Wyoming: Brucellosis found in Bighorn Mountain elk

Two elk have tested positive for brucellosis in the Bighorn Mountains.

However, no cattle in the same area have been found with the disease.

State Veterinarian Jim Logan is recommending a risk assessment of livestock and advised area livestock producers to conduct voluntary surveillance for brucellosis.

Elk arrive in the Bighorns from different locations, so Logan said he doesn't know how extensive the infection is.

http://www.kulr8.com/story/22454764/brucellosis-found-in-bighorn-mountain-elk

Turbulent storm beats up Wisconsin campground

What may have been a tornado struck the Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground near Bagley, Wisconsin, a government spokesman said. There were no injuries.

Three to four camping trailers were destroyed, said Grant County emergency management director Steve Braun.

"It skipped from place to place and moved through the area in 20 to 30 seconds."

A nearby barn was also destroyed.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/30/us/wisconsin-severe-weather/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_us+%28RSS%3A+U.S.%29

Italian tornado flips lorries and damages buildings

A tornado rips through the Italian township of Cavenago di Brianza, some 15 miles northeast of Milan, overturning lorries and damaging buildings.

Tornadoes Hit Area Around Devastated Moore

At least two tornadoes have touched down in the area where a massive twister devastated an Oklahoma town last week.

One of the funnel clouds touched down in the town of Perkins in northeast Oklahoma; the second was spotted near the town of Ripley.

No injuries were immediately reported.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097553/tornadoes-hit-area-around-devastated-moore

Nasa: Pebbles Find Supports Mars Life Theory

Scientists have discovered pebbles on Mars - evidence that a stream once flowed on the planet and giving more weight to the theory that it was once able to support life.

Nasa's Curiosity rover last year came upon hundreds of smooth, round pebbles that look strikingly similar to deposits in river banks on Earth.

Researchers say the roundness of the stones, believed to be two billion years old, was shaped by a fast-flowing stream that probably was ankle to waist-deep.

The report's authors noted that conditions on Mars at the time the pebbles were deposited were vastly different to the cold, dry environment of the present day.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097511/nasa-pebbles-find-supports-mars-life-theory

Asteroid 1998 QE2: Giant Rock Passes Earth

An asteroid more than 1.7 miles long will speed past Earth this week.

The big rock - named Asteroid 1998 QE2 - will make its closest approach later tonight.

But it will be keeping a safe distance of 3.6 million miles, or 15 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

Astronomers will not be able to see the asteroid without a powerful telescope.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097587/asteroid-1998-qe2-giant-rock-passes-earth

Pistorius: Images Show Bloody Scene Of Killing

Sky News has obtained pictures inside the house of paralympian Oscar Pistorius including images of the bloody bathroom where he shot his lover, Reeva Steenkamp.

The pictures have emerged as allegations that police officers involved in the investigation are being questioned following the disappearance of one of the runner's watch from his house.

This is the first time the public has seen the actual room where the athlete's model girlfriend was killed.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097557/pistorius-images-show-bloody-scene-of-killing

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN - 31st May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.3
Region HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
Date time 2013-05-31 02:44:27.0 UTC
Location 36.68 N ; 71.07 E
Depth 195 km
Distances
29 km SE of Jarm, Afghanistan / pop: 12,106 / local time: 07:14:27.0 2013-05-31

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake LOYALTY ISLANDS - 31st May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.8
Region LOYALTY ISLANDS
Date time 2013-05-31 02:43:19.9 UTC
Location 20.40 S ; 168.77 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
107 km SW of Isangel / pop: 1,437 / local time: 13:43:00.0 2013-05-31

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake KHABAROVSKIY KRAY, RUSSIA - 31st May 2013

Magnitude mb 5.1
Region KHABAROVSKIY KRAY, RUSSIA
Date time 2013-05-31 01:47:16.6 UTC
Location 51.37 N ; 132.39 E
Depth 33 km
Distances
36 km NW of Novyy Urgal, Russia / pop: 7,061 / local time: 12:47:16.6 2013-05-31

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 31st May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.9
Region OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Date time 2013-05-31 01:46:00.0 UTC
Location 39.98 N ; 143.53 E
Depth 2 km
Distances
140 km E of Miyako, Japan / pop: 51,721 / local time: 10:46:00.0 2013-05-31

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 30th May 2013

Magnitude ML 4.1
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Date time 2013-05-30 19:15:30.0 UTC
Location 26.53 N ; 57.59 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
85 km SE of Mīnāb, Iran / pop: 70,790 / local time: 23:45:30.0 2013-05-30

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G. - 30th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.8
Region BOUGAINVILLE REGION, P.N.G.
Date time 2013-05-30 18:49:34.0 UTC
Location 6.45 S ; 154.51 E
Depth 80 km
Distances
108 km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea / pop: 2,916 / local time: 04:49:34.0 2013-05-31

Iran Candidate Jalili Says Women’s Rights Are as Mothers, and that Women "Have been reduced to being economic tools" in the West

Iranian presidential candidate Saeed Jalili said his nation must defend the rights of women as mothers and resist the approach of Western nations where they are counted as an “economic tool.”

“Women’s core identity lies in motherhood and her role should be defined within that framework, not in an economic context,” Jalili, who’s also Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, told a female audience at a political rally late yesterday.

alili, one of eight candidates cleared by Iran’s top officials for the June 14 presidential election, is considered a possible front-runner. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who’s completing his second four-year term, isn’t eligible to run.

Western nations are proponents of individuality while in Islam the focus is on the family, Jalili said, according to the state-run Fars news agency.

“The West says society should work to its full potential, and since women constitute half of the population, their work power cannot be ignored and should be included in the economic cycle,” Jalili said.

“Making use of women as an object and lowering her greatness to the level of a workforce and economic tool is very different from how they are viewed in Islam,” Jalili said. “We are backers of women’s rights, especially in comparison to the West.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-30/iran-candidate-jalili-says-women-s-rights-are-as-mothers.html

Matt's thoughts:

I agree with his statement. I sometimes disagree with how Iran executes that statement.

