Exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky may soon be charged with money laundering by a Marseilles court, the French daily La Provence reports. A prosecutor in Marseilles has completed an investigation into the case against Berezovsky and has requested a court hearing, according to the paper. The charges stem from accusations that Berezovsky […]
Archive for January, 2013
Berezovsky faces money-laundering charges in France
UK’s poorest families face hundreds of percent tax rise
Under the UK government’s austerity program millions of low income households are facing a hike in their council tax bills of up to 333% a year. New changes are to be introduced this April, while Scotland and Wales chose not to implement the cuts to benef The UK benefits system is about […]
North Korea imposes martial law, orders troops to ‘be ready for war’ – report
North Korea has allegedly been placed under martial law and its ruler Kim Jong-un has ordered the army to “prepare for war”, a South Korean daily claims. The North Korean leader issued a series of orders to his top defense and security officials on Saturday to conclude preparations for a new nuclear […]
Stalingrad returns to Russia’s map to mark celebrations
Stalingrad returns to Russia’s map to mark celebrations Published: 31 January, 2013, 22:38 A World War Two veteran stands at memorial Mamayev Kurgan (Mamayev Hill) in Volgograd (Reuters / Sergei Karpukhin) […]
Is Fort Campbell, Kentucky the ‘Area 51 of Appalachia’?
The state of Kentucky has, at times, been considered a rather odd place. Tracing the state’s northern border, one can follow the Ohio River all the way down to its tributaries that empty into the southwest end, forming a cluster of counties that are riddled with odd stories of weird creatures, mysterious flying objects, and […]
Genetic engineering: The world’s greatest scam?
Genetic engineering is a threat to food security, especially in a changing climate. The introduction of genetically manipulated organisms by choice or by accident grossly undermines sustainable agriculture and in so doing, severely limits the choice of food we can eat. Once GE plants are released into the environment, they are out of control. If […]
Is There a Car vs. Bike War? Seattle Says "No"
Alex Cheek/CC BY-SA 2.0 Get Seattle voters on the phone, and a funny thing happens: few of them say they believe there’s a car versus bike ‘war.’ Among the findings from a 400-respondent survey conducted in December 2012, the Seattle public opinion firm FM 3 found that: More than three-quarters of Seattle voters view people […]
Closer Look at the Volt-Based Cadillac ELR Plug-in
© GM One of the most interesting cars at this year’s Detroit Auto Show was the Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid. It’s interesting not only because it’s a plug-in, but also because it represents the first step in a longer journey; GM is taking the Voltec powertrain that was first developed for the Chevrolet Volt (which, […]
Places Birds Sleep
© Alfred Jansen + Martin Langhorst Protecting birds is a worthwhile cause for many reasons, but it doesn’t hurt to remember the many ways they benefit humans. Birds keep insect populations under control, spread seeds, pollinate plants and in cities, they even help keep things clean by eating dropped food or picking up pieces of […]
10 More Ways To Hide The Bed (Some of Which You Can Actually Afford)
After writing about yet another tiny apartment with a Clei Murphy bed, a commenter complained: If I had $12,000 to spend on the Clei Murphy bed, I would probably have a large enough apartment to have a separate bed and couch…. [This] stuff is not priced for anyone in the middle or lower classes, and […]
Samsung 13-Watt 900 Lumens LED Lightbulb Review
© Michael Graham Richard Lighting of the Future It might seem silly to some to be excited about lightbulbs, but I’m excited about LED technology. Looking back, incandescent lightbulbs did the job, but they were better at producing heat than light, and they wasted a tremendous amount of energy, especially in warm weather areas where […]
Spain GDP dropped 1.37% in 2012
Spainards protesting against austerity cuts on November 15, 2012. While Spanish Prime Minister is set to present new measures to help the economic recovery, the National Statistics Institute (INE) has reported that the country’s gross national product (GDP) has contracted by 1.37 percent in 2012. According to the report released by the INE on Wednesday, […]
North Korea imposes Martial Law, orders troops to be Ready for War
North Korea has allegedly been placed under martial law and its ruler Kim Jong-un has ordered the army to “prepare for war”, a South Korean daily claims. The North Korean leader issued a series of orders to his top defense and security officials on Saturday to conclude preparations for a new nuclear test, the Seoul […]
Crash in Detroit kills at least three people, causes massive multi-vehicle accident
Blinding snow squalls, high winds and a slick highway led to a mile-long series of crashes in Detroit that left at least three people dead, including two children, and 20 more injured. Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said visibility was extremely poor when the mass of crashes happened on Interstate 75 on the […]
Military judge orders government to stop censoring 9/11 hearings
A military judge ordered the US government Thursday to stop censoring September 11 pre-trial hearings from outside his courtroom. Judge James Pohl said the government must “disconnect the outside feed or ability to suspend the broadcast” from outside his court. Proceedings are heard in the press room, and in a room where human rights […]
Police hunt for two people who shot a Texas prosecutor
Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was shot dead outside the courthouse Thursday, spurring a complete lockdown of the grounds and an active search for the two shooters. Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Pat Laney said the suspects ambushed the assistant DA on his way in to court and shot him multiple times […]
14-year-old student shot in neck, teacher wounded at Atlanta middle school
A 14-year-old student shot in the head at an Atlanta school Thursday is “alert, conscious and breathing,” said police. The shooting occurred outside Price Middle School in southeast Atlanta, said Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos. The victim has been taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. A teacher has been injured. One suspect is in custody. […]
No new developments in 2-day child hostage standoff
Authorities and the suspected killer of a school bus driver and abductor of a 6-year-old kindergartner remain locked in a hostage standoff in southeastern Alabama that’s spanned nearly 2 days.. The child is said to be “okay”, having been given access to medicine and the box of crayons and a coloring book he requested. […]
Catholic Church Scandal: Nuns’ crimes in "Magdalene Laundries" revealed
Irish human rights lawyer and trainee barrister in London Maeve O’Rourke has compiled 5,000 pages of testimony from survivors of the Catholic “Magdalene Laundries” run by nuns in Ireland where women were tortured, abused, overworked. The world is quickly finding out that these catholic institutions for so-called “fallen women” was a place the Vatican established […]
Survivalists: Paranoid Right-Wingers or Diverse Urbanites? New York Times Can’t Decide
Survivalists: Paranoid right-wingers or a shrewd, far-thinking, and diverse urbanites? The New York Times can’t decide. Editorial board member Lawrence Downes’ Thursday morning post, “Jesus, Freedom and Guns,” used a YouTube video from a left-winger to mock gun-rights supporters as Christian paranoids fearing government tyranny: Here is a video shot at a gun-rights rally on […]