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Boston Marathon bombing: 'My sons are innocent' The mother of two men suspected of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombings has said she believes her sons are innocent and is "100% sure that this is set up". Zubeidat Tsarnaev alleged that her oldest son, Tamerlan, was controlled by the FBI for years 

EU parliament rejects plan to save carbon trading The European Parliament has rejected a plan to rescue the EU's ailing carbon trading scheme. Members narrowly voted against a so-called "backloading" proposal that would have cut the huge surplus of allowances currently being traded. 

TRAINING EXECISE at Boston : Bomb Sniffing Dogs, Spotters on Roofs Before Explosions University of Mobile�s Cross Country Coach said he thought it was odd there were bomb sniffing dogs at the start and finish lines. "They kept making announcements to the participants do not worry, it's just a training exercise," 

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer to build Titanic II Clive Palmer, one of Australia's richest men, has commissioned a Chinese state-owned company to build a 21st Century version of the Titanic. Construction will start at the end of next year and would be ready to set sail in 2016, with the ship's maiden trip planned from London to New York. 

US Coast Guard fires on tsunami 'ghost ship' The US Coast Guard has used cannon to fire on and sink a crewless Japanese ship that drifted to Alaska after the 2011 tsunami. The boat had no lights or power and was viewed as a danger to other ships. The Anacapa gunnery ship of the 17th US Coast Guard began shadowing the empty ship on Wednesday afternoon. 

Andrew Marr: I'm lucky to be alive after stroke - Caused by rowing machine! BBC presenter Andrew Marr said he was lucky to be alive as he appeared on his show for the first time since suffering a major stroke. He took part in a discussion panel on the Sunday show, presented by Sophie Raworth, and said he would definitely be returning to work. 

Study shows slap heads more likely to croak from dodgy ticker Men who are bald have a much higher chance of developing coronary heart disease, according to researchers in Japan. Their study of nearly 37,000 people, published in the online journal BMJ Open, said balding men were 32% more likely to have coronary heart disease. 

Parkinson's sufferers 'face regular discrimination' - Arrested for not smiling in pre-crime law Bringing attention to Parkinson's sufferers. Last year this man was arrested by Surrey police under a charge of "Intending to commit a public order offence" - aka PRE-Crime! 

SCAS the UK secret crime analysis section housed in a pyramid Nothing sinister here. Obviously all 1980's buildings are shaped like Pyramids, right? 

Electric cars produce DOUBLE the CO2 emissions to built and save less then 20% during their entire lifespan Results of a Norwegian study don't exactly point way for electric cars to be the norm. Apart from requiring double the energy to produce, you have to use them for 100,000 miles or so to see the AT BEST 20% reduction in CO2. Most will see just 10% over that period and the less you use it, the closer it reaches 0% reductions and actually causes more damage than good! 

Is China REALLY sending troops to North Korean border? Two very contradictory stories. One from a BBC reporter with "boots on the ground" and the other from a rhetoric based UK newspaper. If China is not really sending troops, does it letting North Korea go in a deal made with the US? 

UK Conservative party Campaign Headquarters directs Twitter followers to porn site :D In an amazingly amusing own goal, Conservative MP Rob Wilson directed his Twitter followers to a Pornsite, rather than the intended Guido Fawkes story. Hey, at least it's grown women he's looking at. We should at least be happy with that! 

BBC The Question Time stooge: How Labour Party planted a diehard supporter in the BBC audience to attack UKIP panellist on debate show On BBC Question Time Amy Rutland who launched a personal attack on the UKIP panellist calling her ‘disgusting’. Amy Rutland is in fact a political activist for the Labour party and the scene was staged to cause maximum damage to UKIP 

Plane bad? - London Luton Airport apologises for crash photo on Facebook page London Luton Airport has apologised "unreservedly" for putting a picture of a plane crash at another airport on its Facebook page. The image, which appeared at 09:15 GMT on Wednesday is believed to have had a related status saying "this is what we prevent you from when it snows". 

Science @ NASA Video containing graph that shows lower solar flares = lower tempertures and vice versa 1:28 is the specific graph. Showing the correlation between temperatures and solar flare activity. It's weird to see NASA use this graph and they make NO reference to it. So why use that specific one when they could have used any other? Very odd. 

Chinese Space Debris Collides with Russian Satellite According to the Center for Space Standards and Innovation on January 22, 2013 debris from the Chinese FENGYUN 1C collided with Russia’s BLITS satellite. The collision changed the orbit of the Russian satellite, along with its spin velocity and attitude. 

Princess Lilian, who waited "33" years for her prince, dies aged 97 A Welsh-born Swedish princess, who kept her romance with her royal lover a secret for 33 years, has died. His Grandfather was a Nazi sympathizer while his Father supported the Black Panther movement. 

Queen Elizabeth II hospitalised with stomach bug, cancels visit to Rome Nice timing Ma'am. Looks like she won't have to go to Rome while he pedophile scandal is brewing in Italian papers. 

Veterans enraged over drone medals for 'geeks' Enraged veterans say President Obama �is treading into sacred ground� by allowing the Pentagon to establish a new medal intended to recognize the achievements of drone pilots and �computer geeks,� most of whom never leave the comfort of an air-conditioned building in Tampa or Las Vegas. 

Obama nominates Wal-Mart�s Sylvia Burwell as next budget chief in midst of fiscal battles President Barack Obama has tapped Wal-Mart�s Sylvia Mathews Burwell as his next budget chief, thrusting her into the center of Washington�s heated partisan budget battles and is filling vacancies at the Energy Department and Environmental Protection Agency, an official says. 

Evernote hack: 50 million users forced to reset passwords Evernote hack: 50 million users forced to reset passwords 

"Zero Dark Thirty" used 9/11 voices without permission Some thought "Zero Dark Thirty" was controversial because of how it depicts torture. Now families of 9/11 victims claim the voices of their loved ones were used in the film without their permission. 

BBC highlights fakeness of Facebook.. without spotting the obvious That fake accounts can be used to turn public opinion as well as give people a fake girlfriend. 

EU Legislation caused Horse meat scandal, claims UK Foods Standards Agency An EU decision to reclassify a type of minced meat widely used in the UK played a significant part in creating the horsemeat crisis, a former Food Standards Agency senior scientist says. 

One death, 33 more swine flu cases in Delhi NEW DELHI, A swine flu patient died while 33 people tested positive for the Influenza A ( H1N1) virus here, taking the toll to four and total number of cases to 154 this year, an official said. 

Swiss love affair with rail turns sour Swiss Railways introduce super complex ticketing system then gouge the public with fines if they can't fathom it out. How does a $210 fine sound? They even give fines to people who purchase their tickets while boarding the train! 750 people A DAY! That's $2million a month in fines! 

3D printed moon building designs revealed Architects Fosters and Partners have revealed designs for a building on the Moon that could be constructed from material already on its surface. 

BBC pushing insects as food AGAIN - Eating insects: Would you cook with grubs? Eating insects is not for the faint-hearted, or is it? Chef Stefan Gates argues that most of us eat insects already, and for those that do not, it is easy to add them to an everyday diet. Of course, shrimp are nothing but insects of the sea. But nobody thinks of that angle! They need to hire the Dvorak/Curry consulting group. 

Nikkei slips on profit-taking after hitting 33-month high Japan's Nikkei average fell on Thursday, with investors booking profits after it had risen sharply in the previous session to end above 11,000 for the first time in 33 months. 

FOOTS!!! - Appeal to identify River Severn severed foot Fresh efforts are being made to identify the owner of a severed human foot found on a riverbank in Gloucestershire nearly four years ago. The decomposed foot was found by a couple walking along the River Severn in Deerhurst, near Odda's Chapel, in March 2009. 

Modern Meadow aims to print raw meat using bioprinter But imagine if this cut of meat, just perfect for your Sunday dinner, had been made from scratch - without slaughtering any animal. US start-up Modern Meadow believes it can do just that - by making artificial raw meat using a 3D bioprinter. Peter Thiel, one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capitalists, Paypal co-founder and early Facebook investor, has just backed the company with $350,000 (£218,000). 

Gamma-ray burst 'hit Earth in 8th Century' In 2012 researchers found evidence that our planet had been struck by a blast of radiation during the Middle Ages, but there was debate over what kind of cosmic event could have caused this. I imagine it really messed up their cell phone networks. 

Card fraud: Has chip and pin had its day? The BBC pitching the idea that biometrics are the future with a lot of positive Vox Pops to boot. My favorite, the woman (2:05) who says because fingerprints are used or criminals everybody else should be happy. 