This is my favourite comment on that article:

"The angry feminist movement has what then....liberated women? From what?  From men? From society?

Who said women want what men want? I do not want to be the same as a man, and I am not aroused by men who are more like women, who expects that to function? Bees are attracted to beautiful fragrant flowers and that is a really good thing. Bees, flowers, and ah yes fruit!

I resent living in a society that lauds itself for liberating me while the reality is that it is impossible to fulfill my natural role as a female. Meanwhile our young men wear their pants down below their butt cheeks completely unaware that this is admittedly prison sign for "sexforsale" therefore it is "the new cleavage"! And as our girls are exhibiting more testosterone related traits. It is unnatural. I liked this article and do identify it's position.

The feminist movement has removed our access to a natural life." 

-- Giney Newport (a woman)

Don't forget guys, we have an awesome forum to discuss stuff like this in great detail (without having to be cramped for comments and so on) at CrisisForums.org. Come join us and the discussion and share your thoughts. It's getting good over there.

Terry Holdbrooks: Guantanamo guard converts to Islam, speaks out against the unimaginable torture horrors taking place at Guatanamo Bay

Death threats are just another part of life for Terry Holdbrooks Jr.

The ex-U.S. Army employee converted to Islam in 2003, inspired by the faith of the Guantanamo detainees he was charged with watching. Since then, he says he has lost his friends, received violent threats, and been labeled a “race traitor” online.

But he hasn’t gone quietly. The 29-year-old has done his fair share of media and has even signed on for a job as a speaker for the Muslim Legal Fund of America. Now the devout Muslim is racking up frequent flyer miles and touring the country with what he calls the “truth about Gitmo.”

“Gitmo was supposed to be a cushy deployment since we were just going to babysit detainees,” Holdbrooks said. “But it changed me.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/gitmo-guard-converts-islam-demands-release-detainees-article-1.1357918

Matt's thoughts:

This article contains some horrific descriptions. Be forewarned.

There is an argument, used in particular by Islamophobes, that all Muslims are to "blame" because the "moderate" muslims (re: 99.99% percent of muslims who are peaceful) do not "reign in" the "radicals". Fair enough.

If that is true, then are Christians to blame for not "reigning in" the activities that go on in Guantanamo bay or elsewhere across the Arab world? Why the hypocrisy?

And here's another hypocritical stance that I've never understood:

When a Christian murders or goes against the Law, or simply acts terrible in general, the immediate excuse used is that "they are not Christians!" and "real Christians would never act that way!" While thin, I'll accept that for the sake of peace under the assumption that those who truly abide by God's words would not behave in such a manner.

However, once again, enter the hypocrisy. When a Muslim murders or goes against the law, or acts terribly, suddenly that cop out card is no longer available, and that Muslim is "definitely a true Muslim" and Islam is "definitely a religion of violence and hate", and the Quran is "definitely a manual of terror" from which "he learns such abhorrent behaviour!"

What's worse is that these same Christians then tell a falsehood by backing up their opinions with horribly twisted and yanked Quranic verses, which, when read in context, lend absolutely no weight to their argument. I would feel ashamed if that were me.

Worse still: these people yank from a book they've never even read, let alone read with an open mind and heart. Are we believers part of a cult, or do we arrive at faith via intelligent thought?

I think all Christians would do well this evening to read over these two verses of their book and fully absorb their meaning, because it's clear to me from many of the reactions on this website, and in the world at large, that they haven't yet sunk in for (an unfortunate) plethora of so called believers today:

John 8:7
Matthew 7:3-5

And for the Muslims who engage in hypocrisy, make this tonight's reading and contemplation:

Quran 9:101

America's China mistake

This spring, China's navy accepted the Pentagon's invitation to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific — RIMPAC — naval exercise to be held off Hawaii. This will be the first time China takes part in the biennial event.

Our allies should signal their intent to withdraw from the exercise if China participates. Failing that, the invitation should be withdrawn. RIMPAC is for allies and friends, not nations planning to eventually wage war on the United States. Russia sent ships in 2012, but while its senior officers may occasionally utter unfriendly words, they are not actively planning to fight the United States. Analyst Robert Sutter was surely correct when he wrote in 2005 that "China is the only large power in the world preparing to shoot Americans."

That assessment, unfortunately, remains true today. Beijing is configuring its forces — especially its navy — to fight ours. For instance, China has deployed along its southern coast its DF-21D, a two-stage solid-fuel missile that can be guided by satellite signals. The missile is dubbed the "carrier killer" because it can be configured to explode in midair, raining down sharp metal on a deck crowded with planes, ordinance, fuel and sailors. Its apparent intent is to drive U.S. forces out of East Asia.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-chang-chinese-navy-20130530,0,7560801.story

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA - 30th May 2013

Magnitude M 5.2
Region SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-30 18:37:02.0 UTC
Location 3.94 S ; 99.53 E
Depth 30 km
Distances
290 km SW of Sungaipenuh, Indonesia / pop: 95,913 / local time: 01:37:02.0 2013-05-31

Now a letter sent to OBAMA is tested for ricin after it contains same text as poison mail sent to Bloomberg and his anti-gun group

A letter sent to President Obama is being tested for ricin after it contained the same chilling text as mail laced with the poison that was sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it has emerged.

The letter to the president was received on Thursday at a mail screening facility and did not reach the White House, law enforcement sources told NBC4.
Authorities fear the letter could also contain ricin as it bears the same message sent to Bloomberg and his anti-gun group: 'What's in this letter is nothing compared to what I've got planned for you.'

CBS reported that the letter was postmarked from Shreveport, Louisiana, which was also the postmark for the two letters sent to Bloomberg.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333022/Letters-containing-deadly-poison-RICIN-sent-New-York-Mayor-Michael-Bloomberg-building-houses-anti-gun-group.html

Jacob Cockle swimming inside ocean vortex before similar filming trip cost him his life

A daredevil who drowned taking close-up pictures of a whirlpool had posted a similar video of the tidal phenomenon online days before he died.

Jacob Cockle's clips of the vortexes from around the world have been viewed on YouTube more than two million times.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332947/Caught-video-Whirlpool-fanatic-swimming-inside-ocean-vortex-similar-filming-trip-cost-life.html

The hi-tech tattoo that could replace ALL your passwords...and Track your every move!

Motorola has announced it is looking at alternatives to the traditional passwords in a bid to make logging into online sites, or accessing mobile phones, more secure. Among the ideas discussed at the D11 conference in California on Wednesday include electronic tattoos and authentication pills that owners swallow. The tattoos contain flexible electronic circuits that are attached to the wearer's skin using a rubber stamp and the pills can emit a signal from the wearer's stomach to a mobile phone.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2333203/Moto-X-Motorola-reveals-plans-ink-pills-replace-ALL-passwords.html

Caught on camera: Vandal who desecrated Bomber Command War Memorial with graffiti after murder of Lee Rigby

CCTV footage shows the moment the vandal walked around the monument (left and centre) in central London to 55,573 RAF crew who lost their lives during the Second World War. He is seen moving in and out of the shadows as he prepares to spray it with red paint (right) early on Monday morning. Hours later the damage to the £7.5million tribute, and the nearby Animals in War memorial, was discovered, which also had 'Islam' plastered on it and its inscription scrubbed out.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333229/Caught-camera-Vandal-desecrated-Bomber-Command-War-Memorial-graffiti-murder-Lee-Rigby.html

Police rush to home of hate preacher Anjem Choudary to protect him and his family after threats as he blames Cameron's 'crusade' for 'turning young Muslims to terror'

Police have raced to the home of hate preacher Anjem Choudary and evacuated his family to protect them from attack, it emerged today.

Officers helped them flee their East London terraced house after threats from people wanting vengeance for the Woolwich murder of Lee Rigby.

Choudary, who believes that 'war monger' David Cameron's 'crusade' in Afghanistan is turning young British Muslims to terrorism, allowed his wife and children to be rushed to a car and whisked away to a secret location at around 2pm yesterday.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333199/Police-rush-home-hate-preacher-Anjem-Choudary-protect-family-threats-blames-Camerons-crusade-turning-young-Muslims-terror.html

Police use PEPPER SPRAY to break up playground fight between PARENTS

Police were forced to use pepper spray to break up a playground fight between parents at an infant school in front of pupils.

Officers were called in after two mothers allegedly had a 'full-on fight' on the premises.

People related to the two women began 'behaving in a disorderly way' as children were being collected from Penryn Infant School, Penryn, Cornwall.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333254/Police-use-pepper-spray-break-playground-fight-PARENTS-claim-man-assaulted-pupils-mother.html

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 30th May 2013

Magnitude ML 4.0
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Date time 2013-05-30 17:18:27.1 UTC
Location 26.69 N ; 57.77 E
Depth 16 km
Distances
85 km SE of Mīnāb, Iran / pop: 70,790 / local time: 21:48:27.1 2013-05-30

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN - 30th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.4
Region NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Date time 2013-05-30 17:17:14.6 UTC
Location 59.57 N ; 21.26 W
Depth 10 km
Distances
434 km S of Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland / pop: 4,200 / local time: 17:17:14.6 2013-05-30

Iraq mayhem 'ready to explode' into wider conflict, UN official says

A wave of deadly bombings struck Baghdad on Thursday in an already remarkably lethal week in Iraq, prompting a U.N. official to warn the mayhem is "ready to explode" into a wider conflict.

And violence wasn't limited to Iraq's capital -- Anbar province's governor escaped the latest apparent attempt to assassinate him when bombs exploded Thursday near his convoy in Ramadi and injured four of his bodyguards, police said.

In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded Thursday afternoon outside a university, and three car bombs and a roadside bomb exploded Thursday morning in four neighborhoods, killing at least 10 people and wounding 41 others, police said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/30/world/meast/iraq-violence/

Israel could beat Russian missiles in Syria, with risks

Israel could overcome advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles if they were deployed in Syria but any strikes on the system would be difficult and risk alienating its supplier, Russia.

Israel has pledged to take preventive action, seeing a future Syrian S-300 as a "game-changing" threat to its own air space as well as to the relative free rein with which it now overflies its northern foe as well as neighboring Lebanon.

Experts agree that Israeli sabotage or open force to disrupt delivery by Russia is extremely unlikely - a view seemingly shored up by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's announcement on Thursday that the first missiles had arrived.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-syria-crisis-israel-s300-analysis-idUSBRE94T0IZ20130530

More gun regulations approved by California Senate: Pucker up and send Freedom on her travels!

The California Senate today approved a package of bills that tighten the state's regulation of firearms by outlawing detachable and large capacity magazines, keeping track of people who buy ammunition and widening the category of offenders who are prohibited from owning guns for 10 years.
Senate Democrats drafted the bills in response to December's school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

"The package, if you look at the whole array of measures before this body today, are designed to close loopholes in existing regulations, keep the circulation of firearms and ammunition out of the hands of dangerous persons, and strengthen education on gun ownership," Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said to his colleagues as he argued in favor of the legislation.

"These bills attempt to respond to those well-publicized tragedies and many more that go unpublicized."

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2013/05/ca-senate-approves-8-bills-to-regulate-guns.html

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake CERAM SEA, INDONESIA - 30th May 2013

Magnitude M 5.0
Region CERAM SEA, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-05-30 14:38:24.4 UTC
Location 2.93 S ; 128.05 E
Depth 48 km
Distances
85 km N of Ambon, Indonesia / pop: 355,596 / local time: 23:38:24.4 2013-05-30

Hollande: EU executive can't "dictate" reforms to France ....just to the rest of Europe!

President Francois Hollande's insistence that the EU executive can't "dictate" reforms to France has outraged Angela Merkel's conservatives, hours before the German leader was due in Paris for talks.

Unveiling reform recommendations for the 27-nation European Union on Wednesday, the European Commission urged Hollande to rein in public spending, revamp pensions and cut labor costs in return for a two-year reprieve on budget deficit cuts.

