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(AP) DAMASCUS, Syria - Two strong explosions shook the Syrian capital Thursday, sending a plume of thick black smoke into the sky. The explosions were in the Qazaz neighborhood, where a Syrian intelligence agency has its headquarters. The explosions happened just before 8 a.m., when employees are usually arriving at work. CBS News' George Baghdadi, reporting from the scene, says about 40 burned-out cars and possibly dozens of badly burned bodies were scattered in front of the intelligence office.

Island Turtle will cover Iran’s nuclear missand in several installments. It will present information and satellite imagery about Iran’s missile manufacturing facilities, test areas and nuclear development sites. It will show an underground site, part of a vast military storage area, built into a side of a mountain that has yet to be reported by the media. It will also report on mysterious explosions and offer guidance on what happened and who is likely behind it. You will be surprised. The intent is to help Turtle readers follow news events in Iran intelligently when and if they happen, with locations,...

Nigeria imposed a 24-hour curfew Saturday in the northern city of Kano after assailants killed scores of people and wounded others in a hail of gunfire and coordinated bombings of eight government sites. The Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the blast....

Mumbai: There are reports of two explosions in Mumbai -one at Opera House in South Mumbai, the other at Dadar. More details are awaited.

Police are investigating two explosions at Seoul Station and Gangnam Express Bus Terminal about 30 minutes apart on Thursday. There have been no reports of injuries yet from the two blasts, officials said. The explosions caused chaos with citizens hurriedly leaving the two public transportation hubs. Police have not ruled out the possibility of terrorism, officials said. The blast at the bus terminal in southern Seoul occurred around 11:55 a.m. What is presumed to have been a can of butane gas exploded in a locker in the waiting room at the terminal, police said. “There was the sound of an...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/19/libya.civil.war/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1 More than 110 Tomahawk missiles fired from American and British ships and submarines hit about 20 Libyan air and missile defense targets in western portions of the country, U.S. Vice Adm. William Gortney said at a Pentagon briefing.

At least 25 people are reported to have been killed in an explosion on the Metro system in central Moscow, with a second blast coming shortly afterwards. The first blast happened at the city's central Lubyanka station, reports quoting security sources said. A second explosion happened at the Park Kultury station, Russian news agency Tass reported. Ten people were injured in the first blast, Tass said, quoting the emergencies ministry. The number of casualties at the second blast is not yet clear.

CHICAGO (AFP) – Astronomers who have long used supernovas as cosmic mile markers to help measure the expansion of the universe now have an answer to the nagging question of what sparks the massive stellar explosions. "These are such critical objects in understanding the universe," lead author Marat Gilfanov of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany said Wednesday in describing his team's study. "It was a major embarrassment that we did not know how they worked. Now we are beginning to understand what lights the fuse of these explosions." Most scientists say Type 1a supernovae are formed when...

A series of loud explosions has been reported in the area of a Sun Oil ethylene facility in New Castle County.

With Fernandina on the Galapagos still pouring lava into the oceans, I thought I'd post a couple of impressive ocean entry videos I found along with an image. The first video is Fernandina, the next two are Kilauea (Hawaii). Eruption in the Galapagos Islands (lava entry at night) Waikupanaha Ocean Lavafalls Kalapana ocean entry with lightning (and also a waterspout)

MINNEAPOLIS - SNIPPET: "According to the Minneapolis Police Department, more than 100 loud booms have been heard since last summer, always at night, and often on a Wednesday or a Friday. The most recent reports are all coming from a stretch along the Mississippi River, between Lake Street and the Ford bridge. About half the reports turn out to be either electrical transformers or fireworks -- but the other half are unidentified exploding objects."

100 Explosions on the Moon A map of the 100 explosions observed since late 2005.Not so long ago, anyone claiming to see flashes of light on the Moon would be viewed with deep suspicion by professional astronomers. Such reports were filed under "L" ... for lunatic. Not anymore. Over the past two and a half years, NASA astronomers have observed the Moon flashing at them not just once but one hundred times. "They're explosions caused by meteoroids hitting the Moon," explains Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). "A typical blast is...

PIKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ) ― Officers Vickie Warehime and J. Posluszny Jr. have solved a lot of mysteries, but this one is over their heads--literally. In fact, it may be about 30 to 40 feet in the air. For months, the Baltimore County Community Outreach officers have been investigating a bizarre phenomenon disturbing neighbors in an area of Pikesville near Beth Tfiloh Community School. Now, they say they may be closer to an answer. Derek Valcourt reports 911 callers complain about a deafening explosion and a bright flash of light in the middle of night. "The bedroom actually lights up like...

