The Coming Crisis: May 26, 2013

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Google's Eric Schmidt: change British law and we'd pay more tax

Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman, has continued to defend the company's tax affairs, insisting it would comply with British law if it was changed and claiming to be perplexed by the debate.

In a phrase less snappy than the more celebrated "don't be evil", Schmidt said Google had "a fiduciary responsibility to our shareholders" that prevented the internet company from paying more tax abroad. However, he said: "It's not a debate. You pay the taxes."

Google has come in for escalating public criticism, including unusually frank words from senior politicians, since the House of Commons public accounts committee took it to task this month over figures that revealed payments of £3.4m in tax on £3.2bn of sales to customers in Britain last year, with sales technically accounted for under the low-tax regime of Ireland.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/may/27/google-eric-schmidt-change-law-tax

Property price rises stoke fears of a new housing bubble

Fears that George Osborne, the chancellor, is stoking a new housing bubble through plans to boost mortgages may be exacerbated by figures showing house prices grew faster in May than at any time in the past six years.

Prices rose 0.4%, the most since May 2007, driven mainly by the market in London and the south-east – although the rest of the UK also averaged a marginal rise.

Data from Hometrack, a property analytics firm, shows prices grew by 0.9% in the capital last month, and by 0.5% across the south-east.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/may/27/property-price-rises-new-housing-bubble

Payton Sparks, 16, killed in teen horror crash in Havant in Hampshire

A schoolgirl of 16 was killed and two other teenagers were seriously injured when their car smashed in to a building.

Tragic Payton Sparks died at the scene, while a 14-year-old boy who was a back seat passenger was yesterday in hospital with serious injuries to his head and legs.

The driver, a 19-year-old man, was also said to be in intensive care.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/payton-sparks-16-killed-teen-1914932

Theresa May moves to ban extremists who don’t advocate violence

Radical Islamist groups which whip up hatred but do not advocate violence could be outlawed in the UK for the first time, under an attempt to curb the spread of hardline ideology being considered by the Government following the Woolwich murder.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, warned that there were thousands of people judged to be at risk of being radicalised as she set out moves to deprive hardliners of platforms for their views. They include plans to ban more organisations accused of fomenting division and to tighten the rules on their access to the internet, as well as the revival of plans for a "snooper's charter".

But the moves threaten to provoke a freedom-of-speech row as organisations which stop short of advocating terrorism could be banned under the proposals, which will be considered by a Whitehall task force headed by David Cameron.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/terror-in-woolwich-theresa-may-moves-to-ban-extremists-who-dont-advocate-violence-8632652.html

World powers struggle to reach agreement on Syria

In a conflict which worsens by the week, this is a week when critical decisions on the next steps in Syria must be made.

On Monday, meetings of foreign ministers in Brussels and Paris could pave the way for more weapons to be supplied to the opposition or more arm-twisting to push all sides towards the negotiating table.

In Brussels, EU foreign ministers need to decide whether to renew a package of sanctions on Syria, including an arms embargo which expires at the end of this week.

Key players, including the UK and France, have been lobbying for months for an easing of the embargo.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22677605

UN chief concerned about regional spillover of Syria unrest

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday expressed extreme concern over the increasing risk of the spillover of the Syrian unrest to Lebanon, urging respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region.

"The secretary-general is deeply concerned by the acknowledged increased participation in the fighting in Syria by Hezbollah, as well as by the risk of spillover in Lebanon, which has witnessed growing tension over the past week," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson. "All in the region should act responsibly and work towards lowering rhetoric and calming tensions in the region."

Two rockets hit the Hezbollah-controlled southern part of Lebanese capital city on Sunday, wounding five people. The attack came a day after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah overtly defended his group's backing to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-05/27/c_132410637.htm

5.8 Magnitude Earthquake OWEN FRACTURE ZONE REGION - 27th May 2013

Magnitude Mw 5.8
Region OWEN FRACTURE ZONE REGION
Date time 2013-05-27 03:36:31.0 UTC
Location 14.64 N ; 53.80 E
Depth 8 km
Distances
188 km N of Qulansiyah, Yemen / pop: 3,500 / local time: 06:36:38.0 2013-05-27

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake GUATEMALA - 27th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.4
Region GUATEMALA
Date time 2013-05-27 03:21:26.3 UTC
Location 15.46 N ; 91.98 W
Depth 184 km
Distances
6 km N of Cuilco, Guatemala / pop: 1,713 / local time: 21:21:26.3 2013-05-26

Amazon workers in Germany set for second strike for higher pay

Workers at global internet retailer Amazon.com's German operations are set to go on a second daylong strike on Monday in a dispute over pay and benefits.

