Author: Sunfire

RT

A suicide bombing near the India-Pakistan border has killed at least 45 people, Pakistani police say. Women and children are amongst the dead following the blast, which took place near the Pakistani city of Lahore. The injury count is currently around 70.

“The death toll increased to 45,” the provincial police chief in Lahore told Reuters.

A senior police official verified the claims that the blast at the Wagah crossing was a suicide attack. “According to initial information it was a suicide attack,” Inspector General of Punjab Police, Mushtaq Sukhera, told local television channels. “When … security was a bit relaxed, the suicide attacker blew himself up near a restaurant,” he added.    Continue reading “Taliban suicide attack kills 45 on Pakistan-India border”

RT

A top US political consultant, dubbed “Dr. Evil”, has been caught on tape at an industry conference, advising oil and gas execs to regard public policy as “endless war” and to play on people’s fear and greed to lobby their interests.

Richard Berman’s speech, which he gave in June in Colorado Springs, was leaked to The New York Times by one of the participant’s at the conference who said: “It just left a bad taste in my mouth”. The whistleblower asked for their identity not to be revealed.    Continue reading “‘Win ugly or lose pretty’: ‘Dr. Evil’ lobbyist teaches US oil and gas execs to play dirty”

RT

Israel has said it’s shutting the only two operating Gaza border crossings indefinitely. This comes a day after a projectile hit Israel from the strip, but caused no damage. Border closures threaten to isolate already devastated Gaza completely.

The move will affect both the Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings, Haartez reported, quoting Israel’s defense establishment. The authorities have notified the Palestinians of the decision.   Continue reading “Gaza cut off: Israel closes border crossings indefinitely”

Mail.com

CHICAGO (AP) — The tightrope is waiting for Nik Wallenda in Chicago.

The 35-year-old high-wire artist — great-grandson of Karl Wallenda of the famous Flying Wallendas circus family — plans to perform two nail-biting walks that will be televised Sunday to millions of viewers around the world.

The Discovery Channel will use a 10-second delay for the broadcast, allowing producers to cut away if Wallenda falls. He plans to perform the walks without a net or harness. The daredevil’s challenge starts just after sunset when the skyscrapers up and down the Chicago River will be lit up and sparkling. First, he will walk uphill at a 15-degree angle from the Marina City west tower to the top of a skyscraper on the other side of the river. Next, he’ll walk blindfolded between the two Marina City towers — Chicago landmarks with Hollywood credits.   Continue reading “Daredevil set for Chicago skyscraper crossings”

RT

Israel is looking to build on the success of its Iron Dome, used during the Gaza War this summer, by creating a maritime version. The developers say it boasts a 360-degree range and can fire a missile every second.

The architect of the new program, Rafael, an Israeli state owned defense contractor, is looking to find buyers for its new sea-based missile system. They believe it could be especially effective in trying to defend and protect economic assets at sea, such as oil and gas platforms.   Continue reading “‘360-degree range’: Israel develops maritime ‘Iron Dome’ missile defense system”

Mail.com

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida A&M band member accused of being the ringleader of a brutal hazing ritual known as “Crossing Bus C” that killed a drum major was convicted Friday of manslaughter and felony hazing.

Dante Martin, 27, was the first to stand trial in the November 2011 death of 26-year-old Robert Champion aboard a band bus parked outside a football game where the well-regarded Marching 100 band had performed. The case brought into focus the culture of hazing in the band, which was suspended for more than a year while officials tried to clean up the program.   Continue reading “Ex-band member guilty in drum major’s hazing death”

Mail.com

BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State group extremists lined up and shot dead at least 50 tribesmen and women in Iraq’s Anbar province, officials said Saturday, the latest mass killing committed by the group.

The shooting happened late Friday in the village of Ras al-Maa, north of the provincial capital of Ramadi, Anbar councilman Faleh al-Issawi said. Militants accused the men and women of the Al Bu Nimr tribe of retaliating against them after being displaced from their homes when the group seized the Anbar town of Hit last month, al-Issawi said.   Continue reading “Iraqi officials: IS extremists line up, kill 50”

Mail.com

MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) — Billionaire Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson vowed Saturday to find out what caused the crash of his prototype space tourism rocket, killing one crew member and injuring another, but sounded a cautious note about any move to quickly push the project forward.