French officials broadly welcomed the recommendations as being in line with reform plans already sent to Brussels. But Hollande, who was on a trip through rural France with reporters, warned the Commission not to overstep itself.

"The European Commission cannot dictate what we should do

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-france-germany-idUSBRE94T0GF20130530

Hungary hails victory of 'Orbanomics'...Because they ignored Brussels!

The leaflets dropping into Hungarians' mailboxes this month told citizens the economy has turned a corner, whatever foreign critics might think.
Emblazoned with the red, white and green of the national flag, the government-funded brochure hailed the steps conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban had taken. "Hungary is doing better," it read.

Orban can point to two significant developments to back up the leaflets' claims, and justify his rejection of orthodox austerity policies which have helped to push euro zone countries such as Greece into downward economic spirals.

First, the state statistics office announced that the economy grew 0.7 percent in the first three months of this year from the previous quarter, taking Hungary out of its second recession in the past few years.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-hungary-economy-orbanomics-idUSBRE94T0GN20130530

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION - 30th May 2013

Magnitude M 4.6
Region PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
Date time 2013-05-30 09:48:12.3 UTC
Location 10.39 N ; 127.21 E
Depth 10 km
Distances
139 km NE of Union, Philippines / pop: 2,368 / local time: 17:48:12.3 2013-05-30

China says has no need to steal U.S. secrets

China's Defense Ministry dismissed as ridiculous on Thursday a U.S. report that Chinese hackers have gained access to designs of more than two dozen major U.S. weapons systems, saying the country needed no outside help for its military development.

The Washington Post cited a U.S. Defense Science Board report as saying that the compromised U.S. designs included those for combat aircraft and ships, as well as missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng dismissed the report, which the Pentagon and other U.S. defense officials have downplayed as outdated and overstated.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-china-usa-cyber-idUSBRE94T08C20130530

Troops patrol Myanmar city after violence, Muslims hide

Hundreds of Muslim families sheltered in a heavily guarded Buddhist monastery on Thursday after two days of violence in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio left Muslim properties in ruins and raised alarm over a widening religious conflict.

About 1,200 Muslims were taken to Mansu Monastery after Buddhist mobs terrorized the city on Wednesday, a move that could signal the resolve of a government criticized for its slow response to previous religious violence.

The unrest in Lashio, a city about 700 km (430 miles) from Myanmar's commercial capital of Yangon, shows how far anti-Muslim violence has spread in the Buddhist-dominated country as it emerges from decades of hardline military rule.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-myanmar-violence-idUSBRE94S0JD20130530

U.N. investigators say most Syria rebels not seeking democracy....Do our governments even care?

Most Syrian rebel fighters do not want democracy and the country's civil war is producing ever worse atrocities and increasing radicalization, independent U.N. investigators said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Paris, Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro said his team of investigators had documented horrific crimes on both sides, although the scale of those committed by President Bashar al-Assad's forces was greater.

"It was said the rebels were angels, but there is only a minority of fighters with a democratic history who believe in the Syrian mosaic and want a state for all," he said.

"The majority of rebels are very far from having democratic thoughts and have other aspirations."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-syria-crisis-violations-idUSBRE94S1AO20130529

Russia: Syria opposition thwarting peace with Assad exit demand

Russia accused the opposition Syrian National Coalition on Thursday of seeking to thwart peace efforts by making President Bashar al-Assad's exit a condition for participating in a proposed international conference.

The coalition said on Wednesday it would only take part in peace talks that the United States and Russia are planning if a deadline was set for a settlement that would force Assad to leave power.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the coalition gave the impression it was "doing everything they can to prevent a political process from starting ... and achieve military intervention".

"We consider such approaches unacceptable," he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-syria-crisis-russia-idUSBRE94T0CC20130530

Israel says "checking" report Syria received Russian S-300

Israel is looking into reports on Thursday that Syria had received the first shipment of the advanced Russian air defense system S-300, an Israeli official said.

"I have no information beyond what has been reported, which we are looking into," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, after a Lebanese newspaper quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as saying a shipment had arrived.

Israel, which has made veiled threats to prevent S-300 missiles from becoming operational in Syria, has lobbied the Russians against the sale and said on Tuesday that shipments had not yet been made. Israel's airspace would be within range of the system if it is deployed in Syria, a northern neighbor.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-syria-russia-missiles-israel-idUSBRE94T07620130530

Killer Robots: UN Official Joins Call For Ban

Robots that can attack and kill without human direction should be banned before they come into existence, according to a senior UN official.

Lethal autonomous robotics (LARs) have not yet been created but are described as "the next major revolution in military affairs".

The Terminator-style weapons systems could select, engage and kill targets without further human intervention once activated.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097305/killer-robots-un-official-joins-call-for-ban

Latest stories Mark Bridger Guilty Of Murdering April Jones

Jurors reach verdicts in the murder trial of Mark Bridger, the man accused of snatching and killing five-year-old April Jones.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097372/april-jones-murder-mark-bridger-found-guilty

What guns to bring when bugging out

Okie guy narrates as F5 tornado comes toward him - Amazing

Beheading and Gun Free Zones

UFO - OVNI - Real UFO - Small object flying next to an Airbus A330

GRAPHIC Special Forces Combat Up Close and Personal (Afghanistan)

America's Tax Money Funding Monsanto To Promote GMO's!

Thousands Fight Pouring Rain To Participate In YANKEE GO HOME Rally In Japan

Flood Waters Crash Through College Campus in Galesburg on Tuesday

Hurricane Barbara lashes Mexico's southern coast

Ibragim Todashev Killed By FBI In Boston Probe Was 'Unarmed'

The man fatally shot by an FBI agent during questioning about his ties to one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects was unarmed, the Washington Post has reported.

Ibragim Todashev, a 27-year-old Chechen immigrant, had been questioned for hours on May 22 in Florida when "a violent confrontation was initiated by the individual", the FBI said at the time.