Trade union Verdi is calling on workers at Amazon's logistics center in Leipzig to stop working from 12:30 p.m. ET, it said, after 600 workers at its facilities in Bad Hersfeld and around 300 in Leipzig went on strike on May 14.

Amazon employs around 9,000 people in Germany and has come under fire from the union for refusing to implement a collective agreement on employment conditions similar to deals at other mail order and retail firms.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-amazon-germany-idUSBRE94P0FB20130526

Anti-Monsanto protests pop up across the US

Sectarian violence intensifies in Lebanon

Thousands march against gay-marriage in France

Arab League chief urges Hezbollah to stop fighting in Syria

Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby on Sunday urged Lebanon's Shi'ite militant Hezbollah to stop fighting alongside government forces in Syria's civil war, after two rockets hit a Shi'ite Muslim district of Beirut.

Sunday's rocket attack was the first to apparently target Hezbollah's stronghold in the south of the Lebanese capital since the outbreak of the two-year conflict in neighboring Syria, which has heightened Lebanon's own sectarian tensions.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared on Saturday that his heavily-armed fighters were committed to the conflict against what he called radical Sunni Islamist rebels in Syria, whatever the cost.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-syria-crisis-arableague-idUSBRE94P0EA20130526

Economic reality finally cracks market fervor

As evidence mounts that a mid-year slowdown is taking place in the world economy, the next few days will offer a clearer glimpse of how that will impinge on policymaking and buoyant financial markets.

Global stocks stumbled last Thursday in one of the few times the grey economic reality cut through this year's reverie in financial markets.

And that could mark the start of a trend, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke last week hinted the U.S. central bank could soon scale back its monthly bond purchases that have flooded stock markets with new cash.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-economy-global-idUSBRE94P0D820130526

Texas shooting spree: Two dead, five hurt

A gunman randomly firing from his pickup truck killed one person and wounded five, including the sheriff of Concho County, Texas, on Sunday before the suspect was killed in a shootout with law enforcement, officials said.

Authorities recovered an assault rifle, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the suspect, who was said to be 23 years old and from North Carolina. The name was withheld pending notification of relatives, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

The statement identified the dead victim as Alicia Torres, 41, who was shot dead in her car, the statement said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/27/us-usa-shooting-texas-idUSBRE94Q01C20130527

Jupiter, Venus, Mercury to cluster

Alarm over skills shortage in Europe

European industrialists are sounding the alarm over a growing skills shortage on the continent that threatens their competitiveness and leaves manufacturing companies scrambling to find enough engineers.

Chief executives of some of Europe's biggest manufacturers said that problems around youth unemployment, demographics and the education system all mean that engineers could be increasingly difficult to find in the future. This would force their companies to move more research and development facilities to countries with a greater supply of engineers, such as China or India.

"By 2025, we might need 500,000 engineers," said Olof Persson, chief executive, of Volvo Group, the world's second-biggest truckmaker.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/26/business/europe-skills-shortage/index.html?hpt=hp_c5

Venezuela registers at least 3 deaths from swine flu

At least 160 cases and three deaths have been registered in Venezuela from swine flu, officials said.

"We have officially registered 11 cases and sadly have two people dead from this disease here in Aragua state as of now," Aragua Gov. Tareck El Aissami said.

"We are taking all the epidemiological measures," the governor said.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/05/26/venezuela-registers-at-least-3-deaths-from-swine-flu/

Theresa May Backs 'Snooper's Charter' Powers

Theresa May has said it is "essential" that intelligence agencies have greater access to communications data following the murder of off-duty soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

The Home Secretary said law enforcement agencies must be given the "tools they need" to track down terrorists before they can launch attacks.