British Union Flag massively popular in Cuba - Pity they didn't know it was the GB flag The Union flag is now all the rage, sported by young Cubans on their clothes, nails - and even spotted as tattoos, and shaved into the back of people's heads. I guess you have to live in a shit hole to think the UK is terrific! :) 

Bulgarian MRF leader, Ahmed Dogan, fights off gunman Bulgarian police have detained a man after he pointed a gas pistol at an ethnic Turkish party leader as he was delivering a speech in Sofia. No shots were fired and the man was wrestled to the ground by security guards. 

Shut up Slave! - Michael Portillo attacks David Cameron's 'dangerous' EU referendum "David Cameron is taking an “extraordinarily dangerous” gamble by offering voters a say over whether Britain should quit the European Union, Michael Portillo has warned." - The words of Euro-zealot Michael Portillo. In other words, shut up slave! 

Japan to replace nuke plant with world's largest wind farm In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has decided to build the world's largest offshore wind farm to replace the crippled nuke plant. The country plans to build a total of 143 wind turbines on platforms 16 kilometres off the coast of Fukushima by 2020, which is home to the stricken Daiichi nuclear reactor that hit the headlines in March 2011 when it was damaged by a severe earthquake and tsunami. 

Ancient Roman 'gaming pieces' may actually be loo rolls What, not the shitty sponge of a stick then? Just goes to show what flights of fantasy Archeologists take when faced with little or no real information. And you thought it was a science. 

World Bank - 70% Young People believe Social Media is a force for change Some 70% of young people believe that social media is a force for change, says the survey.... says the WORLD BANK. Ugh! Time to move to another planet :) 

UPDATE: London Helicopter Crash near Vauxhall Underground station - Less than 1,500 feet for MI6 headquarters If you watch the footage you'll see the bus stop is for the London Underground station "Vauxhall", placing it within 1,500 feet OR LESS from MI6 headquarters. Yet no mention of this is made in the story. Why would that be? 

London helicopter crash: Two die in Vauxhall crane accident - Funny they don't mention the proximity to MI6 The accident took place on the very North end of Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth, which places it within 1,000 to 1,500 feet from the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) building near Vauxhall Bridge. Funny they don't mention that. 

Liverpool's floating Titanic hotel attracts criticism A floating hotel based on the ill-fated Titanic liner has been criticised as being in "poor taste". YOU THINK! 

Germany to UK PM: do not blackmail EU A senior German official, and a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, has warned British Prime Minister David Cameron against blackmailing the EU by an in-out referendum on the union that could be disastrous to both London and Brussels. 

Officials: Suspected US drone strike kills 4 in Pakistan A suspected U.S. drone strike targeted a militant compound in northwest Pakistan Thursday, killing at least four people, two Pakistani intelligence officials said. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the drone fired two missiles at the compound near the village of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, one of seven districts in Pakistan's volatile tribal region bordering Afghanistan. 

The tourists held and beaten by Greek police as illegal migrants Greek police have stepped up efforts to catch illegal immigrants in recent months, launching a new operation to check the papers of people who look foreign. But tourists have also been picked up in the sweeps - and at least 2 have been badly beaten. 

Justice at "any" cost? - Delhi gang rape suspects 'tortured to force confession' A potential lawyer for three of the men charged with the abduction, rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi says his clients have been tortured and coerced into admitting the crime. 

BBC's Andrew Marr suffers stroke Broadcaster Andrew Marr is recovering in hospital after suffering a stroke, the BBC has confirmed. Marr is implicated in the coverup of Gorgon Brown's anti-depressant use. See this http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/leveson-exclusive-what-andrew-marr-didnt-tell-the-enquiry-and-what-it-didnt-ask-him-21/ 

Christopher Tappin sentenced to 33 months in US arms case A retired British businessman who admitted selling weapon parts to Iran has been sentenced to 33 months in prison by a court in the US. 

Just as a reminder - James Holmes Fired 33 Bullets Into the 12 People He Killed: His Only Fair Punishment is Death "James Holmes is a cold blooded killer. A merciless psychopath, he viciously and purposely took the lives of 12 innocent victims, and injured 58 others at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012" 

Fizzy drinks and fruit squashes ‘linked to depression’ Fizzy drinks and fruit squashes are being linked to depression in a study involving more than 250,000 people. The danger was greatest for those who opted for diet products. However, people drinking four cups of coffee a day were ten per cent less likely to develop depression. 

NY subway terror suspect from UK pleads not guilty A man who initially beat terror charges in the United Kingdom pleaded not guilty on Monday in a U.S. case linking him to a failed al-Qaida plot against the city's subway system. Abid Naseer was extradited from Britain late last week. He entered the plea in federal court in Brooklyn through his attorney, Steven Brounstein. The lawyer declined to comment outside court. 

Covanta Sustainability Report: GHG Emisions Drop 33% Energy-from-waste firm Covanta Energy’s total greenhouse gas emissions fell around 33 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to their latest "sustainability report". The report doesn't mention PM10 particle emissions, harmful to both people and the environment. 

Russia: Raids by wolves spark 'emergency' in Sakha An influx of wolves preying on reindeer herds has triggered a state of emergency in the Sakha Republic, in north-eastern Russia. Squads of hunters will pursue the wolves in a three-month "battle" from 15 January, officials say. 

Revolving door - Lord Strathclyde resigns from UK cabinet Lord Strathclyde is standing down from the cabinet with immediate effect. At the age of 52, he is going voluntarily while he still "has time to pursue a second career in business." - Let me guess, lobbying, arms sales? 

They are coming for your "stun" guns. Illegal stun guns 20 times more powerful than police Tasers can be illegally imported into the UK with ease, a BBC investigation has found. Possessing a stun gun carries a maximum jail sentence of 10 years. But Inside Out bought two devices by mail order - which both made it through customs. 

BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall pleads not guilty to indecent assault charges The 83-year-old, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, entered his plea at Preston Magistrates' Court, which referred his case to the city's crown court. He was charged in December following complaints to police about alleged incidents involving three girls aged between nine and 17 between 1974 and 1984. The height of his BBC career. 

The Greek island of old age Despite the lack of medical services (or perhaps due to it) the population of the small island live on average 10 years longer than western Europe and the rate of 90 year olds is 2.5 times that of US. 

Gerard Depardieu Contemplates Move To Russia's Mordovia The French film actor Gerard Depardieu, the new recipient of Russian citizenship, is reportedly considering a move to the Republic of Mordovia. Depardieu refuses to pay the latest 75% tax rate in France and Putin wanted to get maximum publicity to handed it over personally. 

Queen gives Royal couple Anmer Hall as thousands face eviction during recession Just in case the Queen thought she needed to rub the faces of the general public, she's handed over another mansion to the Royal Couple, just at the same time as the number of house repossessions have hit a new high in the UK. Nice timing Ma'am! :-( 

Ex-CIA Officer is to face prison for following his concience and discussing torture Another case of Obama's Government locking up whistle blowers. Should we even be surprised? 

One rule for them - Thousands are hit by train fare hikes as Rail Minister spends £80,000 on a CHAUFFEUR for his 35-mile commute Simon Burns claims he takes the £400-a-day car to work as he can't take his ministerial Red Box on the train for "security reasons". But the Transport Department contradicted him saying he CAN travel by train. 

Brussels hands UK cash to Euro bands so they can beat ours in the charts £15million a year given to dozens of cross-border arts projects! £162,000 to celebrate baking skills of grandmothers in five countries!! £152,000 on actors to pose the question: 'Are we happy?'!!! 

French Government cuts welfare benefits for immigrants by 83% In a move intended to force immigrants to over nation states of Europe or perhaps even home, French Interior Minister Manual Valls has announced changes to the countries migration policy that will see benefits reduced by 83%. 

Predator Drone Strikes: 36 Civilians Are Murdered For Every Terrorist Killed By a Drone Under President Obama, the use of military drones to conduct targeted assassinations against terrorists has exploded. More than 300 drone strikes have been conducted, killing some 2,500 people. Obama has authorized 193 drone strikes in Pakistan – 4 times the amount authorized by George W. Bush. 

Paul, Kucinich Drone Resolution Rejected by House Judiciary Committee A resolution sponsored by retiring Representatives Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) requiring Attorney General Eric Holder to release all information related to President Obama’s death-by-drone program has failed to pass committee. What a shocker! 

Total NON-STORY - Google Accidentally Photographs Military Drone Landing Around the clock, satellites are snapping and re-snapping the Earth’s surface from space. Also around the clock, weaponised killer drones are making the rounds — and it looks like the two just had a chance encounter. WHAT THE F!! WHO CARES! We're bothered about who they are shooting at! 

Lawmaker wants FAA to publish names of drone licensees The public may soon have the ability to search through the names of persons and organizations operating drones within the United States. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Ed Markey introduced the Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act (DAPTA) Tuesday, which attempts to create guidelines and limitations on how the FAA issues drone licenses. 

