Secret papers: UK studied chemical weapons buildup in 1980s
Secret papers: UK studied chemical weapons buildup in 1980s (Associated Press ) LONDON (AP) -- Newly released official papers show that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's government considered rebuilding Britain's chemical weapons arsenal in the face of a Soviet threat in the early 1980s. The formerly secret documents show that Thatcher's defense chiefs were worried that Britain had no response to a possible Soviet chemical attack except to retaliate with nuclear weapons. At the time, the Ministry of Defense believed the S…
#Business :7 Myths About Self-Made Billionaires
7 Myths About Self-Made Billionaires In 1984, Dietrich Mateschitz was a bored, forty-year-old marketing executive at the German cosmetics company Blendax. He spent his days peddling toothpaste and cosmetics to retailers around the world. Then on a routine trip to Thailand, Mateschitz learned that the Japanese manufacturer of a line of supersweet “health” drinks popular in Asia was the biggest taxpayer in Japan. There was nothing like them in the West. Mateschitz deci…
#Business : Here’s Who Just Unseated Oprah As the World’s Richest Black Woman
Here’s Who Just Unseated Oprah As the World’s Richest Black Woman Oprah Winfrey is no longer the world’s richest black woman. That distinction now belongs to Nigerian oil baroness and fashionista Folorunsho Alakija. Alakija is worth at least $3.3 billion — about $300 million more than American television personality Oprah — Ventures Africa reports. The 62-year-old started her career as a secretary at the erstwhile Merchant Bank of Nigeria, but moved to England in the early 80s to study fashion design. She then returned …
#Business :How to Use Your iPhone to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
How to Use Your iPhone to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions It’s almost New Year’s Day, which means it’s time for a new you (because the previous 365 days didn’t give you the opportunity to grow or change, apparently). But this time, you’re committed to making real progress, to reach your goals, and to make a difference in your life. You can start by avoiding these resolution pitfalls , but if you need some help, turn to your iPhone. A supercomputer in the palm of your hands, it has the power to improve your life (when you’re not…
#Business : Oil prices climb on Libya supply worries
Oil prices climb on Libya supply worries Oil prices rose on Monday, after dropping for the past two sessions, as escalating clashes in Libya stoked worries about supply from the OPEC member. A fire caused by fighting at one of Libya's main export terminals has destroyed 800,000 barrels of crude - more than two days of the country's output, officials said, amid clashes between factions battling for control of the nation.. "Libya, and all the other problems, warrants some kind of risk premium," said Jonathan Barratt, chie…
Rescued ferry passengers arrive in Italy, 149 still stranded - Reuters
Rescued ferry passengers arrive in Italy, 149 still stranded - Reuters A wounded passenger is helped as he leaves from the ' Spirit of Piraeus ' cargo container ship after the car ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in waters off Greece December 29, 2014. ATHENS/BARI Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:05am EST 1 of 11. A wounded passenger is helped as he leaves from the ' Spirit of Piraeus ' cargo container ship after the car ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in waters off Greece December 29, 2014. Credit: Reuters…
A Man Survived 3 Days in Alaskan Wilderness Stalked by Wolverine
A Man Survived 3 Days in Alaskan Wilderness Stalked by Wolverine A man in Alaska says it's a miracle that he survived three days in the wilderness while battling sub-zero temperatures and a wolverine. Craig Johnson was halfway through an 80-mile trek through remote Alaska on Dec. 15 when his snowmobile fell through the ice. He was on his way to visit family for the holidays. "I almost gave up ... But I couldn't give up. I had to do it for my boys, my family," he said. "I think it's a miracle that I'm alive.&q…
#Business : Google’s Gmail blocked in China
Google’s Gmail blocked in China Google’s Gmail was blocked in China after months of disruptions to the world’s biggest email service, with an anti-censorship advocate suggesting the country’s “Great Firewall” was to blame. Large numbers of Gmail web addresses were cut off in China on Friday, according to GreatFire.org, a China-based freedom of speech advocacy group. Users said the service was still down on Monday. “I think the government is just trying to further eliminate Google’s presence in China and even weaken its market ove…
#Business : Americans Are Feeling Good About 2015, Poll Finds
Americans Are Feeling Good About 2015, Poll Finds (WASHINGTON) — Americans are closing out 2014 on an optimistic note, according to a new Associated Press-Times Square Alliance poll. Nearly half predict that 2015 will be a better year for them than 2014 was, while only 1 in 10 think it will be worse. There’s room for improvement: Americans give the year gone by a resounding ‘meh.’ What Americans thought of 2014: GAINS AT HOME, SLIPS ABROAD On a personal level, about a third (34 percent) think 2014 was better than 2013, while 15 percent …
US, NATO to mark end of mission to Afghanistan
The United States and NATO will mark the formal end of the war in Afghanistan on Sunday with a ceremony at their military headquarters in Kabul as the insurgency they fought for 13 years remains as ferocious and deadly as at any time since the 2001 invasion that unseated the Taliban regime following the September 11 attacks. The symbolic ceremony will mark the end of the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, which will transition to a supporting role with 13,500 soldiers, most of them American, starting Jan. 1. Presid…
Ukraine nuke plant unit taken offline (Arizona Daily Star)
Ukraine nuke plant unit taken offline (Arizona Daily Star) MOSCOW (AP) — One unit of Ukraine's Zaporozhiya nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, has been taken offline because of generator problems. State nuclear power company Energoatom says the unit was disconnected from the electricity net early Sunday to prevent internal damage to the generator. It did not give further details, but said radiation in the area is within acceptable limits. It is the second time this month that a unit at the plant has been taken out of service. The…