She also warned that "thousands" of people in Britain are potentially at risk of being radicalised by extremists.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095766/theresa-may-backs-snoopers-charter-powers

Andrew Iacovou Killed at at Ladbrokes Betting Shop in Morden

A 55-year-old man who was murdered at a betting shop in south London has been named.

Andrew Iacovou was pronounced dead at the scene of the attack at Ladbrokes in Aberconway Road, Morden, by the London Ambulance Service on Saturday.

A post-mortem examination said the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095683/morden-betting-shop-murder-victim-named

Zoe Rhiannon Aspland: 'Wrong Way' M5 Victim Was Mother Of Five

A woman who died after driving her car the wrong way up a motorway and colliding with four vehicles was a mother of five.

Zoe Rhiannon Aspland, 30, from Yeovil, Somerset, died after driving her Ford Ka north on the southbound carriageway of the M5, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Her parents Stephen and Karen Aspland have paid tribute to their daughter.

In a statement released through the police, they said: "Zoe ... was a loving mother to her five children and will be sorely missed by her brother Lee and sisters Alice and Laura.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095925/wrong-way-m5-victim-was-mother-of-five

France Gay Marriage Law: Violence Erupts

Nearly one hundred people have been arrested in Paris when a protest against a new French law allowing same-sex marriage turned violent.

Several hundred thousand opponents of same-sex marriage took to the streets of Paris in protest against the reform, which was signed into law by President Francois Hollande last week.

While the rally was peaceful throughout much of the day, police said they arrested 96 hardline opponents to the gay marriage law.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095940/france-gay-marriage-law-violence-erupts

Two Arrested After Blaze At Mosque in Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at an Islamic cultural centre in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.

The blaze broke out at around 10pm last night. It was extinguished and no one was injured, officers said.

Humberside Police said it had discovered a number of messages on social networking sites that appeared to invite people to meet at various locations in the area and cause trouble.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095952/two-arrested-after-blaze-at-mosque

Woolwich Murder: Trio Released On Bail

Three men who were held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder following the death of Drummer Lee Rigby have been released on bail.

The trio, aged 21, 24 and 28, were arrested in southeast London on Saturday, three days after the 25-year old soldier was hit by a car and then attacked with a knife and a meat cleaver in Woolwich.

They have been bailed to return to a south London police station, the Metropolitan Police said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095947/woolwich-murder-trio-released-on-bail

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA - 27th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.7
Region SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-27 01:11:10.4 UTC
Location 5.87 S ; 101.68 E
Depth 28 km
Distances
237 km S of Bengkulu, Indonesia / pop: 309,712 / local time: 08:11:10.4 2013-05-27

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA - 27th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.9
Region SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-27 00:06:10.0 UTC
Location 9.35 S ; 107.45 E
Depth 8 km
Distances
239 km S of Tasikmalaya, Indonesia / pop: 271,143 / local time: 07:06:10.0 2013-05-27

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake KYRGYZSTAN - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.6
Region KYRGYZSTAN
Date time 2013-05-26 23:39:19.0 UTC
Location 40.97 N ; 73.78 E
Depth 5 km
Distances
46 km NE of Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan / pop: 40,360 / local time: 05:39:19.0 2013-05-27

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake POTOSI, BOLIVIA - 26th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.1
Region POTOSI, BOLIVIA
Date time 2013-05-26 20:25:50.0 UTC
Location 21.30 S ; 66.92 W
Depth 300 km
Distances
82 km SW of Atocha, Bolivia / pop: 1,833 / local time: 16:25:50.0 2013-05-26

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake OFF EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.3
Region OFF EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
Date time 2013-05-26 19:18:23.7 UTC
Location 52.32 N ; 159.88 E
Depth 60 km
Distances
115 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia / pop: 187,282 / local time: 08:18:23.7 2013-05-27

ROCKET(S) HAVE BEEN FIRED FROM LEBANON INTO ISRAEL; INFORMATION INCOMING

A rocket was fired from south Lebanon at Israel, Lebanese media reported Sunday night.

