Month: January 2015

iHLS

An intelligence assessment titled Extremist Exploitation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles says there have been more than a dozen alleged plots around the world to use remote-piloted aircraft to carry explosives or chemical and biological agents. None of the plots succeeded.

There is no indication in the assessment about specific threats to Canada, but a separate document shows that Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) which is both a federal and a national police force of Canada has been developing guidelines for intercepting weaponized drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including whether it’s OK to shoot them down.   Continue reading “Canada: Police fears terrorists could use drones to attack VIPs”

RT

Suicides among soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces have doubled in 2014, according to an official report. The Israeli military has denied any connection between the upsurge and the escalating Gaza conflict.

Accoding to the report released by the IDF Manpower Division, 15 soldiers took their own lives last year, more than twice the seven suicides in 2013.   Continue reading “IDF says soldiers’ suicides doubled in 2014, ‘unrelated’ to Gaza war”

iHLS

The KC-46A Pegasus tanker program hit an important milestone recently with the successful first flight of its engineering test plane.

The Boeing 767-2C, a test version of the KC-46A without the refueling boom and other tanker equipment, was in the air three hours and 32 minutes.   Continue reading “It’s on the Israeli shopping list – will the budget allow?”

IMRA

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian authorities have decided to join the International Criminal Police Organization, widely known as Interpol, an
official revealed Saturday.

The head of the international relations and cooperation department in the
Palestinian Authority Ministry of Interior told Ma’an that the PA plans to
submit a request to join the group in 2015, ahead of Interpol’s annual
meeting.   Continue reading “Official: Palestine to join Interpol”

RT

The Pentagon’s fighter jet F-35 may not be fully operational until 2019 due to a newly discovered computer glitch. The $400 billion ultra-sophisticated jet, the most expensive in US history, was expected to enter service in 2015.

F-35 is the fifth generation combat aircraft which is designed in three variations for US Air Force, Navy and Marines to replace out of date aircraft. It was planned to join the Marines in 2015 and Air Force in 2016.   Continue reading “Computer glitch prevents US’ most advanced F-35 fighter jet from firing until 2019 – report”

RT

Two earthquakes, of 4.2 and 3.0 in magnitude, have occurred 80 kilometers to the north of Los Angeles, generating over a dozen aftershocks.

The first tremor shook the area at about 7:00 pm local time on Saturday (3:00 am GMT on Sunday). It occurred 13 kilometers from the town of Castaic, and was reported to be a foreshock to the second tremor.   Continue reading “2 quakes with more than a dozen aftershocks strike north of Los Angeles”

RT

After receiving an anonymous tipoff, Indian intelligence agencies have warned the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that terrorists may imminently target an Air India flight, and airports throughout the country were put on high alert.

The alert has been sounded at major Indian airports, such as Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, according to the Times of India newspaper.   Continue reading “Intel agencies warn terrorists may hijack Air India flight, airports on high alert”

Cryptogon

Here’s an excerpt from an email to my sister:

As for us being weird by American standards: We’re weird by NZ standards too. For example, we go to almost no birthday parties for other children because people are drinking Pepsi and eating baked atrocities with sprinkles on top. MSG sausages, etc.

One of Owen’s friends had her birthday party and Becky decided to try to go. Continue reading “Sugar as a Source of Disease”

Fox News

CHALLIS, Idaho –  A 4.9 magnitude earthquake in a remote Idaho county triggered rock slides that blocked some road lanes Saturday but did not cause any major damage or injuries.

Hours later around midnight, quakes of magnitude 4.0 and 3.6 struck in the same area, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.   Continue reading “4.9 magnitude Idaho earthquake triggers rock slides, no injuries”

Reason – by Scott Shackford

The Miami New Times has investigated years of Taser use by police officers in South Florida and has found all sorts of problems. Contain your surprise. Reporter Michael E. Miller documents officers using them against the homeless and mentally ill to force compliance, not because the officers are being threatened in any way. And some of them are attempting to conceal their misuse of Tasers from their departments.   Continue reading “Being Homeless in Miami May Lead to a Tasering”

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

Despite the anecdotal evidence plastered daily on financial media channels of a scruffy, young, upstart working from his parents’ basement and creating the next great social, mobile, analytics, cloud app worth a cajillion dollars, from nothing but tween eyeballs, the sad reality is the ‘American Dream’ for young Americans is over. As The WSJ reports, the share of people under age 30 who own private businesses has reached a 24-year-low, according to new data reflecting a generation struggling to find a spot in the workforce. While there are numerous possible reasons, one professors worries about the systemic aspect as “the fear of failure is the measure we should be most concerned about.”   Continue reading ““Peak Dream” – The Death Of The Young American Entrepreneur”

Police State USA

The FBI has proven that it can legally dodge even the sparse amount of judicial checks and balances on its ability to search the records of Americans.  After being denied twice in FISA Court for an order to collect records from an individual, a secret report reveals that the Bureau subsequently wrote its own order and went through with the surveillance, regardless of the court rejection.

This revelation was found in a recently declassified document, titled “A Review of the FBI’s Use of Section 215 Orders for Business Records in 2006″ (PDF).  It was written in 2008 by the DOJ Office of the Inspector General but not declassified until December 2014.   Continue reading “FBI bypasses denial in FISA court by writing its own search warrants”