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Americans Have Become a “Slave Race”
In a nutshell, Doug – along with many others – believes a “deep state” has taken over the US. It was not described in any constitution. The newspapers didn’t report on it. To most people it was largely invisible. But it was how the country was really governed.”

4.3 earthquake rattles Oklahoma, felt in Kansas
(Video)

Papua New Guinea Earthquake 2014 Today Strikes Kokoda
Officials tell news that a 5.7 magnitude Papua New Guinea earthquake today just after 11:40 PM local time. The quake was shallow. Reps tell news that the quake started only six miles below ground level. As a result the quake could be felt across the island.

Churches In England Are Being Converted To Bars
At one church, the only thing being worshipped is beer -- at another, gleaming cars are on sale. Increasingly, it seems, a different kind of conversion is taking place at Britain's churches. Thanks to a steady decline in religion and the high costs of maintaining these historic buildings, a rising number of churches are being given new lives that may have horrified their founders.

The Strang Case of the Christian Palestinianists
One pro-Israel advocate has described the debate among Christians regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as “A long war,” while organizers of the so-called “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference are claiming to be balanced in their theological views as they watch American groups like Christians United for Israel add daily to their already huge constituencies.

12 Signs That Something Big Is Happening To The Earth’s Crust Under North And South America
Why are fault lines and volcanoes all over North and South America suddenly waking up? Are we moving into a time when major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions will become much more common?

An IMF Proposal to Ban Banks from Issuing Money
IMF economists Michael Kumhof and Jaromir Benes have been circulating a proposal to end the ability of banks to create money. As Kumhof explains in the Nov 2013 video below, the perception that governments create money is totally false. In the current global economic system, only about 3% of money (mainly coinage) is created by government. The other 97% is created by private banks out of thin air when they generate new loans.

Yellowstone earthquake gets no notice despite size
The 4.8 hit at 6:34 a.m., according to University of Utah seismograph stations in the area. More than 25 smaller shakes were recorded starting on Thursday, including two of 2.8 and 3.0 soon after midnight Sunday and another four in the hours after the 4.8. The second largest was a 3.3 monitored at 9:12 a.m.

‘Israel offers to free 400 more prisoners if Abbas extends talks’
Israel has offered to release a new group of 400 Palestinian security prisoners, in addition to the fourth and final group of longtime terrorism convicts who were set to go free this weekend, if the Palestinian Authority agrees to extend peace talks for another six months, The Times of Israel learned from Palestinian sources on Saturday night.

Clinton vs. Bush Again, Really?
In the cases of Kennedy and Bush, they are also war heroes. They deserve our admiration. My concern is not with their legacy. My concern and my growing worry is that we are returning, by consensus, to the aristocratic rule from which we liberated ourselves in 1776. Is there a single day from which we are free of pundits, op-eds, reporters, columnists, politicians, talking heads or cable-TV hosts gushing over the political prospects of a Hillary Clinton or a Jeb Bush? And oh, the gnashing of teeth that went on during the few short months without a Kennedy in the halls of Congress. To this we’ve come.

China’s plan for global network of surveillance satellites
CHINA is considering a plan to cover the entire world with a network of surveillance satellites. If it went ahead the plan could see more than 50 observation satellites in orbit within two years, The South China Morning Post reported. This would put the country’s satellite surveillance capabilities on a par, or greater than, the US.

New earthquake fears from San Andreas junior
EXPERTS say a bigger earthquake along the lesser-known fault that gave Southern California a moderate shake could do more damage to the region than the long-dreaded “Big One” from the more famous San Andreas Fault.

CHANCE OF STORMS
NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% to 60% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on April 1-2 when at least three CMEs are expected to deliver glancing blows to Earth's magnetic field.

Ebola: Liberia confirms cases, Senegal shuts border
The first two cases of Ebola have been confirmed in Liberia, after spreading from neighbouring Guinea, where the deadly virus has killed 78 people. The two Liberian cases are sisters, one of whom had recently returned from Guinea, officials say. As concern grows over the outbreak, Senegal has closed its normally busy border with Guinea.

'Cinderella' emotional cruelty law considered
The government is considering whether to introduce a new offence of emotional cruelty to children, it has been confirmed. The proposed change to neglect laws in England and Wales would see parents who deny their children affection face prosecution for the first time. It follows a campaign for a "Cinderella Law" from charity Action for Children.

North & South Korea exchange artillery fire across sea border
The North fired several artillery shells in territory north of the North Limit Line in the Yellow Sea at 12:15pm local time (03:15 GMT), reports South Korean news agency Yonhap. After several shells landed south of the border, South Korean military opened fire with K-9 self-propelled howitzers.

Death toll still rising in West African Ebola outbreak
The death toll in West African Ebola virus outbreak has risen to 66 people, according to the World Health Organization.

Federation uniting former Soviet republic is only way to end crisis in Ukraine, Russia says
Russia on Sunday set out demands for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, saying the former Soviet republic should be unified in a federation allowing wide autonomy to its various regions as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Paris in another bid to calm tensions.

Report: Former Romney Backers Pushing Jeb Bush for 2016
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is being encouraged to seek the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in a low-key campaign effort by Mitt Romney's former financial and political backers, The Washington Post reports.

Former PM Ehud Olmert convicted of taking bribes
Tel Aviv District Court on Monday morning convicted former prime minister Ehud Olmert, along with nine other former senior officials and businessmen, of taking and giving bribes in the development of a massive Jerusalem construction project promoted while Olmert was mayor of the city over a decade ago.

Geysers area hit by magnitude-3 quake
THE GEYSERS, Calif. – A 3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield late Sunday. The quake was reported at 10:33 p.m., according to a preliminary report from the US Geological Survey.

In Less Than Two Days, Japan Will Walk Headfirst Into An Economic Buzzsaw
By some measures, the Japanese economy has gathered steam over the last year or so as aggressive monetary easing — a key leg of "Abenomics" — has boosted inflation and the proclivity to spend. But now Japan is about to get punched in the gut, straight on. On April 1, the consumption tax is set to rise, from 5% to 8%, and though this has been seen coming from a mile away, nobody has done anything about it. And now it's here.

Iran's New UN Envoy Is Linked to the 1979 U.S. Embassy Hostage Crisis
Just as Iran and the United States seem to be emerging from a diplomatic freeze that started with the 1979 hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran, Iran has appointed a new ambassador with links to that very incident.

Egypt to hold May 26-27 presidential election
Egypt announced a presidential election for May 26-27, a poll likely to be swept by the retired army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who deposed the president in July. Sisi is expected to win the vote riding on a wave of popularity for having removed the divisive president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests demanding his resignation.

Thousands Protest Taiwan's Trade Pact With China
Tens of thousands of people gathered for a protest outside Taiwan's Presidential Office Building in downtown Taipei on Sunday, stepping up pressure on President Ma Ying-jeou to re-examine a trade deal with Beijing that has sparked an occupation of the legislature by students for nearly two weeks.

French Voters Shift to the Right in Mayoral Elections
French voters dealt a blow to the government of François Hollande on Sunday, rejecting left-leaning candidates for local office in at least 155 cities while embracing more conservative politicians, including, in a handful of races, the extreme-right National Front party.

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NIST Issues Final Joplin Tornado Report
The tornado in Joplin was rated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service (NWS) as category EF 5, the most powerful on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The massive storm impacted an area 35 kilometers (22 miles) long, destroyed some 8,000 structures in its path and killed 161 people.

Dershowitz: Pollard-for-Peace Deal a 'No-brainer'
Reuters, The Associated Press, and The New York Times all ran stories Monday evening citing sources close to the negotiations stating that a deal involving Pollard could be in the offing. Israeli publication Haaretz says the deal is 'nearly sealed.' Everyone emphasizes substantial, ongoing diplomacy would be required to work out an arrangement suitable to all sides.

YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO ACTIVITY [VIDEO]FEARED AFTER THE 4.8 MAGNITUDE QUAKE THAT STRUCK ON SUNDAY, WILL THE SUPER VOLCANO ERUPT?
The earthquake that was felt around 2:24 in the morning of Sunday was recorded to be in a 4.8 magnitude which was said to be the biggest quake felt after 34 years. The tremor struck the northwest portion of the park but prior to the big quake, smaller quakes were already felt since Thursday. After the earthquake was felt in the said region, Yellowstone volcano activity is being monitored since many fears that the volcano might erupt.

Los Angeles trembles in anticipation as it awaits The Big One
Sensible residents of Los Angeles have already stocked up on batteries, water and medical supplies in anticipation of "The Big One": the devastating earthquake that many believe will one day strike. And after years of seismic calm, a flurry of moderate quakes has reminded Angelenos of the dangerous faults that lie beneath their feet. In the wake of this weekend's quakes, experts have also warned that The Big One could be more destructive than previously feared.

‘Cinderella law’: Parents in Britain to be jailed for not loving children?
For the first time in history, the UK is planning to introduce the so-called “Cinderella law”, which will jail parents failing to show love to children for up to 10 years in prison, putting it alongside physical or sexual abuse, local media reported.

CHANCE OF STORMS
The first of three or more CMEs en route to Earth are expected to arrive late in the day on April 1st. None of the incoming clouds is squarely Earth-directed. The series of glanciing blows, however, will rattle Earth's magnetic field and possibly spark auroras.

Signs of earthquake off North Korea prompts nuclear test fears
The quake, which was said to have occurred at approximately 03:48 local time, took place at a depth of nearly 16km (10 miles) in the sea west of the Korean peninsula – just days after North Korea threatened to carry out a “new form” of nuclear test.

U.S., Israel discuss possible release of Israeli spy
The United States and Israel are discussing the possible release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of efforts to save fragile Middle East peace negotiations, according to sources familiar with the talks.

'Supernatural events' surround new phenomenon
Two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was first proclaimed by Jews in Israel to be God’s “Messiah,” and a flurry of miracles took place. Now, two millennia later, the cycle is repeating itself as Orthodox Jews who once rejected that message are coming to realize the man slain at Calvary in Jerusalem is indeed God’s “Anointed One.”

Heavenly signs suddenly grab attention
The surging interest in the “blood moons” phenomena as a possible heavenly sign of the end times has been an unprecedented boon to a Christian group that focuses on Israel. Jan Markell, founder of Olive Tree Ministries, told WND that the original research done by pastor Mark Biltz is spiking her ministry’s Web traffic after drawing a record radio audience. She said the blood moon phenomena shouldn’t be ignored.

Cameron orders terror investigation into Muslim Brotherhood
David Cameron has ordered an urgent investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood’s alleged role in violent extremism, highlighting pressure from Britain’s allies in the Middle East to take a tougher line against the organisation. In Egypt, thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been arrested as part of an aggressive crackdown against allies of...Mohamed Morsi...

California Has Been A Mess Of Earthquakes Lately
Something under the earth's crust is starting to get angry. Even though it's common knowledge that California is earthquake country, the past few weeks have had several earthquakes that have even reached as far as Yellowstone National Park. For those of you that have never experienced an earthquake, it is both an unsettling and slightly frightening situation. Are we headed toward an earthquake disaster?

Strongest Earthquake in a Decade Hits Off West Coast of S. Korea
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake, the strongest in a decade, struck off the west coast of South Korea today, affecting Samsung Electronics Co. production facilities.

Koreas trade fire; island residents in shelters
North and South Korea fired hundreds of artillery shells into each other's waters Monday in a flare-up of animosity that forced residents of...South Korean islands to evacuate to shelters for several hours... The exchange of fire into the Yellow Sea followed Pyongyang's sudden announcement that it would conduct live-fire drills in seven areas north of the Koreas' disputed maritime boundary.

Ukraine crisis: No sign of Russian troop pullout - Nato
Nato is not seeing a Russian troop pullout from the border with Ukraine, the military alliance's chief has said. Speaking ahead of a Nato summit, Anders Fogh Rasmussen again stressed that the best way to solve the crisis was through "a political dialogue". Nato foreign ministers are due to discuss ways to help Ukraine and reassure allies in Eastern Europe at the meeting in Brussels.

Japan to relax arms export ban
Japan is to ease its self-imposed arms export ban for the first time in almost 50 years. In the past all military sales have effectively been banned, although there has been technology transfer to the US. The new conditions would allow Japan to jointly develop arms with allies and give its defence industry access to new markets and technology.

Germany ready to reinforce Nato-Russia borders
Germany has said its air force is ready to increase security on Nato’s border with Russia, despite Moscow’s promise not to escalate the crisis in Ukraine. A German defence ministry spokeswoman told the Reuters news agency on Sunday (30 March) “the army could take part in flights to patrol airspace with Awacs machines [surveillance planes] over Romania and Poland, as well as training flights in the framework of a Nato air policing mission over Baltic states”.

Details of plan to free Pollard, save floundering peace talks emerge
US Secretary of State John Kerry left Israel Tuesday morning as details emerged of a possible deal that would lead to the release of imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard by passover and would ensure the continuation of peace talks into 2015. Officials included in the talks said that the emerging deal contains the following elements...

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The French Trains were on the Wrong Track
Memory can be painful, even extremely painful. The death on March 8, 2014 of 93-year-old Leo Bretholz has evoked memories of a still painful and controversial issue in wartime France. His small role in history and in current lawsuits in Maryland resulted from his action on November 5, 1942 when he leaped from a train carrying him and a thousand other Jews to Auschwitz. That train, number 42 of the convoys taking Jews on the journey to their death, was operated by the French railway company, the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF

'The debate over repealing this law is over': Obama boasts 7.1 MILLION have signed up to Obamacare - but study shows just 858,000 newly insure
•Press secretary Jay Carney will only say 'we're aggregating a lot of data' when asked how many enrollees have paid for coverage •Carney dodged questions about ****ing study that showed very few Obamacare customers were uninsured before the law took effect •Percentages from a hush-hush RAND Corporation study suggest barely 858,000 previously uninsured Americans have enrolled and paid premiums •HHS Secretary Sebelius met a televised challenge Monday about 'unpopular' Obamacare with lengthy awkward silence

Apocalyptic prophecies drive both sides to Syrian battle for end of time
Conflict in Syria kills hundreds of thousands of people and spreads unrest across the Middle East. Iranian forces battle anti-Shi'ite fighters in Damascus, and the region braces for an ultimate showdown. If the scenario sounds familiar to an anxious world watching Syria's devastating civil war, it resonates even more with Sunni and Shi'ite fighters on the frontlines - who believe it was all foretold in 7th Century prophecies.

U.S. Government Keeps Death Ray Under Wraps?
A criminal case in Albany, New York may soon have a layer of secrecy as the trial of Glendon Scott Crawford, the inventor of a purported mobile X-ray weapon intended to harm religious minorities, begins to move forward. Using undercover agents, the FBI interacted with Crawford and mounted a case claiming that, at the least, the weapon could cause substantial injury.

Jeb Bush: Is GOP elite drafting him for 2016?
Jeb Bush appears to be faring well in Republicans' so-called 'invisible primary,' amid growing concerns among big party donors and establishment officials about Chris Christie and Rand Paul.

Ukraine crisis: Poland asks Nato to station 10,000 troops on its territory
Poland asked Nato to station 10,000 troops on its territory on Tuesday as a visible demonstration of the Alliance's resolve to defend all its members after Russia's seizure of Crimea. Nato foreign ministers met in Brussels to consider requests for soldiers to be deployed in Poland and the Baltic States, all of which share borders with Russia.

Britain sends security team to Egypt's tourist resorts to assess terror threat
Britain has sent a security services team to assess the vulnerability of the major Egyptian tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to an increasing terrorism threat, the Telegraph has learned. As thousands of holiday makers prepare to fly out to the southern Sinai region for Easter holidays, the government has also put its travel advice to the resorts in the area under close review.

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Near Chile, Generating a Tsunami
The quake was measured at magnitude 8.2 by the U.S. Geological Survey and Chile's National Earthquake Center. A tsunami warning was issued for the entire Pacific coast of South America though authorities later downgraded the tsunami threat to a minor danger.

Egyptian Islamists Murder Young Christian, After Dragging Her From Car
Eyewitnesses have given a harrowing account of the murder in Cairo of a young Coptic Christian woman, hauled out of her car and beaten and stabbed to death by a Muslim mob, apparently targeted because of a cross hanging from her rear-view mirror. The incident occurred in the Cairo suburb of Ain Shams after mosque prayer services on Friday...

7.5 Temblor On Puente Hills Thrust Fault Would Be ‘The Quake From Hell’
The Puente Hills thrust fault, which brought Friday night’s magnitude-5.1 quake centered in La Habra and well over 100 aftershocks by Sunday, stretches from northern Orange County under downtown Los Angeles into Hollywood — a heavily populated swath of the Los Angeles area. A magnitude-7.5 earthquake along that fault could prove more catastrophic than one along the San Andreas, which runs along the outskirts of metropolitan Southern California, seismologists said.

Yellowstone Volcano Eruption in 2014? Are Animals Fleeing Park As ‘An Alert’?
A number of bloggers are posting videos that show bison and other animals allegedly leaving Yellowstone National Park, prompting theories that as earthquakes ramp up the seismic activity will set off the Yellowstone supervolcano. ...Tom Lupshu...survivalist and search-and-rescue expert,” said...nearly one quarter of the northern elk herd at Yellowstone National Park are missing...

First Steps To Rebuilding The Jewish Temple? - Rabbis Seek To Build Synagogue On The Temple Mount
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received a letter this week from a group of rabbis from the National Religious camp, advocating for the construction of a synagogue on Israel’s holiest site, the Temple Mount. Represented were a wide ranging group; signers included rabbis of conservative, liberal and Religious Zionist persuasions, as well as professors, educators and professionals.

Vatican Astronomers - Prepare For 'Brother Extraterrestrial'
Vatican astronomers have reportedly been working towards locating extraterrestrial life. Earlier in March, the Vatican Observatory cosponsored a major conference on extraterrestrial life that brought together 200 of the leading astrobiologists in the world. What would happen someday if “aliens” showed up and claimed that they seeded life on this planet, guided our evolution and are now here to lead us into a new golden age? And what would happen if the Catholic Church gave those aliens their stamp of approval?”

New York City attacks on Jews triples in 2013, Anti-Defamation League says
The number of Jews who were assaulted in New York City last year more than tripled, and seven were victims of vicious “knockout game” attacks. But the Anti-Defamation League, which tallied 22 assaults in 2013 compared with six the year before, was at a loss to explain the sudden jump.

Air pollution: High levels to spread across England
Government health advice has been issued amid warnings pollution spreading across England will again hit high levels later. Defra issued warnings as high pollution levels were recorded on Tuesday. The pollution - a mix of local and European emissions and dust from the Sahara - is forecast in parts of south England, the Midlands and East Anglia.

Nato to keep expanding, suspends Russia ties
Nato states have said the alliance will keep on expanding despite Russia’s protests, while freezing most co-operation with Russia over the Ukraine crisis. “We reaffirm that, in accordance with our policy, the alliance’s door remains open to new members in the future,” foreign ministers from the 28 Nato countries said in a joint statement... in Brussels on Tuesday (1 April).

3,800-year-old biblical fortress discovered in City of David
After a 15-year-long excavation defined as one of the the most complex ever conducted in Israel, archaeologists have finished uncovering a massive Canaanite fortress dating back to the time of Kings David and Solomon. The 3,800-year-old "Spring Citadel" was excavated in the City of David National Park by dozens of researchers led by Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli Shukrun of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

NATO suspends cooperation with Russia over Ukraine crisis
NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia on Tuesday in protest at its annexation of Crimea, and ordered military planners to draft measures to strengthen its defenses and reassure nervous Eastern European countries.

It’s official – Chicago experienced the coldest four months ever on record
An over a century-old record falls. The average temperature for December 2013 to March 2014 period in Chicago was only 22.0°F, 10 degrees below freezing, beating the old record set in the winter of 1903-04. It even beat the harsh winters of 1977/78 which were some of the worst ever.

UN Bias Against Israel Continues
There’s an old Russian proverb, “Terminate what can’t be repaired.” Everyone interested in a just and lasting peace between Arabs and the State of Israel should apply this proverb to that absurd organization, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). To say that it is a flawed, if useful, instrument for advocating human rights is to argue that shifting chairs on the Titanic might have avoided the iceberg.

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WSU professor's 'Fat Blame' book challenges war on obesity
The so-called national War on Obesity, she said, has had plenty of collateral damages, she discovered while researching and writing her book. Chief among those damages is overweight children being removed from their homes by social services.

Venezuela Enforces Fingerprint Registry to Buy Groceries
What if you were forced to “register” in order to buy groceries? And what if, through that registration, the food you bought could be tracked and quantities could be limited? That’s exactly the plan in Venezuela right now. The AP reports that in an effort to crack down on “hoarding” that ID cards will be issued to families. These will have to be presented before foodstuffs can be purchased.

DOJ silent on spy chief investigation
Months after requesting an investigation into Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for lying to Congress, lawmakers have yet to get an update from the Justice Department. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), the original author of the Patriot Act, and six other House Republicans called for a criminal probe into Clapper last year for falsely testifying that the government was not collecting bulk information on millions of Americans.

Ebola spreads panic in West Africa
The rising death toll in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak has sparked fear across the region with at least 80 already having died from the nearly always fatal virus.

More Democrats Coming Out Against Admin's Web Plan
Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) told Breitbart News there should be a “high burden” for making such a change and that he's reviewing the decision, while Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said he's inclined against the change.

Bill Clinton on aliens: ‘If we were visited some day I wouldn’t be surprised’
While Clinton said he had “all the Roswell papers reviewed” and found no clear evidence that aliens exist, he also said he wouldn’t be shocked if intelligent life exists outside our planet or even if extraterrestrials one day visit Earth.

Minister Calls to Cancel Oslo Accords
"The Palestinians applying to the UN breaks all the rules," Ariel wrote on a Facebook post, "and we have to respond in kind - by canceling the Oslo Accords, which have only brought terror and murder."

Half of European bumblebees in decline, quarter face extinction – study
As much as 46 percent of the 68 bumblebee species living in Europe have a declining population and just 13 percent are increasing in numbers, the study shows. According to IUCN, 24 percent of those species are “threatened with extinction.”

Palestinians resume bid for further UN recognition
In a surprise move that could derail US peace efforts, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday resumed a campaign for further international recognition of a state of Palestine, despite a previous promise to suspend such efforts during nine months of negotiations with Israel.

M6-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:
Northern sunspot AR2027 erupted on April 2nd at 14:05 UT, producing a significant M6-class solar flare.

‘Electronic Skin’ Tracks Vitals, Delivers Meds and Reports Data
A new multifunctional wearable device, described as “electronic skin” that can not only take vital signs but deliver medications when needed, is taking previous reports of flexible, paper-thin electronic devices that stick onto patients to the next level.

