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SOUTHEAST Queenslanders should be on the lookout for large black funnel-web spiders as big as an adult hand. As the hot, humid weather arrives, the potentially deadly spiders are on the move, with the first reports of the season this week. Queensland Museum senior curator Robert Raven said yesterday sightings of male funnel-webs had been confirmed at Mt Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland and Mt Glorious, west of Brisbane. With summer temperatures and rain, male funnel-webs would be active until at least March or April. Males often wandered at night searching for females, especially during rain. They are black,...

Barack Obama urged to act after eight more US soliders die in AfghanistanWhite House under pressure over troop deployments as US military suffers deadliest day in more than a year Richard Norton-Taylor, Jon Boone, Matthew Taylor and Ed Pilkington The Guardian, Monday 5 October 2009 The American military suffered its deadliest day in Afghanistan in more than a year when eight soldiers were killed on Saturday in audacious daytime raids by insurgents on US outposts in the east of the country. The deaths came as calls mounted in Washington and London for decisions to be taken quickly over future troop...

Police in central London are on the alert today amid fears of more violence between anti-Islam protesters and Muslims. Hundreds of supporters of the right-wing English Defence League are expected to descend on Trafalgar Square today. Tensions were simmering yesterday after a Cabinet minister raised fears of a return to 1930s fascism, comparing modern right-wing groups to Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts. Communities Secretary John Denham's comments came as he announced a drive to prevent white working class people being 'exploited' by extremists. He singled out protests being organised by the English Defence League, some of which have turned violent over recent...

Universities and public-school districts spent the summer preparing for swine flu. For some colleges, however, the virus popped up sooner than expected. Four Ohio schools -- Miami, Xavier, Cedarville and Cincinnati -- have cluster cases of the flu, according to state health officials. "We knew we were going to see it, but to have it happen so quickly surprised us a little bit," said Debora del Valle, spokeswoman for Xavier. The Cincinnati school has 110 suspected flu cases and canceled large events through Labor Day. No cases have been reported by Ohio public-school districts. Yesterday, President Barack Obama urged Americans...

Shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 3, a male with what appeared to be a handgun was reported near the vicinity of Dod Hall dormitory. Princeton University's Department of Public of Safety and Princeton Borough and Township police are investigating. Stay indoors until further instructions. Check the Princeton home page at www.princeton.edu for updates. Campus community members can check their e-mail as well.

National security adviser downplays N. Korea threat “Nothing that the North Koreans did surprised us,” Jones said. “We knew that they were going to do this, they said so, so no reason not to believe them.” But the Obama administration is in a tough position with regards to North Korea and in the coming weeks administration officials will try to reach a “global consensus” on how to handle North Korea, Jones indicated. S. Korea, US troops on alert after North's threats(Excerpt) Read more at Flopping Aces ...

The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) recommended Friday five regental administrations in Central Java distribute facemasks in anticipation of the spewing of thick ash from rumbling Mt. Slamet. The recommendation to the five regencies — Banyumas, Purbalingga, Pemalang, Tegal and Brebes — was made after seismic activity of the mount, which has begun spewing thick ash and molten lava from its crater, increased intensively. The recommendation was made after the alert status was raised to level three (of four) on Thursday evening, just two days after the status was raised to level two. "The local administrations should disseminate...

Announced by Government of Japan, and press story out within the last hour. Link to Japanese HERE.This is probably pretty standard, more or less expected, and of course prudent. Japan National Security Council told to be ready from tomorrow morning for the provocation and to stay ready in Tokyo.Prime Minister Aso gave the word to Chief Cabinet Secretariat Kawamura on returning from UK/G-20 earlier today. Stated to the Prefectures of Akita and Iwate--in Northern Japan--to be particularly alert but calm and ready for anything. Final quote was "chances of missile coming down toward Japanese soil are small, but if it...

