April surprise looms? North Korea tells British diplomats to be out of the country by April 10
April 5, 2013 – NORTH KOREA – Rogue state North Korea today sparked fears that it could trigger a nuclear strike as early as next Wednesday. Crackpot Kim Jong-un’s regime today issued a chilling threat to British diplomats warning them to get out of Pyongyang. Alarmingly, the North Korean government said it would not be able to guarantee the safety of embassies from April 10. Russian diplomats have also been advised to evacuate. Today the Foreign Office added that it is “considering next steps” after the threat. It is still unclear why next Wednesday has been set as a deadline – but it is sure to spark fears despot Kim Jong-un will launch an attack after that date.
U.S. 'Won't be Surprised' if North Korea Launches a Missile
White House press secretary says the American administration would not be surprised if North Korea launches a missile.
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By Elad Benari, Canada
First Publish: 4/6/2013, 1:12 AM
Soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in military training
AFP photo
White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Friday that the American administration would not be surprised if North Korea followed through on its recent threats to launch a missile.
"We've obviously seen the reports that North Korea may be making preparations to launch a missile. We're monitoring this situation closely, and we would not be surprised to see them take such an action," Carney was quoted by Politico as having said during a press briefing.
"We've obviously seen the reports that North Korea may be making preparations to launch a missile. We're monitoring this situation closely, and we would not be surprised to see them take such an action," Carney was quoted by Politico as having said during a press briefing.
6.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Russia’s far east, close to China and North Korea
April 5, 2013 – NORTH KOREA – An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude was registered in the border area between Russia, China and North Korea, the US Geological Survey said Friday. The epicenter of the quake was 9km from the Russian village of Zarubino, about 60km northeast of the North Korean city of Aodzhiri and approximately 608 km from the capital Pyongyang. No casualties or damage have been reported. The earthquake struck at a depth of 561.9 km. –RT
Geologists mystified by significance of new swarm of tremors rattling Iceland
April 5, 2013 – ICELAND - Approximately 70 earthquakes were picked up by the automatic sensors of the Icelandic Met Office in the Grímsey Island seismic belt in North Iceland from midnight yesterday and until the morning. The activity started with a 5.5 quake on April 2. Some of last night’s quakes were of a magnitude higher than three but none measured above four points, ruv.is reports. Yesterday, around 70 earthquakes were registered from noon and until the evening, five of which were above three in magnitude. The quakes could be felt on Grímsey but not on the mainland. Seismologists are paying close attention to the epicenter of the earthquakes at Skjálfandadjúp. So far, there are no indications that the activity is spreading to other fracture zones and the condition was stable yesterday. A level of uncertainty was declared in North Iceland following the 5.5 earthquake and the region’s residents were asked to inform themselves on how to react in case of a major earthquake. –Iceland Review
What
would you do if you logged in to your bank account someday and it
showed that you had a zero balance and your bank had no record that you
ever had any money in your account? What would you do if all of the
money in your bank account suddenly disappeared in a single moment? If
you had not kept any paper records, which most Americans do not, it
would be exceedingly difficult to prove to the bank that you actually
had any money in the bank. If you don't think that something like this
could ever happen in the United States, you might want to think again.
Cyber attacks against major banks in the United States are becoming more
powerful and more sophisticated with each passing month. In fact,
major U.S. bank websites have been offline for a total of 249 hours
over the past six weeks. And just last month, thousands upon thousands
of Chase customers logged into their bank accounts only to discover
that their balances had all been reset to zero.
Abbas Wants Netanyahu to Present a Map of 'Palestine'
New precondition: PA Chairman demands that Netanyahu present a map for a future Palestinian state before peace talks can resume.
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By Elad Benari, Canada
First Publish: 4/5/2013, 10:16 PM
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By Elad Benari, Canada
First Publish: 4/5/2013, 10:16 PM
Mahmoud Abbas
Flash 90
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has demanded that Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu present a map for a future Palestinian
state before any peace talks can resume, an aide told AFP on Friday.
Abbas "wants to know, through a map to be presented by Benjamin
Netanyahu to (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry, what the prime
minister's view of a two-state solution would be, especially the borders," political adviser Nimr Hammad told AFP.
