Greece: Athens in flames ... [2700]

Greece Approves Austerity Plan among arson and looting of buildings and shops in Athens.

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TO VIMA., / / Dennis Vithoulkas , George Pouliopoulos

 

12/02/2012, 10:10 | LAST UPDATED: 07:21

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Athens protests, , buildings  had suffered arson.

Countless disasters measures the city center, with 45 buildings and stores have been delivered to the flames. According to a police headquarters, "during the gatherings and marches in the city center, large groups of people covered  their characteristics, which were among the protesters, violently attacked the police forces, first in Syntagma Square and then to various areas in the center of Athens with Molotov cocktails, stones, sticks and other objects.
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"During the many hours of arson attacks have caused at least 45 buildings and shops, many of them at once, while others have caused damage, some of which remove items and commodities.
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"The police forces to meet and repel the attackers have used tear gas resources, and in many cases accompanied fire trucks to reach these unimpeded spaces event of fires, as the skinheads and portion of the assembled crowd did not allow their approach at these points. 
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Alongside police extricate civilians "were inside a building where they had suffered arson.
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"During the police operation arrested so far, 67 people in attacks against police, sabotage against buildings and shops and theft of objects and goods from shops. At the same time were taken from various areas around Athens and examined 75 other people.
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From the onslaught wounded 68 police officers, from molotov cocktails, stones, sticks and other objects, which were taken to hospitals.
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Preliminary investigation is conducted by the Directorate of Attica. "

Flood evacuation order in New South Wales....[ 2699 ]

Flood evacuation order in Walgett

• AAP
• February 12, 2012 7:22PM// news.com.au/

Vehicles driving through floodwaters on the Gwydir Highway in NSW - despite the road being closed. Picture: SES

AN evacuation order has been issued for residents of Walgett, as more than 5000 people remain isolated by floodwaters across northern New South Wales.

Power has been lost at Namoi Village at Walgett, sparking the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) to tell residents of the village to evacuate their homes by 7pm (AEDT) today.

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"You can choose to go to friends or relatives," the SES said in a statement today.

"Alternatively, temporary accommodation can be arranged for you and other assistance provided."

Across Walgett, where 322 people were isolated, the river continued to rise and was predicted to peak at 13.5 metres tomorrow, the SES said.

"It is expected that over the next 48 hours, floodwater from the Namoi River will reach the Castlereagh Highway."

The towns of Grawin, Cumborah, Lightning Ridge and Collarenebri remained isolated from Walgett and moderate flooding continued further north of Walgett at Mungindi.

River waters were starting to fall slowly at the Barwon River at Collarenebri, after peaking at 8.33m yesterday morning, causing moderate flooding, the SES said.

The Gwydir Highway remained closed in both directions, with access to Moree and Walgett cut off.

The SES was conducting flood operations in other parts of the state, particularly Moree, Namoi, Bourke and surrounding areas.

SES spokesman Dave Owens said floodwaters continued to be monitored as they rush downstream from Queensland.

"It really is a moving environment," he said today.

"As the water moves south those townships that have been isolated will be accessible again.

"But those townships further downstream are likely to become isolated.

"This water will keep flowing until at least the middle of March and we are going to be watching it for another four to six weeks."

He said the north of the state was fortunately not getting the severe thunderstorms that the coast was experiencing.

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Russia, Predicting disasters in 2012,-...[ 2698 ]

Predicting disasters

What sorts of cataclysmic events may occur in Russia in 2012

Iran: Major nuclear announcement within days...[ 2697 ]

Ahmadinejad: Major nuclear announcement expected within days

By the CNN Wire Staff

February 11, 2012 -- Updated 1214 GMT (2014 HKT)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the 25th International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran on February 8, 2012

(CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Saturday that the nation will reveal "several major achievements in the nuclear domain" within days, state media reported.

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Ahmadinejad did not offer details during his announcement at a rally to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

But he slammed "hegemonic powers," accusing them of pressuring the nation on the nuclear front.

In the near future, Iran's nuclear demands will be met by the nation's scientists, Ahmadinejad said at the Tehran event broadcast on Press TV

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"Today you see that the Iranian nation has become nuclear and can supply many of its demands," he said. "And God willing, in next few days, the whole world will witness the inauguration of several major achievements in the nuclear domain.

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The news comes amid heightened tension between Iran and the West over its nuclear program.

The West believes Tehran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy production.

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Tensions hit a boiling point weeks ago when Iran conducted military exercises in the Persian Gulf after threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane for oil.

Iran's threat followed tough sanctions from Western nations aimed at stopping its suspected nuclear weapons program.

Portrait of a Doomed Asteroid...[ 2696 ]

Image of the Portrait of a Doomed Asteroid

 

A new study provides a possible explanation of mysterious X-ray flares detected by the Chandra K-ray Observatory for several years in the region of Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*. The study suggests a cloud around Sgr A*, a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, which contains hundreds of trillions of asteroids and comets that have been stripped from their parent stars. 

The flares occur when asteroids of six miles or larger in radius are consumed by the black hole. An asteroid that undergoes a close encounter with another object, such as a star or planet, can be thrown into an orbit headed towards Sgr A*. 

If the asteroid passes within about 100 million miles of the black hole, roughly the distance between the Earth and the sun, it is torn into pieces by the tidal forces from the black hole. 

These fragments would then be vaporized by friction as they pass through the hot, thin gas flowing onto Sgr A*, similar to a meteor heating up and glowing as it falls through Earth's atmosphere. A flare is produced and eventually the remains of the asteroid are swallowed by the black hole.

Image Credit: Illustrations: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss