The Coming Crisis: May 18, 2013

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Iran dispatches warship to shadow Gulf exercises

ran has dispatched one of its newest warships to shadow the world's biggest mine-hunting exercise that has been taking place over the last few days in the Gulf.

The frigate Jamaran cruised to within a mile of the western vessels, placing her "almost on top of" the fleet conducting exercises to secure shipping, naval sources said.

Commanders stressed they did not view the frigate as a threat and said day to day relations with the Iranian navy were cordial, but its presence underlined the sensitivity of the exercise in one of the world's most strategically important waterways.

The Jamaran, armed with missiles and torpedoes, was built in Iran and launched in 2010, though it is based on a far older design.

Capt Jon Rodgers, commander of the USS Ponce which is one of 35 ships taking part in the exercise, said the Iranian and American navies regularly photographed each other as the two navies - widely seen as potential foes - run up against one another in the congested waters which many believe could be a future flashpoint.

He said: "As long as we are only taking pictures, then we are good."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/10065844/Iran-dispatches-warship-to-shadow-Gulf-exercises.html

Police, protesters clash in Turkey border town

UKIP Scores Record Poll High Of 19%

Support for the UK Independence Party has reached a record 19% according to the latest opinion poll.

Labour was down three points to 35%, the Conservatives were down one to 29% and the Lib Dems were unchanged on 8%.

The ComRes poll for the Sunday Mirror and Independent on Sunday found support for Nigel Farage's party was up 4% since the last survey a month ago and gives Ukip the highest share recorded by any pollster.

According to the study, 46% of Britons would vote to leave the EU in a referendum now, compared with 24% who would stay in.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092748/ukip-scores-record-poll-high-of-19-percent

At least four suspected militants killed in Yemen drone strike

At least four people were killed and a number of others wounded in a drone strike on a vehicle carrying suspected al Qaeda members in southern Yemen, a local official said on Saturday.

The official said the strike took place at dawn on Saturday on a road to the north of Jaar in Abyan Governorate, near Aden. He did not say who was behind the strike, but previous drone strikes have been carried out by the United States.

Washington does not usually comment on drone strikes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-yemen-drone-qaeda-idUSBRE94H0BJ20130518

Israel warns against Russian arms supply to Syria

Israel said on Saturday that advanced weapons supplied by Russia to war-torn Syria could end up in the wrong hands and be used against the Jewish state.

A Russian shipment of Yakhont anti-ship missiles to Syria was condemned by the United States on Friday and Israel is also alarmed by the prospect of Russia supplying S-300 advanced air defense missile systems to Damascus.

While Israel has declined to take sides in the civil war between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebels trying to topple him, Western and Israeli sources say it has launched air strikes inside Syria in a bid to destroy weapons it believes are destined for the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-israel-syria-idUSBRE94H0BO20130518

Armed groups bomb Libyan military posts in Benghazi

Armed groups attacked military posts in Libya's second city Benghazi with bombs and a rocket-propelled grenade, an army commander said on Saturday.

Nearly two years after the uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, the government still exerts little control over the armed brigades that helped overthrow him.

Oil-producer Libya is largely split into fiefdoms of such brigades that are competing for influence.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-libya-unrest-idUSBRE94H08M20130518

Rome protest turns up heat on Letta

Madrid celebrations turn into riot

EU Now Dictates restaurants how to serve olive oil

Critics ridiculed European Union bureaucrats on Saturday for taking time off fighting the euro zone's debt crisis to impose strict new rules on how restaurants serve olive oil.

From January 1, 2014, eateries will be banned from serving oil to diners in small glass jugs or dipping bowls, and forced instead to use pre-sealed, non-refillable bottles that must be disposed of when empty.

The European Commission said the move is designed to improve hygiene and reassure consumers the olive oil in restaurants has not been diluted with an inferior product.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-eu-oliveoil-idUSBRE94H09820130518

Rome protest turns up heat on new PM Letta

Thousands of people protested in Rome on Saturday against austerity policies and high unemployment, urging new Prime Minister Enrico Letta to focus on creating jobs to help pull the country out of recession.

"We hope that this government will finally start listening to us because we are losing our patience," said Enzo Bernardis, who joined the sea of protesters waving red flags and calling for more workers' rights and better contracts.

Less than a month in power, Letta is trying to hold together an uneasy coalition between his center-left Democratic party and the center-right People of Freedom, led by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-italy-protest-idUSBRE94H06M20130518

Enraged by kidnapping, Egyptian police block Gaza border

Egyptian police angered by the kidnapping of seven colleagues by Islamist gunmen kept a crossing into the Gaza Strip closed again on Saturday, stranding hundreds of Palestinian travelers, witnesses said.
The protest began on Friday when police strung barbed wire across the Rafah border post and chained up the gates, local residents said, a day after the abductions.

Gunmen demanding the release of jailed Islamist militants had seized seven policemen and soldiers on a road between the Sinai towns of el-Arish and Rafah. Three of those abducted had worked at the Rafah border crossing, locals said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-egypt-palestinians-crossing-idUSBRE94H07S20130518

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.7
Region NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
Date time 2013-05-18 17:43:18.0 UTC
Location 56.37 N ; 163.21 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
284 km E of Esso, Russia / pop: 1,965 / local time: 06:43:18.0 2013-05-19

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 5.0
Region KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Date time 2013-05-18 17:19:30.0 UTC
Location 28.49 S ; 178.52 E
Depth 633 km
Distances
895 km NE of Whangarei, New Zealand / pop: 50,900 / local time: 05:19:30.0 2013-05-19

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFF EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.2
Region OFF EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
Date time 2013-05-18 16:54:58.0 UTC
Location 52.37 N ; 160.15 E
Depth 60 km
Distances
126 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia / pop: 187,282 / local time: 05:54:58.0 2013-05-19

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.2
Region NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Date time 2013-05-18 15:51:02.2 UTC
Location 39.64 N ; 142.13 E
Depth 63 km
Distances
15 km E of Miyako, Japan / pop: 51,721 / local time: 00:51:02.2 2013-05-19

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake TIMOR REGION - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.7
Region TIMOR REGION
Date time 2013-05-18 15:35:58.0 UTC
Location 9.11 S ; 124.16 E
Depth 107 km
Distances
51 km NW of Kefamenanu, Indonesia / pop: 29,490 / local time: 23:35:58.0 2013-05-18

Animated American Anti-Communism Propaganda

Animated Soviet Propaganda - Fascist Barbarians: Cinema Circus

Animated Soviet Propaganda - Fascist Barbarians: We Can Do It

Animated Soviet Propaganda - Fascist Barbarians: Fascist Boots Shall Not Trample Our Motherland

Boeing 737 catches fire upon landing at Moscow airport

Timothy Hunter 'staged home invasion to punish wife for cheating on him' and slashed her FACE in jealous rage

Timothy Hunter, 29, of Florida, confessed to deputies after they confronted him with inconsistencies in his story, admitting that he put on a mask, grabbed a sharp steel object and slashed his wife, Kristin Sottosanti (pictured), in the face as she was caring for their two 3-year-old kids. Hunter had initially told officials that he was followed by a burgundy sedan on his shopping trip and then spotted 'shadowy figures' on his property.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326367/Masked-husband-staged-home-invasion-punish-wife-cheating-slashed-FACE-jealous-rage.html

New breed of 'Crazy Ants' that nest everywhere and damage electrical systems are taking over Southeastern United States

You certainly wouldn't want these ants in your pants.

A species of ants, nicknamed 'crazy' by researchers because they are prone to sporadic movements has descended upon the Southeastern region of the country, particularly in coastal areas with warmer temperatures and has wreaked havoc on yards and homes.