The U.S.-Russia Fight Has Entered Space
...NASA has suspended contact with Russian government representatives, The Verge reports, citing Russia's intervention in Ukraine. Arielle Duhaime-Ross writes: In an internal NASA memorandum...NASA said that the suspension includes travel to Russia, teleconferences, and visits by Russian government officials to NASA facilities. NASA is even suspending the exchange of emails with Russian officials...

Kerry calls on Israeli, Palestinian leaders to ‘lead’ in talks
All-night meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators ends without breakthrough, Palestinian news agency reports, as Ramallah takes hard-line stance

Malaysian Airline Flight 370: Disappearance of Boeing 777 Made Illuminati Member Jacob Rothschild Sole Owner of Major Semiconductor Patent
One more question mark is added to the muddled equation is a report that four members of a patent semiconductor were in the jet, leaving the fifth co-owner of the patent the sole owner now. And that person happens to be billionaire Jacob Rothschild, an Illuminati member, sparking more conspiracy theories about the aircraft's disappearance.

Report: EPA tested deadly pollutants on humans to push Obama admin’s agenda
The Environmental Protection Agency has been conducting dangerous experiments on humans over the past few years in order to justify more onerous clean air regulations. The agency conducted tests on people with health issues and the elderly, exposing them to high levels of potentially lethal pollutants, without disclosing the risks of cancer and death, according to a newly released government report.

Million Syria refugees registered in Lebanon - UN
The number of refugees who have fled Syria and registered in Lebanon has surpassed the "devastating milestone" of one million, the UN says. Lebanon now has "the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide", said the head of the UN refugee agency.

Nato's Eastern Europe build-up plans alarm Russia
Moscow is pressing Nato to explain its plans to beef up military presence in Eastern Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. "We not only expect answers, but answers... based fully on respect for the rules we agreed on," he said. Nato earlier said it would reinforce the alliance's defences in Eastern Europe following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Year-Old Rebuked for Praying at School, Parents Call 'Religious Discrimination'
A 5-year-old girl in Florida was rebuked by a lunchroom worker for praying in her elementary school cafeteria before her meal reports Charisma News. The incident occurred last month; now Marcos Perez, the father’s child has hired lawyers to demand that the school stop “engaging in such religious discrimination” as stated in a letter to the school.

Putin Officially Divorces His Wife Lyudmila
Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally divorced his wife Lyudmila after more than 30 years of marriage, Kremlin spokesman said on Wednesday, following a surprise breakup announcement last year.

Chile leader evacuates as second big quake strikes
A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has rocked northern Chile, just over 24 hours after an 8.2 tremor killed six people, destroyed 2,600 houses and led to mass evacuations. A tsunami alert in Chile and Peru was again issued, but was later lifted after waves of 2.4ft (0.7 meters) hit coastal areas.

US Army Fort Hood murder-suicide: Soldier kills three
A soldier shot dead three colleagues and injured 16 others at the US Army's Fort Hood base in Texas before killing himself, the military says. US media named the suspect as Ivan Lopez, 34, although his identity has not been officially confirmed. The gunman had served in Iraq and had mental health problems, officials said.

Palestinians warn: We will join the Hague
The Palestinian Authority is only prepared to negotiate borders at this point in the peace talks...Mohamed Shtayyeh told Sky News... A focus on border negotiations would show if Israel and the US are serious about reaching an agreement, he said, adding that the PA planned to join 63 international organizations, including the International Criminal Court, if the talks did not produce a border deal.

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WSU professor's 'Fat Blame' book challenges war on obesity
The so-called national War on Obesity, she said, has had plenty of collateral damages, she discovered while researching and writing her book. Chief among those damages is overweight children being removed from their homes by social services.

Venezuela Enforces Fingerprint Registry to Buy Groceries
What if you were forced to “register” in order to buy groceries? And what if, through that registration, the food you bought could be tracked and quantities could be limited? That’s exactly the plan in Venezuela right now. The AP reports that in an effort to crack down on “hoarding” that ID cards will be issued to families. These will have to be presented before foodstuffs can be purchased.

DOJ silent on spy chief investigation
Months after requesting an investigation into Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for lying to Congress, lawmakers have yet to get an update from the Justice Department. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), the original author of the Patriot Act, and six other House Republicans called for a criminal probe into Clapper last year for falsely testifying that the government was not collecting bulk information on millions of Americans.

Ebola spreads panic in West Africa
The rising death toll in West Africa’s Ebola outbreak has sparked fear across the region with at least 80 already having died from the nearly always fatal virus.

More Democrats Coming Out Against Admin's Web Plan
Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) told Breitbart News there should be a “high burden” for making such a change and that he's reviewing the decision, while Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said he's inclined against the change.

Bill Clinton on aliens: ‘If we were visited some day I wouldn’t be surprised’
While Clinton said he had “all the Roswell papers reviewed” and found no clear evidence that aliens exist, he also said he wouldn’t be shocked if intelligent life exists outside our planet or even if extraterrestrials one day visit Earth.

Minister Calls to Cancel Oslo Accords
"The Palestinians applying to the UN breaks all the rules," Ariel wrote on a Facebook post, "and we have to respond in kind - by canceling the Oslo Accords, which have only brought terror and murder."

Half of European bumblebees in decline, quarter face extinction – study
As much as 46 percent of the 68 bumblebee species living in Europe have a declining population and just 13 percent are increasing in numbers, the study shows. According to IUCN, 24 percent of those species are “threatened with extinction.”

Palestinians resume bid for further UN recognition
In a surprise move that could derail US peace efforts, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday resumed a campaign for further international recognition of a state of Palestine, despite a previous promise to suspend such efforts during nine months of negotiations with Israel.

M6-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:
Northern sunspot AR2027 erupted on April 2nd at 14:05 UT, producing a significant M6-class solar flare.

‘Electronic Skin’ Tracks Vitals, Delivers Meds and Reports Data
A new multifunctional wearable device, described as “electronic skin” that can not only take vital signs but deliver medications when needed, is taking previous reports of flexible, paper-thin electronic devices that stick onto patients to the next level.

The U.S.-Russia Fight Has Entered Space
...NASA has suspended contact with Russian government representatives, The Verge reports, citing Russia's intervention in Ukraine. Arielle Duhaime-Ross writes: In an internal NASA memorandum...NASA said that the suspension includes travel to Russia, teleconferences, and visits by Russian government officials to NASA facilities. NASA is even suspending the exchange of emails with Russian officials...

Kerry calls on Israeli, Palestinian leaders to ‘lead’ in talks
All-night meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators ends without breakthrough, Palestinian news agency reports, as Ramallah takes hard-line stance

Malaysian Airline Flight 370: Disappearance of Boeing 777 Made Illuminati Member Jacob Rothschild Sole Owner of Major Semiconductor Patent
One more question mark is added to the muddled equation is a report that four members of a patent semiconductor were in the jet, leaving the fifth co-owner of the patent the sole owner now. And that person happens to be billionaire Jacob Rothschild, an Illuminati member, sparking more conspiracy theories about the aircraft's disappearance.

Report: EPA tested deadly pollutants on humans to push Obama admin’s agenda
The Environmental Protection Agency has been conducting dangerous experiments on humans over the past few years in order to justify more onerous clean air regulations. The agency conducted tests on people with health issues and the elderly, exposing them to high levels of potentially lethal pollutants, without disclosing the risks of cancer and death, according to a newly released government report.

Million Syria refugees registered in Lebanon - UN
The number of refugees who have fled Syria and registered in Lebanon has surpassed the "devastating milestone" of one million, the UN says. Lebanon now has "the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide", said the head of the UN refugee agency.

Nato's Eastern Europe build-up plans alarm Russia
Moscow is pressing Nato to explain its plans to beef up military presence in Eastern Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. "We not only expect answers, but answers... based fully on respect for the rules we agreed on," he said. Nato earlier said it would reinforce the alliance's defences in Eastern Europe following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Year-Old Rebuked for Praying at School, Parents Call 'Religious Discrimination'
A 5-year-old girl in Florida was rebuked by a lunchroom worker for praying in her elementary school cafeteria before her meal reports Charisma News. The incident occurred last month; now Marcos Perez, the father’s child has hired lawyers to demand that the school stop “engaging in such religious discrimination” as stated in a letter to the school.

Putin Officially Divorces His Wife Lyudmila
Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally divorced his wife Lyudmila after more than 30 years of marriage, Kremlin spokesman said on Wednesday, following a surprise breakup announcement last year.

Chile leader evacuates as second big quake strikes
A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake has rocked northern Chile, just over 24 hours after an 8.2 tremor killed six people, destroyed 2,600 houses and led to mass evacuations. A tsunami alert in Chile and Peru was again issued, but was later lifted after waves of 2.4ft (0.7 meters) hit coastal areas.

US Army Fort Hood murder-suicide: Soldier kills three
A soldier shot dead three colleagues and injured 16 others at the US Army's Fort Hood base in Texas before killing himself, the military says. US media named the suspect as Ivan Lopez, 34, although his identity has not been officially confirmed. The gunman had served in Iraq and had mental health problems, officials said.

Palestinians warn: We will join the Hague
The Palestinian Authority is only prepared to negotiate borders at this point in the peace talks...Mohamed Shtayyeh told Sky News... A focus on border negotiations would show if Israel and the US are serious about reaching an agreement, he said, adding that the PA planned to join 63 international organizations, including the International Criminal Court, if the talks did not produce a border deal.

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Mob rule: Mozilla CEO forced out over $1000 Prop 8 donation made six years ago
Former Mozilla Corporation CEO Brendan Eich learned that the hard way today. He’s the “former” CEO because he was forced out by an angry mob. The mob was angry because he made a $1000 donation supporting California’s Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, back in 2008. The measure passed with 52 percent of the vote, which presumably means over half of California is unfit to work for Mozilla.

Chris Christie and the “Occupied Territories” Incident
A small but significant event took place on March 29 at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas. Hosted by Sheldon Adelson, the mega-donor to Republican presidential campaigns, the event drew four leading potential candidates for president in 2016, including New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

Israel, Palestinians Further from Peace After US-Brokered Talks?
At Kerry's instruction, US envoy Martin Indyk held an eleventh-hour meeting with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Tel Aviv late Wednesday night. But reports were that the gathering was very stormy, and only served to highlight the vast gaps and outright hostility that continue to divide the two sides.

German Air Force to Patrol Eastern Europe
Der Spiegel reported on March 29. The German Defense Ministry is planning to provide six reconnaissance aircraft for air surveillance over the Baltic states, and may also provide a lead ship for an already existing NATO naval force.

Report: EPA tested deadly pollutants on humans to push Obama admin’s agenda
The Environmental Protection Agency has been conducting dangerous experiments on humans over the past few years in order to justify more onerous clean air regulations. The agency conducted tests on people with health issues and the elderly, exposing them to high levels of potentially lethal pollutants, without disclosing the risks of cancer and death, according to a newly released government report.

INCOMING CMEs
A pair of CMEs that left the sun on April 1st and 2nd have probably merged and will deliver a combined glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field late on April 4th.

Chile Dominates, but Earthquakes Also in Panama and Yellowstone: 28 March-3 April 2014
The US did its best in seismic terms. The suburbs of LA received a sharp reminder of California’s vulnerability to a major tremor with an M5.1 on a thrust fault associated with the San Andreas zone; and Wyoming, not to be outdone, produced its largest tremor since 1980 with an earthquake of M4.8.

Tornadoes Reported from Texas to Illinois in Three-Hour Span
Tornadoes were reported from Texas to Illinois late Thursday with the region also battered by high winds and baseball-sized hail. Meteorologists received eight reports of twisters touching down during a three-hour period, according to the National Weather Service

Mali reports three suspected Ebola cases
Mali said on Thursday it had detected three suspected victims of Ebola, the deadly disease that has killed 84 people in Guinea. "Three suspected cases of haemorrhagic fever have been detected in the country. Samples have been taken and sent abroad for analysis," the country's Health Minister Ousmane Kone said.

Obama's NSA overhaul may require phone carriers to store more data
President Barack Obama's plan for overhauling the National Security Agency's phone surveillance program could force carriers to collect and store customer data that they are not now legally obliged to keep, according to U.S. officials. ...U.S. officials said the carriers might be forced to create new mechanisms to ensure that metadata from flat-rate subscribers could be monitored.

EU launches flagship Sentinel satellite project to monitor Earth
A Soyuz rocket has launched from French Guiana with the first satellite in the European Union's new multi-billion-euro Earth-observation programme. The Sentinel-1a spacecraft has been put in orbit on a mission to map the planet's surface using radar. It will be followed by a fleet of other satellites - also called Sentinels - over the next five years.

Flash floods hit Solomon Islands
Flash floods have killed several people and left some 10,000 homeless in the Solomon Islands capital, reports say. The Matanikau and Lungga rivers burst their banks late on Thursday, washing away homes and bridges, and submerging large areas of Honiara. The national disaster body said six people had died, but a government spokesman told ABC News that 16 bodies had been recovered.

Secret EU lawmaking: the triumph of the trialogue
The setting...one of the more nondescript rooms in the European Parliament's glass towers...where a handful of officials gather with armfuls of papers. ...Unless you were involved, you wouldn't know that the meeting – one of around 1,000 so-called 'trialogue' meetings to take place in 2013 – was actually happening.

Israel cancels fourth prisoner release
Israel will not release the fourth batch of 26 terrorists it was to have freed last Saturday night, because of the Palestinian decision to apply for admission to 15 international treaties and conventions, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni told chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat. Livni’s comments came during a...meeting with Erekat held...in...US effort...to save the faltering diplomatic process.

US: Time may have come for Kerry to 'lower the volume' on peace talks
White House officials said on Friday that US President Obama believes the efforts made by US Secretary of State John Kerry may be reaching their limits, the Washington Post reported. Still, officials say, Kerry has shown no signs of backing away, staying true to a heartening phrase he often quotes, “Don’t be afraid to be caught trying."

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Christians form human shield around church in 'China's Jerusalem' after demolition threat
Thousands of Chinese Christians have mounted...round-the-clock defence of a church... Communist Party officials threatened to bulldoze their place of worship...that underlines the...friction between China's officially atheist Communist Party and its rapidly growing Christian congregation, Bible-carrying believers...flocked to the Sanjiang church in Wenzhou hoping to protect it from the bulldozers.

Japan orders military to strike any new North Korea missile launches
Japan has ordered a destroyer in the Sea of Japan to strike any ballistic missiles that may be launched by North Korea in the coming weeks after Pyongyang fired a Rodong medium-range missile over the sea, a government source said on Saturday.

Ecuador's 'throat of fire' belches giant ash column
A volcano in central Ecuador spewed up a column of hot ash and smoke 10 kilometers (six miles) high, increasing fears of an eruption. Activity has been building at the Tungurahua volcano 130 kilometers south of the capital Quito since early February, and on Friday experts reported a loud explosion "that lasted for five minutes" and an expulsion of ash.

Iran and World Powers to Start Drafting Agreement Next Month
U.S. official said on Friday that world powers and Iran will start drafting a comprehensive nuclear agreement next month, according to The Associated Press (AP). According to the report, the official said the sides are making progress in talks. The official was not authorized to speak for attribution and demanded anonymity.

Rocket Hits Near Ashkelon, None Hurt
Sirens were sounded in the Ashkelon region Friday. According to Channel 2 one rocket was fired; no one was reportedly hurt in the attack. The sirens sounded less than 24 hours after skirmishes broke out between the IAF and Hamas. Four Kassam rockets were fired into southern Israel on Thursday night; there were no injuries reported. The IAF responded by eliminating a number of terror targets in Gaza shortly thereafter.

2 Tunnels Found Under California-Mexico Border
U.S. authorities say a task force working with Mexican counterparts discovered two cross-border smuggling tunnels stretching hundreds of yard between Tijuana and an industrial park in San Diego.

Gov’t spent $700M promoting ObamaCare, despite Obama claim
President Obama contended that the government did not "make a hard sell" for Obamacare, despite his administration spending nearly $700 million to promote the law. "We didn't make a hard sell," Obama said in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, praising the 7.1 million sign ups for the Affordable Care Act. "We didn't have billions of dollars of commercials like some critics did."

US allows Boeing airplane component sales to Iran
The US Treasury has granted plane manufacturer Boeing a licence to export certain spare commercial parts to Iran, a company spokesman says. Boeing has had no public dealings with Tehran since 1979. In a statement, the US company said the licence had been granted for the safety of flight.

Afghanistan votes in historic presidential election
Afghans have begun voting for a new president in what will be the nation's first ever transfer of power through the ballot box. A massive security operation is under way to thwart the Taliban which has vowed to disrupt the election. Eight candidates are vying to succeed Hamid Karzai, who is barred by the constitution from seeking a third consecutive term as president.

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More earthquakes reported south of Langston
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) are reporting several earthquakes near Langston Sunday morning. The most recent quake was reported at 10:04 a.m. Sunday morning. The epicenter was three miles south of Langston and nine miles east of Guthrie.

Ukraine rejects Russia Gazprom gas price hike
Ukraine has rejected moves by Russia to almost double the price of Russian gas supplies to the country and threatened legal action. Ukraine's interim PM, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said Moscow's hikes were a form of "economic aggression". His energy minister said Ukraine would try to negotiate a gas deal, but warned that if talks failed Ukrainians should prepare for Russia to cut off supplies.

Pakistani couple get death sentences for blasphemy
A Pakistani Christian couple have been sentenced to death for blasphemy after allegedly sending a text message insulting the Prophet Muhammad. The couple, named as Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, were found guilty of sending the text message to the imam of their local mosque. Allegations of blasphemy against Islam are taken very seriously in Pakistan.

US sending 2 warships to Japan to counter NKorea
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a two-pronged warning to Asia Pacific nations Sunday, announcing that the US will send two additional ballistic missile destroyers to Japan to counter the North Korean threat, and saying China must better respect its neighbors.

Romney's return to public life stokes speculation about potential 2016 run
Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has sworn off running again for elected office, but Americans have certainly heard that one before. Speculation that Romney might run again has largely been stoked by the reunion he planned to host last month in Park City, Utah, for members of his 2012 campaign and debate teams and a string of recent public appearances.

Israel strikes targets in Gaza after rocket attack
Israeli aircraft struck targets in the Gaza Strip late Saturday night, hours after Palestinian terrorists fired a Kassam rocket at the coastal city of Ashkelon.

2 Priests and Nun Taken as Hostages in Cameroon Kidnapping: Officials
Two Italian priests and a Canadian nun were kidnapped in northern Cameroon overnight, a bishop and a government source said on Saturday, months after a French priest was seized nearby. It was not immediately clear who took them, though Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram is known to operate in the area.

At least 20 Iraqi soldiers killed in attacks
At least 20 Iraqi soldiers were killed on Saturday, most of them upon entering a house rigged with explosives northwest of the capital, security officials said. Militants last week overran the house in the town of Garma, 30 km (20 miles) northwest of Baghdad, which had previously been used as an army post, officials said.

China World's 'Most Powerful' Nation
In terms of economic might, BBVA has created an index of "world market power" enabling an at-a-glance view of a nation's impact on the global economy via relevance of exports, exposure to external shocks, technological content, and retained value-added. And the winner is... Hint, not USA... China shows the highest value not only among emerging economies but also when considering all the sample, inverting with the US the rank order given by the exports’ share in nominal terms.

Series of small earthquakes rock Oklahoma in record seismic activity
Earthquakes rattled residents in Oklahoma on Saturday, the latest in a series that have put the state on track for record quake activity this year, which some seismologists say may be tied to oil and gas exploration. One earthquake recorded at 3.8 magnitude by the U.S. Geological Survey rocked houses in several communities around central Oklahoma at 7:42 a.m. local time. Another about two hours earlier in the same part of the state, north of Oklahoma City, was recorded at 2.9 magnitude, USGS said.

Syria crisis: Clashes in Jordan's Zaatari camp
At least 22 Jordanian police have been taken to hospital after clashes with Syrian refugees at the Zaatari camp in northern Jordan, officials say. Authorities denied reports that a refugee had been killed in the unrest. Security forces used tear gas to disperse stone-throwing refugees who had set fire to tents and vehicles.

US archbishop to sell $2.2M mansion
The Roman Catholic archbishop of Atlanta said Saturday that he will sell a $2.2 million mansion just three months after he moved in as he tried to appease angry parishioners who insisted that he follow the example set by Pope Francis.



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Jeb Bush: I'll Make Presidential Bid Decision This Year
Jeb Bush says all the speculation about whether he'll run for president in 2016 is getting him more attention than if he had already entered the race. The Republican former governor of Florida said that's not by design, and that he'll make his decision before year's end.

IRS agents’ testimony: NO progressive groups were targeted by IRS
IRS agents testified before Congress that the agency’s political targeting did not apply to progressive groups as Democrats and the media have claimed, according to a bombshell new staff report prepared by the House Oversight Committee chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa.

The Coming War Of Gog Magog
Jews are talking about the possibility that Russia’s annexation of Crimea is a prophesied sign that Messiah is soon to come.

Yasser Arafat and the CIA: Truth and Misinformation
What is there in common between the CIA and Michael J. Morell, its former acting director, and the late Yasser Arafat, head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)? Very little, except that both were involved in misunderstandings about or manipulation of information about events with which they were officially concerned.

Newly Found Megalithic Ruins In Russia Contain The Largest Blocks Of Stone Ever Discovered
An incredible discovery that was recently made in Russia threatens to shatter conventional theories about the history of the planet. On Mount Shoria in southern Siberia, researchers have found an absolutely massive wall of granite stones. Some of these gigantic granite stones are estimated to weigh more than 3,000 tons, and as you will see below, many of them were cut “with flat surfaces, right angles, and sharp corners”. Nothing of this magnitude has ever been discovered before.

3.3 quake felt in Portland area
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says the quake was about 12 miles deep and centered near Sherwood in Washington County, about 17 miles southwest of Portland.

Russia, China leading efforts to bypass U.S. as IMF reforms stall on Capitol Hill
Russia, China and other major developing countries — angry about the stalemate on Capitol Hill that has blocked approval of a reform plan that would give them a bigger voting share at the International Monetary Fund — are pushing to go ahead with the reforms without waiting for the United States.

Ruling mafia-style ‘Lake Cooperative Physicists Group’ stole billions
Corruption by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his administration in Moscow has produced tens of billions of dollars worth of illicit funds for the Russian leader and his top aides, according to U.S. officials.

No breakthrough seen in last-ditch Mideast talks
Last-ditch talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators on salvaging a teetering, US-brokered peace process ended without a breakthrough Sunday, Palestinian sources told AFP.

Former top Dutch banker found dead with wife, daughter
A Dutch former top banker who came under fire for taking a large pay-off after the nationalization of his troubled bank was found dead along with his wife and daughter on Saturday in what police called a family tragedy.

Spreading: Mali suspects first Ebola cases as regional death toll tops 90
(Reuters) - Mali said it had identified its first possible cases of Ebola since the start of an outbreak in neighbouring Guinea, adding to fears that the deadly virus was spreading across West Africa. More than 90 people have already died in Guinea and Liberia in what medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has warned could turn into an unprecedented epidemic in an impoverished region with poor health services.

GOP seeks coverage choices in health law they hate
At the prodding of business organizations, House Republicans quietly secured a recent change in President Barack Obama's health law to expand coverage choices... ...The provision itself was relatively minor. It eliminated a cap on deductibles for small group policies offered inside the law's health care exchanges as well as outside; the cap was set at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families.

Ukraine crisis: Protesters 'storm security HQs in east'
Pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine have seized state security buildings in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukrainian officials say. The Luhansk security building's weapons arsenal has been raided, police say. On Sunday, protesters broke into regional government buildings in Donetsk and Kharkiv.

Two hottest years ever: 2014 will set new world temperature record – and 2015 will break it
There is good reason to assume the approaching 2014 El Niño will be the strongest in years: both dynamical and statistical model calculations are speeding up – and a +7 degrees Celsius warming Kelvin wave is closing in on the east Pacific Ocean surface. The second half of 2014 may bring Pacific temperature anomalies of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, lifting global average temperatures – and increasing the net likelihood of extreme weather events across the globe.

Pro-Russia protesters in east Ukraine seize weapons: Interior Ministry
Pro-Russian protesters who broke into state security headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk have seized weapons, and highway police have closed down entrances into the city, local police said on Monday.

S. Korean military vows to step up anti-drone measures
South Korea's defense minister ordered tighter vigilance against new threats of small unmanned aerial vehicles on Monday as a recent discovery of suspected North Korean drones has sparked concern over the nation's air defense system.

Hezbollah: Danger to Syria's president eliminated
The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is no longer in danger of falling, the leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group said in an interview with a Lebanese newspaper. In an interview with daily newspaper As-Safir, Hassan Nasrallah also said the threat of bombings in Lebanon "has dropped considerably" because of the "measures adopted along the Lebanese-Syrian border."

China shows off new aircraft carrier to US defence chief
China will show off its new aircraft carrier to US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday, allowing the Pentagon chief a first-hand look at a symbol of the country's growing military prowess.

Jay-Z’s bling from ‘whites are devils’ group
Black people are the fathers and mothers of civilization, white men are the devil, the Christian god is nothing more than a ghost and only a small percentage of people understand the world. These are just some of the ­beliefs behind the bling — the gaudy Five Percent Nation ­medallions worn by Jay Z and Carmelo Anthony.

Navies of Iran, Pakistan to hold joint drill in Hormuz strait
The navies of Iran and Pakistan plan to hold joint military exercises in the eastern part of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Iran's state news agency said on Sunday. Several Pakistani naval vessels, including a warship and a submarine, docked at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Saturday, the IRNA news agency said, citing an Iranian Navy statement.

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Russia’s Ace in the Hole: Iran
Tensions between Russia and the West are hitting a new peak. And in this face-off, Moscow has an extraordinary piece of leverage: a super-sophisticated, bomber-killing missile that it once threatened to sell to Iran.

Mexico Earthquake Today 2014: Terremoto Strikes Veracruz Again
Another Mexico earthquake today 2014 has struck the state of Veracruz. A terremoto en Mexico hoy, a moderate temblor, struck in the morning hours Tuesday April 8, 2014. No reports of injuries are expected.

Messianic Officer Sets Checkpoint Record Straight
These crossings are a microcosm of all that is good, bad, and unfathomable in the lives of East Jerusalem’s Arabs, and it all passes daily under the alert and formidable gaze of Captain Lazarus’ soldiers. “We’re trying to weed out any terrorists,” Lazarus explains. “Since Israel built the security wall, these checkpoints are now the main targets for potential terrorists trying to get through unnoticed amongst the hundreds of people passing through every day.

Muslim Brotherhood Launches Its Own U.S. Political Party
With an eye toward the 2016 election, the radical Muslim Brotherhood has built the framework for a political party in America that seeks to turn Muslims into an Islamist voting bloc.

Secretary Hagel announces deployment of more anti-ballistic missile ships to Japan in response to North Korean provocations
The U.S. will deploy two additional Aegis-equipped ballistic missile defense ships to Japan, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced Sunday. He explained that the decision to bolster missile defense in the region was "In response to Pyongyang's pattern of provocative and destabilizing actions."

Assad says ‘active phase' of Syria war to be over this year
A former Russian prime minister who recently met Bashar al-Assad said the Syrian president told him that much of the fighting in the country's civil war would be over by the end of the year, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Monday.

Qatar report charges Saudis destabilized nations revolutionized by ‘Arab Spring’
The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies said Saudi Arabia was alarmed by the prospect that the so-called Arab Spring would reach the Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom. “From the beginning, Saudi Arabia, the most conservative state in the region, viewed the Arab Spring, as a threat, prompting it to lead the counter-revolutionary axis,” the report said.

‘I Want to Know Who’s Going to Jail’: Lawmakers to Press DOJ to Consider Criminal Case Against Lois Lerner, Boehner Says
House Republicans will meet on Wednesday to prepare a letter asking the Justice Department to consider a criminal case against ex-IRS official Lois Lerner for “misleading the Congress,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) revealed on “The Kelly File” Monday. On Thursday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will also consider contempt charges. “I want to know who’s going to jail,” Boehner told Megyn Kelly on Monday. “There are specific laws that force the IRS to comply with the law. Somebody at the IRS violated the law.”

Chinese descendants of Jews return to roots with seder
Families of Jewish descent in Kaifeng, China, where a Jewish community of traders can be traced back over 1,000 years, are set to celebrate Passover with a traditional seder for the first time in generations.

Russia and Iran said to be in talks for major oil deal
An agreement to export oil to Russia would mean billions for Tehran, and likely trigger US sanctions against Moscow.

Federal Snipers Train Guns on Family For Filming Cattle
Federal snipers with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) trained guns on members of a family yesterday after they dared to stop and take video footage of cattle outside the bounds of a designated “First Amendment Area,” before arresting one of the men for non-compliance. ...“They were not travelling on recently restricted federal land, but were travelling along the state highway looking north across the valley...

Awesome alignment: Mars, Earth, sun to line up Tuesday
Skywatchers will get a rare treat Tuesday night, when Mars, Earth and the sun will be arranged in a nearly-straight line. Every two years, Mars reaches a point in its orbit called "opposition," when the planet lies directly opposite the sun in Earth's sky, according to Astronomy magazine.

Magnitude 5 earthquake felt in southeastern France
A magnitude 5 earthquake was felt in southeastern France on Monday, according to a provisional reading from the National Network for Seismic Monitoring.

Japan Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Ojiya
Officials tell news that a 4.7 magnitude Japan earthquake toady 2014 struck just after 5:07 pm local time on April 8, 2014. The quake was shallow. Reps tell news that the Japan quake started only eight miles below ground level. As a result it could be felt in neighboring towns.

World 'needs Plan B' on climate - IPCC report
The world needs a Plan B on climate change because politicians are failing to reduce carbon emissions, according to a UN report. It warns governments if they overshoot their short-term carbon targets they will have to cut CO2 even faster in the second half of the century to keep climate change manageable. If they fail again, they will have to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere.

Ukraine crisis: Ukraine in bid to retake buildings
The Ukraine authorities say they have seized back control of the regional administration building in the eastern city of Kharkiv from pro-Russia separatists. They say they hope buildings in Luhansk and Donetsk will be freed shortly as well. On Monday, pro-Russia demonstrators seized government buildings in the three cities.

Earthquake of 6.1 rocks Chile
Another earthquake, registering 6.1 on the Richter scale, occurred in northern Chile this morning at 8:43 Peruvian time, according to the news publication Peru21. According to the University of Chile’s Seismological Center, the epicenter of the quake was offshore, about 85 kilometers west of the town of Alto Hospicio. Two additional tremors with a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale occurred just four minutes afterwards, in the same area of the Pacific Ocean.

Magnitude-4.0 quake rocks central Oklahoma
A magnitude-4.0 earthquake rocked central Oklahoma on Monday, shaking buildings and leaving residents once again wondering what is causing all the seismic activity.

Deadly Ebola virus spreads
Defying efforts at containment, the Ebola outbreak that began in Guinea and has caused 90 dead in Guinea and Liberia has now spread further across West Africa into Mali in what Doctors without Borders is calling an “unprecedented” outbreak.

EU court scraps data surveillance law
The EU court in Luxembourg has struck down a law on internet and phone surveillance, saying its loose wording opens the door to untoward snooping on private lives. It said in its verdict on Tuesday (8 April) the “data retention directive” constitutes a “particularly serious interference with the fundamental rights to respect for private life and to the protection of personal data” in Europe.

Iran talks resume in Vienna ‘on pace’ toward draft of final deal
Negotiations resume over Iran's nuclear program in Vienna on Tuesday over details of a prospective final agreement to the longstanding crisis. World powers and Iran would enter talks in apparent agreement on their progress. Several governments assert their negotiators are on track to begin drafting a comprehensive accord next month.

U.S. warns China over currency depreciation
The United States warned Beijing on Monday that the recent depreciation of the Chinese currency could raise "serious concerns" if it signaled a policy shift away from allowing market-determined exchange rates.

Gunman kills Dutch priest in Syria
Frans van der Lugt, who was in his 70s, had become a renowned figure in the rebel-held area that has been blockaded by government forces for nearly two years. He had refused to be evacuated, saying he would not leave Homs while there were still Christians in the city.

Putin Stirs Azeri Fears That Russia Will Seek to Extend Sway
As Vladimir Putin completes Russia's annexation of Crimea, Azerbaijain is feeling pressure to join a Moscow-led customs union, raising concern that his next move will be to shift his attention southward.

Drought now affecting two thirds of Texas
The Lone Star State can't seem to stay out of the heat. In a new drought report by the Texas Water Development Board, the state saw worsening conditions that now affect two thirds of Texas. About 25 percent of the state is suffering under "extreme" or "worse" drought conditions and two-thirds of Texas suffers from "moderate" or "worse" drought conditions.

A North Korean Official Was Reportedly Executed By Flamethrower For Ties To Kim Jong-Un's Uncle
A North Korean official has been executed with a flame-thrower, South Korean media has reported, amid a crackdown on loyalists of Kim Jong-un's purged uncle.

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House Panel Urges Prosecution for Ex-IRS Official
By a vote of 23-14 along party lines, the Republican-led Ways and Means Committee referred Lois Lerner to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. The request was submitted in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder.

AG Holder explodes over contempt of Congress citation
When Gohmert brought up the historic contempt citation voted against him by the House in 2012, Holder went ballistic.

Earth's Birth Pains Increasing? Earthquakes In Diverse Places
The first week of April was a shaky one, with earthquakes reported in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Wyoming, and Chile. Over the past month, a wave of earthquakes has captured people’s attention ;a magnitude 6.9 off of Eureka, north of San Francisco, a pair of magnitude 4-5 earthquakes in the Los Angeles basin, a magnitude 4.8 near the Yellowstone Caldera in Wyoming, and then, a massive magnitude 8.2 off the coast of Chile that even generated a tsunami.

Another earthquake strikes near Langston
The U.S. Geological Survey says another earthquake has struck the Langston area - this time, a preliminary 3.1-magnitude quake on Tuesday night. The USGS says the earthquake was recorded at 10:36 p.m. about 4 miles southwest of Langston. The earthquake was about 4 miles deep. A day earlier, a magnitude-4.0 earthquake also struck near Langston, and the quake was felt widely in central Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City area.

OECD wants your financial data for planetary taxation regime
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) — a 34-member (presently) international economic organization that works to influence world financial operations — openly announced plans to advance the longtime socialist-backed dream of a planetary taxation regime. The plans call for legitimate governments and dictatorships worldwide to share all private financial data on citizens.

Mexico Earthquake Today 2014: Terremoto Strikes Veracruz Again
The latest Mexico earthquake today struck just after 3:08 am local time. The quake was deep. USGS indicates to news that the Mexico temblor was thirty-six miles below ground level. As a result its impact was limited to around the coastal epicenter.

Worst flooding in 8 years and M 6.0 earthquake hit Solomon Islands
According to latest reports on April 7, 19 people have lost their lives, 40 are still missing and an estimated 49 000 people are left homeless.

US wants to destroy Ukrainian ‘bridge’ between EU and Russia – German intellectuals support Putin
Retired German Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jochen Scholz wrote an open letter to the Russian leader in response to the speech Putin made on March 18, 2014 at the reunification of Crimea with Russia. The letter was cosigned by hundreds of Germans including lawyers, journalists, doctors, servicemen, scholars, scientists, diplomats and historians.

Republican Jewish Coalition Blasts Kerry for Blaming Israe
“After almost nine months of negotiations, during which Israel took concrete steps to advance the process, including the release of 78 prisoners – many of them terrorists – it is outrageous for Secretary Kerry to blame the Jewish state for the apparent failure of the diplomatic process undertaken at his insistence.”

Brandeis University withdraws planned honorary degree for Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Brandeis University in Massachusetts announced Tuesday that it had withdrawn the planned awarding of an honorary degree to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a staunch critic of Islam and its treatment of women, after protests from students and faculty.

Netanyahu suspends state contact with PA
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved forward with punitive steps Tuesday in response to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s application to international bodies, ordering government officials not to meet with their Palestinian counterparts.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS
In only 5 days, Mars will make its closest approach to Earth since 2012.

Report: New massive wave of illegal immigration coming
For USA Today, Alan Gomez wrote this week that “there is growing consensus that changes in the economies of Latin America and the U.S. are creating the perfect climate for another wave of undocumented immigrants racing north.”

Experts Find a Door Ajar in an Internet Security Method Thought Safe
A flaw has been discovered in one of the Internet’s key security methods, potentially forcing a wide swath of websites to make changes to protect the security of consumers. ...Up to two-thirds of websites rely on the affected technology, called OpenSSL. ...Organizations were advised to download immediately the newest version of the OpenSSL protocol, which includes a fix...

Famed Jesuit priest abducted, beaten and executed in Syria
...Jesuit priest who spent three years...in the Syrian city of Homs was assassinated Monday, according to the Vatican, which said he was abducted by unidentified gunmen who beat him before executing him in front of his monastery. Father Francis Van Der Lugt, 75, a Dutch Jesuit priest, came to Syria in 1966 and eventually founded a home for children and adults with mental disabilities outside Homs...

Geologists record swarm of tremors on Mount Hood
KGW-TV reports a swarm of small earthquakes on Mount Hood has captured the attention of state geologists and rattled the nerves of some nearby residents, especially after a 3.3-magnitude quake near Portland on Sunday that caused cracks in some streets there. Over the past two weeks, Oregon and Washington have experienced more than 130 earthquakes,

Kerry focuses blame on Israel for collapse of talks
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that both Israelis and Palestinians were responsible for the current crisis in peace talks, but appeared to allocate the lion’s share of the blame to Jerusalem. At the same time, he expressed hope that the two sides would continue to negotiate, but also warned that there was a “limit” to how much effort the US government could invest in the process...

UN warns of Syria food shortage due to looming drought
The UN has warned that a drought in Syria could lead to a record low wheat harvest and put millions of people at risk. The World Food Programme (WFP) said rainfall since September has been less than half the long-term average. At the same time, WFP food aid has been cut by a fifth due to a lack of funds from international donors.

Ukraine in 48-hour ultimatum to east's pro-Russia activists
Ukraine's interior minister has warned pro-Russian activists who have taken over state buildings in eastern cities to enter talks to find a political solution or face "force". Arsen Avakov said the situation would "be resolved in 48 hours" either way. Earlier, a number of people held inside a state security building in Luhansk since Sunday were freed.

Ebola outbreak 'most challenging' as Guinea deaths pass 100
The number of people believed to have been killed by the Ebola virus in Guinea has passed 100, the UN World Health Organization says. It was "one of the most challenging Ebola outbreaks we have ever dealt with" and could take another four months to contain, the WHO said. The virus had now killed 101 people in Guinea and 10 in Liberia, it said.

US: Iran UN envoy Hamid Aboutalebi 'not viable'
The Obama administration has told the Iranian government its choice of a one-time student revolutionary to be UN ambassador is "not viable". White House spokesman Jay Carney called the potential nomination of Hamid Aboutalebi "extremely troubling". Mr Aboutalebi was a part of the Muslim student group that seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

US and EU prepare to strike Russian banks, energy firms
The US and EU are preparing to strike at Russian banks, energy and minerals firms if Russia invades mainland Ukraine. Speaking to US senators in Washington on Tuesday (8 April) secretary of state John Kerry used blunt terms to describe events in Ukraine's Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions in recent days.

Report: Hezbollah facing economic crisis as funding from Iran cut
Hezbollah is facing an economic crisis stemming from its involvement in the Syrian civil war, and budget cuts in Iran as a result of new president Hassan Rouhani's austerity policies, Lebanese sources say. According to a report from the London paper Asharq Al-Awsat, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continues to fund Hezbollah through his separate budget...

Netanyahu instructs government ministries to cease cooperation with Palestinians
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday instructed all government ministries to cease civilian and economic cooperation with the Palestinian Authority... An Israeli government official said that in response to "Palestinian violations," Israeli government ministers were directed to refrain from meeting their Palestinian Authority counterparts.

Russia has announced that it will increase defense spending by some 18 percent this year despite its worsening economic outlook
According to a report in Jane’s Defence Weekly, the Russian Federal Treasury announced late last month that “Expenditure on National Defense” will rise from 2,101.4 billion rubles ($58.2 billion) in 2013 to 2,488.1 billion rubles in 2014. This is projected to be about 3.4 percent of Russia’s GDP but over 20 percent of government spending. Another 16.5 percent of the government budget will go to national security and law enforcement.

Eight largest US banks must raise capital buffers
US banking regulators on Tuesday ordered the eight largest "too big to fail" banks to raise capital levels in a bid to address weaknesses seen in the 2008 financial crisis.

Beef prices hit all-time high in U.S.
Come grilling season, expect your sirloin steak to come with a hearty side of sticker shock. Beef prices have reached all-time highs in the U.S. and aren't expected to come down any time soon. Extreme weather has thinned the nation's beef cattle herds to levels last seen in 1951, when there were about half as many mouths to feed in America.

Abbas slapped Washington in the face by relaunching a diplomatic war
Last week, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas blew off the US-brokered peace talks with Israel and slapped Washington in the face by re-launching a diplomatic war against Israel through international institutions. Several lessons should be drawn from this turn of events. First, the breakdown of the talks is a reminder of the stubborn reality that so many prefer to ignore: The gap in the positions of the two sides is too large to bridge even by a creative diplomacy backed by a superpower. Both Israel and the Palestinians still possess tremendous energy to fight for things that are important to them. Peace and coexistence are not the most important goals of the two warring societies.

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No tsunami warnings after strong quakes off Nicaragua, Chile
Two strong earthquakes -- one off the coast of Nicaragua, the second off northern Chile -- struck Thursday, but did not trigger any Pacific-wide tsunami alerts.

Magnitude 6.1 earthquake shakes Nicaraguan capital
The quake had a magnitude of 6.1, the US Geological Survey said, and was very shallow at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km). It was previously reported as having various magnitudes ranging up to 6.4.

House Panel Votes to Hold Ex-IRS Officer in Contempt
The action follows yesterday’s vote by the House Ways and Means Committee to ask the Justice Department to consider criminal charges against Lerner. Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, has said the full House would hold Lerner in contempt if she refused to testify. The American people deserve the truth about what happened,” Boehner said today.

House committees turn up heat on Lois Lerner in IRS investigations
A congressional committee voted Wednesday to refer former IRS official Lois Lerner to the Justice Department for potential criminal prosecution, citing e-mails that suggest Lerner might have targeted Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS.

Putin and the Middle East Peace Process: Palestinians Call for Greater Russian Role in Peace Talks
With the current round of US-sponsored peace talks crumbling, the Palestinians have called for more involvement from diplomats from both Russia and the European Union.

Earthquakes Today: Rare Magnitude 5.0 Quake Rocks France
While no major earthquakes have been reported today, there have been many in the news recently, the latest a magnitude 5.0 quake that shook southeastern France on Monday, according to the country's National Network for Seismic Monitoring.

Bank chief Jürgen Frick shot dead by ‘Robin Hood of Liechtenstein
Police later identified the gunman as Jürgen Hermann, 58, a well-known fund manager in the principality who had been involved in a personal feud with the bank and the Liechtenstein government for more than seven years. They said they had discovered Hermann’s abandoned car 16 miles from the scene of the crime near the river Rhine, and that he appeared to have committed suicide.

Alignment of Mars, Earth and Sun could herald ‘End of Days
IT’S been touted a rare astrological event that could herald the ‘End of Days’. But if the experience of generations gone by is anything to go by, we’ll be right. Mars, Earth and the Sun today aligned in a rare ‘opposition of the planets’ that only happens once every 778 days. And it comes six days before a full lunar eclipse occurs when the entirety of the moon is shaded by Earth and appears as an eerie reddish color.

Ebola-Linked Deaths In West Africa Over 100
Ebola could continue to spread in West Africa for months in one of the most challenging outbreaks of the disease the international community has ever faced, health experts said

Exclusive: U.S. Won’t Share Invasion Intel With Ukraine
U.S. intelligence agencies now have detailed information that Russia has amassed the kind of forces needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the Obama administration hasn’t shared with Ukraine the imagery, intercepts, and analysis that pinpont the location of the Russian troops ready to seize more Ukrainian land, The Daily Beast has learned.

Severe Weather Forecast: More Widespread Severe Threat This Weekend
A brief burst of severe weather earlier this week is being followed by yet another lull in what has been, by the numbers, a relatively quiet start to the traditional spring tornado season.

SOMETHING IN THE OFFING
For the past 24 hours, plumes of hot plasma have been rising and falling over the sun's southeastern limb.

Surprise finding as ancient Egyptian sarcophagus is found in Israel
Archaeologists are not entirely clear who the coffin belonged to, but IAA excavation director Dr. Ron Be’eri suggests that the remains may belong to a wealthy Canaanite rather than Egyptian. Egyptians traditionally buried their dead in Egyptian soil, and the grave goods were distinctly Canaanite.

Incredibly rare “back-to-back” maximum eclipses are coming! (Synopsis)
f you’ve been paying attention, you might have heard that we’re in store for a total lunar eclipse just next week here on Earth, and that it will be prominently visible from most of North and South America.