Early reports said Todashev had been brandishing a knife, though investigators subsequently said it was unclear if he had been carrying a weapon.

Now a law enforcement official has told the Washington Post that he flipped over the table and lunged at the FBI agent but did not have a gun or a knife.

A second official also said Todashev was unarmed, the Post reported.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097331/man-shot-by-fbi-in-boston-probe-was-unarmed

Bahrain: attack against police, seven wounded

DUBAI, MAY 30 - Seven policemen were wounded in an attack last night in Bani Jambra, a suburb of Bahrain's capital, for which 10 people have been arrested, the Interior ministry was quoted as saying by Gulf News. The officers were removing debris in the street from recent clashes between the Shiite community and security forces after a handmade bomb, apparently detonated by remote control, exploded, seriously wounding one policemen. Another three officers are in serious condition.

Bahrain is headed by a Sunni royal family ruling over a Shiite-majority population. It has recently been at the centre of clashes, especially in villages around Manama. The highest peak in protests was registered in 2011 when authorities repressed with violence an uprising by the Shiite population.

Some 40 people died in two months. Ever since then, another 40 people have been reported dead in sporadic clashes. (ANSAmed).

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2013/05/30/Bahrain-attack-against-police-seven-wounded_8789897.html

Endangered whale meat sold as luxury dog snacks in Japan

Sales of the snacks, made from North Atlantic fin whales, have angered environmental activists who have criticised the use of endangered whale meat for exotic pet food.

Japan has long been in the firing line from environmentalists for continuing to hunt endangered whales under a loophole in an international moratorium, while Iceland openly defies the ban.

"The most likely reason for shops to sell the whale meat dog treat is to target affluent Japanese who want to show off their wealth with something different," said Nanami Kurasawa, executive director of IKAN, the Japanese campaign group.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10086027/Endangered-whale-meat-sold-as-luxury-dog-snacks-in-Japan.html

Israel prepares to build 1,000 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem as part of its ongoing ethnic cleansing program

Israel will reportedly build more than 1,000 new homes in East Jerusalem as part of its ongoing ethnic cleansing program in the occupied territories. It comes amid the latest complaints by Palestinians that their homes have been illegally bulldozed.

Construction contracts for 300 homes in the northeastern settlement of Ramot were signed, and another 797 land plots in the much larger settlement of Gilo in Jerusalem were listed for sale. Danny Seidemann, a director of the Jerusalem settlement watchdog group Terrestrial Jerusalem, told AFP that the building was quietly ordered last year by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The housing project is certain to draw the ire of the international community, which cites international law nullifying Israel’s domain over the region, which the country annexed after the 1967 Six-Day war. Netanyahu has reportedly pushed the project under the carpet temporarily so as not to impact US Secretary of State John Kerry’s efforts to bridge peace talks between Israel and Palestine.

http://rt.com/news/israel-prepares-homes-east-jerusalem-976/

American Drone Crashes in Somalia

An American drone crashed near the al-Shabaab-controlled town of Bulomarer in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region on Monday (May 27th), Somalia's Garowe Online reported.

The US Defence Department confirmed the crash, according to AFP, but declined to say what type of unmanned aircraft had crashed, whether it was armed and why it had gone down.

Al-Shabaab said late Tuesday their fighters had recovered the wreckage of a "surveillance drone", and posted pictures of it on its Twitter account.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201305300569.html

Syrian rebels plead for help as army bombards strategic Qusair

Syrian rebels pleaded for military and medical aid in the embattled border town of Qusair on Thursday, saying they were unable to evacuate hundreds of wounded under an onslaught from government forces backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters.

President Bashar al-Assad launched an offensive to capture Qusair two weeks ago in what many see as a bid to cement a hold on territory from the capital Damascus up to his Alawite community heartland on the Mediterranean coast.

"We have 700 people wounded in Qusair and 100 of them are being given oxygen. The town is surrounded and there's no way to bring in medical aid," said Malek Ammar, an opposition activist in the besieged town.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/uk-syria-crisis-qusair-idUKBRE94T08Y20130530

ECB: Cyprus Shock Caused Deposit Flight

The euro zone’s messy bailout of Cyprus caused a mini-run on banks in many of the currency union’s 17 members in April, exacerbating a decline in lending to the real economy, data from the European Central Bank showed Wednesday.

The Cyprus rescue was notable for being the first time that the euro zone imposed losses on bank depositors in order to bring banks seen as important to the financial system back to an acceptable level of capitalization.

Although European officials hastily abandoned original plans to impose losses even on insured depositors, and rushed to stress that Cyprus’s problems were unique, savers in other countries, especially those whose banking sectors were under stress, appear to have feared that their savings could face similar treatment.

http://stream.wsj.com/story/european-elections-may-2012/SS-2-10986/SS-2-241927/

Britain will fight EU court action over immigrant benefits....That's what they said about the European Court of human rights, their law changes, the EU budget, Terrorists....Shall I go on?

Brussels has objected to Britain's application of an extra test that has stopped some eligible migrants from EU countries getting jobless, pension and child benefits.

It is preparing to launch a case in the European Court of Justice against Britain's extra test, which has been in force since 2004.

However, Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is understood to be adamant that Britain will not "cave in", as he will not be "dictated to" by Brussels.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10088571/Britain-will-fight-EU-court-action-over-immigrant-benefits.html

Department of Homeland Security Teaching Kids To Go To FEMA Camps In a Time of Crisis

Public schools in cooperation with the department of homeland security are now teaching kids safety measures, and advising that they seek relief in FEMA camps in a time of crisis. But are these post disaster relief camps, or military internment camps?

FEMA , the Red Cross, and the department of homeland security are now using taxpayer money to educate children in public schools about ‘getting ready for disaster’. But why would government agencies hold interest in this? Is it because they want schools to be safer, or because they want citizens to flee to FEMA camps in a time of crisis?