Citi, Bank of America drop on nationalization concern By Alistair Barr, MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Bank of America Corp. shares hit a record low and Citigroup Corp. stock slumped to an 18-year low Friday, as the two financial giants faced investors' concerns they may soon be nationalized. Citi shares dropped 21% to $1.99, their lowest level since early 1991. Bank of America fell 17% to $3.27, and earlier touched a record low of $3.19, according to FactSet Research data. A Citigroup spokesman highlighted the bank's high Tier 1 capital ratio, a measure of financial strength, and said it continues...

This Travel Alert updates security information for U.S. citizens traveling and living in Mexico. It replaces the Travel Alert for Mexico dated April 14, 2008, and expires on April 14, 2009. While millions of U.S. Citizens safely visit Mexico each year, including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business, increased levels of violence make it imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one is a victim of crime. Common-sense precautions, such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas, avoiding...

Authorities to Hold News Conference on Fate of Boy Whose Grandfather Has Been Tied to Mexican Drug RingNevada officials have deactivated an Amber Alert for kidnapped 6-year-old Cole Puffinburger. They gave no reason for the cancellation. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced a news conference to be held at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT). Puffinburger was kidnapped Wednesday morning from his Las Vegas home. His grandfather, Clemens Tinnemeyer, 51, was arrested by the FBI on Friday as a "person of interest" in the case. He was taken into custody in Riverside, Calif., and is being held at the...

(IsraelNN.com) Jews in Canada and Latin America are on the hit list of Hizbullah terrorist cells, according to an ABC television news report, quoting American and Canadian intelligence officials. They said that the terrorist party, headed by Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, is seeking revenge for the attack last February on Imad Muginiyeh. Israel has denied involvement n the attack on the Hizbullah mastermind, who was assassinated in a car bomb blast in Damascus. ABC said Hizbullah agents have been conducting surveillance on the Israeli embassy in Ottawa and on Toronto synagogues. "They want to kill as many people as they can,...

Colin Nathaniel Custer, White, male, AGE 4 years old, HEIGHT 3 feet 00 inches, WEIGHT 35 lbs, WITH Hazel EYES AND short Blonde HAIR, WEARING grey with blue and red stripes short sleeve shirt, blue shorts pants, tan with blue stripes tennis shoes. THE CHILD IS LIKELY ABDUCTED BY Robert William Custer III, White, male, AGE 45 years old, HEIGHT 5 feet 08 inches, WEIGHT 200 lbs AND Balding Grey/Blonde HAIR. THEY MAY BE TRAVELING IN A 1988 White Chevrolet Conversion Van, LICENSE Q577ZE, FL, North towards Locust Grove, Virginia. Last seen in SC.

Online Sex Offender Alert System Launched New Service Is Free   POSTED: 12:35 pm EDT March 27, 2008 UPDATED: 12:57 pm EDT March 27, 2008   ORLANDO, Fla. -- Authorities in Florida on Thursday introduced a high-tech alert system that helps people keep track of sex offenders and predators.   The new feature, which is free at www.floridasexoffender.net, allows registered users to enter numerous street addresses, such as a home, workplace or school. When a sex offender or predator moves into that specified area, an e-mail alert about the offender and his or her address will be sent to...

First off thanks in advance. I have a grand daughter that has been taken by the state of Maine, And have done so against the family wishes. I need any website or lawyers that can be of help, I do have a call into the aclj Please keep this thread up I need your input.

Email Warning. If you get an email from City-Bank, don’t follow the link. The email looks valid and tells you there is suspicious activity on your account. The phone number seems legitimate but the link to their site will direct you to a fake site and if you log in they will have your log-in information. This happened this morning to a friend.

HAVANA - Fidel Castro looked frail but alert and even playful in a series of official photographs taken during a meeting with Brazil's president on Tuesday, the first images of the ailing Cuban leader released in about three months. Wearing a tracksuit and tennis shoes that have become his trademark since he fell ill, Castro is seen seated and grinning, his beard well-trimmed and his hair combed as he talks with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. In some images, Castro is seen pretending to snap pictures with a camera. The pictures were given to reporters as Brazil's leader left...

This really happened and right here in E-town in a church parking lot. Please, be cautious all the time!!!!! Nicole Dear friends, Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I wanted to remind you about safety during this holiday season. This morning I was sitting in the St. James church parking lot (next to Back Home) waiting on my mom to meet me for a day of shopping in Louisville. I had the car running because it was so cold outside. Tru, my baby, started fussing in the back seat so I hopped in the back of the car to feed him...

Business Leaders Feel Pretty Good About Economy's Prospects Despite Housing, Credit Woes WASHINGTON (AP) -- The country's top corporate executives foresee pretty good business prospects even as the economy gets squeezed by a housing collapse, a credit crunch, Wall Street turmoil and high energy prices. A survey by the Business Roundtable, released Tuesday, showed that most executives expect sales, capital investment and hiring to remain at current levels or even improve in the coming months. While the economy's problems have caused consumer confidence to tank, the survey's results suggest that corporate executives' assessment is that the business climate remains generally...

Early in the pre-campaign for the 2008 White House, New York ex-Mayor Giuliani was regarded by those who hate him as one of those gaudy soap bubbles that survives just long enough for you to yell to your brother to hurry on into the bathroom and take a look; but you're confident it will pop and leave a little moist remembrance on the white tile floor without you needing to blow it or poke it. That was many months ago, and far from popping, the Giuliani candidacy is gaining, sinking mud-cleats into solid political support and grabbing traction. Why? I...

Lieutenant Clay Hanna looks sick and white. Like his colleagues he does not seem to sleep. Hanna says he catches up by napping on a cot between operations in the command centre, amid the noise of radio. He is up at 6am and tries to go to sleep by 2am or 3am. But there are operations to go on, planning to be done and after-action reports that need to be written. And war interposes its own deadly agenda that requires his attention and wakes him up. When he emerges from his naps there is something old and paper-thin about his...

I just heard a radio alert thingie downstairs on the television. But missed it. Anyone know whats going down? An Amber alert? Mt. Rainer blowing its top?

Veiled: Sarah Dacre keeps the 21st century at bay No, she's NOT a beekeeper. This woman believes that her bizarre headgear can save her from the dangerous electrosmog all around us. Can she possibly be right? Before knocking on Sarah Dacre's door, I take the precaution of checking my mobile phone. It's switched off, as she has requested. "Last time someone came to visit," she warns, "I started feeling awfully nauseous. It turned out he had a picture phone with him and had left it switched on. A picture phone!" She pauses, looking genuinely horrified. Apparently, this type of mobile...

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2007 – Over the next week, 1,800 Individual Ready Reserve Marines will receive notice from the Marine Corps that they are needed in Iraq, an official announced today. Marine Lt. Col. Jeff Riehl, Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs spokesman, told reporters at the Pentagon today that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approved the notification March 23, and the letters are being mailed today. All enlistees in all services incur an eight-year commitment in some capacity, generally a combination of active or reserve duty and then IRR service. The Marine Corps can call up to 2,500...

World on alert over toxic mercury in food chain By Roger Highfield, Science Editor Last Updated: 2:12am GMT 09/03/2007 A worldwide alert about rising levels of toxic mercury in the food chain is issued today by scientists. Fish concentrate harmful mercury in their bodies The risks posed by mercury-contaminated fish are now big enough to trigger a warning to the public to be careful about how much and which fish they eat. Children and women of childbearing age should take particular care, they say. Fish and shellfish have a natural tendency to concentrate mercury in their bodies, often in the...

