Russian Ships Park Off Syrian Coast As NATO Deploys Patriot Missiles In Turkey -

Russian Ships Park Off Syrian Coast As NATO Deploys Patriot Missiles In Turkey - 



Several hours ago, Syrian president delivered his first public speech in months, addressing the internal military conflict that has gripped his country, and whose key excerpts can be found here. In it he called for a "full national mobilisation" to fight against rebels he described as al Qaeda terrorists. "We meet today and suffering is overwhelming Syrian land. There is no place for joy while security and stability are absent on the streets of our country," Assad said in a speech at the opera house in central Damascus. "The nation is for all and we all must protect it." Assad once again blamed the west for provoking and "facilitating" the rebellion, which even the NYT admits is being orchestrated by Al Qaeda, which naturally begs the question: just what is Al Qaeda to the US and to its intelligence agencies - foe or ally? But while providing fodder for the pundits, the speech was largely irrelevant. What does merit attention is the follow up to the story from two weeks ago the Russia sent two squadrons of ship to Syria in mid-December. It appears they have arrived, and just in time to offset the positioning of NATO Patriot missiles along the Turkish-Syria border.

From Jerusalem Post:

Russia has concentrated five landing ships in the eastern Mediterranean in a show of force  meant to deter Western nations from intervening militarily in Syria, The Sunday Times quoted a Russian diplomat as saying.

According to the report, the ships are carrying military vehicles and hundreds of Russian marines, and are being accompanied by combat vessels.
Remember when the official party line was that ships are being sent to assist in the evacuation of Russian citizens? Looks like not even Russia is going with that anymore.

While officially Russia has claimed the ships have been deployed to partake in an exercise to "improve the management, maintenance and testing of the interaction of naval forces,” the Times quoted the diplomat as saying the marines were meant to deter the West from deploying ground forces in the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Meanwhile in Turkey from Al Jazeera:

NATO has begun deploying Patriot missiles in Turkey in a bid to protect the country from the threat of war from neighbouring Syria, according to the US military's European Command (EUCOM).

EUCOM said in a statement on Friday that US military personnel and equipment were sent to Incirlik Air Base in southeastern Turkey to support NATO's Patriot battery deployment at Ankara's request.

Up to 400 troops are expected to be transported to Tukey within the week to operate two Patriot batteries supporting NATO's mission there. Additional equipment is scheduled to arrive by sea this month.

"The deployment of six Patriot batteries, including two each from Germany and The Netherlands, is in response to Turkey's request to NATO," EUCOM said in the statement issued from its offices in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart.

"The forces will augment Turkey's air defence capabilities and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the Alliance's border," it added.
Yes, we too find it amusing when by de-escalation the US armed forces mean anything but.

Which then leaves the only open question: when?

“Russia should be prepared for any developments, as it believes the situation in Syria might reach its peak before Easter,” the Times quoted the diplomatic source as saying.
In other words, having been unable to convince the world that Iran is a terminal threat to "democracy" everywhere and the window of destroying its nuclear processing facilities now officially closed, and with both the Lebanon and the Gaza conflicts hibernating, the only loophole left to escalate the region is now Syria, where the event timeline now appears to culminate in 2-3 months.

Read more -
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-01-06/russian-ships-park-syrian-coast-nato-deploys-patriot-missiles-turkey

Human Genes Engineered Into Experimental GMO Rice Being Grown in Kansas -

Human Genes Engineered Into Experimental GMO Rice Being Grown in Kansas - 



Unless the rice you buy is certified organic, or comes specifically from a farm that tests its rice crops for genetically modified (GM) traits, you could be eating rice tainted with actual human genes. The only known GMO with inbred human traits in cultivation today, a GM rice product made by biotechnology company Ventria Bioscience is currently being grown on 3,200 acres in Junction City, Kansas — and possibly elsewhere — and most people have no idea about it.

Since about 2006,Ventria has been quietly cultivating rice that has been genetically modified (GM) with genes from the human liver for the purpose of taking the artificial proteins produced by this “Frankenrice” and using them in pharmaceuticals. With approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),Ventria has taken one of the most widely cultivated grain crops in the world today, and essentially turned it into a catalyst for producing new drugs

Originally, the cultivation of this GM rice, which comes in three approved varieties (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/biotech_ea_permits.html), was limited to the laboratory setting. But in 2007,Ventriadecided to bring the rice outdoors. The company initially tried to plant the crops in Missouri, but met resistance fromAnheuser-Buschand others, which threatened to boycott all rice from the state in the event that Ventria began planting its rice within state borders (http://todayyesterdayandtomorrow.wordpress.com).