Berkeley council considers 'no drone zone' Tuesday night, Berkeley City Council members considered a proposal to ban surveillance drones over city airspace. The "no drone zone" proposal by Berkeley's peace and justice commission is in response to a growing number of cities using drones as a law enforcement tool. The Alameda County Sheriff's Department recently considered using a $31,000 grant to buy a drone, but decided against it. The Berkeley Police Department said it's never considered buying or using a drone. 

Odey Fund Up 33% Odey Asset Management’s UK Absolute Return Fund is having a great year to say the least. The hedge fund is up 33.3 percent through the end of November2012. With a 1.4 percent return in November, the fund is up 5.5 percent in Q4 so far. The FTSE All Share Total Return index was up 1.8 percent last month. Odey Absolute Return has been the best performing among the all the hedge funds managed by Odey Asset Management. 

Cameron spin doctor 'threatened' a newspaper over story on minister's expenses claim Craig Oliver, the Prime Minister’s director of communications, contacted the Daily Telegraph when he learned it was preparing to reveal that Culture Secretary Maria Miller’s parents lived in her taxpayer-funded second home. 

More evidence that Russia has got it's deal with Germany - Syria leader sold down the line Bashar al-Assad is losing control over Syria and his opponents may win, Russia's deputy foreign minister has warned, in the first acknowledgement that he could be facing defeat. 

Police arrest two suspects after uncovering sick plot to 'castrate and murder' Justin Bieber Mark Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane were allegedly hired by Dana Martin – who is currently serving 978 years in prison with charges for murder and rape. (Or 600 years with good behavior?). Plot included strangling then using paisley ties? Police intercepted phone calls. Neither man has been charged. 

Jacintha Saldanha: nurse found hanged after royal hoax call left three notes, inquest hears Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who hanged herself after being duped by a prank call left THREE notes an inquest into her death has heard. There were "marks" on her wrist. What does that mean? 

Fracking is back: Controversial gas extraction process to resume in UK - With a catch It's been a boom in the US. But fracking in the UK will be hindered by the introduction of increasing taxes on co2. Result, bills will NOT go town, tax revenue WILL go up and everyone will be happy except Joe and Josephine Public. 

Royal nurse Jacintha Saldanha death suspicious - Used to slam press/media freedom in Britain The prank call by Australian radio presenters who got a condition report from the Duchess of Cambridge's nurse by pretending to be the Queen and Prince Charles proves the need for new privacy laws, Lord Justice Leveson has said. 

Herne Bay Christmas lights switch-on booed by disappointed crowd Austerity measures biting hard at the Kent town's Christmas display as it was booed by crowds when the lights were switched on. A few hundred people gathered to watch the stars of the local Sleeping Beauty panto, Gareth Gates and Toyah Wilcox, turn them on. They look hilariously bad! 

Burma firm gets TV rights for top flight English football A Burmese TV station has bought rights for the English Premier league football games, benefiting from the easing of sanctions against the Asian country. In go the money men. The deal is worth £5bn ($8bn) for the three seasons starting in 2013-14. 

Dundee man accused of 'recklessly producing household electricity' A Dundee man has been accused of "recklessly producing household electricity" with a bizarre home-made transformer. Charles McKenzie is alleged to have rigged up a "dangerous transformer assembly" at his flat in Dundee's Dudhope Court to generate power. 

Arafat to be exhumed on Tuesday over poisoning claim The body of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is to be exhumed on Tuesday, Palestinian officials say. His body is to undergo tests to find out whether his death in Paris in 2004 was caused by poisoning. 

Larry Hagman star of Dallas dies at 81 Larry Hagman, who spent more than a decade playing TV villain JR Ewing has died at the age of 81, his family says. Hagman, who had suffered from cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, died in hospital on Friday afternoon, according to a family statement. 

UKIP couple have foster children removed because Rotherham council deemed UKIP as racist Michael Gove has branded a decision by a Rotherham council to remove three children from a foster couple because they belong to UKIP as "indefensible". The children - who are "not indigenous white British" - were removed by social workers who accused the unnamed couple of belonging to a "racist party". 

Stargate? - South Pacific Sandy Island 'proven not to exist' - But what exactly IS the black region on the image! A South Pacific island, shown on marine charts and world maps as well as on Google Earth and Google Maps, does not exist, Australian scientists say. So what exactly IS on the satellite images of the area then? The story talks about copyright protecting phantom items. But it's IN THE SAT. IMAGE. 

Germany and Russia clash on human rights, build trade German Chancellor Angela Merkel took Russian President Vladimir Putin to task over a clamp-down on dissent and treatment of the Pussy Riot punk band when they held frosty talks on Friday. But despite the chill descending on relations, they signed a host of economic deals underlining the importance of mutual trade which Putin put at $72 billion in 2011, as well as Germany's dependence on Russia as an energy supplier. 

Amnesty International Slams UK Government for turn blind eye to Syrian rebel war crimes As leaders of the recently-formed Syrian National Coalition meet in London today, Amnesty International has called on the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague to push for concrete action from Syria opposition groups over curbing war crimes by armed groups in Syria. 

Europe faces a multi-national General Strike against austerity Austerity has spawned general strikes in individual countries across the troubled European Union. But this week may see something to add to the union’s tensions: a coordinated, multi-national mega-strike. Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, the UK, Germany, Switzerland... and so on. 

Shut up slave! Man sentenced for shouting at David Cameron A man who shouted "no public sector cuts" at David Cameron during a speech in Glasgow has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service. 

HURRICANE SANDY: The HAARP and Aerosol Geoengineered Storm of Century? Steering Hurricanes and modifying intensity a goal of the Department of Homeland Security...... 

Iranian drones guiding Syrian attacks, rebels say yrian rebels call them "wizwayzi," humming eyes in the sky they say guide the government warplanes and gunners who bombard their positions. They're surveillance drones, easily visible from the ground and seen in video shot by rebel fighters. Syrian opposition activists and rebel commanders say both the tempo and accuracy of airstrikes have increased since government forces began using them -- and they point to Iran as the source of the equipment. 

Chicoan among anti-drone protesters blocking Beale gates Four women and one man who remained standing in front of a Beale Air Force Base gate after authorities asked them to move their protest off federal property were cited Tuesday. About 50 people gathered in the morning at the base entrance off North Beale Road as well as at a gate off Doolittle Drive to protest against drones as part of a national action, said Sacramento resident Cres Vellucci. 

EFF Demands Answers About Predator Drone Flights in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses the unmanned drones inside the U.S. to patrol the borders with surveillance equipment like video cameras, infrared cameras, heat sensors, and radar. But recent news articles as well as a report from DHS itself show CBP is expanding its surveillance work, flying Predator drone missions on behalf of a diverse group of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. 

Mum on drones, US up on Balochistan Ducking the drone issue, the US has voiced concerns over what it called “growing instability” in Balochistan. US Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Eileen Donahoe, alleged that security squads in the province, under their kill-and-dispose of policy, have been “targeting proponents of civic rights, local activists and their families, journalists, political workers and student leaders" 

Pentagon drops RIM exclusivity; eyes up iPhones, Android phones RIM has lost yet another exclusive major government client: this time around it's the U.S. Department of Defense that is looking to pitch iPhones to its employee base, dropping the previously favored BlackBerry. 

Did climate change cause Hurricane Sandy? Even zealots are keeping quiet Of course, then you'd also have to point out the more severe storms of 1938 and 1944 and how there was cooling during that period. 

(Prescription Drug Story) Octomom goes into rehab for admitted Xanax addition Xanax (Alprazolam) is the most prescribed and the most misused benzodiazepine on the U.S. retail market. 

Mark Hamill thinks Lucas is nuts to make more Star Wars movies SO DO WE! 

Oil trading higher as East Coast refineries go back online Oil was trading at its highest level in three days as U.S. East Coast refineries resumed operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Most East Coast refineries have restored operations or are in the process of doing so. 

PetroChina Profit Falls 33% on Refining Losses, Gas Imports PetroChina Co. world’s largest publicly traded oil producer, posted its lowest third-quarter profit in at least five years because of refining losses and natural-gas import costs. Net income fall 33 percent to 24.9 billion yuan ($4 billion) from 37.4 billion yuan a year earlier. 

Imran Khan vows to continue fight against US drone strikes Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has said that despite objections by the United States, he will continue his campaign against CIA's drone strikes in Pakistani tribal areas that kill innocent people. 

Drone strikes kill 3 al Qaeda "suspects" in north Yemen "Three al Qaeda 'suspects' were killed in three separate drone strikes in Saada," a tribal source said, adding the raids targeted Wadi al-Abu Jabara, an al Qaeda bastion some 250 kilometres north of the Yemeni capital. 