McCOOK, Texas (AP) - An explosion Friday at a gas pipeline in south Texas sent flames rising hundreds of feet into the air, but the fire was quickly contained and no injuries were reported, authorities said. Hidalgo County Emergency Manager Tony Pena said earlier reports that one person had been injured in the explosion were incorrect. After the explosion, black smoke rushed across a cloudy sky in northern Hidalgo County, driven by winds gusting to 40 mph (64 kph). Orange flames reached 400 feet to 500 feet (120 meters to 150 meters) into the air, Pena said. Firefighters shut off...

BAGHDAD - An explosion ripped through an apartment building and surrounding houses in northern Iraq Wednesday shortly after police arrived to investigate a tip about a weapons cache, killing at least nine people. In a separate incident, a suicide car bomber targeted a police convoy near the northern city of Kirkuk, killing at least five civilians and injuring 11, police said. The cause of the apartment blast in the city of Mosul was unknown. Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Jubouri said it occurred about 4:30 p.m. after the arrival of Iraqi police forces who went to the building after receiving a tip...

We're exploding lemons today.humblegunner is letting Eaker explode lemons on his head. We have photos and video which will be posted very soon.TheMom, Allegra, TheGirl, and me are all witnesses to this bizarre behavior.

VERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) - A shadowy leftist guerrilla group took credit for a string of explosions that ripped apart at least six Mexican oil and gas pipelines Monday, rattling financial markets and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production. The six explosions could be seen miles away, and set off fires that sent flames and black smoke shooting high above the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. At least a dozen pipelines, most carrying natural gas, were affected, said Jesus Reyes Heroles, the head of Mexico's oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, without providing specifics. He said there would be hundreds...

MEXICO CITY -- Six explosions ripped apart pipelines for Mexico's state oil monopoly early Monday, the company said. The blasts were believed to be sabotage and 12,000 people were evacuated afterward.

VERACRUZ, Mexico -- Mexican gas and oil pipelines were attacked in six places before dawn Monday, causing explosions, fires and gas leaks that forced the evacuation of thousands of people. The blasts reverberated for miles. No direct injuries were reported, though civil defense agencies said two women in their 70s who lived nearby died of heart attacks shortly afterward. The six blasts happened about 2 a.m. in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, the Mexican state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said in a statement. The company immediately shut down the affected lines as well as an extra line...

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2007 – Two minarets at the Golden Mosque compound in Samarra, Iraq, were destroyed around 9 a.m. today, military officials reported. A minaret is a tall, slender tower of a mosque having one or more balconies from which the summons to prayer is called out by a Muslim crier. Iraqi police on site described hearing two near-simultaneous explosions coming from inside the mosque compound, but they did not see any attackers in the vicinity. The Golden Mosque, one of the holiest Shiite shrines in the country, was the site of an insurgent bombing in February 2006 that...

San Francisco (IDGNS) - A New York-based company that is one of a handful developing fuel cells for consumer electronics devices says it has started commercial production of a fuel cell-based recharger for Microsoft. Medis Technologies produced the first Microsoft-branded rechargers on Friday, it's CEO, Robert Lifton, said in an interview with IDG News Service. "It's the first commercial sale for our company and we believe the first commercial sale in quantity for the industry," he said. Fuel cells produce electricity through a chemical reaction, typically involving methanol, however Medis says its devices use a proprietary alkaline fuel. One day...

TEHRAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Three strong explosions jolted southern Iran on Thursday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, but it was not clear if there were any casualties. The cause of the explosions in Khorramshahr in the province of Khuzestan, which borders Iraq, was not clear, but a local journalist said they were controlled explosions to destroy land mines left in the area since the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 – Five suspected terrorists were detained yesterday in Iraq, and this morning’s city council meeting in Mahmudiyah continued despite nearby explosions. -- Paratroopers from Company D, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and Iraqi police arrested three suspects yesterday near Haswah. The suspects were taken to the Iskandariyah police station for questioning. -- Paratroopers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, and Iraqi Police arrested two suspects yesterday near Hay al Askeri. -- Insurgents detonated explosives inside two trucks near a gas station today in Mahmudiyah, wounding two local residents. Despite the explosion,...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2006 -- Iraqi police responded to several explosions at both Sunni and Shiite mosques in Baghdad today. A car bomb exploded across the street from the Kamalia mosque, a Shiite mosque in the New Baghdad section of eastern Baghdad, around 9:45 a.m. Forces from 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, supported by coalition forces, were on the scene for support. U.S. soldiers from 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, were also called for support to conduct a damage assessment on the mosque, U.S. officials said. Later in the day, U.S. soldiers from...

Got five minutes to waste? Sure you do, you wouldn’t be here otherwise. So, let me take this post and introduce you to a clip, excerpted from British TV show Top Gear. In it, you’ll see Jeremy Clarkson, one of the show’s hosts, engage in what can only be gently described as “sadistic car annihilation”. In other words, he shoots some cars with some guns, and it’s freaking awesome! Yeah, it’s got nothing to do with technology or gadgets. But it doesn’t matter. Us geeks have diverse and wide-ranging taste, and I’m ready to bet you’ll get a kick out...