So Ventria‘s GM rice eventually ended up in Kansas, where it is presumably still being grown for the purpose of manufacturing drugs on 3,200 acres in Junction City. And while this GM rice with added human traits has never been approved for human consumption, it is now being cultivated in open fields where the potential for unrestrained contamination and spread of its unwanted, dangerous GM traits is virtually a given.

“This is not a product that everyone would want to consume,” said Jane Rissler from theUnion of Concerned Scientists(UCS) to theWashington Postback in 2007. “It is unwise to produce drugs in plants outdoors.”

Though receiving tens of thousands of public comments of opposition, many rightly concerned about the spread of GM traits, the USDA approved open cultivation of Ventria‘s GM rice anyway. This, of course, occurred after the U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA) had refused approval for Ventria‘s GM rice back in 2003 (http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/PharmaRice.pdf).

GM ‘pharmaceutical’ rice could cause more disease, suggests report

Besides the threat of contamination and wild spread,Ventria‘s GM rice, which is purportedly being grown to help third-world children overcome chronic diarrhea, may conversely cause other chronic diseases.

“These genetically engineered drugs could exacerbate certain infections, or cause dangerous allergic or immune system reactions,” said Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst at the Center for Food Safety (CFS), who published a report back in 2007 about the dangers of Ventria‘s GM rice.

Read more - 
http://worldtruth.tv/human-genes-engineered-into-experimental-gmo-rice-being-grown-in-kansas/

Brazil inmates train cat for prison break - trained to deliver cell phones and tools to dig tunnels -

Brazil inmates train cat for prison break - trained to deliver cell phones and tools to dig tunnels - 



A cat trained by prisoners to deliver cell phones and tools to dig tunnels was caught at a jail in northeastern Brazil after sneaking in with forbidden items strapped to its body.

"An agent saw the cat and went to look at it closely because something about it seemed wrong," Marcelo Avelino, the head of the prison guards' union, told the O Globo newspaper.

The agent found a bag tied to the animal's body filled with saw blades and drill parts for concrete drilling and digging tunnels, along with a cell phone complete with battery and charger, Avelino added.

The cat had often been seen coming in and out of the Alagoas jail.

Prison officer Luiz de Oliveira Souza told the G1 news website that prisoners had raised the cat and that relatives would often take it home after a prison visit.

"We were very surprised by this new tactic of prisoners," who trained the animal so that it returned to the prison and even managed to carry materials, the agent added.

Read more - 
http://www.france24.com/en/20130105-brazil-inmates-train-cat-prison-break

Man uses lottery ticket to find his stolen SUV -

Man uses lottery ticket to find his stolen SUV - 



Gary McLarty may not be a millionaire, but he’s learned lottery tickets can bring all kinds of luck after using one to track down his stolen vehicle.

The determined Windsorite was so angry when his Jeep was stolen – with a lottery ticket inside — he couldn’t sit and wait for police to find it.

He started investigating on his own, and called the Ontario Lottery and Gaming corporation. They told him where the crook had cashed his winning $10 ticket, and McLarty picked up the trail from there.

“If it wasn’t for OLG, I might not have got it back,” he said Friday. “More people should know what that ticket can do.”

McLarty, who manages a high-rise building in the east Riverside area, woke up New Year’s Day to discover his 2000 Jeep Cherokee had disappeared from its parking spot.

“I was very disappointed,” he said. “I don’t drink, but I questioned myself – did I go drinking?”

He called his insurance company and learned he didn’t have theft coverage. Never one discouraged by bad luck, McLarty later decided to continue his Daily Keno routine. Then it hit him.

“I left my winning ticket in the car,” he said.

He had already checked the numbers from the previous draw, and knew the ticket in his car was worth $10.

“I knew they were thieves, so probably not too smart either,” said McLarty. “I called OLG.”

Sarah Kiriliuk with OLG said the corporation has a process for recovering lost and stolen tickets.

“If they have all the information, the data checkpoints that we need to know, and can prove beyond a reasonable doubt they are the ones who own that ticket, then we can help them find a lost ticket,” said Kiriliuk.

She said the “retail complaints team,” which can retrieve detailed information about lottery ticket purchases, would have asked McLarty about his pattern of play. That includes the games and numbers he played, the time and place he bought the ticket and other “historical information.”

“Do you play every week, how many tickets do you play every week, how much money did you spend this time, how much money approximately do you spend in other weeks?” said Kiriliuk.

After ensuring McLarty was the rightful owner of the stolen ticket, OLG told him it had been cashed.

Someone had checked the ticket at Charron variety store on Whelpton Street, near Drouillard Road. Minutes later, the crooks cashed it in a Mac’s store on Ottawa Street.

“They’re driving around at two o’clock in the afternoon, so that’s pretty bold, and it’s also a day or two later,” said McLarty.