The remarks came just days ahead of a visit by Kerry, who will hold fortnightly meetings with Israeli and PA leaders as he tries to revive the stalled peace process.
"Any return to negotiations requires Netanyahu to agree on 1967
borders," Hammad said, repeating one of Abbas’s usual preconditions for
talks with Israel.
Mahmoud Abbas
Flash 90
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has demanded that Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu present a map for a future Palestinian
state before any peace talks can resume, an aide told AFP on Friday.
Abbas "wants to know, through a map to be presented by Benjamin Netanyahu to (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry, what the prime minister's view of a two-state solution would be, especially the borders," political adviser Nimr Hammad told AFP.
The remarks came just days ahead of a visit by Kerry, who will hold fortnightly meetings with Israeli and PA leaders as he tries to revive the stalled peace process.
"Any return to negotiations requires Netanyahu to agree on 1967 borders," Hammad said, repeating one of Abbas’s usual preconditions for talks with Israel.
Abbas "wants to know, through a map to be presented by Benjamin Netanyahu to (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry, what the prime minister's view of a two-state solution would be, especially the borders," political adviser Nimr Hammad told AFP.
The remarks came just days ahead of a visit by Kerry, who will hold fortnightly meetings with Israeli and PA leaders as he tries to revive the stalled peace process.
"Any return to negotiations requires Netanyahu to agree on 1967 borders," Hammad said, repeating one of Abbas’s usual preconditions for talks with Israel.
Op-Ed: The Geopolitics of Israel's Offshore Gas Reserves
Published: Thursday, April 04, 2013 11:09 PM
The amount of gas discovered off Israel's shores
covers Israel's needs for over fifty years, meaning Israel will become
an exporter of gas.
Dr. David Wurmser
The
writer is founder and executive member of the Delphi Global Analysis
Group, LLC in Washington. He has served as a consultant to Noble Energy.
Earlier, he served as senior advisor on Proliferation and the Middle
East to former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, as senior advisor to
John R. Bolton at the State Department, and as a research fellow on the
Middle East at the American Enterprise Institute.
- The flow of natural gas from Israel's Tamar reservoir in the Mediterranean to the Ashdod reception facility was inaugurated on March 30, 2013, ushering in a new era in Israel's energy sector. Israel will not only become independent in being able to supply its own energy needs, but it is likely to become an energy exporter as its maritime gas fields are further developed.
- On January 17, 2009, Israel's economy and even its strategic stature changed when a team led by the Texan firm Noble Energy discovered gas in the Tamar field in the eastern Mediterranean, which is estimated to contain 9.7 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas. The Tamar well-heads which contain methane gas are rated at a high level of purity, with an energy value of production per well-head over four-fold higher than Saudi oil well-heads. Two years later, the same team drilling a few dozen kilometers further west discovered a monstrous gas field, appropriately called Leviathan, which is now estimated to contain 18 TCF and could begin supplying gas in 2016.
Syrian president warns of fallout if regime falls
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warns the fall of his regime
will unleash a wave of instability that will shake the Middle East.
(AFP)
Al Arabiya with the Associated Press -
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned that the fall of his
regime or the breakup of Syria will unleash a wave of instability that
will shake the Middle East for years to come.
Assad told the Turkish TV station Ulusal Kanal that “we are surrounded by countries that help terrorists and allow them to enter Syria.”
He accused Turkey of knowingly supporting rebels but said it is not clear whether Jordan is intentionally backing his opponents.
Assad's interview was aired Friday evening, three days after it was shot in Syria.
He warned that if his government falls or if Syria is divided, it “will have a domino effect” across the region and create “a period of instability for long years and maybe decades.”
Assad told the Turkish TV station Ulusal Kanal that “we are surrounded by countries that help terrorists and allow them to enter Syria.”
He accused Turkey of knowingly supporting rebels but said it is not clear whether Jordan is intentionally backing his opponents.
Assad's interview was aired Friday evening, three days after it was shot in Syria.
He warned that if his government falls or if Syria is divided, it “will have a domino effect” across the region and create “a period of instability for long years and maybe decades.”
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