Very recent (and a bit blurry) shot of summit eruptive activity on Etna: Webcam link: (checked late Monday; Cam 3 showed incandescent gas for one frame (it's night); check early morning in USA to see where it's looking. Etna Webcams

Six explosions hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour Tuesday evening, ripping apart train compartments and reportedly injuring dozens of people, police and Indian media said. Indian television news channels broadcast video of the wounded sprawled on train tracks and being carried through stations. The Press Trust of India news agency said six blasts occurred along the city's commuter rail network, which is among the most crowded in the world. India's financial center of Bombay and the capital of New Delhi were reportedly on high alert.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - A series of bombs exploded in Ethiopia's capital Friday, killing four people and wounding at least 42, police and witnesses said. Federal police spokesman Commander Demsash Hailu said the blasts were the work of an organization trying to discredit the government but did not offer specifics. The bombings came just before Monday's anniversary of last year's general election. International observers called the balloting seriously flawed and opposition politicians have refused to take up their posts in protest of what they called government vote-rigging. Police have blamed other small bombings in recent months on alleged militant elements...

Al-Jazeera has set up this poll about whether you think that Syria is guilty of the explosions in Lebanon. The page is in arabic! The poll is on the right hand side of the page (arabic goes from right to left), right above the last advertisement on the page (the poll is in the middle of the page so you need to scroll down a little). The Syrians have been voting No (second choice) and therefore Lebanese are losing 55 to 45. You know what to do...

Zaka reported that the series of explosions that rocked the Buncefield oil depot in Hevel Hempstead, 25 miles north of London, were set off when a plane crashed into the oil storage facility at Leverstock Green. The oil depot is located near Luton Airport. Eyewitnesses have reported that people were injured in the incident, although the number and severity of the injuries were unknown. Ambulances were on their way to evacuate the victims. Eyewitnesses reported "enormous" blasts, which shook structures for miles around. The Hempstead Ramada hotel, whose windows were heavily damaged, has been evacuated. A large fire broke out,...

Three large explosions have rocked a fuel depot north of London, shooting flames hundreds of metres into the sky. Thirty-six people have been injured, four of them seriously. Police say that at this stage they are treating the blasts as an accident. The three explosions woke up residents dozens of kilometres away from the big fuel depot at Buncefield, near Luton airport north of London. Houses kilometres away have reported buckled front doors, cracked walls and blown-out windows. The area near the site has been evacuated, while police have advised residents living nearby to keep their windows and doors closed...

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England — A series of explosions at one of Britain's largest oil depots shook an area north of London Sunday, shattering windows and sending billowing clouds of smoke and flames high into the sky. Police said the blasts appeared to be accidental. The oil depot is near an airport and some residents reported hearing an aircraft flying low overhead shortly before the first explosion at around 6 a.m. But area police issued a statement saying there was "nothing to suggest a plane was involved." The al-Qaida terror network and other terrorist groups have threatened to target fuel depots....

<p>There has been a large explosion followed by two smaller blasts in the St Albans area, around 25 miles north of London.</p> <p>Sky Correspondent Sky Meade has said he can see flames about 200ft in the sky and there appears to be burning fuel.</p>

MSNBC reporting explosions near the Superdome. CNN reporting thick smoke billowing from the area

Sick,Slick Self-Promoting Radicals and 9/11 The latest buzz – among the sick, slick radical set – is the release of the 9/11 tapes. “ A-hah !” , they declaim . “EXPLOSIONS in the World Trade Center !!” Yes, they say. The audio tapes clearly reveal the sound of explosions…which means: ( Ta- dah !!) “The Twin Towers were brought down by BOMBS – cunningly planted by:” (Choose one or – What the heck ! – Choose all !) 1. Mossad Agents - seeking to promote World Zionism ; 2. Jewish terrorists - seeking to smear peaceful Muslims; 3. The CIA...

DACCA - At least 100 bombs of low power exploded in a nearly simultaneous way Wednesday in several cities of Bangladesh, including 15 in the Dacca capital, according to the police force. According to information's given by the police force, 111 bombs, apparently very of artisanal manufacture and low power, exploded in this Moslem country directed by a allied governmental coalition with the islamist parties. Approximately 15 bombs exploded in the capital, 20 in the large port of the south-east of the country, Chittagong. Last nine explosions were announced to Barisal, in the south, and at least six in...