A disaster that very well could be orchestrated by a government agency, one might add. So what are these ‘disaster relief’ camps like? A quick google search for ‘FEMA camps’ would turn up thousands of results. Yet contrary to what one may think, leaving these camps may not be voluntary.

http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/05/28/department-of-homeland-security-teaching-kids-to-go-to-fema-camps-in-a-time-of-crisis/

AUSTRALIA: SECOND SANDWICH HURLED AT PM

Prime Minister Julia Gillard might be feeling a little crusty this afternoon after a second sandwich was thrown at her during a school visit.

The PM was mobbed by students at Lyneham High School to announce the ACT government has signed up to her Gonski school reforms.

The sandwich, thought to be salami on white bread, was hurled at the PM as she visited a Canberra school just before big lunch this afternoon.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/17389596/second-sandwich-thrown-at-pm/

Marlon O'Reilly Murder Suspect Held After Thailand Flight

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a father-of-two who relatives claim was shot dead in a pub in a case of mistaken identity.

The 33-year-old was detained as he got off a plane from Thailand at Birmingham International Airport on Wednesday night, West Midlands Police said.

He is due to be questioned in connection with the death of Marlon O'Reilly, also 33, who was shot as he drank with friends in the Dovecote Pub in Cockshut Hill, Birmingham, on May 10.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097242/pub-murder-suspect-held-after-thailand-flight

Michael Adebowale Appears In Court

A 22-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby.

Michael Adebowale stood before a packed courtroom where he nodded to confirm his name, date of birth, and address.

The charges - murder and possession of a firearms with intent to cause violence - were read out to him during the five-minute hearing.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097277/woolwich-murder-suspect-appears-in-court

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake VANUATU - 30th May 2013

Magnitude mb 4.4
Region VANUATU
Date time 2013-05-30 08:55:32.7 UTC
Location 18.92 S ; 169.45 E
Depth 258 km
Distances
72 km N of Isangel / pop: 1,437 / local time: 19:55:00.0 2013-05-30

Islamic group: Slain man was unarmed, shot by FBI agent 7 times

An Islamic group Wednesday called for a federal civil-rights investigation of last week's fatal shooting of an Orlando man by an FBI agent investigating his connection to the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

And the Tampa director of that group said not only was 27-year-old Ibragim Todashev unarmed when he was shot by the agent May 22, he was hit seven times, including once in the head.

Initial reports in the wake of the shooting said Todashev might have been armed with a knife when, during questioning in an Orlando condo, he lunged toward the agent, who shot him.

But the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Florida chapter on Wednesday cited unnamed sources within the FBI as saying Todashev was not armed at the time of the shooting.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-fbi-orlando-investigation-20130529,0,1162461.story

SAS seized terror suspect three years ago: Michael Adebolajo deemed so significant, Special Forces were sent to grab him in Kenya in 2010

An SAS unit ‘snatched’ Woolwich terror suspect Michael Adebolajo in Kenya as he prepared to enter war-torn Somalia, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Adebolajo was flown back to the UK but then allowed to roam the streets unchecked for the next two and a half years.

The extraordinary revelation that the 28-year-old was deemed so important that Special Forces were ordered to detain him will, in the wake of the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich last week, raise disturbing new questions as to why he was free to roam the streets of London.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333005/Michael-Adebolajo-deemed-significant-Special-Forces-sent-grab-Kenya-2010.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

EU visitors to Spain denied hospital care...They will also be Sued by Brussels

The European Commission has warned that it may launch infringement action against Spain unless the country's hospitals stop refusing emergency treatment to European Union citizens on holiday. The Commission is receiving reports, concerning 20 different hospitals, of treatment being refused to foreign EU nationals unless they pay on the spot.

Under EU law, member states must offer foreign EU citizens who present a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) the same treatment as nationals for emergency medical care. The bill should then be submitted to the health authorities of the patient's home country.

“In some cases people were apparently left in pain in the corridor until they paid up, or gave details of their private travel health insurance,” said Jonathan Todd, spokesperson for European commissioner for social affairs László Andor.

http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/eu-visitors-to-spain-denied-hospital-care/77242.aspx

Europe to take Britain to court over immigrant benefits....Time for Cameron to find his backbone

Brussels will object to Britain's application of an extra test that could have stopped eligible immigrants from EU countries getting benefits.

European officials believe thousands of EU nationals that have lived and worked in Britain could have been discriminated against and unfairly denied the right to welfare payments.

As a result, the Commission is taking Britain to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in a landmark case.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10088297/Europe-to-take-Britain-to-court-over-immigrant-benefits.html

Struggling Korean builders tell employees to show loyalty: buy apartments

Five years after the global financial crisis, South Korean construction workers are feeling the pinch more than ever as they shoulder a mountain of debt from a real estate bust that has cast a long shadow on the country's growth prospects.

Facing the specter of bankruptcy, some construction firms persuaded their staff to take up loans to mop up unsold apartments.

"There was pressure. There's nowhere else in the world where there's a parallel to these practices," said a construction worker, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-korea-economy-housing-idUSBRE94S1CE20130529

Chinese media rejects accusation of pressure on EU in solar row

Chinese state media rejected on Thursday European accusations that China was pressuring the European Union to drop plans to impose import duties on Chinese solar panels, adding EU member states had a right to disagree with the tariff.

The EU's trade chief, Karel De Gucht, bluntly told China this week it was wasting its time trying to put pressure on him to drop the duties plans.

But in a statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency and posted on the Chinese government's main website (www.gov.cn), China's mission to the EU denied it was doing that.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-china-eu-solar-idUSBRE94S07620130530

Bombs hit Baghdad districts, at least 10 dead

A car bomb and several roadside blasts exploded in Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim neighborhoods across Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 10 people in the latest in more than a month-long surge in attacks, police and hospital sources said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Sunni Muslim Islamist insurgents and al-Qaeda's Iraqi wing have increased their operations since the beginning of the year as part of their campaign to stir sectarian tensions.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-iraq-violence-idUSBRE94S19820130530

Assad says Syria has received Russian missile shipment: Lebanese media

Syria has already received the first shipment of an advanced Russian air defense system and will soon get the rest of the S-300 missiles, President Bashar al-Assad was quoted as saying on Thursday.

