly through the sky.
The most recent sighting was reported in Murwillumbah at 8pm on March 20 when a man claimed to have seen a glowing red V-shaped object in the sky near Springbrook.
The object allegedly moved quickly and became a blue colour before disappearing.
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/04/07/449779_gold-coast-news.html
L.A. police deny foul play report in Elisa Lam case
Vancouver media reports quoted an LAPD detective saying Lam, 21, was not murdered, but the department’s media relations unit refuted the story.
“It’s wrong information,” said LAPD media relations officer Cleon Joseph. “We haven’t put anything out about homicide or not homicide yet. We have no official result from the coroner yet.”
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2013/02/25/20608436.html
Florida Boys Kidnapped by Father: Sea And Land Search
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says Joshua Michael Hakken entered his mother-in-law's house Wednesday, tied her up and fled with his sons - Cole, 4, and Chase, 2.
Authorities are searching for a boat Hakken recently purchased with a blue hull and emblazoned with the word "Salty" and a paw print in white on both sides.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075048/florida-boys-kidnapped-sea-and-land-search
4.9 Magnitude Earthquake MAUG ISLANDS REG., NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS - 8th April 2013
4.9
Date-Time
Monday, April 08, 2013 at 06:05:30 UTC
Monday, April 08, 2013 at 04:05:30 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
20.618°N, 144.783°E
Depth
156.8 km (97.4 miles)
Region
MAUG ISLANDS REG., NORTHERN MARIANA ISL.
Distances
15 km (9 miles) NW of Farallon de Pajaros, Northern Mariana Islands
30000 Dogs 'Clubbed To Death At Chinese Abbatoirs' every day: Animal rights campaign
Investigators for Animal Equality said they gained access to slaughterhouses in Zhanjiang and Leizhou, which it says are used, with others, to kill tens of thousands of dogs every day.
A video released as part of its Voiceless Friends campaign showed dogs kept in small cages, some stacked on top of each other.
http://news.sky.com/story/1075143/china-dogs-clubbed-to-death-at-abattoirs
The reality of PETA's homes for strays: Rubbish bags full of kittens killed by animal rights group
The photo shows the interior of a dumpster outside a North Carolina supermarket, which reportedly contains a pile of garbage bags each filled with the dead cats.
The picture is one of many photos that Nathan Winograd claims depict rampant animal abuse at the organization that took the felines in with the promise of finding them homes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305571/Shocking-photos-reality-PETA-animal-homes.html
Italian family's triple suicide 'blamed on government austerity measures which left them in huge debt'
Three members of the same Italian family have taken their own lives after state-imposed austerity measures and mounting debts left them believing there was no way out.
Anna-Maria and Romeo Dionisi hanged themselves at their home in the seaside town of Civitanova on the Adriatic coast, becoming the latest victims of the economic crisis.
Mr Dionisi, 63, a former builder, had lost his job and was unable to draw a pension after the state raised the retirement age by five years, 16 months ago, as part of a series of Europe-imposed cuts.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305362/Anna-Maria-Romeo-Dionisi-Italian-familys-triple-suicide-blamed-government-austerity-measures-left-huge-debt.html
Anna-Maria and Romeo Dionisi hanged themselves at their home in the seaside town of Civitanova on the Adriatic coast, becoming the latest victims of the economic crisis.
Mr Dionisi, 63, a former builder, had lost his job and was unable to draw a pension after the state raised the retirement age by five years, 16 months ago, as part of a series of Europe-imposed cuts.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305362/Anna-Maria-Romeo-Dionisi-Italian-familys-triple-suicide-blamed-government-austerity-measures-left-huge-debt.html
Murderers, rapists and paedophiles among 400 wanted criminals on run in the UK for more than five years
More than 400 wanted criminals, including murderers, paedophiles and rapists, have been at large in Britain for more than five years.
The dangerous offenders should have been returned to prison after committing fresh crimes or breaking the rules of their early release.
But they have evaded the police and are instead walking the streets. Critics said the criminals posed a ‘tremendous risk’ to the public.
A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that 413 offenders ‘unlawfully at large’ at the end of last year had been wanted for more than five years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305481/Murderers-rapists-paedophiles-400-wanted-criminals-run-UK-years.html
The dangerous offenders should have been returned to prison after committing fresh crimes or breaking the rules of their early release.
But they have evaded the police and are instead walking the streets. Critics said the criminals posed a ‘tremendous risk’ to the public.