(VIDEO) Sandy: New York power surge explosions during storm Best bit "what the hell is that thing!?" shouts the woman. ALIEN ATTACK!!! :-D 

(VIDEO) 'Horrorgami': How to build haunted houses out of paper Artist Marc Hagan-Guirey - otherwise known as Paper Dandy - describes himself as a "paper architect". Using single pieces of A4 paper - and no glue - he creates sculptures of buildings based on locations from cult horror movies, which are then displayed in perspex light boxes. 

(VIDEO) Hollywood "gaining ground" in China - By appeasing to their sensibility Scene's cut from Men in Black 3 (pity it wasn't the whole movie) and a change of identity for the Red Dawn villains, not North Korean; all in a bid to gain even further ground into China. 

European Commission tells Luxemberg and France to increase tax on ebook sales to balance "competition" Luxembourg and France must stop applying a reduced VAT rate to electronic books because doing so "distorts competition" across the rest of the EU and is in breach of EU tax laws, the European Commission has said. Wait, lower prices DISTORT competition? 

Tom Cruise Neighbor Tasered, Arrested After Allegedly Trespassing Star's Home I'm waiting for the much quieter story of how he was just getting his kids ball back. 

(VIDEO) Madonna Booed For Obama Endorsement in Concert Madonna told the crowd at her Saturday concert in New Orleans to "vote for Obama" and was promptly booed. The comment also triggered walkouts by several fans. Video sounds like there's about 200 people there. "Are they booing me?" she asks are 2:42. Yup. 

Iranian official says Tehran has images of 'forbidden' Israeli bases from Hezbollah drone Iran gave no details about the photos — other than calling the Israeli bases "forbidden sites". Hezbollah "won't announce it as long as it doesn't see the need to do so ... " - What does THAT mean? 

Epitaphs never look good in hindsight It makes you wonder just what was on their mind really. 

Oh, please! Huffington Post disses Romney with masterbation word pun The headline reads "Romney Must Have a Master Debate". Just how lame is the Huffington Post these days? I mean really. How old are these people? It's the sort of job you expect from a schoolboy! 

DeGeneres honored for lifetime as U.S. entertainer Ellen DeGeneres, an American entertainer, prominent gay rights advocate and all round good shill, received the highest U.S. award for achievement in comedy on Monday. 

Full body scanners removed from NYC's 2 airports The TSA is removing full body scanners from New York's airports and moving them to less busy airports. They will be replaced with millimeter wave machines that produce a more generic outline of a person's body, compared to the more "specific" backscatter image. 

A cesspit: BBC Chairman's damning verdict on Savile abuse scandal and the cover-up by TV bosses You've got to hand it to Lord Patten, he's really decided to put the boot in on this whole deal. But then they've wanted to kick the BBC down for a long, long time. If just half the stories are true, there will be a lot of people going to prison. 

Abuse Claims: Savile Had Keys To high-security hospital Broadmoor Jimmy Savile had keys to a high-security hospital, where he worked as a volunteer and has been accused of carrying out abuse. The TV presenter volunteered at Broadmoor, in Crowthorne, Berkshire, from the 1960s and would have been able to access patients' rooms. One victim claimed the Jim'll Fix It star shoved his hand up her nightdress after walking in on a group of girls watching television. 

(AUDIO) Jimmy Savile linked with Haut de la Garenne children's home scandal Jimmy Savile linked with Haut de la Garenne children's home scandal. Lenny Harper, former child abuse investigator, says he believes Savile was involved in indecent assault at Jersey institution 

Jimmy Savile linked with Haut de la Garenne children's home scandal The former head of the Jersey child abuse investigation has said he now suspects that Sir Jimmy Savile was implicated in the Haut de la Garenne children's home abuse scandal. 

State Dept.: We never linked Libya attack to video The State Department said Tuesday it never concluded that the consulate attack in Libya stemmed from protests over an American-made video ridiculing Islam, raising further questions about why the Obama administration used that explanation for more than a week after assailants killed the U.S. ambassador. 

Mars discovery, or screw? NASA rover spots ‘bright object’ The Mars rover Curiosity had to interrupt its soil-scooping activities in order to inspect a small, “bright object” it spotted in the red soil. NASA fears it might be a piece of rover’s own hardware. Doesn't look like a screw to me. 

Weather On Mars Surprisingly Warm, Rover Finds - Why is Mars so warm? NASA had a bit of a shock recently, nothing you'd seen on TV though. Seems the rovers Remote Environment Monitoring System has picked up some very surprising temperatures, considerably higher than expected. So far, no explanation has been offered. Could the sun be the reason nobody wants to mention? 

The US Says It's Definitely Backing Up France If It Intervenes In Mali Google Mali and Oil... BINGO! http://www.mbendi.com/indy/oilg/af/ml/p0005.htm "While the landlocked West African state of Mali has considerable mineral resources, it has no known commercially exploitable oil or gas resources. There is therefore no upstream oil industry. " 

Court Says It's OK For Employers To Hijack Your LinkedIn Account Don't share your LinkedIn password with a co-worker, or you risk getting your account hijacked. A federal court ruled last week that an employer didn't violate a federal anti-hacking law when it took over an employee's LinkedIn account after firing her, Ars Technica reported. 

People can't handle the truth - Jack Welch Abruptly Quits Fortune After It Slammed His Jobs Report Conspiracy Fortune announced today that former GE CEO Jack Welch had decided to quit contributing to the publication after it was critical of his pot-stirring jobs report conspiracy tweet. 

Astronomers Catch A Crazy Spiral Structure Around Dying Star (or Stargate) The image is of a newly discovered, and utterly surprising, spiral structure in the material around the red giant star R Sculptoris, 780 light-years from Earth..... Stargate! 

Hundreds Of US Troops Are Heading To Israel For "Joint Missile Training" US army officers have begun arriving in Israel ahead of joint military manoeuvres between the countries' armed forces, an Israeli newspaper said on Sunday. The officers will supervise the arrival of hundreds of US troops on October 14 for joint manoeuvres that will take place the following week and last for three weeks, according to Yediot Aharonot. 

A Second Greek Man Has Been Found Dead Since The Emergence Of 'The Lagarde List' The press has named it the "Lagarde List". A list of 1,991 wealthy Swiss-bank-account-possessing Greeks who are being investigated for corruption and tax evasion. Now a 2nd Greek has turned up, dead of an "apparent" suicide. 

Actual Photo Of Greek Protesters Welcoming Angela Merkel Here are the images, shown fleetingly on the BBC, but hidden more or less everywhere else. The Greek's openly portrayed Merkel as Hitler, paraded in mock-Nazi uniforms and chanted they wanted the 4th Reich out of Greece. 

250,000 kids registered for ID cards in 33 days The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) has announced that it received over 250,000 applications for the national ID cards on behalf of children under 15 years in the 33 days before the registration deadline across the UAE. 

(AUDIO) Liquid nitrogen cocktail leaves teen without stomach An 18-year-old teenager has had to have her stomach removed in an emergency operation after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen. How stupid do you have to be? 

Latest trend - Teenager's stomach removed after drinking trendy cocktail containing liquid nitrogen A teenager has had emergency surgery to remove her stomach after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen. Nitrogen is liquid at temperatures of -196C and below. Question: How STUPID do you have to be, to drink this! 

'Saudi weapons' seen at Syria rebel base BBC News has uncovered evidence that weapons intended for the Saudi military have been diverted to Syrian rebels. Three crates from an arms manufacturer - addressed to Saudi Arabia - have been seen in a base being used by rebel fighters in the city of Aleppo. 

Global warming destroying coral? Wrong - It's a starfish "Scientists have been struggling to prevent further damage by the starfish along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which has lost half of its coral cover in the past 27 years" Wait, I thought that was due to global warming! Those lying bars 

Why sea ice records are poles apart September saw records for sea ice set at both ends of the Earth. Just a couple of weeks after Arctic ice reached a new low, a record high for sea ice extent was recorded around Antarctica. New Scientist puts these records in context. 

Vulnerable coral type adapts to ocean acidification in just 6 months You'll remember who Al Gore talked about the destruction of the coral reefs and so forth. Yeah. Unfortunately for the scaremongers, it seems that nobody told the coral.... 

Electric cars 'pose environmental threat' Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars, according to new research. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity. 

Biodiversity meeting begins with funding plea And you thought it was about the flora and fauna :-) 

Flu vaccine 'withheld for safety' GP surgeries in England are facing a shortage of seasonal flu vaccine after a company has voluntarily withheld its supply amid safety concerns. 

Days after decommissioning X-Ray scanners - Manchester Airtport has security breach - Shocker An airline security worker has been suspended after failing to spot a fake bomb as it passed through the (luggage) X ray machine. This comes less than a week after X-Ray body scanners were removed from the airport. All seems a little too much of a coincidence to me. 