"Syria has received the first shipment of Russian anti-aircraft S-300 rockets," Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Assad as saying in an interview due to be broadcast later in the day. "The rest of the shipment will arrive soon."

An interview with Assad will be released on Al Manar, a television station linked to Assad's ally, the Shi'ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-syria-russia-missiles-idUSBRE94T05S20130530

Behind China's U.S. pork deal, fears over additives

When Smithfield Foods Inc. quietly weaned the first of its pigs off the controversial feed additive ractopamine last year, it may have helped open the door for a Chinese counterpart to acquire the world's largest hog producer.

Used for more than a decade in the U.S. livestock industry to help pigs quickly build lean muscle instead of fat, the additive had begun to ring alarm bells among some major meat importing countries around the globe. U.S. media reports of ractopamine-fed pigs becoming sick fueled questions among food-safety critics last year about the potential long-term impact on human health.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-usa-smithfield-ractopamine-analysis-idUSBRE94T03520130530

Luke Walker Guilty Of Crete Girlfriend Killing

A 25-year-old Briton has been found guilty of GBH leading to the death of his girlfriend on the holiday island of Crete three years ago.

Luke Walker was convicted of killing Chelsea Hyndman, who died on May 17, 2010, at Heraklion Mixed Criminal Court.

He was initially charged with murdering his 20-year-old girlfriend but during the two-day trial, the charge was downgraded to grievous bodily harm leading to death, which the jury found him guilty of on Wednesday night.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097127/luke-walker-guilty-of-crete-girlfriend-killing

Baby 59's 'Father' Turns Up To Take Son Home

A man claiming to be the father of a newborn baby found in a sewer pipe in eastern China has come forward, police have said.

He turned up at the hospital where the trapped infant, known as Baby 59 because of his incubator number, was carefully cut out after being rescued by firefighters.

The man, who was not named by police, met the 22-year-old mother of the baby last year. She only realised she was pregnant earlier this year.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097229/toilet-pipe-baby-released-to-mother-and-father

Georgia Williams: Man Arrested Over Murder Of Missing Teenager

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Shropshire teenager Georgia Williams.

The Telford man was originally arrested at a Glasgow hotel on Wednesday on suspicion of kidnapping 17-year-old Georgia, from Wellington, who has not been seen since Sunday evening.

However detectives from West Mercia Police and Warwickshire police forces arrested him on suspicion of murder after he had been brought back to Telford from Scotland.

http://news.sky.com/story/1097236/man-arrested-over-murder-of-missing-teenager

Brussels to sue UK over curb on benefits tourism in bid to relax rules on welfare payments to EU nationals

Brussels is set to launch legal action against Britain today over its attempts to tackle benefits tourism.

The European Commission wants to relax the rules on welfare payments to EU nationals.

Since 2004, Britain has required them to be formal residents of the UK in order to claim state handouts – but the Commission thinks this breaks EU rules.

If European officials get their way, the UK would have to pay hundreds of millions of pounds a year to EU nationals who visit Britain.

‘Anyone who gets off a plane will be able to start claiming benefits immediately,’ a government source warned.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2333076/Brussels-sue-UK-curb-benefits-tourism-tries-Government-relax-rules-welfare-payments-EU-nationals.html

Why is our government putting up with this, you CAN'T CLAIM and DO NOT get benefits in other EUROPEAN Countries, unless you have worked or are in employment.

UK's growing economy will leave Europe behind: Austerity is 'appropriate' says OECD as eurozone stagnates

The British economy will perform better than all its major European rivals this year as the sluggish recovery picks up pace, a leading global watchdog said yesterday.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development forecast growth of 0.8 per cent in the UK in 2013 – slightly weaker than the 0.9 per cent previously expected.

But it slashed its forecast for the eurozone from a decline of 0.1 per cent to a reverse of 0.6 per cent – with Britain doing better than Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332635/UKs-growing-economy-leave-Europe-Austerity-appropriate-says-OECD-eurozone-stagnates.html

Forget clawing back billions from Starbucks, Google and Amazon... the taxman is targetting village cricket clubs

As corporations such as Google, Amazon and Starbucks avoid billions in tax, HMRC is instead targeting the tiny amounts community sports clubs pay to helpers. At Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club in Hertfordshire, tax inspectors who spent almost five hours going through the accounts and was sent a bill for £14,403 plus £3,000 in 'penalties and interest'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332987/Forget-clawing-billions-Starbucks-Google-Amazon--The-taxman-targetting-village-cricket-clubs.html

Beaver kills man in Belarus

A beaver has attacked a 60-year-old fisherman in Belarus, slicing an artery and causing him to bleed to death.

It was the latest in a series of beaver attacks on humans in the country, as the rodents, who have razor-sharp teeth, have turned increasingly aggressive after wandering near homes, shops and schools.

"The character of the wound was totally shocking," said the village doctor Leonty Sulim. "We had never run into anything like this before."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/29/beaver-kills-man-belarus

Kenya police accused of abuse, torture, rape of Somali refugees after terror attacks

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan police abused and extorted money from Somali refugees after attacks in the capital believed to have been carried out by the Somali militant group al-Shabab, an international human rights group said Wednesday.

The Human Rights Watch report, covering mid-November to late January, also said that police arbitrarily arrested more than 1,000 asylum seekers.

Kenya was hit by a string of grenade attacks last year in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, which is highly populated by Somali immigrants. The Somali militant group al-Shabab had vowed to carry out attacks on Kenya because it sent troops into Somalia in 2011 to fight the rebels.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/kenya-police-accused-of-abuse-torture-rape-of-somali-refugees-after-terror-attacks/2013/05/29/8b452a96-c853-11e2-9cd9-3b9a22a4000a_story.html

'Mars rat' spied by NASA's Curiosity rover

Is that a rat on Mars?

A photo from the mast camera on NASA’s Curiosity rover reveals the dusty orange, rock-strewn surface of the Red Planet -- and what starry-eyed enthusiasts claim is a dusty orange rodent hiding among the stones.