'Crazy' ants are known scientifically as 'Nylanderia fulva' and are native to Argentina and Brazil, they are also referred to as 'rasberry' after the exterminator Tom Rasberry who discovered them in Houston in 2002.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326481/Crazy-Ants-damage-electrical-systems-taking-southeastern-United-States.html

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 18th May 2013

Magnitude ML 4.1
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Date time 2013-05-18 15:10:40.1 UTC
Location 26.77 N ; 57.87 E
Depth 6 km
Distances
88 km SE of Mīnāb, Iran / pop: 70,790 / local time: 19:40:40.1 2013-05-18

Migrants smuggled here inside a flour tanker... only to be set free by border guards and told how to claim asylum

Covered in flour, they clamber from a foreign lorry - to the amazement of other motorists on a busy motorway. This is the moment that at least nine suspected illegal immigrants emerged from their hiding place after smuggling themselves into the UK. The gang brazenly strolled off into the English countryside. And although all were caught within minutes, almost half were immediately set free. They were even taken to a hostel, given free accommodation and told how to apply for asylum and benefits.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326355/Jump-UK-Looking-like-Casper-Ghost-migrants-smuggled-inside-flour-tanker.html

Germany to call for two-year re-entry ban to the EU for suspected Islamists returning from Syria as 'homegrown terrorists'

Germany has called for Europeans fighting the Assad regime in Syria to be temporarily barred from re-entering the EU - amid fears they could return as 'homegrown terrorists'.

The German government has claimed as many as 700 Europeans have joined opposition forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad's soldiers, and warned militant Islamists could pose a threat upon returning to the EU from the battlefields of Syria.

Now the country, which has said it is aware of up to 40 people who have left Germany for Syria since the summer of 2012, wants to see suspected Islamists banned from re-entering the EU from Syria for two years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326156/Germany-year-entry-ban-EU-suspected-Islamists-returning-Syria-homegrown-terrorists.html

Photos: Something is rotten in the Denver airport

You are greeted at the airport by Mustang, by New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez, was one of the earliest public art commissions for Denver International Airport in 1993. Standing at 32 feet tall and weighing 9,000 pounds “Mustang” is a blue cast-fiberglass sculpture with red shining eyes. Jiménez died in 2006 while creating the sculpture when the head of it fell on him and severed an artery in his leg.

At a glance, AU AG would logically be the symbols for gold and silver. But that meaning is called into question when you find out that one of the founders of the airport also discovered a new, deadly strain of hepatitis known as Australia Antigen, also called AUAG. It has been rumored that AUAG could be a potent weapon in biological warfare. This symbol rests on the ground directly in front of the biological warfare mural.

Nobody really knows who paid for the Denver Airport construction. Besides the fact that this dedication stone says it’s covering a time capsule for the people of Colorado, it also says the airport was paid for by the New World Airport Commission. The New World Airport Commission does not exist.

http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/05/17/photos-something-is-rotten-in-the-denver-airport/

UPDATE BY LEO: President Obama was in Denver Sept 27th last year when Comet Elenin passed by the earth, “barely missing” us by 22 miles. Some say, that if the comet would have struck earth, it’s back to the stone-age for us. Nonetheless, their was a chance that it could have hit and President Obama was conveniently ushered to Denver… which, in my opinion, adds more to the existence of not only a military bunker, but also the largest, most advanced bunker in the US -because the President wouldn’t go to some half-ass bunker if there was a threat of complete world destruction. Just sayin..

UPDATE 2: Just got a weird phone call from “Government Affairs” (whatever that is) on our office phone caller ID and they hung up after we answered. If this post disappears for some reason tomorrow, you know why..

Laughing Quadruplets......This is what happen's when bedtime stories involve Imitations of Obama

CDC: 1 In 5 US Children May Have Mental Disorder

Nearly 1 in 5 children in the U.S. suffers from a mental disorder, and this number has been rising for more than a decade.

According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 20 percent of American children are suffering from mental disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression and autism.

The CDC’s first study of mental disorders among children aged 3 to 17 also found that the cost of medical bills for treatment of such disorders is up to $247 billion each year.

http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2013/05/18/cdc-1-in-5-us-children-may-have-mental-disorder/

Asteroid nine times the size of the QE2 liner to sail pass Earth

An asteroid nine times larger than the QE2 is due to sail past the Earth later this month.

Luckily, the giant space rock will get no closer than 3.6 million miles, or 15 times the distance between the Earth and the moon.

