In the news:

1. Quakes

Killer earthquakes on the rise

Finally, the increase in worldwide quakes is receiving some attention by the media.

The last decade has seen an intensification in earthquake activities. The 2004 Sumatra quake in Indonesia, which registered 9.3 on the Richter scale, has triggered stress in many areas. The Sikkim earthquake could be a manifestation of this stress. Earthquakes, some scientists believe, are on the rise.

The earthquake in Fukushima in Japan had a magnitude of 8.9 and was the largest in the recorded history of Japan. The February 2010 Chile earthquake registered a similar magnitude as the Japan quake while the January 2010 quake in Haiti had a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale.

Prof D.K. Paul, an earthquake engineer with IIT Roorkee, believes the pushing of the Indian tectonic plate under the Eurasian plate (at the rate of 5 cm per year) results in stresses which over a period of time, manifest as earthquakes.

5.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Northwest Territories

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Northwest Territories Sunday night, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed.

The quake was recorded about 200 kilometres south of Norman Wells, N.W.T., at a depth of 2.9 kilometres.

2. Technology for the "Mark of the Beast"?

Next evolution> Embedded chips for cyber connectivity

Federally funded research at the University of Illinois has produced a microchip that can be put on skin like a temporary tattoo and is successful in linking the physical world and the cyberworld in stunning new ways, according to a university announcement.

"We think this could be an important conceptual advance in wearable electronics, to achieve something that is almost unnoticeable to the wearer," said university electrical and computer engineering professor Todd Coleman.

The development recalls a recent WND report about the area of study called "transhumanism," a term often used synonymously with "human enhancement."

Futurists describe it as being "posthuman," the next step in what they believe to be the evolutionary process.

3. The Rise of Gog?

How Putin Arranged His Return to the Presidency

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ended the false suspense about whether Vladimir Putin would be returning to the Kremlin or not. Dmitry Medvedev announced the "return of the king" to a conference of the United Russia party.

The Russian authorities have now decided that they could dispense with the charade and proceed with the formality of an election and follow with coronation of Vladimir Putin.

Russian Prime Minister Putin to run for presidency next year

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced he will participate in next year's presidential elections for a third term as president. It is a move which had been expected for years.

The announcement was made during the United Russia party congress in Moscow where both President Dmitry Medvedev and Putin were addressing supporters about the upcoming elections. Medvedev used his speech to endorse Putin's presidential run.

Days before the end of Putin's second term as president, he undertook a series of controversial steps to increase the power of the prime minister. Medvedev had been widely expected to serve only one term so Putin could again become president after a short break.

4. Global Financial Crisis

Eurozone is the epicentre of global crisis

While the eurozone was the focus of financial market fears about debt-strained countries, the problem was actually wider spread.
"We have in front of us a global crisis of sovereign risk and we [the eurozone] are the epicenter of this global crisis," he said.

Multi-trillion plan to save the eurozone being prepared

European officials are working on a grand plan to restore confidence in the single currency area that would involve a massive bank recapitalisation, giving the bail-out fund several trillion euros of firepower, and a possible Greek default.

Buckle up for apocalypse Dow

Some say that financial armageddon is nigh - and that it's already too late to stop it.

EU looking at trillions in shock-and-awe plan to end crisis

A plan involving a multi-trillion euro leveraging of the eurozone's rescue fund via the European Central Bank is under consideration as the EU comes under global pressure to act quickly to prevent the bloc's crisis kicking off a global recession.

5. The Epicenter

Turkey to deploy warships over gas dispute

Turkey is set to begin natural gas exploration in the coming days in the Eastern Mediterranean, north of Cyprus. According to reports in the Turkish media, the exploration will be accompanied by a fleet of Turkish war ships and submarines.

Turkey’s war planes will also be stationed in the northern part of the island, which is under Turkish control. It is still unclear whether the exploration will take place in the areas where Israel and Cyprus divided exploration rights in an agreement signed last year.

US Jewish Leader Warns Turkey against Attacking Off-Shore Rig

An attack on the rig drilling for gas off shore from Cyprus for an Israeli-American consortium would be considered an attack on the United States, says Richard Stone, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Stone said Turkey would not dare attack the rig because Nobel is an American company but added that Erdogan is “unpredictable.”

Nobel also has a large stake in the mammoth Israeli discoveries of natural gas, and possibly oil, off Israel’s Mediterranean Coast.

UN Security Council to begin informal debate on Palestinian statehood

UN Security Council members will convene on Monday for informal consultations on the Palestinian Authority's application for admission to the United Nations as a full member state.

"It's highly likely that the consultations will continue for some weeks," said the deputy head of one Western mission to the United Nations.

"The Palestinian application is considered an extremely sensitive issue, and in particular, it's a source of controversy between the council's two leading powers, the United States and Russia. Therefore, no quick decision that would produce an official debate and vote is expected."

Egypt uncovers Libyan SA-24 anti-air missiles and sea mines bound for Gaza

SA-24 Helped by highly sophisticated contraband weapons smuggled out of Libya, Iran and Hizballah are getting the Palestinian Hamas equipped for another round of hostilities with Israel.

The introduction of sophisticated anti-air infrared missiles and sea mines into areas abutting on Israel's land and sea borders has given its army chiefs and strategists a serious headache. The SA-24s would give the Hamas an anti-air capability on a par with that of the Hizballah...

Hamas is therefore armed with weapons capable of attacking high-, medium- and low-flying objects, including planes, helicopters and drones over and outside the Gaza Strip in southwest Israel including the port towns of Ashdod and Ashkelon.

Both radical terrorist groups are now in possession of a stock of Libyan sea mines which can be used with the help of these experts for striking precise locations on the Israeli coast.

6. Conspiracy news:

Is The U.S. Government Stockpiling Food In Anticipation Of A Major Economic Crisis?

Or some other crisis?

Is the U.S. government stockpiling huge amounts of food and supplies in anticipation that something bad is about to happen? Is something about to cause a major economic crisis that will require large quantities of emergency food?

The truth is that the government is taking emergency preparedness very seriously these days. For example, you can see video of a high-level NASA official urging NASA employees to develop preparedness plans for their own families right here.

But what if this is a sign of something bigger?