BBC Enviromental zealot Richard Black quits BBC - rumour of serious complaints Richard Black has quit the BBC, just a week after suggesting Americans are flat-Earthers https://twitter.com/enviroblack/status/250869782168104961 Richard is on his way. The fact he's been implicated in promoting his own agenda (Al Gore style) shouldn't be a surprise to anybody... 

James Lovelock, the founder of the "Gaia", says he went too far with global warming scare The already heated climate-change debate is bound to go up a few degrees now that an influential environmental scientist has admitted to being an "alarmist" about the changes affecting our planet. 

33% of Google users will use bing more after Bing It On Challenge And if you believe that... Waiting for the Lycos challenge to come up with similar results. :-D 

Syria crisis: US doubts over video of captured journalist - live updates US says video showing Austin Tice may be staged. Syria accuses west of supporting terrorism 

Megan Stammers teacher Jeremy Forrest agrees to extradition 30 year old teacher who ran off with 15 year old student agrees to extradition to UK. It should be noted he broke no French law. Age of consent is 15 in France and she would have to make complaint for a charge. He's being made an example in UK press. Meanwhile in other news, charges dropped on 33 female teacher with 15 y.o. boy. 

NYPD to Boost Gang Unit Over Social Media Violence The New York Police Department is planning to double the size of its gang unit to 300 detectives to combat teen violence fueled by dares and insults traded on social media. 

Most scientific retractions involve fraud, not error There's been a ten-fold increase in the number of fraud-related retractions of biomedical papers since 1975, putting paid to the idea that it's usually just a case of owning up to an inadvertent error. 

China's first aircraft carrier enters service China's first aircraft carrier has entered into service, the Defence Ministry says. It's actually a 30 year old Russian job that they abandoned, it sat rusting for 20 years and then the Chinese bought it and retrofitted it. Presumably it's full of iPad knockoffs. They don't have any planes that can use it. 

Pre-baby parade - American radio show hosts Pregnant bikini contest An American radio show recently held a bikini contest for expectant women. Fourteen Houston mums-to-be took part in the annual competition, which included 'parenting skills' and swimsuit rounds. Only in Texas? 

Australian energy bills up 33% Victorian electricity prices have risen by 10 to 12 per cent in the past year, a new study has found. The study by the Essential Services Commission also found electricity prices increased by an average 33 per cent over the past five years; and gas by 22 per cent over the same period. 

(Sad irony) UK Manchester PC Fiona Bone, Isle of Man friends' tributes to shot officer Had she been attacked on the Isle of Man, she might have been helped by members of the public. It is legal to own a firearm on the IoM given a certificate (easily obtained) and a reason (target practice). So such allowances are available in the UK. 

Via Maynard - Actual image of how viruses are spread Now sure Qantas would be impressed :-) 

Obama "chides" Romney over remarks "Mr Obama told chat show host David Letterman Mr Romney was wrong to describe 47% of Americans as 'victims'." - He didn't he said they thought of THEMSELVES as victims. 

Police should be routinely armed in wake of latest tragedy, say campaigners Of course, if Police have guns, then criminals get guns.. bigger ones. Then you have shoot outs in the streets instead of fist fights. Gun crime in the UK is still very much the minority... AND WE HAVE ARMED RESPONSE UNITS. So this is a bogus argument. 

(UK) Manchester police killings and the call the routinely arm police There's something very odd going on. Two police officers are called to a house for a burglary. The story being he lured them in. Despite being let out due to lack of evidence and in hiding! Then he hands himself in. Plus police ARE armed in rough areas of Manchester. It makes NO sense. 

Dow Agrosciences (GM) to put Agent Orange into genetically modified corn Like that sounds like a good idea! The war on resistant weeds, includes a handy map to show their spread. 

BED BUGS!!!! Chemical resistant bed bugs spread in UK Bed bugs are on the rise across the UK with pest control companies reporting more call outs than ever before. An increase in foreign travel and resistance to the chemicals that kill them are being blamed. You might remember similar stories last year about New York. 

'Cinema ninjas' to silence naughty film-goers - LITERALLY shut up slave. Staff at London's Prince Charles cinema have come up with the idea of employing "ninjas" to stamp out audience members' bad behavior during regular screenings. The unpaid ninjas dress up in anonymous black body suits and monitor screenings at the cinema. Presumably they'll also kill anybody who wants their money back after crap movie. 

Ex-police chief admits to defection in China political scandal A former police chief at the center of China's biggest political scandal in decades admitted attempting to defect to the United States, and did not contest charges of bribery and illegal surveillance at his trial on Tuesday, a court official said. 

(VIDEO) Bloomberg - Why Gold May Hit $2000 by Christmas Just for Adam...... Greg Smith, founder and chairman of Global Commodities, speaks to Bloomberg's Rishaad Salamat about the price of gold and other commodities. 

Iceland Tempers Euro Adoption Goal as Debt Crisis Raises Doubts Seems having their banks blow up and watching the Euro debt crisis has put something of a damp squib on the deal. Besides, if they join, how could they jail wrong-doers? 

UK Indeterminate sentences 'breach human rights' Jailing offenders indefinitely without providing proper access to rehabilitation courses is a breach of human rights, European judges rule. People would be locked up, then now allowed out until they completed set courses... which they were not "available" to take. 

Mark Duggan 'given loaded gun' before police shooting The shooting that triggered the riots in London has taken another (BS?) twist. Seems a loaded handgun was given to Mark Duggan 15 minutes before he was shot dead by police. But "No gun was found on Mr Duggan after he had been killed.". Despite being under observation for that time period. Did he eat it? 

Conflict and 'boom-bust' explain humans' rapid evolution What explains the extraordinarily fast rate of evolution in the human lineage over the past two million years? A leading human origins researcher has come up with an idea that involves aggression between groups and the boom-bust cycles that have punctuated our spread into new environments. 

Mitt Romney secret video reveals views on Obama voters Could have been worse. He could have mentioned lizard masters, approaching planets and how the "juws are not the men who will be blamed for nothing". Or something along those lines... 

Middle age begins at 55 years, survey suggests What, so we are all going to live until we are 110? Previous studies earmarked "middle" age as being 36, which may be more accurate. 

(UK) Manchester Airport's naked body scanners scrapped Passenger "X-Ray" naked body scanners are being scrapped at Manchester Airport from October. But Manchester airport isn't scrapping them for health or privacy concerns. It's purely down to the lack of funding! Backscatter scanners are now the only permitted scanner in the EU. 

Game makers arrested over alleged spying in Greece. 2 game Bohemia Interactive developers have been arrested in Greece under suspicion of spying. Bohemia Interactive is the company behind Operation Flashpoint: Red River set in Tajikistan (the trailer was played on No Agenda). Their next release ARMA 3 is set in Greece. They also have a Zombie game coming out. 

Naked rambler Stephen Gough jailed for five months he former marine, from Eastleigh in Hampshire, was sentenced at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, where he appeared naked in the dock. The sheriff told the rambler he had "no alternative" but to impose another custodial sentence after Gough refused to meet officials to assess his mental health. 

The Men Behind ‘Innocence Of Muslims’ Revealed As Anti-Government Domestic Terrorists Sam Bacile turns out to be a fake, so is the real creator of the movie more likely to be Steve Klein? Or is that yet another red herring? The real question is, who stands to gain from the trouble? Certainly not some fringe religious movement in Southern California. Not unless they have shares in Halliburton! 

Was "anti-Islam" movie an FBI sting that escaped? Or a Freedom of speech attack? "We passed out fliers at mosques around California where we knew there was a small percentage of terrorists... to try to get them to come to the movie." - "You don't have to be a Muslim to see how extremely repugnant this portrayal is." 

'Berlin Man,' doctor convinced HIV cure is real The first person reportedly cured of HIV said Wednesday he is hopeful that medical advances will allow others suffering from the virus that causes AIDS to be cured, too. Timothy Ray Brown of San Francisco is known as "The Berlin Patient" because of where he was treated. He and the doctor who treated him, Gero Hutter, made their first joint appearance in the U.S. 

Intel from Israel: Ominous Troop Movements– What is Tel Aviv Getting Ready for? Massive redeployment and protective tactics of forces are underway. Over the last two days he has seen anti-aircraft missile deployments throughout the Jerusalem area including 3 mobile units that he can see from his office windows. Large Israeli armored columns moving fast toward the Sinia where Egypt has now moved in Armor. 

New Mars theory casts doubt on planet's habitability A paper published online Sunday by the journal Nature Geoscience argues that such clays might have been formed in hot Martian magma rich in water. If so, that water would have been far too hot to support microbial life. 1500 degrees Celsius give or take. Sorry John Carter... no dice. 