Coincidentally, scientists have named the asteroid 1998 QE2. The name has nothing to do with the transatlantic Cunard liner - it follows a code used for newly-discovered asteroids by the US Minor Planet Centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The asteroid is believed to be about 1.7 miles long, or nine times the length of the Queen Elizabeth 2 ship.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/asteroid-nine-times-the-size-of-the-qe2-liner-to-sail-pass-earth-8621999.html

Moon Rocked By Biggest Meteorite Explosion

A meteorite has slammed into the surface of the Moon, creating a flash of light so bright it could be seen without a telescope.

Scientists say the space rock was travelling at around 56,000mph when it crashed into the Moon's Mare Imbrium region.

It is believed to have measured no more than 40cm across but experts say the force of the impact - equivalent to setting off four tons (4,500kg) of TNT - would have made a crater up to 20m wide.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092696/moon-rocked-by-biggest-meteorite-explosion

Law Protecting Afghan Women Is Blocked

Afghanistan's parliament has blocked a law banning violence against women in what is being seen as a serious blow to the progress of women's rights.

President Hamid Karzai approved the legislation by decree in 2009 but the country's politicians were required to endorse it.

However, a rift between conservative and more secular members of the assembly meant the debate was deferred to a later date.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092681/afghanistan-blocks-law-protecting-women

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 18th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.3
Region OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Date time 2013-05-18 13:46:04.0 UTC
Location 40.12 N ; 124.53 W
Depth 10 km
Distances
55 km SW of Rio Dell, United States / pop: 3,368 / local time: 06:46:04.0 2013-05-18

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.6
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Date time 2013-05-18 12:09:44.0 UTC
Location 26.69 N ; 57.81 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
88 km SE of Mīnāb, Iran / pop: 70,790 / local time: 16:39:44.0 2013-05-18

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR S. COAST OF WESTERN HONSHU - 18th May 2013

Magnitude M 5.1
Region NEAR S. COAST OF WESTERN HONSHU
Date time 2013-05-18 11:51:10.2 UTC
Location 34.42 N ; 133.90 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
8 km SW of Tamano / pop: 67,786 / local time: 20:51:00.0 2013-05-18

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake LOYALTY ISLANDS - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.9
Region LOYALTY ISLANDS
Date time 2013-05-18 11:43:49.0 UTC
Location 21.11 S ; 168.56 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
85 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia / pop: 7,492 / local time: 22:43:49.0 2013-05-18

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA - 18th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.2
Region SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-18 11:08:17.3 UTC
Location 9.77 S ; 112.34 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
185 km S of Blitar, Indonesia / pop: 132,416 / local time: 18:08:17.3 2013-05-18

Cheznye Emmons Dies After Drinking 'Poison Gin' in Indonesia

A British backpacker has died after apparently drinking poisoned gin during a trip around south-east Asia.

Cheznye Emmons, 23, suffered methanol poisoning after reportedly drinking from a bottle labelled gin.

The beauty therapist was said to have consumed the tainted liquid as she visited an orangutan sanctuary during a trek in the Indonesian jungle.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092560/backpacker-dies-after-drinking-poison-gin

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 18th May 2013

Magnitude M 5.6
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Date time 2013-05-18 10:57:56.0 UTC
Location 26.62 N ; 57.95 E
Depth 80 km
Distances
104 km SE of Mīnāb, Iran / pop: 70,790 / local time: 15:27:56.0 2013-05-18

EU To Ban Olive Oil Bottles From Restaurants

Traditional olive oil jugs are to be banned from restaurants across Europe following a decision in Brussels.

The European Commission has declared that only non-refillable, pre-packaged factory bottles with tamperproof lids can be used from 2014.

It will end the practice of restaurants sourcing their own artisan products to be used in bottles and dipping bowls.

"We are just protecting consumers", he insisted as he added that the non-refillable bottles would also improve hygiene.