An AMBER Alert was issued Monday night for a 14-year-old girl from Inver Grove Heights who reportedly was abducted by her father, a known sex offender. Deidre Jeanne Michuda was believed to have been abducted by Stephen Michuda, 34, sometime after school late Monday afternoon. Stephen Michuda does not have custody of his daughter, and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact, authorities said

Sgt. Scott McDonald, a crew chief with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, performs a maintenance check on a UH-60 Blackhawk. McDonald and his fellow Soldiers provide air medical evacuation support for much of Northern Iraq. U.S. Army courtesy photo MEDEVAC Unit Stays on Alert to Save Injured Comrades This air ambulance company’s primary job is to respond quickly whenever there is a call to evacuate or transport an injured person. By Spc. Daniel Bearl 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs TIKRIT, Iraq, Feb. 8, 2007 -- Just off the flight line at Contingency...

Dengue alert issued in S America By Vladimir Hernandez BBC News Unusually warm weather has boosted mosquito populations A health alert has been declared in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia after an outbreak of dengue fever. The authorities have blamed higher rainfall this season as a cause of the unusually rapid spread of the disease. Experts also say the uncommonly warm weather has boosted the population of mosquitoes, which transmit the disease. Globally, it infects 50m people a year, the UN says. It starts as a flu-like illness but without the proper help it can develop into a deadly fever. Dengue...

This CONSERVATIVE ALERT is a special message for Robert ________ from the RightMarch.com PAC: ALERT: We're forwarding to our members an important Alert from our friends at 'MassResistance' -- please take action right away! Demand to Gov. Mitt Romney: Correct your mistakes that began same-sex "marriage". You have two weeks left in office! Over the past few weeks the national controversy over Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's apparent "conversion" to conservatism -- started by our report being circulated across the country -- has become a firestorm. It's been in most of the major newspapers, in magazines from National Review Online to...

As Avian Influenza becomes a more pressing issue in many locations, several U.S. Embassies around the world have released the following Warden Message, with nearly identical language, warning travelers of the problems they are likely to encounter should human-to-human transmission of the virus be detected. This message was issued by the following posts: U.S. Embassy Dhaka U.S. Embassy Dubai U.S. Embassy Hanoi U.S. Embassy Sana'a U.S. Embassy Vienna The Warden Message reads as follows: Avian Influenza: How to Prepare for "Sheltering-In-Place" Health professionals are concerned that the continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) virus among animals in...

WASHINGTON Democrats pursued their best chance in a dozen years to take control of the House from scandal-scarred Republicans on Tuesday in a midterm election marked by voter frustration with the Iraq war and President Bush. As the first polls closed, Rep. Harold Rogers, a 13-term Republican, and Rep. Ben Chandler, two-term Democrat, easily won re-election in Kentucky, as expected. Neither race was competitive. With a message of change, Democrats sought to pick up the 15 seats they needed to reclaim power after 12 years in the minority and clear the way for Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California to become...

Story in Japanese at the link above.And here:http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20061012-00000101-yom-polBy the Government of Japan, in response to North Korea's threat earlier today to treat 'severe sanctions' as a defacto 'declaration of war'.

China cancels troop leave at N. Korea border-report 10 Oct 2006 02:31:03 GMT Source: Reuters By Ben Blanchard DANDONG, China, Oct 10 (Reuters) - China has cancelled leave for troops along at least part of the border with North Korea, a mainland-controlled Hong Kong newspaper reported on Tuesday, a day after the North announced a nuclear test. The Wen Wei Po said Chinese People's Liberation Army troops ranged along the border in northeast China's Jilin province "have had leave totally cancelled" and some forces were conducting "anti-chemical" training exercises. But trains between the two countries appeared to be running as...

Delhi raises dengue fever alert By Sanjoy Majumder BBC correspondent, Delhi Diseases such as dengue and malaria are common in the monsoon Indian health officials have launched a massive drive to contain an outbreak of dengue fever in the capital, Delhi. Thousands of workers fanned out across the city spraying pesticides as part of a door-to-door campaign on Monday. The mosquito-borne disease has claimed 11 lives over the past two weeks and more than 400 people have been affected in and around the capital. Dengue fever can lead to high fever, with flu-like symptoms, and even to brain haemorrhage. Hospital...