NASA jumbo jet lands in Florida for final space shuttle ferry flight A NASA jumbo jet used to ferry space shuttles around the country has arrived in Florida, where for the last time it'll be paired with one of the winged spacecraft for a transcontinental trip. This marks the final journey of any Space Shuttle. Tail number NASA 905 will then be retired and used for parts. 

Sea Otters Help Reduce CO2 in Atmosphere and Ward Off Global Warming, UC Santa Cruz Study Shows A new study by researchers at the University of California- Santa Cruz reveals that sea otters may make a big contribution in fighting global warming than previously thought. The study, which was released on Friday Sept. 7, analyzed the effect the animals had on sea urchin populations and kelp forests. 

The rush to exploit an increasingly ice-free Arctic How long will it be before the Arctic Ocean is functionally ice-free in the summer, legitimately opening the once-fabled Northwest Passage? Nobody knows, but models suggest 2030-2070. But wait. Wasn't the passage open BEFORE? Yes. But before written records. 

Miltary show of latest "mule" robot Robots are the next big recruits for the military. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) debuted a new version of its pack mule robot – also known as a Legged Squad Support System (LS3) – earlier this week. The bot is designed to shoulder up to 400 pounds of supplies... or weapons. 

"Living" Mammoth Cells Found in Siberia Raise Hopes of Cloning Ancient Animal A team of paleontologists claim to have found tissues in mammoth remains in the Far East that could be used to clone the mammal. However, not everyone in the scientific community is so readily willing to accept the news as fact. Some say they doubt living cells had been found, and question why such a significant discovery had not been announced in a scientific journal. 

Explosion on Jupiter Spotted by Amateur Astronomers An apparent impact on Jupiter early Monday (Sept. 10) created a fireball on the planet so large and bright that amateur astronomers on Earth spotted the flash. The surprising impact on Jupiter was first reported by amateur astronomer Dan Peterson of Racine, Wisc., who was observing the largest planet in our solar system when the event occurred, according to the website Spaceweather.com, which tracks space weather and night sky events. 

Omega-3 fatty acids: If they don’t help prevent Heart Disease what are they good for? For years you've been told to eat oily fish as it's good for your heart. Only trouble is, that's turned out to be NOT TRUE. In fact, Omega-3 doesn't appear to do very much. What next? Salt's good for you? What IS IT! http://tinyurl.com/8mym37q 

UBS whistleblower nets $104 million reward A former UBS banker who provided information on the firm's vast business of helping wealthy Americans hide their assets from the Internal Revenue Service has received a $104 million whistleblower reward, which his lawyers said was the largest in U.S. history. 

(VIDEO) Bahrain's PR Offensive: Buying Media, Burying Democracy Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's fifth fleet. And sits between Saudi Arabia and Iran, where about 40 percent of all the world's oil flows through. The are paying millions to PR companies in UK and US to improve Bahrain's image overseas. 

UK forces oversee Bahrain repression British and American military and security advisors are overseeing training to Bahraini forces involved in the crackdown on revolutionaries, a leader of Bahrain’s Amal Movement says. Hisham al-Sabbagh told Al-Alam news network that the al-Khalifa regime in Bahrain is also receiving military hardware including tanks from a number of western countries and some members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council. Al-Sabbagh’s comments come only weeks after Bahraini ruler Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to step up cooperation during Hamad’s visit to London in late August. 

(VIDEO) PressTV ‘Bahrain using US tactics of suppression to hide violence’ Bahrain's main opposition party has accused the ruling Al Khalifa monarchy of covering up brutality against peaceful protesters. Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society recently issued a statement describing the Bahraini Interior Ministry’s latest communiqué as misleading and full of obviously blatant lies. 

(AUDIO) ABC (Australia) - UK-made spy software FinFisher and FinSpy found in Bahrain Software that can turn your mobile into a microphone / tracking device has turned up in Bahrain. 

Was FinSpy used to hack iOS UDID? Last week, Morgan Marquis-Boire and Bill Marczak from The Citizen Lab published a fascinating glance at real-world mobile espionage tool created by Gamma International under its 'FinFisher' product line. The report covers the mobile component 'FinSpy' which supports iOS, Android, Windows, Blackberry, and Symbian phones. Gamma International in response to the article, issued a press release stating that FinFisher's "information was stolen from its sales demonstration server at an unknown time by unknown methods." 

(AUDIO) UK-made spy software FinSpy found in Bahrain The UK Government has moved to restrict sales by a surveillance software firm called Gamma International, after researchers found its software was being used against dissidents in Bahrain. The firm now needs a license to export to all destinations outside the EU. 

Bahrain? Never Heard of It by Kelley B. Vlahos News that a civilian appeals court in Bahrain upheld the harsh prison terms —including several life sentences — of 13 “Arab Spring” activists last week, drew rapid fire from the human rights community. Their “crimes” — organizing largely peaceful protests to demand social and economic reforms from the ruling monarchy in 2011 — had branded them convicted traitors and terrorists, the kind of appalling injustice that American patriots had fought against more than 200 years ago. 

Bahrain: Nabeel Rajab appeals against conviction Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has appeared in court to appeal against a three-year jail sentence for organising illegal protests. Rajab was convicted in August of taking part in "illegal gatherings". He was later cleared of defamation. 

Syria, Bahrain, France and Greece make UN list of countries with human rights challenges The UN's top rights official laid out the world's most significant human rights issues Monday, criticizing Syria and Bahrain but also mentioning problems in Western countries such as France and Greece. Funny, no drones for Bahrain.. 

New Jersey capital Mayor Tony Mack held over corruption FBI agents have arrested the mayor of New Jersey's capital city, accusing him of corruption. Trenton Mayor Tony Mack allegedly received bribes and conspired to use his influence to push through a proposed city car park project. 

US 'hushed up' Soviet guilt over Katyn massacre New evidence appears to back the idea that the Roosevelt administration helped cover up Soviet guilt for the 1940 Katyn massacre of Polish soldiers. Historians said documents, released by the US National Archives, showed the US sent coded messages suggesting the Soviets, not the Nazis, carried out the massacre. 

Bin Laden raid doctor Shakil Afridi speaks out The Pakistani doctor involved in the US search for Osama Bin Laden has said he was unaware of his role in the 2011 killing of the al-Qaeda chief. He did not think he needed to escape after the killing but was then kidnapped by Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency. He said the ISI, who he says tortured him, regards the US as its worst enemy. 

Al Qaeda's franchise in Arabian Peninsula looses it's VP (who WAS in Gitmo), Yemen says Yemeni forces have killed Said al-Shihri, second in command of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemeni Defense Ministry said Monday. Wait, didn't they kill him in Feb 2011? (http://tinyurl.com/cdekojj). The fact that he was in GITMO might interest some (http://tinyurl.com/cx6zk3u) 

Gold rises as euro gains ahead of German ruling Gold rose on Tuesday, buoyed by a rise in the euro ahead of a key ruling from a German court on the legality of the euro zone bailout fund, while holdings of the metal in exchange-traded products reached a record high. 

33% of children die of malaria (Ghana) Malaria accounts for 33 per cent of all deaths in children under five. Dr. Keizah Malm, Deputy Programme Manager of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), disclosed this yesterday in Accra during the African Cup of Nations 2013 malaria campaign programme aimed at fighting the disease in Africa. 

Did French Alps murder victim's secret work on space satellite contract make him prime assassination target? Investigators to quiz work colleagues at Surrey firm about sensitive defence deal. All four victims were shot twice in the head and may have been followed by their killers. French detectives are to quiz work colleagues of murdered Briton Saad Al-Hilli, after they discovered he was killed while working on a secret contract for one of Europe's biggest defence companies. The inquiry's focus will switch to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL) near Guildford this week when gendarmes will question the workforce about whether Mr Al-Hilli's job may have made him a target for assassination. 

(VIDEO) Stanford's Monsanto Ties Cast Doubt on Organic Food Study "Alan Watt covered this on his show and we have covered it on DeathRattleSports.com. Stanfords 'Anti-Organic' study does not address the real concerns of non-organic plants, which of course include GMO." 

Delta, American Airlines Also Said To Be Preparing For Passbook The move will allow people to use their iPhone as a boarding pass. Worrying move or convenience? 

IMF backs Mario Draghi's bond-buying plan The International Monetary Fund has thrown its weight behind Mario Draghi's strategy to backstop the euro with unlimited bond purchases, saying it was ready to get involved in the plan. 

(VIDEO) Hong Kong beaches polluted by Chinese plastic pellets Hong Kong's beaches have been polluted by millions of plastic pellets which were jettisoned from a container ship during a recent typhoon. The spill has been described as one of the worst ever documented. More than a thousand volunteers have come together, to help with the clean up at the local beaches. 

Trouble brewing in Hong Kong - It votes amid rising anti-China feeling The people of Hong Kong are voting in an election which could pave the way for universal suffrage - one person, one vote. Something it lost when China took over. For the first time, more than half of the 70 seats on the governing legislative council will be directly elected. I'm sure we'll be supporting any uprising by the people. NOT! 

Islamist militants help polio vaccination drive in Pakistan We'll give you guns if you dose the kids with drugs... that kind of deal :-D 

Fat but fit people as healthy as normal weight ones: research Being fat need not mean you are unhealthy, a study has found, as almost half of people who are obese do not have the medical complications normally associated with being overweight. 

Rogue strain of MMR VACCINE 'caused deafness' A rogue strain of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella has been found to have caused deafness in at least 2. Katie Stephen (now deaf in left ear) proved her case to the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit. But the 21-year-old has been refused the £120,000 payout because she's not disabled ENOUGH. 

Twisted story - Why biodiversity increase from global warming is not good news For years we've been told that biodiversity is falling off a cliff (it's not). So when a new warming backed study shows that historically there's an increase; that's left some zealots with a quandary. Result; this rubbish. 

Fake? - Shooting Interrupts Canadian Election Pauline Marois Victory Speech Shouting with what? A bb-gun? Watch the video, can you hear a single shot? Because I can't. How bogus does this story look? 

33-Year-Old Man Shot Multiple Times Near Tulsa Retirement Community A 33-year-old shooting victim was found near a north Tulsa retirement community Tuesday night. Read comments; e.g. "These shootings don't need to stop, they need to increase. They should shoot and kill eachother more often, it's better for the city, planet earth and natural selection...." 

California Highway Patrolmen Join the Growing Coalition of Support for Proposition 33 The California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP), representing more than 13,000 active and retired highway patrol officers throughout the state, announced their endorsement of Proposition 33. "Proposition 33 provides an incentive for people to follow the law," said Doug Villars, President of the CAHP. 

How is this news? 3Stores to create 33 jobs Three Mobile has announced the creation of 33 jobs due to the opening of six independently owned 3Stores. But why is this even news. I mean 33 jobs? Really? 

China warns U.S. not to take sides in sea disputes China warned the United States not to get involved in South China Sea territorial disputes on Tuesday as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed to Beijing pledging to pass on a strong message on the need to calm regional tension. Clinton looks ridiculous incidentally. 

One million Apple IDs leaked online, hackers claim The group AntiSec also claims to have access to more than 12 million other IDs, which it has not released, as well as account holders' personal information. The personal information is said to include user names, device names, telephone numbers and addresses. 

Organic food no better for you, suggests US study Suggest less pesticides on Organic? But they USE pesticides, namely rotenone, which has been shown to cause the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease; pyrethrum, which is carcinogenic and sabadilla, which is highly toxic to honeybees. By law manmade pesticides have to be biodegradable. No such restriction on organic. 

'Green Mile' actor Michael Clarke Duncan dies, aged 54 The Oscar-nominated star suffered a heart attack on July 13 (2012) and "never fully recovered", his representative said in a statement. He passed away in Los Angeles yesterday morning (September 3). 

Malaysian families lose UK fight over 1948 'massacre' A group of Malaysians seeking an inquiry into the 1948 killing of 24 ethnic Chinese villagers by British troops have lost their fight in London's High Court. The killings occurred during the so-called Malayan Emergency, a communist-inspired revolt against the British authorities which lasted until the late 1950s. 

ANOTHER 33-Year-Old female teacher arrested for sex with minor - This one in NJ Erica DePalo, 33, has been arrested in New Jersey after allegations she carried on an affair with a 15-year-old student in her classes. IN her classes? See http://robertleather.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/meme-watch-33-year-old-woman-having-sex-with-teen-boys-and-the-hypocrisy-of-the-media/ 

Union Says Greek Unemployment Could Reach 29% Greece’s largest labor union has warned that the country’s unemployment rate – now at 23.1 percent will reach 29% in 2013 if the government carries out more planned austerity measures that include $14.16 billion in cuts for 2013-14. 

Troika Wants Six-Day Work Week for Greeks, and more The Troika of the European Union-International Monetary Fund-European Central Bank (EU-IMF-ECB,) wants the following instated in Greece. 1. A 6 day work week 2. Reducing notice before firing a worker 3. 50% cut on severance packages 4. Make working hours longer 5. Restrictions on overtime and furloughs 

Penn State offer degree in "Homeland Security" - Requires 33 credits From Penn States "World wide campus". It's the Online Master Degree in Homeland Security. You need 33 points to join the course! :-D 

How much oil is there!?! Oil-Eating Microbes Give Clue To Ancient Energy Source Microbes that break down oil and petroleum are more diverse than we thought, suggesting hydrocarbons were used as an energy source early in Earth's history. But if that's the case, where does all this oil come from? Could the Abiogenic petroleum hypothesis have legs? 

Climate science is settled? - 'Weird Chemistry' by Microbe Is Prime Source of Ocean Methane Up to 4 percent of the methane on Earth comes from the ocean's oxygen-rich waters, but scientists HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THIS POTENT GREENHOUSE GAS. Now researchers report that they have found the culprit: a bit of "weird chemistry" practiced by the most abundant microbes on the planet. 

Carbon Release from Collapsing Coastal Permafrost in Arctic Siberia Thermal collapse of the carbon-rich, permafrost-covered coasts may accelerate with warming of the Arctic climate. Of course, as it's been collapsing for some time, it might also be the CAUSE of recent Arctic warming. Except, current levels are TINY in Global terms. 

Nielsen: 33 million people watched Republican convention Thursday Nielsen: 33 million people watched Republican convention Thursday - Of course they did.... :-D 

Oh those devoit Muslim brothers - Egypt's sexual harassment of women 'epidemic' Campaigners in Egypt say the problem of sexual harassment is reaching epidemic proportions, with a rise in such incidents over the past three months. For many Egyptian women, sexual harassment - which sometimes turns into violent mob-style attacks - is a daily fact of life, reports the BBC's Bethany Bell in Cairo. 

UK 'fails to freeze' Mubarak-era assets The UK government is failing in its commitment to freeze assets of the regime of former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, a BBC investigation has found. Publicly available documents reveal property and companies linked to key figures in the Mubarak circle that have been unaffected by sanctions. 

Tourists warned as two campers are killed by deadly virus at Yosemite National Park Health officials are contacting British tourists who have visited America's Yosemite National Park this summer after two people died from a rare respiratory disease. The two men contracted Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) – a deadly virus that is carried by rodents, primarily deer mice. 

Documents reveal fragile mental state of Michael Jackson before planned comeback tour Promoters involved in Michael Jackson’s planned London comeback described in emails how they feared for the singer’s stability, saying he was out of shape and overwhelmed with self-doubt. Funny how none of that came over in the rehearsal videos. 

Ex-journalist (and left wing Euro-Zeolot) is new Greens leader Natalie Bennett is the new UK Green Party head. Shocker, she's a far left wing, Euro zealot who wants MORE legislation from Europe. She's also been dishonest about the number of flights she's taken in the last five years. But I guess "business" travel doesn't count, right? 

Oooops! - Muslim cleric accused of framing Christian girl for burning Koran could face blasphemy charge Pakistani police say they are investigating whether a Muslim cleric who allegedly tried to frame a Christian girl for blasphemy should be charged with insulting Islam himself. Well, that backfired somewhat. 

No bail yet for Pakistan 'blasphemy' girl You know, the one with Downs Syndrome. If Pakistan is TRYING to make itself look like a ignorant, radical, stupid country; it's doing a great job. Makes you wonder what the motivation of Judge Muhammad Azam Khan is. What's even crazier, there is no evidence anyway! 

Pirate Bay co-founder Warg arrested in Cambodia Gottfrid Svartholm Warg was held in Phnom Penh after an international warrant was issued against him in April by his native Sweden. What is it with Sweden and extradition. So much for free love! 

The skies open up for large civilian drones The role of the drone is changing. Millions of pounds are being sunk into civilian projects - everything from border security to police surveillance and even transporting goods. The UK's airspace regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority has told BBC Newsnight that large unmanned drones could be flying in British skies by the end of the decade. 

(AUDIO) Indian Inventor of vaginal tightening cream gets blasted by Rubi Chakravarti Rubi Chakravarti on BBC World Have Your Say doesn't hold back when she dresses down Nagessh Pannaswami. She suggests that Indian men all have tiny penises, are crap in bed and are selfish. Also tells Pannaswami to "stay our of her vagina". Not sure what was going on that studio.... 