Israel targets Iran with new spy satellite
Israeli defence officials hailed the launch of a new spy satellite on Thursday, which they said would boost the country's capacity to monitor the military manoeuvres of Iran and militant groups opposed to the Jewish state's existence. The Ofek 10 was said to have entered orbit before dawn after being launched from a Shavit launcher at an air force test base in central Israel at 10.15pm local time (8.15pm) on Wednesday.

Anti-immigration Internet Commenters Tracked Down, Persecuted
If the Mozilla fiasco made you think that supporting marriage in America was risky, try opposing immigration in Sweden. You may remember the story involving The Journal News in New York, which in 2012 published the names and addresses of two counties’ handgun-permit holders. Now a Swedish newspaper has done the same with some of its anti-immigration citizens. But whereas The Journal News received harsh criticism for its actions, in Sweden it’s the victims being persecuted.

Russian military delegation visits Cairo (3rd visit in 2 months)
A 19-member Russian military delegation arrived at Cairo International = Airport on Wednesday morning, making this the third visit of its kind in = less than two months. The delegation will meet with Egyptian military officials, according to an = airport security source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The visits came after Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's trip to Russia, = which was meant to boost bilateral military relations.

A Powerful Cyclone Is Heading For Australia's Far North Coast
A powerful category three cyclone is tracking towards Australia’s north Queensland coast. Tropical Cyclone Ita is intensifying as it approaches the coast north of Port Douglas and is the most powerful storm the region has seen since Cyclone Yasi hit in 2011.

Series of Minor Earthquakes Registered in Bulgaria
An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 on the Richter scale was registered near Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Burgas.

Nevada Governor Calls Federal Cattle Roundup ‘Intimidation’
Nevada’s governor is criticizing a federal cattle roundup and what he calls “intimidation” in a dispute with a rancher who claims longstanding grazing rights on open range outside Las Vegas. Federal Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service officials didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval’s call for the BLM to “reconsider its approach.”

Khamenei: Iran will never give up its nuclear programme
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has backed talks with world powers but warned Tehran will never give up its nuclear programme. He said Iran had agreed to the talks to "break the hostile atmosphere" with the international community. Iran and six world powers are working to agree a deal to replace an interim accord that expires in July.

Up to 22 people stabbed at Pennsylvania high school
An attacker armed with two knives has gone on a rampage at a high school in the US state of Pennsylvania, stabbing 21 students and a security guard. A suspect, named as Alex Hribal, 16, was arrested at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville near Pittsburgh, police said. He was later charged with four counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of assault.

Israeli, Palestinian negotiators reportedly set to meet again amid crisis in talks
Despite the current stalemate in peace talks, Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams were due to hold another meeting on Thursday alongside US mediators, Israeli media reported. "We note that the contact in meetings between the negotiators are continuing, and note that they are engaging in serious and intensive efforts to find a way out of the current impasse," US State Department...said...

Syria crisis: Car bombings 'kill 25' in Homs
Two car bombs have exploded in the Syrian city of Homs, killing at least 25 people and wounding scores more, state news agency Sana says. The report blamed "terrorists" for the blasts, half an hour apart, in the Karam al-Luz district.

Putin warns Kiev against irreversible mistakes
Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Wednesday a positive outcome to the first international peace talks on Ukraine but also upped the pressure by warning Kiev's interim leaders against making any irreversible mistakes.

Russia rejects US warnings over oil deal with Iran
A senior Russian diplomat on Wednesday angrily rejected U.S. warnings against striking an oil-for-goods contract with Iran, saying that Moscow wouldn't be intimidated by threats.

DHS study: North Korea capable of EMP attack on U.S.
A long-suppressed report prepared by the Department of Homeland Security for the Defense Department concludes that North Korea could deliver on its threats to destroy the United States with a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack. The report remains blocked from release to the American public.

House Republicans won't rule out arresting Lois Lerner if Justice Department doesn't
House Ways and Means Committee Republicans aren't ruling out the use of the chamber's "inherent contempt" authority if Attorney General Eric Holder refuses to act on the panel's accusations against former IRS official Lois Lerner.

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Another Earthquake Reported Near Challis
Another earthquake hit central Idaho early Thursday. A magnitude 4.1 temblor was reported just before 6:30 a.m. about nine miles northwest of Challis. Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey say it was the largest quake to hit the area in recent weeks....

Mexican Soldiers Crossing US Border Proves Need for Border Security
According to the Times’ reporting, the incident is only one of nearly two dozen incursions into the U.S. by Mexican soldiers in the last four years. That statistic alone underscores the chaos and violence border patrol agents face when trying to protect American citizens from, among other things, cross-border crime.

Ebola virus disease, West Africa (Situation as of 10 April 2014)
As of 9 April, a cumulative total of 158 clinically compatible cases, including 101 deaths have been officially reported.

Eric Holder’s Hissy Fits
What kind of treatment did Holder have to endure? He was confronted by the truth, something which has the same effect upon members of the Obama regime as Holy Water has on vampires. Testifying before a oversight hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, Holder was pressed by Representative Sensenbrenner on why Justice hadn’t moved forward with perjury charges against Director of National Intelligence James Clapper:

Nancy Pelosi's secret hand in IRS stonewall
Cummings, in addition, has accused one of the groups targeted by the IRS, Catherine Engelbrecht’s True the Vote, of being racist. In short, he’s provided plenty of vitriol to create headwinds for the GOP-led committee trying to investigate government wrongdoing. But that was the job he reportedly was placed there to do by House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Even LGBT Historians Admit No One Is 'Born Gay'
The mountain of scholarly research also continues to show no "gay gene" accounting for sexual orientation from birth. The basis of these claims is that sexual orientation, as part of a person's identity, is entirely a modern invention. Even in Greek culture, where homosexual behavior is known to have occurred, the line of reasoning goes, there is nothing to show that even a minority of individuals identified as gay or homosexual in any way. Rather, homosexuality was supposedly considered a supplement to one's regular heterosexual relationships.

Bill Clinton: An Alien Invasion May Be The Only Way To Unite This Increasingly Divided World
Clinton said that an alien invasion “may be the only way to unite this increasingly divided world of ours”. He also said that “if we were visited someday, I wouldn’t be surprised”. So does he know something that the rest of us don’t? And why is he sharing this now? In recent years, the general public has been primed for the possibility of contact with aliens. There has been an endless barrage of books, movies, television shows and video games that portray human contact with extraterrestrials.

Colorado Earthquake 2014 Today Strikes San Luis
A Colorado earthquake 2014 today struck San Luis. The Colorado earthquake today April 10, 2014 began in the predawn morning hours. Damage assessment is pending.

U.K. Lawmakers Seek Extreme Crackdown on Climate Realists
Faced with the implosion of discredited United Nations theories on “Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming,” climate alarmists in the United Kingdom, including some in Parliament, are now pushing for a major crackdown on skeptics — or “realists,” depending on one’s point of view — in government, media, and more. As more and more scientists defect from the crumbling alarmist bandwagon, however, critics say the hysterical shrieking and dangerous rhetoric from politicians only serve to further illustrate the accelerating collapse of what many climate experts refer to as the “global-warming hoax.”

Another Day, Another Step Toward UN Arms Treaty Enforcement
Gradually and silently, the specter of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is rising again to threaten the right of Americans to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment.

German President Attacks “Dangerous” Swiss Self-Government
As outrage grows among European Union bosses over Swiss voters’ February decision to curb mass immigration into Switzerland, German President Joachim Gauck (shown) warned that self-government by the people is “dangerous.” Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but this has not stopped officials in Germany and across the European Union from going into meltdown mode against their independent neighbor and brazenly terrorizing the Swiss with increasingly outrageous threats over their decision to limit immigration.

Migrants in Holy Land look forward to papal visit
Pope Francis will arrive in Amman, the Jordanian capital, May 24 and pay a courtesy visit to the nation's king and queen, and he will later address national authorities.

Analysis What comes after Kerry’s ‘poof’?
With the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue going “poof,” as Secretary of State John Kerry put in on Tuesday, a question arises: How would the complete demise of the dialogue, if it comes to that, affect the security situation?

Erekat: Reports on progress in talks ‘are false’
“Reports of progress are false,” Erekat said in an interview with the Palestinian newspaper al-Ayyam. “The gaps remain very wide.”

Ron Pundak, architect of Oslo Accords, dies at 59
Ron Pundak, one of the main architects of the Oslo peace process in the 1990s, passed away Friday at the age of 59 after a battle with cancer.

Wall Street crash 'even worse' than 1987 is coming, says Marc Faber
Don't be surprised if four horsemen start riding down Wall Street. US technology stocks suffered their sharpest dive in more than two years on Thursday night, setting the scene for an equities apocalypse, Swiss investor Marc Faber says.

Congress Should Impeach Holder if He Takes No Action on IRS Scandal
On the day the House Oversight Committee held Lois Lerner in contempt, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Congress should impeach Attorney General Eric Holder if he does not indict those like Lerner for their roles in the IRS's targeting of conservative groups.

Swiss, UN accept Palestinian requests to join international treaties
After Israel failed to carry out a planned prisoner release...the Palestinians retaliated by signing letters of accession to 15 international conventions. Thirteen were deposited at the UN, one in Geneva, and one in the Netherlands. Switzerland's Foreign Ministry, as the depositary of the Geneva Conventions, said Friday that "the state of Palestine" acceded to the conventions effective April 2.

Nato satellite images reveal huge build up of Russian troops at Ukrainian frontier
Nato presented satellite photographs on Thursday it said showed Russian deployments of 40,000 troops near the Ukrainian frontier along with tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and aircraft ready for action. "This is a force that is very capable, at high readiness, and, as we have illustrated through the imagery, is close to routes and lines of communication," British Brigadier Gary Deakin said...

Aid groups take emergency steps against Ebola onslaught
International aid organisations launched a series of emergency measures across west Africa on Thursday in a bid to contain one of the worst ever outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus, which is threatening every country in the region.

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
Mark your calendar. On April 15th, there will be a total eclipse of the Moon visible from Australia, New Zealand, and all of the Americas. The action begins on Tuesday at 2 AM Eastern time.

Soros funded scheme to neutralize 36 states’ votes dangerously close to success
The National Popular Vote effort, which could see the 14 states with the largest populations decide the presidency, is more than halfway to its goal of legally bypassing the Electoral College established in the Constitution. Last week, the Maine state Senate voted in support of the plan one week after both houses of the New York legislature overwhelmingly supported it. Now the governors of both states will need to decide whether to formally back the National Popular Vote, or NPV.

Israel impose tax sanction against Palestinian Authority
Israel has imposed sanctions against the Palestinian Authority (PA) in retaliation for signing a number of international treaties, officials say. They say taxes collected on behalf of the PA will be frozen, with limited access to bank deposits in Israel. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the move as "Israeli hijacking" and "theft".

Hamid Aboutalebi: US Congress passes ban on Iran envoy
The US Congress has sent a bill to the president that would bar Iran's pick for ambassador to the UN from entering the country. The House of Representatives passed the measure unanimously two days after the Senate approved it. Hamid Aboutalebi was a part of the Muslim student group that seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

'IT'S NOT ENOUGH': GOP renews ObamaCare fight as Sebelius resigns
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS are seizing on news of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' resignation with fresh calls to repeal the health care law, calling the move 'too little, too late.'

Cyclone Ita: Queensland braced for category four storm
The Australian state of Queensland is braced for the arrival of Cyclone Ita, a category-four storm set to hit its far north coast. The storm is expected to hit the Cape York peninsula shortly, making landfall in the north-east. It was expected to bring damaging waves to some low-lying areas, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said, and heavy rain could cause flooding.

6.1 earthquake near Managua, Nicaragua, April 10, 2014
A strong earthquake damaged dozens of houses in western Nicaragua on Thursday, and authorities said that at least 23 people were injured by falling ceilings, beams and walls in one town. The 6.1-magnitude quake caused panicked Nicaraguans to run into the streets and callers to local radio stations complained that electricity and water services had been disrupted in their areas.

US Health Secretary Sebelius resigns amid Obamacare row
US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning following the problematic launch of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, US media report. The law - regarded by the president's supporters as one of his main domestic achievements - has been marked by early technical problems and delays. Ms Sebelius has been health secretary since Mr Obama took office in 2009.

Putin threatens to cut gas to Ukraine, EU countries
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine unless it starts repaying a huge debt and unless the EU agrees to joint talks on its economic future. He said in a letter sent to 18 European leaders on Thursday (10 April) that “in the event of further violation of the conditions of payment, [Russian firm Gazprom] will completely or partially cease gas deliveries.”

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America Sends Missile-Destroying Warship Into Russian Waters. President Putin Presumably Not Pleased
File this story under the rubric: "Be careful what you wish for." When the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) departed Norfolk Naval Base to take up station at the Spanish naval base in Rota two months ago, it set off alarm bells in Moscow.

Syrian government, rebels say other side used poison gas
Rebel forces and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government are blaming each other for the latest reported use of poisonous gas in the ongoing civil war. The opposition contended Saturday that attacks wounded dozens in Hama and Idlib provinces.

Nevada Cattle Rancher Wins 'Range War' With Feds
A Nevada cattle rancher appears to have won his week-long battle with the federal government over a controversial cattle roundup that had led to the arrest of several protesters. Cliven Bundy went head to head with the Bureau of Land Management over the removal of hundreds of his cattle from federal land, where the government said they were grazing illegally. Bundy claims his herd of roughly 900 cattle have grazed on the land along the riverbed near Bunkerville, 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, since 1870 and threatened a "range war" against the BLM on the Bundy Ranch website after one of his sons was arrested while protesting the removal of the cattle.

No US tsunami threat after 7.6 quake in Pacific
U.S. officials say there is no threat of a tsunami to the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii or Alaska after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean near the Solomon Islands.

Ukraine crisis: Another police building seized in east
Pro-Russia militants have taken over a police headquarters in the eastern Ukraine city of Kramatorsk, local media and witnesses say. This followed a gun battle with the police defending the building as the attackers stormed it. Several other official buildings were reported to have been seized in Donetsk region on Saturday.

Hezbollah develops new tactics in Syrian civil war
The commandos infiltrated Syrian rebel-held territory near the Lebanese border, watching rebel fighters come and go from a two-story villa before slipping inside to plant a powerful bomb. The next morning, they detonated it as three rebel explosive experts and four assistants met inside, turning the villa to rubble in seconds.

Obama's press secretary decorates home with Soviet propaganda
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and his family are featured in a worshipful profile in this month's Washingtonian magazine. It's the sort of adoring journalistic exercise reserved for only the most handsome of the power elite. In it you can find out details about the Carney dog (a cousin to presidential pooch Sonny!), and how much the press secretary's tie costs ($135).

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Pastor Hagee: Blood moons point to 'world-shaking event'
The San Antonio pastor asserts the dates of the eclipses signify a major event that will change history in a book released in October, a series of sermons and a TV special airing on Tuesday, the first night of the tetrad.

4.9-magnitude earthquake rattles central Idaho
A 4.9-magnitude earthquake shook central Idaho, flinging items off walls and scaring residents but otherwise producing no reported damage or injuries in the sparsely populated mountain area.

Earthquake Hits near Solomon Islands
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 hit near the Solomon Islands, but there have been no reports of major damage or casualties.

Can the government seize your tax refund to pay a relative's debt?
Two months ago, Mary Grice, a career employee at the Food and Drug Administration, was notified the U.S. Treasury had confiscated her state and federal tax refunds totaling $4,500. ...The claim against her came from the Social Security Administration which said it overpaid death benefits to Mary's family after her father Scott Grice died in 1960. Mary was five years old.

Health officials concerned that deadly bird flu could soon pass easily between humans
All it would take is five gene mutations of the H5N1 avian influenza virus to potentially create havoc on a global scale. Dutch researchers are reporting that if those mutations happen, the virus would become transmissible via coughing or sneezing, just like regular flu viruses. Currently, most cases of H5N1 arise after a person has had contact with sick or dead infected poultry.

Ukraine: US warns Russia of 'additional consequences' of further military action
US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Russia of "additional consequences" if it fails to pull its troops back from the Ukraine border, as Kiev accused Moscow of aggression in its restive east.

4.9-magnitude earthquake rattles central Idaho
A 4.9-magnitude earthquake shook central Idaho, flinging items off walls and scaring residents but otherwise producing no reported damage or injuries in the sparsely populated mountain area. USGS geophysicist Dale Grant says the earthquake was "kind of an unusual occurrence" being the first one of its strength in the area since 2005.

Mike Huckabee Calls Out Obama's 'Christian Convictions' On Gay Marriage
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) went after President Barack Obama's views on gay marriage Friday, questioning the commander-in-chief's changes in his "Christian convictions." In an interview with Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor," guest host Laura Ingraham asked Huckabee if there was a concerted effort out there to tar conservatives as anti-gay. Huckabee said that his views were no different than those of Obama's in 2008, shifting the focus to how the president has changed his stance.

Nigerian senator: '135 civilians killed' in attacks
Gunmen have killed 135 civilians in north east Nigeria since Wednesday, a senior official from the region has told the BBC. Borno state senator Ahmed Zannah said the killings took place in at least three separate attacks in the state. The attackers are suspected to be from the Islamist Boko Haram movement.

Deadly fire destroys homes in Chile's Valparaiso
A large forest fire has killed four people and destroyed more than 500 homes in Chile's port city Valparaiso. Thousands of people are being evacuated from the city to escape the flames, which have been fanned by strong winds coming in from the Pacific. President Michelle Bachelet put the army in charge of the evacuation after declaring the city, 110km (70 miles) west of Santiago, a disaster zone.

Heartbleed bug denial by NSA and White House
The US National Security Agency has denied it knew about or exploited the Heartbleed online security flaw. The denial came after a Bloomberg News report alleging the NSA used the flaw in OpenSSL to harvest data. OpenSSL is online-data scrambling software used to protect data such as passwords sent online.

America Sends Missile-Destroying Warship Into Russian Waters. President Putin Presumably Not Pleased
File this story under the rubric: "Be careful what you wish for." When the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) departed Norfolk Naval Base to take up station at the Spanish naval base in Rota two months ago, it set off alarm bells in Moscow.

Syrian government, rebels say other side used poison gas
Rebel forces and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government are blaming each other for the latest reported use of poisonous gas in the ongoing civil war. The opposition contended Saturday that attacks wounded dozens in Hama and Idlib provinces.

Nevada Cattle Rancher Wins 'Range War' With Feds
A Nevada cattle rancher appears to have won his week-long battle with the federal government over a controversial cattle roundup that had led to the arrest of several protesters. Cliven Bundy went head to head with the Bureau of Land Management over the removal of hundreds of his cattle from federal land, where the government said they were grazing illegally. Bundy claims his herd of roughly 900 cattle have grazed on the land along the riverbed near Bunkerville, 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, since 1870 and threatened a "range war" against the BLM on the Bundy Ranch website after one of his sons was arrested while protesting the removal of the cattle.

No US tsunami threat after 7.6 quake in Pacific
U.S. officials say there is no threat of a tsunami to the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii or Alaska after a magnitude-7.6 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean near the Solomon Islands.

Ukraine crisis: Another police building seized in east
Pro-Russia militants have taken over a police headquarters in the eastern Ukraine city of Kramatorsk, local media and witnesses say. This followed a gun battle with the police defending the building as the attackers stormed it. Several other official buildings were reported to have been seized in Donetsk region on Saturday.

Hezbollah develops new tactics in Syrian civil war
The commandos infiltrated Syrian rebel-held territory near the Lebanese border, watching rebel fighters come and go from a two-story villa before slipping inside to plant a powerful bomb. The next morning, they detonated it as three rebel explosive experts and four assistants met inside, turning the villa to rubble in seconds.

Obama's press secretary decorates home with Soviet propaganda
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and his family are featured in a worshipful profile in this month's Washingtonian magazine. It's the sort of adoring journalistic exercise reserved for only the most handsome of the power elite. In it you can find out details about the Carney dog (a cousin to presidential pooch Sonny!), and how much the press secretary's tie costs ($135).

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No Crisis, No News and No Rumors
To be sure, the current market action represents a clear departure from the crisis/Fed-driven environments that have dominated for years. Suddenly, stocks are not going down because of something that happened or what somebody in a country you've never heard of said. No, stocks appear to actually be "correcting" some of the excesses that built up in the mo-mo space over the past year or so.

New form of matter: Exotic hadron with two quarks, two anti-quarks confirmed
Physicists have confirmed the existence of exotic hadrons -- a type of matter that cannot be classified within the traditional quark model. "We've confirmed the unambiguous observation of a very exotic state -- something that looks like a particle composed of two quarks and two anti-quarks,"

Russia says not bound by US sanctions on Iran
A top Russian official has dismissed the US threats against the Kremlin over its trade ties with Iran, saying Moscow sees no reason to drop economic deals with Tehran.

Europe’s Top Banks Cut 80,000 More Staff
Ah yes, it’s nearly time for riot season in Europe. Europe’s largest banks cut their staff by another 3.5 percent last year and the prospect of a return to pre-crisis employment levels seems far off, despite the region’s fledgling economic recovery.

Reports: Company Tied to Reid's Son Wants Land in Bundy Standoff
The Nevada rancher who forced the federal Bureau of Land Management to back down last week may have been targeted because a Chinese solar company with ties to Sen. Harry Reid's son wants the land for an energy plant, several websites report.

LGBT activists throw 'pink brick' at pro-family leader
An attorney and Christian minister, Lively is co-author of the controversial book “The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party,” which exhaustively documents the major role homosexuals played in the Hitler’s genocidal Third Reich.

LUNAR ECLIPSE, TUESDAY MORNING
The mainstream media is abuzz with reports of a "blood moon" on Tuesday morning. The scientific term is "lunar eclipse." On April 15th at 6 minutes past midnight Pacific Time (3:06 a.m Eastern Time), the Moon will enter the sunset-colored colored shadow of Earth, producing a total eclipse of the Moon:

Scientists Publish Recipe For Making Bird Flu More Contagious
The Dutch virologist accused of engineering a dangerous superflu a few years ago is back with more contentious research.

Third Nicaraguan tremor raises fears of quake to come
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook Nicaragua on Sunday night, the third quake to hit the Central American nation within a week.

Tsunami warning follows strong quake near Solomons
Solomon Islands — A tsunami warning has been issued for some Pacific islands following a powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake near the Solomon Islands.

New-found Israeli gas to bring political benefits
Israel's drive to export its new-found natural gas could help to rebuild strained ties with old regional allies Egypt and Turkey, but could deprive Europe of a precious alternative to Russian gas. Israel has in recent months already signed energy deals with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority... and now needs to expand its export horizons to cash in on its huge energy discoveries.

Deadly Yellow Fever Mosquito Resurfaces In Menlo Park
A deadly mosquito that hasn’t been seen in the Bay Area since the 70s has been detected in San Mateo County. It’s called aedes aegypti and it was found last January in the Holy Cross cemetary in Menlo Park. It’s the mosquito that spreads yellow fever, chicken fever, the dengue fever and other diseases. Officials call it “one of the worst most effective vectors of disease around the world.”

Deadly Virus's Spread Raises Alarms in Mideast
Saudi Arabia on Sunday confirmed a surge of cases of a deadly virus in the kingdom over the past two weeks, even as it tried to counter criticism that it wasn't doing enough to contain the outbreak. The United Arab Emirates over the weekend separately announced six confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, among paramedics there, one of whom died of the illness.

Man with history of anti-Semitism jailed in fatal shooting of three at Johnson County Jewish centers
A 73-year-old southwest Missouri man with a long history of anti-Semitism is suspected of killing two people outside Overland Park’s Jewish Community Center and then a third at a nearby Jewish assisted living facility. After officers arrested Frazier Glenn Cross — an Aurora, Mo., man better known as F. Glenn Miller — Sunday afternoon, authorities said he went on a rant inside the patrol car. “Heil Hitler,” Miller yelled out...

World must end 'dirty' fuel use - UN
A long-awaited UN report on how to curb climate change says the world must rapidly move away from carbon-intensive fuels. There must be a "massive shift" to renewable energy, says the study released in Berlin. It has been finalised after a week of negotiations between scientists and government officials.

Mass DNA tests at French school over rape
French police are taking DNA samples from more than 500 male students and staff at a school in La Rochelle where a girl was raped last September. The 16-year-old was assaulted in dark toilets at Fenelon-Notre Dame, a private Roman Catholic school in the Atlantic port city. Investigators hope to find a match for DNA traces found on her clothing.

Trojan Horse: 25 schools probed over alleged Islamic takeover plot
An investigation into an alleged Islamic takeover plot of Birmingham schools has widened, with 25 schools now under the spotlight. Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry. It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor.

Third Nicaraguan tremor raises fears of quake to come
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook Nicaragua on Sunday night, the third quake to hit the Central American nation within a week. Seven homes collapsed but there have so far been no reports of any casualties. Officials said the quakes could be an indication that the geological fault line which runs underneath the capital, Managua, has been re-activated.

Three EU countries back Ukraine's use of force
Lithuania, Luxembourg and Sweden have explicitly backed Ukraine’s right to use force against pro-Russian separatists. Lithuania’s UN envoy, Raimonda Murmokaite, and her Luxembourg counterpart, Olivier Maes, made the statements at a snap UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting in New York on Sunday (13 April).

Syria's Assad claims upper hand in war 'turning point'
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has claimed the upper hand in what he called a "turning point" in the three-year long civil war. President Assad made the comments in an address at Damascus University, His forces have been steadily recapturing rebel-held towns near the Lebanese border for several months.

German government to 'cancel Saudi tank deal'
The German government will not approve a reported deal to sell up to 800 battle tanks to Saudi Arabia, a German Sunday newspaper said, citing government sources. The sale of the Leopard-2 tanks had been billed as one of the biggest deals for the German armaments industry, Bild reported. But Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat in the left-right "grand coalition", has "positioned himself against a tanks delivery to the autocratic royal house", it said, citing government sources.

Russia Loses Leverage with China on Gas Deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin obviously thinks that preventing Ukraine from moving closer to the West is a strategic interest and one that is important enough to risk international condemnation. Seizing Crimea has led to negative international opinion, capital flight, deteriorating relations with Europe, and a potential enormous toll to the Russian economy. It has also threatened to permanently damage the commercial relationship Russia has with its largest energy customer – Western Europe.

Chile fire toll: 12 dead; 2,000 homes destroyed
Firefighters struggled for a second night early Monday to contain blazes that have killed 12 people, injured 500, destroyed 2,000 homes and forced 10,000 people to flee the densely populated hills that gave this Chilean port city its unique beauty.

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Fast-Growing Sunspot
Scarcely 24 hours ago, sunspot AR2036 didn't exist. Now it is three times as wide as the planet Earth.

Dick Morris: Bill Clinton 'Hated' Janet Reno, and Waco Made It Worse
Dick Morris says one of the main reasons the Bureau of Land Management released the livestock was to avoid a repeat of armed confrontations that ended in civilian fatalities such as those in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992 and in Waco, Texas, in 1993. "You simply cannot have any reason for the federal government to start firing on its people, and you add 200 armed people, including snipers, surrounding that property to round up 2,000 head of cattle,"

NSA Exploited Heartbleed Bug For YEARS, Leaving Consumers Vulnerable To Attack
Top computer and internet experts say that NSA spying breaks the functionality of our computers and of the Internet. It reduces functionality and reduces security by – for example – creating backdoors that malicious hackers can get through. Remember, American and British spy agencies have intentionally weakened security for many decades. And it’s getting worse and worse. For example, they plan to use automated programs to infect millions of computers.

FBI to have 52 million photos in its NGI face recognition database by next year
New documents released by the FBI show that the Bureau is well on its way toward its goal of a fully operational face recognition database by this summer.

G20 gives US an ultimatum on IMF reform: But is it a bluff?
The G20′s frustration centres on US failure to ratify the IMF quota and governance reforms agreed by the G20 in 2010. While countries representing nearly 80% of IMF votes have approved the reforms, the required threshold is 85%. The US has a veto with its 16.75% shareholding and the US Congress continues to block the reforms.

Sheriff: Feds strategize for 'raid' on ranch
The executive director of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association says his sources inside the federal government warn that Washington’s weekend retreat in a dispute over grazing land in Nevada was only a move to distract attention and diffuse tensions, because a raid on the family’s ranch still is planned.

Obama to Putin: Press pro-Russia forces to disarm
US President Barack Obama urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to press pro-Moscow groups to lay down their arms in Ukraine amid escalating tensions.

GOP Strategist Accuses Pelosi of Starting 'Ugly Race War'
Nancy Pelosi has been accused by a leading black Republican strategist of attempting to start "an ugly race war" in Congress.

Time to forsake peace efforts, New York Times says
An editorial in Tuesday’s New York Times called on the US government to abandon its mediation efforts between Israelis and Palestinians and focus on “other major international challenges,” asserting that no amount of American pushing and shoving could succeed when the two sides were reluctant to make peace themselves.

At issue: Can you be detained for what you might say?
Upon his arrival at the Regina International Airport last Thursday, LaBarbera was detained by customs officials, all of his possessions were searched, and he was placed in custody for three hours before he was finally released. The hearing officer stated there were no grounds for deportation and that LaBarbera hadn't violated the nation's hate speech laws. Brian Rushfeldt, executive director of Canada Family Action, tells OneNewsNow he was "quite appalled" by how Canadian authorities handled the incident.

Hillary Clinton ‘All But Erased’ from Benghazi
Hillary Clinton has been “all but erased” from reports and documents of what happened in Benghazi, with multiple inquiries into her role in the incident hitting dead ends, according to the Washington Times.

Russia Tests Multi-Warhead ICBM
Russia’s military carried out a flight test of a new multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile on Monday amid growing tensions with the United States over the crisis in Ukraine. The SS-27 Mod 2 road-mobile ICBM was launched around 2:40 a.m. EST from Russia’s Plesetsk launch facility, located about 500 miles north of Moscow.

Obama Chooses Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop To Close White House Easter Prayer Breakfast
In an amazing slap in the face to bible believing Christians all across the nation, Barack Hussein Obama chose the first openly-gay Episcopal bishop to lead the closing prayer at his 5th Annual White House Easter Prayer Breakfast.

A NEW MOON NAMED 'PEGGY'
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has photographed a small icy object forming at the edge of Saturn's rings.

Blood moon: Sky gazers mesmerized as red hue lights up night sky
The moon took on a reddish hue as it appeared in different phases between 2 and 4:30 a.m. ET. In North and South America, where the blood moon was most prominent, observers pointed at the spectacle with binoculars, telescopes and cellphones. (Video as well!)

Turkey 'aided Islamist fighters' in attack on Syrian town
Turkey facilitated an attack carried out by Islamist fighters against the Armenian town of Kasab inside Syria, eyewitnesses have told the Telegraph. In an operation that was months in the planning, Turkish authorities gave rebel groups the mandate they needed to attack, allowing them access through a heavily militarised Turkish border post, whose location was strategically vital to the success of the assault.

Greece Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes South of Athens
Officials tell news that a 5.0 magnitude Greece earthquake today started just after 10:41 pm local time. The quake was shallow. USGS indicates to news that the quake was only ten miles below sea level. As a result the quake could be felt north on land.

Phivolcs: Surigao del Sur rocked by 4.8-magnitude quake
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake jolted parts of Surigao del Sur before noon Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Tuesday.

Sheriff: Feds strategize for 'raid' on ranch
...sources inside the federal government warn that Washington’s weekend retreat in a dispute over grazing land in Nevada was only a move to distract attention and diffuse tensions, because a raid on the family’s ranch still is planned. ...Reid on Monday...“It’s not over. We can’t have an American people that violate the law and then just walk away from it. So it’s not over.”

Jordanian envoy kidnapped in Libya attack
The Jordanian ambassador to Libya has been kidnapped in the capital Tripoli, in an attack that left his driver wounded, officials say. Libya's foreign ministry confirmed Fawaz al-Itan's kidnapping to the BBC, adding that his driver was in hospital. The Jordanian prime minister said that the envoy's release was being negotiated.

Russia military spending on the up, as US and EU cut costs
Russia spends more on arms compared to its GDP than the US and European countries, according to fresh figures released Monday (14 April) by Sipri, a military spending research group. The US remains the world's top military spender in gross terms (€460bn), but its spending decreased by over 7 percent compared to the previous year, mainly because of the withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Asian air pollution strengthens Pacific storms
Air pollution in China and other Asian countries is having far-reaching impacts on weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere, a study suggests. Researchers have found that pollutants are strengthening storms above the Pacific Ocean, which feeds into weather systems in other parts of the world.

Russian fighter jet buzzed US destroyer: Pentagon
A Russian fighter jet made several passes at low altitude near a US destroyer cruising in international waters in the Black Sea at the weekend, the Pentagon said on Monday, branding it “provocative and unprofessional.”

Bomb attack kills 71 at bus station near Nigeria capital
Seventy-one people died in a bomb blast in a packed bus station in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Monday — the deadliest attack yet to strike the city — with the president blaming the explosion on Boko Haram Islamists.

Syrian army seizes ancient Christian town near Lebanon border
Syrian soldiers backed by Hezbollah fighters recaptured the town of Maaloula, north of Damascus, on Monday, military sources and state television said, further squeezing rebels' supply routes through the Qalamoun mountains into Lebanon.

Obama confronts Putin in call as crisis escalates
Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin confronted one another in telephone talks Monday as a standoff over Ukraine escalated after the CIA chief visited Kiev and a Russian war plane "buzzed" a US destroyer.

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IRS documents show Lois Lerner wanted to sic the Justice Department on targeted conservative groups
Tax Exempt Organizations director Lois Lerner was talking to the Justice Department about criminal prosecutions for the groups targeted by her organization. She was also trying to get the Federal Elections Commission – where she used to work, under similar suspicions of politicized abuse of her authority – involved in the witch hunt.

Japan Earthquake 2014 Today Strikes Near Kamaishi
Officials tell news that a 4.4 magnitude Japan earthquake today started just after 9:16 pm local time today. The quake was shallow. Reps tell news that the quake started only twenty-two miles below sea level. As a result the quake could be felt across the region, and on land to the west.

Bloomberg Plans a $50 Million Challenge to the N.R.A.
he has little doubt about what would await him at a Judgment Day. Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said with a grin: “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”

Carson: White House wanted me to apologize for 'offending' Obama
Conservative sage Dr. Ben Carson is claiming the White House was offended by his now-famous keynote address at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast and asked at the time for an apology call to President Obama -- which he didn’t make.

Putin finds allies in European ultranationalists
Russia is cultivating new European allies in its in its mistrust with the United States, and in its quest to set up a barrier against what it perceives as NATO encroachment on its borders, in the form of ultra-nationalist groups who stand to gain seats in the upcoming European Parliament elections in May.

Tens of millions watch heavenly sign
From the humid lowlands of Brazil to the intensely cold and clear air of the Colorado Rockies at 10,000 feet elevation, tens of millions early Tuesday watched a lunar eclipse, the first of a “tetrad” of four blood moons that are to occur over the next 18 months.

Tea-party powerhouse sues Obama admin
'IRS has to follow letter of the law, just like we do'

Middle East Geopolitical Alignments Shifting Towards Ezekiel 38 Scenario
The tensions between Russia and the West seem to be causing some significant geopolitical re-alignments following Russia’s recent political aggressions in relation to Ukraine and Crimea.

Ukraine on brink of civil war as Kiev sends in troops
Ukraine is “on the brink” of civil war as the government launched an “antiterrorist operation” against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. In the first sign of a fightback against militias who have now seized key buildings in a dozen eastern cities, Kiev despatched special forces, combat aircraft and heavy armour to the area.

Security holes in power grid have federal officials scrambling
Adam Crain assumed that tapping into the computer networks used by power companies to keep electricity zipping through transmission lines would be nearly impossible in these days of heightened vigilance over cybersecurity. When he discovered how wrong he was, his work sent Homeland Security Department officials into a scramble.

U.S. warns Beijing over currency weakness
The Obama administration on Tuesday told Beijing it was watching the value of China's currency closely, expressing concern over its recent drop and saying it remains "significantly undervalued." In a semiannual report to Congress, the U.S. Treasury stopped short of declaring China a currency manipulator, but singled it out among large U.S. trading partners for its currency practices.

Who’s watching me? Police took photos of my license plates
The police know exactly where my car has been — and when — during the past few months. ...The top-of-the-line ALPR technology allows local police departments like Alexandria’s to capture up to 1,800 license plates per minute, even of cars going up to 160 mph. Police can check license plate data to match one vehicle’s moves, or against things such as DMV records.

Vials of deadly SARS virus 'go missing' in France
More than 2,300 tubes containing samples of the potentially deadly SARS virus have gone “missing” from a high-security laboratory at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. The research body insists there is no cause for alarm as the samples have “no infectious potential”, but it has filed a complaint against “persons unknown” in an attempt to resolve the mysterious disappearance.

Hundreds of earthquakes strike central Idaho, rattling nerves
The recent earthquake swarm, beginning on March 24 and climaxed by a 4.9 magnitude tremor on Saturday, has produced no reports of injuries or severe damage but has rattled nerves in a region where Idaho's most powerful known quake, measured at 6.9, killed two children in 1983.

Ukraine troops blocked in Kramatorsk as tension rises
Ukrainian troops have entered the eastern town of Kramatorsk a day after an operation began to recapture areas seized by anti-government separatists. However, they were blocked by civilians and it is unclear whether they have any control of the town. In the regional capital, Donetsk, pro-Russian gunmen took control of the mayor's office.

EU parliament gives final nod to banking union
MEPs on Tuesday (15 April) overwhelmingly approved the creation of a new authority and fund for failing banks – a missing element to the so-called banking union aimed at minimising the public cost of future financial crises. ...One key concession won...during final negotiations was a speedier mutualisation of the fund, which will comprise of domestic bank levies paid into "national compartments".

Temple Mount riot in Jerusalem: Hundreds of Palestinians clash with police
Hundreds of Palestinians threw stones and lit fire crackers at police upon opening the main entrance to the Temple Mount Wednesday morning. According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, the violence began as officers stationed at Mughrabi Gate unlocked the passageway at approximately 7:45 a.m.

Westboro Baptist Church to picket funeral of Kansas Jewish center shooting victims
The Westboro Baptist Church...announced Wednesday that it would picket the funeral of two of the three victims of Sunday’s shooting attack at a Jewish Community Center in Overland Park. The church, which is considered “homophobic, anti-Semitic hate group” by the Anti-Defamation League, is infamous for picketing the funerals of American servicemen killed in Afganistan and Iraq and for its vocal anti-homosexual position.

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Ukrainian Jews Told To Register Or Be Deported
Ukrainian Jews leaving Passover eve prayers were handed leaflets ordering them to either register with an interim government that is trying to make the eastern province of Donetsk Russian or face deportation.

Princeton's James: Sanctions Against Russia Could Lead to Banking Crisis, Shooting War
Financial war could hurt the West's highly complex and interconnected financial system much more than it would hurt Russia's relatively isolated financial market, James writes in an article for Project Syndicate.

How Safe Is California? Earthquakes In Chile And Nicaragua Raise Questions About Preparedness
The U.S. and Japan are seen as the leaders in earthquake preparedness. But a spike in seismic activity the past few years has even tiny countries like Nicaragua busy prepping for the worst.

Jews Arrested Trying to Perform Passover Sacrifice on Temple Mount
A group of eight Israeli Jews were arrested on Monday while attempting to ascend the Temple Mount and sacrifice a goat there in fulfillment of the biblical instructions regarding the Passover holiday.

Obama administration begins stealth bailout of Detroit
President Barack Obama is using $100 million in taxpayer cash to help keep Detroit’s pension funds afloat, contradicting his administration’s commitment to avoid a bailout.

Temple Mount Clash Over Passover Sacrifice
An attempt to slaughter an animal for a Passover sacrifice atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem has led to the arrest of eight Jews and a new wave of criticism against the Israeli government. According to local media, eight Jews were taken into custody Monday as they ascended the mount, considered the holiest site in Judaism where two of God’s temples once stood. They were carrying a goat and were reportedly seeking to slay the animal in accordance with biblical instructions.

3.6 Magnitude Earthquake Recorded Near Helena
HELENA, Oklahoma - An earthquake rattled residents near Helena, Oklahoma, Thursday morning. According to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, a 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 6:50 a.m.

Judge: North Dakota 'fetal heartbeat' abortion law unconstitutional
North Dakota's ban on abortions once a fetus has a detectable heartbeat contradicts U.S. Supreme Court rulings, a federal judge said Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland's decision is certain to be appealed. Last year, he blocked the state from enforcing the law, the strictest of new limits on abortion passed recently by Republican state legislatures.

The US is not a democracy but an oligarchy, study concludes
"The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence,”

Chance Of Flares
A broad cluster of four sunspots straddling the sun's equator is facing Earth. Each of the active regions has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that habors energy for M-class solar flares.

Surprising Teleconnections
NASA's AIM spacecraft is discovering surprising "teleconnections" in Earth's atmosphere that link weather and climate across vast distances.

Feds accused of leaving trail of wreckage after Nevada ranch standoff
The federal agency that backed down over the weekend in a tense standoff with a Nevada rancher is being accused of leaving a trail of wreckage behind. Fox News toured the damage -- allegedly caused by the Bureau of Land Management -- which included holes in water tanks and destroyed water lines and fences. According to family friends, the bureau's hired "cowboys" also killed two prize bulls.

The First Commandment: How Spiritual Is America Today?
In the first of a ten-part series called The Ten Today, Sara Israelsen-Hartley at Deseret News meditates on the First of the Ten Commandments and its meaning for modern America.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen to Follow Reagan's 'Taylor Rule'
Yellen made it clear she is was focused on moving Federal Reserve (Fed) policy back to the “Taylor Rule” that was first implemented during President Reagan Administration and for the next 30 years resulted in a period of low inflation and high economic growth. Conservatives and the youth should be optimistic that America is moving back into that “shining city on a hill.”

Swarm of deadly Asian hornets could be heading to Britain
Swarms of deadly Asian hornets which have already killed six in France could be on their way to Britain, experts have warned. Southern parts of England are likely to be among the first hit by the invasive non-native species, who may be able to cross the channel from France, where the hornets first arrived in 2005 and are spreading “rapidly”.

2,000 PLA troops could invade Diaoyutai in 5 hours: WSJ
China has the ability to deploy 2,000 troops to the disputed Diaoyutai islands (Diaoyu to China, Senkaku to Japan) in just five hours using its four Zubr-class air-cushioned landing craft purchased from Russia, according to an Apr. 2 report in the Wall Street Journal.

Fearing repeat of riots, police bar non-Muslims from Temple Mount
Holy site shuttered to Jews and tourists day after violent clashes rock compound; move comes as thousands gather for priestly blessing. The closure order came as tens of thousands of Jews gathered at the Western Wall plaza for the traditional priestly blessing ceremony that takes place during the Passover and Sukkot festivals.

The USPS wants to mine and sell data gathered from your mail
The United States Postal Service is looking to get in on the big-data-for-profit game played by tech giants like Facebook and Google, and begin mining and selling private data gathered from personal mail sent from and received by Americans everywhere. USPS...is “actively looking for ways to build new business lines around what not long ago might have been considered science fiction,” eCommerce Bytes reports.

Earthquake felt over much of Interior, Southcentral Alaska
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake that shook Southcentral Alaska early Wednesday afternoon was also felt by some people in Fairbanks. The quake occurred at 12:24 p.m. and was centered about 40 miles north of Talkeetna, according to the Alaska Earthquake Information Center in Fairbanks.

Obama warns of "consequences" for Russian actions destabilizing Ukraine
President Obama put Russian President Vladimir Putin on notice Wednesday evening, warning that further actions to destabilize the interim Ukrainian government will result in consequences from both the United States and Europe. ...Mr. Obama said it was "absolutely clear" that Russia had violated Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity...and they continue to do so by supporting "non-state militias" in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Moderate earthquake jolts southern Iran
Iran's state TV says a magnitude 5.3 earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated district in the south of the country. The quake was moderate and no injuries were reported.

Earthquake causes panic among population in south-west of Turkey
According to the Kandili Observatory of the Bogazici University and the Earthquake Research Institute, the earthquake occurred at 02:49 local time on April 17 and caused panic among the local population. The earthquake occurred at a depth of five kilometers.

Earthquake tremors felt in Northamptonshire
People in Northamptonshire felt an earthquake this morning that measured 3.2 on the Richter scale.

EU countries to boost defence budgets in light of Ukraine
Military chiefs have said the Ukraine crisis is a “wake-up call” for EU countries’ defence spending, as the US backed Ukraine’s use of force in eastern regions. ...the deputy chief of the EU’s external action service, Maciej Popowski, said: “We’ve had 70 years of peace now [in Europe], but we see that power politics is back with a vengeance, so it’s a wake-up call and now we need to get serious about defence.”

Russia and China forge closer ties, as EU explores sanctions
Russia is rolling out two major projects – a gas pipeline and a Crimea deep water port – with China, as EU countries and the US weigh options on economic sanctions. Russia’s ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told EUobserver on Wednesday (16 April) that work on the “Power of Siberia” pipeline and the Chinese construction of a 25-metre-deep port in Crimea are proceeding as normal despite the Ukraine crisis.

Flyers call for Jews to register with pro-Russians in Ukrainian city
Pro-Russian separatists from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine denied any involvement in the circulation of flyers calling on Jews to register with separatists and pay special taxes. The flyers were distributed earlier this week in the city, where pro-Russian separatists led by Denis Pushilin this month took over several government buildings and declared their secession from Ukraine as the Donetsk Republic amid a standoff with authorities.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks set to resume Thursday
Israeli-Palestinian talks are scheduled to resume Thursday, following a one-day postponement. Israeli officials would neither confirm nor deny reports that the delay was because of the funeral of murdered police officer Baruch Mizrahi. The Palestinians, meanwhile, said the postponement was due to an American request in order to allow the participation of US envoy Martin Indyk.

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Los Angeles Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Northeast of San Diego
Another Southern California earthquake today 2014 has just hit, this time southeast of Los Angeles and northeast of San Diego. The latest Los Angeles neighboring earthquake today April 18, 2014 started just after 1:19 pm local time. The quake was shallow. And it was not on the same epicenter as the La Habra quake reported earlier today.

Mexico shaken by powerful earthquake
A powerful earthquake has hit Mexico City, shaking buildings for at least 30 seconds and causing widespread panic. The magnitude-7.2 quake was registered at a depth of 24km (15 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicentre was in the western state of Guerrero, near the seaside resort of Acapulco

Christian broadcaster Dobson wins temporary ObamaCare mandate injunction
Christian radio broadcaster James Dobson has won a temporary injunction preventing the federal government from requiring his ministry to include the morning-after pill and other emergency contraception in its health insurance. A federal judge in Denver issued the injunction Thursday.

Los Angeles Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes La Habra April 18
A Los Angeles earthquake today 2014 has just La Habra and Southern California again. The Los Angeles earthquake today April 18, 2014 began just after sunrise. Damage assessment is pending.

North Korea EMP attack could destroy U.S. -RIGHT NOW
North Korea now has an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the United States, as demonstrated by their successful launch and orbiting of a satellite on Dec. 12, the Washington Times reports. In fact, the Times report says, “North Korea is a mortal nuclear threat to the United States – right now.”

Obama Military Cuts Have Made U.S. Powerless In Russia-Ukraine Conflict
“Ten thousand American troops have moved west out of Europe,” said Mr. Coffey, an analyst at The Heritage Foundation. “Ten thousand British soldiers have moved west out of Germany, while thousands of Russian soldiers have moved west to the Ukraine.”

Ebola virus circulating in Guinea is new strain
The virus that has caused a deadly Ebola epidemic in Guinea is a new strain that emerged locally, possibly transmitted by fruit bats, virologists have said. The outbreak is the first to be recorded in west Africa, but researchers said the virus causing it did not come from other countries where Ebola already circulates.

Tokyo area hit by magnitude 4.7 earthquake
An earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 4.7 shook eastern Japan, including the capital Tokyo, on Friday morning, but there was no threat of a tsunami and no immediate reports of damage, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Quake hits southern Iran
An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck an area near Shanbeh town of Bushehr province in Southern Iran on Thursday.

USGS: Magnitude 2.7 earthquake near Ina, IL
According to the report, the earthquake hit about 9 miles east-southeast of Ina, Ill. and 17 miles south-southeast of Mount Vernon, Ill.

Strong earthquake strikes off Solomon Islands; no tsunami warning
No tsunami warnings were generated after a strong earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands Thursday evening. The 6.0-magnitude quake was recorded at 6:13 p.m. Hawaii time 76 miles west-southwest of Lata, Solomon Islands at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

US freeing Iran funds as Tehran cuts uranium stockpile
The United States is to release frozen Iranian funds, saying Tehran has kept commitments made under an interim deal over its nuclear programme. It said $450m (£270m) would be made available in light of a report by the world's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. On Thursday the agency said Iran had neutralised half of its higher-enriched uranium stockpile.

Hassle-free travel: US pushing to add Israel to visa waiver program
The United States and Israel are creating a working group to help Israel advance toward joining the visa waiver program. “This is a goal of both the United States and Israel, and it would make travel easier for citizens of both countries,” Julia Frifield, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, said in a letter sent Thursday to Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.).

Iranians carry 'death to Israel' signs as Rouhani tells crowd he supports dialogue
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic had the might to deter any attacks as its military displayed a range of drones and missiles at an annual parade in Tehran... Chanting "God is Greatest", troops paraded missiles carriers, some bearing banners saying "Death to America" and "Death to Israel"...

20 Killed in Raid on UN South Sudan Compound
Officials in South Sudan say gunmen have raided a United Nations compound housing 5,000 civilians and U.N. peacekeepers, killing at least 20 people and wounding 60.

Man’s soda refill costs him $525 and gets him slapped with a federal charge
A Charleston, South Carolina man is speaking out after receiving a $525 ticket following his soda refill at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.

Iran has cut higher-enriched uranium stock 'by half'
Iran has neutralised half of its higher-enriched uranium stockpile, as per a deal agreed earlier this year, the world's nuclear watchdog says. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been checking Iran's adherence to the deal, struck with six world powers.

New Jersey police say mom drove into river trying to kill 3 kids
Three teens frantically used their cellphones to call for help from a sinking van after their troubled mother drove them into a river, their father said Thursday. Ultimately, a passer-by helped all four escape from the cold Delaware River in Florence Township after one sibling kicked out a window.

Peru evacuates Ubinas volcano area after ash cloud
The authorities in Peru say they are evacuating people living near the Ubinas volcano, in the south of the country, because of increased activity. Officials said it would take three days to move 4,000 residents and their livestock to safer grounds.

Vladimir Putin Says Alaska Is Too Cold To Annex
Russian President Vladimir Putin quashed the possibility that Russia would annex Alaska while on a question-and-answer call-in show Thursday, adding that the former Russian colony is cold, too.

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Quake hits near St. Kitts; no damage reported
A magnitude-5.0 earthquake has struck northeast of the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, but there are no immediate reports of damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck Saturday afternoon about 48 miles (77 kilometers) north-northeast of St. Kitts. It was also felt in Anguilla and the French Caribbean island of St. Barts.

Remote Alaska quake followed by aftershocks
A moderate earthquake was recorded Friday morning in Alaska above the Arctic Circle, and was followed by an aftershock almost as powerful.

Philippines rocked by 20 earthquakes in two days
Manila: A total of 20 earthquakes, including three powerful ones, rocked different parts of the Philippines from April 17 to 18, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) told Gulf News on Saturday.

NEWS: Oklahoma Earthquakes
PERRY, Oklahoma - The United States Geological Survey reported a 4.0 magnitude earthquake near Perry Saturday morning. The quake shook Noble county residents around 4:43 a.m. Saturday. The USGS said the earthquake was located one mile southeast of Perry, 14 miles northwest of Stillwater. The depth was recorded over two miles deep.

Japan Begins First Military Expansion In More Than 40 Years
Japan began its first military expansion at the western end of its island chain in more than 40 years on Saturday, breaking ground on a radar station on a tropical island off Taiwan. The move risks angering China, locked in a dispute with Japan over nearby islands which they both claim.

5 Hrs Ago / Global Apple Inadvertently Intensifies the Search for Loch Ness Monster
The image, taken by an Apple map satellite, depicts a shadowy form of around 100 feet in length with something akin to flippers in the water of the Loch Ness.

US government delays Keystone XL pipeline decision
The US state department has given federal agencies more time to review the Keystone XL oil pipeline before it determines whether to issue a permit. The delay suggests the decision whether to approve the pipeline could come after November's midterm elections. The 875-mile (1,408km) pipeline would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, to the US state of Nebraska.

The Occult Meaning of Lady Gaga’s Video “G.U.Y.”
While one could argue that Gaga playing the role of a fallen angel might not inherently imply that she’s referring to Lucifer, a look at the symbolism later in the video strongly points towards it. Indeed, much of the video plays on the esoteric associations between Lucifer, Venus and Ishtar.

6.9 earthquake shakes PNG island
A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake has struck off Papua New Guinea's Bougainville Island but there is no risk of a widespread tsunami, seismologists say.

Western lawmakers strategize on taking control of federal lands
Officials from nine Western states met in Salt Lake City on Friday to discuss taking control of federal lands within their borders on the heels of a standoff between Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and the Bureau of Land Management. The lawmakers and county commissioners discussed ways to wresting oil-, timber- and mineral-rich lands away from the feds. Utah House Speaker Becky Lockhart said it was in the works before this month's standoff.

Pentagon weighs deploying troops to Poland as militants snub Ukraine pact
The Pentagon is exploring options for deploying U.S. troops to Poland to expand NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe because of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, as pro-Russian militants defiantly refused Friday to leave government buildings in eastern Ukraine despite a diplomatic accord reached in Geneva.

EU Focuses Pressure on Israel to Make Concessions, Restart Talks
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton called on Israel to reverse recent announcements regarding construction in Judea and Samaria in order to advance peace talks. Ashton said she viewed with "great concern" an Israeli decision to declare an area near the Gush Etzion Bloc south of Jerusalem as state land and the recognition of Jewish rights to the disputed Peace House in the Judean city of Hevron, a statement from her office said Friday.

Deadly attack on South Sudan base may be considered a 'war crime'
The United Nations Security Council said the attack which killed at least 58 people on a UN base in South Sudan where thousands of civilians were sheltering may 'constitute a war crime'.

Obama signs into law 'terrorist' UN envoy visa ban
President Barack Obama has signed into law a measure that would bar entry to any UN ambassador whom the US says has engaged in "terrorist activity". The law came as a response to Iran's pick of a UN envoy linked to the student militants who overran the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.

Blast kills suspected al-Qaeda militants in Yemen
An air strike killed at least 13 suspected al-Qaeda militants in central Yemen on Saturday, security officials said. The strike in the province of al-Bayda targeted vehicles the insurgents were travelling in at the time. Some reports say three civilians in another car were also killed.

Syria conflict: French journalists freed
Four French journalists held captive in Syria for almost a year have been freed, President Francois Hollande said on Saturday. In a statement, Mr Hollande said he had "learned with great relief this morning of the liberation of the four French journalists"

Ukraine crisis: Kiev calls Easter truce in east
Ukraine's foreign minister has said that operations against pro-Russian militants in the east of the country have been suspended over Easter. Andriy Deshchytsia told the BBC the security services would resume military action if the separatists continued to occupy government offices.

Nobody’s Sure How or Why an American Plane Ended Up in Iran
On Tuesday, a New York Times reporter in Tehran spotted an American plane at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, an extremely unique sight given the harsh sanctions imposed on the country by the United States and other Western nations.

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Western lawmakers gather in Utah to talk federal land takeover
‘It’s time’ Lawmakers from 9 states gather in Utah, discuss ways to take control of federal lands. More than 50 political leaders from nine states convened for the first time to talk about their joint goal: wresting control of oil-, timber -and mineral-rich lands away from the feds.

Officials report earthquake that was felt in Salt Lake Valley
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 3.2 earthquake that was felt in the Salt Lake Valley Saturday night.

4-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southwest Turkey
April 20 - An earthquake measuring 4 magnitude on the Richter scale struck off Mugla province on the southwest coast of Turkey on the Aegean Sea.

Papua New Guinea Hit With Another Powerful Earthquake Triggering Tsunami Warning
Another strong earthquake hit Papua New Guinea late Saturday night. The region was already reeling under an equally intense earthquake a week earlier.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS, MORE TO COME
A minor G1-class geomagnetic storm is in progress following a CME strike during the early hours of April 20th. The impact sparked auroras over Scandinavia visible despite the brightening spring twilight. This is the first of two CME impacts expected to rattle Earth's magnetic field today. NOAA forecasters expect the second CME to trigger a G2-class geomagnetic storm, which is to say "moderate."

China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years
It is said to be China's biggest church and on Easter Sunday thousands of worshippers will flock to this Asian mega-temple to pledge their allegiance – not to the Communist Party, but to the Cross. The 5,000-capacity Liushi church, which boasts more than twice as many seats as Westminster Abbey...opened last year with one theologian declaring it a "miracle that such a small town was able to build such a grand church".

Astronauts plan $250 million asteroid telescope 'to stop disaster'
As members of an elite band of cosmic explorers, they are among the few to have gone beyond the final frontier and looked down on the Earth from space. Now, inspired by the unique perspective they gained of their home planet – and armed with startling new data about the scale of the threat it faces from asteroid strikes – a group of former Nasa astronauts are on an extraordinary mission to save the world.

Jews urged to flee Ukraine by Holocaust survivor
ALL Jewish people should leave Ukraine at once, a Holocaust survivor warned last night, after “grotesque” anti-Semitic leaflets were handed out in the country. The pamphlets and posters, distributed in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk, demanded that the Jewish population register, pay a new tax or leave.

Japan to build military site near disputed Senkaku islands
Japan has begun construction work on a military radar station near a string of islands that is at the centre of a territorial dispute with China. Correspondents say the move will anger Beijing as it may allow Japan to expand surveillance near the Chinese mainland. The new base - on Yonaguni island - is located just 150km (90 miles) from the Japanese-held Senkaku island group, claimed by China as the Diaoyu islands.

Bennett responds to Abbas' threat to disband PA: 'Israel won't stop you'
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday defiantly chafed at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ latest threat to resign and disband the autonomous government that has been ruling over the Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria. ...“If he wants to go, we won’t stop him,” the minister said. “The Jewish people do not negotiate with a gun held against their temple.”

80% of Syrian chemical weapons shipped out: monitors
Syria has shipped out or destroyed approximately 80 per cent of its declared chemical weapons material, the head of the international team overseeing the disarmament process said. Sigrid Kaag, special coordinator of the joint mission of the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said if the momentum was sustained, Syria should be able to meet its April 27 deadline to hand over all declared chemical agents.

Ohio couple married 70 years die 15 hours apart
When Helen Felumlee passed away at the age of 92 Saturday morning, her family knew her husband Kenneth Felumlee, 91, wouldn't be slow to follow her. The couple couldn't bear to be apart very long, and Kenneth passed away only 15 1/2 hours after his wife of 70 years. "We knew when one went, the other was going to go," said daughter Linda Cody to the Zanesville Times Recorder. "We wanted them to go together, and they did."

Giant lasers could control the weather
Zeus, God of the Sky, may be out of work, as scientists at the University of Central Florida believe they've developed a technique -- which involves pointing a high powered laser at the sky -- to induce clouds to drop rain and hurl thunderbolts.

25 years later, western Germany is still pumping money to the east
Twenty-five years after the reunification of East and West Germany, western cities and districts continue to contribute funds to the federal budget for the east’s development, under the government’s fiscal equalization plan. But frustration at the burden has been on the climb, and a growing number of people in the donor districts argue that the transfer system is draining revenue they badly need themselves, and that it’s time for Germany to rethink its notion of "solidarity."

Rioting After Police Limit Muslim Access to Temple Mount
Tens of Palestinian Arab youths rioted at the Temple Mount Sunday morning, after police limited Muslim access to the Mount after another series of clashes on Saturday night. Police have dispersed the riot and arrested 24 rioters; two officers suffered light injuries. The Temple Mount has now been closed to all visitors, including Jews.

Is US as Religiously Diverse as You Think? 'No' Says Pew Study
While many Americans take pride in the country's religious diversity, a new study by the Pew Research Center shows that the United States cannot be seen as a highly diverse country, at least not from a global perspective. The U.S. ranks 68th out of 232 countries and territories on Pew's Religious Diversity Index, which shows that 95 percent of the country's population is either Christian or religiously unaffiliated, while all other religions combined account for just 5 percent of Americans.

Turkey mulls leaving World Wide Web, minister says
Lütfi Elvan, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication, has said Turkey may leave the World Wide Web (www) to establish its own "ttt" protocol, amid the Turkish government's efforts to rein in global websites including Twitter and YouTube.

Western states hold summit on controlling federal land, say 'It's simply time'
Lawmakers from Western states said Friday that the time has come for them to take control of federal lands within their borders and suggested the standoff this month between a Nevada rancher and the federal government was a problem waiting to happen.

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Federal Arrogance Fuels The New Sagebrush Rebellion
This is not new. It is merely a continuation of the Sagebrush Rebellion that began under the regime of the odious James Earl Carter. As in so many other cases, the root cause of the problem is a federal government that is imperious, overbearing, and has ceased to remember that it exists as a servant of the people, not as their master or jailer.

Spike in Earthquakes? An 'Illusion' Raises New Questions
Lay's own research has found that over the last decade the number of major quakes, those measuring 8.0 or bigger, is nearly triple the rate for the 1900s, but whether that's just a random cluster or a sign of dynamic triggering is unclear.

North Korea criticises Obama's 'dangerous' Asia tour
North Korea warned Monday that an upcoming Asian tour by US President Barack Obama could escalate military tensions, as South Korean media cited intelligence reports of increased activity at the North's main nuclear test site. Obama's April 23-29 tour includes visits to Japan and South Korea, the two main US military allies in Asia and key partners in the effort to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

Ukraine’s Jewish residents look for a refuge in Israel
Concerns have been raised after a leaflet reminiscent of Nazi Germany was distributed in Donetsk demanding that Jews over 16 should register with the ­authorities. It has since been branded a fake by the pro-Moscow separatists it claims to represent – but with tens of thousands of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, many are increasingly worried about their safety.

China Shows Off Economic And Political Prowess By Offering To Buy Back Its Lost Art From A Bankrupt American City
China has flexed its growing economic muscle in recent years by investing billions in American real estate and major U.S. companies like Smithfield Foods Inc. Now, it is jumping into the art market with multimillion-dollar offers to buy paintings and artifacts from American museums and collectors. But more than just investing, China wants to buy back its cultural heritage, experts say.

Russia says Kiev 'breaking Geneva accord' on Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the Kiev authorities of breaking last week's Geneva accord on resolving the Ukraine crisis. He said the Kiev government - not recognised by Moscow - had not moved to disarm illegal groups, especially the ultra-nationalist Right Sector. "Extremists are calling the tune," he alleged, condemning a fatal shooting near Sloviansk, in eastern Ukraine.

China seizes Japanese cargo ship over pre-war debt
China's seizure of a Japanese cargo ship over a pre-war debt could hit business ties, Japan's top government spokesman has warned. Shanghai Maritime Court said it had seized the Baosteel Emotion, owned by Mitsui OSK Lines, on Saturday. It said the seizure related to unpaid compensation for two Chinese ships leased in 1936.

Venezuela unrest: Fresh violence erupts in Caracas
Fresh violence has erupted in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, between police and opponents of President Nicolas Maduro. Masked protesters burned effigies of the president after a rally called "Resurrection of Democracy". Police responded to petrol bombs in the Chacao district with tear gas and water cannon.

Why Are Americans Obsessed With Missing Malaysia Air Jet?
“In this modern world we simply refuse to accept that something so concrete can get so out of our physical reach and understanding. … People just refuse to concede that the cause of the disaster will likely forever remain unknown.”

Fatah officials set to head to Gaza for unity talks
A delegation from Fatah is set to head to Gaza on Monday to negotiate a deal that would reunite the two factions, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported on Monday. The Fatah delegation will meet with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Mousa Abu Marzouq.

Palestinians issue list of demands for extension of peace talks
A senior Fatah official said Monday that the Palestinian leadership put forward seven terms by which they would extend peace talks with Israel beyond their April 29 deadline.

IAF bombs terror sites in Gaza after tense morning
The Israel Air Force bombed three terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday following an attack on IDF forces and rocket attacks on Israel. Fighter jets struck three targets accurately and returned to base, the IDF Spokesman’s Office said. There were no reports of casualties in Gaza.

NASA: The Only Thing Stopping a City-Destroying Asteroid Is Blind Luck
So you know how we all kind of thought that our odds of getting destroyed by an asteroid were remarkably low? Yeah, that was wrong.

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Calls to Fire Internal Security Minister Over Temple Mount Riots
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Feiglin branded the string of riots over the Pesach (Passover) holiday as a "Hamas takeover on the Temple Mount." He described how "Hamas flags were flown on the Mount", as Islamists succeeded repeatedly in blocking Jews and tourist groups from visiting the holy site, and said the "sheer helplessness of the Israeli Police" marked a security failure so severe that it was impossible to overlook.

Islamists Threaten to Assassinate French President
An Al Qaeda linked group has called to assassinate French president Francois Hollande, according to terrorism monitoring group SITE, as revenge for France's interventions in Africa.

Did 8.2 Chile quake create big global temblors? .
Some of the best minds in earthquake science have been counting quakes and analyzing seismic waves to see if the largest in a string of recent quakes — the magnitude-8.2 tremor in Chile on April 1 — might have triggered others far, far away.

Why Chris Christie Will Never Be President of the United States
Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor since 2010, has qualities and achievements that appeal to mainstream conservatives, from his direct style to his impressive budget cutting. As a result, he has won support to run as a Republican candidate for president of the United States.

IRS revokes conservative group’s tax-exempt status over anti-Clinton statements
The Internal Revenue Service has revoked the tax-exempt status of a conservative charity for making statements critical of Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Kerry, according to a USA Today report.

Parents Thought They Were Meeting With the School Principal to Complain About State Testing — Instead, They Were Greeted by a Cop
Two Georgia parents who are refusing to allow their children to participate in the state’s standardized tests were confronted by a police officer and told they were trespassing on school grounds when they attempted to meet with administrators and express their opposition to the exams last week.

Max Tegmark: It’s goodbye to the universe – hello to the multiverse
The trouble is, the more we drill down into the subatomic world, the more complexity we find. The bedrock of reality seems as elusive as ever. Perhaps, says a leading theoretical physicist, we do not live in a world of particles and forces at all – but of pure mathematics.

Russia is on God's side - Pat Buchanan
Analyzing Vladimir Putin’s speech on the day when Russia reunited with Crimea, Pat Buchanan made a conclusion that "Russia is on God's side. The West is Gomorrah." Pat Buchanan, Former Assistant to the President for Communications gave his assessment of the Putin’s actions

Obama Calls for Highest Sustained Taxation in U.S. History
In the budget proposal he presented to Congress last month, President Barack Obama called for what would be the highest level of sustained taxation ever imposed on the American people, according to the analysis published last week by the Congressional Budget Office. Under Obama’s proposal, taxes would rise from 17.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product in 2014 to 19.2 percent in 2024.

South Korea: 'Increased activity in N. Korea nuclear site'
South Korea said Tuesday that it identified an increased activity in North Korea nuclear test site and warned that it could well be preparing to carry out a fourth nuclear test.

Ukraine crisis: Biden says Russia must 'start acting'
US Vice-President Joe Biden has said Russia must "stop talking and start acting" to defuse the Ukraine crisis. He was speaking during a joint press conference in Kiev with interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Mr Biden warned Russia that further "provocative behaviour" would lead to "greater isolation" and urged Moscow to end its alleged support for pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine.

Embryos created that were clones of 2 men
Scientists have replicated one of the most significant accomplishments in stem cell research by creating human embryos that were clones of two men. The lab-engineered embryos were harvested within days and used to create lines of infinitely reproducing embryonic stem cells, which are capable of growing into any type of human tissue

Ed Davey: Russia holding world to ransom over energy
Energy ministers from leading nations hope to reduce the influence President Putin holds over the West by reducing their reliance on gas from Russia, The Times reported.

Time for an EU energy union, says Polish PM
The European Union must create an energy union to secure its supply and reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said. Tusk's energy blueprint, set out in an article in the Financial Times on Tuesday (22 April), would establish a single European body that would buy gas for the whole 28-nation bloc.

Jordan summons Israeli envoy in Amman after Temple Mount clashes
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry asked Israeli Ambassador Daniel Nevo on Monday to convey... Following clashes at the contested holy site this week, Amman told the Israeli ambassador that “assaulting Muslim worshipers and allowing [in] Jewish extremists” must stop and that Jordan holds Israel, as the “occupying power,” responsible for the security of the mosque and the Muslim worshipers there.

If talks fail, Abbas said to be weighing dissolution of Oslo, PA
Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly threatened to dissolve the PA and disband Palestinian security forces operating in the West Bank if peace negotiations with Israel fail, a move which would create huge security and diplomatic problems for Israel.

Palestinians deny considering dismantling PA if talks fail
Palestinians officials on Tuesday played down reported threats to dismantle the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which is Israel’s interlocutor, if US-sponsored peace talks remain deadlocked.

Psychological testing ordered for NBC News star
officials at NBC have ordered psychological research of “Meet the Press” host David Gregory and his family, in a desperate attempt to make the newsman more likable, as the show’s ratings have plunged off a cliff, sounding alarm bells among top network brass.

Saudi Arabia announces jump in new cases of deadly MERS virus
Saudi Arabia confirmed 20 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)on Saturday and Sunday, adding up to 49 infections in six days, a sudden increase of a disease that kills about a third of the people infected and has no cure.

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rocks Ilocos Sur
Manila, Philippines—A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Ilocos Sur Tuesday dawn, the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said

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US reacts to Russia’s growing clout, warming ties to Egypt by unfreezing weapon aid
The US move to unfreeze the delivery of 10 advanced Apache helicopters to Egypt comes on the heels of Russia’s increasing global activity and warming relations with the pivotal Arab country.

Four Killed in Kenya Car Bomb
Four people, including two police officers, were killed when a car bomb exploded in Kenya’s capital Nairobi Wednesday night, the Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account.

Magnitude-6.7 quake off British Columbia coast
The U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center says a magnitude 6.7 quake has been recorded in the Pacific Ocean off the northwest corner of British Columbia's Vancouver Island. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, says there is no danger of a tsunami from the Wednesday night quake.

India to pay Iran nearly $2 billion in deal to blunt sanctions bite
India is set to pay Iran $1.65 billion over the next three months under an interim nuclear deal that eases sanctions on Tehran and gives it access to $4.2 billion in blocked funds, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Interfaith Panel Denounces a 9/11 Museum Exhibit’s Portrayal of Islam
At issue is whether it is inflammatory for the museum to use terms like “Islamist” and “jihad” in conjunction with the Sept. 11 attacks, without making clear that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful. The panel has urged the use of more specific language, such as “Al Qaeda-inspired terrorism” and doing more to explain the meaning of jihad.

Jerusalem is not up for grabs
US Secretary of State John Kerry has blamed the sudden deadlock in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Israel’s plans to build additional apartments in Gilo, a southern Jerusalem neighborhood beyond the Green Line. This indicates America’s profound misunderstanding of the situation. With over 40,000 residents, Gilo is to be part of Israel under any agreement. More importantly, the peace negotiations have little chance of succeeding as long as the Palestinians demand the partition of Jerusalem.

Reformation Or Revolution? A Review Of God And The Gay Christian
Imagine a book with a thesis that calls into question 2,000 years of established Christian theology and biblical exegesis. It recasts basic principles of biblical anthropology and human embodiment. It also puts two millennia of faithful obedience to divine revelation on the side of injustice and ignorance. Now, Christians are accustomed to either non-Christians or liberal Christians making claims of this nature, but not from individuals supposedly nestled confidently within the evangelical camp.

‘Editing DNA’ to eliminate genetic conditions now a reality
Scientists have employed a revolutionary genome-editing computer technique that accurately identifies one faulty genetic “letter” among billions and effortlessly repairs a genetic condition in animals, paving way for human trials. The success, by MIT in Boston, is the latest achievement in the field of genome editing that has been catapulted into the spotlight through a technology that can pinpoint genetic faults in chromosomes and literally fix them by changing tiny segments.

Antibiotic-Resistant MRSA 'Superbug' Spreading Into US Homes
An anti-biotic resistant “superbug” that has long affected hospitals and other health care locations around the world has now found a new “reservoir” location: inside U.S. homes.

Obama: U.S. will defend Japan if China seizes Senkaku Islands
Obama—for the first time as an incumbent U.S. president—clearly stated the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture are subject to Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, in a written reply to questions submitted by The Yomiuri Shimbun. “The policy of the United States is clear—the Senkaku Islands are administered by Japan and therefore fall within the scope of Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

When government looks more like foe than friend
Feds who send arms against ranch families betray American values.

Massive Volcanic Eruptions Wreaking Havoc On The World
As the world seems to hurdle from one crisis to another, today a 43-year market veteran warned King World News that massive volcanic eruptions are now wreaking havoc on the world. Jeffrey Saut, Chief Investment Strategist at Raymond James, also warned this trend is going to continue for many years, even though no one in the mainstream media is talking about this.

'Obama eligibility source' could 'embarrass' U.S., U.K.
Self-proclaimed international intelligence expert Michael Shrimpton plans to launch a vigorous defense on charges of making false claims to British government officials that a terrorist nuclear attack was under way during the 2012 Olympics in London, raising the possibility documents and testimony he plans to subpoena will embarrass the U.K., German and U.S. governments.

Israeli army to start calling up Christians
Israel is to start sending call-up papers to all Christian Arabs of military service age, the army said on Tuesday, angering Arab MPs who accused the government of seeking to divide Christians from Muslims. Military service will remain voluntary for Israel's 130,000 Christian Arabs as it is for its more than 1.3 million Muslim Arabs but only Christians will receive the call-up papers, an army spokesman said.

Saudi opposition reports King Abdullah has terminal lung cancer
The Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs, quoting sources in Saudi Arabia and the United States, said Abdullah was told he could be dead by the end of 2014. “The king has been told by his medical team he may have as little as six months left to live,” the institute said.

U.S., Yemen attacks kill 55 'leading and dangerous elements' of Al Qaida
Yemen and the United States have launched intense air strikes on Al Qaida. Officials said up to 55 Al Qaida fighters were killed in U.S. and Yemeni air strikes on insurgency camps in the Arab state.

'Abbas Can Have Peace with Israel or Hamas - Not Both'
Binyamin Netanyahu addressed flailing attempts to rekindle peace talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA) Wednesday, during a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz. "You're coming at an important time," he told Kurz. "We're trying to re-launch the negotiations with the Palestinians."

Steyn: Hitler, Stalin and Mao Are in Hell Laughing at 'Big Government' Global Warming Efforts
conservative commentator Mark Steyn criticized the global warming movement, including the hypocrisy of its leaders and the idea of a so-called bovine flatulence tax. “Barbra Streisand she took her Gulfstream to fly into Washington to chew over climate change with the president. And that's fine if Barbra Streisand and Al Gore does it,” Steyn said. “But the rest of us -- we are supposed to be beating our clothes with the native women down by the river

Terror wing reactivated as peace talks collapse
The Palestinian Authority is engaged in a multi-pronged effort to press the U.S. to continue talks to create a Palestinian state beyond Secretary of State John Kerry’s deadline for momentum at the end of this month. According to informed Middle Eastern security officials, the PA pressure tactics include re-establishing its terrorist group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

NASA's new mission: Warbots?
While the federal government’s increased use and advocacy of drones over U.S. skies is widely known, its promotion of another technological advancement has received less attention: the accelerated deployment of “humanoid robots” into American society.

China Challenges Obama’s Asia Pivot With Rapid Military Buildup
President Barack Obama’s trip to Asia this week will be dominated by a country he’s not even visiting: China. Each of the four nations on the president’s itinerary is involved in territorial disputes with an increasingly assertive China...years of military spending gains have boosted the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army faster than many defense analysts expected...

EU elections may strengthen Putin in Europe
Far-right parties are set to do well in next month’s elections to the European Parliament, a fact that has thrown a spotlight on their links with the Kremlin. A recent study by the Budapest-based Political Capital Institute documents the support that far-right parties in the EU have given to Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly throughout the Ukraine crisis.

Abbas sets conditions for extending talks with Israel
...Speaking to a group of Israeli journalists in Ramallah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas laid out his three conditions for continuing talks with Israel: that Israel release the fourth batch of Palestinian security prisoners, including Israeli-Arabs, and that none of them be deported; that Israel freeze all settlement construction; and that the first three months of the extended talks deal with the borders of a future Palestinian state.

Israel's Air Force Chief Warns of 'Sudden' War
Israel could be in for a surprise war, Israel's air force chief Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel warned. Eshel's comments come as tensions are increasing along the Israeli-Syrian border. Eshel says the threat of a sudden war erupting on multiple fronts is much more relevant today.

Missouri executes inmate convicted of killing farming couple in 1993
Missouri has executed an inmate convicted of murder in the 1993 deaths of a farming couple. Missouri Department of Corrections spokesman Mike O'Connell says William Rousan was declared dead at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday. He was put to death by lethal injection at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.

South Korea: North Korea could launch nuclear missile tests 'at any moment'
North Korea could be preparing for its fourth nuclear test in seven years, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Defence. A spokesman from South Korea’s Ministry of Defence said that the country’s intelligence agencies have detected a lot of activity in the Punggye-ri area of the country, the place where North Korea’s nuclear test site is situated.

Yemen identifying 'militants' killed in air strikes
Yemeni officials are working to identify some of the dozens of suspected militants killed in a series of air strikes in recent days. DNA tests are being carried out to establish whether two senior figures in al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - its leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi and bombmaker Ibrahim al-Asiri - are among them.

Russia risks further US sanctions over Ukraine, says Kerry
The US Secretary of State has warned of further sanctions on Russia if it does not de-escalate tensions in Ukraine. In a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, John Kerry expressed "deep concern over the lack of positive Russian steps". Russia blames Kiev's leaders for the collapse of last week's Geneva accord.

'Piles and piles' of bodies in S. Sudan slaughter
The U.N. says hundreds of civilians were killed in the massacre last week in Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan's oil-producing Unity state, a tragic reflection of longstanding ethnic hostilities in the world's newest country.

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NEWS: Oklahoma Earthquakes
ALVA, Oklahoma A 3.2 magnitude earthquake shook near Alva Thursday. It happened just before noon Thursday,

Shaky ground in tornado alley
Oklahoma has suddenly become earthquake country, and no one knows why.

California Earthquake 2014 Today Strikes Stanford, Palo Alto
A California earthquake today 2014 has struck Stanford and Palo Alto. The California earthquake today April 24, 2014 began in the predawn morning hours. No inures are expected to be reported.

Obama Sends Pro-Abortion Delegation To Vatican
As the Vatican prepares the canonization ceremonies for Pope John Paul XXIII and Pope John Paul II this Sunday, the unspoken issue dividing the Roman Catholic Church and the White House is President Obama’s determination to force faith-based groups to pay for abortions and contraception as part of Obamacare.

Activists: Syrian airstrikes in north kill 18
Syrian government airstrikes targeted a vegetable market in a rebel-held town in the northern Aleppo province on Thursday, killing at least 18 people and wounding scores of others, opposition activists said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighter jets hit the crowded market in the town of Atareb in the morning hours.

Stop Twisting the Bible … to Make it Fit Same-Sex Marriage
So when I saw the headline that there is no message against same-sex marriage in the Bible, I felt a challenge coming on. Has somebody come up with an argument I’ve never encountered? I’ve read all the arguments pro and con, did I miss something?

‘Obama Not Welcome’ – Police turn fire hoses on Filipino anti-Obama demonstrators protesting the presidents visit
The protesters held up paper American flags that read ‘Obama not welcome’ to show their outrage over a expected security pact that would increase the presence of the American military in the Philippines. Police clashed with demonstrators, using truncheons, shields and fire hoses to stop the groups movement towards the US Embassy, reports NBC

With unity deal, a catch-22 for Abbas
as State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Israel could hardly be expected “to sit down and negotiate with a group that denies its right to exist.”

US troops arrive in Poland for drills amid rising tensions over Ukraine
The first wave of US troops has arrived in Poland to begin military drills “promoting peace and stability” across Eastern Europe. Tensions continue to mount in the region, as Ukraine teeters on the brink of a civil war.

Canadian aborted babies incinerated in Oregon waste-to-energy facility to provide electricity
The British Columbia Health Ministry has admitted that the remains of babies destroyed by abortion in B.C. facilities are ending up in a waste-to-power facility...providing electricity for residents of Oregon. The province’s Health Ministry said ...“biomedical waste” shipped to the U.S. to be incinerated includes “human tissue, such as surgically removed cancerous tissue, amputated limbs, and fetal tissue.”

Opposing worldviews: Bundy supporters 'patriots' – or 'terrorists'?
During a recent debate on Nevada radio station KSNV, the political divide between Nevada's two U.S. senators became clear. Republican Dean Heller called the militia groups camped out at Clive Bundy's ranch "patriots," while Democrat Harry Reid labeled them "domestic terrorists."

Networks Continue to Ignore Obama Admin Considering Pardons for Thousands of Drug Offenders
The broadcast networks have still not reported a new Justice Department initiative that would consider clemency for thousands of drug offenders.

Dutch scramble jets after Russian bombers approach
The Dutch defense department says several NATO member countries scrambled jets Wednesday afternoon after a pair of Russian bomber planes approached their airspace over the North Sea. The Dutch ministry identified the planes as two Russian TU-95 Bears, and said it had launched two F-16s from Volkel air force base to intercept them.

IRS gives free pass to famous Obama leftist group
On Monday, USA Today published an IRS document confirming that in February the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status for the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty, a small, conservative group founded in 1997 and based in Manassas, Va., that had operated for years as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The center advertises itself as “committed to fostering, promoting, and advocating the restoration of Liberty as the primary object of American society.”

US troops arrive in Poland for exercises across Eastern Europe amid Ukraine crisis
U.S. Army paratroopers are arriving in Poland on Wednesday as part of a wave of U.S. troops heading to shore up America's Eastern European allies in the face of Russian meddling in Ukraine. Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said an initial contingent of about 600 troops will head to four countries across Eastern Europe for military exercises over the next month.

Hamas and Fatah unveil Palestinian reconciliation deal
Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have announced a reconciliation deal, saying they will try to form a unity government in the coming weeks. Hamas and Fatah split violently in 2007. Previous reconciliation agreements have never been implemented. The deal comes amid troubled peace talks between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel.

Texas AG Abbott Doubles Down on 'Come and Take It' Statement
“This is alarming and disturbing because private property owners in Texas have owned this land that abuts up against the Red River for generations,” Abbott said. “They have cultivated it and they have produced off of it now. And now seemingly out of the blue, the federal government is coming in and trying to seemingly stake a claim to what we think is private property owned by Texans. And so what we are doing is firing off this letter to the Bureau of Land Management to find out exactly what it is they are looking into because we feel that for one, at a minimum, they are overreaching, trying to grab land that belongs to Texans.

Hidden surveillance recorders all over NYC are tweeting people’s conversations
A pair of artists have hidden recording devices in random public and private places around New York City and have been tweeting people’s private conversations for months as part of an experiment to increase surveillance awareness.

Weapon of Last Resort: ECB Considers Possible Deflation Measures
Speaking to gathered journalists at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Draghi twice almost uttered a word he has been at pains to avoid. "Defla…", Draghi began, before stopping himself and continuing with the term "low inflation." Yet despite Draghi's efforts, the specter of deflation was omnipresent in Washington during the meetings. And it is one that is making central bank heads and government officials nervous across the globe. The IMF in particular is alarmed, with Fund economists warning that there is currently up to a 20 percent risk of a euro zone-wide deflation.

4.6-magnitude quake hits Surigao del Norte
MANILA, Philippines—A 4.6 magnitude earthquake jolted Surigao del Norte Thursday noon but no aftershocks are expected, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

6.7 earthquake off Northern Vancouver Island rattles residents
An earthquake off the west coast of Vancouver Island shook coastal residents Wednesday evening. The quake registered a magnitude of 6.7, according to the United States Geological Survey, and it happened at 8:10 p.m.

US reacts to Russia’s growing clout, warming ties to Egypt by unfreezing weapon aid
The US move to unfreeze the delivery of 10 advanced Apache helicopters to Egypt comes on the heels of Russia’s increasing global activity and warming relations with the pivotal Arab country.

Four Killed in Kenya Car Bomb
Four people, including two police officers, were killed when a car bomb exploded in Kenya’s capital Nairobi Wednesday night, the Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account.

India to pay Iran nearly $2 billion in deal to blunt sanctions bite
India is set to pay Iran $1.65 billion over the next three months under an interim nuclear deal that eases sanctions on Tehran and gives it access to $4.2 billion in blocked funds, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Interfaith Panel Denounces a 9/11 Museum Exhibit’s Portrayal of Islam
At issue is whether it is inflammatory for the museum to use terms like “Islamist” and “jihad” in conjunction with the Sept. 11 attacks, without making clear that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful. The panel has urged the use of more specific language, such as “Al Qaeda-inspired terrorism” and doing more to explain the meaning of jihad.

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Walter Mondale backs decision to pay a woman less
Former Vice President Walter Mondale testified in U.S. District Court in St. Paul Thursday, defending his decision to pay a woman $30,000 less than a man at the Norwegian Consulate in Minnesota, when he was honorary consul general.

Former U.S. President Suggests The Idea Of Alien Invasion Bringing World Unity
“An alien invasion of planet earth would not be surprising, and could unite this increasingly divided world of ours, because the differences among people of Earth would seem small in comparison. An invasion by extraterrestrials might be the best way to unite the fractious countries of our war-wracked planet, if we feel threatened by a space invader.

Obama Oks Hire Of 2 Muslim Chaplains With Terror Ties For Active US Military Service
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), a U.S. Muslim Brotherhood entity, is proudly announcing that the U.S. military is again using their chaplains for active-duty service after a 15-year lull.

2,000-year-old chisel found at the Western Wall may have been used in its construction
Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient chisel that may have been used in the construction of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, according to a report in Haaretz. The chisel was found along with a number of other Second Temple-era artifacts, which draw into question the belief that the wall was commissioned to be built by King Herod.

Controlling Nature: Man and Weather Manipulation
The U.S. government may have gone a step further in influencing weather not with ballistics or chemicals, but with electromagnetic energy. The High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (Project HAARP) out of Gakona, Alaska, was managed by the Air Force, the Navy, and others from its inception in 1993 to its alleged closure last year. HAARP consisted of a 180 large antennae arrays, each about 72 feet tall, that used electromagnetic radio wave radiation with a range of 3.6 million watts to energize the ionosphere.

Humongous iceberg slowly drifts away from Antarctica
An iceberg -- bigger than the island of Guam and six times larger than Manhattan -- is slowly drifting away from Antarctica. The giant chunk of ice calved from the South Pole last year, and scientists have been doing their best to track the berg's movement.

Fatah insisting unity government recognize Israel
PA ‘won’t complete the reconciliation process’ unless Hamas agrees to international conditions, senior official says.

West and Russia must unite to tackle radical Islam, says Tony Blair
Highlighting the ''growing'' danger from religious extremism, the former prime minister is to call for it to be put at the ''top of the agenda''. Failing to ''take sides'' with moderates in the Middle East and North Africa could mean the 21st century is dominated by conflict rather than peaceful coexistence, he will say. Mr Blair is due to make the intervention in a speech at Bloomberg in London on Wednesday morning.

Should The Episcopal Church Now Embrace Threesomes?
Here comes the bride. And another one. And another one! Meet world's first married lesbian THREESOME . . . and they're expecting a baby in July. Doll, Kitten and Brynn, all from Massachusetts, married last August. Kitten is expecting a daughter in July.

Ala. Supreme Court: 'Unborn Child Has Inalienable Right to Life From its Earliest Stages'
In a case about a pregnant woman who used cocaine and endangered her unborn child, the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed (8-1) that the word “child” includes “an unborn child,” and that the law therefore “furthers the State’s interest in protecting the life of children from the earliest stages of their development.”

Rev. Graham: ‘Christians Are Being Attacked’ by Hollywood & Some ‘News Media’
Anti-Christian actions are occurring in America and much of it is “coming out of the entertainment industry” and some segments of the “news media,” said Rev. Franklin Graham, who added that “Christians are being attacked” and this is on the rise globally, along with increasing incidents of anti-Semitism.

French banker 14th financial-services executive death
There have been 13 senior financial services executives deaths around the world this year, but the most notable thing about the sad suicide of the 14th, a 52-year-old banker at France’s Bred-Banque-Populaire, as she is the first female.

'Mystery man' requested IRS prosecute conservatives
The IRS scandal now has a mystery figure – someone in a position of great power who requested the targeting of conservative groups. The congressional committee leading the investigation into the IRS abuse scandal obtained a bombshell email from a Justice Department employee to an IRS official that says, “I have been asked to run something by you.”

S. Korean navy fires warning shots on N. Korean ships Read more: S. Korean navy fires warning shots on N. Korean ships
A South Korean naval vessel fired warning shots after two North Korean patrol boats crossed the disputed maritime border Friday, just before US President Barack Obama arrived in Seoul for a two-day visit. The two North Korean boats, which normally serve to keep fishing boats on the right side of the boundary, crossed “one nautical mile south” into South Korean waters, a defense ministry official told AFP.

At scene of Nevada ranch standoff, 'citizen soldiers' are on guard
The first thing you see on the drive to Cliven Bundy's ranch are the American flags — tied to roadside guardrails, flapping in a hard desert wind. ..."State sovereignty is what we're fighting for," reads a sign strung to a fence. And another: "The West has now been won!"

Strongest sandstorm in decades sweeps China
A strong sandstorm swept Gansu Province in northwest China on Wednesday, reducing visibility to less than 65ft, according to the provincial meteorological center. The sandstorm, the strongest since 1996 according to reports, started in the early afternoon in Dunhuang County. "Suddenly it became dark and I can't tell whether it's day or night," said one resident.

Tensions in Ukraine flare as EU calls for groups to lay down weapons
Ukrainian forces killed up to five pro-Moscow rebels on Thursday (24 April) prompting Russia to launch army drills near the border and raising fears the crisis is escalating. EU foreign affairs spokesman Michael Mann told reporters in Brussels that all parties to the joint Geneva statement must put pressure on the groups to help diffuse the recent rise in tensions.

In wake of Hamas-Fatah unity, Israel calls off talks with Palestinians
Five days before the scheduled end of the current round of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the security cabinet decided Thursday to suspend the talks and efforts to extend them past the April 29 deadline. The decision, coming at the end of a seven hour discussion in Tel Aviv, comes in reaction to Wednesday's Palestinian announcement of Fatah-Hamas reconciliation.

Syrian regime under siege near Israel's border
Assad regime loyalist military forces have been under siege in the border area near Israel for many months, and attempts by the Syrian army to reverse rebel victories in the region have so far been a failure. ...The IDF watches closely as rebels and Syrian army forces attack one another every day. It continues to make preparations for the day when jihadi gunmen turn their sights southward, toward the Israeli border.

China splurging on military as US pulls back
China's navy commissioned 17 new warships last year, the most of any nation. In a little more than a decade, it's expected to have three aircraft carriers, giving it more clout than ever in a region of contested seas and festering territorial disputes.

Obama Warns North Korea Against Nuclear Test
President Barack Obama is warning of a "firm response" should North Korea go ahead with a fourth nuclear test that some analysts and officials say could take place in the coming days.

Religious Freedom Under Threat in the US and Abroad, Says Q Conference Speaker
Religious freedom and the common good was among the topics discussed Wednesday during the annual three-day Q Conference which is built around the belief that "Christians are called to redeem entire cultures, not just individuals."

Assad’s Boasts
Syrian President Bashar Assad said he expects that major military operations in Syria will conclude by the end of 2014. Following this, all that will remain will be the need to deal with the ongoing problem of “terrorists.” The bullish confidence of the Syrian leader followed recent remarks by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who said in a speech that the danger that the Syrian regime could fall has now been averted.

Iran petrol prices surge as subsidies cut
Iran has cut state subsidies on petrol in a move that saw prices rise at midnight by up to 75%. Reports said Iranians rushed to fill up their cars before the deadline. The government of President Hassan Rouhani hopes the move will bolster an economy battered by Western sanctions.

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Sun Unleashes Major Solar Flare
The powerful flare peaked at 8:27 p.m. EDT Thursday (0027 April 25 GMT), and ranked as an X1.3-class solar storm, one of the strongest types of flares the sun can experience, according to a report from the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center.

Guatemala Earthquake 2014 Today: Terremoto en Mexico Hits Off Coast
Officials tell news that a 5.0 magnitude Guatemala earthquake started just after 7:33 am local time today. The quake was deep. Reps tell news that the Guatemala earthquake started fifty-two miles below sea level.

Abbas to announce his Hamas-backed government will recognize Israel
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will on Saturday formally present the political platform...in the wake of his Fatah faction’s unity pact with Hamas... The official...said Abbas would tell the PLO’s Central Committee that the new government...would recognize Israel and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. The government would also be committed to a two-state solution...

Saudi Arabia says MERS virus cases top 300, 5 more die
Saudi Arabia said on Friday it had discovered 14 more cases of the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)...bringing the total number to 313. A health ministry statement said the new cases had been reported in the capital Riyadh, the coastal city of Jeddah and the "holy capital" Mecca in the past 24 hours. Authorities had also registered five more deaths due to the virus, it said.

Qaeda chief urges kidnappings of Americans
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has called in an interview for militants to kidnap Westerners, especially Americans, to exchange them for jihadist captives. In the second part of an interview with Al-Qaeda media arm As-Sahab, which the US-based SITE monitoring service said a jihadist posted on Twitter, Zawahiri was asked what Muslims should do to free militant prisoners.

Ukraine crisis: G7 'to intensify Russia sanctions'
The G7 group of economic powers has agreed to intensify sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. A G7 statement gave no detail of the sanctions, but US officials said they could announce measures by Monday. The West accuses Russia of leading a secession rebellion in Ukraine's east, months after it annexed Crimea. Moscow denies the allegations.

Iranian diplomat: Israel sole obstacle to nuclear weapons-free Mideast
Iran's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations has blamed Israel as the sole obstacle for "a Middle East free of nuclear weapons." Iranian media reported on Saturday. Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal and its refusal to sign the international Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty pose a barrier to ensuring nuclear weapons are not spread throughout the region...

Kim urges N.Korea soldiers to ready for 'impending conflict'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has chided his soldiers, telling them to be ready for "impending conflict with the United States," Pyongyang media reported on Saturday as satellites showed a nuclear test could be near

Flash floods in northern Afghanistan kill 75
Flash floods after heavy rains in northern Afghanistan killed at least 75 people and damaged thousands of homes, leaving authorities scrambling to help survivors in the remote region, officials said. The rains began late Thursday and continued into Friday in four provinces. The worst affected appeared to be Jawzjan, where at least 36 people were killed, according to police spokesman Abdul Manan Raoufi. Other officials put the death toll there at 43.

North Korea says it's detained an American tourist for improper behavior
North Korea says it has detained an American for what it called improper behavior while the man was being processed to enter the country as a tourist. The official Korean Central News Agency identified the man as Miller Matthew Todd, 24, and said he entered the country on April 10 with a tourist visa, but tore it up and shouted that he wanted to seek asylum. It said the man is being investigated after authorities detained him for "gross violation" of North Korea's legal order.

Obama: US will persist with Middle East peace effort
The US will not abandon its peace efforts with Israel and the Palestinians, despite the breakdown of current talks, Barack Obama has said. President Obama lamented that "neither side had political will to make tough decisions" and that there may need to be a pause in the process. Mr Obama said Washington would continue to offer "constructive approaches".

Explosions at Iraq election rally in Baghdad 'kill 31'
At least 31 people have been killed in Iraq as a series of blasts targeted a Shia election rally in Baghdad. Several people were seriously injured in the attack, which took place at a rally for the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq party. The attack - claimed by al-Qaeda-linked militants - comes less than a week before Iraqis are due to head to the polls in parliamentary elections.

Brazilian military rule torturer Paulo Malhaes found dead
A Brazilian former army colonel who admitted torturing and killing political prisoners under military rule up to the 1980s has been found dead. Paulo Malhaes, 76, was killed by three men who entered his home outside Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, police say. Last month, he said he never regretted killing "as many people as necessary" and tortured "many" prisoners.

Ukraine crisis: Pentagon says Russian jets violated airspace
The US says Russian military aircraft have entered Ukrainian airspace on several occasions, amid rising tension in the east of the country. A Pentagon spokesman called on Russia to "de-escalate the situation". The statement came as the G7 group of industrialised countries agreed on Saturday to "swiftly" impose fresh sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.

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Britain is a 'post-Christian' country says former Archbishop
Britain is now a "post-Christian" country, the former Archbishop of Canterbury has said. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Rowan Williams said Britain was not a nation of believers and that the era of widespread worship was over. It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron said people in Britain should be confident of its status as "a Christian country".

St. Peter's overflows for historic day of 4 popes
Tens of thousands of people filled St. Peter's Square on Sunday for a historic day of four popes, with Francis and Benedict XVI honoring their predecessors John XXIII and John Paul II and declaring them saints in the first ever canonization of two pontiffs.

Palestinian pact with Hamas threatens US aid
The Palestinian Authority’s latest push to establish a reconciliation government with the terrorist group Hamas jeopardizes hundreds of millions of dollars in US aid that the self-ruling body has consistently received for nearly two decades.

Illinois Dems back off $100 million push for Obama library following outrage
Illinois Democrats are backing off a plan to give $100 million of state money toward landing President Obama’s presidential library and museum -- following accusations of voting “shenanigans” and nasty Chicago-style politics, not to mention the state’s dire financial situation.

Driver who hit boys suing dead youth
Sharlene Simon was driving her SUV when it struck two young bicyclists, killing one and seriously injuring another. Now she is suing the boys, claiming her “enjoyment of life has been irretrievably lessened.”

Russia Unexpectedly Raises Key Rate as S&P Cuts Rating Near Junk
Russia’s central bank sprung a surprise by raising its benchmark interest rate after Standard & Poor’s downgraded the world’s biggest energy exporter for the first time in six years as capital outflows threaten growth.

Chung Hong-won offers resignation over ferry sinking response
South Korea's prime minister offered to resign Sunday over the government's handling of a deadly ferry sinking, blaming "deep-rooted evils" in society for a tragedy that has left more than 300 people dead or missing and led to widespread shame, fury and finger-pointing.

Ukraine PM says Russia provoking to start war
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Saturday that Russian military aircraft had crossed the country's airspace seven times "to provoke Ukraine to start a war." "Russian military aircraft today overnight crossed and violated Ukrainian airspace seven times. The only reason is to provoke Ukraine to start a war," he told journalists at a briefing in Rome, following a meeting with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Kim Jong-Un tells N Korea soldiers to be ready for conflict with US
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has chided his soldiers, telling them to be ready for "impending conflict with the United States," Pyongyang media reported Saturday as satellites showed a nuclear test could be near.

Report: Palestinians attack Israeli in Berlin
A group of six Palestinian youths punched an Israeli in the face on Friday in Berlin after they questioned him about citizenship. The 31-year-old Israeli filed a criminal complaint, according to the daily BZ newspaper. The paper titled its article ”Anti-Semitism: Punched in the face because he is Israeli.”

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Some Good News About Israel
With the proliferation of anti-Israel invective in the American Church, primarily thorough the efforts of highly visible, pro Palestinian leaders like Cameron Strang and Lynne Hybels, it is refreshing to see counter-measures from folks like Untold News.

Two Earthquakes Shake Up Stillwater Area
Two small earthquakes were recorded near Stillwater, Sunday night. A 3.2 magnitude quake struck around 9:30 p.m., two miles to the southeast of Stillwater, or about 50 miles north northeast of the OKC metro, at a depth of just under three miles.

Exactly Like 7 Years Ago? 2014 Is Turning Out To Be Eerily Similar To 2007
As you are about to see, U.S. home sales fell dramatically throughout 2007 even as the mainstream media, our politicians and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke promised us that everything was going to be just fine and that we definitely were not going to experience a recession. Of course we remember precisely what followed.

MERS brought from Saudi to Egypt. Abbas:Recognizing Israel. Saudi prince cautions Gulf States re Iran
Egypt has discovered its first case of the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in an Egyptian citizen who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, Egypt’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday[26 April]. The virus, which can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia, has spread from the Gulf to Europe and has already caused over 90 deaths.

Lead author claims U.N. climate change report was rewritten for political reasons
If the Church of Global Warming still had any real credibility, the bombshell revelations by Harvard professor Robert Stavins in an open letter published Friday would be devastating. As it is, the fanatics will probably scream that Stavins has become a Nazi-like "climate denier" or tool of Big Oil or something.

‘We are living in a post-Christian Britain and things will get worse’.
The majority of Roman Catholics and Anglicans are scared to practise their faith in ‘post-Christian’ Britain says a former archbishop of Canterbury. Lord Williams of Oystermouth, the former Dr Rowan Williams, claims that the country is not ‘a nation of believers’ and further decline is inevitable. While the country is not populated exclusively by atheists, the former archbishop said that the era of regular and widespread worship is over.

Memo Reveals Clinton White House Paranoia Over Free Internet
A heavily redacted memo from then-President Bill Clinton’s White House...revealed that the disgraced administration was frantic about the rise of the free Internet and its implications. The radical document expresses paranoia about the fact that Americans — especially those on what it calls the “right wing” — could now bypass the establishment media to spread the truth and ideas, all of it “unregulated.” Gasp!

Nation comes to standstill as sirens wail for 6 million lost
Two-minute Holocaust commemoration precedes ceremonies across country to mark annual memorial day.

Bashar al-Assad to run in Syrian presidential election
Man who has ruled country since 2000 expected to win contentious poll and land third seven-year term.

Egyptian Brotherhood chief Mohamed Badie among 683 sentenced to death
An Egyptian court sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and 682 other alleged Islamists to death Monday, a lawyer and prosecutor said, after two brief sessions the defence partly boycotted.

Daily Beast report on Kerry remarks against Israel that may explain radical Abbas hardline
...days after Mr. Kerry told a group that Israel had absolutely no choice but accept a deal with the Palestinians come-what-may and implied he wanted Netanyahu removed from power, Mahmoud Abbas had the PLO take an unprecedented hard line - ruling out even a land swap.

Set to blow: Toxic smog from Icelandic volcano could kill millions
A MASSIVE volcano pumping out toxic smog is now the biggest threat to Britain.

Farmers warned to prepare for the worst as risk of El Nino grows
Farmers are being cautioned to prepare contingency plans amid early signs of a large El Nino climate event this year.

Missouri Passes ‘Emergency’ Bill To Nullify All Federal Gun Laws: Rejects “Unlimited Submission” To Corporate Government!
On April 3rd 2013 the Missouri House passed an “emergency” bill to nullify “virtually every federal gun control measure in the books.” The bill – HB1439 – drew a super majority of support, 110-36.

North Korea preparing to develop its army to combat US 'military might'
North Korea will develop its military prowess in preparation for a potential confrontation with the United States, according to the hermit kingdom’s news agency. Kim Jong Un...“set forth important tasks for further developing the Korean People's Army and ways to do so” – a day after President Barack Obama warned the North of America’s military strength.

Netanyahu said to be delaying Turkey rapprochement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed approval of a reconciliation agreement with Turkey over the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, a Turkish daily reported Sunday.

UW launches effort to prepare region for major quake
Scientists fully expect that the coast of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and part of northern California to see a magnitude nine subduction zone earthquake again.

Arkansas Tornadoes: 'Utter Devastation', At Least 16 Deaths Reported
A dangerous scene played out northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas, on Sunday night when a massive tornado slammed Mayflower and Vilonia, demolishing homes and tossing cars like toys.

5.4-magnitude quake shook Ilocos Norte; aftershocks expected
MANILA, Philippines – A 5.4-magnitude earthquake jolted off the coast of Ilocos Norte on Monday morning, with aftershocks expected, the state seismologist said.

New IRS bombshell: 'Most audacious power play yet'
It was the nearly silent bombshell of the IRS scandal, but it may have been one of the most significant. That is especially true considering the target is primarily known as one of the fiercest critics of President Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton, the latter considered the Democrat’s leading presidential contender in 2016.

China accused of anti-Christian campaign as church demolition begins
Demolition teams began destroying parts of a Chinese church that has become a symbol of resistance to the Communist Party’s draconian clutch on religion, activists and witnesses said on Monday. Sanjiang church in Wenzhou, a wealthy coastal city known as the "Jerusalem of the East", made headlines earlier this month when thousands of Christians formed a human shield around its entrance after plans for its demolition were announced.

Killer virus spreads unchecked through U.S. hog belt, pushing pork to record
...The killer stalking U.S. hog farms is known as PEDv, a malady that in less than a year has wiped out more than 10 percent of the nation's pig population and helped send retail pork prices to record highs. The highly contagious Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus is puzzling scientists searching for its origins and its cure and leaving farmers devastated in ways that go beyond financial losses.

Syria 'still holds chemical weapons' - OPCW head Kaag
The head of the task force in charge of eliminating Syria's chemical weapons says Damascus still holds about 7.5% of its 1,300-tonne stockpile at one site. Envoy Sigrid Kaag was speaking as Syria appeared to miss a Sunday deadline to remove its arsenal from the country. All Syria's chemical weapons are scheduled to be destroyed by 30 June.

Obama visits Philippines; U.S. announces defense pact
The U.S. and the Philippines have agreed on a new 10-year defense pact that will allow increased presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines, White House officials said Sunday. The deal came in advance of President Obama's arrival in the Philippine capital, Manila, on Monday, the last stop on his four-country Asian tour.

Egypt: Brotherhood's Badie among mass death sentences
A judge at a mass trial in Egypt has recommended the death penalty for 683 people - including the Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie. The defendants faced charges over an attack on a police station in Minya in 2013 in which a policeman was killed. The judge also reversed 492 death sentences out of 529 passed in March, commuting most to life in prison.

Aleppo gripped by barrel bomb fears
A BBC team has witnessed the devastating effects of air bombardment on Syrian civilians after gaining rare access to rebel-held areas of Aleppo. Emergency rescue teams told the BBC the city was living in "danger and fear". Thousands of people are reported to have been killed or maimed in a campaign of aerial bombardment in northern Syria this year.

Kerry Warns of Israeli ‘Apartheid’
If there’s no two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict soon, Israel risks becoming “an apartheid state,” Secretary of State John Kerry told a room of influential world leaders in a closed-door meeting Friday.

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Israeli Institute Prepares Priests for Jerusalem's Third Temple
Rabbis and experts, including Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the head of the Temple Institute in the Old City of Jerusalem, the leading body preparing for the establishment of the third temple, will teach the audience the laws of the Passover sacrifice. Alongside Ariel, the ritual slaughterer (shohet) Rabbi Yehudah Giatt will teach the audience about the unique elements of the slaughter of the Passover sacrifice. After the lessons, the real thing will start: the simulation of the Passover sacrifice.

Deaths reported from US storms reaches 31
At least 31 deaths have been reported from a large, stubborn storm system making its way through the South after pummeling the central U.S. In Mississippi, officials say nine people died Monday, seven of them in hard-hit Winston County. Two others died in separate instances of vehicles being blown off roadways.

Why the Media Doesn’t Cover Jihadist Attacks on Middle East Christians
The United Nations, Western governments, media, universities, and talking heads everywhere insist that Palestinians are suffering tremendous abuses from the state of Israel. Conversely, the greatest human rights tragedy of our time—radical Muslim persecution of Christians, including in Palestinian controlled areas—is devotedly ignored.

Chlorine attacks sink Syria's credibility on chemical weapons deal
Assad is accused of gassing rebel areas, despite joining a chemical weapons convention last year. Syria has missed its latest deadline for removing its chemical weapons.

Obama's billionaire sticking it to middle class?
Steyer’s political organization, NextGen Climate Action, is seeking to build a war chest of more than $100 million to back Democrats in the 2014 election who support policies he believes would help stop global warming, such as opposing the Keystone Pipeline.

Filipino Protesters Burn Effigy of Barack Obama to Protest New Defense Deal
"No-bama, no bases, no war," chanted an angry crowd of protesters in Manila Monday, infuriated by a ten-year defense deal in which the United States promised support for the Filipino army in the event of any dispute with the country's neighbors growing violent.

Report: Pentagon to destroy $1B in ammo
It's impossible to know what portion of the arsenal slated for destruction — valued at $1.2 billion by the Pentagon — remains viable because the Defense Department's inventory systems can't share data effectively, according to a Government Accountability Office report obtained by USA TODAY. The result: potential waste of unknown value.

U.S. Sanctions Push Putin Toward His Dream of A New Financial System
Although Monday's sanctions will hurt Russia in the short term, they will also force Putin to step up his efforts to weaken U.S. influence over the global economy, which so far has been "little more than wishful thinking because of the difficult reforms it would require"

Lois Lerner to House: Holding Me in Contempt Is 'Un-American'
The retired IRS official at the center of the tea-party targeting scandal wants a chance to convince House lawmakers it would be "un-American" to hold her in contempt of Congress.

Israel okayed thousands of West Bank homes during talks, NGO says
Israel approved the construction of nearly 14,000 homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during nine months of peace talks, the dovish Peace Now NGO said in a report released Tuesday, the day marking the formal expiration of the crisis-stricken Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Ukraine crisis: Mayor of second city Gennady Kernes fights for life after murder attempt is blamed on Kremlin
The day began with the police station and administration building Konstantinovska being overrun; next the airport at Kramatorsk was attacked with rocket propelled grenades and then the mayor of Kharkiv was shot in the back. It ended in a vicious ambush on a demonstration in Donetsk. While America and the European Union impose new sanctions on Russia, violence and turmoil continues unabated in eastern Ukraine.

SOLAR SUPERSTORM NARROWLY MISSES EARTH
Two years ago, a Carrington-class solar storm narrowly missed Earth. If it had hit, researchers say, we could still be picking up the pieces.

Ukraine crisis: Russia condemns US 'Iron Curtain' sanctions
Russia has condemned new US and EU sanctions that have been imposed over Moscow's actions in Ukraine. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said "Iron Curtain"-style US sanctions could harm its hi-tech sector. Moscow also said the EU should be ashamed of extending its sanctions and was "under Washington's thumb".

More deadly tornadoes in southern US
Powerful storms are barrelling down on the southern US for a second night, raising the death toll above 20. Six deaths were reported in Alabama and seven in Mississippi after tornadoes struck on Monday evening, although not all these fatalities were confirmed. Several tornadoes flattened buildings, overturned vehicles and brought down utility lines on a second consecutive night of devastation.

Assad registers candidacy for Syria presidential election
Syria's President Bashar al- Assad has registered his candidacy for the June 3 presidential race, the Syrian Parliament announced Monday. Parliament speaker Jihad al-Lham announced Assad's candidacy while reading out the president's letter to the parliament. Despite the calls by Western powers and opposition for his ouster, Assad defiantly submitted his application for the upcoming presidential race as expected.

Kerry Apologizes for Remark That Israel Risks Apartheid
Secretary of State John Kerry issued an unusual statement Monday evening expressing his support for Israel after a controversy erupted over a politically charged phrase he used in a private appearance.

Solar eclipse set to cast its shadow
Australian star-gazers will be treated to a rare celestial spectacle from late Tuesday afternoon, as an annular solar eclipse casts its shadow across the land down under. Perth will be the first to welcome what will be seen here as a partial eclipse at 1.17pm, followed by Adelaide (3.25pm), Hobart (3.51pm), Melbourne (3.58pm), Canberra (4.08pm), Sydney (4.14pm) and Darwin (4.21pm).

North Korea Says It Will Conduct Live-Fire Drills
North Korea notified rival South Korea on Tuesday that it planned a live-fire drill near the countries’ disputed western sea boundary, a possible indication of rising frustration in Pyongyang as it unsuccessfully pushes for outside aid.

Putin's oil tsar emerged from shadows to wield vast power
When Vladimir Putin brought Igor Sechin out of the shadows and into the Kremlin 14 years ago, Russian newspapers said they had no photographs of him and alluded to his behind-the-scenes influence by calling him Darth Vadar.

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