Residents in the area of Metula, near the border with Lebanon, reported hearing a high-pitched whistle followed by a loud boom before midnight, according to a report in Ynet news. There were no initial reports of injury or damage.

A security source told Lebanon’s Daily Star newspaper that the rocket was fired from the area of Burj al-Marouk, near the town of Marjayoun. The town is about five kilometers (3 miles) from Metula.

Israel Defense Forces troops were dispatched to the area to locate the rocket, if it fell within Israel, Ynet reported. Troops from the UNIFIL peacekeeping force also conducted searches inside Lebanon, The Daily Star reported.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-reportedly-fired-into-israel-from-lebanon/

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'We've got your back': Obama vows to help tornado-stricken Oklahoma rebuild .....Joplin Tornado and Hurricane Sandy victims also received this great vow

President Barack Obama wiped away tears during a tour of tornado-ravaged Moore, Oklahoma today, as he witnessed the sheer devastation for himself and embraced survivors, many of whom have lost everything.

'We've got your back,' he told residents as he committed federal resources to help the still-reeling community rebuild. Standing with Governor Mary Fallin and other state and federal officials amid the rubble he said the job will be enormous but he insisted 'we're going to be with you all the way.'

Twenty-four people, including 10 children, were killed when the monstrous EF5 tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburb with little notice last Monday afternoon.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331236/Oklahoma-tornadoes-Obama-vows-help-tornado-stricken-Oklahoma-rebuild-tours-flattened-suburb-Moore.html

The EU's great green Scam:The EU's great green U-turn on policy that is sending energy bills soaring across the continent

The European Union is quietly taking steps to shred the ‘green agenda’ responsible for rocketing energy bills across the continent.

It is now urging members to restore Europe’s competitiveness by ‘fracking’ for cheap natural gas from shale, instead of pushing ‘renewable’ energy subsidies which cost consumers billions of pounds.

The policy shift was unveiled last week at a Brussels summit attended by David Cameron.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331077/Revealed-The-EUs-great-green-U-turn-policy-sending-energy-bills-soaring-continent.html

Cameron: 'I will gag the hate clerics'....After I get back from my Holiday in Ibiza

David Cameron is planning new powers to muzzle Islamic hate preachers accused of provoking terrorist outrages such as the killing of soldier Lee Rigby.

The Prime Minister wants to stop extremist clerics using schools, colleges, prisons and mosques to spread their ‘poison’ and is to head a new Tackling Extremism and Radicalisation Task Force (TERFOR) made up of senior Ministers, MI5, police and moderate religious leaders.

The high-powered group will study a number of measures, including banning extremist clerics from being given public platforms to incite students, prisoners and other followers – and forcing mosque leaders to answer for ‘hate preachers’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2330945/David-Cameron-launch-new-terror-task-force-stamp-religious-extremism.html

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.8
Region SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
Date time 2013-05-26 18:14:03.5 UTC
Location 23.40 S ; 176.97 W
Depth 131 km
Distances
304 km SW of Vaini, Tonga / pop: 2,976 / local time: 07:14:03.5 2013-05-27

Deadly Alabama Mystery Illness Solved - Experts Feared SARS, H7N9 Bird Flu Outbreak

The Alabama Department of Public Health announced that the mysterious respiratory illness found in seven individuals is a combination of multiple viruses.

Experts feared that the elusive illness could have been the new strain of bird flu, H7N9, or the novel SARS-like coronavirus that has had public health officials around the world on edge.

But the seven cases found in Alabama were deemed a combination of the common cold and a strain of influenza.

http://www.latinospost.com/articles/19975/20130525/deadly-alabama-mystery-illness-solved-experts-feared-sars-h7n9-bird.htm

Syria: Al Qaeda Child Training Camp in Deir Ezzor

Train Derails After Overpass Collapse in southeast Missouri

Heavy rainfall and flooding causes roof collapse in Texas

'Any president who messes with national security will be in deep yogurt'

Paradise Lost? Immigrants fuel violent scuffles in Sweden

Shadow Justice: Secret UK courts break up families

Two Missing Charity Race Swimmers Found

Two people missing after a charity race in the sea at Southwold off the Suffolk coast have been found, said Humberside Coastguard.