Hong Kong Confirms First Case of Deadly Bird Flu This Winter (NDTV News)
Hong Kong Confirms First Case of Deadly Bird Flu This Winter (NDTV News) A woman is critically ill in Hong Kong with the deadly H7N9 strain of bird flu, the first confirmed case in the city this winter, the Hong Kong government said. The woman, 68, was admitted to hospital on Thursday after falling ill on Dec. 19, the Hong Kong government said in a statement issued on Saturday. The case has been classified as "imported" after it emerged the woman had recently been in the Longgang district of Shenzhen in mainland China, where …
At least 155 aboard missing plane from Indonesia to Singapore
At least 155 aboard missing plane from Indonesia to Singapore An Indonesia AirAsia commercial flight to Singapore was missing Sunday with at least 155 people on board after losing contact with air traffic controllers, according to the airline and Indonesian media reports. The airline said in a statement on its Facebook page that a search operation had begun for QZ8501, which took off from the Indonesian city of Surabaya at 5:27 a.m. The aircraft lost contact at 7:24 a.m., the airline said, about the time it was scheduled to land in S…
Two Female Drivers Will be Tried in a Saudi Terror Court
Two Female Drivers Will be Tried in a Saudi Terror Court A Saudi terrorism court will try two women who were detained after defying a ban on female drivers in the kingdom. Activists say their cases have been transferred to a specialized court that deals with terrorism cases because of comments the two made on social media, the BBC reports. Twenty-five-year-old Loujan al-Hathloul was arrested on Dec. 1 after attempting to drive to Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). And 33-year-old Maysa al-Amoudi, a Saudi journalist who li…
Iraqi Police: Coalition Airstrikes Kill ISIS Governor of Mosul
Iraqi Police: Coalition Airstrikes Kill ISIS Governor of Mosul Coalition airstrikes killed the latest Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS)-appointed governor of Mosul on Thursday, according to Iraqi police. Hassan Saeed Al-Jabouri, known as Abu Taluut, is the second ISIS governor of Mosul to be killed in December, CNN reports. According to Maj. Gen. Watheq Al-Hamdani, the Iraqi police commander leading the government’s efforts to retake Mosul, Jabouri was killed 29 km south of the city in the village of Qayyara. He had b…
Prayers and Tears at Vigil for Slain Officers
Prayers and Tears at Vigil for Slain Officers They stood, in tears, or crouched in silence, or stared solemnly on a Brooklyn street corner before a pile of bouquets, Christmas wreaths, teddy bears and candles snuffed out by the December wind. One after another — police officers, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants — arrived to pay respects to two of their own who were ambushed and killed last week at that spot, now a shrine to the fallen men. On Thursday afternoon, the uniformed officers were joined by New Yorkers, visitors from out of…
PlayStation and Xbox Live networks go offline in apparent cyber-attack
Sony and Microsoft apologise for Christmas disruptions, with online nuisance known as Lizard Squad claiming responsibility. Sony’s online PlayStation store and Microsoft’s Xbox Live network have been disrupted over Christmas in what is thought to have been a cyber-attack on the companies. The network outages, which have left millions of users unable to play games and access entertainment channels, are continuing into a second day. Sony said on Friday that some users were having trouble logging into its network and engineers were inv…
Tsunami's Legacy: Quest for Early Warning - terrible video "
BANGKOK—The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami revealed an urgent need for an adequate warning system. Tens of thousands of people had little idea of what was heading their way on the morning of Dec. 26.
US Drone Strikes Kill 7 Militants in Pakistan
Pakistani intelligence officials say suspected U.S. drone strikes have killed at least seven militants. The strikes early Friday targeted compounds of Taliban and Uzbek militants in Pakistan's remote North Waziristan region. They come as Pakistan ramps up its anti-terror strategy in the wake of a December 16 attack on an army-run school in Peshawar which killed nearly 150 people, most of them children. Drone strikes are largely unpopular in Pakistan where many consider them a violation of the country's sovereignty. But the U.…
The latest update: Judge denies Polanski bid to close case
related topic: Roman Polanski's attorneys seek to have sex abuse case dismissed Los Angeles judge has declined a bid from attorneys for Roman Polanski to close the 1977 child sex case against the Oscar-winning director, a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The decision by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Brandlin on Tuesday is the latest defeat for the filmmaker in having the case dismissed without returning to the United States. Polanski’s attorneys had filed court papers last week in a bid to end the case, at leas…
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Rebels say new Ukraine peace talks to take place on Wednesday
Rebels say new Ukraine peace talks to take place on Wednesday (Reuters) - A meeting of a so-called contact group aimed at ending violence in eastern Ukraine is planned for Wednesday, Russian state television quoted Denis Pushilin, vice speaker of the separatists' "People's Council" leadership body, as saying. The meeting was planned for 3 p.m. Moscow time in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, Rossiya-24 TV channel said. Talks in Minsk between Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Sept…
Singer Joe Cocker dies aged 70 after cancer battle
Tribute to Joe Cocker :Performance with John Belushi SNL Feeling Alright 1976 - See more at: http://praticatube.blogspot.it/2014/12/tribute-to-joe-cocker-performance-with.html Tribute to Joe Cocker :Performance with John Belushi SNL Feeling Alright 1976 - See more at: http://praticatube.blogspot.it/2014/12/tribute-to-joe-cocker-performance-with.html Singer Joe Cocker dies aged 70 after cancer battle Singer Joe Cocker, best known for his cover of The Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, has died aged 70. The Sh…
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