Syria threat over Golan puts Israel on war alert By Harry de Quetteville in Jerusalem (Filed: 30/09/2006) Israel has gone on heightened alert over a possible war with Syria amid reports that President Bashar Assad may be considering military strikes to regain the Golan Heights. A signpost points out that Damascus is a mere 60kms from the Golan Heights For years Israeli military intelligence has down-played Syria's capacity to launch a meaningful attack against Israel, and the threat level has been kept "low". But Israeli reports have revealed that the threat level had been raised after intelligence assessments that Damascus...

Virgin Atlantic is making business travellers who use Dell and Apple laptops on-board disconnect their batteries to eliminate the risk of fire. Passengers must remove the battery from their laptop and place it, individually wrapped, in their hand luggage before connecting their laptop to the on-board power supply. The airline has put the ban in place in response to the recall of millions of batteries manufactured by Sony Corporation for the two computer firms. The batteries in question were manufactured between 2003 and 2006 and the recall relates only to certain Apple and Dell laptops. Virgin Atlantic is not the...

A PENTAGON security patrol came across a suspicious vehicle in the building parking lot, a Department of Defence official said overnight. "During a regular Pentagon parking lot patrol a car was found to have suspicious characteristics in south parking (lot)," said DOD spokesperson Eileen Lainez. "We are taking the appropriate precautionary measures and the investigation is continuing," she added, giving no further details. The vehicle was found as the United States is set to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. On that day one of four hijacked passenger airplanes slammed into the Pentagon.

Fat is not a feminist issue, as Susie Orbach once claimed. Fat is a class issue. Rich, educated people are not fat; you see almost no children in private schools who are overweight. Fatness and obesity are directly related to lower education and lower incomes. What is sad is that at a time when this country is richer than ever and ought to have better schools than ever, we have far more fat people than ever — a dangerous explosion of flab. Last week the Department of Health issued a report grimly called Forecasting Obesity to 2010 and its findings...

Flood alert for the highest tides in 20 years By David Sapsted (Filed: 07/08/2006) Thousands of people living in coastal areas are being warned to prepare for mass evacuations next month because of floods. Similar conditions in 1953 led to a flood that claimed 300 lives With the highest tides in 20 years predicted during September and October, the Environment Agency is holding road shows to alert people in the most vulnerable, low-lying areas of East Anglia. Householders are being urged to register with the agency to receive direct flood warnings, and a new Precautionary Evacuation Notice (PEN) system, involving...

ALERT 1 - Child Abduction Emergency THE NWS HAS ISSUED A CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY UNTIL 12:00PM CDT Issue Time: 11:13AM CDT, Friday Jun 16, 2006 Valid Until: 12:00PM CDT, Friday Jun 16, 2006 Back to summary Bulletin - Eas Activation Requested Child Abduction Emergency Illinois State Police Springfield IL Relayed By National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1059 AM CDT Fri Jun 16 2006 At The Request Of The Lawrenceville Police Department... The Illinois Emergency Alert System Is Activated For An Amber Alert. The Lawrenceville Police Department Has Reported A Confirmed Child Abduction That Occured At 812 AM June 16 At...

MOUNT MERAPI (AFP) - Indonesia has downgraded its top alert on Mount Merapi volcano as scientists said they no longer believe an eruption is imminent. Merapi -- whose name means "Mountain of Fire" -- was put on red alert on May 13 and its activity has fluctuated since then. It has declined substantially since Friday when part of a lava dome forming at its peak collapsed. "The activity status of Merapi is downgraded from 'beware' to 'standby' as of June 13, 2006, at 11:00 am," said Yousana Siagian, head of the vulcanology office in West Java's Bandung, in a statement....