The photo, taken Sept. 28, 2012, depicts the “Rocknest” site, where NASA’s rover took a scoopful of sand, tasted it, and determined it was full of weathered basaltic materials -- not unlike Hawaii, the space agency’s scientists said last year. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/05/29/mars-rat-spied-by-nasa-curiosity-rover/

GM 'hybrid' fish pose threat to natural populations, scientists warn

Two same-age salmon, a GM salmon, rear, and a non-GM salmon, foreground.

The offspring of genetically modified salmon and wild brown trout are even faster growing and more competitive than either of their parents, a new study has revealed, increasing fears that GM animals escaping into the wild could harm natural populations.

The aggressive hybrids suppressed the growth of GM salmon by 82% and wild salmon by 54% when all competed for food in a simulated stream.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of environmental impacts of hybridisation between a GM animal and a closely related species," wrote the scientists from Memorial University of Newfoundland. "These findings suggest that complex competitive interactions associated with transgenesis and hybridisation could have substantial ecological consequences for wild Atlantic salmon should they ever come into contact [with GM salmon] in nature."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/29/gm-hybrid-fish-threat-natural-populations

Secret detention row forces UK to hand over suspects to Afghans

Up to 90 prisoners are being held without charge at the British base in Helmand, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed.

The transfer of the suspected insurgents, some of them allegedly responsible for the killings of British service personnel, to Afghan custody was halted after claims that they may face mistreatment.

Mr Hammond said work was going on “very intensively” with the Afghan authorities to create the safe conditions for detainees to be transferred to the Afghan system and he said he hoped that this would be achieved “within a matter of days”.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/secret-detention-row-forces-uk-to-hand-over-suspects-to-afghans-8635471.html

Alawite leader warns of unrest spreading across Lebanon

Civil rights group wants review of FBI shooting of Chechen man in Florida

A Muslim civil liberties group said on Wednesday it wants a review of the death of a Chechen immigrant linked to the Boston Marathon bombing suspects who was shot and killed by an FBI agent in Florida.

The FBI has said that Ibragim Todashev, 27, was being questioned when he suddenly attacked an agent on May 22 at his Orlando condominium and was shot and killed based on the "imminent threat posed by the individual."

Hassan Shibly, executive director of the Tampa, Florida-based branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his group would by the end of this week file a request for the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice to review Todashev's death.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-usa-explosion-florida-idUSBRE94T03S20130530

Helping Syrian rebels a dangerous risk

The United States has a history of often picking sides in Middle East conflicts to its own detriment.

In the 1980s, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met with Saddam Hussein to establish a relationship that helped the dictator gain access to American arms during Iraq's war with Iran. In the 1990s, the U.S. would drive former ally Hussein from Kuwait and impose a decade of sanctions that were devastating for Iraqis, but had little effect on the dictator. In 2003, we went to Iraq, overthrew Hussein, and became part of nation-building effort from which we only recently saw most of our soldiers return home.

Arguably one of the greatest beneficiaries of the Iraq war was Iran, which now enjoys more power and influence with the elimination of its historic enemy. President George H.W. Bush did not pursue Hussein directly during Operation Desert Storm precisely because he feared the destabilizing effects it might have on the region, or as his Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney explained in 1994, "Once you got to Iraq and took it over, took down Saddam Hussein's government, then what are you going to put in its place?" Today, Iraq is unstable and its future uncertain.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/opinion/rand-paul-syria/index.html?hpt=hp_t5

Hurricane Barbara hits Mexico

Hurricane Barbara weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday after it crashed ashore along Mexico's southern Pacific coast.

Barely a hurricane, the moisture-laden storm made landfall in the state of Chiapas, about 20 miles west of Tonala, the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center said.

Barbara had sustained winds then of 75 mph, and was moving north-northeast at 9 mph. Winds weakened to 50 mph by Wednesday night.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/world/americas/mexico-tropical-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Severe weather threatens half U.S.

Tornado watches stretched from the Texas Panhandle to central Nebraska on Wednesday as another wave of storms put portions of the Plains states and Midwest squarely in the bull's-eye again.

It was the latest round of severe weather to settle over America's heartland as warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico saturated the area, bringing with it the risk of twisters, large hail and damaging winds.

Though radar indications triggered sporadic warnings for a handful of counties in Texas, Kansas and Nebraska, no tornadoes or damage had been reported by Wednesday evening.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/us/severe-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

MERS-CoV virus: New virus 'threat to entire world'

A new SARS-like virus recently found in humans continues to spread -- with the worldwide total now at 49, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

Of the 49 known infections with the MERS-CoV virus, 27 have resulted in death, the organization said.

The latest deaths were reported in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi health ministry said Wednesday that three people died from their infections in the country's eastern region.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/health/world-coronavirus/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Leila Fowler Murder - Attorney: Boy, 12, pleads not guilty to killing 8-year-old sister

A 12-year-old accused with stabbing to death his 8-year-old sister at their Northern California home pleaded not guilty on Wednesday during an appearance in a Calaveras County juvenile court, his attorney told CNN.

The boy -- who has not been named because of his age -- is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing.

"I say he is innocent," the boy's attorney, Mark Reichel, said. "We are going to come back on July 31 to set a date for a trial on that day and we are getting into the issue of whether a 12-year-old can ever be put on trial for murder."

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/justice/california-stabbing-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Are the dark days returning to Iraq?.....Did they ever leave?

According to the United Nations' mission in Iraq, 712 Iraqis were violently killed in April 2013. This is both normal and extraordinary. It is normal because it pales into comparison beside the monthly death toll in the worst years of the country's civil war. It is extraordinary because it is the highest such figure since that civil war subsided five years ago. Understanding the violence requires grasping three confluent trends: the increasingly authoritarian streak of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the rise of both peaceful and violent protest among Iraq's aggrieved Sunni minority (a fifth of the population), and, finally, a regional trend of worsening sectarian tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/opinion/iraq-dark-days-returning/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Why are Iraq's Sunnis so upset?