He figured the crooks might live in the area. On Thursday, he borrowed his friend’s car.

“I went to Charron variety,” said McLarty. “I asked them if they have video. They said they did.”

He asked the store clerk to keep the video for police. Then he took a ride to see if he could spot his Jeep.

“I got in my friend’s car, I pull up to Drouillard, and they pass me in my own truck,” said McLarty. “I’m mad, eh. My truck is very personal to me. I keep it up really good. So I’m looking to see if there’s any damage.”

There were two men in his Jeep. He started following them. They turned off Drouillard onto Ontario Street and stopped. The passenger got out at an apartment building with a case of beer. The Jeep continued on before pulling over again.

“I kept going like I never saw anything,” said McLarty. “I could see he was still watching me. I pulled around the block, I come back and he’s not even a couple steps out of the car. So now he’s really watching me.”

McLarty went to a nearby store and called police, then headed back to keep an eye on things. But he started worrying his Jeep would be gone before officers arrived.

“Sure enough, another guy comes out and jumps in my truck,” said McLarty. “Now I don’t have no choice. I gotta confront him. I didn’t want to block him off because I was in my friend’s car and I didn’t want it to get damaged. A lot of things go through your head. You’re mad. This guy’s got your car and he’s driving it like it’s his.”

He pulled up beside his stolen Jeep.

“I said ‘hey, that’s my car (expletive),’” said McLarty. “Then he just took off. He went like 50, 60 around the corner. I just thought somebody will die if I chase him. It’s not worth it.”

He went back to meet police. McLarty said officers later found the car abandoned at Langlois Avenue and Cataraqui Street. The ignition was punched out.

Sgt. Matthew D’Asti said police have a person of interest, but still haven’t gathered enough evidence to lay a charge.

“We’re waiting to see if there’s going to be any other results from the forensic examination of the vehicle,” said D’Asti.

McLarty said he’s just glad to get his Jeep back.

Read more - 
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/01/04/windsor-man-uses-lottery-ticket-to-find-his-stolen-suv/

Fossil Older Than Oxygen on Earth Found in Australia -

Fossil Older Than Oxygen on Earth Found in Australia - 

Researchers have found fossils of bacteria that are nearly 3.5 billion years old, believed to be the oldest visible fossils ever uncovered.

The fossils, found in northwest Australia’s Pilbara region, are from a time before oxygen existed on Earth and are from just one billion years after Earth’s formation, according to Old Dominion University’s Nora Noffke, one of the researchers who worked on the project.

The fossils are imprints found on sandstone that was formed when microbes interacted with rock sediment. Scientists have discovered older rocks, but Noffke says those rocks have eroded to the point where traces of life are all but impossible to find.

Read more - 
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Fossil_Older_Than_Oxygen_on_Earth_Found_in_Australia/23387/0/38/38/Y/M.html

Being overweight may increase odds of living longer -

Being overweight may increase odds of living longer - 



In a review of almost 100 past studies covering nearly three million people, researchers found that being overweight or slightly obese was linked to about a 6 percent lower risk of dying, compared to people considered "normal weight."
Being severely obese, however, was still tied to an almost 30 percent higher risk of death.
The idea that being somewhat overweight could be linked to better health has been dubbed the obesity paradox, even though actual obesity is generally not associated with the apparent "benefit."
"This is actually the common finding," said the new study's lead author Katherine Flegal, a senior scientist from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Her work, she said, confirms what previous analyses found - a link between being somewhat overweight and having a lower risk of death.
The paradox, as scientists have called it, is based on past findings that suggest overweight and obese people - even those with additional health problems - live longer than their thinner counterparts.
Some have argued that the pattern is a statistical one only because being thin, especially in old age, is often a sign or a result of serious illness - so the thinner people seem to have higher mortality.
The study results certainly do not give people permission to pack on extra pounds, according to Dr. Steven Heymsfield, the executive director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Heymsfield, who co-authored an editorial accompanying the new report, said the difference in mortality between overweight and normal weight people is probably very small.
"That's actually a very small number. It's probably only statistically significant because of the large number she had in her study," he added.
Also, there are concerns that body mass index (BMI) - a measurement of weight in relation to height - is not an accurate measure of someone's health risks.
For example, Heymsfield said a soldier may be considered overweight but still be healthy, because he or she has more muscle mass.
"It's not a good marker for body fat or health risk," he said.
There is also confusion around what BMI should be considered "normal," which is why Flegal and her colleagues conducted their analysis.
Past studies looking at the link between BMI and death used varying ranges to describe normal weight, overweight and obesity.
"There seems to be a lot of confusion about this whole area, and part of the confusion is that people are using a bunch of different categories," said Flegal.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/02/being-overweight-may-increase-odds-living-longer/?test=latestnews