The bombs were identical in size and design: one in a black nylon duffel bag, the other in a black knapsack with grayish trim. Each was made of 10 kilos of powerful commercial explosives - essentially sawdust soaked in nitroglycerine - with nuts and bolts for shrapnel. Left on seats in a commuter rail car, they were detonated almost simultaneously using cellphones. The explosions ripped into the steel, plastic and fiberglass, sending a deadly shock wave through the passenger compartment and hurtling twisted chunks of metal, debris and tiny bits of the bombs hundreds of feet in every direction. Almost...

You don’t have to be a conspiracy buff to think the recent spate of incidents at BP facilities was maybe a little much to comfortably call coincidence. The FBI’s not going near that, but did confirm it was conducting what it called routine investigations of the incidents. Bureau officials said there was no evidence or indication that any of the incidents might involve deliberate acts, and that such probes had become routine since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. BP’s Texas City oil refinery and a subsidiary’s chemical plant at Chocolate Bayou have been at the center of six large incidents in...

Iraqi and U.S. troops respond to two separate attacks; ordnance disposal teams detonated unexploded ordnance discovered at the scene. MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq, July 26, 2005 — Iraqi Army and U.S. soldiers assigned to Task Force Baghdad helped treat victims of two separate terrorist attacks in Mahmudiyah and Al-Dora, July 21. Prior to the explosions, U.S. troops assigned to 3rd Platoon, E Troop, 108th Cavalry Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and the Iraqi Army’s 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Division operations and intelligence leaders met to plan future combined missions near Siad Abdullah and the surrounding areas which are known...

Just Breaking announcement on FOX. No more info at this time.

BAGHDAD, July 11 (KUNA) -- US troops and Iraqi security forces continued Monday carrying out Operation Sword in the Zaidan area southeastern Al-Falujah. A Multi-National Forces (MNF) statement said today that the operation is to clear the area along the Euphrates River between the towns of Haditha and Heet in Al-Anbar province of terrorists and foreign fighters. Furthermore, an explosive device blew-up early this morning near a US Army patrol vehicle, the statement said, adding that another explosion took place during a security patrol. The statement added that US Marines discovered two ammunition caches in the Zaidan area including bombs,...

APPARENTLY co-ordinated blasts across London's transport network today bear similarities to last year's Madrid bombings and suggest an attack in the style of al-Qaeda, security analysts said. Officially, there was no immediate confirmation from British authorities that they were treating the explosions as an attack by militants. London's police chief said there were about six blasts. The use of near-simultaneous attacks to cause maximum damage and panic is a tactic frequently used by al-Qaeda, from the 1998 bombing of two US embassies in East Africa to the September 11 attacks on the United States with four hijacked airliners in 2001....

Is it just me or does anyone else wonder at the oil refinery explosions happening at the start of every Spring/Summer rise in gasoline prices?

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's first freely elected parliament in half a century began its opening session Wednesday after a series of explosions targeted the gathering. President Bush called the session a ``bright moment'' for Iraq, but added there was no timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. The parliament's 275 members, elected during Jan. 30 balloting, convened in an auditorium amid tight security in the heavily guarded Green Zone with U.S. helicopter gunships hovering overhead. -snip- Minutes before the assembly convened, at least a half-dozen explosions detonated a few hundred yards away. The U.S. military said two mortar rounds landed inside...

Third explosion in eight days injures three Alex Sanz/Eyewitness News Saturday's blasts marked the third such incidents since New Year's Eve last Friday.  The explosions occurred underground on West Market Street where it meets Capitol Avenue, and sent three people to the hospital with minor injuries. "We had what I consider a major explosion.  It sounded literally like a sonic boom." said Indianapolis firefighter John Harding.The force of the blast shattered store-front windows, ripped gashes in concrete floors and shook buildings for blocks.Witness Jack Bayt recalled, "You can see the glass and the door frame laying on the street." Tonight, the...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

(IsraelNN.com) An explosion occurred a short time ago in the Taba Hilton, on the Egyptian side of the border. According preliminary reports from Magen David Adom emergency medical service officials, the cause of the blast was a gas tank. There are unconfirmed reports of dozens of injured. The IDF has already ordered helicopters into the air and MDA is mobilizing to treat the many wounded in the blast. Details to follow as they become available.

After a Trio of Explosions Scientists say Supernova is ImminentThree powerful recent blasts from three wholly different regions in space have left scientists scrambling. The blasts, which lasted only a few seconds, might be early alert systems for star explosions called supernovae, which could start appearing any day. The first two blasts, called X-ray flashes, occurred on September 12 and 16. These were followed by a more powerful burst on September 24. The burst seems to be on the cusp between an X-ray flash and a full-fledged gamma ray burst, a discovery interesting in its own right. If these signals...

Series of explosions reported in central Baghdad; exact location of blasts not clear (AP)

Witnesses report explosion in major business district in central Jakarta, Indonesia; cause of blast unknown (Reuters)