Millions of supermassive black holes spotted Prof. Brian Cox must be "buzzin'" at the news that WISE (Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer) has spotted millions of super massive black holes and "Extreme" Galaxies. Previously WISE has spotted a (safe) Trojan asteroid in front of Earth's orbit. Ahhh Ignorance IS bliss. :-D 

Antarctic may host methane stores - Good job it's staying cold then! BBC BS story about how the Antarctic MAY contain methane stores. Methane is a rather potent greenhouse gas (waay more than CO2). The findings come from Bristol University, a city which is looking for European funding for it's "Green credentials". Smell a rat? Antarctic isn't melting, incidentally. So this is a bogative story. 

China's Wen Calls for Action on Europe Debt Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed alarm Thursday about Europe's debt problems and called on Greece, Spain and Italy to embrace budget cuts and other reforms following a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. OK. What's SHE got on HIM?! 

Indian SC confirms that Ajmal Qasab must be hanged On Wednesday, the Supreme Court also put its seal: Mohammed Ajmal Mohammad Amir Qasab will hang till death. In reality he will simply join another long line of similar death row convicts awaiting execution. But could his death fuel more conflict? 

Gawker meaning switcheroo - Republicans potentially being racist converted to Ron Paul fans The headline regarding the booing is changed to suggest Ron Paul fans. HOWEVER, the text describing the xenophobia and/or racism remains in place. Result, people given impression Ron Paul fans are inherently racist. 

Pretrial hearing continues in WikiLeaks case A pretrial hearing continues for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning accused of leaking classified info to WikiLeaks. He is due back in a military courtroom Wednesday in Fort Meade, Md. Lawyers for both sides argued Tuesday over access to emails related to Manning's detention at a military brig in Quantico, Va. 

'Hijacked' plane lands at Schiphol airport A passenger plane reported to have a hijacker and hostages on board has landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. The Dutch defence ministry earlier scrambled F-16 fighters to intercept the plane, which had apparently taken off from Malaga. 

News Politics Nick Clegg Nick Clegg demands "emergency tax" on Britain's richest people Britain's wealthiest people should face emergency tax to avoid a breakdown in social cohesion caused by a longer than expected recession, Nick Clegg has said. Current top rate is 45%, however hardly of the top earners pay it as they use salary/dividend or offshore. New tax would not change that. 

(33) Texas West Nile death toll rises to thirty three Two more deaths have brought the Texas West Nile fever death toll to at least 33 this year. 

33 Egypt migrants survive shipwreck - Egypts obviously doing well after Arab Spring Fishermen rescued 33 Egyptian would-be migrants after their boat sunk in the Mediterranean Sea near the maritime border with Libya, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Seven passengers remain missing following Saturday night’s disaster, a statement said. 

Enlisting the AIDS Virus to Fight Cancer Taking advantage of the HIV replication machinery, the researchers have been able to select a specific mutant protein. Added to a culture of tumor cells in combination with an anticancer drug, this protein improves the effectiveness of the treatment at 1/300 the dosage levels. 

(VIDEO) Could big cats be roaming the British countryside? In "the trade" they are called ABC's - Alien Big Cats. On Monday police were called out to hunt for a lion reported to be on the loose in Essex. The search was called off, with some reports that the lion was no more than a large domestic cat. But could big cats really be roaming the British countryside? People underestimate the size of wild land in UK 

How Ocean Currents Affect Global Climate Becoming Better Understood Florida State University oceanographer Kevin Speer has a "new paradigm" for describing how the world's oceans circulate -- and with it he may help reshape science's understanding of the processes by which wind, water, sunlight and other factors interact and influence the planet's climate. It's genuinely interesting. 

Early use of antibiotics linked to obesity, research finds The use of antibiotics in young children might lead to a higher risk of obesity, and two new studies, one on mice and one on humans, conclude that changes of the intestinal bacteria caused by antibiotics could be responsible. 

Say WHAT! "Virginity" cream sparks Indian sex debate An Indian company has launched what it claims is the country's first vagina tightening cream, saying it will make women feel "like a virgin" again. The company says it is about empowering women, but critics say it is doing the opposite. The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan in Mumbai reports. 

'Only visit A&E if you are dying' advice toned down - Why? It's ACCIDENT and EMERGENCY NHS Suffolk has been criticised for asking patients to only use accident and emergency services over the bank holiday if they think they are dying. In the original article, GP Dr John Havard said: "A&E stands for accident and emergency, which means you should only be there if you've had a serious accident or you have a medical emergency. Which sounds fair to me! 

Green light in USA for Gilead's four-in-one HIV pill Gilead Sciences is celebrating after regulators in the USA gave the green light to Stribild, the firm's four-drug HIV treatment. The pill, previously called Quad, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a new once-a-day combination pill to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never been treated for infection. Stribild is made up of Gilead's investigational drugs elvitegravir and cobicistat combined with the two active ingredients in the firm's Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir). 

Cannabis use damages "adolescent" brains - 38 year old adolescents "Between the ages of 13 and 38, when all members of the study were given psychological tests, the IQ of those who had become habitual cannabis users had dropped an average eight points" - Wait, you mean 38 is adolescent now? 

WTF! Sex-crazed Angelina Jolie lookalike 'forces taxi driver to have sex with her at knifepoint, twice' - Then stabs him when he refuses a third go around. Luminita Perijoc, 30, had already forced cabbie at knifepoint to have intercourse and perform oral sex. But she flew into a rage when he refused to satisfy her again. Police say her behaviour may have been down to medication she was taking. QUESTION: WHAT MEDICATION!? 

Scientists genetically modify bacteria to turn household waste into fuel Researchers have created a genetically modified bacteria has that can turn carbon dioxide or waste products into fuel. Queue pictures from Back to the Future.. Don't hold your breath. It's early days. 

Arctic ice shrinks to smallest "in satellite era" - NASA NASA has tossed its coin into the “shrinking Arctice sea ice” kitty with images showing that on August 26, “sea ice dipped to its smallest extent ever recorded in more than three decades of satellite measurements”. NASA measurements compare the August 26 extent to the long-term average minimum from 1979 to 2010. This year’s so-far-minimum “broke the previous record set on Sept. 18, 2007”, NASA states. 

NASA handout photo shows a portion of the Grand Canyon - Reuters goofs Very odd. NASA appears to have handed this out as Mars' Mount Sharp to Reuters. But in fact it's an image of the Grand Canyon. Simple error, misunderstanding or cover up cock-up? Story should look like this revised version http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/august-28-2012/base-of-mars-mount-sharp-by-curiousity-rover/articleshowpics/15871745.cms 

Oregon State Legislature - 2011 - Bans weather manipulation, without a license. 558.030 Artificial weather modification prohibited without license. No person, without securing a license from the State Department of Agriculture, shall cause or attempt to cause by artificial means condensation or precipitation of rain, snow, hail, moisture or water in any form contained in the atmosphere, or shall prevent or attempt to prevent by artificial means the natural condensation or precipitation of rain, snow, hail, moisture or water in any form contained in the atmosphere. 

Canadian Niagara Scientists consider cloud seeding to take the punch out of future hurricanes Because weather manipulation never goes wrong... right? 

Scientists to fit 1000 ants with miniature radios - They are even bugging the ants now! Researchers from the University of York are fitting 1000 northern hairy wood ants with tiny radio receivers. It is the world's first experiment to find out how they communicate and travel between their nests. I guess "Ant-book" failed, so they are having to track them with other means. 

Bloomberg changes Syrian army leaflet drop story - Why? Originally a story about how the Syrian army was dropping leaflets over Damascus, warning rebels of impending doom if they don't down weapons. Moments later... it's a story about "Syrian opposition chief slams US remarks on Syria". 

Curiosity rover's intriguing geological find - Plus BBC hocks will.i.am AGAIN It sent the first image from its 100mm telephoto lens, already spotting an intriguing geological "unconformity". Unconformity = Base? Meanwhile, on Monday, the rover relayed "the first voice recording to be sent from another planet", and on Tuesday it will broadcast a song from artist will.i.am as part of an educational event. WTF! 

Human Immortality in 33 Years Claims Dmitry Itskov’s 2045 Initiative - Consciousness in a box Although James Cameron’s “Avatar” took place more than 140 years into the future, a Russian billionaire has teamed with dozens of scientists to lay out a plan that would use avatars to transfer human consciousness into an artificial form. The goal: human immortality by 2045. 

Katy Perry Visits Disneyland's Exclusive Club 33 Queue scary satanic music!!! OK, perhaps not. 

Syria conflict: 'Scores of bodies found' near Damascus Syrian opposition activists "say" scores of bodies have been found in a town near the capital, Damascus, accusing government troops of a "massacre". Say, claim... all the usual signs of a story on the very edge of reality. 

33 Ways to Eat Environmentally Friendly If you started using reusable bags exclusively starting at age 25, you could save more than 21,000 plastic bags in your lifetime. Point being: sustainable eating doesn’t have to be hard, and it also doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. A single change can make a difference.