However the move has been criticised as further meddling by unelected bureaucrats.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092569/eu-to-ban-olive-oil-bottles-from-restaurants

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 5.6
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Date time 2013-05-18 10:03:19.0 UTC
Location 26.77 N ; 57.74 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 360 km N of Muscat, Oman / pop: 797,000 / local time: 14:03:19.0 2013-05-18
152 km E of Bandar ‘Abbās, Iran / pop: 352,173 / local time: 14:33:19.0 2013-05-18
77 km SE of Mīnāb, Iran / pop: 70,790 / local time: 14:33:19.0 2013-05-18

7 Caught trespassing at Quabbin Reservoir, main Massachusetts water supply, Pakistan, Saudi students

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 18th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.5
Region OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Date time 2013-05-18 09:09:39.3 UTC
Location 37.81 N ; 142.38 E
Depth 29 km
Distances
116 km SE of Ishinomaki, Japan / pop: 117,233 / local time: 18:09:39.3 2013-05-18

Behind the gun scare at Cannes

Sharks help Wounded Warrior mom

MASS UFO SIGHTINGS: UFO Sightings Soar In Manitoba, Across Canada - Record 1,981 Sightings In 2012!

Pyongyang launches three short-range missiles – South

South Korea’s Ministry of Defense has detected three launches of short-range guided missiles by North Korea, it said.

Two launches were fired on Saturday morning and another one in the afternoon, reports Yonhap news agency.

The missiles were fired from the east coast into the Sea of Japan, the report says.

They were likely shore-based anti-ship missiles, South Korean media believe.

Japan confirmed the report of the launches, saying its military had detected them too.

The South’s military says it is maintaining high level of readiness amid the developments.

http://rt.com/news/north-korea-launch-missiles-467/

North Korea launches short-range missiles

North Korea launched three short-range guided missiles into the sea off the Korean Peninsula's east coast Saturday, South Korea's semi-official news agency Yonhap cited the South Korean Defense Ministry as saying.

The ministry said it had detected two launches in the morning, followed by another in the afternoon, Yonhap reported.

It said the country has beefed up monitoring on North Korea and is maintaining a high-level of readiness to deal with any risky developments.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/18/world/asia/north-korea-missiles/?hpt=hp_t2

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF PANAMA - 18th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.9
Region SOUTH OF PANAMA
Date time 2013-05-18 08:00:50.0 UTC
Location 7.18 N ; 82.24 W
Depth 10 km
Distances
116 km SE of Punta de Burica / pop: 1,360 / local time: 03:00:00.0 2013-05-18

Volcanoes Erupting Around the World

Volcanoes are rumbling in both the Arctic and the tropics of North America, while other eruptions continue on an Italian island and in the frozen tundra of Russia.

In Alaska, twin volcanoes threaten to unleash more of their fury. Volcano fanatics are salivating over images of Pavlof volcano’s ash and steam plume. The plume rose to approximately 20,000 above sea level and have created a diffuse plume trailing 100 miles downwind to the northeast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Volcano Observatory. Pilots recently spotted lava trickling down the northwest flank of the 8,261 feet (2,518 meter) volcano. Residents of Cold Bay, 37 miles away, reported a visible glow from the volcano’s summit last night.

Nearby Cleveland volcano hasn’t erupted yet, and USGS monitoring equipment hadn’t picked up any explosions as of yesterday evening. However, the USGS warns that an eruption of blocks of stone and ash could occur with little or no warning.

USGS officials warned aviators of the dangers of the incipient eruptions and set aviation alert level to “orange.”

http://news.discovery.com/earth/volcanoes-erupt-in-alaska-mexico-italy-and-russia-130516.htm

Bright explosion on moon visible from Earth, NASA says

A meteoroid struck the surface of the moon recently, causing an explosion that was visible on Earth without the aid of a telescope, NASA reported Friday. But don't be alarmed if you didn't see it; it only lasted about a second.

"It exploded in a flash nearly 10 times as bright as anything we've ever seen before," said Bill Cooke, of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.