Red alert for Indonesia volcano Thousands living under the volcano have been told to leave. Thousands of people living on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Indonesia are being taken to safety, because of fears the volcano may be about to erupt. Old people, women and children have been taken to emergency shelters, after officials monitoring the volcano raised the threat status to the highest level. The volcano has been rumbling for weeks but is becoming more volatile. Streams of lava have been flowing down one side of the mountain, which is also spewing out hot volcanic ash and smoke....

Crumbling Chernobyl Shelter Poses DangerBy MARA D. BELLABY, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 22, 6:37 PM ET An aerial view of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant shortly after the explosion of its still smoking fourth reactor is seen in this 1986 file picture. Ukraine marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the world's worst civil nuclear disaster, on April 26 this year. The concrete was used for the building of a sarcophagus around the shattered reactor, designed to contain emanating radiation. BLACK AND WHITE ONLY REUTERS/Vladimir Repik/Files CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, Ukraine - Chernobyl's coffin is cracking. Birds...

Japan: 107 Alerts on Chinese Spy Planes By HIROKO TABUCHI, Associated Press Writer Thu Apr 20, 3:14 PM ET Japan has scrambled fighter jets 107 times this year to intercept suspected Chinese spy planes, a top general said Thursday, amid growing concern in Tokyo over China's arms buildup. The 107 alerts in the first three months of 2006 — the most in at least a decade — were a dramatic increase from the previous year, when fighters scrambled only 13 times against Chinese planes, said Gen. Hajime Massaki. "Chinese activities in areas around Japanese territory have reached unprecedented levels," the...

Jerusalem police go on red alert Etgar Lefkovits, THE JERUSALEM POST Mar. 21, 2006 Citing intelligence information over a planned terror attack, Jerusalem police on Tuesday went on a heightened state of alert, police said. Police set up spot checkpoints throughout the city and were inspecting suspicious vehicles and persons in an effort to ward off an attack.

An emergency alert has been raised at the Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant in Salem Township in Luzerne County, but officials said the public is not in danger. According to PPL officials at the plant, there was a release of halon in one of the non-nuclear structures at the plant. Halon is a fire suppressant. Officials at the plant said no flames were present, but there was a burnt smell detected. The Luzerne County Emergency Agency also responded to the incident, and local E.M.A officials are on alert. Officials said there have been no evacuations. For any questions, residents of Luzerne...

MIA Peter Arnett magically appears in Vietnam journo reunion pic In its December 2005 issue, Vanity Fair magazine manipulated a photograph to make it appear that veteran journalist Peter Arnett was among a group of war correspondents gathered on a teeming Ho Chi Minh City street during a reunion of the Vietnam press corps. In fact, according to a source familiar with the photo shoot, Arnett was not present when photographer Jonas Karlsson shot a group portrait of eight journalists last April. Instead, the former CNN star (who covered the war for the Associated Press) was subsequently photographed solo and...

Sorry about the CAPS I posted as quick as I could

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2006 – The International Criminal Police Organization, known as Interpol, issued a worldwide alert yesterday for 23 prison escapees, including 13 convicted al Qaeda terrorists, according to an Interpol news release. The criminals escaped last week from a Yemen jail. They include Jamal al-Badawi, a terrorist convicted of masterminding the Oct. 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, news reports said. Terrorists pulled alongside the anchored Cole and detonated an explosive-loaded boat. The blast killed 17 U.S. sailors and wounded 39 others. The two terrorists in the boat also were killed. Pentagon spokesman Bryan...

A FOUR DAY OLD BABY WAS TAKEN FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER OF CENTRAL GEORGIA IN MACON THIS MORNING. ACCORDING TO MELANIE HOFMANN WITH THE MACON POLICE, THE THREE DAY OLD BOY WAS TAKEN FROM HIS MOTHER'S ROOM AT 11:58 THIS MORNING BY A WOMAN PRETENDING TO BE A HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE.