A meteorite that fell into the sea off the coast of England Friday was mistaken for a crashing plane by several people, including a fisherman and a pilot, reports the Telegraph . Their reports resulted in emergency services being sent to investigate, but when no wreckage could be found and there…
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7.2 Magnitude Turkey Earthquake 2011, Rescue Crews on Scene Turkey Earthquake 2011 7.2 Turkey Earthquake 23.10.2011 rcayao says: Turkey Earthquake 2011 : Up to 1,000 Possibly Killed – Reuters [photo & video] http://t.co/kSAIGlaK
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[caption id="attachment_164590" align="aligncenter" width="613" caption="A protester is led away from the Occupy Chicago demonstration early Sunday morning. Protesters refused to clear out when the park they were gathered in closed for the night. (AP)"] [/caption] Police arrested 130 Occupy Chicago protesters early Sunday morning when the protesters refused to clear out Grant Park after closing time… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Blaze Discovery Date : 23/10/2011 11:36 Number of articles : 2
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Heavy rain, high winds and flash floods expected as agency issues alerts for south-west, Welsh rivers and Yorkshire coast South-west England and Wales have been warned of the risk of flash floods as heavy rain is driven in from the Atlantic by strong winds. The weather front has led to 14 flood alerts in Cornwall and Devon and one in Wales , as well as one covering a stretch of the Yorkshire coast at Bridlington where high tides and winds are expected to combine. The warnings end a brief mild spell after last week’s cold snap, although temperatures are not expected to fall significantly. Matt Dobson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said the main feature would be “persistent and heavy” rain. There was widespread flooding in Northern Ireland, with homes in south Belfast and Co Antrim damaged in the deluge. Cars had to be towed out of deep water on the Moira Road outside Belfast, and there was also heavy flooding in the Glenavy area. Oliver McMullan, who represents the East Antrim area, said the Cranny river had overflowed in the seaside village of Carnlough. The alerts posted by the Environment Agency for Cornwall and Devon affect the rivers Fal, Fowey, Helford, Looe, Lynher, Par, Plym, St Austell, Seaton, Tamar, Tavy, Torey brook, Walkham and Yealm as well as streams and small watercourses throughout south and west Cornwall. There is also an alert along the south Devon coast at Beesands, Torcross, Slapton and Dawlish. The Welsh alert covers streams in the catchments of the rivers Taf and Cynin and is expected to widen as the day goes on. The Yorkshire alert stretches from Barmston to Bridlington, with problems most likely around the resort’s north pier. The agency’s alerts describe the risk as low but warn that “there may be some flooding of properties and disruption to travel”, especially in Cornwall and Devon. The risk for the rest of the week is rated very low throughout the country, although the wet weather is forecast to move north. Dobson said: “There could be some local torrential bursts of rain but mostly it will just be very persistent rain. There could be over an inch of rain by the end of Monday.” The Met Office has also issued severe weather warnings for south-west England and the West Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland. It said 30-60mm of rain were expected, with bands of torrential rain raising this to 100mm in some places. “Periods of heavy rain, accompanied at times by strong winds, will affect parts of western Britain during Monday,” a spokesman said. “The public should be aware that quantities of rain may be sufficient in a few places to disrupt travel and give rise to localised flooding. In Northern Ireland the heaviest rain is expected to arrive later in the day.” The rain will ease off during Tuesday but unsettled conditions are expected to persist all week and over the weekend, with ground frost in places across the country forecast for Friday night. Weather Northern Ireland Flooding Martin Wainwright Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
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Officials say Ford – who angered Syrian regime over his support for anti-Assad protesters – had been threatened with his life The US has withdrawn its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, over fears for his safety after an intimidation campaign against him, American officials have said. They said there had been credible threats against his life and accused the Syrian government of failing to protect him and of being behind a campaign of incitement. Ford, who is back in Washington after leaving Damascus at the weekend, angered the Syrian government by aligning himself with anti-regime protesters. Defying a travel ban on diplomats travelling outside Damascus, Ford made high-profile visits to locations at the centre of opposition to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and spoke to leaders of the protests. His withdrawal adds to tensions between Damascus and Washington, which has called on on Assad to step down and to stop using violence against peaceful protesters. Speculation has grown since the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi that Syria might be the next target for western intervention, though Obama administration officials have so far denied it. The state department stressed that Ford’s return did not amount to a formal breakdown in relations and that Ford’s deputy, Haynes Mahoney, would remain in Damascus and carry out Ford’s duties. Mark Toner, the US state department spokesman, accused Syria of incitement. “At this point, we can’t say when he [Ford] will return to Syria,” Toner said. He said it would depend on “our assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground.” Toner continued: “Ambassador Ford was brought back to Washington as a result of credible threats against his personal safety. “We hope that the Syrian regime will end its incitement campaign against Ambassador Ford. [His] presence is a benefit to our mission in Syria, as he has worked diligently to deliver our message and be our eyes on the ground. This decision was based solely on the need to ensure his safety, a matter we take extremely seriously.” Relations between the US and Syria have been strained for decades and the Syrian government is branded by the US as a state sponsor of terrorism. Barack Obama, on becoming president in January 2009, made various peace overtures to Assad. Vice-president Joe Biden fuelled speculation over intervention in Syria by saying the military model used in Libya – which involved US air power in support of rebels on the ground backed by French and British special forces – could be used elsewhere. The US had recalled its ambassador to Syria in 2005 in protest at the alleged involvement of Damascus in the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Ford’s arrival in Damascus coincided with the US push to improve relations. But relations have worsened as Assad opted for a violent crackdown on protesters. Ford has established himself as outspoken in support of the demonstrators, and had been cheered when he visited Hama, the centre of the revolt, in the summer, which angered the Syrian government. Ford also went with other western ambassadors to pay respect to the family of a protest leader who died after allegedly being tortured. Last month, Ford’s convoy was targeted by pro-government protesters as he headed for a meeting with opposition leaders. An attempt was also made to break into the meeting. Ford has been repeatedly criticised by the state-run media. The decision to leave on Saturday came after the appearance of more articles critical of him. US foreign policy Syria Arab and Middle East unrest United States Protest Middle East Ewen MacAskill guardian.co.uk
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A new print-on-demand book by Mike Stimpson, a British photographer, has a bizarre take on Lego stormtroopers.
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An ambivalent Chihuahua going for a walk wearing a tank costume. Here’s a weapons test of the tank dog costume. via BuzzFeed Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Laughing Squid Discovery Date : 22/10/2011 16:19 Number of articles : 2
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An ambivalent Chihuahua going for a walk wearing a tank costume. Here’s a weapons test of the tank dog costume. via BuzzFeed Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Laughing Squid Discovery Date : 22/10/2011 16:19 Number of articles : 2
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Former News International executive stands by his statement to parliament in 2009 despite having seen Clive Goodman letter Les Hinton, one of Rupert Murdoch’s key executives when phone hacking was taking place at the News of the World, has defended his decision to tell MPs two years ago there was no evidence the practice was rife. Appearing before the culture, media and sport select committee via satellite from the US, the former chairman of the News of the World’s UK parent News International said he had been right to tell parliament in 2009 that hacking was restricted to a single reporter. It has subsequently emerged that when Hinton gave that evidence, he had seen a letter sent in 2007 by the paper’s former royal editor Clive Goodman, which alleged hacking was widely discussed at the title during news meetings. “I don’t think I’d regard Mr Goodman’s letter as evidence of anything,” Hinton told MPs on Monday. “They were accusations and allegations.” Hinton insisted that the company “reacted very responsibly” to Goodman’s letter, which resulted in an enquiry by Harbottle & Lewis that found no evidence to support the reporter’s claims. Challenged about why he had told the same committee in September 2009 that NI had found nothing that indicated a “suspicion” of hacking – a phrasing that Paul Farrelly, the MP questioning Hinton, said should have encompassed the Goodman letter. In response, Hinton insisted his statement of two years ago had been “valid”. Hinton, who was executive chairman of NI until 2007, appeared to suggest he had not overseen two separate external investigations into the hacking allegations, by law firms Burton Copeland and Harbottle & Lewis, but had delegated them. He also repeatedly said he struggled to recollect events which happened up to four years ago. That prompted Labour MP Paul Farrelly to jokingly compare Hinton to a mushroom. “You seem to have been kept in the dark by a lot of people,” Farrelly said. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly “for publication”. • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook . Les Hinton Phone hacking Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Newspapers James Robinson guardian.co.uk
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Action against officer in charge of army unit that killed Palestinian in Qusra was taken due to ‘a number of incidents’ The commander of an Israeli army unit whose soldiers shot dead a Palestinian protester just hours before president Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state has been relieved of his post. The lieutenant in the Haruv battalion, who has not been named, had a history of disciplinary transgressions. The death of 34-year-old Essam Oudah in the West Bank village of Qusra was not thought to be the main factor in the action against him. “The officer was dismissed from his command due to a number of operational and disciplinary incidents,” an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) statement said. Oudeh was killed after Palestinian men rallied to protect the village from a feared incursion by nearby settlers. The village had formed a defence committee following the vandalising of one of Qusra’s mosques by settlers last month – an attack condemned by the US and European Union. On 23 September, the day Abbas submitted the Palestinians’ formal request to be admitted as a full state to the UN, warnings were broadcast from Qusra mosques that settlers were approaching. Hundreds of men and youths streamed to the edge of the village. The Guardian, which was present for the standoff between villagers and settlers, saw no stone throwing or physical confrontation from either side before the Israeli army began firing teargas at the Palestinians. Later that day, an IDF statement said a “mutual rock hurling incident … incited a violent riot, during which Palestinians hurled rocks at security personnel”. The army opened fire with live bullets, injuring three Palestinians, including Oudeh who subsequently died. The army launched an investigation. According to a report on the Israeli Ynet news website, the army inquiry concluded the incident was an “operational failure” and that the commander had made an error of judgment in ordering troops to open fire. The officer told investigators his team felt threatened and outnumbered, according to Ynet. The IDF declined to comment beyond a brief statement. The commander is to remain in the IDF, but not in a combat role. An Israeli settler and his infant son were killed on the same day after Palestinians threw rocks at their car near Hebron, causing it to overturn. Israel Palestinian territories Protest Middle East Harriet Sherwood guardian.co.uk
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