NASA astronomers have been monitoring the moon for the past eight years, looking for explosions caused by meteoroids hitting the lunar surface. It's part of a program to find new fields of space debris that could hit Earth. NASA says it sees hundreds of detectable lunar meteoroid impacts a year.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/18/tech/moon-explosion/index.html

Northeast Japan jolted by magnitude 5.9 quake, no tsunami warning

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 jolted northeastern Japan on Saturday, but no tsunami warning was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Tokyo Electric Power Co's two nuclear plants in Fukushima reported no new irregularities after the quake, Kyodo news agency said. Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi prefecture further north also detected no irregularities, operator Tohoku Electric Power Co said.

In Miyagi prefecture, where the shaking was the strongest, there were no information on injuries, Kyodo added.

The United States Geological Survey recorded the quake at 6.1, with a depth of 20.5 miles. The epicentre of the quake was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture, more than 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Tokyo, where buildings also shook.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/uk-quake-japan-idUKBRE94H04420130518

Syrian rebels: Assad fired chemical mortars at citizens...If the Rebels say so, it must be true

Syrian rebels were quoted by Al Arabyia as claiming that Syrian President Bashar Assad had used chemical weapons once again – in Damascus and in a town near the Turkish border.

According to the report, citizens in the Al Asali district in Damascus were wounded after being bombarded with chemically laced mortar; and in a second attack, rebels were hit by phosphorous laced mortars in residential areas in which fighting is currently being conducted. An additional report claimed rebels managed to kill four Hezbollah fighters trying to make their way to Homs.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4381037,00.html

Obama loses battle over Benghazi disclosures

President Barack Obama's White House fought and lost a battle to avoid making public what it claimed were confidential records of internal deliberations over the attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya last September.

Obama administration officials portray their unsuccessful effort to avoid disclosing the records as the end result of a process of "accommodation" which the government's executive branch routinely uses to respond to frequent requests and subpoenas by Congress for sensitive materials.

But some politicians and legal experts say the administration's decision to not release the records sooner may have backfired, prolonging the controversy and deepening the determination of critics in Congress to keep the story alive.

"I don't trust them as far as I can throw them," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who accused the administration of trying to "stonewall Congress at every turn."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/17/us-usa-benghazi-legal-idUSBRE94G0VZ20130517

Cyber attacks against banks more severe than most realize

The series of cyber attacks that repeatedly knocked major U.S. banking websites offline in the past nine months has been more powerful than the general public realizes, government officials and security experts told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit.

A self-described activist group, Cyber Fighters of Izz ad-din Al Qassam, has claimed credit for the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that took down the websites of more than a dozen U.S. banks for hours or even days at a time. Members of congressional intelligence committees say the attacks are sponsored by Iran and show its growing capability in cyberspace.

U.S. banks, Internet service providers and security companies "have had trouble keeping up with the recent DDoS attacks that have had the sophistication and the level of resources that a nation-state entity like Iran can devote to them," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers told Reuters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-cyber-summit-banks-idUSBRE94G0ZP20130518

IRS chief declines to identify employees involved in scandal

The outgoing head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service angered Republican lawmakers on Friday by resisting their demands that he identify who at the tax-collection agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.

But during the first hearing into a growing IRS scandal that could preoccupy Washington for months, Republicans did learn that a top official in President Barack Obama's administration knew that the IRS was looking into targeting by the tax agency nearly a year ago.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/18/us-usa-irs-idUSBRE94F10Y20130518

Germany Bird Flu: New Outbreak of Low-Path Bird Flu in Lower Saxony

A new outbreak of low-pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N7) has been reported at a farm in Lower Saxony.

The veterinary authority sent an Immediate Notification dated 16 May to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The report describes one outbreak of avian flu on a farm at Langförden near Vechta in Lower Saxony. It started on 15 May. All 13,000 birds in the flock were destroyed after the sub-clinical infection was confirmed.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/28984/new-outbreak-of-lowpath-bird-flu-in-lower-saxony

Cumberland County health officials say Holiday Inn Bordeaux diners since May 1 may have been exposed to salmonella

County health officials said Wednesday that anyone who ate at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux since May 1 may have been exposed to salmonella, the Cumberland County Department of Public Health said.