In grim remarks at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where the craft known as SpaceShipTwo was under development, Branson gave no details of Friday’s accident and deferred to the National Transportation Safety Board, whose team had just arrived.  Continue reading “Branson vows to find out cause of spacecraft crash”

RT

The mother of a former Marine with mental health problems who died in over 100-degree heat at Rikers Island will receive $2.25 million from New York City. The family originally planned to sue for $25 million.

Jerome Murdough, a 56-year-old veteran, was arrested in early February for sleeping in the stairwell of the roof of a Harlem apartment. He was charged with a trespassing misdemeanor and bail was set at $2,500. Unable to afford bail, he was sent to the Rikers Island prison complex. A week later, the mentally ill Murdough was found dead in a mental observation unit that city officials said overheated to at least 100 degrees, apparently because of malfunctioning equipment.   Continue reading “Mother whose son ‘baked to death’ in prison is awarded $2.25 mn”

RT

With November midterms just days away, the Democrats appear to be fishing for the Hispanic vote as the House Minority Leader called on President Obama to not only end deportations of illegals, but let their families enter as well.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, along with Democratic lawmakers Zoe Lofgren and Luis Gutiérrez, wrote an op-ed in Univision, the Spanish-language television website, which called on Obama – in Spanish – to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants under the administration’s“Dream Act” plan.   Continue reading “Republicans outraged as Democrats demand amnesty for millions of illegal aliens”

Mail.com

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — An attorney for the man accused of abducting University of Virginia student Hannah Graham said Friday that he wants his client to be evaluated to determine his sanity.

Attorney James Camblos made the request for a psychiatric evaluation at an arraignment for Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32, in Fairfax County Circuit Court, where he’s charged in a 2005 sexual assault unrelated to Graham’s disappearance and death.   Continue reading “Attorney wants UVa abduction suspect evaluated”

Mail.com

FORT KENT, Maine (AP) — Kaci Hickox is free to travel unrestricted after a Maine judge on Friday rejected the state’s bid to limit her movements as a medical worker who has treated Ebola patients.

Judge Charles C. LaVerdiere ruled Hickox must continue daily monitoring and coordinate travel with state health officials to ensure continuity of monitoring. The judge said there’s no need to restrict her movements because she’s not infectious because she’s showing no symptoms.   Continue reading “Judge rejects Ebola quarantine for nurse”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it drugs for the departed: Medicare’s prescription program kept paying for costly medications even after patients were dead.

The problem was traced back to a head-scratching bureaucratic rule that’s now getting a second look. A report coming out Friday from the Health and Human Services Department’s inspector general says the Medicare rule allows payment for prescriptions filled up to 32 days after a patient’s death — at odds with the program’s basic principles, not to mention common sense.   Continue reading “Medicare bought meds for dead people”

RT

The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem has been closed to all worshipers for the first time since 1967. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called the closure a ‘declaration of war.’

Both Jewish and Muslim worshipers will be prohibited from visiting the site “until further notice,”Israel’s public security minister said. Following the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “a significant hike” in the number of police forces patrolling Jerusalem, Naharnet daily reports.   Continue reading “‘Declaration of war’: Abbas warns over 1st Al-Aqsa Mosque closure since 1967”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wearing a lapel camera and posing as an Internet repairman, an undercover government agent walked into a luxury villa at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and recorded everything he saw as part of a major international gambling bust.

Defense lawyers said the FBI shut off Internet access to the suspects’ villas and then agents impersonated repair technicians to get inside and collect evidence in an elaborate ruse the morning of July 4.   Continue reading “Elaborate FBI repairman ruse shown in videos”

Mail.com

SALT LAKE CTIY (AP) — A Utah couple and their three children found dead in their home last month were likely poisoned, their bodies found together in a locked room with cups next to each of them, and empty bottles of methadone and nighttime cold medicine in a trash can.

Police in Springville aren’t saying who killed the family or whether one of the parents might have been involved. Toxicology results have not determined an exact cause of death, but search warrants obtained Wednesday say the family was likely poisoned.   Continue reading “Police: Poison likely killed Utah family of 5”

Mail.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Spanish flu pandemic a century ago prompted the last large-scale quarantines in this country. Now the Ebola outbreak is raising new questions about whether ordering quarantines is an effective way to fight deadly disease in the U.S.

Health experts say putting people into quarantine can be appropriate on a case-by-case basis. In a high-profile case in 2007, an Atlanta man believed to have a rare, extremely drug-resistant form of tuberculosis was ordered into federal quarantine after returning to the country from his wedding overseas. Later tests found a less dangerous form of TB.   Continue reading “Quarantines rarely used, effectiveness questioned”