More than 130 people took part in the swim when some "got into trouble after suffering from the effects of hypothermia", according to the coastguard.

Dozens had to be pulled from the sea by lifeboats while others swam to the shore themselves. All were conscious and there have been no reported fatalities, according to a spokeswoman for the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA).

Two swimmers - including a woman from Kettering - who were reported missing earlier have since been found.

The MCA spokeswoman added it was unclear how the swimmers got into difficulty as the weather conditions were fine but the water was "very cold".

http://news.sky.com/story/1095823/two-missing-charity-race-swimmers-found

Merkel not scaring off conservative voters, Schaeuble says

Chancellor Angela Merkel has not alienated conservative German voters by pushing her Christian Democrats into the center but has instead put the party on course to win for a third straight term in September, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine on Sunday, the powerful leader of the CDU's conservative wing made it clear to fellow right wingers they should stop sniping at Merkel if they want to help keep the party in power for four more years.

Schaeuble also ruled out for the first time a "grand coalition" with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), a right-center alliance that many analysts expect to be the outcome in September. He also ruled out a coalition with the Greens.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-germany-election-merkel-idUSBRE94P08A20130526

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN ALGERIA - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 5.0
Region NORTHERN ALGERIA
Date time 2013-05-26 16:00:56.0 UTC
Location 36.71 N ; 5.19 E
Depth 12 km
Distances 191 km E of Algiers, Algeria / pop: 1,977,663 / local time: 17:00:56.0 2013-05-26
10 km SE of Bejaïa, Algeria / pop: 164,103 / local time: 17:00:56.0 2013-05-26

When Israel hits Syria, it hones military edge for wider war

When Israeli jets bomb Syria to deny it or its allies "game-changer" weapons, they play according to one core rule: ensuring the Jewish state maintains the military superiority to swiftly prevail in any war.

On Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's target list are four types of advanced arms, Russian- or Iranian-supplied, whose transfer from Syria to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas next door would hinder Israel's strategic options.

Although they outgun Syria, Hezbollah and Iran, the Israelis assume all three allied adversaries may have to be fought at once - an unprecedented scenario complicated by the probable launch of thousands of missiles into the Jewish state.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-syria-crisis-israel-arms-idUSBRE94P05Y20130526

North Caroline Boat Crash: Pregnant Woman And Young Child Die

A pregnant woman and a young child have been killed after their family's boat was in a collision with a speedboat on a lake in North Carolina.

The speedboat went over the top of the other vessel on the northern part of the High Rock Lake near Linwood, wildlife officials said.

The child was aged between two and four years old and was taken to hospital but later died.

The woman was thrown from the boat into Swearing Creek, a part of the lake, and her body was recovered by a search crew.

A man suffered a head injury in the crash and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095810/boat-crash-pregnant-woman-and-young-child-die

Plane Crash: Search For 'Angel Flight' Pilot

The search has resumed for the pilot of a volunteer medical flight days after the plane crashed in woods in New York, killing at least two people.

Divers have been using sonar equipment to scour a big, murky pond where much of the wreckage of the Angel Flight aircraft was submerged.

Supervisor Todd Bradt said the divers had trouble seeing in the water because it was so muddy, but a piece of the plane was removed.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095841/plane-crash-search-for-angel-flight-pilot

Sky Sources: Man Stabbed In Woolwich

Sky sources say a man has been stabbed in Woolwich, just days after the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby.

The stabbing took place about 300 metres from the spot where flowers and cards have been left in memory of Drummer Rigby.

A police source and witnesses have confirmed to Sky News that the stabbing had taken place.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095844/sky-sources-man-stabbed-in-woolwich

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT!

Heavy rains trigger flooding in San Antonio

Nasrallah says Hezbollah will bring victory in Syrian conflict

Freight trains collide in US

Residents comb through tornado debris

Anti-Monsanto protests pop up across the US

WHO warns of hoarding coronavirus secrets

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries with possible cases of the SARS-like novel coronavirus on Thursday that they must share information and not allow commercial labs to profit from the virus, which has killed 22 people worldwide.