Two more cases were reported Tuesday, bringing to 18 the number of people diagnosed with salmonella since Monday, a release said.

Four people are in the hospital as a result of the salmonella illness, the release said.

Anyone who ate at the Cafe Bordeaux, the All American Sports Bar and Grill, both on the hotel's property at 1707 Owen Drive, or attended a banquet at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux since May 1 and became ill is asked to call the Health Department.

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2013/05/15/1257037?sac=fo.local

Bangladesh: 14 people infected with anthrax

The infected people are Shahidul Islam, Kohinoor Begum, 55, Akhter Ali, 30, Masud Miah, 18, Shahajan Ali, 35, Piyara Begum, 40, Anower Hossain, Sahadat Hossain, Parveen Akter, Rubi, Rukhsana, Nazmul, Bithi and Imon of village Ishpasha village under Sadar upazila.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Putul Roy said the affected people were among those who slaughtered and processed the meat of an anthrax infected cow on April 4. Also, six people from the 11 families took that meat have been infected.

“On May 11, one of affected took treatment from Tangail General Hospital. On May 13 our people went to the village for diagnosis and brought all the infected people to the Tangail General Hospital,” she said. Civil surgeon Dr. Nazrul Islam said he had also visited the area.

http://dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/may/17/14-people-infected-anthrax

California: Bat Found Along Los Gatos Trail Tests Positive For Rabies

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department has issued a notice to hikers in Los Gatos that a bat found near a trail has tested positive for the rabies virus, a deputy health officer said.

A hiker walking near the Los Gatos Creek Trail in Los Gatos discovered a dead or dying bat in mid-April, Sara Cody, deputy public health officer for the department.

The hikers reported the find to San Jose Animal Care and Services, which took the bat to the health department’s lab and detected rabies based on a test of its brain tissue, Cody said.

The department then posted a notice on the Los Gatos trail warning anyone who may have come in contact with the bat.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/05/17/bat-found-along-los-gatos-trail-tests-positive-for-rabies/

Alexander Litvinenko Inquest May Be Scrapped

The inquest into the death of poisoned spy Alexander Litvinenko could be scrapped and replaced with a public inquiry to allow evidence to be heard in secret.

Coroner Sir Robert Owen has published a ruling which revealed that he cannot hear evidence on the preventability of Mr Litvinenko's death or linked to the alleged involvement of the Russian state in public.

Alex Goldfarb, a friend of the Litvinenko family and his widow Marina, said the decision was "deeply dismaying" and that it was "upsetting" that in his view the British Government had prioritised its political relationship with Russia over the need to hold an open inquest.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092393/alexander-litvinenko-inquest-may-be-scrapped

Cannes Film Festival: Arrest After Gun Scare

A man has been arrested after firing a starting pistol at the Cannes Film Festival, sending actors Christoph Waltz and Daniel Auteuil running for cover.

Police arrested a suspect at the scene and found he was also carrying a dummy grenade and a knife.

The alert occurred during a live TV broadcast on the resort's waterfront. French station Canal+ was interviewing the two actors when a man fired twice into the air.

"The bodyguards jumped over the barriers into the crowd and pulled him to the ground," said witness Arthur Laiguesse.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092495/cannes-film-festival-arrest-after-gun-scare

Drill against terror attack on Fukushima nuclear plant (May 11th 2013)

Police officers take part in a drill at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, based on the scenario that a group of terrorists have attempted to attack the Fukushima Daiichi plant, on May 11, 2013. Both plants are operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Pool photo by Kyodo News)(Kyodo)

http://english.kyodonews.jp/photos/2013/05/224331.html

US Commuter Trains Collide Injuring 60

Up to 60 people have been hospitalised after a collision between two US commuter trains serving New York City, police say.

Five of the injured are critical after a "major derailment" near Fairfield, Connecticut, just outside Bridgeport.

Alex Cohen, a passenger on the train headed to New York, said it pulled to a sudden halt and then suddenly jerked forward.

http://news.sky.com/story/1092524/trains-collide-in-connecticut-dozens-hurt

Saturday, May 18, 2013

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