Florida pilot spots theft at own house while flying plane -

Florida pilot spots theft at own house while flying plane - 


Authorities say a Florida man flying home from North Carolina caught a man stealing a trailer while piloting his plane over his own home.
The News-Press reports that David Zehntner was flying over his home in LaBelle Sunday when he saw a truck in his driveway. He lowered his altitude to get a closer look and saw a man attaching Zehntner's trailer to the truck.
Zehntner followed the truck and called the Glades County Sheriff's Office from the air. Glades deputies contacted the Lee County Sheriff's Office, which found the truck as it headed into Charlotte County.
Gary Haines, 59, of Virginia, was arrested and charged with grand theft. He was released Monday from the Charlotte County Jail on $2,500 bond. It's not clear whether he's retained an attorney.


Read more: 
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/01/florida-pilot-spots-theft-at-own-house-while-flying-plane/?test=latestnews

UK Criminals to be tracked from SPACE and monitored 24 hours a day -

UK Criminals to be tracked from SPACE and monitored 24 hours a day - 



DANGEROUS criminals are to have their every move tracked thanks to new tags that use satnav technology.

GPS tags will let probation officials monitor paedophiles and violent ex-prisoners 24 hours a day.

The device has already been used to follow hate preacher Abu Qatada — and justice chiefs aim to roll it out nationwide by the end of 2013.

It will mean paedophiles can be banned from areas where children gather — with an alarm being triggered if they go too near a school.

The tags — which are tracked by satellites orbiting Earth — mean dangerous ex-lags can be monitored round-the-clock for the first time.


1. Alarm triggered if offender strays too close to 'excursion' zones
2. Satellites above the Earth track position of the offender
3. Information sent to control centre, tracking offender in real time
Officials will be able to track offenders simply by following dots across a map on their computer screens.

Read more - 

Dognapping Cases Are Up By Almost 70 Percent -

Dognapping Cases Are Up By Almost 70 Percent - 


Dogs are being stolen out of cars, yards, off sidewalks and even out of shelters at an alarming rate, according to the American Kennel Club.

“It only takes a minute for a theft to occur,” American Kennel Club spokeswoman Lisa Peterson told CBS 2′s Dave Carlin on Friday.

Making any pet owner think twice is surveillance video from last week that showed “Marley” the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel being menaced by a stranger, who picked up the frightened dog and walked off with him, leaving 7-year-old Mia Bendrat heartbroken the day before Christmas.

“You knew that was somebody’s dog and it was Christmas Eve. I mean really?” Bendrat said.

Marley was sold to a woman in Greenwich Village, who thought the situation was fishy.

Marley was checked for a microchip and Mia and her best friend were reunited.

But happy endings are rare as dognapping cases rise nationwide by almost 70 percent, according to the American Kennel Club.

“Last year for example we tracked more than 432 pet thefts and that’s just scratching the surface,” Peterson said. “For the first time ever we’ve seen a trend now where shelters are being broken into and purebred and mixed breed dogs are being stolen.”

Dognappings from stores, shelters and backyards and off sidewalks are preventable.

Experts say to safeguard your pet as you would a child.

“Don’t leave it unattended,” Peterson said.

Read more - 

Comet ISON Could Outshine Moon, Create Stunning Tail Visible In Night Sky In 2013 -

Comet ISON Could Outshine Moon, Create Stunning Tail Visible In Night Sky In 2013 - 



A comet blazing toward Earth could outshine the full moon when it passes by at the end of next year - if it survives its close encounter with the sun.

The recently discovered object, known as comet ISON, is due to fly within 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) from the center of the sun on November 28, 2013 said astronomer Donald Yeomans, head of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

As the comet approaches, heat from the sun will vaporize ices in its body, creating what could be a spectacular tail that is visible in Earth's night sky without telescopes or even binoculars from about October 2013 through January 2014.

If the comet survives, that is.

Comet ISON could break apart as it nears the sun, or it could fail to produce a tail of ice particles visible from Earth.

Celestial visitors like Comet ISON hail from the Oort Cloud, a cluster of frozen rocks and ices that circle the sun about 50,000 times farther away than Earth's orbit. Every so often, one will be gravitationally bumped out from the cloud and begin a long solo orbit around the sun.

On September 21, two amateur astronomers from Russia spotted what appeared to be a comet in images taken by a 16-inch (0.4-meter) telescope that is part of the worldwide International Scientific Optical Network, or ISON, from which the object draws its name.

"The object was slow and had a unique movement. But we could not be certain that it was a comet because the scale of our images are quite small and the object was very compact," astronomer Artyom Novichonok, one of the discoverers, wrote in a comets email list hosted by Yahoo.

Read more -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/comet-ison-moon_n_2377883.html