Saudi Arabia, where the first case occurred, has said the development of diagnostic tests for the disease has been delayed by a foreign laboratory's patent rights on the SARS-like virus.

"Making deals between scientists because they want to take IP (intellectual property), because they want to be the world's first to publish in scientific journals, these are issues we need to address," WHO Director General Margaret Chan told health ministers attending the WHO's annual conference in Geneva.

"No IP will stand in the way of public health actions."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/23/us-coronavirus-who-idUSBRE94M0ZL20130523

Two things missing on Spain's route to recovery

Spanish officials tell a dramatic turnaround story: from near-bankruptcy a year ago to model of budget austerity and reform now.
There are just two things missing: jobs and growth. And only one potential salvation: exports.

Ministers reel off a litany of statistics to show how much has been achieved: the budget deficit has been cut from 11.2 percent of GDP in 2009 to 6.98 percent last year. Some 375,000 public sector jobs have gone, labor costs are down to 2005 levels and competitiveness has improved.

Senior executives boast of how they have trimmed the bloated debts of their multinational conglomerates, hastily bolted together with abundant cheap money during the boom years.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-spain-economy-insight-idUSBRE94P06Q20130526

Four-star general in eye of U.S. cyber storm

Depending on your point of view, U.S. General Keith Alexander is either an Army four-star trying to stave off a cyber Pearl Harbor attack, or he is an overreaching spy chief who wants to eavesdrop on the private emails of every American.

Alexander, 61, has headed the National Security Agency since 2005, making him the longest-serving chief in the history of an intelligence unit so secretive that it was dubbed "No Such Agency." Alexander also runs U.S. Cyber Command, which he helped to create in 2010 to oversee the country's offensive and defensive operations in cyberspace.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/26/us-cybersecurity-nsa-alexander-idUSBRE94P06S20130526

Israel In Gas Bonanza As New Field Discovered

Vilified, ostracised, threatened in the Middle East, Israel is about to join the Gulf Arab states as a fossil fuel giant that could tie it closer to its neighbours and Western Europe.

A natural gas bonanza is about to begin. By the end of this year Israel will be looking to shift the production of electricity to gas-powered generators producing half the Jewish state's wattage.

The change will save it $12bn (£8m), which was the net extra cost caused by the need to import coal to cover the huge drop, from 40% of fuel for electrical generation to zero, caused by the destruction of gas pipelines from Egypt by militant groups.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095743/israel-gas-bonanza-new-field-discovered

India: Maoists Ambush Politicians' Convoy

Suspected Maoist rebels killed at least 24 people and left 37 injured when they ambushed a convoy carrying regional leaders from India's ruling Congress party in dense forest.

Reports suggest more than 200 rebels, also known as Naxals, were involved in one of the deadliest such attacks in recent years.

The attackers felled trees to block the 20-car convoy in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh and then detonated a landmine and fired on the vehicles, Indian media reported.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095757/india-maoists-ambush-politicians-convoy

Morden Betting Shop Murder Probed By Police

Police have released CCTV images of a man wanted in connection with their investigation into the murder of a 55-year-old man at a betting shop in south London.

Officers were called to Ladbrokes in Aberconway Road, Morden, by the London Ambulance Service on Saturday.

The man, who has not been formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said he was apparently attacked in the shop by a lone male.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095683/morden-betting-shop-murder-probed-by-police

Beirut: Rockets Hit Hizbollah Stronghold

Two rockets have hit a Shi'ite Muslim district of southern Beirut, a day after the leader of militant movement Hizbollah said his group would fight for the Syrian regime to the end.

It was the first attack to apparently target Hizbollah's stronghold in the south of the Lebanese capital since the outbreak of the two-year conflict in neighbouring Syria.

The civil war in Syria has sharply heightened Lebanon's own sectarian tensions.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095787/beirut-rockets-hit-hizbollah-stronghold

Highway Bridge Collapses As Two Trains Collide

An investigation is under way after a bridge used as a highway overpass collapsed following a freight train collision in Missouri.