A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that 413 offenders ‘unlawfully at large’ at the end of last year had been wanted for more than five years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305481/Murderers-rapists-paedophiles-400-wanted-criminals-run-UK-years.html
Spanish police arrest vet 'who dismembered his wife and sent her body parts off to be incinerated, labelled as the remains of a dog'
A vet who allegedly dismembered his wife after she died in a botched DIY liposuction and sent her body parts for incineration disguised as a big dog has been arrested.
The 45-year-old Argentine runs a vet’s surgery popular with British expats in Benijofar near Alicante, Spain.
The firm licensed to incinerate animals has told police they did not make any checks on the remains because the vet was a regular customer.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305346/Spanish-police-arrest-vet-dismembered-wife-sent-body-parts-incinerated-remains-dog.html
The 45-year-old Argentine runs a vet’s surgery popular with British expats in Benijofar near Alicante, Spain.
The firm licensed to incinerate animals has told police they did not make any checks on the remains because the vet was a regular customer.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305346/Spanish-police-arrest-vet-dismembered-wife-sent-body-parts-incinerated-remains-dog.html
50 Iraqis took drugs to fake battle stress and claim benefits in Britain, costing millions of pounds in payouts
Fifty Iraqis drugged themselves to fake mental illness so they could carry out benefits fraud costing millions of pounds.
The group won asylum in Britain after saying they had depression or post-traumatic stress syndrome from the conflict in Iraq.
They then claimed disability payments plus housing benefits worth up to £2,000 a week in what was described as a ‘wholesale onslaught on our welfare system’.
Many of the fraudsters have Dutch and Danish passports and were believed to be living and claiming further benefits in other EU countries while also letting out their taxpayer-funded homes in Britain.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305428/50-Iraqis-took-drugs-fake-battle-stress-claim-benefits.html
The group won asylum in Britain after saying they had depression or post-traumatic stress syndrome from the conflict in Iraq.
They then claimed disability payments plus housing benefits worth up to £2,000 a week in what was described as a ‘wholesale onslaught on our welfare system’.
Many of the fraudsters have Dutch and Danish passports and were believed to be living and claiming further benefits in other EU countries while also letting out their taxpayer-funded homes in Britain.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305428/50-Iraqis-took-drugs-fake-battle-stress-claim-benefits.html
Hamas says it has arrested US spies in Gaza
Two weeks after President Obama’s Mideast trip and barely a day after he announced his intention to restart peace negotiations between Israel and her neighbors, Hamas said it has arrested Westerners it claims have spied in the Gaza Strip.
Those arrested include American, French, German and British nationals who are now being interrogated in Hamas custody, the French news agency AFP announced Saturday, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“The Gaza Strip is swarming with Western intelligence agencies, such as the American, British, French and German services,” Hamas security chief Mohammed Lafi wrote on the group’s Interior Ministry website.
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/04/07/hamas-says-it-has-arrested-us-spies-in-gaza-60219
Those arrested include American, French, German and British nationals who are now being interrogated in Hamas custody, the French news agency AFP announced Saturday, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“The Gaza Strip is swarming with Western intelligence agencies, such as the American, British, French and German services,” Hamas security chief Mohammed Lafi wrote on the group’s Interior Ministry website.
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/04/07/hamas-says-it-has-arrested-us-spies-in-gaza-60219
Assad Forces Push Back at Rebels Across Syria
The embattled Syrian government mounted attacks on rebel positions across the country on Sunday, according to opposition activists.
Fighting intensified in and around Aleppo, the country’s largest city, after government forces regained control of Aziza, a village near the city’s military airport, following weeks of clashes, the reports said. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based activist organization that tracks the fighting, the rebels in the village ran out of ammunition and were forced to withdraw. The village sits on high ground commanding the road between the military airport and the city.
Syrian warplanes hit Aleppo in the north, Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, the eastern province of Deir Ezzor and other locations in an apparent effort to counter recent territorial gains by the rebels, the activists said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/world/middleeast/syrian-forces-push-back-at-rebel-positions.html?_r=0
Fighting intensified in and around Aleppo, the country’s largest city, after government forces regained control of Aziza, a village near the city’s military airport, following weeks of clashes, the reports said. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based activist organization that tracks the fighting, the rebels in the village ran out of ammunition and were forced to withdraw. The village sits on high ground commanding the road between the military airport and the city.
Syrian warplanes hit Aleppo in the north, Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, the eastern province of Deir Ezzor and other locations in an apparent effort to counter recent territorial gains by the rebels, the activists said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/world/middleeast/syrian-forces-push-back-at-rebel-positions.html?_r=0