A Union Pacific train hit the side of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train at a rail intersection near Chaffee, a town of about 3,000 people.

More than 20 rail cars carrying scrap metal, vehicles and car parts were derailed and some of them slammed into one of the bridge's support pillars, causing it to buckle and collapse.

Seven people were injured, though none seriously.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095789/highway-bridge-collapses-as-two-trains-collide

Theresa May Backs 'Snooper's Charter' Powers

Theresa May has said it is "essential" that intelligence agencies have greater access to communications data following the murder of off-duty soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

The Home Secretary said law enforcement agencies must be given the "tools they need" to track down terrorists before they can launch attacks.

She also warned that "thousands" of people in Britain are potentially at risk of being radicalised by extremists.

Mrs May's comments will reignite debate over the so-called snooper's charter, which was dropped from the Queen's Speech earlier this month.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095766/theresa-may-backs-snoopers-charter-powers

Michael Adebolajo Previously Arrested by Anti-Terror Police In Kenya

One of the men arrested over the murder of a soldier in Woolwich was also arrested in Kenya in 2010, anti-terror police in Nairobi have confirmed.

Michael Adebolajo appeared in court in Mombasa suspected of leading a group of Islamists trying to join the al Shabaab group.

Anti-terrorism unit head Boniface Mwaniki said Adebolajo was believed to have been preparing to train and fight with the al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095704/woolwich-suspect-previously-arrested-in-kenya

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake PAPUA, INDONESIA - 26th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.9
Region PAPUA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-26 13:04:33.0 UTC
Location 3.45 S ; 138.53 E
Depth 80 km
Distances
247 km SW of Abepura, Indonesia / pop: 62,248 / local time: 22:04:30.1 2013-05-26

Five people killed in Upper Egypt's Assiut after falling in sewer

Five people died Thursday after falling into an open sewer in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut.

The incident took place as a new drain was under construction near a residential building in the village of Bouk in Assiut.

The civil defence forces and ambulances arrived at the scene to remove the bodies from the sewer, Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/72165/Egypt/Politics-/Five-people-killed-in-Upper-Egypts-Assiut-after-fa.aspx

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake SEA OF OKHOTSK - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.1
Region SEA OF OKHOTSK
Date time 2013-05-26 12:41:01.0 UTC
Location 55.05 N ; 153.01 E
Depth 625 km
Distances
372 km W of Esso, Russia / pop: 1,965 / local time: 01:41:01.0 2013-05-27

First Case Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Texas

HOUSTON (CBS Houston)Texas state health officials are urging people to take precautions to reduce the risk of contracting West Nile virus, after the state confirmed its first case of the illness for the season.

In a report released Friday, The Texas Department of State Health Services stated that the first case of the West Nile illness of the season was confirmed in an adult male from Anderson County.

Reports indicate that the man is recovering from the neuroinvasive form of the disease. There were no other details released about the man.

Last year, Texas reported 1,868 human cases of West Nile illness as well as 89 deaths From the disease.

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/05/25/first-case-of-west-nile-virus-confirmed-in-texas/

Ohio: 12 Hurt in Miniature Train Accident

BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A miniature train rolled over at Schrock’s Amish Farm and Village causing minor injuries to multiple people, the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

It happened around 3:05 p.m. Saturday when the open-top passenger train separated from the track at a switch crossing.

The train traveled a short distance further and then rolled onto its side, ejecting passengers.

Both adults and children were on the train at the time of the accident.

http://fox8.com/2013/05/25/12-hurt-in-miniature-train-accident/

Rabies Alert: Virus Found In Fox Near Biltmore Square Mall

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. -
An alert has been issued about rabies near the Biltmore Square Mall.

Health officials in Buncombe County say a fox was killed by a dog in the area. The fox tested positive for the virus.

They ask that anyone in that area should be on the lookout for animals that are acting abnormally.

Rabies is easily transmitted among wild animals and unvaccinated pets. The health department says the fox may have also come in contact with pets in the area.

http://www.wspa.com/story/22417133/rabies-alert-virus-found-in-fox-near-biltmore-square-mall

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.8
Region KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-26 12:25:16.0 UTC
Location 1.87 S ; 115.91 E
Depth 40 km
Distances
95 km NE of Amuntai, Indonesia / pop: 55,560 / local time: 20:25:16.0 2013-05-26

2 women dead after being swept away in severe San Antonio flooding

Two women died Saturday -- one of them after being swept away moments after being inches from her would-be rescuers -- due to raging floodwaters in San Antonio, which braced for yet more drenching rains.

At one point Saturday, a storm and subsequent floods had knocked out power to about 12,000 customers and spurred the closure of dozens of streets in the Texas city and the surrounding county, authorities said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/25/us/texas-san-antonio-flooding

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA - 26th May 2013

Magnitude mb 5.0
Region SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-26 11:20:02.0 UTC
Location 1.92 S ; 100.03 E
Depth 53 km
Distances 553 km SW of Singapore, Singapore / pop: 3,547,809 / local time: 19:20:02.0 2013-05-26
113 km S of Padang, Indonesia / pop: 840,352 / local time: 18:20:02.0 2013-05-26

Grant Acord Arrested Following tip-off about School Bomb Plot in Oregon

A teenager is to be charged with attempted murder after he allegedly planned to carry out a bomb attack on his high school.

Grant Acord, 17, was arrested after police in Oregon received a tip-off that he was making a bomb to blow up West Albany High School.

Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said six bombs were later found in a secret compartment in his bedroom.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095694/school-bomb-plot-teenager-arrested-in-oregon

Man Killed In South London Betting Shop

Police are investigating the murder of a 55-year-old man at a betting shop in south London.

They were called to Ladbrokes in Aberconway Road, Morden, by the London Ambulance Service.

The man, who has not been formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said he was apparently attacked by another male.

Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room at Sutton on 020 8721 4005.

Alternatively, they can phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095683/man-killed-in-south-london-betting-shop

Stansted Jet: Britons Charged Over Diversion

Two men have been charged with endangering an aircraft after a passenger jet from Pakistan to Manchester was diverted mid-flight.

Taxi driver Tayyab Subhani, 30, and restaurant worker Mohammed Safdar, 41, both from Nelson in Lancashire , will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Monday.

They were detained on Friday after a Pakistan International Airlines flight was diverted to Stansted Airport in Essex, where it landed at 2.15pm.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095739/stansted-jet-britons-charged-over-diversion

Cameron To Crack Down On Preachers Of Hate....That is, if the European Court of Human Rights will allow him to

David Cameron is to attempt to launch a crackdown on the preachers of hate blamed by the Government for the extremism that led to the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

The Prime Minister’s fightback will come with the launch of a taskforce to tackle all forms of radicalisation that can lead to violent extremism and terrorism.

The group will include the most senior members of the Cabinet, including Nick Clegg, George Osborne, Theresa May, Eric Pickles and Chris Grayling, as well the Muslim Foreign Office minister Baroness Warsi.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095640/cameron-to-crack-down-on-preachers-of-hate

Woolwich Murder: 'Tasered' Suspects Quizzed

Police are continuing to question three more people arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder soldier Lee Rigby in southeast London.

Two men aged 24 and 28 were arrested at a residential address in London while a 21-year-old man was held in the street, Scotland Yard said.

Counter Terrorism Police used tasers to detain two of the men but neither needed hospital treatment.

http://news.sky.com/story/1095704/woolwich-murder-tasered-suspects-quizzed

Latest stories French Soldier Stabbed In The Neck In Paris survives

Police in France have said the stabbing of a uniformed soldier in Paris may have been inspired by the murder of British soldier Drummer Lee Rigby in London.

The 23-year-old French soldier, Cedric Cordier, was in a busy underground train station in the west of the city when he was stabbed in the throat by a man believed to be of North African origin at around 6pm on Saturday.

French President Francois Hollande said the attacked could not "at this stage" be linked to the murder of Drummer Rigby last Wednesday.

He added: "We still do not know the exact circumstances of the attack or the identity of the attacker, but we are looking at all options."

http://news.sky.com/story/1095605/french-soldier-stabbed-in-neck-in-paris

Sunday, May 26, 2013

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